Slowing down

[Faith Augustin]

There is more to life than increasing its speed.
Mahatma Gandhi

Zi'da 85th, 720

She was warm and safe, she knew that. As Faith's eyes fluttered open, she felt the blankets which covered her, heard the sounds of a place which was familiar but currently outside of her awareness, her hand tightened in his. Padraig was there she knew. Her forehead creased in a frown as she opened her eyes properly and struggled to focus. "Padraig?" Faith whispered, looking at him. He looked tired, she thought. Tired and worried and worn out. "Come back to bed," her mouth was dry, she realised, but she didn't mind that. "I don't want to wake up yet." Her hand tugged at him, urging him to come, lay down, sleep with her.

But if he did, or not, she didn't know because Faith was quickly sleeping herself. And even though she was laying down, her eyes closed as they had been for so long, rather than what had been happening to her, now, she slept. Curling into him, she fell into a deep slumber; the quiet snores which she denied she ever made a very different sound from any she'd made during the last months. She'd been unmoving, unresponsive, but now she mumbled intermittently, snuggled into him and even spoke the odd word over the next few hours. Essentially, she slept normally. Except, she didn't let go of his hand. The words she spoke were nonsensical and jumbled ~ from "If you do that, the top will fall off," to "Please, the bunnies are waiting, and they need to be organised." More than once, she called his name and, now and then, she chatted with the children, with Famula, with people they knew or had known. None of it made sense, all of it was obviously important to her in that moment.

It was four hours later that she woke, her nose wrinkling and her eyes scrunching up as she did. Then, with a yawn which turned into a sigh, she lifted her gaze to him. He was there, right next to her, laying on his side and propped up on his elbow. Faith noticed - and noted - just how tightly he held her and her silver eyes simply observed him for a moment. "Hey, you," Faith whispered, and she lifted her hand to stroke his cheek. As she did, she recognised the feeling in her arm - it was more effort to move than it should be, her arm, her hand, they looked thinner. Which, of course, explained the expression on his face.

She didn't say anything for a moment, as both of their emotions swirled and collided inside her, instead she just gently felt his skin against hers as she kept her hand on his cheek. There were a hundred questions to ask, she had no doubt, a dozen things to tell and answers which would simply provoke more questioning from her. Tears sprang to her eyes as she recognised something. "You spoke to me," she said softly. She didn't know how long she'd been out for, nor at this moment what caused it - although that memory would come later. But right now, she knew one thing. "I heard you," she said, a shaky smile lifting her lips. "You've been talking to me." Tears had threatened but just the look on his face as she said that caused them to fall, unhindered, down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry you were afraid," she said. "I'm so sorry, love."

She wanted to ask what had happened, how long she'd been out, where they were. But that would come later. Right now, she just pulled him to her - and her to him - and held on. After a moment, though, when she knew that they both needed to break the silence, she spoke softly. "So, did you build a tower to keep me in?"

[Padraig]

Throughout the long trials, and nights, spent at Faith's bedside, Cosmo had shown himself to be useful in ways that Padraig hadn't anticipated at first. Initially, he'd wanted the family's dog kept out of the bedroom, for fear of him getting in the way and disrupting Faith's recovery somehow. But Cosmo, with all his whining and pacing, had proven relentless. He was as worried about Faith as anyone else was, and instinct was driving the dog to look after his mistress.

So eventually Padraig had let him in. Since then, he'd lain at the foot of her bed, keeping vigil, or sometimes put his paw up on the edge, or even gently over her hand or shoulder. He'd also proven himself handy to have around. Padraig himself rarely left her bedside, except to bathe, eat, collect reading material or spend time with the children. He slept in the oversized chair near the bed, when he couldn't resist nodding off. Cosmo kept him alerted to any little thing that happened to change while he napped.

This time, even before Faith's eyes fluttered open, and longer before she called out his name; Cosmo, having sensed a change in Faith's breathing pattern, got up and nudged Padraig awake with his nose. Once, and then again before the mortalborn's chin lifted up off his chest, and he studied Faith more closely. Cosmo was rarely wrong about this sort of thing. He put the book he'd been reading aside and sat forward in his chair, almost holding his breath while watching her expressions changed.

And then he finally dared to smile and hope when once she opened his eyes and spoke his name. Cosmo as good as grinned, and wagged his tail. Padraig had always known she would wake eventually, and would never had heard talk of anything else. Just as others had insisted that she didn't hear him when he talked to her, told her funny stories of what the children had done that trial, or even read to her from dry university texts written by over-educated and overblown egos large and small. If he couldn't charm her out of that lingering deep sleep, then he'd apparently try to bore and irritate her out of it. But he always knew she would wake. And didn't realize how much energy it took till he as good as exhaled when her eyes fluttered open, and his eyes misted over as well.

