Inharmonic (The Music Maker Series Book 1) Page 25

  After putting the table in order, she went back to the basin to rinse out her mouth. Nadja frowned. The bleeding had already begun to subside, but the cup of coffee she was looking forward to, would have to be postponed.

  “Can I get anything for you before I go?” she called out.

  Helaine gave no reply.

  That was odd. The ruckus caused by Nadja’s early-morning acrobatics had been loud enough to wake the dead, yet Helaine hadn’t moved.

  “Helaine?”

  The silence which met her ears caused the skin along the back of her neck and shoulders to tingle in apprehension. No one could have slept through that.

  An unexpected gust of wind slammed into the shutters, propelling her towards Helaine’s bed. The sound of her boots on the stone floor magnified in the utter stillness of the room.

  “Helaine,” she said, this time louder.

  Still, nothing.

  The pretty white coverlet, one of Helaine’s many personal touches, was a mound of ghostly gray in the middle of the bed. Nadja reached out and pulled it back.

  Her friend lay there, unmoving. The lantern in Nadja’s hands cast a trembling glow over Helaine’s soft features. Nadja reached out, gripped Helaine’s shoulder and shook it. Softly at first, then forcefully.

  Nothing.

  Nadja slammed the lantern down on the bedside table and patted Helaine’s face.

  “Helaine!” she shouted.

  Still nothing.

  Her stomach clenched.

  Nadja shoved her hand under her friend’s nose and froze.

  Time stopped. Nadja held her breath. Even the lantern light, which bends to the will of every wayward breeze, stood unnaturally motionless.

  Then, she felt it. The soft puffs of breath tickled her fingertips.

  Nadja exhaled and placed her hand on Helaine’s cheek.

  “Helaine, wake up.”

  Chapter 28

  Doctor Corinson stepped out of the infirmary’s office. He gave Nadja a tight nod, then strode from the room.

  Nadja rubbed her eyes with the pads of her hands, trying to blot out the weariness threatening to pull them closed. She leaned against the stiff, wooden chair back and stretched out her legs. A cramp seized her right calf, and she yanked her knee to her chest, grabbing her toes and flexing her foot. The hard seat had caused her rear end to go numb, and the sudden movement made her fleshy rump feel like the world’s largest pincushion. She groaned.

  “If you keep that up, I’ll order you into one of the empty beds. We have a few to spare.” Nurse Silvers surprised her. His guttural voice sounded more threatening than it was. “Besides, you look like you could use some rest yourself.”

  The infirmary was well equipped to handle several patients. With the foundation of Amrantir’s society and culture resting firmly on the Music Conservatory’s graduates, the current delegate prime felt it prudent to provide the best medical care possible to the students. Nurse Silvers was in full-time residence to handle most complaints, and the doctors living within the city were available at a moment’s notice should an emergency arise requiring skills exceeding Nurse Silvers’s. Doctor Corinson was one of those doctors. He and Nurse Silvers had just finished conferring about Helaine’s condition.

  Nadja looked up at the brawny man standing next to her, checking Helaine’s temperature. His fingers, bearing a striking resemblance to a plate of giant sausages, tenderly grasped Helaine’s wrist, checking her pulse before tucking her arm back under her blanket.

  “What did you find?” asked Nadja.

  The candlelight bounced off of his shiny head as he shook it. Nadja wondered if the impressive, if not slightly foreboding, red beard he wore on his chin had ever extended all the way to the top of his head. Hardly the image of “nurse” Nadja had in mind when she had first met him, his gruff appearance belied a tender heart. Nurse Silvers’s knowledge and bedside manner were impeccable, and Nadja knew Helaine couldn’t be in more capable hands.

  “Isn’t there anything else we can do?” she asked.

  “Right now, there’s nothing to do other than keep her comfortable,” he replied. “It doesn’t appear to be a complication caused by the throat infection. Her symptoms are subsiding and her temperature has returned to normal. Her heartbeat and breathing are strong and regular. Her pupils are responsive, and her movement isn’t impaired. If she was comatose, we would expect to see the opposite.”

