Chapter 23. Ouch!

Charon woke up and found himself staring at the ceiling through a crowded view. Sister Mia stood over him with a concerned look on her face. 

"Charon! Charon! Are you okay? Sisters come here Charon's waking up!" Her voice was frantic and evidence of the fear she held.

A confused look came over his face as he tried to recollect what had happened to lead him here. 

Widening his eyes Charon leaned up from his laying position quickly enough to hear a slight crack as his forehead collided with Mia's.

"Ow!"

"Ouch!" 

They both cried out at the pain. 

Falling back onto her knees Mia brought the palm of her hand to her forehead and winced in pain. 

"Jeez Charon you could have at least warned me!" She whined.

Charon was too busy handling the tender pain of his side to take notice of his aching forehead appropriately.

Falling back down into his laying position he struggled to use his core muscles to get up. Trying one more time he ached in pain and fell down, forgetting the chance of being able to do a proper crunch to get upright.

"Charon, don't move you're still recovering." Placing both of her hands on his aching side, Sister Mia began to recite a quick hymn. Soon a soft glow came from her palms a thin layer of mist began to cover his side. "Here this will help with the healing."

Collecting the breath that was chased out by the pain he turned his head to Mia. 

"I'm sorry Mia but where's Leo? I had him with me."

His attention was focused on Leo Omel. The son of the famous Sir Omel and his new friend. The last thing he remembered, was carrying Leo back from the wolf encounter when he blacked out, and then.. and then.....he felt as if he was forgetting something but couldn't remember. Like a haze over his mind.

The last thing he remembered was blacking out from the lack of blood when he finally saw farms. After that, it was all a blur until he woke up. 

Two distinct loud bangs came from the door of the healing room before a bundle of individuals ran inside. clamoring through the single door Charon watched as Sister Isha, Maya, and Diane struggled to push past Father David. 

It was heartwarming to see them all so concerned and in a rush to check up on him. Charon hand't experienced anyone worry over him before Father David and the church, this gave him slight tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach. 

Getting to him first Father David brought a wet towel to Charons brow and began firing off rapid questions regarding his health. The other nuns filed in beside him and began to cater to Charon's every movement and injury. He felt like he was being suspended in a tangling web of caretaker's arms, wrapped around him and threatening to never let go. 

Opening his mouth Charon asked Father David who was still in the middle of doting on the awoken boy. 

"Father.....what happened to Leo?" He said before going into a coughing fit. He hand't realized how parched he was until now. 

SIlence enveloped the room and a dark shadow floated around Father David's head.

"He-"

"He's fine Charon. Leo is in a spare room right now as we speak and his father is with him. He has already woken up."

Before David was able to respond Sister Isha interrupted him and answered in his stead. Slightly befuddled at the interruption he glanced over at Sister Isha. She stared straight snake eyes at him. 

Thinking better he didn't confront the nun on the interruption. 

"Yes, what Sister says is true. Leo is fine and with his father right now, most likely giving him the same speech I'm about to give you. "

Suddenly Charon felt like all the doting became a trap to hold him down.

"I-"

With a raise of his hand, Father David stopped Charon from talking any further. 

"Leo already told us what had happened, and let me say this right now, I am very happy you are alive. But don't mistake this for leniency. You almost died and what would we have done if you ended up as wolf entrails!" 

Hearing the words of the kind priest, Charon felt tears well up uncontrollably in his eyes. 

"I- I-" Unable to hold back Charon covered his face with the towel Father David had left on his brow. 

Through the muffled cries, Father David's face contorted into something serious. 

"That isn't to say I'm not relieved you two made it back alive but....." Sighing he placed a gentle hand on the boy's arm. "The state I found you in was enough to put me into shock. You're lucky they found you in time."

*sniff* *sniff*

"Oh, my boy." Gesturing with his head for the nuns to give the two some space the nuns left without another word, leaving David and Charon together.

Removing the towel from his face David saw the teary-eyed boy in front of him and felt a pang in his heart. The state Charon had been brought to the church had the sisters crying in panic. The blood loss was serious and Father David resorted to using a strong ocean contract to get the healing Charon needed. 

"Come on. Once you're done I'll escort you to see Leo and we can talk once we're all together."

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Outside the door Maya, Mia, and Diane all stood next to each other with their ears cupped to the wall. Their attempts at trying to discern what the two were talking about were obvious and Sister Isha deemed it her responsibility to stop it. 

"Ouch!"

"Ah!"

"Ow!"

The three young women held their behinds where no doubt a small red mark was beginning to grow. 

"There was no need for that Sister Isha," Diane grumbled as she rubbed her hurting backside. "We're adults now, you can't keep hitting us like that-" She stopped in her tracks as Sister Isha threatened to give her another. With her hands at her hips and a wet towel hanging from one side, she puffed a gust of air out her nostrils and raised her chin. 

"That will teach you young ladies the decadence of eavesdropping which is unbefitting of a holy woman such as ourselves." 

Rolling their eyes in unison at her response Sister Isha threatened to whip them once more. 

"Ladies go and get some food ready. I'm sure little Charons body will be needing nutrients after all the healing it did. Get some for the young Omel boy too, please." 

"Yes, right away Sister Isha."

With a nod the trio of girls hurried towards the kitchen to whip up some food for the healing boys. 

'Those girls.....what will do with them.' Sister Isha thought as she stood under light cast inside the now empty hallway.