radicalducati Chapter 105
Chapter 105
POV: Lyra
[Still unconscious - third person observation continues]
When I started breathing on my own again three hours later, the doctors removed the respiratory apparatus and reported the improvements. My vitals were nearing normal, and I would most likely wake up in the morning. Everyone was relieved. Toby slumped to the ground and looked at the ceiling as he uttered in immense gratitude, "Thank you, cosmic forces."
Tate and Lovelace managed a relieved smile despite their still-glistening eyes. Juan's pale complexion started to regain its color as he linked Hale. Christian and Annie felt like a massive weight was taken off their shoulders, and Annie started explaining to Russell that I was going to be alright. Raden and Sylvia relaxed visibly, their bodies slumped against the wall from their tensed positions.
By far, the most relieved, but the most guilty, was Orion. The cousin he had always wanted to replace was right. What the void was he doing?! He was supposed to protect me! And he failed. Again. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and optical fluid formed at the corners of his already tear-strained eyes as he conveyed his gratitude and remorse, I am so sorry, universe. Thank you for saving her. I won't let her out of my sight again. I am so, so sorry.
Apart from Orion, everyone said their farewells and reluctantly left the medical station level. Russell wanted to stay, clinging onto Orion's leg as he fought against Annie's attempts to pull him away. Orion bent down and ruffled the youngling's cranial covering as he said with the warmest smile he could manage at the moment, "Russell, Aunt Lyra needs to rest now. How about you come see her tomorrow when she's awake?"
"NO! I WANT TO SEE AUNT Lyra NOW!"
Orion tried again, "Aunt Lyra is really tired, Russell. You wouldn't want to disturb her now, do you?"
"NO! THAT'S WHAT MATERNAL UNIT SAID ABOUT GRAND-MATERNAL! AND SHE NEVER CAME BACK! I WANT TO SEE AUNT Lyra! I WANT TO SEE AUNT Lyra NOW!"
Everyone was shocked at the words that just came out of the four-cycle-old's vocal processor. Orion finally understood why Russell was being so stubborn. He kept his smile as he uttered, "Alright. We'll go in there and see Aunt Lyra. But you'll have to go home after that. Deal?"
The youngling nodded, and Orion picked him up and carried him as he opened the portal and went to my side. Cautiously, he sat on the med-platform and his free hand reached out to touch my slightly cold and motionless one as he muttered, "I am so sorry, star-heart."
He lifted my hand up to press it to his facial area. But before he could place my hand back on the platform, Russell took my hand from him and hugged it close to his small thoracic cavity as he muttered, "Wake up, Aunt Lyra. I'll fight bad beings for you. Please, wake up."
Orion's cardiac pump broke when he heard this. He then told Russell, "She'll wake up, Russell. The doctors said so. You can come see for yourself tomorrow."
Russell turned to face the Emperor as he clung to my hand, "You promise?"
Orion smiled as he whispered, "I promise." After Orion carefully took my hand from the youngling and placed it gently on the platform, he brought Russell back out for Annie and Christian to take home.
Orion then went back to me. He didn't know how long he stood there despite there being an empty seat right behind him. He just looked at my unconscious body. My complexion was getting back its color. He stroked my facial area that he loved to see shift colors, and pressed his lips to mine which always responded before whispering into my auditory receptor, "I love you. Please give me another chance. I'll be better, Lyra. I promise."
After a few hours of standing, his legs finally gave in. He surrendered and sat on the seat. His fingers intertwined with mine as he stroked the back of my hand in slow motions, pressing it to his lips from time to time.
A little past midnight, a doctor peered through the transparisteel and looked at Orion hesitantly. Orion assumed that it was about my condition so he got up and pressed his lips to my cranial area before whispering, "I'll be right back, my love. I won't take long."
He exited the chamber, and the nervous-looking doctor adjusted his optical enhancers before bowing and said, "My Emperor, I am Dr. Karr. We just finished analyzing the Xytherium on the blade. But we also found this." He held up a transparent containment bag with what appeared to be a small data chip with bio-fluid smudges. "We thought you might want to have a look at it before we turned it over to security."
Orion took it, and held it under the illumination to read the writing in the dim corridor, which said: This is what you get for crossing me. I warned you. Take your offspring's termination as the first taste of what I can unleash on you and your family.
Orion's eyes snapped up to the doctor's as he said, "My match wasn't the target."
Dr. Karr nodded in agreement, "It appears not, my Emperor. This chip was embedded in the blade, like it was meant to be a message to whoever was stabbed with it. The Empress was most likely shielding the youngling that was with the High Commander's match, causing the Empress to be stabbed herself. A very noble act but it took a great toll on her body." He peered through the transparisteel before returning his sights to Orion, who handed the note back to him.
The doctor then added, "The Empire is blessed to have her, Your Eminence. We'll look after her while she's here. If the Empress needs anything, do let us know."
"Thank you." He nodded in the doctor's direction and returned to the chamber to hold my hand again.
Orion pressed his lips to my nasal area before whispering with a small smile, "Told you I won't take long." He stroked my hand before he said, "Our Empire has to do better by you, Lyra. You just saved a youngling, you know that? I've never done anything close in my eighteen cycles on the throne." He pressed my hand to his lips again before uttering, "I love you, star-heart. I can't wait to see you again."