Tuesday Teaser

Bound by Love - Rest of Chapter 3

Gibor flinched. “Of course. I… I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry, Hamza. Come, I’ll take you to where Neo and Jolak are.”

Grateful, Hamza let Gibor lead him away from that room full of death and heartache. Royal guards fell in behind them as they moved through narrow walkways. No one spoke, which relieved Hamza.

The less he had to think, the better. Instead he focused on the drab walls. This part of the palace wasn’t used often since it was mostly a bunker. Maybe that was why it was so cold. There were no polished floors, pretty draperies, or expensive knickknacks. If the royal family was here, then the cause was nothing good. Kind of like now.

Gibor stopped in front of a plain door with guards standing in front of it, hugged Hamza and left, taking the ones who followed them back with him. Hamza nodded to the males and opened the door.

The lights in the ceiling were set to low in the open living area. Two simple couches and a small entertainment center graced the room. He stepped inside, and it closed with a swish. The floor was stained concrete with a rug to soften sounds. There were no pictures in guiled frames. No windows to let in light. Off to the side was a reduplicator for food and other needs, along with a tiny table for dining. It was all very bare and so basic. And cold. So damn cold.

Neo, sitting on the couch, unwound his legs from underneath him and stood. He didn’t speak, just stood there… waiting. Hamza had never been so happy to see someone as he was to see Neo. He crossed the room, his feet moving of their own accord, and threw himself at Neo. Neo staggered but kept his feet. Wrapping his arms around Hamza, he held on tightly. One hand crept up Hamza’s back and buried itself under Hamza’s hair.

The touch helped ground him, but the screams of pain, of denial, stayed locked deep inside. How he wanted to cry, but there was nothing. Just… nothing, except the black hatred growing within him.

“I have you, love. It’s okay.” Neo rubbed his other hand up and down Hamza’s back.

But it wasn’t okay. It would never be okay again. Hamza had lost his dabba, and nothing could change that.

“I was worried about you.” Hamza forced the words past his tight throat.

“I was scared stupid about you,” Neo admitted. “When I heard the palace and the planetary defense building were under attack, I damn near panicked. Hamza, I’m so—”

“I… I can’t talk about dabba yet, Neo. It doesn’t seem real, and I can’t accept it, and gods above, how dad wailed broke me, and what the hell am I going to do, and the palace took a major hit, and we must secure it, but so did other cities, and so many people are hurt or dead, and, and, and we’re at war, but we’ve been at peace since I’ve been alive, so how do I war against an enemy when I have no experience whatsoever, and, and, by all that is holy, everything is just so… so—”

“Hey, hey, I need you to breathe.” Neo let go of Hamza and leaned back. “You’re about to hyperventilate.”

“I….” Hamza gasped. He started to shake. There simply wasn’t enough air in the room, and the walls were closing in on him. And fuck, why was it so cold? “I… it’s too much!”

“Oh-kay, you’re going to sit down.” Neo pulled Hamza to the couch, pushed him down, and knelt beside him. He clasped Hamza’s wrist. “Too fast,” he muttered. “Your skin is like ice too. Damn.”

“Where do I start?” Hamza jerked his hand free and leaped to his feet. Neo stood too.

“Love—”

“What about our fleet? What about our fighters? And what about the starships? How much damage occurred and had significant?” Hamza sweat dripped into his eyes. How was that even possible when he was so fucking cold? He glared at Neo, who was now standing by the small dining table, digging around in a black bag.

“The Onfe are here too. How could I have forgotten them? Do I need to officially greet them? How do I do that?” Hamza’s vison was going wonky again, but he plowed on regardless. “Fuck, I need Ti.” He jumped when Neo grasped his arm. “He’ll know what to do. He’ll tell me the protocol for—fuck! What… what did you just…. What was that?”

“Sedative.” Neo placed the hydrosedative-spray on the table. “You’re on the verge of a panic attack and very possibly going into shock.”

“How much of a sedative did you—well, shit.” Hamza swayed. Creeping fatigue washed over him. He blinked owlishly at Neo.

“Time to rest, love.” Neo ducked under Hamza’s arm, wrapped an arm around Hamza’s waist, and braced him. He walked Hamza toward another door off the living area. “Bedroom’s through here.”

“You tranqued me.” Hamza accused. Holy shit was the room was spinning now.

“Sure did.” Neo opened the door and led Hamza to a bed. He eased Hamza onto it. “Down you go.”

