The rest of the afternoon passed slowly as their conversation in the flyer seemed to grate between them like a sticky gear that didn't want to turn over. She picked out a few nice items to change over the house, but didn't purchase everything she might have had things been different. Truthfully, she was too distracted to really focus on what she wanted or come up with any design or game plan for the house. She got a few essentials. A few soft blankets and some arrangement materials, a set of place mats and warm smelling candles. They spent a long time walking around the Terran Town area of Kinte. The people here were familiar and the sights and sounds were too. It was slightly comforting in a way, given the stranger she felt like she was walking next to. Every now and then she would steal glances at him. He was always looking at something else and wearing his usual tepid expression like the mask it was. She could hear that broken laugh and see that awful, twisted smile he'd given her. It made her shiver. And yet, she knew he wasn't terrible. Something was just terribly, terribly wrong.
They ate dinner in the same, strange silence. She knew now he couldn't feel much of anything. Saying how she felt was a moot point. The words from earlier in the flyer made her sad in a way that made her chest ache. Ehud had been living this way for so long and simply pretending. She felt hurt to some degree but also felt sadness for him. A ghost of a life was all he could muster. She didn't each much of her dinner and was grateful when they landed on Pyrta again.
*********
After a day and a half of waiting, two hours and dozens of forms, Priscilla sat across from the counselor and the two beefy looking nurses feeling as if she'd been slapped again. This time it wasn't Ehud's words but the counselor. "Our best diagnosis at this point requires a treatment that you'll only need once a month. What we're seeing is evidence of manic depression, and psychosis.....we believe the onset is from PTSD and other trauma left untreated for a period of time. Earlier treatment may have prevented this, perhaps not. ...Sometimes trauma like this causes irreversible damage. Our best option is a simple injection. You just have a monthly appointment at the clinic. The dose is set high for now...."
She listened to what they said in silence and silently, vehemently, scolded herself. She should have seen something was wrong a long time ago. Part of her was relieved to know that it wasn't all her acting entitled and crazy. That he really did have problems with feeling anything. Another part of her felt terrible he had gone untreated for so long that he was on the cusp of certifiable. He had scared her in that flyer and now she knew why.
He took the shot, at least this time, and sounded as if he hated the idea. Would it make him feel better? How long would that last if he had to keep taking it? There were questions and doubts and fears running around her mind. So much so that she opted for a long shower alone and cried. At least he wouldn't be able to hear her over the water. What was she going to do? This wasn't his fault. She felt more isolated and alone than ever and she couldn't rely on him. Not to mention poor Sien had no idea why his father was so distant. She sobbed in the shower and when the water ran cold, she dressed in a soft, much more conservative robe to crawl into bed with. There was a fair distance between herself and him. It was going to stay that way. He was no more capable of giving her comfort as he was able to receive it right now. She would have to deal with things tomorrow. Right now, Ehud needed to have this medicine work and a consistent mood from her, despite what she felt. Who knew what would happen to him if she couldn't manage that.
********
The next day left no time for dealing with anything. Ehud woke up feeling sick and on top of that was foggy headed. Every response was delayed and miserable from him. She had seen him sick with his guts twice before. Once when he'd eaten popcorn and another time when he was laid up and had to drink terrible but prescribed medication to ease the pain. Given he was on a potent anti-psychotic, however, she decided it was best to have the medics come out to take a look. They were able to confirm the gut pain was his usual ailment and the fogginess was a normal side-effect of the medication he was given. He was laid up on the couch the whole day and that was just fine. It was easier to keep an eye on him. She gave him his medicine, and occasionally checked his forehead, though a fever wasn't any of the side affects as far as she knew. It was just a gentle touch and she wasn't sure who needed it more, him or her. Sien helped her make a light dinner of rice and eggs and toast. Something easy to digest for everyone.
The day after, Ehud's guts seemed to feel better and he was all about wanting to roam around. Despite still being wooly brained, he wanted to go roaming around. It was a propensity that made her nervous. She had no idea what sort of side affects could happen with this medication and he could just as easily be lobotomized one minute and depressed enough to jump off the Edge in another. She had no idea what would happen. So, she closed down the bakery for the day again and decided to stick with him. She didn't want him to hurt himself. "Why don't we go outside and you can help me in the garden first, and then we can take Yuji for a walk....then we need to go grocery shopping and make some orders for flour, sugar and yeast for the bakery. That's plenty of walking. We'll be out most of the afternoon."
********
A week passed in somewhat of the same way. She closed down the bakery for the week and stuck with him until he started looking sharper again. Though he was looking more lucid and less teetering on the edge, he was still quiet. They had barely spoken more than a few sentences between them for most of the days. She had decided it might be safe enough for her to open the bakery again and she had to prep a few things on the Sunday in order to open bright and early on Monday morning. To her surprise, there were a few boxes delivered to the house and left on the doorstep. Had Ehud ordered something? She certainly hadn't. They were addressed to the right house though and had her name on them. She brought them inside, confused as to what she might have ordered, and opened the boxes. Inside she found mountains of fall decorations, most of which she had seen on Pyrta. If she hadn't ordered these, it had to be Ehud. Suddenly, her throat tightened up and she sniffled as tears pricked at her eyes. He'd still tried to do something for her even when he didn't have to. Even would he was so messed up.
She'd been in a bit of an emotional limbo knowing she couldn't rely on him and wondering if she ever could or if she would be in a marriage that offered sex and not much else. While she held a happy little golden pumpkin in her hands, she started to cry. Yes, he was messed up, but he did want to do things for her. What man would do something like this, after all?
Sien bounded into the room, and paused when he saw her. "Are you okay?"
Pris wiped at her eyes and smiled at Sien. "Oh, I will be. I think. You want to come to help me get ready for fall in the bakery? I'll show you how to make apple crisps too."
Sien grinned and nodded just as Ehud walked into the room. She looked up at Ehud and cleared her throat. "I'm going to the bakery today. Come with us to help decorate for fall. I...I have some extra decorations."
***************
To Calysta's surprise, Illya only wanted to lounge around for an hour. Then he greeted her with a wild grin and asked if she wanted to take advantage of their little off day and go exploring. She loved those grins and she liked exploring even more when it was with him. "Aye," she told him, "I'd like that." She gave him a little peck on the lips and got dressed him some clothing that was much more comfortable and plain than what she had worn to arrive in. Exploring was much better when you blended in with the area.
