Free A Fluffy Tale by Ann Somerville Page A

he begged Zachary in his
thoughts.
    They were asked to go to the waiting room.
Julian couldn’t relax, couldn’t even sit for anxiety. “What’s taking so long?”
he demanded as he paced.
    “Calm down, my dear boy. You’re upsetting
Pyon and Nuji.”
    He made himself sit down and set Pyon on
the floor so he could race over to his new friend and clamber up Leo’s leg.
“They said they’d removed the ventilator. What’s the problem?”
    “I don’t know, Julian. Be calm. There’s
nothing we can…hello, Linis.”
    Zachary’s kem rushed straight to Julian,
who swept him up into his arms to cuddle and comfort him. But Linis didn’t seem
so distressed—more as if he’d simply missed them all. Julian frowned at Leo. “I
don’t understand—”
    The door opened and a nurse put his head
in. “If you’d like to see Mr Ledbetter now, you can, but only for five
minutes.”
    Linis squirmed out of Julian’s arms and ran
out of the door, the most undignified thing Julian had yet seen him do. “That’s
a good sign?” Julian asked hopefully.
    “I think so,” Leo said, smiling with
annoying calmness. “Nuji, please go inside. I think three kems will be two too
many.”
    Julian took the hint and asked Pyon to
retreat as well. Then they followed the nurse out to the ward. They had to wash
their hands and put on masks and gowns—for some reason kems didn’t bring in
germs, but their hosts were another issue—before they were allowed through to
Zachary’s bed. The breathing apparatus was gone, but he looked worse. One side
of his face was covered in dressings, and he had two black eyes. What wasn’t
bruised or cut or covered in bandages, was as white as the sheets he lay on.
    Julian hung back while Leo approached. He
held his breath as Zachary opened one swollen eyelid, and seemed to say
something. Leo took his uninjured hand and bent low to talk to him in a whisper.
Julian had a sudden feeling that he had no right to be here. He wasn’t family.
    But then Linis pawed at his leg, wanting to
be picked up. Which was odd because surely he should be with Zachary. Julian
picked the kem up, and drew closer to the bed. Leo stood up. “Zachary, Julian’s
here. Look.”
    Zachary had his eyes closed again, but he
opened them a slit. “’Lian? L’is?”
    “Yes, I’ve got him,” Julian said, trying to
hold Linis so Zachary could see. “We’ve been making sure he didn’t get too
lonely while you get better. Here, Linis. Go to him, he needs you.”
    He set the kem on the bed—Linis picked his
way delicately over all the cords and tubes and drip lines so he could sit near
Zachary’s head. A faint smile switched briefly on Zachary’s dry lips.
    “’on?”
    “Pyon? He’s fine—just being discreet. He
and Linis have been playing together a lot, and Nuji. When you get out of here,
you’ll love seeing them. Zachary, you have to get better, okay?”
    What an inane thing to say, he thought
angrily. But Zachary just smiled again, and whispered something Leo bent low to
catch.
    “He says he’ll try,” Leo reported. “You do
that, nephew.” He squeezed Zachary’s fingers and then nodded at the nurse who
signalled to them that time was up. “We’ll be back soon. Just rest and get well,
my boy.”
    They were ushered out and stripped of their
gowns and masks. Leo wiped discreetly at one eye with a spotlessly white
handkerchief. “Well, well,” he said, his voice a little clogged. “It seems he
really is going to make it.”
    “Yes.” Julian flicked quickly at his eyes
too. Amazing how seeing someone just open their eyes
and talk, could be so moving.
    Leo cleared his throat and patted Julian’s
arm, leaning a little as if looking for support. He looked rather frail, as if
all the strain had caught up with him. “I just want to speak to the doctor if I
can before we leave.”
    “Let me find him. Take a seat.” Before you fall down, Julian nearly
added. He waited until Leo had done that. “Pyon?” His kem