FicWad

The world around me tilts and tips like a boat tossed about on a rough tide. I feel no surface below my feet. I could only smell salt and rain. My clothes feel like they are light as a feather as they billow wildly underwater. The shoulders of my shirt and my hair are plastered to my scrawny body in the open air, soaked through. I try desperately to listen for anyone or anything around me, but even my sensitive ears can't pick out distinct sounds over the muffling waves.

My skin is wetted to the bone as I bob uncontrollably in a raging storm, thunder quaking through the sky. Seawater rushes into my mouth as I gasp in shock at the sudden change in my environment, choking out my words. The taste of saltwater makes me gag, spit, and wretch as the horrid stuff fills my mouth again and spills over into my stomach and lungs. Then, I hear it; the voice of a male I know I should recognize, but my jumbled mind can’t pull it in

“Why are you doing this?” the man cries out in a mixture of fear, desperation, and pain. “We’ve done nothing to you!”

"Help me!" I splutter uselessly, "I'm drowning!" But the words can't leave my lips as more water fills my mouth.

I feel a strong twist as something grabs onto my ankles, squeezing painfully as it begins to drag my head underwater. I kick and thrash, forcing the powerful grasp to leave my legs.

A new voice sounds in my mind, even over the rush of water in my ears. My head breaks the foaming surface once more, and I clamp my mouth shut, hoping to keep the water out this time.

Help me, help me, the second voice says, suddenly next to my ear, cold and chilling, teasing my own cries for help with a sudden high-pitched, cruel laugh. No one can help you now!

The mocking continues as yet another voice cries out a muffled yell that I can't make the words out to. The forceful squeeze wraps suddenly around my shoulders now, almost desperately, as I feel myself being dragged back under the crashing waves.

No, I need help! Somebody, please! I think, fear pulsing through my exhausted limbs as I wriggle about more frantically, trying without luck to throw my attacker off of me. I feel my thrashing slow as my burning lungs begin to give out, my body dragged further under the sea and my strength begins to ebb.

"Professor Kukui! Professor Burnet! I need help!" The third voice cries more clearly than the others now.

It was a voice I did not recognize, but it was not the same frightening entity as the second. In fact, I'm not drowning or soaked with saltwater, nor am I even slightly damp. Instead, I'm lying on a couch.

The Rowlet that belongs to my kind hosts is snuggled cozily on my stomach, comfortable and hooting gently in its slumber.

"Vee vee!" A fourth voice cries—but this one I do recognize. I rip my eyes open and sit up so fast I nearly fall off the couch.

The Rowlet hoots indignantly at being unceremoniously thrown from its comfortable perch. I hear it flutter its wings and soar grumpily towards the rafters of the house, muttering it annoyance under its breath.

Hop was tapping her paws against the floor and pulling on my hand desperately, her teeth carefully prickling my skin in her anxious attempts to wake me up. I pull my hand away from her and strain my ears for the sounds that yanked me out from my dream.

Were they real? I ask myself.

"Sylvee!" Came Tinsel's voice once more.

"Professors! Wake up! I need help!" The third stranger's cry comes as well. "Hurry, please!" A pounding on the door takes me by surprise as the someone outside begins slamming their fists on the wooden surface.

I stand and try to hurry towards the sound but trip on an upturned edge of a rug, crashing painfully to my arms and knees. I feel my right hand begin to soak with a warm seeping of blood and know I have opened the carefully wrapped wound that my new friend applied just last evening.

The sound of my hosts' bedroom door opens as the frantic pounding and shouting continues outside, and two sets of footsteps rush towards the cacophony of noise.

I rise to my feet again and run towards the front door once more but am thwarted a second time. This stall comes in the form of a table as it jabs into my thighs, knocking the wind out of me as I crash clumsily onto its surface. The legs of the table scrape forward half a meter across the wooden floor with the force of my impact.

"Curse this blindness," I exclaim through gritted teeth, frustration storming within me. "Tinsel! I'm in here! Tinsel!" My voice is strangled and barely audible as I fight to regain my breath.

The door finally opens and I hear a gasp of shock escape Burnet's lips. "Goodness! What's happened?"

"I don't know." The responding voice sounds breathy and strained. “Please Professor, you have to help her.”

"Bring her over here, towards the couch. Burnet, call my dad." Kukui's voice sounds calm and clear over the chaos in my mind as he gives out instructions. I hear him pour water and ice into a bucket, then throw, what I assume is a towel, in after them, his feet carrying him swiftly through the house.