They slipped out of the hotel, just the two of them hand in hand...and Koda and Rezna casually following them at a distance. Body guards were not something they could fully escape. If the two of them stayed back far enough, she could almost forget they were there. Almost. The good news was Urians prided themselves on being excellent hosts. Which meant not bum rushing their guests. So, they went into the street unobstructed which was a nice change. "Oooh I know where I want to go first," Calysta grinned, "I want to go to the View Bubble."
The tunnels gave stunning views of the ocean, but it was nothing compared to the view bubble. The biome was set on the reef and blended into it so the fish used it as their home. It was a gigantic bubble right along with the most vibrant and beautiful fish swam. It took an hour and several escalators to arrive at the View Bubble but it was well worth it. Benches formed a ring inside so visitors could sit and watch from any angle. Fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors swam around in schools or peeked out of the reef slowly growing around the bubble wall. "Look," Calysta grinned as she pointed to a tight little coral cavern, "An Muridinae...its an eel!" The long bodied fish poked its yellow spotted head out of the cavern and opened its jaw to show razor sharp teeth. She kept Illya's hand in hers and walked closer to the wall, craning her neck in an effort to see it all. A massive ray-like creature floated along the wall, its wide kite fins floating it along with grace. "Ooh, those are interesting too," she said, "But I think those have long barbs on their tails."
A school of tiny neon fish zipped by and little crab creatures scuttled in the sand between the living coral. Everything was bright and alive. So graceful under the water. She could have sat with Illya and watched in fascination with him for hours, but she knew Illya was already seasick enough. "Where would you like to go? It's your turn to pick. There's a museum...it has less water front walls...there's also a park....and a strip of restaurants along with a shopping district."
***********
Calysta slid the bedroom door closed and the simple knock of the pocket door landing home into the lock sent the fish above them scattering from their school. She slinked up to Illya and slid her hand up his good arm, smiling while she did. The day had been fun. The excitement of exploring new places and seeing new things had her cheeks tinged pink as she looked up at him. He'd been sweet in letting her drag him around all day. Especially when she knew he was one whale away from panicking again at being so deep underwater. "Hey," she hummed, "If you're feeling up to it, we could have a little more fun and we wouldn't have to go far." She tilted her chin toward their plush, freshly made bed.
As they entered the room Illya watched the fish flutter away. It was strange how it was almost like a sky of its own under the water. However, it wasn't the same as it was above the surface and he much preferred the land. They barely obtained privacy and Illya heard the little offer from Kalizda. Meeting her gaze he smirked and then glanced at the bed before looking at her again. "Mmmhmmm...I got plenty of energy. Jes tah prove et," he leaned over to kiss her and ran his right hand down her back, rear end and behind her right leg before he started to pull her up. She mashed his right arm, but it didn't really bother his shoulder. Taking a few steps back he felt the bed at the back of his knees and then sat down on the bed with her.
She was wasn't expecting him to be quite so vigorous right away. He'd been exhausted lately and she had been trying to help him rest by giving him coffee to drink at night. It had been knocking him out before they could up to much of anything in the way of bedroom activities and while she was pregnant, the doctor hadn't forbidden her from sex. They might as well enjoy it while they could. She squeaked a little in surprise when he hoisted her up with one hand. He was gentle with her and sometimes it was moments like that which reminded her how strong he really was. In an automatic reaction, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around him when he sank onto the bed. "Oh, you are feeling wiley," she chuckled as her blush deepened a little. She looked into his bright green eyes and played with his hair near the nape of his neck as she sat with him. She was going to take her time, mostly because she didn't want to hurt him, but also, because he always took his time with her. "Mmm...I remember," she said, "Sitting almost like this while were in the desert on old Quoti. I liked that."
"Mmm...we set like dis en Old Quoti huh?" Illya was momentarily confused and then remembered that if he was on Old Quoti he probably wouldn't have done anything considered out of place for a Chippequoti. There were only one or two positions that Chips sat in when they were intimate and this wasn't quite it, but it was close. "Here..." Scooting back on the bed he gave himself a little more space and then started to cross his legs. His knee felt a bit sore doing that, but he was sure he would get over it. "Someting like dis eh?" They were very close and when she was sitting on his legs like this she was a bit closer to his height.
"Mhmm..." she nodded. She remembered that day well. Things had been strange. Less complicated in some ways, but she felt much closer to Illya now than she had then. He shifted with her as if her weight was nothing but a sack of feathers. She ended up on his semi crossed legs, boosted a little higher so she could almost see his eyes without tilting her chin too much. She held on to one shoulder gently and kept her hand well away from the bullet wound. "Aye," she smiled, "It was like this. We sat in the sand after rolling down the dunes. I enjoyed it." She stole a glance down at his knee which was still mending. She hadn't actually intended on him trying to bend his knee like that. "Your knee...I'm not hurting you am I?"
That look she was giving him was worth it all. Illya listened to her dreamy little talk and then she broke off as she stared at his knee. "Meh knee will be fine for few minutes. When et gets sore we move little eh?" Running his right hand along her back he rubbed it gently and leaned forward to kiss her. "Yah still meh little bird. I love yah eh?"
She nodded slowly as she looked up to him. She didn't want to hurt him and when he was ready, she would move. These little moments of quiet and peace were few and far between sometimes and she couldn't resist the chance to have it. His hand was warm as it rubbed at her back and he leaned forward to kiss her and she smiled. There was something about the way he told her he loved her that left no room for doubt anymore and it turned her heart quite warm in her chest. She had become rather mushy in the last few years, and she was finding out that it was okay. "Aye, I am and I love you." She kissed him long and thorough, then chuckled when they finally drew back just a little for air. "Soon there's going to be a bit more of me to love," she teased, glancing down at her currently flat belly.
Being reminded of the twins was always a bit exciting and scary at the same time. Illya grinned at her mention of the babies and he nodded. "Dey will be very nice babies. Yah maybe dun get so sick as yah did last time eh?" Moving his hand from her back to rest it on her stomach and pelvic region he spoke as if to the babies. "Yah little ones en dere, be kind tah yah moter."
