Nusac

Chapter 46
Faith’s POV

When the world around me slowly begins to regain focus I’ve been moved. I’m no longer next to the upturned research table surrounded in my own blood. I don’t know this room I’ve not been here before. It feels big, spacious and cold. ‘Cause, that could always just be the shock talking.

I‘ve been propped up on my right, uninjured side with my right hand tucked under my face. The floor is soft and I can’t think why. Everything is wrong, everything feels different and strange.

My vision hasn’t come back to me yet. All I can do is stare out into this slightly blurry world though the slits in my eyelids. Not being able to bring anything into focus.

My lungs ache, I feel like I can’t breath with this almost crushing sensation on my chest. I take a deep unsteady breath and immediately regret it when blinding white-hot pain shoots down my left side.

Someone cries out – it could be me – into the large room and the voice echoes off the walls back at me. The hand under my face clenches painfully against my skin. My whole body tenses against my will and more pain shoots through me. I’m already shaking from the effort to just stay awake, my breath coming and going in short useless bursts.

Dextrous fingers run though my sweat sacked hair helping me to get my erratic breathing under control. I clamp my teeth shut under the strange illusion that if I can’t cry out it can’t hurt me any more. My Breath being held deep within my chest easing the suffering for just a few moments before my body begins to crave the oxygen around me.

The fog surrounding my ears begins to clear all I can hear past the raging storm throughout my head is softly spoken incoherent words passing past the shell of my ear. I close my eyes tight, concentrating on the soothing sounds and the gentle warm breeze passing over my ear. Concentrating on anything that isn’t the pain. Concentrating on the one hand resting lightly against my shoulder, on the nimble fingers, which are still working their way through my damp hair.

My eyelids feel like lead as I force them open into slits, trying in vain to gain some bearing of my surroundings. There’s a blurred figure sitting cross-legged on the blue floor not far in front of me. From this angle I can’t see who it is.

As I become more aware of my senses I can feel two knees resting against my back keeping me propped up on my side. Where this pair of legs touch my body is the only place I feel even remotely warm. My shoulders shiver violently to fight of the chill running through my muscles. I open my mouth to speak only to bite back a cry of pain. The nails of my left hand, clutching and scraping at the soft floor beneath me.

The soft soothing fingers in my hair abruptly stop all movement. “What is it Faith?” Namine’s soft voice filters through my ears.

Pulling my hand from beneath my cheek I reach across my torso seeking her hand resting on my shoulder. She reaches down to intertwine our fingers and pulls my arm tigher around me. With great difficulty I swallow the huge lump in my throat and pull in enough breath to speak. “Cold.” Is the only word I can push between my short, shaky breaths.

She squeezes my digits before releasing them. My arm falling uselessly against the floor, without her added strength to hold it up. “Xander will you bring me another blanket.”

The legs in front of me shift as Xander stands. “Blankets. Gotya.” He disappears from my line of sight. I hear as the door opens and closes on his way out of the room.

Namine reaches around me pulling a blanket at my hip up and over my torso. Tucking in the sides around my body. “How long was I out?” I ask my voice still shaking as I shiver.

When she is happy with the position of my blanket her fingers return to my hair. “Not very long.” The backs of her fingers press against my cheek and I turn my head as much as I dare into the warm touch. “I don’t often see you like this.”

I feel myself grin in spite of the burning pain in my side. “You’ve seen me worse.”

“Once.” She states running her warm caress to my forehead as I force bile back down my throat. “You are so pale.”

“Lost a lot of blood.” How I am having a rational conversation at this point is beyond me. “Dawn?” I’m not the only one to have lost blood today.

“She is conscious she will be fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”

I’m just about to point out how much worse she has seen me since I’ve known her before the door opens signalling Xander’s arrival with more blanket. It’s quickly draped over me and immediacy I feel my shivering begin to subside.

“Is she goanna be alright.” Xander asks. Only his twitching feet are within the field of my vision.