There's a rush of paws, and then a furry form rams frightfully into my legs, knocking my already unsteady body back to the ground. Familiar ribbons wrap around my arms and shoulders, and a strangled cry comes from below.

"Vee vee, sylvee vee!" she says anxiously.

Another set of paws rushes to me from behind and skids to a stop, extended claws scratching against the floor. I hear Hop hiss defensively by my legs, still unsure of the cause of the commotion but ready to protect me from any dangers.

"Tinsel, how did you get-" My words fail mid-sentence, realizing who the "she" mentioned earlier might be. Dragging myself dizzily to my feet, I stumble over to the couch I had just left but feel the feminine hands of Burnet catch me by my arm before I can move any closer.

"Who's there? Who's on the couch?" I ask, almost manic, straining my ears and sniffing at the air, trying without luck to catch even a hint of if my assumptions were correct.

"We don't know yet,” Burnet says carefully. Her voice was as calm as her husband's. She helps me straighten up but keeps one arm pressed into my stomach and her other hand held firmly to my right arm. "Stay where you are. We don't need you getting hurt too." She speaks with a gentle but commanding tone.

I feel her hand leave my arm tentatively, but the one around my stomach stays firm. There are several clicks of a phone's keys, followed by a ringing. Burnet begins to speak into the receiver. Though her mouth is much lower than my right ear, being shorter than me, the noise is just frustratingly close enough to muffle the other sounds in the room as she passes information to a man over the phone.

"Sam, who is this?" Kukui asks with care.

I hold my breath and strain my left ear, turning my head to the side, trying to catch every word.

"Your new neighbor, I think," the voice pants, lower to the ground. They must have sat in a chair. They were still gasping for breath, but Sam still managed to get the words out clearly.

"I heard that the Ashoka's had arrived yesterday. I wanted to introduce myself to them, so I stopped by. No one answered when I knocked on the door, but this Sylveon started ramming against the walls and windows." They take a quick gulp of air. "I peeked in and saw this girl lying in the middle of the floor, not moving. When I tried the door, it was unlocked, so I went in." Their voice grows shaky as they speak, remembering the frightening event in detail, clearly on the verge of tears.

The fear in their mind presses against my own, threatening to engulf my very thoughts as I loose any will over my weak psychic abilities. The feeling forces a throb of pain to shoot through my head but I ignore it.

"She's not responding to anything I do or say, and she feels really hot. I-I didn't know what else to do, so I just brought her here."

"It's okay, Sam," Kukui says in a pacifying tone. "You made a good choice, bringing her to us."

It’s getting harder to breathe, like there’s a Snorlax sitting on my chest. I can barely hear the voices by me over the sound of my wheezing. My body shakes uncontrollably as anxiety rips through my very core. I try to move forward again, desperate to touch the person lying on the couch, to be sure it really was my dear wife. Burnet's arm continues to hold tightly to my stomach though, while she was still on the phone with her other hand. I reach down and rip her slender fingers away. Someone gets to their feet and I feel a larger, much more firm hand press against my chest.

"Hey now," Kukui says gently, "we need you to stay calm. Panicking will only make this situation worse. Do you think you could try to take a few deep breaths before-"

"Calm?" I screech in hysterics, not allowing him to finish his sentence, my voice rising to a high-pitched crackle. "That's my wife on your couch! How can you expect me to be anything but worried? What is going on? Why is she here? Why isn't she responding?” I push away the hand on my chest, but it returns without hesitation, and then I feel Tinsel jump in front of me too before I can take a step, her ribbons wrapping around my legs, pushing me backward with the man. “Tinsel, move!" I yell.

“Kabir, please. You’re making things more difficult. We’re only trying to help.” Burnet tries to soothe, sounding as though she was struggling to pull air into her lungs as well.

I hear Hop hiss protectively from where I want to be, torn between protecting her unconscious owner or me. Then, after hearing the click of a phone hanging up, I feel Burnet's hand slip in front of my stomach once more, helping the other two hold me in place.

"LET ME GO!" I bellow in a mixture of anger and fear, pain searing through my mind at the thought of Sashi being injured, or worse.

I hear Lei begin to cry in another room. I know in the back of my mind that my yelling has caused it, but I had too many other emotions vying for my attention to allow me any concern for the child.

The unmistakable sound of a Pokèball button is pushed and the capsule enlarged; then, I hear the whir of a Pokèmon being released.

"Incineroar, help us out." Kukui says.