Calysta didn't know how he'd gotten stuck on the idea of multiple babies again, but she wasn't going to correct him this time. He was talking too sweet and she wasn't going to ruin the moment and, for all she knew, it very well could be twins again. His large hand took up most of her stomach and hips when it settled there. The touch was warm and felt nice. She chuckled as he spoke to their baby...or...babies and put her hand on top of his. "One day they'll be able to nudge you back." Her eyes slid up to his again and she leaned in and kissed him, this time she slid her other hand to brace the back of his neck and leaned forward gently. "Lean back and let me do the hard work, yeah?" she said in Quoti.
"I like et when dey start rolling around." Illya grinned some at the idea and then he caught her gaze. She had that sultry look that told him she was going to get him. Unfolding his legs he leaned back a bit and let her kiss him a few times and then he smirked. "Gotta get dah clotes off before we get too serious." Once they were all settled on the bed he enjoyed the activity, part way through he noticed that the fish were all around them and it was a bit strange and the currents seemed to push against the walls and then slide by all while Kalizda and himself had their own motion. No matter how hard he tried to stay focused on only her, it was hard not to see all the other motion around them.
Calysta chuckled when he mentioned taking off their clothes. "Don't worry, I'll take care of that too." She went to work and she intended on making it long slow. She wanted to give him as much time and attention as she could. She kept her work steady but part way through she noticed his eyes wandered past her to what she imagined was the ceiling above them. Maybe he just needed a little more kissing to compliment everything else. Even she had to admit the ceiling would be distracting. Leaning down, she smiled and kissed him hoping he might close his eyes and enjoy it more.
Illya felt Kalizda lean closer. Her hot breath was blowing across his mouth before she even planted a kiss on his lips. Focusing again on her grinned broadly. "Yah feeling very wild tahnight eh?" Momentarily he wondered if they had people that went out hunting fish in swim gear. Urian's didn't seem to value privacy that much.
She chuckled and kissed him all the more then kept right on moving in the rhythm she had picked up. He would get the best she could give him for sure. While she was working, a dark shadow passed over head, blocking out the fading daylight filtering through the water above. Illya seemed to be enjoying himself until the shadow passed over. "Are you alright?" she whispered a little breathlessly.
They were in the middle of the best part and Illya was feeling like he was focusing pretty well. Kalizda was moving nice and slow and he was starting to feel the pleasure build. Then he saw a huge whale coming overhead. He couldn't keep his eyes on Kalizda no matter how hard he tried to focus on her. Wincing a little he leaned further into the pillows and then glanced at her when she asked if he was ok. "Yeah, I jes saw anoter whale." His voice was strained slightly as he watched it float by and then he looked at her again. No matter how hard he tried after that he would glance at the ceiling to be sure there wasn't anything else swimming by. Surely they had to have curtains or something to block the view available. Between the moving sea life, the slow rocking in the bed, Kalizda moving and the water above he started to feel a little dizzy'ish.
Illya's explanation of the whale passing by made sense given the large shadow that engulfed them for a brief moment, but he winced and she wondered if she was hurting him more than he was enjoying it. His voice sounded strained, like he was nervous or in pain, and after a moment he even started to look pale. She stopped moving and looked at him with her brow furrowed slightly in concern. "Love, you look a little...pale. Maybe I should stop."
"No, no, I'm fine." Illya insisted and he adjusted a little. "I jes fe...." Suddenly all of his dinner made a violent rush and Illya sat up a little and started to turn to try and puke over the edge of the bed, but it didn't quite work that way. He puked all the way down his right arm and all over his right side. "Ooooh..." The flecks of fish and globby bits of vegetable didn't look very good the second time around. "I tink I feel better now, but I need shower before we try dis again."
He started to insist he was just fine but suddenly sat up, and heaved. The slightly rancid smell of their fish lunch hit her nose as he vomited all down his right side. The puddle with half digested goops of fish and vegetables slid down and smeared over her leg as he shifted. The slimey sensation was awful and her libido dried up some, cringing a bit as she did. "Oh....Illya..." she winced, "Love...." She wasn't sure what was the worse way to get off of him, rolling to the left side and smearing it further, or going right and getting more all over herself. "Aye...I think we both do." She opted to simply roll to the left and they would just have to have fresh sheets brought up. She got to her feet and tried to grab for a towel to wipe down her leg and to give to Illya so he didn't leave droppings all over the floor when he got up to the bathroom. "Here," she said offering him the towel she had used on her hair that morning. "Are you sure you're feeling better?"
Illya would have reached to stop the vomit from getting her leg, but his arm was pretty messy. "Ugh...no." Wincing some he sat up a little more and grimaced. "I'm sorreh. Ets jes all dat motion. I see tings moving all dah time even when I'm nut and ets making meh dizzy." It almost made him feel like he was on the cusp of having a seizure. As Kalizda started to roll to the left she bumped his side and he grunted a bit and as he sat up he hit his shoulder on hers slighly. "Owe..." Wincing again he accepted the towel from her and then sighed. "Yah help meh. I can't really do dis wit meh sling on." He couldn't reach his own shoulder with a towel and make an effective use of it without his other hand.
Of course she should have though t about him being unable to use his hand properly. "Oh! Aye." She took the towel back and just started cleaning him up a bit where he couldn't possibly reach with his arm in a sling. While she worked she kept glancing up to check on him. "Well, I think this is a first," she mused gently, "At least i know it wasn't my attempts at seducing you that made you nauseated."
Illya smiled a bit weakly and shrugged. "True, ets a first. First time we make love under whales too. Nut dah best idea. Maybe next time I'm on top eh?"
She mopped him up gently, careful not to hurt his shoulder. "Aye. Maybe you'd better be on top if you want to try again," she said, "You know, you're probably the first Chip to make love under the ocean." She finished cleaning him up by scooping up the chunky bits into the towel and then putting it at the end of the bed. "I call for for fresh sheets while you shower off, Yeah?"
Kalizda was very gentle and Illya did his best to try and help, but he wasn't much help till she finished with his arm and he could wipe off the rest of himself. "We jes go tah shower togeter eh? Yah make call and dey can take care of et while we shower. Dane or Mihael will scan dah room again when dey are done."
The idea of someone checking the room again made her tinge a little pink in the cheeks. They surely would know what had been happening by the scent in the air, but perhaps the heavy waft of vomit would over power that. She nodded and wiped down her hands enough to grab her pad long enough to call house keeping . The woman's voice was chipper on the other end and she said they would be up within 10 minutes to change the bedding. She sent a message to let the security team to let them know new bedding has been ordered but not why it had been necessary, then shimmied her way into the bathroom after Illya. "Need some help unclipping the sling," she asked him.
