His first instinct was panic—as much as his dragon could be annoying, the thought of never talking with him again was unthinkable.
Some part of his body must've moved because someone grabbed his hand and lightly squeezed. The words were fuzzy, but slowly he could understand them. "Alistair, lad, are you awake? Come on, open your eyes, even if just a wee bit, and let your mother know you're okay. You don't want to take more years off my life, aye?"
Leave it to his mother to both worry about him and guilt trip him.
However, that comforted him in a way. Enough to help push down his panic until he heard an explanation. Because surely there was one, otherwise he wouldn't be alive.
Another familiar voice filled the room, that of Dr. Layla MacFie. "Alistair, if you're awake, either grunt or move a finger."
His bloody finger wouldn't move, so he did his best to grunt. While it was barely audible, it was enough for Layla to order, "Meg, I need you to wait outside. Logan, good, you're here. Be at the ready, in case we need to tame his dragon again."
He wanted to a
sk what could go wrong, and what be at the ready meant. While Alistair had been prepared to die earlier to protect Kiyana, he was alive now and didn't have it in him to sacrifice himself again.
Kiyana. He wanted to ask where she was, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't speak.
Layla continued, "I know you probably have questions, Alistair. Who wouldn't? But right now, I need to assess your situation. And to do that, I want you to try something simple, such as opening your eyes. If you're willing to try, make a noise again."
Since he trusted Layla, he did as she asked because she would do everything to make him better as soon as possible, even if he didn't want to take it slow and easy.
After attempting to grunt again, he focused on his eyelids. They were so bloody heavy, it was as if they were made out of concrete instead of flesh.
But if he wanted answers, he needed to try.
After what seemed like hours, he managed to squint a bit. The light blinded him at first, but Layla's face slowly came into focus. Good doctor that she was, she kept her expression welcoming and free of anything negative.
Sometimes he wondered if Layla should've been a Protector instead of a doctor since she could keep her thoughts to herself better than almost anyone else he'd known.
She did something with his eyes and a small torch. Normally, he'd know what it was called, but he was exhausted and not at his best.
Putting her torch away, Layla nodded. "You're coming around. The initial danger has passed, but I'm going to be honest—I don't know what, if any, side effects will show up once you're healed.
He croaked, "Why?"
"Aye, well, the surgery was only the first step. Once you've recovered from that, we'll have to discuss your options."
Doing the best he could, he asked, "Kiyana?"
"She's safe. And no, you can't see her. I need you to recover your health a wee bit more, and then we can talk more about your future. Depending on what path you choose will determine if you see her or not."
He did his best to frown. All Alistair wanted was the full truth, and yet speaking two words had worn him out.
Regardless, he needed to say one more. "Dragon?"
Layla's expression didn't change, which meant he couldn't gauge her feelings or thoughts. "Another thing that will have to wait. He's silent for now, but most likely not forever. I wish I could give you a clearer answer, but that's the best I can do right now."
His eyelids grew heavy again, but Alistair fought it. "Truth."
"I have only spoken the truth, Alistair. The quicker you heal, the sooner we can discuss options and see about your future. And since you'll try to fight it, I'm going to force you to sleep a wee while longer." She looked away and back again. "We'll talk more when you wake up again."
A heaviness settled over Alistair, and keeping his eyelids open was too much work. As they slid closed, he wanted to ask for the full truth, including the negative outcomes Layla was avoiding. Not to mention he needed to know what had happened to Kiyana.
And then there was the most important issue—if it was possible to have his dragon back for good once he was better.
However, none of those questions had been answered, nor could he ask them. Instead, darkness crept over him yet again, and the world fell silent.
~~~