The next few days seemed to somehow both pass in a blur and stretch on for an eternity. The various surgeries weren't so bad. At least Jack got to be adequately anesthetized for those. But all the bone growth took an agonizingly long time.

Since they weren't in a rush this time, it wasn't as painful as before. Rather than feeling like a red hot poker was being shoved into Jack's leg, it felt more like he was being continuously stung by an angry wasp. When he couldn't take the pain in his leg anymore, Angela would let him take a break and work on his ribs or wrist instead.

The whole healing process left Jack in a somewhat foul mood, but at least afterward, he could hobble around with the aid of a crude cane he'd put together using some spare firewood and a temporary cast Angela had given him to prevent him from reinjuring himself during the night. In another day or two, he wouldn't even need the cast anymore. However, he still felt a little unsettled looking at his face in the mirror.

The left side of his face was a mess. The claw marks were still a bright angry red. Angela told him the color would fade over time, but they'd been left untreated for too long for the scars to resemble anything he could call subtle. The worst of it was his left eye. Like Anglea had promised, there was an orb there, staring back at him, but the color was all wrong. The veins stood out so much the sclera looked more red than white, and the iris seemed to be covered by some kind of film, giving it a ghostly white look. He'd definitely have to have an eyepatch made, if only for his own peace of mind.

S'haar walked up behind him, wrapping him in a gentle hug, so she wouldn't reinjure his still-healing ribs. She leaned down to plant a kiss on his cheek before speaking. "It makes you look roguish. Definitely, an improvement over the helpless-looking face you had before."

Jack chuckled, this time only feeling a slight tinge of pain as he did so. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

S'haar smiled into the mirror, looking into the reflection of Jack's right eye. "Maybe. Did it work?"

Jack turned around in her grip to pull the warrior woman down to him for a slightly longer kiss before responding, his head tilted to the side as he examined the woman who'd come to mean so much to him with his good eye. "Well, coming from you, how could it not?"

Just as things were starting to look like they were going to get interesting, a familiar blue glow appeared from behind Jack, who let out a sigh. "Yes, Angela, I know. I'm not healed enough for anything... 'strenuous' yet. Now can you leave us be for a few more moments?"

Angela's voice was filled with more concern than Jack had been expecting when she replied. "If that was the reason I'd come here, I'd gladly give you two more time alone. But the real reason I'm here is Em'brel. She hardly slept last night, and tonight's not looking to be any better. I tried to comfort her as best I could, but I think she needs more than I can offer."

Jack sighed and pulled away from S'haar, though her hand remained in his own. "Alright, alright... you made the right choice."

Jack turned his attention back to S'haar, squeezing her hands. "What say you go warm some water for tea and get a snack ready. I'll talk Em'brel into joining us in the living area. I think it's time we had a movie night again."

S'haar leaned in to steal one quick final kiss before nodding. "I think that's a great idea." With that, she turned and was gone.

For his part, Jack cleaned himself up a little to make himself more presentable while he thought of what to say or do to comfort a girl who's been through far more trauma than anyone, adult or child, should ever have to endure.

-

Jack knocked on Em'brel's door. When there was no reaction, he tried speaking as well. "Hey, Em'brel, it's me, Jack." He frowned at the obviousness of his statement but continued. "I was just wondering, want to talk for a bit?"

There was still no response, but a minute later, the door unlocked. Jack wasn't sure if that was Angela or Em'brel's doing, but he figured that something needed to be done either way.

He opened the door just a crack and spoke into the room. "Hey, just thought I'd check in on ya and see how you're doing." When no protest seemed forthcoming, Jack finally pushed his way inside enough to see a lump hiding under the blanket of her bed, faintly shivering.

He walked over and sat down at the foot of her bed, then waited. Eventually, a small voice braved its way out of the shelter of blankets and pillows. "I'm sorry."

Of everything Jack had been expecting, an apology hadn't even made the list of possibilities. His look of incredulity was wasted in the darkroom. "Sorry? Whatever for?"

The blankets shifted just enough for a pair of eyes to peak out over them. "After everything you went through and all the pain you're even now enduring while recovering, and I can't stop shivering because I'm imagining getting captured again. I'm currently locked behind a solid wall of the finest steel in the land and watched over by a centurion who never sleeps and protected by the bravest swordswoman and the only gunman on the planet, but I can't stop imagining that a raider is hiding under my bed just waiting for me to fall asleep."