Dane answered the call for security and he gave a hoarse reply, "I'll just take care of it. Would rather strip the bed and make it myself instead of having the scan the entire room." Without waiting he started down the hall toward the bedroom and swung the door open. Illya heard the bedroom door open and he quickly shut the bathroom door with Kalizda barely inside. "Dat was fast." Nodding some he picked at the one clip on his sling that he could reach. The other was a bit more difficult.
Dane didn't give her much a chance to protest before he came barreling into the room. She barely had time to dive into the bathroom out of sight when Dane entered without knocking. "Dane said he'd rather do it himself than scan the room again and didn't give me anytime to insist otherwise. He shouldn't be tugging on the sheets like that with his neck." Of course, there was very little she could so about it since she was in the bathroom and her clothes were out there with Dane. Shaking her head, she sighed some and slid a hand up Illya's shoulder gently to find the clasp to his sling. "One...two," she warned, "Three." Then she unsnapped it letting the arm drop. A red mark was over his skin where the weight of his arm had pulled down like a yoke. She reached up and very tenderly rubbed at it some. "If you can stand it, going to a pleasure house for a massage may not hurt. I'm not strong enough to loosen those muscles up."
The sheets came off the bed pretty easy. Dane noticed that there were signs of activity and puke. Things didn't go well. He wasn't feeling particularly well himself given all the motion that was constantly going on. It was making him sea sick even if he wasn't being rocked back and forth. Gathering up the sheets he opened the doorway to see the housekeeper was there with fresh sheets and Mihael confirmed he had already scanned the woman and the bedding. Dane traded her and then went to work making the bed. Illya winced some when the sling was let loose. His shoulder was still very sore and moving it wasn't quite a relief. Then Kalizda started to work on his right shoulder where the sling had been pulling. "Ooh..careful. I dun tink I want a pleasure house right now." He was in all truth afraid of what a pleasure house would look like on Uria.
"They have a few here," she offered, "Reylia will have one but I'm not sure you should go that long. You look very stiff." She was actively trying to ignore that fact that Dane was currently pulling up their sex scented sheets. He shouldn't have to be doing that either. She lifted the sling away from him and then turned on the water to the shower to get it warm. Then, despite how red her cheeks were, forced herself to barely poke her head out of the bathroom door where Dane could only see the top of her head and her eyes. "I can make the bed," she told him, "I don't want you to pull on your neck."
Illya frowned and he let out a puff of irritation, “I dun want tah go. Dey are nice enough, but dah people here are strange.”
“I get et.” Dane replied and he started spreading the sheets out. Instead of getting any further Mihael overheard the talk and came into the room. Looking at Kalizda he grinned, “I will take care of dis.”
Chips were stubborn and Illya and Dane were no exception to this. Dane just kept right on trucking and much like a wolf pack, her protest brought another fellow elite member over to inspect. Mihael had a grin on his face and she turned a deeper shade of pink. If mihael did it, at least Dane wouldn't be pulling on his neck. She scurried quickly away from the door and shut it before looking to Illya. She understood his concern in some ways about not wanting to go, but it really would be a good idea. "They wouldn't touch you like that but I could go with you and a couples massage if you wanted."
The offer for the massage was obviously not so much an offer as a demand. It was a subtle demand, but it was clearly not going to be easily set aside. Illya grumbled a bit and he stepped into the shower. "Yeah, I guess."
Now she had clearly pissed in his porridge and he was just going to grumble and give her flat answers. It still didn't change the fact that a massage might help. "Okay, then," she said, stepping into the shower. She started scrubbing off the rest of the vomit and decided to wash her hair while she was at it, using the sweet peach scented shampoo. She helped Illya with his shoulder where he let her and the snagged a towel for them both when the water was cut off. "I think they're done doing whatever it was they needed to do with the bed," she said, poking her head out of the door.
Washing off was nice in a way. Illya was slightly irritated with Kalizda’s insistence that they go get massages, but his right shoulder probably did need the help. It was very sore and laying on it was getting more painful each night. Once he finished washing off, Illya towel dried himself and didn’t think of the fact that Kalizda said she thought they would be gone. Stepping into the room he walked over to where their clothes were and picked them up before getting something comfy to wear that was clean. “Yah coming wit meh and yah get massage too?” He just wanted to make sure she was keeping her end of the deal.
He was all in a hurry now walking into the room. She had really twisted his boxers it seemed. So much for continuing their fun. She didn't want to do that just to patch over a mood. Strangely enough, he was getting dressed and she tilted her head, water dripping from her inky black hair. "Well...aye. I meant perhaps you might want to go tomorrow but if you want to go now, I'd still go with you." She had thought they might continue their fun, but it certainly seemed he wasn't in the mood now either. Standing on the bed was something she rarely did, but it was necessary in order to look him in the eye. So, she wobbled to stand on the bed and put and small hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I was only trying to help, yeah?"
"Yah mean tomorrow?" Illya spluttered and he opened and closed his mouth a few times before he started stripping again. "Well, I guess we should jes finish what we started den. Dis time I'm on top."
Calysta nodded. "Aye. I didn't mean right away." She wondered how he had gotten that into his head. When he mentioned finishing what they started she turned a little pink as he started undressing again. Her hand slid away from his shoulder and she stood there on the bed blatantly watching him undress.
About time Illya finished setting his clean clothing aside he noticed Kalizda was just staring. He wasn't sure if she wanted to finish what they started and he figured he would ask. "Yah dun mind? Kinda looks like yah jes enjoy taking a good look."
Calysta blushed deeper and nodded slowly. She was definitely looking. He was handsome nd sometimes it was impossible not to look. It was rare when she stared openly at him, but he had been right there stripping down. She let her towel fall away from her so she was standing quite naked on the bed now. "I am taking a good look my Wolf," she said, "And I wouldn't mind spending all the time together you want."
************
Akten jogged up behind Wynry and smiled. "We have th' afternoon off," he said.
"Mhm. I think I want to go out and explore some," she told him. Then she flashed him one of those smiles that seemed to make him want to do very stupid things to impress her when he saw it. She had been giving him that look more and more since Aerikta and he'd do just about anything to see it again.
