60. The Prince

60

THE PRINCE

" T his is a happy moment," Julian said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. "It deserves a celebration."

"Yes. I hope so."

Julian smiled. "Close your eyes and count to a hundred. By the time you are done, I will be done too."

It was probably how the medic took care of frightened small children, but Ell-rom was happy to follow the advice.

In a way, he was like a small child, learning the world he had recently awakened to. Everything was strange and unfamiliar, but his sister was in the next room over, and he had Jasmine by his side.

He wasn't alone.

There were also the others who had visited him the day before—Annani, who had been so gracious and promised to take care of him and Morelle. Kian, Jade, and Aru also seemed like good people who did not mean him or his sister harm, and maybe they could all become friends at some point. Perhaps he and Morelle would find a community among these people.

"All done," Julian announced. "You can open your eyes now."

"Thank you. That was good advice. I did not feel most of it."

"I tried to be as gentle as possible, but some things hurt no matter how hard I try." Julian leaned over Ell-rom. "Wrap your arms around my neck. I will count to three, and on three, I will lift you off the bed. Try to help by hoisting yourself up and moving your legs over the side of the bed."

As Ell-rom followed the medic's suggestion, he was glad Jasmine was not there to see the humiliating display of helplessness.

"You are doing very well," Julian said as Ell-rom got his feet on the floor. "Now, try to stand straight and leave only one arm around my neck."

His legs shook, and he hung from Julian's neck, but he managed to make one step and then another. Then, he was at the door to the bathroom, and Julian helped him get inside.

"I don't know if you had toilets where you came from, but this is where you empty your bladder and bowels. After you are done, the toilet automatically activates and washes everything down. After a bowel movement, you can press this button, and a water spray will clean the area. All that will remain to be done is to wipe the moisture with some paper. I don't expect you to need to do that yet, but you need to empty your bladder." Julian tilted his head. "Do you want to give it a try?"

"I should." Ell-rom smiled nervously. "I don't want that tube inside of me again."

Julian helped him sit down on the toilet. "I'll give you some privacy by turning my back to you, but I don't want to leave you alone here just yet."

It was glorious to relieve himself, to perform that small function on his own, but when it was time to get up, Ell-rom lacked the strength.

Shame and frustration warred within him, but he could not bring himself to ask for Julian's help.

Instead, he sat there and waited until the medic turned around. "All done?" Julian asked cheerfully.

"Yes, thank you. I just can't get up."

"That's perfectly all right." Julian offered him both of his hands. "Let's do this together."

When he was up, the toilet whooshed behind him, startling him.

He looked over his shoulder, watching as the water spiraled inside and a blue light flashed.

"The light sanitizes the bowl," Julian explained. "I've never thought to ask Jade how things like that worked back on Anumati." He guided Ell-rom into the shower stall and helped him sit on a small stool. "It's funny how you never think about things like that until you meet someone who can't remember anything."

The medic removed the garment that covered Ell-rom and tossed it into a bin that stood in a corner. "I've got a pair of loose pants for you and a matching shirt. You will feel so much better in them."

"Thank you." Ell-rom was trying to maintain some dignity by sitting up and not allowing himself to slide down to the floor.

He was so frail, so vulnerable.

As Julian washed Ell-rom with brisk but gentle movements, the medic kept talking in his soothing, conversational tone.

"Do you want me to cut your hair?" he asked after washing it with some fragrant lotion and then rinsing it. "You have those clumps of long hair and a fuzz of new growth, and it doesn't look good. Cutting everything short will look better."

"I trust your judgment." He chuckled weakly. "I haven't looked at myself yet." "You are about to in a few moments." Julian turned the water off, rubbed a soft towel over Ell-rom, and then helped him into a robe made from the same soft fabric as the towel.

Leaving him sitting on the stool in the shower, Julian stepped out and returned with a paper cup and a brush with some white paste on it.

"This is a toothbrush. As the name implies, it's for cleaning your teeth. Don't swallow the paste. After I'm done brushing your teeth, you will rinse it out with water from the cup." He handed it to him.

"I can brush my teeth by myself," Ell-rom said.

Julian looked doubtful, but he gave him the brush. "Go ahead."

It was a challenge, his hands shaking and his grip weak as he tried to maneuver the small brush over his teeth and gums. In the end, Julian had to help him, guiding his hand and steadying his arm until the task was done.

"Okay." The medic grinned at him. "Looking good. Let's get rid of those clumps before I lead you to the mirror."

He must have looked bad if the medic felt the need to fix his hair before letting him see his reflection.

Julian returned with a pair of scissors. "I'm not a barber, so don't expect anything fancy, but I will do my best."

By the time Julian was done and helped Ell-rom up, exhaustion was dragging him down, and as he stood in front of the mirror, he didn't recognize the face staring back at him.

Gaunt and pale, with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes, the male in the mirror looked like a ghost. Ell-rom lifted a hand to his face, tracing the sharp angles of his cheekbones and the sparse tufts of new hair on his scalp.

"I don't know who I am," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I don't recognize myself."

Julian's hand was warm and solid on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around Ell-rom's middle, holding him from falling. "You still have a long journey back to yourself, but you can make it only one step at a time."

As Julian helped him into the fresh clothing he'd brought and then back into bed, Ell-rom clung to those words like a lifeline.

One step at a time.