She moved down the line, assessing and treating. It pained her when she’d reached the ones where there was nothing she could do for them besides offer a drink to calm their nerves. Several had already passed, probably before she’d stepped off the ship. A twinge of guilt sprouted within her.
How many more would still be alive if I hadn’t left?It was more horrible than she could’ve ever imagined. Everyone in the fire service wanted to see a mass casualty incident once in their lives, whether they admitted it or not, but it was more than she could handle. She cleared the kitchen and began moving into the hall. She felt as though, the further down the line she went, the more grave the injuries.
All while she stopped bleeding, bandaged wounds, and wrapped injured joints, she looked for Esaias, Adelaide, and Gris. She kept her hands moving; it was all she could do to steady them. She assessed Theodoric when she found him down the line again. He’d passed out, but his breaths were even, and his heart beat a steady rhythm.
Her fingers lingered on his neck, her chest tightening. She forced herself to pull away and continued moving through her patients. Why did she sense she was missing something? His eagerness to see her safely out before the Conjugation had been replaced by something else, but she didn’t know what to call it. Did she want there to be more?
She pushed through, fighting the urge to let her leg collapse. Finally, she was forced to cease her efforts when she stood up and swayed as the room twisted and warped around her. A hand caught her arm and pulled her into the kitchen.
Gris sat Amaris in a chair and forced a glass of water and a piece of bread into her hands. “Eat,” she demanded. Her eyes were swollen and red. A bandage wrapped her arm, another around her leg.
“I’ll be alright,” Amaris said, scathing off the dizziness. “How are you?” She tried to stand but Gris pressed against her shoulders.
“You need to rest.” Her chin quivered, and her hands clenched at her sides.
“Where are Esaias and Adelaide?”
“They’re safe,” she assured her. “Ms. Borstad and Onika tended to them both immediately. They’re resting in the back corner of the hall.”
“I hadn’t gotten that far yet,” Amaris muttered.
“And you won’t if you don’t take care of yourself.” Gris eyed the bread and water.
Amaris took a bite, her eyes rolling back in her head at its glorious sweetness. “Why were you on the boat?”
The first week, Gris had visited Sephardi while she oversaw Amaris’s guard duty, but the ship had been the first sight of her in weeks.
“Why were you?”
“Adelaide needed help.” Amaris didn’t have the energy to elaborate further.
“I didn’t know about Sephardi,” Gris whispered.
“She’s your wife.”
“Everyone has their secrets.” Gris’s bow had found its home slung over her back. It shifted as she leaned against a table and folded her arms.
“Even you?”
Gris bowed her head and gripped the edge of the table.
Amaris remained silent as the adrenaline began to wear off. She lifted her hands, and they started to tremble before her eyes. She bit into the bread and lowered them to her lap, fending off the shaking.
“Eat, drink, and rest. This isn’t only your burden to shoulder.” Gris left, heading into the hall.
Amaris finished the morsels and leaned her head back. Itwasherburden to shoulder. She knew what to do, how to assess and treat, but she was so tired. Her limbs ached and grew heavier the longer she sat. She closed her eyes and promised herself only a few moments of rest.
§
A loud crashechoing through the kitchen startled Amaris awake.
How long did I sleep?Glancing through the window, it still appeared dark out. She drew her gaze around the kitchen, searching for the cause of the commotion.
Bennet strode through the open doors. “Deavopan has fled!” he cheered.
He sheathed his sword and grabbed a large glass of kusu from a barrel. He led a parade of men and women. All of them were stained in blood and covered in dirt, but each one grabbed a glass and joined in the celebration. Amaris couldn’t judge them. She needed a shot herself. They dispersed throughout the rooms, finding their fallen comrades or tending to the other injured.
Bennet stiffened when he eyed Amaris. She watched as his eyes moved to each person lying in pain. He faced her, taking several steps, until he glared down at her.