"Aye, we should go out t' look," he replied. He wasn't such a fan of being underwater, but he'd go out with Wynry to look around.
"Let me grab my sweater and we can go together if you want. Maybe we can get some dinner."
He grinned and nodded. "Aye, I'll go get Dane an' Mihael. They might want t' come too, eh? Especially f' dinner."
Before Wynry could say otherwise, he was calling out to the two Chip men. "Oi, ye want t' go walk aroun' an' get some dinner?"
They ate dinner in the same, strange silence. She knew now he couldn't feel much of anything. Saying how she felt was a moot point. The words from earlier in the flyer made her sad in a way that made her chest ache. Ehud had been living this way for so long and simply pretending. She felt hurt to some degree but also felt sadness for him. A ghost of a life was all he could muster. She didn't each much of her dinner and was grateful when they landed on Pyrta again.
*********
After a day and a half of waiting, two hours and dozens of forms, Priscilla sat across from the counselor and the two beefy looking nurses feeling as if she'd been slapped again. This time it wasn't Ehud's words but the counselor. "Our best diagnosis at this point requires a treatment that you'll only need once a month. What we're seeing is evidence of manic depression, and psychosis.....we believe the onset is from PTSD and other trauma left untreated for a period of time. Earlier treatment may have prevented this, perhaps not. ...Sometimes trauma like this causes irreversible damage. Our best option is a simple injection. You just have a monthly appointment at the clinic. The dose is set high for now...."
She listened to what they said in silence and silently, vehemently, scolded herself. She should have seen something was wrong a long time ago. Part of her was relieved to know that it wasn't all her acting entitled and crazy. That he really did have problems with feeling anything. Another part of her felt terrible he had gone untreated for so long that he was on the cusp of certifiable. He had scared her in that flyer and now she knew why.
He took the shot, at least this time, and sounded as if he hated the idea. Would it make him feel better? How long would that last if he had to keep taking it? There were questions and doubts and fears running around her mind. So much so that she opted for a long shower alone and cried. At least he wouldn't be able to hear her over the water. What was she going to do? This wasn't his fault. She felt more isolated and alone than ever and she couldn't rely on him. Not to mention poor Sien had no idea why his father was so distant. She sobbed in the shower and when the water ran cold, she dressed in a soft, much more conservative robe to crawl into bed with. There was a fair distance between herself and him. It was going to stay that way. He was no more capable of giving her comfort as he was able to receive it right now. She would have to deal with things tomorrow. Right now, Ehud needed to have this medicine work and a consistent mood from her, despite what she felt. Who knew what would happen to him if she couldn't manage that.
********
The next day left no time for dealing with anything. Ehud woke up feeling sick and on top of that was foggy headed. Every response was delayed and miserable from him. She had seen him sick with his guts twice before. Once when he'd eaten popcorn and another time when he was laid up and had to drink terrible but prescribed medication to ease the pain. Given he was on a potent anti-psychotic, however, she decided it was best to have the medics come out to take a look. They were able to confirm the gut pain was his usual ailment and the fogginess was a normal side-effect of the medication he was given. He was laid up on the couch the whole day and that was just fine. It was easier to keep an eye on him. She gave him his medicine, and occasionally checked his forehead, though a fever wasn't any of the side affects as far as she knew. It was just a gentle touch and she wasn't sure who needed it more, him or her. Sien helped her make a light dinner of rice and eggs and toast. Something easy to digest for everyone.
The day after, Ehud's guts seemed to feel better and he was all about wanting to roam around. Despite still being wooly brained, he wanted to go roaming around. It was a propensity that made her nervous. She had no idea what sort of side affects could happen with this medication and he could just as easily be lobotomized one minute and depressed enough to jump off the Edge in another. She had no idea what would happen. So, she closed down the bakery for the day again and decided to stick with him. She didn't want him to hurt himself. "Why don't we go outside and you can help me in the garden first, and then we can take Yuji for a walk....then we need to go grocery shopping and make some orders for flour, sugar and yeast for the bakery. That's plenty of walking. We'll be out most of the afternoon."
********
A week passed in somewhat of the same way. She closed down the bakery for the week and stuck with him until he started looking sharper again. Though he was looking more lucid and less teetering on the edge, he was still quiet. They had barely spoken more than a few sentences between them for most of the days. She had decided it might be safe enough for her to open the bakery again and she had to prep a few things on the Sunday in order to open bright and early on Monday morning. To her surprise, there were a few boxes delivered to the house and left on the doorstep. Had Ehud ordered something? She certainly hadn't. They were addressed to the right house though and had her name on them. She brought them inside, confused as to what she might have ordered, and opened the boxes. Inside she found mountains of fall decorations, most of which she had seen on Pyrta. If she hadn't ordered these, it had to be Ehud. Suddenly, her throat tightened up and she sniffled as tears pricked at her eyes. He'd still tried to do something for her even when he didn't have to. Even would he was so messed up.
She'd been in a bit of an emotional limbo knowing she couldn't rely on him and wondering if she ever could or if she would be in a marriage that offered sex and not much else. While she held a happy little golden pumpkin in her hands, she started to cry. Yes, he was messed up, but he did want to do things for her. What man would do something like this, after all?
Sien bounded into the room, and paused when he saw her. "Are you okay?"
Pris wiped at her eyes and smiled at Sien. "Oh, I will be. I think. You want to come to help me get ready for fall in the bakery? I'll show you how to make apple crisps too."
Sien grinned and nodded just as Ehud walked into the room. She looked up at Ehud and cleared her throat. "I'm going to the bakery today. Come with us to help decorate for fall. I...I have some extra decorations."
***************
To Calysta's surprise, Illya only wanted to lounge around for an hour. Then he greeted her with a wild grin and asked if she wanted to take advantage of their little off day and go exploring. She loved those grins and she liked exploring even more when it was with him. "Aye," she told him, "I'd like that." She gave him a little peck on the lips and got dressed him some clothing that was much more comfortable and plain than what she had worn to arrive in. Exploring was much better when you blended in with the area.
They slipped out of the hotel, just the two of them hand in hand...and Koda and Rezna casually following them at a distance. Body guards were not something they could fully escape. If the two of them stayed back far enough, she could almost forget they were there. Almost. The good news was Urians prided themselves on being excellent hosts. Which meant not bum rushing their guests. So, they went into the street unobstructed which was a nice change. "Oooh I know where I want to go first," Calysta grinned, "I want to go to the View Bubble."
