Thumbelalien

by J. M. Page

  A different door from the first opened, a stoic guard following it and holding it in place.

  "So it's true! You are awake! Thank the trees," Farita cried, practically running into the room to Lina's bedside. The guard said nothing as he stepped back out of the room and closed the door again.

  "Word travels fast. I am," Lina said, chuckling as Farita bent and scooped her into a fierce hug. It took every bit of strength she could muster, but Lina lifted her arms and wrapped them around Farita in turn, squeezing her back. "I'm sorry I left."

  Farita shushed her and squeezed her again. "I'm sure you've got your reasons, dear. But I'm happy you're back. We all are."

  Lina's eyes drifted toward the other door on the opposite side of the room. "I'm not so sure everyone is so happy," she said uncertainly.

  Farita's eyes widened and then softened. "The queen? Oh, she'll come around. Likes to have her way o' course, but she's reasonable."

  Lina sighed, her gaze traveling to Bain now. "Yeah, that's what he said, too."

  The older woman went to Bain's bedside and looked him over, tending to him how she could before she sank onto the edge of Lina's bed with a sigh.

  "He'll wake up soon, won't he?" Lina asked, a knotted ball of worry forming in her chest. Farita looked tired. Like she hadn't been getting enough sleep. There were circles under her eyes and the lines in her face seemed more pronounced. She was concerned, and it set Lina on edge.

  "I'm sure he will," she said firmly.

  But that didn't make Lina feel any better. She was awake already. Bain should be too. "What aren't you telling me?"

  Farita shook her head, her lips pressed together. "There's nothing to tell you, dear. I know that's not what you want to hear, but I don't know any more about his condition than you do. I do know it's a good thing you were able to contact me when you did. I'm not sure anyone would've found you in time if you hadn't."

  Lina's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? I didn't..."

  "I was gathering supplies around town when a very persistent vine tripped me. I thought someone was playing a trick on me, but there was no one around. Then the most beautiful blossom grew right before my eyes, and another after it. They made a path, leading me to you."

  Lina smiled. The plants had wanted to help her. "I'm glad you found us. I just wish Bain was here. He always knows what to do."

  Farita gave her a sad smile and patted her knee through the blanket draped over her lap. "He'll be alright. Just have faith."

  Lina nodded, but she didn't feel hopeful at the moment. When she had him, everything felt easy. It felt like they could tackle anything together. But without him? She just felt lost and confused again.

  "I've got patients in the hospital to tend to," Farita said, sounding reluctant.

  Lina waved her off. "Go, go. No use hanging around here. If anything changes with Bain, I'm sure you'll be the first to know."

  "Close enough in any case," Farita said, sending her own trepidatious look toward the door. Lina remembered now the minor confrontation Farita had with the guards during their rescue. It seemed that Farita lost that battle since Lina and Bain were not currently in the hospital. Was that what she meant when she said the queen liked to have her way?

  "I'll be fine, I promise. Take care of your other patients."

  Farita hugged her again, squeezing tight enough to force the air from her lungs, before she left the room.

  Left alone again, Lina sighed, staring up at the huge vaulted ceiling, glittering with the lights of chandeliers. She hated being so alone. But what was the point in someone else just sticking around to keep her company while she was bedridden? Farita had other things to tend to. She had duties and responsibilities. Things to keep her mind occupied.

  Lina envied that. Maybe she should have asked if there was any work she could do from her sick bed. Not that Farita would allow that. She was always of the opinion that her patients shouldn't be doing anything at all. But didn't she realize how insufferably boring that was?

  She was still exhausted though, and Bain's soft snoring only lulled her back into a sleepy stupor. But falling asleep with him so close and still so far proved impossible. She couldn't think about anything else but how far away he felt and how empty she felt because of it.

  Propriety be damned.

  Slowly, she let one foot drop to the cold floor, then turned her body to let the other do the same. Already, the movements required a great deal of effort, every muscle screaming in protest, refusing to obey her wishes.

