Page 56 of Dark Princess: Shadows

MORELLE

After Annani and Ell-rom left, exhaustion washed over Morelle, and the need to close her eyes and surrender to it was overwhelming, but she fought it. She wanted Bran-don, her storyteller, to return, and she wanted to be awake for him. His presence made her feel safe for some reason.

Was he a warrior?

He didn't move like the Kra-ell warriors from back home, but there was something about him that suggested he could hold his own on the battlefield.

When the door opened, Morelle was disappointed when, instead of Bran-don, one of the medics entered, wheeling in a strange contraption.

"Look what I just got." The woman touched the teardrop hanging from a cord tied around her neck. "Now that you are awake, you need to understand what I'm saying. I'm Gertrude, by the way, if you have forgotten my name."

She remembered the medic introducing herself before, but she hadn't remembered her name until she'd said it again.

Morelle wanted to make a comment, maybe congratulate Gertrude on receiving the new device, but her throat felt painfully dry, and her lips were cracked despite the sticky paste that the medic had smeared on them before.

When she licked her lips, Gertrude reached for a cup and filled it with water.

"Here." She held it to her lips.

This time, unlike earlier with Brandon, she didn't stop Morelle from drinking the entire cup. The cool liquid felt wonderful, sliding down her throat, making speech easier.

"Thank you. That was wonderful."

"You are welcome. Is your stomach okay? Not queasy?"

"I'm okay." Morelle nodded. "What is that device for?" she asked, eyeing the contraption Gertrude was positioning near her legs.

"It's a machine to exercise your muscles without you having to do anything," Gertrude explained as she carefully arranged Morelle's legs. "So that when you're ready to walk, it won't be as difficult. After your brother woke up from stasis, his muscles weren't rebuilt yet, and he could have made use of one, too, but Julian only thought of ordering it after his experience with Ell-rom. It was different for your brother because he was much weaker when he woke up than you were, so we are expecting your recovery to be much faster."

Shame washed over Morelle when she realized that she hadn't even asked Ell-rom how long he had been awake or why he had woken up before her. Had it been voluntary? Or had their newly discovered relative decided to wake them up one at a time?

If she were in their position and did not know what to expect, she would have woken up just one as well to see if they were dangerous, but she had a feeling that was not what had happened.

For some reason, Ell-rom had awakened first on his own.

Well, she suspected what the reason was. She hadn't wanted to wake up, and if not for her mother speaking to her from the Fields of the Brave and Bran-don talking to her, she would be sleeping still.

As the nurse worked to secure the straps, Morelle became aware of all the tubes and wires attached to her body. Some led to bags of clear liquid, others to machines that beeped steadily. "What are all these for?"

"The IV line here," Gertrude touched a tube, "provides fluids and nutrition. This one," she indicated another, "is a catheter for waste removal. The wires connect to monitors that track your vital signs—heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels."

Morelle studied the various attachments. "Can they be removed?"

Gertrude hesitated. "I need to check with Bridget about that."

"I want to get out of this bed." The words came out more forceful than Morelle had intended, but they felt right.

The nurse chuckled. "The tubes will have to come out first."

"Then take them out." Morelle met her eyes steadily.

Gertrude studied her face. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"I've been asleep for thousands of years," Morelle said. "I don't want to spend a minute longer than I have to in this bed."

The nurse nodded slowly. "I get it. I would feel the same if I were in your place. I'll get Bridget."

After Gertrude left, Morelle tested her strength by lifting both arms. The movement was shaky but possible, and she was reassured that she wasn't making a mistake by insisting that she didn't need to stay in bed.