Читать книгу Defiant. Tome 1. Defiant - - Страница 9

Serena clenched her jaw, pushing with all her strength, but her body was way too frail to do anything she asked of it. Sweat poured down her face, making it even harder and more frustrating. Her back still burst with excruciating pain with each push-up she did, until, finally, she collapsed to the floor, crying.

Never before had she felt so weak and unable to be herself.

The woman curled up on the floor, incapable of calming down, and stayed there even when the door to her room opened and someone walked in.

«Leave me alone.» she pushed out of herself, managing her voice just enough not to break into tears even more than she already was.

Wolfin gestured to the helper bot that accompanied him to the room and it retreated without a word, leaving the mentor and his named daughter alone.

Serena stayed curled up on the floor, pushing down her tears as best she could, until she finally looked up at whoever didn’t listen to her plea. Seeing Wolfin standing by the closed door, she looked away, embarrassed for being as weak and vulnerable as she was now.

Wolfin sighed, stepped up and kneeled before Serena, grasping her shoulder. The woman raised her tear-filled eyes to the man and felt what little resolve she had left wavering.

«Serena, I have known you very little when you were a child, but I have come to know you better once you were grown up.» the Veluthian said very softly. «And I have something to say. In all my life I have never seen a Veluthian so strong.»

«I’m not.» Serena pushed out of herself.

«You don’t understand, Scorpi. So just listen.» Wolfin nodded slowly to her. «A strong person is never born. Strength is made. It is taken day after day, pain after pain. Strong people live through much more torment and desperation than others. And you’ve had plenty of both. Yet you rose again and again, to go on, continue on your chosen path, proving to yourself and others that you are capable of great things. You’ve put your life on the line so many times even I can’t count anymore. You’ve brought to light a deep treachery that has been happening within the Laithorian Empire. You’ve brought the criminals to justice, even when it cost you greatly. You are strong. Otherwise you would have perished or given up. You could have run off to be an eternal mercenary until your life ended, and yet… you didn’t. Whatever you might think of yourself, you are worthy! You are strong! And I am proud of you, Serena!»

The man smiled and saw her breaking into tears. Embracing her extremely gently, Wolfin sighed heavily, understanding how fragile she felt after waking up at the Hospital and being kept there under watchful eyes of the Alpha level medic Kareem.

«To leave this place I need fifty push-ups, Wolfin. And I can’t even do fifteen…» he heard her sniffle.

«So what? Don’t be too hard on yourself!» he grasped her shoulders and leaned back, offering her a charming smile. «Most Veluthians wouldn’t have recovered from such terrible injuries as fast as you have! Kareem did tell you they’ve estimated your recovery time at least six weeks, right?»

Serena nodded, wiping tears off her face and slowly collecting herself.

«So why are you crying, Scorpi? It’s not even been three weeks, and you’re already doing push-ups, when others would still be lying in medical pods!» Wolfin smirked, offering his named daughter a helping hand. «Even Kareem thinks you’re a miracle of a patient! He was unsure to offer you physical therapy so early, and yet here we are – you’re doing everything needed and more!»

Serena grimaced, shaking her head, but took his help and got up onto her feet:

«Therapy… soaking in the pool and swimming is no therapy.»

Wolfin tilted his head, twitching his brow:

«Really? So it didn’t help you start doing push-ups?»

The woman slouched, realising he was right.

«Lady Serena, Alpha level medic Kareem is at the door for a daily check-up.» the AI reported. «Would you like him to return later?»

Serena looked at Wolfin and sighed:

«No. Let him in.»

The door opened and the man walked in, greeting Wolfin and Serena, bowing.

«How is my favourite patient?» he asked, smiling at Serena.

Wolfin shook his head:

«I think she’s doing better. Though, I’m not sure about you approving her doing push-ups…»

«Oh?» Kareem twitched his brow. «Lady Serena, I did say you’d have to do fifty to be let go, but I also said that you shouldn’t be doing them for a few days at least…»

He scanned the woman and his brows raised up, seeing the results.

«Don’t tell me…» Serena grimaced. «I’ve made it worse…»

«No…» the medic lowered his scanner and smirked. «Might I ask how many push-ups you’ve managed to do today?»

«Fourteen.»

«And this was after the physical therapy session?»

«I caught her doing them when I came in.» Wolfin crossed his arms.

Kareem made a note on his information tablet and stepped to Serena:

«Would you mind me checking your back?»

«I can leave…» Wolfin gestured to the door.

The woman threw a glance to Wolfin, shaking her head, then turned her back to Kareem, lowering her robe. For the first time after she had been taken to the Hospital, Wolfin saw how her injuries were healing. Though she no longer wore a bandaging gel, her whole back was still covered in deep scars – those would fade and disappear with time after she fully recovers.

But right now he was shocked to see the damage she sustained.

Kareem studied the scars, then touched her spine, gently pushing onto the bones:

«Do you feel any pain here?»

Serena shook her head:

«Just pressure and a bit of… tingling, I guess.»

The medic ran his thumb across her back right under the shoulder-bone:

«Here?»

Serena felt her muscle twitching, and gritted her teeth:

«A bit.»

Kareem grabbed his information tablet again and made a few notes, then took a syringe off his belt and gave Serena a shot of some meds.

«Good. You’re healing even better since I pushed you to start therapy.» he said. «You can put the robes back on.»

Serena hesitated, and the men noticed her shoulders slouching.

«Wolfin?» her voice almost cracked.

«Yes, Captain?» her mentor replied, still studying her back.

«How bad are the scars?»

«They’ll disappear, Serena.»

She gritted her teeth, throwing the robes back onto her shoulders and glanced at the man, locking eyes with him:

«How bad?»

Wolfin exchanged glances with Kareem and cleared his throat:

«I’ve never seen any like that, Captain. They’re… extensive.» he hesitated for a moment and added. «I’m honestly surprised that you were able to do any push-ups at all with your muscles not yet fully regenerated.»

Serena swallowed hard, nodding to these words and didn’t say anything else.