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Olruggio pushed the lone chair in the room to the edge of the bed and collapsed into it. He dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and groaned. He glanced at the bed, Qifrey looked so small in it. His eyes, neck, chest, and arms were wrapped in bandages.
Olruggio reached forward, grasping Qifrey’s hand gently between his own. He pressed a kiss to his knuckles before pressing the back of the hand to his forehead. Qifrey lived. Qifrey was right here, alive and breathing. He survived the extraction of the Silverwood.
Olruggio lowered Qifrey’s hand back to the bedding but continued to hold it. He thought back to what Sinocia had said. His spell had worked. His flames had burned out every trace of Silverwood from Qifrey’s body with minor burn damage to Qifrey. He had saved Qifrey.
Olruggio stared at the bandages, knowing what lay underneath. Tears slid down his face as the root shaped burns flashed across his vision. They would heal. That was what Sinocia told him, Qifrey likely would not even scar. But he would always remember them. Qifrey’s whimpers as the flames rushed through him, how he collapsed like a doll with cut strings. Falling into Olruggio’s arms, giving one last smile and a whispered “Thank you my love.” before he passed out.
He saved Qifrey. That was what mattered. And he would remain by his side until he woke up. Qifrey would not wake up alone.
Olruggio placed another kiss on Qifrey’s hand before gently placing it on the bed. He stood and removed his cloak, draping it over one corner of the headboard. He placed his cap on a side table and tied up his sleeves. Pulling a snugstone from his pocket he activated it and placed it at Qifrey’s side under the blankets. He nodded and returned to the chair. He once again gently held Qifrey’s hand and leaned onto the bed, “I’m here Qifrey. It’s gone. You’re safe now.”
Olruggio lost track of time. He spent most of his time at Qifrey’s side, refusing to leave the other alone. He knew a couple days had passed. He slept in fits and spurts. Food was brought to him. Qifrey’s bandages were changed. The burns were healing slightly. Beldaruit was watching over the apprentices and brought them by to see that Qifrey was ok. Beldaruit brought Olruggio a collection of texts from the atelier to pass the time.
Occasionally Olruggio would read. Sometimes he wrote down contraption ideas. But most of his time was spent watching and speaking to Qifrey. And processing. Trying to understand the weight his best friend, the man he had been in love with for so many years, had carried. It explained a few of Qifrey’s more confusing behaviors. How he shied from physical affection, how he brushed off compliments, the times he avoided Olruggio if at all possible.
Because he could not be comfortable. Because those fucking Brimhats had put a fucking Silverwood seed in a child’s head. Olruggio buried his face in his hands and growled. Well over a decade of pain and suffering, and his love hid all of it from him behind a bright smile. How did he never notice? Olruggio paused, or had he. Qifrey had been desperate to hide this and if there is one thing he knew about a desperate Qifrey it was the lengths he would go to to achieve what he needed to.
Olruggio spent the next few hours gently tracing patterns on Qifrey’s hand as he went through his memories. He quickly noticed a pattern. Cycles of growing concerned over Qifrey and stopping with no real explanation. And those damning notes in his palm quire. Never drunken ramblings about silverwood, but clues he hadn’t put together until it was almost too late.
Olruggio reached up to brush Qifrey’s hair off his face, “Oh love. What did you do? What did I do?”
Olruggio shook his head and laced his fingers with Qifrey’s, “Whatever you or I may have done, it doesn’t matter. Not anymore. The fucking silverwood is gone. You can be happy now. I promise. And I guess, I hope that maybe you love me the way I love you. At the end there, ya said ya loved me.”
Olruggio felt tears trail down his face and let them fall. He cleared his throat and continued, “Wake up love. Wake up so we can talk.”
Olruggio took a short walk while Qifrey’s bandages were changed to gather his thoughts. When he returned Sinocia was waiting for him.
Sinocia smiled softly, “It appears that Qifrey is beginning the process of waking up. He should be awake within the next hour or two. His burns are responding to treatment and beginning to heal. Please send for me after he awakens. I will need to check his eyesight.”
Olruggio nodded, “Course. Thank you Sinocia.”
She nodded and swept from the room.
Olruggio returned to his bedside vigil, “Come back to me Qifrey. Come back so we can build the life you deserve. The silverwood is gone. You can be happy now. You will be happy from now on, I swear it. I am here and I won’t leave you unless you tell me to.”
