Healthily awaken - and in love

It was quiet upstairs the orphanage, at Tucona's officeroom. Seraile Shadowstalker had been sleeping for three days and three nights, without pause... 'At least pulse is strong', Tucona thoughts, sighing. She was standing next to the bed, looking at Seraile's motionless face with worry. She loved the man.
- Seraile... We need you here, she whispered on silent, sad tone.
Tucona examined his face: they had not shown single motion for three days... He just rested there like dead body, with the exception that he was still breathing and his heart beating. Tucona moved her fingers on Seraile's face: from the bandage to his forehead to his eyebrow, to scars and down to beard. She let go with deep sigh. Suddenly man's head turned slightly toward her. She recoiled of surprise and frightenment:
- S..seraile ?
Man's bright green eyes looked into her, blinking. Then Seraile glanced around the room, as if thinking where he is and why. And with stammering voice he asked Tucona, what had happened. Woman sat on the edge of the bed and threw her long hair behind her back. She took Seraile's hand and stroked it gently as she explained. Dward had attacked Seraile for most awkward reason - Seraile calling him fat and short. Man had hit his head when he fell down, and lots his consciousness. And Elaerin, that unfortunate Gondorian girl, who had visited Bree for short time, had saved Seraile - by threatening to cut dwarf's throat - dwarf had been more concerned about his beard though. Silently on her mind Tucona was astonished by Elaerin's temperament. Girl had been like a wild animal sometimes... in her green eyes so deep shades that one could almost drown to them. Girl probably was drown to those shades herself.
After Tucona explained shortly what had happened - without mentioning dwarf's beard - Seraile snorted very disappointed and clearly also somewhat embarrased. His frustrated protest went like this:
- Dwarf ? Why it couldn't have been at least someone taller ?!
Tucona shaked her head laughing softly. She thought on her mind 'And girl saved you...'.
- What matters is that you woke up. You have been sleeping for three days already. I was not even sure if you would wake up!
- Three days ?! Seraile shouted, his eyes widening of surprise.
Tucona nodded slowly. After a moment of silence, Seraile recovered from the shock, reaching for woman's hand and grinned:
- At least I'm taken care of by my favoritehealer.

It was time to check, what kind of injuries Seraile possibly had gotten. Tucona took few steps away from the bed, to the heavy chest where she kept some of her healing equipment. The cover opened squeaking. Tucona took a piece of cardboard. There was pictures on it, painted with flashy bright colours. It was used to test the eyesight - and it was only pictures due to the fact that not all if even most patients were able to read. Tucona walked to the end of the bed, holding the cardboard on air so Seraile could watch it. First picture demonstrated simple teapot - painted with bright red and blue. Tucona pointed at the picture, asking what it is. Seraile raised to sit and stammered, searching for the correct word:
- A potea... I mean... Teaopt... er... Teapot.
Tucona raised her eyebrow waitingly, smiling slightly as she finally heard the right answer. Seraile looked down, his cheeks blushing lightly. 'Cute... like a child', Tucona thought and smiled. Then she moved her finger to point the yellow-green treepicture. Again, Seraile's sight worked, but wording didn't so well...  To make sure, Tucona showed him few more pictures. Then she walked back to the chest and placed the cardboard back to it.
- It seems you have some problem with the wording... Tucona said thought they both surely already knew that.
Woman walked again next to his bed and asked questions to test his memory. Such simple questions as: 'Who am I?' and 'What is this place?'. Memory seemed to be fine. Wordingproblem just turned Tucona into Tacuno and orphanage into orgenaph. After short pondering man managed to find right words. 'If he survives from the hit with this little result, I am grateful', Tucona thought in her mind, thankful that man had waken up altogether. She couldn't take it for granted. Tucona's thoughts wandered to dark region... 'Can I ever take him as granted? There is probably many of those who'd wish him dead...'. She shuddered. Woman had become familiar with death much more closely than many others, already at young age. She had a curious, but serious and respectful attitude toward death. Still, thought of losing Seraile was painful one, but Tucona wasn't going to show that pain.

As a next task, Seraile's hearing was to be checked: Tucona had moved to another top of the bed, between the bed and wall, behind Seraile's back. She asked man to close his eyes and clapped her hands next to his right ear, asking on which side he hears the sound. Answer was correct. She clapped them again next to right ear, lightly, so that Seraile couldn't deduce the side by airflow.
- And now? she asked.
- Left? Seraile answered.
Tucona wrinkled her forehead, somewhat worried and opened her mouth to comment about it. But right before she could say anything, Seraile said mischievously:
- I was only joking... Right.
They laughed a little, though Tucona felt slight irritation, like always when someone made her worried for no reason. She tested the hearing on both sides still many times. To her relief, man answered right everytime.

