The reaction slowed.A pale green seeped into thesurrounding tissue.When the restorative had fully entered her blood, Zariareleased a long, cooing sigh.
“Oh, gods.Oh, there’s this—this rushing coolness.”
“It’s nice, isn’t it?”Isaac asked.
“It’s fuckin’ divine, Isaac.”She raised her head, sighing,as he applied another wad.“Ohhhhhhhhhh, fuck.Rightthere.Keep doin’ that.”
He kept applying the mixture along the length of her wound.Each pinch of the poultice left a similar spasm and suction.By the time he’dpacked most of the laceration, Zaria’s exhalations were fluttery and weak.
“You know,” Isaac said, making sure the Rest was evenlyspread, “you could’ve said something.You never gave any indication these werebothering you so much.”
“Would you have aided me if I’d bentyour ear about it?”
He thought about it.He didn’t answer.
“Exactly,” she said.“Not that I blame you.Just how it is.You show weakness to someone, and they take advantage.”She gave another cooingbreath as he moved on to a puncture at her hip.“You hole up in the sick wardwhile underway, and someone will pilfer your bunk.You do sloppy deck work‘cause you got burns and bruises, and the first hand’lljust call you idle.Might be another crewman that’s got your number decidesit’s their time to strike.”
He helped her undo the leather plackart, peeling open thestiff material as widely as possible.After scraping through the dry blood onher side, he found signs of pus.He grabbed his essence of peppermint.
“Never a good idea to show pain to anyone,” she said.“Onlyever gets you trouble.Always gotta be fierce.”
“That’s a hard way to live.”
“I suppose.Don’t know any better.”
Isaac thought of his uncle and the cane.There had beenseveral times where he had crumpled under the force ofa blow, crying and begging for mercy, and the next strike had only come harderin response.
“Hey,” he said.“Do you ...regret what you did?On theSaber?”
“What’s this?”she responded.“Do my ears deceive me?”
“What?”
“Is my squire leading the conversation for a change?”
He grimaced.“It already feels like a mistake.”
She chuckled into the crook of her arm.“You take yourselftoo serious, love.”She lay in silence while he continued to dress her wounds,long enough that he began to think she wasn’t going to answer.Eventually, sheheaved a sigh, saying: “No.I don’t.Not for a second.”
“It’s caused a lot of grief and pain.”
“Are you suggesting I should’ve turned a blind eye?”
“I was just curious.”
She opened her eyes, staring into brick and mortar.“My oneregret is that I didn’t do more.Still a lotta faces in them crates.”
“I’m merely—” He chose his words.“The way you told thestory, it seemed you were exceptionally furious about the slaves beingchildren.”
“As anyone should be.”
“I think you know what I’m getting at.”
“Aye.I do.”She sighed again.Isaac became aware that shewas just as beaten and exhausted as he was.“When I saw them staring up at me,I thought of my father.Hadn’t done that in years.”
“Your father?”
“Long story.”