Olruggio glanced around the room, if Qifrey would be waking up shortly he needed to insure his comfort upon waking. He stepped away from the bed briefly to draw the curtains over the window and dim the floatglow lamps on either side of the bed. He placed Qifrey’s glasses and the resin to apply them within reach, as well as their cloaks just in case his love wanted one of them. He reactivated the snugstone before sitting down and holding Qifrey’s hand once again.
A short while later Qifrey began to show signs of waking. Rolling onto his side, squeezing Olruggio’s hand, burying his face in the pillow. Olruggio squeezed his hand “That’s it Qi. It’s safe. It’s just me. Just Olly.”
Qifrey groaned and turned towards his voice, he opened his mouth and began coughing.
Olruggio softly shushed him, “Don’t try to speak. It's been a couple days, you need water. Let me sit ya up and I’ll get you some.”
Olruggio swiftly got Qifrey leaning back against the headboard and lifted a small cup to his lips, “Small sips.”
Qifrey clutched Olruggio’s wrists desperately but allowed him to bring the cup to his lips. After slowly drinking the cup of water, Qifrey coughed softly again before rasping “Olly?”
Olruggio slipped the cup into one of his hands and held Qifrey’s hand with the other.
Qifrey latched both hands onto the free hand, “Olly it's so dark. I, I can’t see anything…”
Olruggio quickly placed the cup down and brought his free hand to Qifrey’s face, “Qifrey, your eyes are wrapped. Just a precaution. The healers think you should still be able to see with your left eye. Let me call for Sinocia, she wanted to test your eyesight when ya woke up.”
Qifrey nodded, trembling, “The silverwood is gone, yes? Completely?”
Olruggio squeezed his hand, “Aye. The seal I created worked. Burned it all out.”
Qifrey sobbed and leaned into Olruggio’s shoulder, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Olruggio pressed a kiss to Qifrey’s hair, “You’re safe now Qi. I have to get up for just a second to call for Sinocia. I’ll be right back.”
Qifrey allowed Olruggio to stand and step away from the bed. He leaned back against the headboard, trembling.
Olruggio strode a few steps into the hallway until he found an apprentice healer and informed them that Qifrey was awake and to please send Sinocia.
Olruggio stepped back into the room and felt his heart break at how terrified Qifrey looked on the bed. Olruggio sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on Qifrey’s shoulder, “Just me, Qifrey.”
Qifrey immediately leaned towards Olruggio, clutching his shirt. Olruggio wrapped an arm around his shoulder and rubbed small circles on his back.
Qifrey melted into him, sobbing, “No silverwood. No silverwood. It’s not growing.”
Olruggio felt a few tears slide down his face, “No silverwood. It’s gone. It will never grow again. I’ve got you.”
Qifrey sobbed harder, “I never thought this could happen.”
Olruggio rubbed Qifrey’s back, “I’ve got ya, just breathe Qi. Listen to my heart and breathe.”
Qifrey’s sobs began to taper off and were replaced by shaky breaths. Olruggio continued to rub his back and keep his own breaths and heartbeat steady.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door and Sinocia peeked inside. Olruggio nodded for her to come in, “Qi, Sinocia’s here.”
Qifrey turned his head towards the door but remained clinging to Olruggio. Sinocia approached the side of the bed, “It is good to see you awake Qifrey. May I remove the bandages around your eyes? I need to check the vision level in your left eye and ensure that the right socket is healing.”
Qifrey turned in her direction, “Ok. Can Olly stay?”
Sinocia covered her mouth to muffle the giggle, “If you turn so your back is resting against his chest that should be fine.”
Olruggio flushed bright red before clearing his throat, “Let go of my shirt and I’ll help you turn around.”
Qifrey slowly released his grip on Olruggio’s shirt and accepted help turning around. He settled leaning back against Olruggio’s chest with the other man’s arms wrapped around his waist. Qifrey’s hands found the small metal diamonds of Olruggio’s sleeve ties and he fidgeted with them as Sinocia began carefully unwrapping the bandages.
Sinocia paused partway through unwrapping the bandages, “Qifrey, it is vital you keep your eye shut until I ask you to open it. Olruggio already dimmed the lights in the room but it is hard to gauge how sensitive your eye will be after the silverwood removal and multiple days wrapped. I am going to finish unwrapping the bandages before I gently clean the area. Once that is done I will ask you to open your eye so I may evaluate your vision levels. Do you have any questions?”
