Roenan was finally alone in the hospital room and he was terrified after witnessing what Saive had done. He had trouble wrapping his head around what he had witnessed. Every single thing that happened since the night his mother had attempted to kill him felt light a nightmare.
They were surely going to kill Saive for attacking one of their medics. How dumb could that guy be to pull something like that and think he'd get away with it? He was out of his mind.
There had been a bit of chaos when a few medics had rushed in to check on the man on the floor. The medic who was feeling the man's pulse began speaking to the men behind them without looking up. Roenan wasn't too sure what he was saying, but they had sent for a coroner. His stomach sank for Saive.
After the coroner had left, followed by two military men carrying out the body, a medic turned and headed for Roenan. Roenan tensed up as he prepared himself to be drugged again, but the medic only checked a few of his vitals before heading back out.
The quiet was almost unnerving and he was beginning to feel restless. What exactly was happening to him here? Why were the Vernajjians keeping him alive? What had happened when Saive walked out of that door? He definitely had heard some type of exchange.
He was getting panicky and was about to pull his own IV out when he heard the handle to the door twist again. He quickly pressed himself back into his mattress and laid his head on his pillow, pretending to be asleep. The door was opening slowly and the small creak was dragging out longer than it normally did. He heard movement and the sound of a chair being scooted slightly. It was silent for about a minute before he heard the flip of a book page. Roenan peeked his eyes open, just enough to see.
Drakke was sitting in the corner of the room on the chair. He was reading his book again and his brows furrowed as his caramel eyes squinted slightly. He was wearing a dark navy uniform, with a white collar under the suit jacket. Roenan opened his eyes completely.
"Why do you read in here?" He asked.
Drakke jumped in surprise, before he let out a small, embarrassed laugh. He shut the book.
"You must believe, it is more quiet than the library in here. There are not many patients often in this space." He got up and began to walk toward Roenan. He moved gracefully, like a feline. There was something that seemed high class about him, yet he was a Vernajjian humoring a Jaedan with conversation. Roenan found that aspect of him hard to read.
Drakke stopped at the side of Roenan's bed again and looked down at him. Roenan could tell that Drakke was probably older than him by a couple of years. He would probably be a few inches taller than him standing up. Drakke stepped back and sat down on the edge of the bed to Roenan's right. "Today you look much lively. The hospital is not where you should be much longer." Drakke said with a sure nod. He paused. "I told you he is not right." Drakke added as he waved toward the mess Saive had made, which no one had cared to clean up when there was a body in the room.
Roenan looked back at the scene. "Yeah. He's... something." Roenan finished before turning back to face Draake.
Drakke gave a small chuckle. Two dimples appeared on his pale cheeks. Roenan looked down at the book he was holding and was shocked when he saw the familiar language written across the cover.
"You're studying Jaedan," Roenan observed. "Why?"
Drakke dropped his eyes to the book and pressed his thumb across the end of the pages, making them flip rapidly. The pages made small, winded sounds as they turned. "It is a main part of my course in University," He answered. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something but abruptly closed it again. He looked at Roenan for a few long moments and seemed to decide that it was okay to continue. "I am in current training in the area of a military linguist."
Roenan was surprised when he felt his heart sink. "I see. So you're basically... the real deal," He answered in a stoic tone. "Working to become one of them." Roenan added, nodding toward the door in indication of the previous encounter with the military men.
Drakke ran his hand through his long, wavy hair, sending it into disarray. He let out a gust of breath and looked at Roenan.
"It just is how things are now. You understand, surely." Drakke said while shrugging helplessly.
"You know, it's interesting that you think that," Roenan began. "Because... I'm actually having a lot of trouble understanding anything at the moment."
Drakke looked up to stare at him. He had his elbows on his knees and his hands were dangling limply in front of him, the book still held in his left hand. His head was perked to the side.
"No, that's a lie...," Roenan continued, staring dazedly toward the wall across the room as he spoke. "There are a few things I do understand."
His gaze shifted to Drakke. "I do understand that my mom killed my dad and tried to kill me before ending her own life. I also understand that some Vernajjians entered my home on that same night in the knick-of-time. And I'm coming to understand that I am a uselessly injured prisoner of war." Roenan pushed his blankets off him because he was beginning to feel hot and anxious.
The muscles in Drakke's jaw moved like he was clenching his teeth repeatedly as he stared at the edge of Roenan's bed. After some silence he looked up and finally spoke, "I am sorry about your family, Roenan."
Roenan's eyes flashed to Drakke's. "I don't need an apology from someone like you." He snapped.
Drakke nodded slightly. "I guess that it would be, you would not," He answered quietly. He looked back to Roenan, leaning forward until it looked like he was hardly on the bed.
"Can I tell you something that his true from my heart?" Drakke tapped his chest to indicate his heart. He glanced behind him toward the door and leaned forward again.
"I do not approve this war," He whispered so quietly that Roenan almost thought he hadn't actually heard it. "I do not trust this government. They manipulate our monarchy".
Roenan felt shock course through him. "Then why are you in a military university?" He asked guardedly.
"In this country it's a man's duty. We do not have a choice." Drakke responded, leaning back to sit up straight while lifting his hands palm up before turning them over and slapping them to his knees in a helpless type of shrug.
"Unless one would like to go to prison or be killed," He said matter-of-factly. "Or go to prison and be killed."
