Categories > Original > Fantasy > The Lone Wolf

Road to Recovery

by Togot 0 reviews

Parmock nurses Togot as he recovers, but who shot him?

Category: Fantasy - Rating: PG-13 - Genres: Fantasy - Warnings: [V] - Published: 2005-08-19 - Updated: 2005-08-20 - 1133 words

0Unrated
Togot pulled out the knife he kept hidden across his lower back. He knew he was in no condition to defend himself but wasn't going to play dead. He whipped his head around to look at his attacker but instead saw Parmock rushing to his side.
"Stay still, don't move!" she said as she knelt beside him. Togot could tell by the look of panic in her eyes and the urgency in her voice that she meant him no harm. He relaxed his body as she placed her hand over the spot the arrow had gone in.
Parmock broke the shaft of the arrow and lifted Togot up on her back with little effort. She rushed him back to the compound and into WhiteEye's den. She gently set him down on the bed and called for WhiteEye.
The old woman quickly walked over to them and moved Parmock aside as she checked over her patient. "What did you do now?" WhiteEye asked as examined the wound. Togot chuckled trying to get his mind off the stabbing pain in his back, "what can I say? I have trouble making friends."
"You'd better go tell MourningKill." WhiteEye said to Parmock. The young girl hesitated until WhiteEye shot her a look to send her running. The old woman sighed and focused her attention back on her patient.
WhiteEye took hold of the broken shaft sticking out of Togot's back. "Boy, I'm going to pull it out now." She said, "Brace yourself."
Togot gave her a nod and gritted his teeth. She yanked the arrow out as fast as she could but it still hurt worse than when it had gone in. Togot groaned but he did not cry out. His face was covered in sweat from the strain. It was taking all his will power to keep from passing out but the strain became too much for him and he slipped into darkness.
When Togot opened his eyes again he was lying on his back and Parmock was perched on a chair next to his bed like a cat. He saw a great wave of relief on her face at the sight of him awake. His back was throbbing but it felt better with the arrow out and he still couldn't feel his legs.
Togot could hear MourningKill and WhiteEye whispering in the adjoining room but he couldn't make out what they were saying. The two of them stopped talking and walked into the room. They were both pleased to see him awake, MourningKill seemed especially relieved. Togot made a mental note of that, once again she had revealed that she had some vested interest in his well being.
"How do you feel?" MourningKill asked him softly. Togot looked at his feet and tried to wiggle his toes but nothing happed, "I can't move my legs." He answered weakly. He was still a little groggy form whatever WhiteEye had given him.
All three women seemed reluctant to respond to what he had said. Togot knew that meant the news was going to be bad so he braced himself. MourningKill looked to WhiteEye and gave a nod.
"The arrow hurt your back in a way that has paralyzed you." WhiteEye said slowly, "if you were a werewolf your body would heal itself but humans rarely recover from injuries like this."
Togot sank in his bed, "so what you're saying is..." his voice trailed off. WhiteEye sighed, "What I'm saying is that you may never walk again." She said. "I'm sorry that I couldn't..." "No!" Togot cut her off, "I didn't live through all of that just to have it end like this. I don't care what it takes I'll be back on my feet and I will find the ones who butchered my people and I will watch them die!"
MourningKill and WhiteEye were taken aback by his outburst. Parmock looked as if she would cry when BlackFire stepped into the room from outside. She took a look at Togot lying in bed and he could see her holding back a smile.
BlackFire quickly lost any reason to smile as MourningKill marched up to her face with a look of rage in her eyes. "I told you he was not to be harmed and you deliberately disobeyed me!" MourningKill growled. BlackFire seemed taken aback by the accusation. She was about to protest when Togot cut in.
"It wasn't her." He said. All eyes looked to him, even BlackFire was stunned. "How do you know that?" MourningKill asked.
"BlackFire tried to rip out my rib cage with her bare hands." He said, "Do you really think she would be satisfied by shooting me in the back with an arrow? It wasn't her."
Several weeks passed and ever single day Parmock was by Togot's side caring for him. Every time he woke up he saw her perched on the chair next to his bed wide awake. She spent all day with him telling him about the events outside WhiteEye's hut and that the one who shot him hadn't been found yet.
One day Togot opened his eyes and just like every other day there she was. "Don't you ever sleep?" he asked. Parmock smiled, "not human remember." She answered. Togot smiled, he had almost forgotten without the moonlight making her eyes glow at night.
"I have a surprise for you." He said. Parmock cocked her head, "surprise?" she asked. Togot pulled off the covers and sat up. He put his legs over the edge of the bed with his hands and slowly tried to stand up.
The effort made the veins stick out in his forehead but when Parmock went to help him he shook his head. He managed to stand on his feet and take three uneasy steps forward. He walked to the table and put his hand on it to support his weight.
He looked at Parmock and saw the surprise on her face. His face was red and sweaty from the effort but he had kept his word and walked again. Togot nodded to the chair Parmock had been sitting in and she brought it to him. He sat down and tried to catch his breath.
"Surprised?" he asked once he got a second wind. Parmock nodded, "how did you mange that?" she asked. "I've been practicing." He answered. Parmock shot him a confused look, "when?" she asked, "I was with you all the time."
Togot smiled, "not all the time. "He said, "Late at night when you left, for whatever reason, I spent several hours teaching myself to walk again."
At first Parmock seemed happy but then her smile was replaced with a frown, "there's something I need to tell you." She said. "That you're the one who shot me?" Togot asked, "I already know."
Sign up to rate and review this story