After helping him up from the bed - though he didn't really need the help - they stood in front of each others, on the deepblue plank floor. Seraile was barefooted, on his night gown and eyes again closed by Tucona's order. It was time to test, if his bodily reflexes worked right. Tucona asked man to raise his left foot and he did it, but grinning asked:
- Shall I raise the other left foot too ?
Tucona laughed; at least man had not lost his humour, which of course was very positive sign. She just mumbled something vague to answer. Seraile raised his eyebrows asking:
- Is that a test too is it? Just to check my er... circulation? That you have to look at closely?
Woman's light tan face flushed lightly of embarrasment. She raised her hand, swinging it hard toward man's cheek - only stopping it right before it would have touched him.
- Now sush you. Children might hear! Tucona scolded her, knowing very well that children weren't that close.
- I'm not really into that kind of thing, Seraile mentioned, referring to the slap.
- I wonder what kind of thing you are into...
Seraile's handsome, though scaringly scarry face grinned cheekily.
- Healer games? Tucona guessed.
Seraile opened his eys a fracion of a millimeter and glanced at the door, to check if it's closed. Tucona followed his gaze to the door: it was strong wooden door and firmly closed.
- I... could be... Seraile answered.
Tucona felt still a bit more embarrased, though it did only show out as a slight blush on her cheeks. She was already an adult woman but quite new to this kind of things. Fortunately or perhaps not, Seraile's mind seemed to run around rather wildly. Very soon he already changed the issue, eyes again closed:
- I can raise my left foot fine... now? See if I can raise my right foot and float? he suggested.
- As long as I won't be your boat.
They both laughed and Seraile opened his eyes, still holding his left foot in the air.
- What did you forget? Tucona asked as if he was a child who forgot to visit the outhouse before starting a long journey on horse wagons.
Seraile's face was confused. He clearly didn't understand the question. Woman pointed at his left foot and man's eyes followed.
- What about it? You told me to put it up! he protested.
Soon he asked as if having got sudden realization:
- Or did you mean something else?
Tucona laughed.
- I can see very well what part survived unharmed, she said, referring first of all to certain mental prosesses, not bodyparts...
Seraile raised his eyebrows and answered:
- You can check if you want.
- You sure want.

Tucona nudged him softly, corner of her lip twitching upward. Seraile staggered back and keeled over, coughing loudly and making noises to look like if he was struggling to breathe. He only didn't manage to look real enough to convince Tucona: she was quite a professional on the field and usually knew the difference between faking and real. Besides, there was not reason why Seraile couldn't breathe. He couldn't have swallowed anything down the wrong way, since he had not eaten for three days; and hit on the head shouldn't cause reactions like this, neither should Tucona's soft nudge. Tucona felt slight irritation rising inside her again: she didn't really like it when someone tried to make her worried for no reason. Or maybe the fault was in her getting worried too easily from fun. Anyway Tucona kneeled down to help him, patting his upper back - intentionally much harder than necessary: for punishment. That only made Seraile laugh. Tucona let go of him and jumped back up, feigning really stern and serious face. She crossed her arms and tapped the floor with the tip of her right foot. A smile played on Seraile's lips as he looked at her.
- Laugh, you know you want to, he said smirking.
Tucona was determined, she kept the stern face. It was little hard when she constantly looked into Seraile's smiling face. Man raised from the plank floor and stepped closer to her. Suddenly he started tickling her from both sides. Tucona tried to hold back the laughter. She held her stomach and bend her body down. Eventually she burst into loud laughter, and shouted from the middle of it:
- I have diagnosis!
Man stopped the tickling, letting go of her and grinning.
- And what is it, my fair lady?
- Degeneration to the level of teenagerboy, Tucona said without her face twitching a bit. The stern and serious face had returned.
- Really? Seraile asked, raising his eyebrows, as if surprised.
- About thirteen years old, I'd say.
Seraile's brows climbed even higher.
- Riiiiight. But thirteen years old couldn't get so beautiful, smart and especially pleasantnatured woman, he reasoned.
- Except if he got her before he grew so young... Tucona pointed out.
She listened to her own wordchoice and burst into laughter, Seraile laughing along with her.
- Grew so young, she repeated.
- It could work. We are all children deep inside, Seraile said.
Tucona was doubtful: she had had very nice childhood, but nowadays she felt herself rather adult. 'Probably only applies to males', she guessed silently on her mind.

Tucona smiled gently, caressing Seraile's cheek and beard. She liked his beard: it was scratchy, but on it's own way also soft... Good for scratching overall - without any naughty meanings. Tucona's delicate long fingers wrapped together with Seraile's strong fingers. She said, with soft hint of smile on the corner of her lip:
- I was only teasing you. You are very mature. Also, your wording sounds fantastic already. And your diagnosis alleviated as well.
- Oh?
- 'Momentary' degeneration to the level of teenager boy, Tucona said on feigned professional tone, strongly stressing the word 'momentary'. She added:
- Similar effect as too much ale.
- Or maybe it is just... acute need to demonstrate love... Which symptoms are general recklessness, and extreme happiness, Seraile suggested.
Tucona crossed her arms and looked at him sternly:
- Are you trying to take my place now?
- No... Of course not... And I think I may have a bruise in my mouth... Maybe I hit that too or something. Someone might need to kiss it better.
- Are you implying that I kissed you to bruises? Tucona asked, amused, understanding him wrong.
- No... But you can if you want to, Seraile answered, hopefullness in his voice.
- I see... Tucona mumbled, rolling her eyes, but with faint smile on her lips.
Seraile laughed shortly, then winked at her mischievously. Tucona moved closer to him, her fingers dancing from his beard to back of his neck. She caressed the line between bandages and warm skin of the neck.
- You wish that I did it, Tucona whispered to his ear.
Seraile breathed as woman's body softly touched his. She had no armor under her dress as she usually did wear it only when she went out. She was only wearing light cottondress and the warmth of body heated through it, meeting the heat of Seraile's body. Together they entwined into great flaming warmth, which embraced their bodies and softly kissed their minds.
- You wish you did it too, Seraile breathed out, caressing Tucona's dark silky hair. He moved his hand along her hair, down to her waist. He smiled very gently, their bodies pressing together. Tucona resisted the urge to slap the man playfully once more. He was so close and his touch made her burn. Her lips opened slightly as she gazed into his eyes, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
- So gorgeous... even when bandaged... Tucona whispered softly.
- And you will always be beautiful... no matter what... Seraile whispered back to her lovingly.
Tucona couldn't push back the image that appeared on her mind: she in old age. With grey hair, face on wrinkles, teeth black or dropped and breasts hanging... She was just about to throw out sarcastic comment, when Seraile's lips stopped her... she breathed sharply, closed her eyes and gave in to his lips and body.