I'M A SURVIVOR Chapt, 7

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Chaotic Damned
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Audra.s P.O.V
Back in the large cottage down the path I was sitting down in the lounge room, Sito was away and the boys were eating their meals on the couch. I had the blanket from my bed over me, it was a cold night, there was a fire going in the corner.
"Are you sure your not hungry, Audra?" Joseph asked for the thousandth time.
"I'm fine." I say in a small voice. So they keep chatting away and I stare into the fire. Feeling a slight tickle in my throat I yank a handkerchief out of my pocket and get it in front of my face just in time to catch the coughing fit. It was a white handkerchief splattered with red by the time I pulled it away, wiping my mouth carefully I look at the handkerchief and shiver. Remembering Dale’s warning that this might happen I screw it up in my hand and lead my head back on the chair. I realised the room had gone quiet.
"Is that normal?" Leo asked in a whisper.
"Perfectly." I growl, throwing the ruined handkerchief into the fire, they were still watching me. I sigh.
"Hey, the healers can't get everything, right?" I snuggle further down into the blanket, pulling it up over my chest.

The next day I felt a little weak and sore but I decided I had better pay Dale before he thought I was tricking him or something. I had been given directions to a small workshop in the middle of the main buildings. I reach there and knock on the door softly, nervously. It opens a moment later and Dale stood there.
"Audra, you're looking well." He sounds a little surprised.
"I am, thanks to you. How are you?"
"Good, thank you."
"I thought I better pay you before you thought I was ripping you off." He laughs as I hand him the envelope.
"Are you busy now?" He asks, laying the envelope on a small table beside the door before leaning against the frame.
"No, why?"
"I should probably give you a check up, see that everything healed ok?"
"Of course."
"Come in." he steps aside and I walk into the small workshop. I don't know what I was expecting from workshop, but this place had jars of herbs spices and other medicinal things lined up against the wall but was more of a lounge room type thing.
"How are you feeling?" He asks. I think for a moment.
"A little sore, not too bad." He nods.
"I should probably check the wounds you had before, to see what has healed and what hasn't." I laugh bitterly.
"If you can remember them all!" He smiles a little.
"Tea?"
"No, thanks." There was an awkward pause, I make a face.
"So, um. where do you want to start?" I ask, still awkward.
"Let's just work our way up shall we? How is your leg?" He motions for me to put my foot up on the edge of the table and I follow.
"Good." I answer his question. I was wearing legging so I couldn't exactly take them off to show him my healed leg. After a questioning look and a nod he runs his hand over my thigh, then presses on it with his hands, he was strong.
"Tender?" He asks, pressing against it.
"No, it's fine." He nods, standing up and. I put my hand on my stomach.
"My stomach bruises are gone."
"May I see?" Colour rises in his cheeks and mine too I'm sure. Pulling up my tunic as far as...appropriate. Well, this wasn't really appropriate anyway but he was a healer so...

He pushes both hands against my stomach, I try not to step back but I wince.
"Tender?" He asks, running his hands over it and looking for bruises.
"A little." I admit. His touch felt warm. Lifting his hands up he brushes back my hair and runs a hand over my temple and behind it. He didn't put pressure on, he didn't have to.
"Tender?" I nod, looking at the floor.
"Headaches?"
"Yeah, but not too bad." He frowns, he lays one thumb gently on the scar on my chest, until it disappears under my top. He clears his throat twice, deep colour staining his cheeks.
"M-may I?" He asked. Cheeks burning I slowly unbutton my shirt, pulling it aside a few inches so he could see the scar. He runs his fingers over it gently.
"Tender?"
"No, just scarred a little." He nods, pressing down on it harder.
"Hopefully, with time, the scars will heal." He runs his fingers over it again, pressing down and looking at me for sign of pain.
"I feel like a whore." I admit, looking over his shoulder. His hands drop away.
"There’s only one difference." He says in a serious voice.
"What's that?" I ask, looking at him, he looks up from my chest.
"Instead of me paying you, you're paying me." I laugh aloud, it hurts my stomach. I look down so I could button up my shirt. He takes a few steps back, so we didn't look so intimate. I would hate to think what happened if someone were to walk through the door in that, but no one did.
"Does it hurt you, to heal people?" I ask, I hadn't told him I was a healer.
"It drains you, I fell asleep in your room and was there until the next morning. It can hurt, it did with you, because I can feel the pain that I am healing. It doesn't last after I am out of them but while I am there..." I nod, then bite my lip.