Jack nodded sagely for a moment. "Alright, first of all..." Against Em'brel's sudden protests, Jack got on his knees, careful not to exacerbate his leg, and checked under the bed. Sitting up again with a stupid grin, Jack proudly proclaimed, "No, raiders here!"

Em'brel sputtered indignantly as she helped Jack get back to his feet before he resumed his seat on the bed, this time hugging the now exposed Em'brel. "More importantly, even assuming pain was tangible enough to be compared and weighed to determine who was actually dealing with 'more' of it, it's not some zero-sum game where the trauma of the person with 'less' of it is meaningless."

Em'brel stopped struggling once she realized Jack wasn't going to let her escape back into the blankets unless she was willing to hurt him to get away. He continued. "You've been through more in the last few months than most people will deal with in an entire lifetime. It's ok to be scared. Honestly, I'd be more worried if you didn't show signs of stress and trauma. However, I want you to remember one thing."

Jack waited for the girl's eyes to meet his own. "I'm here to help you through this, just like you'll be here to help me through my own issues." He grinned. "And S'haar is here for both of us, and we'll be here for her in turn. That's what it means to be family."

Em'brel took a breath to protest, but Jack continued unabated. "We might not have been born with the same blood running through our veins, but we chose one and other, and in my book, that means even more."

Eventually, Em'brel nodded. "Yeah... thanks. I feel... kinda silly now..."

Jack's grin grew. "That's good! That means you're not scared at the moment! Still, when the fear comes back again, and sooner or later it will, we'll all still be here for you."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Em''brel nodded and looked around as though unsure of what to do now. Jack's smile turned sympathetic. "Not feeling sleepy anymore, are ya?"

Em'brel looked a little sheepish as she shook her head, "No."

Jack stood up and reached out to draw Em'brel to her feet as well. "Well, if I'm not mistaken, S'haar should have some water boiling for tea and a bunch of popcorn ready to go. What say we have a movie night, the three of us, just like the old times?"

Em'brels face blossomed into a huge happy grin that just about stopped Jack's heart to see, and she responded. "I... I'd really like that!"

Jack shooed the girl out of her room into the living area. Thankfully Ger'ron and Lon'thul had set up their bedrolls in the crafting room instead of using the couch or living area floor like Jack had suggested, which made it so they didn't have to worry about waking them as the two got their own much-needed rest.

There was already a bowl of popcorn sitting on the table, and S'haar was just walking out from the kitchen area with three steaming mugs. Looking through his movies, Jack decided it was time to introduce the girls to the world of animation. "Let me tell you about one of my favorite directors. This guy never fails to cheer me up. His movies are basically a distillation of the best and most important parts of childhood on earth turned into a work of art anyone can enjoy. His name is Miyazaki..."

-

A few hours later, they were all sprawled out on both the couch and the floor. Em'brel had been the first victim. Although she'd held on through the first movie, she also hadn't slept well last night, and that had been the telling blow.

S'haar was the next to go, finishing both her tea and the popcorn before she gave in to her exhaustion. But still, in the end, the warmth of the blankets, the comfort of the soft floor, and the peace of being together with her family won out over what little determination she possessed, and the warrior woman gave in to the inevitable.

Jack had been more determined to make it to the end of one of his childhood favorites, but he fell prey to the classic trap of not wanting to wake the two women sleeping next to, or in one case, partially on top of him. Soon he unintentionally matched his breathing to the slow, leisurely pace of his companions', and from that moment on, his fight was already over.

Angela smiled, her digital heart practically glowing in a way she'd been afraid it never would again. She bumped the room temperature up a couple of degrees to help them sleep a little easier, turned off the TV, and dimmed the lights.

Tonight was a good night.

-

Jack opened his eyes to Lon'thul's grinning face. "You're awake! We were startin to worry you'd sleep the day away!"

Jack blinked a few times sleepily, trying to orient himself after waking up in a location other than his room. Remembering where he was and why Jack grabbed the crouching Lon'thul by the face and shoved him out of the way. For his part, the hunter played along, rolling away as though Jack actually had the mass to move him before popping back onto his feet in a way that made Jack envy his youth.

Looking around, Jack could see Em'brel back to her familiar role as the cook. Old Ger'ron hobbled his way over to the table, drawn by the aroma of the breakfast the younger woman was putting together. Even S'haar was up and about, leaving the bathroom where she'd evidently gone to freshen up while breakfast was prepared before walking over to Jack and helping him to his feet.

Jack found he was a little more sore than he would have been if he'd slept in his bed like a normal person, but there were some things in life worth a bit of pain.