The tunnels gave stunning views of the ocean, but it was nothing compared to the view bubble. The biome was set on the reef and blended into it so the fish used it as their home. It was a gigantic bubble right along with the most vibrant and beautiful fish swam. It took an hour and several escalators to arrive at the View Bubble but it was well worth it. Benches formed a ring inside so visitors could sit and watch from any angle. Fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors swam around in schools or peeked out of the reef slowly growing around the bubble wall. "Look," Calysta grinned as she pointed to a tight little coral cavern, "An Muridinae...its an eel!" The long bodied fish poked its yellow spotted head out of the cavern and opened its jaw to show razor sharp teeth. She kept Illya's hand in hers and walked closer to the wall, craning her neck in an effort to see it all. A massive ray-like creature floated along the wall, its wide kite fins floating it along with grace. "Ooh, those are interesting too," she said, "But I think those have long barbs on their tails."
A school of tiny neon fish zipped by and little crab creatures scuttled in the sand between the living coral. Everything was bright and alive. So graceful under the water. She could have sat with Illya and watched in fascination with him for hours, but she knew Illya was already seasick enough. "Where would you like to go? It's your turn to pick. There's a museum...it has less water front walls...there's also a park....and a strip of restaurants along with a shopping district."
***********
Calysta slid the bedroom door closed and the simple knock of the pocket door landing home into the lock sent the fish above them scattering from their school. She slinked up to Illya and slid her hand up his good arm, smiling while she did. The day had been fun. The excitement of exploring new places and seeing new things had her cheeks tinged pink as she looked up at him. He'd been sweet in letting her drag him around all day. Especially when she knew he was one whale away from panicking again at being so deep underwater. "Hey," she hummed, "If you're feeling up to it, we could have a little more fun and we wouldn't have to go far." She tilted her chin toward their plush, freshly made bed.
As they entered the room Illya watched the fish flutter away. It was strange how it was almost like a sky of its own under the water. However, it wasn't the same as it was above the surface and he much preferred the land. They barely obtained privacy and Illya heard the little offer from Kalizda. Meeting her gaze he smirked and then glanced at the bed before looking at her again. "Mmmhmmm...I got plenty of energy. Jes tah prove et," he leaned over to kiss her and ran his right hand down her back, rear end and behind her right leg before he started to pull her up. She mashed his right arm, but it didn't really bother his shoulder. Taking a few steps back he felt the bed at the back of his knees and then sat down on the bed with her.
She was wasn't expecting him to be quite so vigorous right away. He'd been exhausted lately and she had been trying to help him rest by giving him coffee to drink at night. It had been knocking him out before they could up to much of anything in the way of bedroom activities and while she was pregnant, the doctor hadn't forbidden her from sex. They might as well enjoy it while they could. She squeaked a little in surprise when he hoisted her up with one hand. He was gentle with her and sometimes it was moments like that which reminded her how strong he really was. In an automatic reaction, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around him when he sank onto the bed. "Oh, you are feeling wiley," she chuckled as her blush deepened a little. She looked into his bright green eyes and played with his hair near the nape of his neck as she sat with him. She was going to take her time, mostly because she didn't want to hurt him, but also, because he always took his time with her. "Mmm...I remember," she said, "Sitting almost like this while were in the desert on old Quoti. I liked that."
"Mmm...we set like dis en Old Quoti huh?" Illya was momentarily confused and then remembered that if he was on Old Quoti he probably wouldn't have done anything considered out of place for a Chippequoti. There were only one or two positions that Chips sat in when they were intimate and this wasn't quite it, but it was close. "Here..." Scooting back on the bed he gave himself a little more space and then started to cross his legs. His knee felt a bit sore doing that, but he was sure he would get over it. "Someting like dis eh?" They were very close and when she was sitting on his legs like this she was a bit closer to his height.
"Mhmm..." she nodded. She remembered that day well. Things had been strange. Less complicated in some ways, but she felt much closer to Illya now than she had then. He shifted with her as if her weight was nothing but a sack of feathers. She ended up on his semi crossed legs, boosted a little higher so she could almost see his eyes without tilting her chin too much. She held on to one shoulder gently and kept her hand well away from the bullet wound. "Aye," she smiled, "It was like this. We sat in the sand after rolling down the dunes. I enjoyed it." She stole a glance down at his knee which was still mending. She hadn't actually intended on him trying to bend his knee like that. "Your knee...I'm not hurting you am I?"
That look she was giving him was worth it all. Illya listened to her dreamy little talk and then she broke off as she stared at his knee. "Meh knee will be fine for few minutes. When et gets sore we move little eh?" Running his right hand along her back he rubbed it gently and leaned forward to kiss her. "Yah still meh little bird. I love yah eh?"
She nodded slowly as she looked up to him. She didn't want to hurt him and when he was ready, she would move. These little moments of quiet and peace were few and far between sometimes and she couldn't resist the chance to have it. His hand was warm as it rubbed at her back and he leaned forward to kiss her and she smiled. There was something about the way he told her he loved her that left no room for doubt anymore and it turned her heart quite warm in her chest. She had become rather mushy in the last few years, and she was finding out that it was okay. "Aye, I am and I love you." She kissed him long and thorough, then chuckled when they finally drew back just a little for air. "Soon there's going to be a bit more of me to love," she teased, glancing down at her currently flat belly.
Being reminded of the twins was always a bit exciting and scary at the same time. Illya grinned at her mention of the babies and he nodded. "Dey will be very nice babies. Yah maybe dun get so sick as yah did last time eh?" Moving his hand from her back to rest it on her stomach and pelvic region he spoke as if to the babies. "Yah little ones en dere, be kind tah yah moter."
Calysta didn't know how he'd gotten stuck on the idea of multiple babies again, but she wasn't going to correct him this time. He was talking too sweet and she wasn't going to ruin the moment and, for all she knew, it very well could be twins again. His large hand took up most of her stomach and hips when it settled there. The touch was warm and felt nice. She chuckled as he spoke to their baby...or...babies and put her hand on top of his. "One day they'll be able to nudge you back." Her eyes slid up to his again and she leaned in and kissed him, this time she slid her other hand to brace the back of his neck and leaned forward gently. "Lean back and let me do the hard work, yeah?" she said in Quoti.