For once I’m glad I cannot see my partner’s face as she lets out a long sigh. “I have almost done all I can.” That answer is less than reassuring.

His feet stop twitching. “Almost? As in not all?”

There is a short pause and all that is heard between the three of us is my jagged breaths. “There are further actions I am able to take, yes.”

Without missing a beat. “So take them.” He’s worried about me. Alexander Harris - who I have tried to kill before - is worried about me.

“Unfortunately, as in most cases it is not that simple.” Trying to provoke me to naturally draw energy from the earth to heal myself is going to require some movement on my part. Really don’t think I’m ready for that yet.

I see Xander’s foot twitch and I have a sneaky suspicion he’s restraining himself from stamping his feet in frustration. “Make it simple.”

Her fingers running through my hair stop momentarily, the first signs of her own frustration over this situation. “If there were an alternative cause of action I would take it.” I feel her attention shift back into me. “Can you move?”

I have to swallow once more so as I am able to speak. “I don’t think I can feel my leg.”

The blankets around me shift as she lowers her palm along my body. “Can you feel that?”

All I can feel is the sealed wound pulling. “No.” I push through my gritted teeth.

“Xander. Can we please have some privacy?” I find it amazing how she can be so polite when she’s telling people to just go away.

He hesitates for a long moment. “Sure.” Before giving in to her request. I do it all the time he shouldn’t feel bad about it.

She door closes behind him. “I need to turn you on your back.” She states.

“No offence Nam. Any other time I would be jumping for joy at a chance to jump you but…” Again I have to pause and swallow back by cry of pain as my side twitches. “But getting all wriggly doesn’t sound all that appealing right now.”

“I wish to cheek the movement you have in your feet.”

“Oh.” Misread those signals. “That’s goanna hurt isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so.”

A groan is pushed through my vocal cords at the very thought of putting pressure onto the sealed exit wound in my back.

Gently and ever so slowly she pulls against my shoulder helping me roll onto my back. As the burnt wound touches the ground my whole body flinches before I have time to stop it a loud cry of pain is ripped from my throat.

When I pry my eyes open once more her worried face looms above me her soft palms cupping either side of my face. “Hey”

Her lips twitch to the side. “Hey.” Both of her thumbs run across my cheekbones. “Is there nothing in this world that can ease the pain?”

“Nothing I can legally get my hands on.” I bring my hand up to push against my forehead. It’s starting to throb with the effort of keeping my screams of agony in check.

Her warm palms leave my face and she shuffles along the floor towards my feet. Situating herself near them she lifts the blanket from my lower half. Folding it over. Her hands encase my ankle as she slowly and ever so gently lifts my foot from the floor, shuffling herself forward and bringing my heel down to rest on her bent legs. My teeth clamp together tight as my limb is moved, I can’t hold back the quiet pathetic whimper that escapes me.

“Where am I?” I’ve got a much better view of the room on my back. Large windows high on the wall allow the suns rays to filter through warming my skin. Along the adjoining wall hangs a board on this board hang knives, zai, katana and all other manor of sharp implements. The other side of me is a crudely stuffed dummy. Beneath me, the warm, soft blue mat. It’s starting to become clear.

Nam is busying herself pulling the lasses of my boot out, “Buffy called it her training room.” She quickly has the whole length of the lace free from my boot. She pulls the tongue out and begins to slowly pull it over my heel.

“B has her own training room?” Okay so now I’m jealous. My boot pulls completely free and I clench with the sudden movement.

Nam shakes her head pulling gently at my sock. “You have your own furnace.” My sock pulls free from my toes with much less movement. She does have a point. I don’t have to stop with just playing with the weapons. I can make anything I can dream up. “Can you try to move your toes?” I have to concentrate. I can only just barely feel her warm palm over my chilled skin. “You can move them. Not much but it is there.”

I hate having to ask this question. “Am I goanna walk again?”