  He reached up and ran a hand down the length of his bushy beard. A deep V formed between his eyebrows. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was asleep.”

  “Then why can’t we wake her?” Nadja demanded.

  “That’s an excellent question. And one we are working on.” Nurse Silvers patted her shoulder. “Doctor Corinson has gone to consult some of the other physicians. I expect they’ll all be paying us a visit soon.”

  Nadja stood up, her spine popping and creaking as it realigned, and paced to the end of the bed, rubbing the back of her neck.

  “And that was an honest offer,” said Nurse Silvers, gesturing to an empty bed in the corner of the room. “You need sleep. Better yet, why don’t you go back to your room? I’m sure you’ll sleep better there, and I will send for you if there’s any change. I’ll have Timothy bring up some supper.”

  The young servant had been checking in on them from time to time, carrying messages and fetching things as needed.

  Was it already supper time?

  “There is nothing you can do here.”

  “Mmm mmm.” Nadja shook her head. Helaine was more than her roommate. She was her best friend. Nadja wasn’t about to run off and leave her alone. Not now. What would she be like when she woke up? If she woke up? Nadja needed to be there to reassure her.

  “Suit yourself,” said Nurse Silvers. “But the offer doesn’t expire. That bed is yours if you want it.”

  Nadja nodded. “Thank you.”

  A sound at the door drew their attention.

  Petrin rushed into the infirmary and straight to Helaine’s bedside. Worry etched lines across his thin face, and his eyes searched her body, looking for an explanation.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “She won’t wake up,” sighed Nadja.

  “Why not?”

  Nadja shrugged. “She seemed all right when we went to bed last night, but this morning . . . ” She held her palms up, empty of any answers.

  Petrin turned to Nurse Silvers and began peppering him with questions. As his body shifted, Nadja spotted someone over his shoulder. Pax stood in the doorway.

  Nadja’s feet moved towards him of their own accord.

  In three strides, he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against him. Nadja leaned into him, burying her face in his chest and allowing him to support her weight. Her shoulders relaxed as he hugged her.

  Neither of them spoke.

  For a few beautiful moments Nadja savored the solace of his embrace. In the security of Pax’s strong arms, there was nothing too terrible which couldn’t be overcome.

  But Pax’s comfort was just for the moment. His heart belonged to Laurel.

  Nadja stiffened and pulled away from him. She refused to torment herself any longer with thoughts of things which would never be. With a quick nod she turned away, but not before catching the troubled expression in his eyes.

  She returned to Helaine’s bedside where Petrin was finishing his interrogation of Nurse Silvers.

  “Thank you for staying with her,” said Petrin as Nurse Silvers returned to his office. “I would have come sooner if I had known she was here.” He shot Nadja an accusatory glance.

  “How did you find out?” she asked.

  “Grandmaster Gilmoren. He asked if I’d deliver his best wishes to her when she wakes up. You can imagine my confusion.”

  Nadja felt a twinge of guilt. She had been so worried about Helaine, she hadn’t even thought about letting anyone else know. She told Petrin as much.

 
; “I know,” he sighed. “It’s all right.” He reached out and took Helaine’s hand. His eyes were forlorn as he studied her face.

  Nadja squeezed his other hand. Then, she moved away from the bed to give him time alone with Helaine.

  For all of its stark and sterile appearance, the bed in the corner was looking more and more appealing to Nadja. She shuffled over to it and flopped down on the edge. The mattress was much kinder to her rear end than the chair had been. She was about to lie back when Pax joined her.

  The mattress sank under his weight, shifting her balance and causing her to lean inadvertently against his shoulder. The unexpected contact sent goosebumps racing down her arm, and she clumsily shifted away from his touch.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  “I’m fine,” she replied. “It’s Helaine you should be worried about.”

  “I am. We all are. But Nurse Silvers is doing his job taking care of her.” His eyes searched her face. “When was the last time you slept?”

