Everlasting dream (18+)
Author: jrell
Chapter 52 â Do my best
'Where are my children?' Nivalis panicked, her heart beating frantically like a trapped bird. She tried to lift her head, but a sharp pain shot through her body, making her wince. "A-Aster? S-Silvia?" she called out, her voice hoarse and barely above a whisper. Moving her eyes around, she desperately searched for her precious ones, but her vision was still too blurry to make out any details.
â "Aster," Nivalis breathed, her lips curving into a weak smile as tears welled at the corners of her eyes. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him close, but the moment she tried to move, a wave of agony washed over her, forcing her to groan in response.
"Don't move!" Aster exclaimed, gently putting his hands on her shoulder to stop her. "You're hurt, Mom. You need to lie still."
Nivalis's grimace deepened as she struggled to control the pain that ran through her entire body. She took slow, measured breaths, focusing on relaxing her body. When the agony lessened, she opened her eyes and met Aster's anxious gaze. "Where is Silvia?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "Is she... okay?"
"She had a fever," Aster whispered, his smile faltering. "But now she just feels weak and sleeps a lot." His gaze shifted back to Nivalis, filled with concern and love. "She was so worried about you, Mom... We both were."
Nivalis whimpered, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to blink them away.
Aster hesitated before responding; he
â "That sounds... awful." Nivalis's voice cracked as she spoke, her words barely audible.
"We removed the spear and cauterized the wound to stop the bleeding," Aster said quickly, trying to sound confident, but his eyes betrayed him.
Nivalis exhaled softly, relief washing over her. "Smart... Thank you, honey. You did great." She forced a smile through the pain, praising her son before her gaze drifted away, lost in thought. Then, she met Aster's worried golden eyes again. "And... Thank you for not giving up on me,"
Aster's expression softened, and his voice was gentle as he replied, "I'll never give up on you, Mom. Never." He wiped away her tears with his thumbs, then cupped her cheeks tenderly in his palms. "How are you feeling?" he asked warmly.
"Nah, it's okay," Aster replied, caressing her cheek. "Silvia helps me when she can, even with a fever. We've been taking care of you this whole time, you know. We changed your bandages twice a day and kept you clean with warm water.
Nivalis's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she murmured, "Diapers? Really?"
Nivalis gritted her teeth, speaking through pain. "
" she said quietly. "Just... try not to make me laugh again, okay?"
Aster frowned as he replied, "Four days. You woke up a few times but didn't seem to understand what was happening and kept falling back asleep." He glanced at his sister before returning his gaze to their mother. "We were really worried because of it, but... It looks like you're finally awake for good," he said, forcing a smile.
Nivalis's eyes fixed on the cave ceiling as she muttered, "Four days..." She took a deep breath and turned her attention back to Aster, meeting his golden gaze. "What about food? Have you eaten anything?"
"We've been eating every day," Aster assured her. "I made sure of it. There's still some meat, mushrooms, and herbs left. It should last us at least two weeks â maybe three if we're careful. By then, plenty of mushrooms should be growing around for us to collect. I think it
Nivalis's blue eyes welled up with tears as she whispered, "Good morning, my lovely little angel.
â "Terrible, honey," Nivalis admitted as her daughter's fingers wiped away her tears. "Everything hurts."
"I can imagine..." Silvia whispered, glancing at Aster, who was in the kitchen. "
How long until breakfast is ready?"
...
...
...
Silvia's voice trailed off as she searched for the right words. "I used to talk to her like we were having a normal conversation," she said, tracing Aster's eyebrows with her fingers. "About my day, problems, or asking for advice... things like that." She paused, looking up into her brother's eyes.
, "
â "Aster," Nivalis breathed, her lips curving into a weak smile as tears welled at the corners of her eyes. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him close, but the moment she tried to move, a wave of agony washed over her, forcing her to groan in response.
"Don't move!" Aster exclaimed, gently putting his hands on her shoulder to stop her. "You're hurt, Mom. You need to lie still."
Nivalis's grimace deepened as she struggled to control the pain that ran through her entire body. She took slow, measured breaths, focusing on relaxing her body. When the agony lessened, she opened her eyes and met Aster's anxious gaze. "Where is Silvia?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "Is she... okay?"
"She had a fever," Aster whispered, his smile faltering. "But now she just feels weak and sleeps a lot." His gaze shifted back to Nivalis, filled with concern and love. "She was so worried about you, Mom... We both were."
Nivalis whimpered, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to blink them away.
Aster hesitated before responding; he
â "That sounds... awful." Nivalis's voice cracked as she spoke, her words barely audible.
"We removed the spear and cauterized the wound to stop the bleeding," Aster said quickly, trying to sound confident, but his eyes betrayed him.
Nivalis exhaled softly, relief washing over her. "Smart... Thank you, honey. You did great." She forced a smile through the pain, praising her son before her gaze drifted away, lost in thought. Then, she met Aster's worried golden eyes again. "And... Thank you for not giving up on me,"
Aster's expression softened, and his voice was gentle as he replied, "I'll never give up on you, Mom. Never." He wiped away her tears with his thumbs, then cupped her cheeks tenderly in his palms. "How are you feeling?" he asked warmly.
"Nah, it's okay," Aster replied, caressing her cheek. "Silvia helps me when she can, even with a fever. We've been taking care of you this whole time, you know. We changed your bandages twice a day and kept you clean with warm water.
Nivalis's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she murmured, "Diapers? Really?"
Nivalis gritted her teeth, speaking through pain. "
" she said quietly. "Just... try not to make me laugh again, okay?"
Aster frowned as he replied, "Four days. You woke up a few times but didn't seem to understand what was happening and kept falling back asleep." He glanced at his sister before returning his gaze to their mother. "We were really worried because of it, but... It looks like you're finally awake for good," he said, forcing a smile.
Nivalis's eyes fixed on the cave ceiling as she muttered, "Four days..." She took a deep breath and turned her attention back to Aster, meeting his golden gaze. "What about food? Have you eaten anything?"
"We've been eating every day," Aster assured her. "I made sure of it. There's still some meat, mushrooms, and herbs left. It should last us at least two weeks â maybe three if we're careful. By then, plenty of mushrooms should be growing around for us to collect. I think it
Nivalis's blue eyes welled up with tears as she whispered, "Good morning, my lovely little angel.
â "Terrible, honey," Nivalis admitted as her daughter's fingers wiped away her tears. "Everything hurts."
"I can imagine..." Silvia whispered, glancing at Aster, who was in the kitchen. "
How long until breakfast is ready?"
...
...
...
Silvia's voice trailed off as she searched for the right words. "I used to talk to her like we were having a normal conversation," she said, tracing Aster's eyebrows with her fingers. "About my day, problems, or asking for advice... things like that." She paused, looking up into her brother's eyes.
, "