"I'm a healer." He looks up in shock. "I mean I'm not nearly as good as you, in fact all I have done was accidentally heal a scrape but..." I trail off and shrug. He nods thoughtfully.
"That is...interesting. Are you taking lessons with anyone?"
"No! I mean hardly anyone even knows. I'm just boarding here."
"I'm glad you told me, maybe we could start lessons one time?"
"Maybe...when I'm better maybe."
"I'm glad you can trust me."
"I can trust you?" I ask, he nods, looking me deep in the eye.
"Oh well in that case, I can see the future too." He stops again, looking up, amused.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean I saw someone getting attacked being the metal work so I went to try and stop them to get help. That was a big mistake, it was me getting attacked. I mean, I could have stopped it!" He looks serious, nodding, thoughtful.
"Does anyone else know this?"
"No one else even knows I can see the future! No one even thinks I have powers!" I sigh.
"I should probably be going." I admit, it was getting late, lessons would be over by now.
"As should I. I will talk to you soon?"
"You know where to find me."

Everyone was outside the cottage, watching Sito and Joseph work in the garden.
"Where have you been?" Asks Oliver, not sneering for a change.
"Out." I mumble.
"Where have you been, Audra?" Sito asks in a serious voice.
"Around." I say, looking at my feet. I sit down, cross legged. I meet Sito's stern gaze.
"Where?" I throw out my arms.
"The healers, ok? I went back to the healers!" No one says anything so scowling at them all I head inside and start cutting up the vegetables for dinner.

Vivian’s P.O.V.
I suck in a deep breath, meditating. I eye the silver medallion on my table. Vivian.
'show me what I need to see.'
Images come swirling towards me, but they were old. The young girl being attacked by the boys. but then the image changes and I see my young Dale, closing a door to a hospital room, looking around nervously. This was through a nurses eyes. Behind him the young girl was unbuttoning her shirt, looking reluctant.
The next morning through a young boys eyes I see Dale leaving the room, buttoning up his shirt, his vest hanging over one arm. He had a guilty expression on his face and the young boy thought the worst.
Then the worst images came to me, him kneeling on the floor below her slender leg, pushing against it. Rising he lays his smooth hands against her stomach, whispering something to her as she lifted up her top. He brushes hair from her face as she looks down, the motion was intimate. She unbuttons her shirt again and his hand slowly slides down it...

Then, in time to come I see her belly slightly swelled, with child.

Quickly I pull away from these images, gasping. Only the last image was from the future, the rest had already come to pass. I quickly blow out the candles and stalk from my room to see my son.