  With a great force of will, she brought herself up to sitting, and then with another heave, to her feet. She wobbled and teetered, holding her arms out for stability and support, and then gracelessly stumbled to Bain's bed, dropping onto the empty space beside him.

  He didn't respond other than muttering something before his arm crept up around her. Finally, she felt some peace. He was still in there. Somewhere.

  His hand rested on her belly and Lina laced her fingers through his, squeezing. "I know you're tired," she said, "I am too. I just hope you'll wake up. We didn't come this far for..." She swallowed, her voice breaking as tears pricked her eyes. She shook her head. No, she wouldn't think about that. "I need you," she said simply. "Come back to me, please."

  His grip on her tightened just a bit, but Bain slept on, and soon, wrapped in the warmth of his embrace, Lina slept too.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  A door creaking woke her, but Lina didn't immediately remember what was going on. She was nestled in the warm cocoon of sleep, nothing wrong in her world with Bain at her side. But slowly, the memories filtered through the bliss and she remembered the direness of their situation.

  Okay, so maybe it wasn't as dire as other situations they'd been in. But it wasn't the most desirable outcome, that was for sure.

  She yawned and blinked sleepily before remembering that the sound of a door opening was what had woken her. And that she was in the prince's bed.

  Her eyes shot open and she tried to jolt upright, but her body betrayed her, making her so dizzy that she immediately fell back to the pillows again.

  "Don't get up on my account," came Suriah's laughing tone. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

  Lina sighed, relief washing through her. It wasn't the queen. "Surie," she sighed. "It's just you."

  "Expecting someone else?" Surie laughed, sitting on the bed that had been Lina's before she moved.

  "It's been a near-constant parade of visitors since I woke," Lina groaned, wiping sleep from her eyes. She reached for the pitcher of water on the bedside table, pouring a glass, her forehead creasing. The pitcher had been refilled while she slept. That couldn't be good.

  But she was grateful for the water, drinking two big glasses before she felt fully alive again.

  "I'm sure. You certainly know how to make a splash," Surie said, grinning.

  "I never meant to... I just wanted to go home."

  "And what happened with that? Clearly you're back... Is it for good?"

  Lina nodded. "It is."

  "And you and Bain...?"

  Lina smiled, biting her lip. They hadn't really discussed if it was a secret or not, or how to break the news to his mother, or anything like that. They'd always just decided they would face those sort of things together, as one. But now he wasn't here.

  "You have to swear not to tell anyone," she warned, giving Surie a stern look.

  Surie was taken aback, her eyes wide, her hand flying to her heart. "Come on. If there's anyone here who can keep a secret, it's me."

  A bubble of giddiness rose up in Lina as just the thought of what she was going to say. She still could hardly believe it herself.

  "He asked me to marry him."

  Surie's squeal was so loud and high-pitched that Lina winced, covering her ears. "Oh my gosh! That's so amazing!" she cried, leaping up to wrap Lina in a fierce hug. "I'm so excited for you!"

  "I never said I said yes," Lina teased.

  Surie scoffed and rolled her eyes
. "Yeah, right. The look is all over your face. Are you so thrilled?"

  Lina laughed and nodded. "Yeah... In a way I guess. I mean..." She looked over to Bain, her happy mood deflating some. "This isn't exactly how we planned things... And I'm still terrified to tell your mother."

  Surie waved that off. "She'll be thrilled. She's been wanting to marry him off for ages."

  "Yeah," said Lina, but she wasn't so sure. She wasn't exactly the type of marriage candidate the queen hoped for. She hardly knew anything about them, their customs, their rules and culture... And yet, she was back with information that might turn all of Mabnoa on its head. She definitely didn't think she was what the queen had in mind looking for a match for her son.

  "Hopefully she won't hate me too much."

