(34) Coma

Even for Annaliese, the day left a sour taste in her mouth. For one increment of a moment, she wished she would be left alone. She chastised herself for offering her help to Josin earlier in the day--the consistent battering upon the Halls of Lightning began to wear her down. After her long contract amongst the Sons of Hodir, trying to gain their respect for the chance at their knowledge of a jewel crafting design, she never wanted to step in snow again. Too bad it covered most of the continent of Northrend.

Now, she wallowed in it, her body still burning from within with the sting of lightning. Anna trembled from the pain, the cold of the snow in no way numbing the pain of her wounds. Ricardys was always handy with his healing magics, and with crafting new weapons of destruction. The motorcycle he drove off of the city of Dalaran with lay toppled in the snow, and Anna had managed to scramble away from the passenger seat he had thrown her in after incapacitating her. She was shocked she was alive, but not so surprised that her guild mate was. Ricardys was incredibly resilient. And annoyingly thick-headed.

It was not stubborn, or pig-headedness that drove Rick now, but the whim of the purely insane. He leered over her now, even as she scrambled through the snow to get away, eyes full of bloodlust, his skin the red of a furious crawdad. Her pleas had gone unheard, her display of choosing not to harm him, ignored.

"Now…now you know the Truth of death…" he spoke through gritted teeth as he rose his heavy, glowing mace to his side. "…so let it be done!"

The sound of the mace cracking against her skull was sickening, and the salty taste of her own blood soon took place of the sourness in her throat.

(A time later...)


The boat rocked gently on the waves of the sea, stretching endlessly. The water was clear, and gray, the color reflected from the skies above. No shore was in sight, and Annaliese could not tell where her small wooden boat was going. Even the oars were missing. It did not take her long to break down, seeing that she was alone. Her face in her hands, she sobbed, the occasional lap of water her reply. She thought she would scream--and then a voice rang out through the skies above her, calling her name. Looking up, she startled, almost tipping the boat. She relaxed immediately upon the sight of her husband, clad in white robes, so handsome, with her in her small boat on the sea.

"Anna…anna!" he said with a relieved sigh, reaching out to crush her to him. She felt his warmth, and welcomed it, sobs forgotten. "It's alright, love…it's alright. I'm here…"

Zam asked his questions, and she did her best to answer…the sooner she could be held again, the better. Each answer, however, seemed to darken him, or make his manner so sullen. He seemed to stare out over the water as he held to her hands, just as lost as she.

"I can't feel you….I wish I could…" she sighed at last, squeezing his hands, but not feeling his skin. He turned his soft eyes to hers, a deep, deep melancholy caught within his gaze.

"I've healed your body, managed to salvage it…but your mind is…lost. It might take time to recover, love…" he explained, his words painful. She wondered if he even knew he was here, in this boat, rocking. Anna realized then, that she was trapped in her own mind, and no shore would appear, until she was strong enough to see it. Zam tried to smile at her, but could not even bring himself to do it, the light fading from his eyes. Again, she fell to tears, holding to her distraught love.

"I'm…I'm so sorry…I should have…fought. Did something. I'm such an idiot…" Anna murmured incomprehensibly between tears. "I can't stand seeing you like this…"
His hand rose, a warm beacon of light filling it. Settling it on her chest, he murmured softly as she began to slip to the bottom of the boat, the lull of it putting her to sleep as much as the warmth of his magic.

"You are tired…you've been through so much, love. Surely you need to rest…?"



The Medic stared down at the body of his wife, still, upon the table. Washed clean of blood finally, her chest rose rhythmically as she breathed. Dark thoughts swirled in his mind, thoughts he drove away with all he could manage…but only to resurface. A blanket was pulled up to Anna's chin. He was glad to give her some sort of rest.

He couldn't allow her to see him fall apart.