  “Last night,” she said defensively, “ . . . some.”

  “Listen, Petrin wants to stay here with her tonight. Why don’t you go back to your room and sleep in your own bed?” He bounced up and down on the mattress, grinning. “Though, I know this one is very tempting.”

  Nadja rolled her eyes and returned his grin with a weary look. “I don’t want to leave her. She’ll need a familiar face when she wakes up.”

  “And Petrin can be that, if she wakes up tonight.”

  He was right. Helaine would be just as happy to see Petrin as she would be to see Nadja. Maybe even a little more.

  Nadja conceded. “All right.” As she rose from the bed, Pax jumped up beside her.

  “I’ll walk you to your room,” he said, taking hold of her hand.

  “No,” she snapped. Nadja jerked back as if she had been stung. Her hand tingled from his touch.

  Pax frowned.

  “What I meant was,” she said, steadying her voice, “I can make it there myself, thank you.” She turned and marched out of the infirmary. She needed to put as much distance between herself and Pax as she could. And fast. Why did his touch do such things to her? She knew he didn’t have feelings for her. But her body wouldn’t accept the truth.

  “Nadja, wait,” Pax called after her.

  She felt his hand on her elbow and gritted her teeth. He came around in front of her, and she ordered her features in as placid an arrangement as possible.

  “Look,” he began, “about the Heartstide Festival—”

  “Yes,” Nadja interrupted. “I appreciate you coming to my aid. I hate to admit I have a bit of stage fright when it comes to singing.” She clenched and unclenched her hands. Under no circumstances did she want to discuss their performance.

  “I was glad to help. Listen—”

  “That’s why Helaine and I were planning a duet,” she hurried on. “Of course, our delivery would have been different. But your performance was convincing.” Why did she say that? She hurried on. “At—at least if the gossip is to be believed.” That wasn’t any better.

  Nadja bit the inside of her cheek. This is exactly where she did not want the conversation to go. She mustered up a smile and said brightly, “So, anyway. Thank you again.”

  She moved to step around him, but he countered her. “Nadja,” he said, forcing her to meet his gaze. “We need to talk.”

  Her shoulders slumped, and she closed her eyes. “Please,” she whispered. “Not now.”

  “Why not?”

  “I just . . . I can’t.”

  Because she couldn’t handle his gentle letdown. Because hearing him talk about his feelings for Laurel while her best friend lay unconscious in a bed in the next room was too much heartache for one day.

  A sudden, panicked yell from inside the infirmary rang through the hall. Nadja’s heart stopped. She spun around and ran back into the room with Pax on her heels.

  Nurse Silvers rushed from his office while Petrin frantically gestured towards Helaine. When Nadja approached her bed, she saw the cause of the commotion. Helaine’s previously tranquil face was contorted and distressed. Her breathing was punctuated and irregular, and her eyelids bumped and rolled as her eyes darted back and forth behind them. No wonder Petrin was in a panic.

  Nadja breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to Petrin, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

  “She’s just dreaming,” said Nurse Silvers, placing his palm against Helaine’s forehead and cheek before checking her pulse once more.

  “Dreaming?” Petrin’s voice was strained. “That must be a terrible dream.”

  “She’s been doing this every few hours,” Nadja reassured him. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  All four heads turned towards the door as Grandmaster Kero entered the infirmary.

  Nadja winced. In her concern for Helaine, she had forgotten about her lesson. It was one thing to skip out on her regular classes. They would go on with or without her body at a table. But, it was another matter to miss a private lesson.

  Meliina noted their concerned expressions. “Evidently not,” she said, her small strides hurrying her over to join them.

  Nadja took a step towards her and said in a low voice, “I am so sorry I missed our lesson.”

  Meliina shushed her with a wave of her hand. “Nonsense. With Helaine in such a state as she is, it’s no wonder you took the day off.” Then, with a gleam in her eye she added, “Just be sure you don’t make a habit of it.”

  Nadja nodded. “How did you know about Helaine?”