They joined the rest at the table as Em'brel placed a few plates into the middle. It was churlish steak and eggs, and everyone dug in with gusto.

Lon'thul was the first to jab toward a steak but found his fork blocked by Ger'ron's as they'd apparently aimed for the same cut of meat. With a flick of his wrist, the older man redirected the youth's fork then claimed his prize before the hunter even realized he'd lost. Everyone laughed as Lon'thul blinked stupidly for a moment while his brain replayed just what had happened. With a chagrined smile, he went for his second choice instead.

After the initial clamor faded, Lon'thul broke the relative silence brought on by mouths stuffed full of food. "So, what's the plan for today?"

Angela popped up. "Well, I don't know about everyone, but Jack's got some more healing to work on!" Jack flinched at the thought of it but reluctantly nodded.

S'haar had a thoughtful look on her face. "What's the weather supposed to be like?"

Angela tilted her head to the side in the way she did while gathering and analyzing data. "Should be relatively mild for the next couple of days. I think spring is starting to settle in. Why do you ask?"

S'haar's face was neutral as she answered. "With the weather nice like this, I thought I should go get the workers back. It would be a shame to waste days like this when there's still so much work that needs to be done."

No sooner had she finished speaking when Lon'thul cut in. "Let me do it!"

Everyone looked at the hunter with surprise. He shrugged at their incredulity before explaining. "Listen, I've been to town and back about as many times as you. I can get them here safe and sound, and it'll be better than being locked up in here all day, despite how nice a cage it is."

The hunter's grin turned impish. "Besides, last time you were out there while Jack was back here, you were a bit of a beast to be around. If you left while Jack stayed back here to finish his healing, you'd probably scare off any new workers before they even arrived."

Em'brel hid a chuckle behind her hand as S'haar's face seemed to war between annoyance and gratitude. Finally, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. "Alright, we'll call this a trial run. Go get the original group, assuming they all want to return, and anyone else ready and willing to go from the ones we've spoken with. Let anyone not yet prepared know that we'll probably make several other similar trips, so they don't have to rush out this time."

Lon'thul nodded, eager to prove his worth while getting out and stretching his legs at the same time. "No problem! I'll get them back here safe and sound! You've got my word on it!"

The hunter hopped up and looked around as if trying to decide whether or not to leave right now when Angela stopped him. "Woh, slow down there! We gotta get your supplies ready first. Even if you're used to surviving in the wilds, not all of the workers are. As the expedition leader, your first responsibility is their safety. We should spend today getting you ready to go, and you can leave first thing in the morning. Sound good?"

Lon'thul looked a little deflated as he sat back down and grabbed another steak. "Yeah, I suppose that'd be smart. Guess I'll have to find something else to do for today."

Ger'ron had a bit of a wicked gleam in his eye at the hunter's statement. "You need something else to keep you busy, do you? Judging by how easy it was to take that steak out from under you, your swordwork needs some practice! I may not be able to teach you hands-on just yet, but I think I can run you through a few exercises until I get this "prosthetic" Lady Angela keeps telling me about!"

The young hunter looked as though he'd just been sentenced to hard labor but nodded reluctantly.

To everyone's surprise, that was when Em'brel joined in the conversation. "I'd like to practice too!"

When all eyes turned to her, she looked like she wanted to run and hide for a moment before she gathered her courage and spoke again. "Listen, I'm tired of being the damsel in distress. While I don't think I'll ever be a match for S'haar with a sword, I don't want to be helpless again either!"

The old guard looked surprised a moment before he smiled at his new prized student. "Well, I think that's a great idea! Besides, if you're there the whole time, it'll probably encourage this one to push himself a little harder as well!" He tilted his head to indicate Lon'thul as he spoke.

Angela nodded her agreement before turning to the guard herself. "Once you're done teaching Em'brel and beating some sense into Lon'thul, stop by the med-bay. I want to give you a check-up and get an idea of how much longer before you're ready for that prosthetic."

Ger'ron nodded his thanks. "Of course, Lady Angela. It would be my pleasure!"

Jack looked back and forth between the guard and the AI. "What's with all this 'Lady Angela' talk?"

Angela turned her back on Jack and spoke to him over her shoulder in a pouty manner. "It's because he knows a lady when he sees one! You could learn a thing or two about respect from our guest!"

The table devolved into a gaggle of laughter and a series of less crucial conversations as everyone enjoyed the rest of the morning spent in good company.