Now, two massive paws grab me around my stomach over my arms and easily lifts my tall, scrawny body off the ground. I flail my arms and legs uselessly, yelling in a mixture of anger and fright. Why are these seemingly kind people keeping me from my wife? The thought appears.

"You need to relax. We aren't holding you back to upset you." Kukui's firm voice cuts through my chaotic mind. "You’re to going hurt someone acting like this. Sashi is just on the couch. She’s alive and breathing. My dad is a doctor, and he’s on his way right now."

My churning mind grasps eagerly to these words. I slowly stop thrashing and allow my body to go limp in the grip of the giant Pokémon, feet dangling off the ground. I hang my head in shame at being carried like an unruly child who's just thrown a tantrum in the supermarket.

There's an angry snarl from my wife's Delcatty as she prepares to pounce at the sight of a large Pokèmon restraining and moving me, having decided that the threat being posed was more dangerous to me at the moment.

"Hop, it's alright," I choke out. "They're helping us." She continues to growl protectively but doesn't move in to attack anyone as I try to push a psychic feeling of calm to her. Tinsel’s ribbons leave my hands and I hear here step quietly towards the cat, where she proceeds to murmur softly to my wife’s frightened Pokémon.

"Bring him around here," Kukui instructs. Without allowing my feet to touch the floor, I'm carried over like a limp rag to where I hear the Professor's voice.

"You can set him down. Kabir, I'm going to grab your arm and lead you to the couch now, but the rug is a old and a bit ragged, so be careful." The firmness in his voice slips away as he guides me past the raised edge of the mat and sits me down on the floor in front of the couch. "She's right here." His voice is now gentle and sympathetic. The carefully spoken words worry me about how my wife must look.

His hand leads mine over to the figure's own. I grab it and feel the fingers, swiftly locating my wife's ring. I can tell it's her. She had our wedding rings engraved with Braille. “Sashi," I choke out. The small item is cold under my fingers, all surfaces smooth but for the raised inscription.

There's a small gasp from the female Professor at the confirmed knowledge of who the woman on the couch is.

Sashi's hand is clammy. I bring my other arm to her face and run my fingers through her hair. The towel on her forehead is cold and dripping, but I know her damp hair comes from a fever. I try to speak, but an inhuman gurgle escapes my lips instead. Clearing my throat, I finally manage, "Is she injured?"

"Nothing that we could see." The man's voice sounds close to my ear; he must be crouching next to me. I feel Kukui's hand grasp onto my shoulder in an attempted comforting manner, but I'm too focused on my wife to take any solace in the gesture.

"My dad should be here any minute now. He works in the Emergency Room and does on-scene calls all the time. He’ll know what to do.”

There’s a small pause in talking as the male Professor moves away from me. My mind was still buzzing with fear, but not as badly as the words of my neighbor takes effect.

Somewhere nearby, I hear Burnet still struggling to breath correctly, as if having a Panic Attack of her own, yet I could feel that her emotions were carefully controlled like Kukui’s. “I’m fine,” She whispers to an unheard comment made by her husband.

Did I hurt her? The worry presents itself. A rush of shame flows through me as I prepare to question her words.

"Now, I don't want to get anyone's hopes up needlessly; I'm no human doctor after all," Burnet says through her wheezing, interrupting my thoughts. “but she might just have a bad cold or flu. The islands usually have a virus sweep through, around this time, every year.”

"Yes. That would make the most sense," Kukui agrees, trying to sound optimistic but unable to hide the disconcertion in his own voice. By just that reaction and the rising worry in their minds, I can tell that Sashi must look like she's about to be taken by the Dusknoir. "You mentioned last night how long your travels here were and how difficult the move was to get ready for, especially the strain it took on your wife. You said yourself how exhausted she's been lately. She would be more susceptible to illness in that state.” The young man tries to reason.

I nod my head and whisper, "Alright." But remain unconvinced.

We sit quietly for a while. Small coos can be heard from the front of the home as Sam watches over Lei. Burnet and Kukui murmur to each other nearby, probably keeping a watchful eye on the two of us. Hop chirps sadly and softly near my ear, having lain across her owner, while I have my head lying on Sashi's cold hand.

I press my mind into my wife's own, hoping to feel some spark of her. Even in sleep, Sashi's thoughts have always been active, her emotions fluttering from one place to the next, like Butterfrees in a spring meadow. Now, all I can feel is pain and overwhelming exhaustion from her, even a flicker of terror as well. I pull my thoughts away in fear, not wanting to experience it as well.

