Feel the Burn...

[Khalika]

Oh Hell.....Her head pounded...no..it was more of a slam..over and over and over again.....it wretched her from her sleep, as the sun beated down on her face from the open shutters.....Hand lifted, moving hair from her face, mouth spitting strands out...Maybe there was something to what McDougal said about not mixing Alcohol and Herbal rememdies...

Of course he also said she'd go blind or some such nonsence...so it was hit and miss..

She sat up, and almost fell right out of bed as for a split second she forgot that she couldn't move her legs...obligatory swears to follow, then she was looking about the room. G'val was against the wall near the door as always... sitting legs crossed in a meditative state, somewhere between sleeping and not. his breath was so soft and still, at times she forgets she is not alone in the room..Of course his form is hard to miss.

shoving the lifeless legs off the bed she sits heavily supported by her arms... her knuckles were raw, it seems last night in her drunken state she ended up hitting other things besides the stranger downstairs. One lifts so a palm can rub at her face... to say she felt like ass was somewhat of an understatement... there was a basin with water and a cloth by her bed, It was soaked and brought to her face....washing away the grime and the sleep...

hours were passing like days...

she ate, well she looked at the food at the very least, had what passed for a conversation with G'val. He was truly a stranger in a strange land...even though he of all the Vertex has been here the longest. She tries not to allow them to remain for any long duration of time, cycling them in frequently....it was difficult as the journey was long. but she has learned from the passed... and she will not see another succomb to the faults and evils of human kind.. Her brothers fate will never be repeated..

It was close or past noon now, she could here the movement of the people downstairs.. learning to gage time as much by the passing sun as the activity downstairs... Fidgety as always. It was getting more tiresome by the day to merely exsist in bed or in a chair by the window. But she is not ready for a return engagement downstairs...The looks and questions were too much...But she is also not one to sit idle while the world moves on without her...she still had means....

More time had passed..two hours by all account...and she was a sweated mess, Having the contents of the closet removed.. she had G'val rise her up.. it was the perfect height, had she had leg movement she would bend them so they would not reach the ground..but as they were of no support having them hang below was a little nuisance, but nothing she couldn't handle...and the physical activity was doing her good...even if it was as simple as pulling herself up to the closet bar by her arms...she would start with the hands right together..the easier of the pull-ups. Then after each set, they will be pulled farther and farther apart, heightening the level of difficulty...if Felt good to feel the pain in her muscles....the strains as she struggled to pull her body weight up.. the scent of sweat on her skin. All allowed her to drown in memories of her past, when she was wild and active and nothing could stop her..

the day rolled on, and was filled with sit-ups, more pull-ups, and anything else she could think of..she tried to work with her legs, G'val was a good assit in that...helping her rotate and bent each limb...so that when she was able to walk again..they would not be mush.....By the time she was done..it was late afternoon...and she felt somewhat accomplished....

More food was brought..and she asked for the tub to be filled...another hour her belly will be full and she will be clean...just an ordinary day filled with her thinking of many different ways to remove and lay out all of Sal's organs while he was still alive to watch....It was too bad Shale was not still around...He was always up for a little mayhem...That brought a shiver to her spine...as she was suddenly aware of the chain that was once again around her neck.

What would HE have offered?..What would she give in return to walk again? Given her past history..its best she doesn't think it on it for too long, for she knew Sal, did that mean perhaps she knew others like him?...

A towel tossed to the corner...bathed, it felt good to be clean..it felt better to be sore....resting now in simple lose fitting draw string trouser, and only her haulter top for the moment...she leaned back, G'val suddenly all to attentive lifted her feet back upon the bed...What could pass for a question lingering in his eyes...He was becoming all to aware of what mood each look reflected, she wasn't sure she liked that...it was an all to human trait....

The sun was starting its downward turn...but as it was warming...she knew it would be around for a while still...eyes close for a moment...she can almost imagine running through the forest...