  "She won't," Surie said with utmost confidence. "She was really devastated when you left. And no, it wasn't just because Bain went with you," she added quickly to cut off Lina's protest. "I think she really believes you have a place here. I do too. I'm so happy you're back. I can't believe we're going to be sisters!"

  "Shh," Lina hissed. "It's a secret, remember? I don't know how Bain wants to tell people... And it's not like he's very helpful in that regard right now anyway."

  "I just knew you two would be good together. I saw it that first day in the forest. He's been enamored with you and you're so cute together..."

  Surie kept prattling on and on about how perfect and adorable they were, how amazing the wedding would be, how much the subjects would adore her, how she'd make a wonderful queen. She never let Lina get a word in the whole time, and that was just as well because Lina was rendered totally speechless. She knew all of those things would happen when she said yes, but it was so far off when they were still on the Fibbuns' ship. It seemed like an impossible dream to think they'd ever be back here where they'd have to face the reality of the promises they made to each other. And now, Lina was freaking out. She wasn't cut out to be royalty. She was a mechanic for crying out loud!

  But still, Surie went on and on, Lina's panic levels rising higher and higher until she was ready to run away all over again.

  "Surie, will you just stop?"

  The grumble stopped her short and Lina sighed with relief that she was saved. But then she realized it wasn't her that had snapped at Surie. Both girls' heads whipped around and Bain groaned as he tried to sit up, his eyes not even really open.

  "Bain!" they said in unison. Lina's heart soared. He was awake. He was back. He was okay. She could cry.

  But having been through the matter transporter twice now, Lina knew what Bain needed more than anything else.

  "Here," she said, holding a glass of water to his lips. He gulped it down, drinking probably as much as he spilled. It was hard to drink with someone else holding the glass, but if her experience was anything like his, he wouldn't have the strength to hold the glass on his own right now.

  "Thank you," he sighed, slumping back onto the pillows. Surie and Lina were both quiet, waiting for him. Giving him time to wake up and come back to the present.

  "How long—"

  "A couple days," Lina answered.

  He nodded.

  "How are you feeling?" Surie asked. Lina knew better than to ask. She knew the answer already.

  "Near death," he said with a groan. Surie looked horrified, but Bain's mouth twitched at the corners.

  "He's fine," Surie grumbled, glaring daggers at her brother. "I show genuine concern and you can't even be serious for a moment."

  "Would you have it any other way?" Bain teased.

  She pursed her lips, but said nothing.

  "So, what's the damage?" he asked, pulling Lina closer. She was happy to nuzzle against his chest, his heartbeat strong and steady beneath her ear. He was awake. It was almost unbelievable.

  "I haven't told your mother anything. She didn't want to discuss it until we were both feeling better."

  He nodded. "I suppose I should prepare myself for that, then."

  "I think she'll give us a few days to regain our strength."

  "I feel like I could use a few decades,” he said. "You know, I think Farita was probably right. You shouldn't have been out of bed that night. Now that I know how you felt."

  Lina shrugged and smiled. "I had good motivation."

  "This is all very sweet, but are you ever going to tell me why you've come back?" Surie asked, a pout in her voice.

  "We could," Lina started.

  "But it would take much more context to really understand," Bain finished. And he was right. No one on Mabnoa even knew the Fibbuns existed. They knew there was something that kept them bound to this planet, cut off from the rest of the galaxy, but they had no idea what. It would take far too long to tell her everything she'd need to know to understand.

  "I have time," Surie said, swinging her legs from the edge of the bed.

  "Come with us when we explain it to Mother," Bain said.

  Surie didn't seem terribly excited about that plan, but she also seemed to be able to tell that her older brother wasn't just keeping things from her for the sake of it. "Fine," she grumbled. "Can I at least start making wedding arrangements? It's going to be such an amazing party."

  Bain lifted his brow and Lina's face turned hot and red. "I just told her!" she cried. He laughed, shaking his head.

  "I only have one requirement for my wedding day, and that is for you to be the one at my side," he said, kissing Lina's forehead.