"Only when you're ready," he said, smiling as she took his hand, and he moved to carefully lay down beside her on the bed, and to gently wrap her up in his arms. He never would have thought he could possibly drift off at that point. And for a long while, he didn't. Instead he listened to the sounds of her breathing, watched her face, and smiled at the nonsense she uttered, now and again. But finally the exhaustion overcame him and he drifted off as well.

When she touched his cheek, Padraig's eyes lifted open again and he smiled. "I did," he said. "I talked, told you stories. I even read books to you, written by those damned philosophers who think they're honest to goodness scientists," he said, grinning a little. "I thought you might appreciate the irony. They tried to say you wouldn't hear me. Not Katie. She knew better. And Cosmo too. He's hardly left you side, once we let him in."

As for sorry. No, never a need to be sorry. "I'm only glad you're back. It's all that matters." But a tower? It was an old threat, made in jest, come back to haunt him. But he grinned a little, thinking that what he'd done wasn't such a grand departure as it might seem. "I've done you one better. We're not in Rharne anymore," he said. Of course he'd had the bedroom arranged as much like their room in Rharne as was possible, so as not to cause her too much confusion when she finally awoke.

"I thought a change in scenery might be nice. And you know, when I was a kid all the other boy's fathers built tree houses for them. Not Cyrus though, no matter how much I begged him too," Padraig remembered. "Nonsense, he called it. People just aren't meant to be living in trees. I think he's enjoying it more than anyone else is. We're in Desnind," he told her.

[Faith Augustin]

There is more to life than increasing its speed.
Mahatma Gandhi

Zi'da 85th, 720

Faith's head was full of fluff at this moment.

Things were confusing and slightly confused. She was aware of Cosmo, the weight of the dog was far from small and she smiled in pleasure as both Padraig and Cosmo were so obviously happy. Her focus was on her husband, but equally she was aware that the now-enormous nightpup had been with her. Somehow, she knew that, and her "Good boy, Cosmo. Thank you, good boy!" Faith leaned against Padraig and felt his arm holding her close, as he admitted just what he'd read to her. "Philosophy?" Faith smiled gently. "Things were that desperate?" They spoke in code, in a way, each knowing the other's meaning. Neither of them were prone to large emotional outbursts, and Faith believed that there was no point in saying something about her feelings to Padraig. He knew and, if he ever did not know, then her words would not be what persuaded him.

So, he'd sat and talked, and read. He'd chosen philosophy for a number of reasons, she thought, each one as good and as nonsensical as the next. "And tell me, my love, did you learn?" It was something they could talk about, tease about - it gave a surface veneer over the depth of what they both felt in that moment.

It was their equivalent of putting their emotions into their hands.

So, they teased gently, spoke softly together for a moment or two and then, Faith realised what he said. "Desnind?" Her eyebrows lifted as she asked, "How long was I out?" Looking at her hand, her arm, she considered. "My muscles are wasting. Months." She sighed slightly. "The children are alright?" She knew that he would have prioritised them, and Faith sighed deeply. This had to stop. How many times, now, had she woken up in his arms? Twice - once when she had been unconscious and had forgotten who she was. Another time, of course, they'd had these roles reversed, after he'd come back from the barrier. There was no sense of guilt in Faith - it was a pointless emotion in her mind. However, there was a fundamental truth to her.

Things had to change.

"It feels like my brain is moving in treacle," she said, softly. Normally, usually, Faith could think quickly, consider things widely. But, there was a sluggishness to her now that she recognised came from being out cold for so long. Lifting her eyes to him, Faith sighed slightly. "Padraig..." Her eyes searched his. She had a hundred things to say, to let him know that she understood there needed to be a change. "I'm absolutely starving," she whispered softly. "Can we stay here, in our tree house, and have some soup and see the children and just..." Her hand squeezed his and she held his gaze. "Just be here a while? I know that there are things which happened, things happening in other places, other people. But if we could," Faith paused.

If they could, could they plan for being here? For being together as a family and just looking after each other? Could they just concentrate on them? Her gaze met his and she smiled.

"Will you read me some more philosophy?"

[Pig Boy]

Player Name: Faith

Points awarded: 15
Magic xp: none

Knowledge:None requested

Skill Review: All Skills used appropriately to PC's level

Notes: Ooh right. This was from the time after Faith fell into a coma. I remember this now. It was well written by both of you. Almost a shame to submit it as abandoned, but it's been waiting literal years now.

I forget if Faith and Pad got up to much else while in Desnind here, my memory is fuzzy. I guess they just chilled out in a tree house? Either way, like I said this was good writing, and had a promising beginning even if you guys couldn't finish it.

Padraig, if you return and want credit for this thread, please resubmit for your rewards!

Good job!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this review, feel free to PM. Enjoy your rewards!