"I like et when dey start rolling around." Illya grinned some at the idea and then he caught her gaze. She had that sultry look that told him she was going to get him. Unfolding his legs he leaned back a bit and let her kiss him a few times and then he smirked. "Gotta get dah clotes off before we get too serious." Once they were all settled on the bed he enjoyed the activity, part way through he noticed that the fish were all around them and it was a bit strange and the currents seemed to push against the walls and then slide by all while Kalizda and himself had their own motion. No matter how hard he tried to stay focused on only her, it was hard not to see all the other motion around them.
Calysta chuckled when he mentioned taking off their clothes. "Don't worry, I'll take care of that too." She went to work and she intended on making it long slow. She wanted to give him as much time and attention as she could. She kept her work steady but part way through she noticed his eyes wandered past her to what she imagined was the ceiling above them. Maybe he just needed a little more kissing to compliment everything else. Even she had to admit the ceiling would be distracting. Leaning down, she smiled and kissed him hoping he might close his eyes and enjoy it more.
Illya felt Kalizda lean closer. Her hot breath was blowing across his mouth before she even planted a kiss on his lips. Focusing again on her grinned broadly. "Yah feeling very wild tahnight eh?" Momentarily he wondered if they had people that went out hunting fish in swim gear. Urian's didn't seem to value privacy that much.
She chuckled and kissed him all the more then kept right on moving in the rhythm she had picked up. He would get the best she could give him for sure. While she was working, a dark shadow passed over head, blocking out the fading daylight filtering through the water above. Illya seemed to be enjoying himself until the shadow passed over. "Are you alright?" she whispered a little breathlessly.
They were in the middle of the best part and Illya was feeling like he was focusing pretty well. Kalizda was moving nice and slow and he was starting to feel the pleasure build. Then he saw a huge whale coming overhead. He couldn't keep his eyes on Kalizda no matter how hard he tried to focus on her. Wincing a little he leaned further into the pillows and then glanced at her when she asked if he was ok. "Yeah, I jes saw anoter whale." His voice was strained slightly as he watched it float by and then he looked at her again. No matter how hard he tried after that he would glance at the ceiling to be sure there wasn't anything else swimming by. Surely they had to have curtains or something to block the view available. Between the moving sea life, the slow rocking in the bed, Kalizda moving and the water above he started to feel a little dizzy'ish.
Illya's explanation of the whale passing by made sense given the large shadow that engulfed them for a brief moment, but he winced and she wondered if she was hurting him more than he was enjoying it. His voice sounded strained, like he was nervous or in pain, and after a moment he even started to look pale. She stopped moving and looked at him with her brow furrowed slightly in concern. "Love, you look a little...pale. Maybe I should stop."
"No, no, I'm fine." Illya insisted and he adjusted a little. "I jes fe...." Suddenly all of his dinner made a violent rush and Illya sat up a little and started to turn to try and puke over the edge of the bed, but it didn't quite work that way. He puked all the way down his right arm and all over his right side. "Ooooh..." The flecks of fish and globby bits of vegetable didn't look very good the second time around. "I tink I feel better now, but I need shower before we try dis again."
He started to insist he was just fine but suddenly sat up, and heaved. The slightly rancid smell of their fish lunch hit her nose as he vomited all down his right side. The puddle with half digested goops of fish and vegetables slid down and smeared over her leg as he shifted. The slimey sensation was awful and her libido dried up some, cringing a bit as she did. "Oh....Illya..." she winced, "Love...." She wasn't sure what was the worse way to get off of him, rolling to the left side and smearing it further, or going right and getting more all over herself. "Aye...I think we both do." She opted to simply roll to the left and they would just have to have fresh sheets brought up. She got to her feet and tried to grab for a towel to wipe down her leg and to give to Illya so he didn't leave droppings all over the floor when he got up to the bathroom. "Here," she said offering him the towel she had used on her hair that morning. "Are you sure you're feeling better?"
Illya would have reached to stop the vomit from getting her leg, but his arm was pretty messy. "Ugh...no." Wincing some he sat up a little more and grimaced. "I'm sorreh. Ets jes all dat motion. I see tings moving all dah time even when I'm nut and ets making meh dizzy." It almost made him feel like he was on the cusp of having a seizure. As Kalizda started to roll to the left she bumped his side and he grunted a bit and as he sat up he hit his shoulder on hers slighly. "Owe..." Wincing again he accepted the towel from her and then sighed. "Yah help meh. I can't really do dis wit meh sling on." He couldn't reach his own shoulder with a towel and make an effective use of it without his other hand.
Of course she should have though t about him being unable to use his hand properly. "Oh! Aye." She took the towel back and just started cleaning him up a bit where he couldn't possibly reach with his arm in a sling. While she worked she kept glancing up to check on him. "Well, I think this is a first," she mused gently, "At least i know it wasn't my attempts at seducing you that made you nauseated."
Illya smiled a bit weakly and shrugged. "True, ets a first. First time we make love under whales too. Nut dah best idea. Maybe next time I'm on top eh?"
She mopped him up gently, careful not to hurt his shoulder. "Aye. Maybe you'd better be on top if you want to try again," she said, "You know, you're probably the first Chip to make love under the ocean." She finished cleaning him up by scooping up the chunky bits into the towel and then putting it at the end of the bed. "I call for for fresh sheets while you shower off, Yeah?"
Kalizda was very gentle and Illya did his best to try and help, but he wasn't much help till she finished with his arm and he could wipe off the rest of himself. "We jes go tah shower togeter eh? Yah make call and dey can take care of et while we shower. Dane or Mihael will scan dah room again when dey are done."
The idea of someone checking the room again made her tinge a little pink in the cheeks. They surely would know what had been happening by the scent in the air, but perhaps the heavy waft of vomit would over power that. She nodded and wiped down her hands enough to grab her pad long enough to call house keeping . The woman's voice was chipper on the other end and she said they would be up within 10 minutes to change the bedding. She sent a message to let the security team to let them know new bedding has been ordered but not why it had been necessary, then shimmied her way into the bathroom after Illya. "Need some help unclipping the sling," she asked him.
Dane answered the call for security and he gave a hoarse reply, "I'll just take care of it. Would rather strip the bed and make it myself instead of having the scan the entire room." Without waiting he started down the hall toward the bedroom and swung the door open. Illya heard the bedroom door open and he quickly shut the bathroom door with Kalizda barely inside. "Dat was fast." Nodding some he picked at the one clip on his sling that he could reach. The other was a bit more difficult.
