As I think for a moment if she could have gone through what I did a matured at a faster rate for a brief moment I doubt my self.
No that's not possible Yua said to me that beastmen can mature at a faster rate than other races for the first few years of there life. How could that be though?
"Coda you back!" the younger female orc speaks out. She runs over to me with enthusiasm nearly leaping into the bed.
"L-Lara? Is that actually you?"
"Yes! Of course who else would leap over to you with a hug after 5 years?"
"5 years?! I have been out cold for five fucking years?!"
"Uhm, yeah...PLease don't yell."
I realize who I am yelling at and regret it. I just..5 years of my life gone. Or this new life I suppose. All because I fell down the stairs. To me, that was just a few moments ago not 5 years ago. But then again I was asleep in a coma so maybe that tricks me into thinking it was shorter than it was.
Maybe that's why Mr. and Mrs. Uchida looks slightly different. They merely aged about 5 years while Lara was just 13 years old now should be about I think 18 years old? Should I be about 16 years old now but I feel so weak.
"I feel so weak...and tired," I say with exhaustion. A lot has just happened to me in a short amount of time. Or I suppose a prolonged 5-year time frame.
The people I was staying with for the passed few years I wasn't even there for. Just unconscious whithering away like a spec of dust being blown by the wind.
"Want me to tell you what happened?"
Should I ask? Should I even answer that question? I lost a good 5 years of my life not there with them. Without Lara and she looks amazing and mature while I am small, weak, and frail. But I do want to know what happened.
"Yes. I want to know what happened on that day.
"Well..."
-Lara POV 5 years ago-
I was packing my stuff like you were but I was outside with my mother at the time. I was packing my essentials which you don't need to know about ahem.
"Hey mom! Did you bring my special dresses down as well or?"
"Oh honey, those are not necessary. We only need to bring the essentials for now then we can bring out th-"*Crashing thuds* "What the?" she looks at me with confusion and runs inside.
"Is everything okay? I heard loud crashing and sounded like...someone fell..."
I ran inside with my mother and was shocked to see you on the bottom of the stairs with blood from your head and also from the 5th staircase up. You must've hit your head directly and had a concussion. But you were bleeding quite a bit.
I remember crying when seeing you in that position not responding or moving. Barely breathing. It was, terrifying as the day I got kidnapped.
"*cries* Is he *sniff* is he gonna be okay?! I cried out.
"He will be honey we just need a healer here soon. He will be fine just like he has before he is strong!"
My mother tried to console me and what was currently going on. I don't remember if it helped or made it more worrying for me at the time.
We had stopped the bleeding and cleaned the blood but you were still not responding nor moving at all. We moved you into your room next to mine and made sure you were safely in bed without any chance of harm coming to you while we waited for the healer.
-20 minutes later-
"I am here, I came here as fast as the carriage would get me here. Where is the boy?
"Over here sir please hurry he hasn't moved since he had fallen!"
He hurries up the stairs stopping briefly but catching his footing. He was carrying a bag next to him with what sounded like gasses clinging against each other. Maybe ointments.
I proceed to follow in pursuit and he is already talking with my parents.
"Please doctor, see what is wrong with him. He hasn't responded nor moved since he had fallen down the stairs. He lost a minimal amount of blood but it could be worse."
My mother seems to be very concerned next to my father who seemed to have been brooding. He only broods when he is in a bad mood or something has happened which is negatively affecting him.
We all knew you as Coda but to most of us, even mother saw you as a family in the last few years.
We waited inside the room because, in the end, this wasn't a doctor's visit this was an emergency. We didn't leave the room while he was examining you.
-30 minutes later-
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I think he is in a coma from the head injury. Which is highly concerning for his well-being for his age. He may even die in a coma not long from now. Depending on the severity.
"Oh gods no" my mother responded.
"Shit, if only I was next to him when he fell. I would've caught him" my father responded right after her. They both seem to heart broken of this event.
I was too. How could I think this event was not horrifying. My friend, companion, and my first one.
-1 year later-
We had been caring for you since then. With consistent doctor and healer visits in order to check up on you.
"Anything sir?" I asked him during on of the visits
"No, nothing still. Would you like for us to continue supporting his life with magic or would you like us to stop?"
We had been hiring special doctors and mages in order to keep you alive hoping you would wake up one day. Since you can't eat or drink the magic is able to transfer some of their life essences into you keeping you alive. Preventing your body from dying.
This kind of magic is a special kind of healing magic where the user is able to transfer their own life essence into another one allowing the receiver to heal or recover from injuries better. IT strengthens them.
For your case it allowed your body to not wither totally away but we feared you might die so we hired several healers for this task a week. This kind of magic is draining on the user which if not checked could kill them.
Ariel ven came a few times but was so heartbroken by the event she cried a lot when seeing you in this state. She stopped coming over after 3 years of seeing you here. She was one of the healers we called upon to help.
She came over the last time for a visit instead of healing one day.
"I am sorry but I can't do this anymore" she starts to tear up with a tear dripping onto the side of Coda's bed.
"I just can't see him like this no more I am sorry!" she runs out of the building crying and asking for a carriage back into the city.
-Coda's POV-
"So I have been asleep for 5 years...5 whole years? What did I miss? How much did I miss?"
I start looking down feeling like crying. But I am so dehydrated to the point I can't shed a tear. But suddenly I feel a warm embrace on me on my left side pulling me in. It was Yua.
"Oh honey, it doesn't matter now. That's all in the past you are here now." she starts shedding tears which I can feel. I am so thirsty I could drink her tears right now and then but that would be weird if I licked Lara's mother after waking up for years.
As she hugs me I close my eyes. Only for another pair of hugs from both Mr. Uchida and Lara coming into me holding me a little too much. but I welcome this feeling of warmth that I have not had in a while. I am back, I am need to catch up on something now.
"Uhm a little to tight!" I start aching from the sheer amount of strength of the three on me.
"Oh sorry!" Lara says
"Since I am back and awake, can I eat something I haven't eaten in 5 years." I speak jokingly to up the mood.
"Oh looks like someone is spoiled already hahaha!" MR Uchida says with a cheerful expression with his hands on his hips.
"Indeed, but I think I can make an except for my so-ahem...for him." she catches herself and walks out of the room. With the doctor in pursuit and Uchida winking at me.
I guess I am like a son to her and she just can't say it. Fine with me. Being a son is a title but living like a son is an experience.
"So..."
I forgot Lara was sitting next to me on the bed when she hugged me. I hope she has what I think she has.
"Do you remember two things from years ago?" she says curiously.
"Uhm maybe be a little more specific on that please"
*sighs* "Oh you know this necklace"
"Oh, OH yeah I remember I bought that and gave it to you."
"Eh, wrong. It was Ariel remember?"
Well, technically but it was my gift with Ariel's money so I gave it to it by default!
"Maybe bu-" before I could finish she puts her finger on my lips silencing me and then speaks
"Don't talk so casually, you need to recover Cody" she smiles at me with a new feeling behind it. It was cute but so much more. I think I like her. I still need to be her companion. So when I can I will get out of this god-forsaken bed and get stronger as I promised!