Qifrey let out a shaky breath, “No questions.”
Sinocia resumed unwrapping his face, “Ok this is the last layer. No visible signs of swelling or infection. I know you do not like water, but I must clean your eyes with a damp cloth and soap. I will be quick and dry your face as quickly as possible.”
Sinocia was true to her word and quickly washed and dried Qifrey’s face, “Ok please slowly open your eye for me Qifrey.”
Qifrey slowly blinked open his eye, cringing slightly even with the dim light. After a few exaggerated blinks he could comfortably open his eye in the dim light. Everything was somewhat blurry but seemed to sharpen slightly as his eye adjusted. He looked to Sinocia, “Hi.”
Sinocia gave him a small smile, “How do you feel with your eye open?”
Qifrey tilted his head to one side, “It hurt at first but the pain dissipated quickly, My vision doesn’t seem to have worsened but it is hard to judge in light this dim and without my glasses.”
Sinocia reached into her belt and pulled out a few small tools, “I am going to run you through a few tests and then we will brighten the lamps. We will do that twice before we open the curtains. If at any point your eye begins to hurt, tell me and we will stop. I would like to see how you do without your glasses for now.”
Qifrey nodded, “Understood. I will tell you if the pain returns.”
Sinocia ran Qifrey through four rounds of tests with increasing brightness. Qifrey only experienced minor discomfort when the curtains were opened, but the pain was short lived. Sinocia smiled at the end of the tests, “You will have to test surface level daylight when you return to your atelier but your eye seems to respond well to all levels of light we tested today. You are nearsighted but not severely. We can evaluate you for the proper prescription when you are more recovered, as your needs may change while you heal. How does your vision compare to before the removal?”
Qifrey glanced around the room, “It might be slightly better? I’m not entirely sure.”
Sinocia hummed, “We theorized that the roots may have been pressing on your remaining eye and causing issues. I am glad your vision hasn’t degraded. Oh, can you put on your current glasses and see if they help?”
Olruggio’s hand appeared in his field of vision holding out his glasses, “The resin is applied and I ensured they aren’t cracked or scratched.”
Qifrey blushed and put on his glasses, “Thank you Olly.” Qifrey grinned, “Less blurry than before. Just a bit but less.”
Sinocia smiled, “Excellent. I will have some food sent in and a pain tonic to take after you’ve eaten. After that, rest. The removal of the silverwood was difficult on your body and you must rest to heal. Olruggio may stay with you but I will not be allowing your apprentices to visit until the morning. And I will send word to Lord Beldaruit.”
Olruggio dipped his head, “Thank you Sinocia.”
Qifrey smiled, “Yes, thank you Sinocia.”
As the door closed behind Sinocia, Qifrey turned to fully face Olruggio. He gasped and cupped Olruggio’s face, “Oh Olly. You haven’t been taking care of yourself.”
Olruggio leaned into Qifrey’s hand, “Worryin about you. Didn’t know when ya would wake up.”
Qifrey leaned their foreheads together, “That’s no excuse to neglect yourself. You’ll set a bad example for the girls.” He pulled back suddenly, “Wait, if you are here, where are the girls?”
Olruggio placed a hand on Qifrey’s neck, “Beldaruit has em. They are safe and taken care of. They’ve been visiting everyday. You’ll see em in the morning.”
Qifrey slumped onto Olruggio’s shoulder, “They are safe. They will visit in the morning. Good.”
Olruggio pressed a kiss to Qifrey’s head, “We have much to discuss. Most of it can wait. But there is one thing I need to know, here and now.”
Qifrey sat up and looked at him, “I know. I owe you many explanations. I’m so sorry Olly. Ask what you must.”
Olruggio tipped up Qifrey’s chin so he could look him in the eye, “At the end, right before I burned the silverwood out. You said you love me. You apologized over and over and said you love me. How do you love me, Qifrey?”
Tears gathered in Qifrey’s eyes, “Romantically, Olly. But you have to know what I’ve done before anything can happen.”
Olruggio gave him a small smile, “Whatever it is, it won’t change the fact that I love you.”
Qifrey felt tears slide down his cheek, “I know Olly. I know.”