Hamza could barely keep his eyes opened. All he wanted to do was sleep. “Not… not….” What was he saying? “Yeah. Cool.” He sank into the bedding and groaned.

Neo pulled off Hamza’s boot then covered him with a blanket. “I know, but it was better than the panic attack you were heading for.”

“Tah’Narians don’t have…. Tah’Narians don’t… huh? What was I…?” Hamza slurred.

“Oh bullshit. And as a doctor, that’s my medical opinion too.” Neo sat next to Hamza.

“How’s it get so dark?”

“It’s dark because your eyes are close. Now, go to sleep, dammit.”

“S… stay?”

“Absolutely.”

* * * *

Hamza lurched up in bed, his heart racing. Something… something was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. The feeling nagged at him, refusing to be ignored, but he shied away. Whatever lurked at the edge of his mind was not something he wanted to think about. Off-kilter, he scanned the unfamiliar room. This was not his and Neo’s bedroom. In fact, he was pretty sure he’d never seen this area before. Where was he? Why was he here? And where was here?

That nagging feeling turned into a tsunami of memories and images from the past several…. Shit. Neo had knocked his ass out. How long had he been asleep? He swung his feet—where the hell were his boots?—over the side of the bed and stood. Oh, wait until he saw Neo again. He was going to….

The door opened, and Neo leaned against the frame, arms crossed. “Okay, before you start yelling, I did what I had to do. I’d do it again, just so you know. You were close to losing control. Next, you’ve been asleep for three unit hours. That’s all. I’ve kept an eye on your dad too. He’s still out, and probably will be all night. What I injected him with was stronger than what I used on you. Finally, if you’re going to yell, go ahead and get it our of your system because everyone wants to see you. They’ve just been waiting for you to wake up.”

Hamza deflated. Yes, he was upset Neo tranqued him, but how could he argue when Neo did it because he cared?

“No yelling?” Neo asked, eyebrow raised.

“No. But I reserve the right to do so later.”

Neo grinned. “Sounds fair.” He came into the room and wrapped his arms around Hamza. “I am sorry I sedated you without asking, but you were in shock and teetering on the edge of a panic attack.”

“I know.” Hamza allowed himself a moment to cuddle and enjoy the heat from Neo’s body. “And I do feel… well, not really better, but more in control. I’m not so cold either.”

“That’s shock, love.”

“I figured. So, thanks. Can I have something to drink? My mouth’s dry.”

“Already fixed and sitting on the dining table. I put your boots over there,” Neo pointed. “I also fixed you food. And before you say it, I know you’re not hungry, but you need to eat. Doctor’s orders.”

Hamza smirked. “You use that way too often when you want your way.”

“You better believe it. Come on.” Neo took Hamza’s hand and lead him to the table. They sat, and Hamza gulped the water. Knowing Neo watched, Hamza ate what he could.

When he finished, Hamza cleared his throat and mentally prepared himself for what was coming. “Have you spoken to anyone since you knocked me out?”

“Keyno commed me right after I got you in bed and said he was handling everything. He asked me to let him know when you woke up. So, I know less than you, I imagine.”

“How did you know…. I mean, how did you know to come?”

“The Royal Physician sent someone to get me from the hospital. We transported to the palace, but a guard met me. He brought me.” Neo explained what the hospital was dealing with when he got word. He then briefly described what he saw when he arrived at the palace.

Hamza nodded. He wasn’t ready to face those images. Not yet. Instead, he glanced at the closed door across the room. “Is my dad in there?”

“He is. Like I said, I’ve been checking on him. He’s asleep. Would you like to see him though?”

“Yes. I need to… to make sure he’s okay, you know?” How could he explain the overwhelming urge to make sure his dad was alive, that he was still breathing? That he was whole, even if Hamza had seen him just unit hours earlier.

Neo stood and held out his hand. “I do.”

Together they peeked in. Jolak was sleeping… well, not necessarily soundly, but he was out.

“Thank you,” Hamza said, closing the door. He rolled his neck, popping it. He followed Neo back to the living area and sat. “Keyno said everyone was okay?”

“That’s what I was told. There’s no reason to think he’d lie.”

“No, he wouldn’t. I… gods, Neo. I don’t know where to start. There’s so much to do.” What was it Keyno said? Small steps. Right.

“I say we start by getting in touch with Keyno.”

The use of ‘we’ didn’t escape Hamza’s notice, and he appreciated what Neo was doing. It did help him not feel quite so along.

Hamza pressed his comm.