She sighs deeply and brings her gaze up my body to meet my eyes. “We should not have to have this conversation twice in one life time.”

“Yeah well last time we had this conversation you weren’t exactly positive.”

“No. But I am unaware of the extent of these injuries it is like nothing I have seen before.”

I can’t stop the manic laugh that is pushed from my chest. “Welcome to the twenty first century.” Immediately I sober up. I’ve got one hell of a bullet hole in me which could have damaged god knows how many vital organs. I should be dead not joking about it. “So what do we do now?”

She avoids my gaze. Resting my left foot on the floor and pulling my right into her lap. She begins to rhythmaticaly unlace that boot. “With you Faith there is only one method I am aware of.”

“I’m really not in the mood right now.”

She looks up sharply from what she is doing she looks almost scared. “It is that bad?”

I can’t help but laugh at her reaction. Having to hold onto my burning side as it jars with the movement. “Am I really that obsessed with sex?” My boot is slowly pulled from my foot quickly followed by my sock. The pads of her fingers caress the skin of my ankle running up my calf and up the leg of my pants. “Stop it.”

“Why?” My eyes lock with hers, her fingers continuing their ministrations.

“’Cause it’s goanna hurt.”

She rests my foot back on the mat. Standing, she makes her way up my uninjured side coming to sit close to my head. Her legs cross as she sits and her fingertips come together. She rests her chin against her fingertips and stares intently at me for a few moments. My heavy lidded eyes come up to meet her gaze and she shows me the smallest of smiles. One of her hands reaches out to me, gently running her fingers through my damp hair. “If you do not wish me to continue, I cannot force you, however do not expect me to sit idly by and watch you suffer.”

Kinda feel like crying now. She always says the right thing at the right time. How could I have believed for just an instant that I hadn’t fallen for this woman?

Shakily my hand reaches up, running the pads of my fingers along the silly smooth skin of her cheek, her head turns slightly placing a small kiss to my palm. My fingers slide down the column of her neck hooking around the back if it and gently pulling against her.

A smile cracks across her face as she adjusts her position at my side. She keels next to me leaning down and pacing her lips against mine. Just a touch before she draws back. “You are sure?”

“Yeah, pretty sure.” She leans down against capturing my lips with hers. My natural reaction is to strain up to meet her. I grunt in pain falling back onto the mat beneath me biting back my cries.

One of her arms comes over me as she leans on her elbows. “Try to stay still.” Her dark blond hair, acting like a curtain around my head.

I let out a short, snort of laughter. “You ever tried to stay still doing this?” She raises an eyebrow at me and I don’t push the subject any further.

She leans down capturing my lips again leaning into my uninjured side. Not giving me room to strain to meet her. One set of fingers run through my hair scratching lightly against my scalp.

My own hands come into play running up her biceps over her shoulders and grasping her shoulder blades. I need her closer to me. She shifts against me not releasing my lips so she is now kneeling along side of me, her body half covering mine. Still I need her closer. My left hand travels from her shoulders up to the nape of her neck. Holding her close.

Her fingers leave my hair, trailing down my neck, over my collarbone and cup my breast with her palm. My body tenses with the contact and pain shoots through me. I have to turn away from her, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth. My hand clenches at her shoulder, I feel a whimper pass between my lips.

Instantly her fingers are in my hairline, her thumb rubbing against my temple. “I’m sorry.” She whispers.

I force the lump, which has grown in my throat back down; my eyelids feel like lead as I open them to meet her concerned gaze. “What the hell for?”

“I…” She gaze travels down my body “I hurt you.”

My palm cups the wound through my shirt. I expect the pain to be unbearable, bracing myself for the worst. The pain I receive is a much dulled version of what I have been feeling since I woke up. Don’t get me wrong it still hurts. It hurts like a mother-fucking bitch but there is a noticeable difference already. “It’s not so bad.” And I’ve regained the ability to lie through my teeth. Must be getting better.