Yes, she was tired from the move, but nothing anywhere close to warranting this kind of reaction. Why has she fallen so ill so quickly? And why didn't I notice her getting sick? I question myself as I feel her shiver weakly beneath me.

Her breath comes in short, sharp gasps as she tries to pull air into her fever-filled lungs. I can tell by the passing moments at her side that her condition is worsening swiftly. "Sashi," I called in a whisper, pushing on her shoulder gently. "Sashi, wake up."

I don't understand. She's never been this sick before. The thought flashes through my mind.

"Sashi, please, wake up. Just for a moment." A pain in my throat stifles my words. "Why won't she respond?" I question out loud to the two nearby, but they stay silent. Then a worse thought crosses my mind. "What if she never wakes up?" I now whisper to myself. This thought is too much for me to bear, and I choke out a small sob at just the idea of it.

I’m the sick spouse. She’s supposed to outlive me. I moan in my thoughts.

Kukui sets his arm across my shoulder, now sighing quietly, and I feel Burnet sit next to me on the floor, placing a comforting hand on my knee. We sit like this until new noises announce the arrival of the doctor.

I hear hooves and wheels pounding the road outside, swiftly drawing closer to the home. A pause stretches out between us as footsteps are heard heading towards the house. There's a knock on the door, but no wait for an answer. Instead, the newcomer simply opens it up, the noise of a heavy bag rolling behind them.

"Doctor Ōpūnui, she's over on the couch." I hear Sam say, sounding flustered and full of fear.

There's some shuffling next to me as Kukui and his wife get up and out of the way; then, I feel an old wrinkled hand grab my arm and tug at it gently, but I can't move. My feet won't allow it. I also don't want to leave Sashi's side either, fearing these may be the last few moments I have with my dear wife.

"Young man, you're blocking my way to the patient." A deep, slow voice says.

He sounds old and tired but not unkind, just prepared to put up with a fight from me. It's a similar tone that I hear my wife's twin sister, Anya, use when she knows she's about to have a verbal conflict with someone which, for her, happens often.

Ironic as it is, the familiar weight of this new man's voice starts to put my mind at ease. Even just knowing a doctor is here to help begins to calm the storm inside my mind, though I still can't pull myself to my feet to move out of his way.

"Incineroar," Kukui's voice sounds behind me.

I feel the two massive paws pull me into the air and lift once more, setting me gently back onto the ground away from the couch.

"Right, let's see now," the old doctor says. I feel him push past me, then pause slightly as he noisily pulls on his gloves.

A small, surprised gasp escapes his lips, followed by a feeling of sudden distress that flashes across my exposed mind. The moment passes faster than an Arcanine using Extreme Speed, though. He grunts as he crouches down next to my wife and begins his examination, acting as though his momentary feeling of shock never occurred.

I hear a small Pokémon near the doctor's head chirp a few times, but I don't recognize it. He gives it a few instructions. Then he rustles some things around in one of his bags.

I feel Burnet's hand lay gently across my arm to lead me away. It sounds like Kukui has picked up a squirming Delcatty from beside the couch. Hop hisses and growls at being moved away. I hear his footsteps head towards me, undeterred, her protests growing more fierce with his sound of approach, fighting harder the further she is moved from her Trainer.

"Hop," I say, shocked by the calmness in my voice, "he's here to help. We need to give him room to work." The sounds of the cat Pokémon die down slowly as my words take effect, but I also hear my Sylveon chirp soothingly to the lively cat as well.

I'm led outside and helped into a chair. I feel Tinsel wrap her ribbons around my legs and curl up underneath me. Hop places her head on my knees and lets out a long, sad sigh.
We sit in the same hush as before. The birds chirp overhead, and the waves crash on the beach, unconcerned by the situation before them.

How could I have missed the signs of her falling so ill? I question myself again, despondently.

My thoughts return to my wife's sister, Anya, and I ponder on the life and struggles she has been through within just this last year. I begin to imagine what it would be like to live my life without my constant friend by my side, and just the thought of it becomes more painful.

My heart sinks with each passing moment as I allow my mind to wander deeper into the endless hole of "What ifs" and dark thoughts, unspeakable catastrophes vying for a chance to show a new, awful outcome. Tears flow freely down my face as the fear engulfs me.

