“Mistress Lee…Mistress Lee…” she faintly heard someone calling. And then, Mistress Lee! Oree grasped her elbow and reached out his mind, pulling her back into her body. Lee gasped loudly and her eyes flew open. The attendant with the man who was waking was the one yelling for her. Lee nodded at the attendant and the boy’s mother, who hurriedly prostrated herself, and then she pulled herself up on Oree’s arm.
“Mistress, are you—?”
Hurry, Oree…
Yes, Mistress Lee. He took a cup of water from someone else and handed it to her. She drained it quickly and ran the short distance to the pallet. The man had no family with him. The attendants had found him passed out behind the tent. The surgeon said there was a tumor in the man’s brain, but that the damage to the brain would not be worth removing it.
Lee jabbed her mind into the two attendants that sat beside him. The attendant she had placed with him showed was able to show her some of the man’s history before Lee had to extract herself and apologize. The surgeon’s attendant was panicking and trying not to show it. He bulked and groaned loudly when she entered his mind. He could only tell her that this was the first time he’d been with an awake patient and that the patient was having what the surgeon would call seizures.
Lee extracted herself quickly and knelt in front of the man. I’m sorry…, she told the attendant again. Get him out of here... The attendants both bowed and left quickly. Hold him down!... she called to two free attendants. They pinned the man’s jerking body to his mat as best they could. Lee pressed her fingers into the man’s head, jabbing in her nails when he began to jerk stronger.
Mistress, wait!Oree called, but Lee dived into the man’s mind without him. She gasped loudly and immediately began to writhe in pain, but she kept contact with the man. Reluctantly at first and then more and more confidently, she opened up and swallowed the pain. She did this for awhile, taking in the pain and replacing it with some of her peace, but even she had a limit. She began to falter and cried out physically.
Lee! Oree called. Lee, take hold of me!
Desperately Lee anchored part of herself in the man’s mind and reached out. She felt Oree’s hand on her elbow. He was squeezing her elbow so hard that she winced, but he smiled in relief because that meant that she had found her way back. He reached out his mind and grabbed hers, letting her pull him into the man’s mind.
Once they were inside, Lee immediately began to pull on Oree’s store of strength and peace. She had braced herself, but he hadn’t and he began to writhe in pain. At first, Lee didn’t notice, but when she finally did, she began to push him away and reconstruct his shield. Oree resisted.
No, I want to help you. I can take it, he said.
Oree…
Lee…
Alright, but don’t…overdue yourself…
You too…
Lee pulled away from him slightly, shaking to loosen his grip and began to filter the pain out of the man’s mind and through herself. Half of it she drained through Oree, monitoring him carefully to make sure that she didn’t give him too much. He willingly took it and gave her the peace he had taken from the girl. Finally, after what felt like forever, Lee felt a knot under fingers.
She tugged Oree forward and he put his hand on it, wincing slightly.
It burned, he groaned.
But now you know…
Oree nodded and floated away, but tightened the cord between them as if to compensate.
Lee took a deep breath, then dug her fingers into the knot and began to suck the pain out of it.
Ah!... Ah!...
Mistress… Oree tugged her away from the knot. Lee floated right into his being, shaking her physical head. Oree clenched her elbow harder and his breathing quickened. She pushed herself out of him.
That’s the tumor…I can’t…get rid of it…so…
She approached the tumor carefully and circled it several times, wrapping it in peace. Oree followed her and when she was done, he pulled her back quickly.
Okay…she said willingly, sleepily. When she opened her eyes, Oree was already back in his body. She slumped back against him and they sat for a moment, breathing in unison. Finally, Lee pushed herself away. Oree replaced his hand on her elbow and squeezed it. She smiled weakly at him, then turned to the attendants that were standing over the man.
The man was no longer having seizures. He was lying still, but his eyes were twitching. Lee bent her ear to his mouth. He’s breathing shallowly…, she said with relief. There was a loud rush of air as everyone let out a breath. Monitor him here…for an hour…, Lee told the attendants. If nothing changes… take him to the surgeon…and tell him that the tumor…can now be removed without…brain damage…But if he starts having…seizures again… call me. They nodded and bowed to her, then returned their attention to the man.
Wait, how long?…She asked as an afterthought.
“Three hours,” one attendant replied.
Someone handed more water to Lee and Oree. Lee drank hurriedly. When she finished, she turned to Oree and offered her hand. Oree stood and pulled her up, holding her arm. Lee’s legs shook for a moment, then she closed her eyes and tried to pull some peace out of the man.
Ah…
“Mistress Lee?” Oree asked worriedly. He started to pull her back down, but Lee shook her head.
He has no peace…to spare…He isn’t healed…yet… I’ll need peace for Commander Liaz…
You can’t think to see him now, you must rest. “What can I do for you, Mistress?”
Stay with me, Oree. I must see…the commander today. If I see the last…two patients, I will have the strength… from their peace…And they will be healed…today…
Oree clenched her arm tightly for a moment, then he stepped back and bowed. Lee turned around and looked, with closed eyes, from one patient to another. She chose to help a young woman first. The woman was suffering from something similar to the boy she had already helped, but Lee could find the memory that caused her to feel such pain. She tried pulling the memory out, but it was stuck tightly. She pulled it out as far as she could, filing the empty space with peace and then shrouded it with peace completely, so as to hide the memory from her for as long as possible.
Watch her carefully…Bring her back to me…in one week.. If I see her twice more, I think I’ll be able to heal her, but she’ll never be the same..
Her parents bowed and prostrated themselves to Lee and she extracted the last peace that the conscious part of the girl could spare and then left them.
The last man had been in an accident. His head was already bandaged physically, but he was having severe memory problems. Lee entered his mind and began to defog his memories. It was difficult work, but easy compared to the work she’d done on the man with the tumor. She didn’t need Oree’s help at all, but she felt his deep worry for her and so she let his shield down a little. He thanked her deeply, floating into the man’s mind to watch her do her work and then except his payment of peace.
He’ll sleep for…a while longer…he’ll be confused...I’ve managed to recover all…of his memories... Some things you may need..to help him with… at first…but he’ll know you…immediately.
The man’s wife prostrated herself, stood, looked Lee in the eyes and kissed her on both cheeks. Then she turned and did the same to Oree, murmuring continual thanks. Lee and Oree stood still and politely accepted her embraces, then they welcomed her as was proper- Lee kissing her on the forehead and Oree on her hands. Lee smiled and nodded, handing the woman back to the attendant.
Come, she said to Oree and started walking toward the back of the tent. Oree followed her without a word. When he felt her mind enter his, he reached out their cord for her to take. She squeezed it gratefully. When she came to the back tent flap she stopped by the door. Oree bent to unfasten the entrance, gently touched her elbow in passing and stepped in.
“Finally!”someone exclaimed.
“Commander Rao, please,” another voice responded.
“Sorry, sir.”
Oree cleared his throat. “Prince, Commander Rao, Madam, Mistress Lee is ready to see Commander Liaz. You may leave or stay.” He paused and then stepped into the room and held the flap open for Lee. Lee stepped through slowly, silently thanking Oree.