Pain

The white room around him reeled and blurred as he swung around, grasping hard onto anything he could touch. His hands fell on something cold, and he clenched it tightly, in too much pain to feel the sharp needles of agony driving through his arms. He cried out for help, his hoarse wails making his lungs burn. His shaking legs gave way and he sunk to the ground as a fuzzy figure dashed into the room. His skull burned furiously as he felt the painful stinging of hands gently sitting him up. He had been on Genesycil, he had. It was right there, the trees, the cliffs... Where had it gone? The only figure he could see clearly was the giant dragon-snake behind the green-ish, fuzzy figure. "Help me.." He croaked, reaching out a hand to the creature. Again he heard that strange language in his ears. In the past few months, he had learned a few words and phrases of the unfamiliar language, but it hurt to speak like that. He only wanted to speak in his tongue. The fuzzy figure cleared slightly when he turned his head to look at her. Her face was strained with worry as she looked into his eyes. "Are you alright, honey?" At least he knew what that meant. He shook his head, but regretted doing so as dizziness consumed him and he fell forward into her arms. "Oh dear dear.." She muttered worriedly, scanning his wrapped, bandaged body for any sign of injury. "Is it just your head again?" He groaned weakly, his face damp with tears of confusion and pain that had come unbidden. He felt her lift him with ease, back onto his cot. He had become increasingly aware of how light he was, and how much he had not...could not eat. It was the same routine every time, she would soothe him with words he didn't understand, then stick that cold needle into his flesh, and the pain would cease. At least for a short while. At first he had been screaming for help, but had realized no one would come. Now, he just lay limp as she inserted the metal stick. He frowned as his vision cleared, and everything became tinglingly numb. Most times he'd only screamed when he had foolishly tried to walk. But this time was different. This time... This time Elulin had shown him home. He had gone away and Genescyil was there. He had SEEN it. A dull ache throbbed in his neck as he scowled deeper, convincing himself. He wasn't mad. He'd seen it, felt it, clear as day. But he found himself back here, and the pain was as sharp as when he first awoke in this white place. He turned his head to watch her rearranging strange things on the stand next to him. She had stopped, noticing the furious expression on his face. "Something wrong, hun?" She looked concerned, and instantly he realized his face was still angry. He straightened his frown, but then nodded. He wanted someone to tell. Someone who didn't already know, he thought as he cast a glance around for the dragon creature again, but it seemed to have fled. He wasn't sure how he would tell her, only knowing little English, but even if she didn't understand, he'd feel better ranting to her. He made an effort to sit up, although his back stung through the numbness, and it rippled up the back of his neck into his skull. She moved worriedly to sit on the side of his bed, but didn't stop him, as he kept sitting stubbornly. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, sucking on her lower lip instead. He'd noticed this habit of hers, whenever she was particularly worried-looking but didn't want to scold. Despite the pain it still took to talk and move, it hurt worse to keep it inside. "..Something..happen..inside my head." He motioned to his skull, and she nodded, her expression perked with worry and dread. "Home.. efih.. abana.." He began thickly. "Vasable-" He swore, grinding his fists into his eyes. He didn't know what to say that she could understand. "Oh, don't do that!" She gently grasped his wrists, stopping him from tearing away the patch on his eye. "It's alright." She reassured, smiling softly at his frustrated face. "I can still listen." Even though he didn't quite understand, her voice was soft and gentle against his ears, and his shoulders relaxed. He felt as if he could tell her anything. Words poured out of his mouth in a mixture of slurred Scalalorian and English, but he didn't stop. His mind was hazy and a blur, and so were his words. They tumbled out as he recounted his beloved home. He must have scared her slightly when he began to cry and shake fiercely, because she threw her arms around him in a soft, comforting hug as he rambled. All at once, a stabbing memory of Shalanti's warm softness made him wail louder. She drew him closer, muttering in English to try and calm him. He felt like a child all over again, helpless and crying in his guardian's arms as he was taken to the palace. Helpless and in a foreign place. As he sat, curled in her arms, a familiar scent entered the room. The spiced scent of the forest, of nature. He bolted up straight alarmingly fast, making her yelp in surprise. He hadn't smelled the scent of trees, of the sky, in what felt like years. This white place smothered that smell, he'd never seen their outside, everything smelled sharp and cold. All pain seemed to dull, he sat erect, eyes wide and narrowed into slits. He saw a figure stride into the room, carrying the scent with him. His shoulders fell only slightly, he kept his stare curiously on this new person. He didn't look like the pale-faced, stripe-less people in this white place. His skin was blue, and he had the silver-sheen hair of an elder. He froze when he met his eyes, which were a light orange. "Who are you?" He asked hopefully in Scalalorian, leaning forward on the bed. The blue figure gave a warm chuckle beneath his gold bandanna, and he watched his four ears lift. "How is your patient, May?" He spoke English. He sank down, his shoulders slumping as the pain returned. "Sorry you had to walk in on this, Headmaster. ...He's a bit..out of sorts right now, I can't figure out why, he keeps trying to tell me." May sighed, running a hand through her messy brown hair. "Ah, I see." The Headmaster turned his gaze to him, an understanding twinkle in those eyes of his. "How are you holding up, Timothy?" He looked up at him, the silky warmth of his voice making him feel at ease, quite blissful. "Fine.." He muttered in English, surprised at how easily it slipped out of his throat. "Fine has a lot of definitions, Timothy." He coaxed gently, and Timothy found he could make sense of his English, strangely. Perhaps it was the way he said it. "...I saw...home." He murmured, now slightly alarmed as to why the words were now falling out of his mouth in English so fast. "It hurt. ...To see it." "Ah." He nodded, and Timothy felt as if he understood exactly how he felt. "With all due respect, Headmaster, I'm not sure we should be delving into his memories this soon.." May interrupted bracingly. "Of course." The Headmaster replied, but his tone had transitioned to one of understanding. "But you should know I have a strict oath against myself never to manipulate information out of anyone. I simply asked Timothy to speak." He explained calmly, as if providing May with information, instead of trying to defend his actions. "..Right..you're right." She mumbled. He sighed softly, standing from the seat he had taken. "I know you are worried about his health, but we can't simply stick to the physical routine with Timothy." He gave Timothy a slight wink, making him turn his head to the side in confusion. "Medicine and procedure are all very well, but we must face that there is an emotional and mental part to him that has been damaged." He spoke tactfully, casting an empathetic look back at him. "He needs to speak sometime, let off pressure, otherwise he will break down, as you've just witnessed." May sighed, nodding grudgingly. "He will decide when he is ready to say everything calmly." He watched as he left, and then May, sitting back against the wall with a residual feeling of confusion, numbness, and blurred pain. He wished the blue one would come back soon. He could hear them muttering outside the room, so he listened half-heartedly. "From what I've seen, he appears to be only a young man, maybe 19..at least in human perspective. Otherwise, I'm not sure." He sighed as their voices became faint, sinking into an empty sleep.