Dane didn't give her much a chance to protest before he came barreling into the room. She barely had time to dive into the bathroom out of sight when Dane entered without knocking. "Dane said he'd rather do it himself than scan the room again and didn't give me anytime to insist otherwise. He shouldn't be tugging on the sheets like that with his neck." Of course, there was very little she could so about it since she was in the bathroom and her clothes were out there with Dane. Shaking her head, she sighed some and slid a hand up Illya's shoulder gently to find the clasp to his sling. "One...two," she warned, "Three." Then she unsnapped it letting the arm drop. A red mark was over his skin where the weight of his arm had pulled down like a yoke. She reached up and very tenderly rubbed at it some. "If you can stand it, going to a pleasure house for a massage may not hurt. I'm not strong enough to loosen those muscles up."
The sheets came off the bed pretty easy. Dane noticed that there were signs of activity and puke. Things didn't go well. He wasn't feeling particularly well himself given all the motion that was constantly going on. It was making him sea sick even if he wasn't being rocked back and forth. Gathering up the sheets he opened the doorway to see the housekeeper was there with fresh sheets and Mihael confirmed he had already scanned the woman and the bedding. Dane traded her and then went to work making the bed. Illya winced some when the sling was let loose. His shoulder was still very sore and moving it wasn't quite a relief. Then Kalizda started to work on his right shoulder where the sling had been pulling. "Ooh..careful. I dun tink I want a pleasure house right now." He was in all truth afraid of what a pleasure house would look like on Uria.
"They have a few here," she offered, "Reylia will have one but I'm not sure you should go that long. You look very stiff." She was actively trying to ignore that fact that Dane was currently pulling up their sex scented sheets. He shouldn't have to be doing that either. She lifted the sling away from him and then turned on the water to the shower to get it warm. Then, despite how red her cheeks were, forced herself to barely poke her head out of the bathroom door where Dane could only see the top of her head and her eyes. "I can make the bed," she told him, "I don't want you to pull on your neck."
Illya frowned and he let out a puff of irritation, “I dun want tah go. Dey are nice enough, but dah people here are strange.”
“I get et.” Dane replied and he started spreading the sheets out. Instead of getting any further Mihael overheard the talk and came into the room. Looking at Kalizda he grinned, “I will take care of dis.”
Chips were stubborn and Illya and Dane were no exception to this. Dane just kept right on trucking and much like a wolf pack, her protest brought another fellow elite member over to inspect. Mihael had a grin on his face and she turned a deeper shade of pink. If mihael did it, at least Dane wouldn't be pulling on his neck. She scurried quickly away from the door and shut it before looking to Illya. She understood his concern in some ways about not wanting to go, but it really would be a good idea. "They wouldn't touch you like that but I could go with you and a couples massage if you wanted."
The offer for the massage was obviously not so much an offer as a demand. It was a subtle demand, but it was clearly not going to be easily set aside. Illya grumbled a bit and he stepped into the shower. "Yeah, I guess."
Now she had clearly pissed in his porridge and he was just going to grumble and give her flat answers. It still didn't change the fact that a massage might help. "Okay, then," she said, stepping into the shower. She started scrubbing off the rest of the vomit and decided to wash her hair while she was at it, using the sweet peach scented shampoo. She helped Illya with his shoulder where he let her and the snagged a towel for them both when the water was cut off. "I think they're done doing whatever it was they needed to do with the bed," she said, poking her head out of the door.
Washing off was nice in a way. Illya was slightly irritated with Kalizda’s insistence that they go get massages, but his right shoulder probably did need the help. It was very sore and laying on it was getting more painful each night. Once he finished washing off, Illya towel dried himself and didn’t think of the fact that Kalizda said she thought they would be gone. Stepping into the room he walked over to where their clothes were and picked them up before getting something comfy to wear that was clean. “Yah coming wit meh and yah get massage too?” He just wanted to make sure she was keeping her end of the deal.
He was all in a hurry now walking into the room. She had really twisted his boxers it seemed. So much for continuing their fun. She didn't want to do that just to patch over a mood. Strangely enough, he was getting dressed and she tilted her head, water dripping from her inky black hair. "Well...aye. I meant perhaps you might want to go tomorrow but if you want to go now, I'd still go with you." She had thought they might continue their fun, but it certainly seemed he wasn't in the mood now either. Standing on the bed was something she rarely did, but it was necessary in order to look him in the eye. So, she wobbled to stand on the bed and put and small hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I was only trying to help, yeah?"
"Yah mean tomorrow?" Illya spluttered and he opened and closed his mouth a few times before he started stripping again. "Well, I guess we should jes finish what we started den. Dis time I'm on top."
Calysta nodded. "Aye. I didn't mean right away." She wondered how he had gotten that into his head. When he mentioned finishing what they started she turned a little pink as he started undressing again. Her hand slid away from his shoulder and she stood there on the bed blatantly watching him undress.
About time Illya finished setting his clean clothing aside he noticed Kalizda was just staring. He wasn't sure if she wanted to finish what they started and he figured he would ask. "Yah dun mind? Kinda looks like yah jes enjoy taking a good look."
Calysta blushed deeper and nodded slowly. She was definitely looking. He was handsome nd sometimes it was impossible not to look. It was rare when she stared openly at him, but he had been right there stripping down. She let her towel fall away from her so she was standing quite naked on the bed now. "I am taking a good look my Wolf," she said, "And I wouldn't mind spending all the time together you want."
************
Akten jogged up behind Wynry and smiled. "We have th' afternoon off," he said.
"Mhm. I think I want to go out and explore some," she told him. Then she flashed him one of those smiles that seemed to make him want to do very stupid things to impress her when he saw it. She had been giving him that look more and more since Aerikta and he'd do just about anything to see it again.
"Aye, we should go out t' look," he replied. He wasn't such a fan of being underwater, but he'd go out with Wynry to look around.
"Let me grab my sweater and we can go together if you want. Maybe we can get some dinner."
He grinned and nodded. "Aye, I'll go get Dane an' Mihael. They might want t' come too, eh? Especially f' dinner."
Before Wynry could say otherwise, he was calling out to the two Chip men. "Oi, ye want t' go walk aroun' an' get some dinner?"