Desert Born by Dawn Chapman

Author:Dawn Chapman [Chapman, Dawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dawn Chapman
Published: 2017-11-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Dresel displayed genuine emotion for me as he gazed into my eyes. I wanted to shy away, to pull back. “Dres?”

“When Leon left you, you were devastated. I picked up the pieces. Remember?”

Memories passed through me of our first few romantic encounters. “I do. You brought me back around. Treated me with respect…” I let out a breath. “Tell me. I can take it.”

His eyes dimmed, and he looked away when he answered. “I don’t think you’ll get another chance. Of course, you’ll respawn, but you might be the person you were before, without memories. What happened between you and the Tromoal was unique. It wouldn’t be played out in the same way.”

I swallowed, watching his emotion change again. This time, tears brimmed in his eyes.

“Maddie, the day you re-spawned was the worst day of my life. Do you remember it at all, really?”

I hadn’t wanted to, but I looked back. “Bits and pieces from it, but no, not all of it.”

“We fought all morning over a job you wanted to do. I knew something was going to happen to you, stupid game programming, and I’d begged you not to take that job. You went anyway. I kept track of you in the lab, and then I watched you die.”

“It must have been horrible.” I wiped a tear away from the side of his cheek.

“It wasn’t just that, though. When you re-spawned, I expected our relationship to have ended. But,” I felt him physically shudder, “you re-spawned with your injuries.”

I took in the words, not remembering much of the ordeal after the Tromoal attack. I listened, though.

“Not just injuries, which I’d tried to help with immediately. You were screaming at me to help you. Screaming you didn’t want to die, that I could help you. You looked around the lab, and it was like you knew everything. You hated me but didn’t want me to leave you. Can you imagine how horrific it is to watch someone you love in that amount of pain?”

I could only shake my head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It might have been the death of us… a good thing if I’m honest. But the re-birth of something no one expected.”

The pain, I didn’t want to remember. Much worse than just my hip. Broken bones, torn muscles, burnt skin. “You drugged me and took me to Shalice?”

“Yes. She did everything she possibly could to heal you. It wasn’t pretty, though.” Dresel wiped away his own tears, eyes blinking.

I understood more of him now than I ever could. Pulling him to me, I embraced him, feeling the tense muscles of his shoulders relax after a moment. “Thank you for being honest.”

“I promise I’ll be honest from now on.”

I pulled back from the hug to stare into his eyes. “Just keep pointing us in the right direction, if you can.”

“I will. But everything that happens from now on is not part of our programming. This is a totally unique event that will change the life of Puatera.”

“Let us hope for the better then.

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