“Don’t lie to me Faith.” I said I could lie, I never said I could do it convincingly. Her gaze comes back up to meet mine with a disapproving look in her deep blue eyes.

One side of my mouth tips up in a half smile. She doesn’t even have to be looking at me to read me like a wide-open book. With pictures. “It’s not as painful. I just forgot for a moment.”

Feeling a little more confident with a very limited amount of movement I reach up to the buttons of her blouse. Popping the two top most buttons. Hello ladies. From this angle I’m getting a full cleavage view. “Feeling better?” It’s hard not to notice the smile in her voice.

Reluctantly I drag my gaze up to meet her eyes. “What do you think?” I lift my eyebrows once, pulling my lower lip between my teeth.

She shakes her head leaning on one arm to push her hair behind her ear. “See, obsessed with sex.”

The pads of my fingers run along her breastplate between the open lapels. “You love me anyway.” My fingers shift to the right pushing the material out of my way so they can travel over the top of her supple breast.

Her fingers close over the back of my palm stilling my movement. Her eyebrows are raised as she pulls my fingers out from inside her top and places my palm on her hip. “Try to keep still.” She repeats, snaking her fingers under my t-shirt. The material drags up my body and her palm encloses around my uncovered breast.

She leans down covering my lips with hers. My eyes slide closed and I feel myself moan into her mouth as her thumb brushes over my nipple. She smiles against my lips holding my nipple between her thumb and forefinger and rolling it back and fourth.

My fingers thread through her hair and pull her closer to me. My back arches slightly forgetting about my wound and it pulls. Pain shoots through me I pull back from our kiss slightly to cry in pain. She’s stopping again and I can’t let her. Pulling her back against me I pull her lower lips between my teeth running my tongue across her flesh. She takes the hint leaning down into me.

Her palm leaving my breast, to travel down my ribcage and over my abdomen. Beneath the blanket nimble fingers work at unbuttoning my jeans the zipper is pulled down and her fingers disappear under the material. Her fingers are instantly pressing against my clit, my hip bucks of their own accord. I tightly grit my teeth against the pain as she adjusts her position again. Her knee travelling between my thighs, her hips pressing down into mine, draping herself further over my body. Effetely limiting my movement.

The ends of her talented digits slide over my clit as she pushes her tongue against my lower lip. Gladly I open my mouth to grant her entrance, a deep moan bubbling up along my throat.

I feel as her fingers travel down to my entrance gathering moisture before returning back to my aching cluster of nerves. My hips twitch against her with every pass, her forefinger and middle finger travelling on either side.

I don’t know how long we stayed like that, my breath coming in short pants into her mouth. My muscles beginning to let warmth seep back into them. Her dexterous fingers playing my body like a finely tuned instrument. It could have been days or it could have been seconds.

My palm sneaks under her blouse and run along her arched back my tongue diving out into her mouth to slide against hers. My fingers clenching in her hair as my thighs begin to shake with impending orgasm.

I pull back from our never-ending kiss and my breath catches in my throat. The muscles in my back pull taught pushing my upper body more forcefully against her.

All at once all of the energy leaves my body and I fall back to the mat beneath me. Not even noticing that I had pulled myself off the floor. A large grin pulls across my features as my tongue comes out to wet my parched lips.

My hand travels up against my forehead to push my hair out of my eyes just letting myself enjoy my post-orgasmic high.

She pulls her body off me coming to lie alongside me. Her head, coming to rest in the crook of my shoulder. My arm travels around her shoulder blades pulling her against the side of my body. Her arm travels over my rib cage returning my embrace.

I allow my fingertips to run though her dark blond hair. Pushing my lips against the top of her head, breathing in her sent. Enjoying this closeness before I have to go out and face the world again.

She lets my breathing return to normal before she speaks. “How are you feeling?”

With my free arm I reach down to the hem of my t-shirt pulling it up and over my wound. “Fuck me, you are good.”