Read Online Kei's Gift by Ann Somerville - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ann Somerville
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shared with Banji.
Banji was still in bed, most unusually, but he sat up and rubbed his eyes as they came in. “Kei? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, except you missing your breakfast.” Kei couldn’t feel any indication from his friend that he was ill or depressed particularly, other than the ever-present sadness over the death of his parents. “I just want to look at Mis’s eye.”
“Oh. Shall I leave you alone?”
“No, no, I only want a little peace while I do it. Mis, just sit, relax.”
“What did you see?”
Despite Kei’s reassurances, Misek’s anxiety rose. Exactly what Kei did not want. “Not sure. Nothing that’ll make it worse. I need you to relax. Close both eyes, and slow your breathing. The way I showed you, you remember.”
Banji had got out of bed and padded closer. “Let me,” he said quietly, sitting behind Misek. “Lean on me, Mis. Breathe with me.”
Kei was astonished—he hadn’t realise Banji had taken on Misek’s rehabilitation to this extent—and grateful, because as Banji’s chest came in contact with Misek’s back, Misek’s anxiety dropped right off. “Well done,” Kei murmured, and Banji gave him a pleased, shy smile.
His patient was as ready as he could wish. “I think there is a chip of bone pressing on a nerve. I couldn’t really sense it before because of the swelling, and I need to check, but if I can move it away from the nerve, it might stop the pain.”
“Please. It’s enough to make me want to gouge a hole in my head.”
The quiet desperation in Misek’s voice made Kei even more determined to get the bottom of this puzzling pain. “Silence now. Let me concentrate. Banji, keep doing what you’re doing.” As Misek’s good eye closed, Kei could mouth at Banji, “This might hurt.”
Banji nodded, and put his arm around Misek’s chest as if in comfort. Kei closed his own eyes and then concentrated. The damage had been savage—Misek was lucky the metal shard that had destroyed his eye had not gone a different path and drilled into his brain and killed him. Myka had done a good job cleaning and dressing the blinded eye. On the surface, the healing was proceeding well, but underneath.... Kei took his time, knowing he was causing no pain in his careful investigation.
And there it was, what he had sensed earlier. He’d once tried to describe what he ‘saw’ with his powers to Myka, but had given up—there were just no words. Perhaps it was how a blind potter would know the shape of a pot from the information in his fingertips, the way Kei could imagine the shape and position of the fragment, deeply buried in the nerves at the back of the eyes.
“Right, Mis. There’s a bit of bone as I thought. I’m going to move it. It might ache a bit, but I need you to keep still. Be brave now, my friend.” He reached for Misek’s hand, now a little damp from worry, and held it tight. Banji nodded again, expression calm, his attention all on their friend.
It was equally impossible to describe to Myka how he moved things. It wasn’t like using his hands, or his body at all. He just...wanted it...and the small thing would shift infinitesimally. The trick here was in not doing more harm removing it than leaving it where it was.
A grunt from Misek, and his hand jerked. So it did hurt. Kei stopped and let his friend catch up. Then, a tiny bit more, and then again.
Slowly, the tiny fragment moved out of the nerves and into newly formed scar tissue, along soft flesh. “Now, Mis,” Kei said, and made a single last effort. Misek gasped, Kei having to hold his hand down, Banji gripped the other. A tiny spurt of blood at the corner of Misek’s eye, and he cried out as the tiny chip flew out across the room, landing who knew where.
Kei immediately grasped his head and kept it still. “Wait, just wait. Ride the pain, it will get better.”
Misek’s breathing was no longer calm, as he panted against the hurt. Banji held him all the while. But in a surprisingly
Banji was still in bed, most unusually, but he sat up and rubbed his eyes as they came in. “Kei? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, except you missing your breakfast.” Kei couldn’t feel any indication from his friend that he was ill or depressed particularly, other than the ever-present sadness over the death of his parents. “I just want to look at Mis’s eye.”
“Oh. Shall I leave you alone?”
“No, no, I only want a little peace while I do it. Mis, just sit, relax.”
“What did you see?”
Despite Kei’s reassurances, Misek’s anxiety rose. Exactly what Kei did not want. “Not sure. Nothing that’ll make it worse. I need you to relax. Close both eyes, and slow your breathing. The way I showed you, you remember.”
Banji had got out of bed and padded closer. “Let me,” he said quietly, sitting behind Misek. “Lean on me, Mis. Breathe with me.”
Kei was astonished—he hadn’t realise Banji had taken on Misek’s rehabilitation to this extent—and grateful, because as Banji’s chest came in contact with Misek’s back, Misek’s anxiety dropped right off. “Well done,” Kei murmured, and Banji gave him a pleased, shy smile.
His patient was as ready as he could wish. “I think there is a chip of bone pressing on a nerve. I couldn’t really sense it before because of the swelling, and I need to check, but if I can move it away from the nerve, it might stop the pain.”
“Please. It’s enough to make me want to gouge a hole in my head.”
The quiet desperation in Misek’s voice made Kei even more determined to get the bottom of this puzzling pain. “Silence now. Let me concentrate. Banji, keep doing what you’re doing.” As Misek’s good eye closed, Kei could mouth at Banji, “This might hurt.”
Banji nodded, and put his arm around Misek’s chest as if in comfort. Kei closed his own eyes and then concentrated. The damage had been savage—Misek was lucky the metal shard that had destroyed his eye had not gone a different path and drilled into his brain and killed him. Myka had done a good job cleaning and dressing the blinded eye. On the surface, the healing was proceeding well, but underneath.... Kei took his time, knowing he was causing no pain in his careful investigation.
And there it was, what he had sensed earlier. He’d once tried to describe what he ‘saw’ with his powers to Myka, but had given up—there were just no words. Perhaps it was how a blind potter would know the shape of a pot from the information in his fingertips, the way Kei could imagine the shape and position of the fragment, deeply buried in the nerves at the back of the eyes.
“Right, Mis. There’s a bit of bone as I thought. I’m going to move it. It might ache a bit, but I need you to keep still. Be brave now, my friend.” He reached for Misek’s hand, now a little damp from worry, and held it tight. Banji nodded again, expression calm, his attention all on their friend.
It was equally impossible to describe to Myka how he moved things. It wasn’t like using his hands, or his body at all. He just...wanted it...and the small thing would shift infinitesimally. The trick here was in not doing more harm removing it than leaving it where it was.
A grunt from Misek, and his hand jerked. So it did hurt. Kei stopped and let his friend catch up. Then, a tiny bit more, and then again.
Slowly, the tiny fragment moved out of the nerves and into newly formed scar tissue, along soft flesh. “Now, Mis,” Kei said, and made a single last effort. Misek gasped, Kei having to hold his hand down, Banji gripped the other. A tiny spurt of blood at the corner of Misek’s eye, and he cried out as the tiny chip flew out across the room, landing who knew where.
Kei immediately grasped his head and kept it still. “Wait, just wait. Ride the pain, it will get better.”
Misek’s breathing was no longer calm, as he panted against the hurt. Banji held him all the while. But in a surprisingly
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