It's several long hours before any new movement can be heard. At some point, I find that I have no more tears and instead sit and listen to the waves crashing on the beach. The sound of Doctor Ōpūnui's footsteps reaching the front of the house and him opening the door sucks me out of my stupor as I listen for his prognosis. I hear him pulling thin rubber gloves off his hands and letting out a small, tired sigh.

"How is she?" Burnet's voice says beside me. The sound jolts my thoughts.

When did she sit down next to me? I question myself, trying to recall the last few hours.
When the older man answers, he sounds as if he is working through a complex puzzle in his mind. "She's been badly poisoned. It was pretty touch and go for a bit there," He says honestly with a heavy sigh. "But, with time, I believe the young lady should make a full recovery. Has she run into any Poison Type Pokémon recently?"

"I don't know," I answer, frustrated at myself for being here, at my neighbors' home, cozy and warm, while my wife was maybe fighting off some dangerous creature.

"She was found inside her home with the door closed, but unlocked" Burnet adds.

"There's a door on the west side as well, in the basement. It leads to the backyard. We-" I pause as shame pulses through me. "We didn't check that the house was clear before we laid down for a nap."

"Burnet and I will scope the place out and make sure there's nothing inside or around it," Kukui says decidedly.

"No, son. Have the police do the scan. Whatever Pokémon that did this was very powerful." The doctor responds seriously.

"Now wait though,” I hear Burnet shift next to me. "This Sylveon is unharmed. It came over with Sam when they brought her. If there had been a battle, wouldn't it have been injured too?"

"My wife has her own Pokémon as well. She set her bag with their balls next to her before we went to sleep. She's very good about not wandering around without having them with her, especially in a new place. Plus, she's a strong and skilled Trainer and very observant of her surroundings. I can't imagine something would have been able to sneak up on her, even if she were asleep. She would have noticed and put up a fight." I say, my own brain clinging desperately to solving this problem.

"Did you not see anything, sir?" The doctor asks me, confusion lacing his voice.

"No. I stayed here overnight. My wife was alone when Sam found her." I say as another wave of shame pulses through me, keeping my head bowed in embarrassment.

"Very well. Do you remember anything else about the house before you left?" The doctor asks me, moving swiftly on. I think for a moment but then shake my head without saying a word, unable to recall anything odd about my surroundings.

"I'll make sure Officer Jenny knows all of this." The young woman says next to me, the sounds of buttons already being dialed on the phone. I hear her rise to her feet and walk off.

"And I'll call Hala after you leave," Kukui includes.

"Very good, thank you.” The old man comments, rustling fabric near me. A large old hand gently grasps my wrist, flips my hand over, and places a few plastic cylinders in the palm. They rattle noisily with each movement. "Here is some medicine to help her along. I’ve written the instructions on the bottles. She'll need to take all of them within the next few days. So be sure she does." The doctor's voice says in a swift, professional tone.

I run a finger along the surface of the label but feel only smooth paper, the words illegible to me, I finally lift my face towards him, preparing to ask what the directions say.

"When she wakes up, give her some food and water, but limit her activity. With the help of that medicine, she should begin to feel better within a couple of days, but I want her to rest for a few more after that too. If she-” he suddenly pauses.

I can't see it, but I can feel his intelligent eyes boring into my sightless ones as if he only just realized my blindness.

"It's okay, dad. These two can stay with us until she's stronger," Kukui says confidently, sounding near Ōpūnui.

"Wait, what?" I say, surprised by his words.

"Very good." The doctor responds without hesitation as if sensing my resistance. Then he continues, "At this time, she doesn’t require observation, so she’s free to go home. If she doesn't start showing signs of improvement in three days time, or if she gets worse, call me. Bring her to the hospital as a last resort.”

I move to speak, wanting to question the oddity of his instructions, but Doctor Ōpūnui interrupts me, likely having already guessed my confusion by the look that must have been on my face.

“I know that’s different than what you’re probably used to, but our hospitals are a fair amount dissimilar, as we are on rather small islands. There’s also a flu going around right now, and she’d be at greater risk of complications were she to catch it while in the hospital. I will be stopping off a few times for a bit to view her progress, and a couple nurses will drop by to perform regular care as well. None of us will be working in the contagion wards, so there’s no need to worry about her catching something off of one of us.”

"Thank you, Doctor Ōpūnui," I say to the kind elderly man, nodding my head in gratitude at his swift action, but keeping my face turned away in shame.

"No need to be so formal. You can simply call me Ori. What was your name again, sir?" He questions me politely.

"Ashoka, Kabir," I answered back.

