Page 118 of Torin and the Two Crowns

He climbed to his feet, his eyes on Max, and said, “Aye.”

I left the hospital room, but the last thing I saw over my shoulder as I walked into the waiting room was Torin sitting down by Max’s bed.

TORIN

BY MAX’S BEDSIDE - SEPTEMBER 23, 2185

The room was bright with flickerin’ lights on the tables, and a hum of a machine that was verra loud tae m’ears. The brightness was makin’ my eyes water. I used my wrist tae wipe them dry. I watched Alexandria weep at Max’s bedside, but I couldna hear her words, because I was prayin’, beggin’ God tae leave him here with us.

Then Alexandria left, too overwhelmed by the reality, and twas my turn tae sink intae the chair by his bed tae stare down at my hands and wonder what tae say beyond… Daena go, brother, I need ye tae remain.

After a few moments I clamped my hand on his arm. “Och, friend, did ye hear we won?”

I watched the side of his face for any movement.

“The physician daena ken if ye will live, brother, ye ken, tis not… Och, ye canna die. Ye must promise me.”

I shook my head, then said, “They probably told ye, ye hae been here for a few days. I just arrived, ye ken, ye left m’arse in the dark ages… I was trapped until a king named Magnus, one of yer grandchildren, I gather, sent a Prince named Artair tae rescue us… It has been a trial, I promise ye, I will never forgive ye for leavin’ us…”

There was a device wrapped around his finger, it glowed in a rhythm but twas blurry from the bright lights botherin’ my sight. I wiped my eyes again.

“Did ye see me slay the usurper?”

I kept my eyes lowered, on my arm resting on his.

“Twas one of my best battles. I had him down, wantin’ tae beg for his life, but I killed him afore I could hear a word of it. I dinna give him the satisfaction of speakin’ tae me. Och, twas glorious. I wish ye could hae seen it.”

The physician stepped intae the room. “Do you need anything, sir?”

“Nae…”

He checked one of the machines, then quietly left.

I sat watching the rise and fall of his chest. Then I said, “Ye are breathin’, ye ken. Ye hae all the signs of life, except tis like ye are planning on sleepin’ through and I canna allow it. Ye canna sleep through this moment, ye hae won. Tis all ye hae ever wanted. Yer sister is found, yer enemy vanquished, the kingdom won, yer throne secured. I am here, yer warrior. We used tae talk of this… not often, ye dinna want tae risk bein’ too hopeful, but remember that night in Dollar when we drank the whisky and talked of what ye would do first once ye were restored tae the throne?”

I waited for a sound or a change of expression.

“Ye were goin’ tae hae a feast. I was countin’ on it. When Alexandria and I were trapped in the past, I dinna think of much else but the hunger. But I ken what ye are goin’ tae say, I am always hungry, this is nothing special. But ye promised me a feast, and here I am and there haena been any food tae speak of… Ye ought tae ken, I need ye tae wake up so ye can feed me, tis fair.”

I grunted.

“Also, ye said ye were goin’ tae sleep in a fine bed with a beautiful maiden and here ye are, a bed, it looks comfortable enough, but nae maiden tae be seen. I bet ye haena even been crowned…”

I exhaled. “Och nae, hae ye been crowned? I promised ye would be king — ye canna die. If ye die, ye will be breakin’ my promise.”

I shook my head. “And I was promised a tourney, a grand tournament with jousting and archery. I was goin’ tae show off m’skills with the caber toss, but now I am injured from fightin’ yer wars — winnin’ them, yer welcome.” I turned my shoulder in its joint and winced. “I winna be in yer tourney. Instead I will sit beside yer throne, holdin’ the hand of the princess, watchin’ yer soldiers compete with the feast laid out before me.”

I added, “Och, now that I am thinking on it, ye owe me a great deal. I canna allow ye tae die with such a great debt owed.”

I chewed my lip, watching him, motionless. “I will never, ever forgive ye.”

I patted his arm and leaned back in the chair.

“Dost ye remember that time in Dollar when we had been in the pub all day, and Elsie was the barmaid, and we were shamelessly behaved and she gave us more drink than we needed. Then we left tae go home and forgot where we had left our horses.” I grinned. “I think if I remember well, we couldna remember if we even had horses, so we began tae stagger home… ye remember?”

I chuckled to myself. “We were well away down the road when I stumbled off the path and fell down that cliff, och nae… I lay at the bottom, twas only a foot down, ye recall, but in our drunken state we pretended twas much farther down. Ye laughed at me, lyin’ in the ditch, and I told ye I would never be able tae climb out, because now that I was downed, it did seem like I would rather stay there. Twas out of the breeze and there was moss under me. Ye told me that ye werna goin’ tae help me out, and I said, I dinna want help I would just sleep down there, twas a good enough bed. But ye wouldna let me. Ye told me twas undignified. Ye gave me a hand tae help me out, but when ye stepped on the edge of the land it crumbled and ye slid down, dirt and gravel, falling intae the ditch as well.”