Roenan stared at Drakke, searching his eyes for dishonesty. His parents had trained him to never associate with, let alone trust, a Vernajjian. They told him from the moment he was young to never speak if he heard the Vernajjian language and to never go with a Vernajjian that tried to take him. But he wasn't able to pinpoint deceit in the man in front of him.
"How old are you?" Roenan asked.
"Twenty-seven." Drakke answered.
"When did they send you to military school?" He pressed on.
"I have been in military school since I was young child," Drakke looked back toward the door. "It's how all boys' schools have been for decades."
Roenan stared at him. "Are you going to get in trouble again if you're caught talking to me?" Roenan asked, glancing toward the door as well.
Drakke looked back at him with an expression that was hard to read. "I do not care if I get caught."
There was a long pause of intense silence. Roenan was searching Drakke's face. He really was a uniquely handsome guy. Roenan had never seen someone with hair and eyes like his. Then again, he never associated with Vernajjians before so his features were new to him. He found himself begin to blush when Drakke's eyes looked straight into his.
"I'm twenty-two." Roenan said to break the silence, clearing his throat and looking away.
Drakke let out an airy laugh and Roenan was pretty sure he'd noticed him blushing. "When are you twenty-three?" Drakke asked.
"Six months from now. That is, assuming that I've only been in this hospital a few days and that I wasn't in a coma." Roenan answered.
"You've been here for seven days." Drakke informed him.
That meant that Roenan had been completely unconscious for five days straight when he was first brought here. That meant that his parents had been dead for a week. It also meant that he was seven days alone in the world. Roenan felt a lump in his throat when he swallowed dryly and blinked back whatever tears were struggling to come forward.
Drakke cleared his throat. "I attend exam in two weeks and a half week," He mumbled quietly. "In Jaedan..." He continued as he ran his hand across his mouth in a self-conscious way and looked back into Roenan's eyes. "Do you think that you would help me study?" He asked flicking his bright eyes side-to-side to look between Roenan's.
Roenan chewed his bottom lip while silently searching for an answer. As much as he was raised to despise the Vernajjians and by witnessing the corruption of their country that he only began to understand as he grew older, he sort of felt bad for Drakke. The guy didn't seem all that bad. But, it could be an act for all he knew. Maybe he wanted to learn this language to use it against Jaedans, instead of using it to compromise with them.
"I can't do that," He paused. Drakke met his eyes again. "I don't want to help Vernajjians with their cause. Helping you study would essentially be helping the other side strengthen their troops, and I'm not about to do that." Roenan rub both of his eyes while simultaneously stretching. "Language is powerful."
Drakke froze for a few moments and stared at Roenan curiously. Finally he relaxed. "I know it is. Which is why there is an offer that I'm willing to make you."
Roenan brought his hands down, wincing at the uncomfortable feeling the stretch left across his sore abs.
"Offer...," Roenan muttered slowly.
"I will help you learn Vernajjian if you help me better my Jaeden. It will be some give and some take," When Roenan blinked at him and didn't respond he quickly added, "I am going to be honest now with you. They are going to force you into university anyway." He waved his hand in the direction of the door. "To take the extra help will make wise choice for you. Vernajjian is mandatory at university."
"What are you talking about... are you serious?" Roenan asked in disbelief. "Why would they want a Jaedan in their military university? Are they begging for a traitor?"
Drakke swallowed hard. He whispered something under his breath in Vernajjian and winced, glancing quickly at the door again. It looked like he was fighting an internal battle.
He got up and moved to take stand over Roenan. He bent down as if examining Roenan's injuries, and began speaking in his hardly audible whisper again. "If there is cameras in here, I do not know," He said shooting his eyes to the side to glance at Roenan for a quick moment before looking back to what he was doing when he reached down and touched the fabric above Roenan's injury. He pressed lightly. "Here in the camp, they will break you. They will break your body and break your mind." He lightly dragged his hand down and grabbed the edge of Roenan's hospital shirt, pulling it up slowly.
Roenan's breath caught in his throat and his body went tense.
Drakke's eyes followed his own movements and then he sucked in a gasp while wincing at what he saw. He slowly pulled the shirt back down. "You are Jaeden when you walk in and you are Vernajjian when you walk out." He straighted up and pointed at Roenan's stomach. "You need fresh, uhh."
Drakke couldn't seem to come up with the word and motioned around his own abdomen.
Roenan hesitated before he lifted his shirt again. Sure enough, his bandage was soaked through with dry blood and seepage.
"I'll go for the medic. Perhaps you do not kill this one?" Drakke said with a small smile.
"You know that wasn't me." Roenan responded quickly. Drakke had just turned and began walking before Roenan called after him.
"Hey, Drakke," Drakke paused and looked over his shoulder. "If there are..." Roenan began, glancing into the corners of the room, indicating cameras. "Won't you get in trouble for talking to me?" Roenan asked.
Drakke smirked. "If there are...," he echoed what Roenan had said, "It is likely they will not have audio in here. To hear the sick and injured all day is what no one wants." He looked toward the door again with his back facing Roenan.
"If they ask questions to me, I tell them I start mind-breaking procedure on you to sway you to our ways. If they hear what I just said, I will be punished and we will know."
Roenan gaped at Drakke. He was shocked at the nonchalance of him.
Drakke continued walking until he reached his hand out and grabbed the handle.
"I'll take your offer." Roenan said after Drakke, before he could think. The words seemed to hum off the walls until there was complete silence again. Drakke twisted the door-nob and stepped one foot out of the door.
"See you tomorrow." He said with a hint of something in his tone that suggested he already knew the offer would be taken. The door snicked shut behind him.