"I see, and your wife must be Sashi then, sister to Anya, is that right?" He comments.

"Yes," I say, shocked by his knowledge. "But, how did you know?"

The old man chuckles slightly, "I've had many, ah," He pauses, clearly choosing his words carefully, "encounters with Māhoe in my practice. She's a rather difficult young lady to ignore. Let's hope your wife doesn't share the same fiery temper as her twin." There's a laughing tone in his voice as he mentions my sister-in-law's grumpy demeanor.

I also allow myself a small, awkward laugh, recalling Anya's swift attitude and agreeing that she would be a hard person to work with outside of a familial setting. “Thankfully, you won't have to worry about that from Sashi. They’re near opposites in demeanor," I answered back meekly.

"Oh, good. You know," the doctor says, now conversationally, clearly trying to cheer me up a bit. "Māhoe has mentioned you two many times, but she never told me you were moving to the islands. I had quite a shock seeing her twin on the couch! If it hadn't been for your wife's long hair, I might well have been convinced it was her!" He laughs jovially.

I nod my head at him, wanting to seem polite but still too taken aback by the sudden events to have much desire to engage the kind doctor with conversation. The mention of Anya had only brought back dark memories again.

"Well, anyway," he continues, seeing my stress not removed by the switch to a happier note of discussion. “I had best get to the hospital. My shift is about to begin. And young man," the doctor says to me, placing a soft, wrinkled hand comfortingly on my arm, leaning in close to whisper next to my ear, "Calm your fretting. I am only a phone call away if you need anything, even just to talk. Kukui has my personal number if you ever want it." He soothes, an understanding tone in his voice now, as if he knows the thoughts boiling in my head and was trying hard to will his words to have the meaning he wanted.

Then he removes his hand, and I hear him straighten his back, his spine cracking wetly a few times in his old age. His voice returns to the professional business tone once more, and he continues, "If you stress yourself too much, you could end up sick as well, and that would just put more strain on your kind hosts."

I pause and chew on his words for a moment. He's correct; I know he is. I want to say more, but all I can manage is a polite, "Yes, sir."

The sound of his footsteps recede. I hear Ōpūnui descending the stairs, Kukui whispering to his father as he helps the doctor put his large rolling bag back inside the wagon he arrived in. Then the elder man climbs into his carriage.

"And welcome to Alola," He calls to me as the hooves of the two Pokémon pulling a cart clatter away, and Kukui's footsteps quickly return.

"Let's get back inside," Burnet says, having returned to my side after her phone call. "Maybe I can make us a late lunch. Is there anything you'd like to request?"

"Thank you," I say instead. "We have not even been on Alolan soil for a full day, and you two have already helped us out twice now, probably saving both our lives. I will never be able to repay you for the kindness you have shown." I know my words cannot truly reflect just how grateful I am to these two heroes, but I hope the conviction in my voice shows even just a tiny amount of it.

"Think nothing of it," Kukui says. "I'm very certain you two would have done the same for us." His reply is heartfelt.

I stand and face the direction that my hosts' voices have come from. I clasp my hands to my side and bow deeply and respectfully. "I apologize for how I acted. I was too caught up in my worry for Sashi. I apologize for allowing my emotions to rule my actions. My biggest fear is to lose my wife-," my voice cracks slightly, and I take a deep breath before continuing, "-so I wasn't thinking clearly. I know that will never excuse my outburst, but if you can find it in your kind hearts, please forgive me."

"We hold no grudge for the way you acted. I'm not sure how calm I’d have been were I in your shoes." Kukui says sincerely, coming up beside me and placing a hand on my shoulder to raise me back up.

"Yes, there is nothing to forgive," Burnet adds, her hand patting my arm soothingly.

“Burnet,” I address the woman, a thought reforming in my head at the feeling. “How is your hand? You sounded like your were in pain earlier. Did I injure you?”

“Oh no! Not at all! I was simply surprised by your emotions, but it’s nothing you should need to worry about.” She places her hand into my palm so I can feel that it is uninjured. “See? Perfectly fine.”

I nod my head slowly. "And where is Sam?" I ask, recalling the kind young voice of the person who had brought my wife here. Their actions probably saved Sashi's life as well, with their swift decision to get her somewhere safe.

"They've already left." The woman answers. "Sam is the mail carrier for Hau'oli City, so they will be back, probably tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll be sure to talk to them tomorrow, then." I close my eyes and feel relief and gratitude flood through me.