  Meliina’s eyes grew wide. “Silly girl. The entire faculty is informed whenever any student visits the infirmary, even if for something as benign as a bee sting. Next to the instruction you receive here, keeping you well is one of our highest priorities. We all knew about Helaine’s condition within an hour of her arriving here this morning.”

  “That explains how Grandmaster Gilmoren knew,” said Petrin. “I had wondered.”

  “Has there been any progress?” Meliina asked Nurse Silvers.

  “No, ma’am. Doctor Corinson has gone to research and confer with some of the other physicians. I hope to see him again by morning.”

  “Mmm.” Meliina nodded. “When was she last awake?”

  “Last night,” Nadja answered.

  “You were with her when she fell asleep?”

  “Yes.”

  Meliina’s eyes narrowed. “Can you tell me what happened before she went to sleep?”

  “I was away most of the day. She was in bed when I returned, still not feeling well. She said she had not been able to sleep much all day. She probably fell asleep around—”

  “No, no, more details please,” said Meliina. “What exactly happened when you returned?”

  “Oh. Well, as I said, Helaine still wasn’t feeling well when I returned. Petrin had brought her a plate of food, but she couldn’t eat it, so I did.”

  The corners of Petrin’s mouth drooped. Nadja just shrugged.

  “We talked for a while about,” she cast a sideways glance at Pax, “some things. She mentioned Vatara had also been to visit her earlier that day.

  “Once we finished talking, I put out the lights and got into bed. That’s when Helaine said she was having trouble sleeping.” Nadja snickered. “She asked me to sing her a lullaby.”

  “A lullaby?” asked Petrin, with a wistful glance at Helaine.

  “Yes, I know. Funny, huh?”

  “And did you?” asked Meliina.

  “Yes. By the time I finished, she had fallen asleep. It wasn’t until the next morning when I tried to wake her that I discovered there was something wrong.”

  Meliina’s lips pulled into a thin line.

  “So it wasn’t her food,” offered Pax. “What about her medicine?”

  “That was one of the first things I checked,” said Nurse Silvers. “Nothing amiss there. It’s quite the mystery.”

  “Yes,” said Meliina
thoughtfully. She studied Helaine for another moment, tapping one of her small fingers against her chin. Then, she straightened. “Well, it looks like you have everything in hand, Nurse Silvers, as always. Please, let me know when she wakes.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And the rest of you, get some sleep.” She looked pointedly at Nadja. “Especially you.”

  Meliina reached up and patted Nadja on the cheek, a troubled look flitting across her eyes. Then, she turned and left the room.

  “I will stay with her tonight,” said Petrin. “Grandmaster Kero is right, you need a break.”

  Seizing the chance to make a clean escape, Nadja nodded. “You’re right. I could use time to myself.” There, now Pax couldn’t follow her without seeming ungallant. “Please come get me if there is the slightest change in her.”

  Petrin nodded. “You can depend on it.”

  Chapter 29

  The next day passed much like the first. Helaine slept on while Nadja and Petrin took shifts at her bedside. Doctor Corinson paraded in half a dozen other physicians to examine Helaine, but none of them found anything medically wrong with her.

  On the morning of the third day, while Petrin and Pax were attending their String Tech class, Nadja sprawled out on the bed next to Helaine’s and plodded her way through Folk Tunes of the Northern Realms. It was the final, and by far most substantial, book Grandmaster Kero had assigned her to read before the winter break. She had put it off because it was as dry as toast. But, since she suddenly had an abundance of time on her hands, she thought she ought to put it to good use.

  She’d rather be playing music instead of reading about it. Nurse Silvers said it would be a welcome change to the usual quiet ambience of the infirmary, and they didn’t have to worry about disturbing Helaine. But, Nadja had misplaced her flute, and she had searched her room thoroughly with no luck. The last time she remembered seeing it was during the Heartstide Festival. She’d asked Pax about it yesterday, but he didn’t know where it was. A trip back to The Hen and Harp was in order as soon as Helaine recovered.