  "Oh my gosh, you two are nauseatingly sweet. And that's coming from me."

  Lina giggled and Bain grinned, neither of them caring at all. They had each other and that was all that mattered.

  "Is there any chance that our wedding won't be a huge extravagant affair with a thousand guests?" Lina asked hopefully.

  "Afraid not," Surie said brightly. "You're going to be a princess. You can't get away from a proper royal wedding."

  Lina groaned. "I was afraid you'd say that."

  "It'll be great. I can handle everything if you want. The decorations, the guest list, the cake — oh my gosh, it's going to be a huge cake with at least seven tiers and—"

  "Surie," Bain hissed. "We have a lot to worry about before then. The wedding is a long way off."

  Surie pouted, folding her arms across her chest. "Fine. I won't start actually planning yet. But I can still talk about it, right?"

  Bain sighed. "Only if you promise to stop when you start to overwhelm my bride-to-be."

  Lina laughed. "You really are the best." Of course he'd know that it would all be way too much for her. It was probably too much for him and he always knew his wedding would be that kind of calamity. She still needed time to get used to the idea.

  "Sorry..." Surie said, her eyes cast down. "I'm just really excited."

  "I know," Lina said, nodding. "We are too. There's just a lot more for us to consider before we can take the time for something so frivolous."

  Surie looked aghast at that and Lina thought maybe that wasn't the right word for how she felt about the wedding, but the sentiment held. She and Bain had a lot to deal with and the wedding didn't really matter much. They didn't need a big crazy ceremony to know their commitment to each other. They already had all the love they could stand, and a wedding wasn't going to change that.

  "I should probably let Farita know you're awake, she's been driving herself sick with worry about you not waking up."

  Lina frowned. She'd seemed so confident earlier when Lina was worried. She didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Farita.

  "Mom will probably check in soon, too. As soon as she hears."

  Lina sighed. "I should probably get back to my bed then."

  "Don't," Bain said, tightening his grip on her waist.

  Even Surie seemed surprised. "It's not really appropriate to..."

  "I don't give a damn about appropriate," Bain practically barked. "I've traveled across the galaxy and back and nearly died more times than I care to count. If I want to have the woman I love in my arms, I wil
l. I'd like to see anyone try to stop me."

  As much as his words warmed Lina from the inside, turning her to a happy puddle of liquid, she wasn't sure she fully agreed with him. "I don't want to upset your mother... Especially not with everything we have to tell her."

  "You're helping my recovery," he said stubbornly, nuzzling into her hair. "I didn't wake up until you were by my side, right? You're integral to my continued health."

  "You don't really think she's going to buy that, do you?"

  He shrugged. "What's she going to do?"

  It was hard to argue with that logic. After all they'd been through, any punishment the queen could level at them seemed to pale in comparison.

  "Fine, but if she's angry, it's your job to talk your way out of it," Lina said, clinging to him tightly. It was just as well. She didn't want to leave his side any more than he wanted her to. As silly as it seemed when he claimed she was aiding his recovery, she did feel better when she was pressed up against him. Like somehow, they were able to lend their strength to one another without losing any. Maybe that was what being in such a strong and committed relationship was like. She hoped things would always be like this. And really, she had every reason to believe that they would be.

  "Deal," he said, grinning like he didn't have a care in the world.

  "You two try to stay out of trouble," Surie said, giving them each a hug before she left.

  Once they were alone again, they laid together in comfortable silence. Lina rested her head on Bain's chest, his fingers stroking through her hair, down her back and back up in a lazy circuit.

  "You're going to put me to sleep doing that," she said, covering a yawn with her hand.

  "You need your rest."

  "So do you."

  A stalemate then. The silence returned and they both occasionally looked to the door, waiting for the queen or Farita to come through. Waiting for someone to break into the blissful bubble of peace and serenity that surrounded them in this one brief worry-free moment.

  But the doors remained closed and the minutes stretched into hours, both of them drifting in and out of sleep.