Implanted by Heather Letto

Author:Heather Letto [Letto, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-06-08T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

FRAN

Fran rolled onto her side. An involuntary groan escaped from her lips, waking her from a slumber. Her arms and legs, speckled with dried poultice, reminded her of the jig she’d danced by the river the night before. Apparently, Mom had covered the bites while she slept. Fran sat up and swung her legs over the side of the cot. The abrupt movement sent her on a dizzy wave and her vision blurred. Am I dying? She grabbed her head and remained immobile until the spinning of the room slowed. Gazing around the cottage, Fran could see Mom had already tidied for the day, and her own hibernation felt strangely out of place.

From the harsh rays of the sun and hustle and bustle of life outside, she surmised morning had turned to afternoon. She slid her feet onto the floor and winced as pain shot up from her toes into her shins. Sucking in her breath, Fran eased her full weight onto her feet, but needed to grab the edge of the bedding to steady herself.

“Mom?” She croaked. Yet, when she realized her hoarse voice couldn’t carry past the open window, she stumbled toward the cottage entry. Her head swam and dark patches danced before her eyes. She lunged toward the threshold and clutched the frame of the doorway to remain upright. A welcome breeze drifted through the room and cooled her damp hairline. She panted from the effort.

A hand on her shoulder accompanied a soft voice she recognized as Tanya’s. “Come. Let’s get you back to bed.”

“What’s wrong with me?” Fran drew in a ragged breath.

“Some call it pneumonia.” She glanced at Fran. “Ema, however, is calling it river flu.”

She eased Fran back into the bed. “Appears you had some water in your lungs. Between that and the detox, your body succumbed to the fever.”

Fran flashed back to her near-drowning experience, and remembered Ret had told her secret. Even in her fevered state, she felt her irritation rise.

“Oh don’t be mad at Retter, dear. He was so worried when he found out you were undergoing a detox, he had to share the incident with Ema.”

Tanya lifted a vessel to Fran’s parched lips and she gulped the cool liquid, not even caring about the earthy taste it left in her mouth. Tanya fluffed her pillow and continued in her velvety voice. “Those of us in charge of caring for you really did need to know. In any event, Ema fashioned an antimicrobial that should have you up running in a few days.”

Fran handed the container back to Tanya, rested her head on the cool pillow, and felt immediate relief. Tanya stroked Fran’s head. “How about I fix you a special tea?”

Fran nodded, grateful. She closed her eyes as Tanya’s footsteps moved toward the doorway. “Tanya?” She croaked.

Tanya’s footsteps paused. “Yes?”

“Any word from Ret?”

“Not yet.” The silence, punctuated by the rippling of a new breeze, hung between them. Tanya’s voice remained steady and warm. “No need to worry.”

Unfortunately, there were plenty of reasons to worry.

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