Z'lec
***

The man had lay in his sorrow and his loneliness, longing for release. He
could hear voices at the edge of his consciousness. Familiar voices ..
voices of people who loved and cared for him. But not the voice of the one
he wanted to hear most. That voice was forever silenced and it was the one
thing he didn't want to face.

He tried to sink deeper .. he tried to shut out the voices that remained.
The healers who came in and poked and prodded him. His friend, Traknor ..
Waylene .. he heard the pity in their voices. He wanted nothing to do with
that pity. He just wanted to fade away. To not feel anymore .. to not hear
anymore.

He'd been mostly successful in shutting them out .. mostly. They still
burned at the edge of his mind. Eating away at the what was left of his
sanity. Creating a bigger void, where all he could feel was pain  and loss
.. creating a more horrible existence. If this could be called existence.

*.. let me be .. let me die ..* his mind muttered, *Raynod .. take me with
you .. Ray .. .. .. ray ..*

Then there was a warmth that surrounded him. He tried to push it away. But
it was comforting .. it took the edge of the pain, and he couldn't help
himself as he feel into the warmth. It was silent too. None of the voices
trying to awaken him from his sadness. This warmth just held him .. slowly
easing the pain and the loneliness.

His starving soul clung to it now. He could feel its vibrancy .. its
aliveness. And for a time, the pain and loneliness was gone .. and he
wrapped himself around this warmth that had reached out to him. And it held
him .. offering its support but asking nothing in return.

Waylene
***
<<Lunchtime - day three>>

The Warrenlady poked her head in at lunchtime to find Ailill still with
Z'lec. The girl looked tired. She moved in and lightly tapped her on the
shoulder. "Ailill .."

The girl looked up, her concentration broken. ".. umm .."

"Why don't you go back to your room and rest. I'll sit with him for a while.

Ailill shook her head, "No .."

"Shh," Waylene said, "It's all right, you can come back later."

"No," Ailill insisted, "I feel him .. I think I can bring him back."

Waylene looked at her in confusion, "I don't understand."

"Just a bit longer .." the girl looked up at the older woman with pleading
eyes, ".. please .."

Waylene moved her eyes to Z'lec. He did look less pale .. didn't he? There
was definitely something. She looked back at Ailill and saw dark circled
under her eyes, "Ailill, you won't help him if you make yourself sick. I
don't think Lakoda would approve. Let me sit with him for a while."

She could see the girl about to protest yet again, but she shook her head,
"As your Warrenlady I order you to bed .."

Z'lec
***

The warmth vanished suddenly, leaving him languishing .. Where had it gone!
He was once again alone. He screamed in protest, *Don't leave me .. Don't
leave me .. not again ..* But still the warmth did not return.

Perhaps it was for the best .. Perhaps that was the way it was meant to be
.. Perhaps that was his permission to go. He felt himself sinking into
blackness .. into icy cold nothingness. *Good-bye ..* he whispered to the
loneliness. *.. good-bye ..* he whispered to the pain.

Waylene
***

Ailill stared at her, and finally nodded. Waylene smiled, "I do appreciate
you sitting with him, Ailill. I want you to know that. But Koda would have
my head if I let you over do."

Suddenly there was a loud gasp. Both women turned to look at the man's body
as it released a deep breath and then lay still.

"Z'lec ..?" Waylene moved toward him. Panic set in as she realized he
wasn't breathing. "Z'lec!" She moved to lay her hands on his face, "Z'lec!"

She didn't notice as Ailill moved around to the other side of his bed and
grabbed his hand. Her full attention was focused on the man in front of
her, and the fact that he was no longer breathing. "Z'LEC!"

She heard the door being pushed open and felt firm but gentle hands move
her back as Sina moved her back and took the spot where she had been
standing. Waylene backed away, her heart pounding in her chest, tears
filling her eyes. ".. no .." the word whispered from her throat.

As Sina and another med staff moved in and began to try to resuscitate him,
she notice Ailill gripping his hand, her eyes shut tightly. What was she
doing??

Z'lec
***

The faint warmth grabbed hold of him, but he kicked at it, *.. no .. you
left .. let me go ..*

But the warmth was persistent. It would not go away.

*.. what do you want from me ..* he asked. But there was no reply, just the
constant warmth calling him to it. He couldn't help himself as he halted
his plummet into nothingness and moved back toward the warmth.

*.. will you leave me again .. are you just here to torture me ..* his mind
asked. Still there was no answer. But the warmth enveloped him and once
again chased away the pain and loneliness, warming him with its essence.

There was something in that warmth that he longed for. Something that
wouldn't let him go. Something he longed for ..

*.. what are you ..* he asked.

He heard something. The sound was all around him, but he couldn't make it
out. *.. what are you ..* he repeated, trying to concentrate on the sound.
Was it a voice? It wasn't like the other voices which had only caused more
pain .. But yet, he felt sure it was some voice.

*.. who .. who are you ..*

*.. Ailill ..* the name echoed around him, growing louder and more clear ..

Sina
***

She worked rhythmically .. steadily .. working the man's body with her
hands poised over his chest, forcing his heart to continue to pump blood.
The staffer beside her counted softly, pausing on the beat to force air
into his lungs.

Until suddenly there was another sharp gasp from the man they worked on.
Sina watched in amazement as he suddenly began breathing .. his lips moving
as he did so.

"Is he talking," the young woman beside her asked.

Sina shook her head, "I don't know." She placed her head on his chest,
listening to the sounds of heart beating on it's own now .. strong and
steady. She looked up at the man, "Z'lec?"

His head began to shake back and forth against the pillow. She begun to
wonder if she should call Lakoda .. maybe he was having some sort of
seizure ..

Suddenly the man pushed up and shouted, "Ailill!!" Then his body dropped
back to the bed and he was silent.

Sina felt Waylene move up beside her as the three of them stared at Ailill
still holding tightly to Z'lec's hand. A weak smile on her face. Her eyes
which had been tightly shut opened as she looked up at Z'lec's face. The
others turned their eyes to follow hers and were amazed to see the man
laying there with his eyes open, staring at Ailill.

Waylene released a long held breath and pushed Sina and her aide away as
she moved to Z'lec's side, "Z'lec?"

He turned his eyes to look at her and tears began to stream down the
Warrenlady's face. But then he turned away. He looked back at Ailill, "..
you should have let me go .." his raspy voice said.

Regards,
Waylene & Aura
Z'lec
***
NRPG: Well he's awake. I wanted to fit this in before anyone got to far
into the day :) He's out of his coma .. but I'm not sure he's happy about
it. He won't want anyone around.. though he will tolerate Ailill ..

Kris

*********************************************************************
  |\  /^~~^\  /|
 -qqQ-\O||O/-Qpp------------------------------------------------------
       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Darlea & Makayla, Keldarra Warren, Courier
                      Waylene & Aura, Marrid Warren, Warrenlady
                      Meena & Vonn, Norwall Warren, Wingleader
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Telnor Warren, Dragonrider
                      Saul & Fayloth, Whiteriver Warren, Searcher
                      Merybelle Barmen, City of Ralengarde, Innkeeper
                      Ce'lot & Britche, Xylain Warren, Wingleader
                http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kri