Dale’s P.O.V.
I was reading a book about healing the mind when mother stormed in.
"You could at least knock." I say, yawning and lying the book down.
"I just had a vision of the past, the girl who got bashed and you! You know you can't...be with girls who aren't healer! You know that you hurt them!" Whoa, what?
"What are you talking about? I have not...been with Audra!" She takes a seat on one of the arm chairs, trying to calm herself.
"Son, I know that being your age you want to...do things but-" No way!
"But I control it, mother i have NOT been with Audra!" Getting annoyed she lays one hand on mine, my mothers power, as well as seeing vision, was to share minds. When she wanted to she could read people minds or show them images from her, but only when they were touching. She shows me closing the hospital door, Audra behind me unbuttoning her shirt, then me leaving the next morning, buttoning up my shirt. Then me giving her a check-up...well I could certainly see where she go the idea from I pull away.
"Enough. I was merely giving her a check up, examining her wounds."
"Oh, is that what you told her?"
"Mother!"
"That's not all I saw, I saw a future image, of her with child! Sometime in the next few months surely!" I stop at this, it shocked me into silence. I was sure she had never 'been' with someone, not meaning to pry but when you are in someone's body you kind of pick these things up.
"It's not mine. Audra is a...fine lady but we did not do what you are suggesting. You saw her attacked, she had been kicked and punched in the stomach, leg, and head. The blond boy cut down her chest when he tried to...disrobe her. You saw that. I am appalled you trust me so little, mother." She frowns suspiciously.
"Are you sure? Because you know you can't-"
"I know. Now please leave I have studying to do." She leaves without another word. Audra with child, it just cannot be! There was no need to tell mother Audra was a healer, that would just make her more suspicious. I wondered who it would be, the father.

Audra.
Everywhere still hurt it was weird, but a lot better than what I had before. It was good to be in my own clothes again too. A week slowly passed and my pains and aches went away and I began to grow bored again in the afternoons. I was at the cottage alone on afternoon when there was a knock at the open door. Looking up I see a face I remembered only too well. It was the blond boy who had attacked me, and kissed me. I freeze. His hands shoot up in surrender.
"Please, let me explain!" So he explained that he could read my mind and that he had grown up and gone to a truth sayer, he told me everything and...well at the moment at least, he seemed like a nice guy.
"So your not mean now?" He laughs, hands around his tea cup I had given him.
"In a manner of speaking, I guess we will wait and see. I won't attack you again if that’s what you mean." I laugh, feeling oddly light around him.
"That’s a start I suppose. So you can read minds?" I couldn't help but lean forward, fascinated.
"Well yeah occasionally, you see-"
"Audra?" Oliver and Leo stood at the back door, looking from Adam to me and back again.
"I should go." Mutters Adam.
"Yeah." I agree quietly, taking his cup. He runs a hand through his hair and leaves through the front door.
"Who was that?" Oliver asked, walking over to take a seat.
"That was Adam, he was the one who attacked me." No point hiding anything around here any more. 'Oh' he nods looking away and then turning back.
"Do you have a death wish?" He asks seriously as Leo takes a seat.
"No I'm cursed." I tell him with a smile as I pick up the tea cups and carry them to the sink.
"Oh, well that explains it." I hear him mumble, I smile to myself.

As yet another week wore on I began to realise I had a bit of a problem.
Leo was hanging around me more than usual, being more than helpful as Oliver and Joseph watched him, smirking. He was sweet on me, Dung!
Adam called by again and we sat talking for hours until Sito showed up and he hurriedly left again. I was beginning t enjoy my time with him more too, even if I was still a little hesitant.
And Dale kept shooting me funny looks from across distances between us, not actually approaching me. He blushed every time I smiled at him. What was with that?

But how could I say no to them? They were all just so damn good looking! I couldn't resist.

Days flew by and I began to help Viola in her garden more, enjoying the suns rays on my face. One particular day I was feeling a little queasy in the stomach, as I had the day before. It was not a hot day, surprisingly cool.
"Viola?" I ask one morning, she looks up from the seeds she was planting.
"Yeah?"
"I don't feel so good." She frowns.
"What's wrong?"
"My stomach hurts."
"We should probably get you to the medical bay, in case something went wrong with your healing." She planted the last seed and I reluctantly follow her.
"I think I'm gonna faint." I say in a rush when we step inside the medical bay. The floor swirled underneath me. She holds my shoulders.
"Come on Audra, hold on!" I didn't hear her.

I stir restlessly, opening my eyes. Viola was next to me, smiling.
"You fainted." I groan in embarrassment. "The nurse took some tests." She continues, right on cue the nurse walks in.
"Your healer did a fine job, it's not your stomach that’s...affected." She says, grinning.
"What is it then?"
"You are with child."

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