Recoveries

Please hang on... Don't leave me now...

Tracey was sure Amanda was still alive, as she softly breathed, but remained unconscious and cold, but soon enough Shizuka appeared to assist again, and together they carefully carried Amanda back to their waiting carriage.

Shizuka had already been quite busy, having confiscated the attacking group's weapons, tightly wrapped up the lead man and his next oldest accomplice, already to the back outer seat of the small carriage, while leaving most bound to one another on the stone bridge for someone else to deal with. She helped Tracey shove Amanda up into the small transport and go ready to take charge of the horses, while Tracey covered her up with a couple of small, but dry, blankets and then her retrieved thick white coat too.

Their vehicle pulled away from the scene and continued toward the nearing destination town, where hopefully they could get more assistance.

While Tracey didn't pay too much attention outside the vehicle, the town they entered seemed fairly devoid of people, strangely quieter than what she usually expected, but that didn't feature much in her head, as her concerns lingered with her trusted friend.

Amanda had been about Tracey since not long after she'd graduated from the Sword School, one of the first to challenge her, not that Amanda had any real chance, as Tracy often held back against everyone, but since she'd been kind, thoughtful and respectful enough to arrange a small duel, rather than assert a fight on Tracey - then had been keen to learn from her missteps and work on her failings, while continuing to be thoughtful and friendly. Amanda had become a big part of her life, becoming her trusted 'lieutenant' and tactician, accountant and manager too, letting Tracey get away with much and supporting whatever she wanted.

The late teenager really did rely on her and even emotionally too, as she could share her untempered thoughts freely and sometimes return the favour.

Amanda didn't ask for much, and never demanded - a real supportive and loyal friend was a rarity, especially here, so Tracey had been extra lucky again.

You never know how much you'll miss someone... until they're nearly lost to you...

Tracey made sure Shizuka knew where to take them, setting her meeting with the Senator as a low priority now, she directed the driving and covered Fox-girl to a small clinic, which could help with injuries.

The owner, an Arran Maxis was a supporter of Tracey's, not a fighter at all, but a learned medical man, who likewise wanted unneeded suffering to end.

A thin, young lady assistant helped Tracey get Amanda out of the carnage, and inside, where Arran rushed to greet them.

"What happened?"

He looked over Amanda, still carried in the women's arms, checking her pulse and temperature as they moved into small a bedded room.

"We were attacked ... and Amanda went into the river..."

"Did she cough up water?"

"Yeah, a bit."

At least I think it was a bit...

"And she's been... like this since then?"

Amanda was set down on the soft bed, with a large pillow.

"Yeah..."

He did a few more checks, before getting his assistant to fetch some more warm blankets.

"She's in what I call 'shock' - a body's defence that requires plenty of rest... Don't worry; she can be comfortable here as long as she needs."

The younger assistant returned and they gently stuffed the blankets around and over Amanda, who looked to be peacefully sleeping now.

The medical man with swirly grey tipped hair took Tracey aside.

"Are you okay?"

She took her eyes off her friend finally, to look into his dark eyes.

"Yeah... yes. I was only in the same water for a little bit..."

He might have guessed that, as her blue dress was still soaked.

"How about you sit down too..."

He quickly grabbed a short chair with high arms and slid it beside Amanda.

"Then we'll get my helper here to get you both a change of clothes, alright."

Tracey was seated and returned her watch to Amanda, leaving the rest of the world out of her mind again.

At some point Tracey had fallen asleep, probably run down with emotional exhaustion, having been through a bit recently, but when she woke, she realised someone else had awoken too.

"Amanda! ...are you feeling alright?"

"I am..."

She said with her own relief.

"You've been out for a while."

She said, still snuggled up in the smothering multiple blankets on her.

"I have?"

Tracey looked about, noticing the windows views were dark, but came back to see that Amanda was looking much warmer and content.

"I'm so glad you're okay... I wouldn't know what to do with myself without your help."

"I think you would be fine... maybe a little sad, but you're far stronger than even you realise."

Amanda, even from her needed bed, was giving Tracey support.

"I'd be much more than sad you know... You're like... family to me!"

She threw herself upon Amanda, hugging her gently, while mostly holding back a few tears.

"There there... we'll both be fine."

A shuffle alerted them to another in the doorway, and while Tracey didn't want to end her embrace, she pulled up to see who it was.

A bald topped man, in a clean, almost black, deep blue outfit stood at the door, watching them, but not overtly, but with their attention he spoke up.

"I'm a Constable - Constable Max Frontier... I believe you had an... incident on the road near town?"

"You could definitely say that."

Tracey put her hands on her still lightly wet hips.

"And I believe two of the offenders are tied up outside this very moment."

Tracey nodded, remembering Shizuka's handy-work.

"I'd like to take them with me, to find out who was behind the assault..."

Tracey turned back to Amanda, who nodded for her to go, but before she left the room, Arran intervened.

"Not in your wet clothes dear, it's cold out there. Please change first - doctor's orders."

Everyone agreed without words, and while Tracey was left to change into a mostly white and lower reaching dress, that had small light-blue bows and a matching waistband, she emerged from her private room to follow the police man outside.

Their little carriage still waited out front, and while the two bound men no longer where strapped to the back, they hadn't been unwrapped as they stood and talked with some other policemen.

Seeing the one who'd caused Amanda's fall and near death snapped something deep in Tracey, and she stormed his way, thinking she wanted to cause greater suffering, more than his already injured face showed already.

If I wasn't so against causing harm... or worse, I'd...!

A different policeman got in her way, while the offending man, who had been complaining to them, saw the anger in Tracey's glare as she neared and they changed their tune quickly.

"We were only doing what we were payed for... You have to keep her away from me!"

Tracey went to push past the blocking guy, still fixated on the other man, who now trembled at her harsh sight.

"So I take it that you attacked these two women on the road?"

The Constable asked him, also stepping in to keep Tracey a few meters away, as her blood cooled a little.

"There were three..."

He incriminated himself more, as Tracey feinted going to rush at him again, or it might not have been a fake dash if she'd gotten past the two cops.

"Is that true?"

He asked Tracey, who nodded.

"There were three of us...!"

The lead hired trug shifted, extra guiltily, obviously not knowing what happened to the one he'd sent off the bridge.

"We'll go with you, just keep those women away from us, I beg you..."

Tracey couldn't see Shizuka anywhere, but she might have made a few added threats that had then very rattled and complicit.

"Can you show me your identity, for our records?"

The Constable asked Tracey, as hid fellow men began to march the other two away.

She let her parchment be seen; Tracey Spikelet - V: 668, D: 2, KC: 0.

Tracey froze, while Constable Max looked over the silver parchment with a nod.

"Miss Spikelet - we'll handle it from here."

The lead policeman stated, sounding sincere, and most unlike what stories Tracey had heard about the police force from many in the past.

She stood and partly watched the men be led away, off to their local station; a small underfunded building in the centre of town.

But her focus returned to her still evident scroll and focused on the last digit on it.

It reads zero again... was it truly an error before... or did it go down because... of my actions somehow...?

Tracey had never heard of a number dropping before, not that anyone had tried to either, but it had, and her lingering depressing mood faded away like the '1' had done too.

I need to show Amanda...!