That Hurt.
When Shiva awoke, she didn't know where she was.
The ceiling fan above her was on, and she watched it move slowly as she tried to process what had happened. She looked around the room. The walls were painted a deep burgundy, and she was laying on a black leather couch, A silver fur blanket was draped over her, and she noticed thick layers of gauze covering her injuries. She reached down to touch her ribs, and inhaled sharply at the pain.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She heard a man's voice say. Scared, she turned her head and saw the last person she had expected to see. He stood at the end of the hallway, wearing a dark green bathrobe and holding a hot mug of tea in his hands. He walked over to her, and placed the steaming mug on the end table next to her.
"Solas?" she said nervously, astonished. "Where-"
"I found you outside as I was driving home." He said shortly. "It seemed the quickest way to get you help was to bring you with me." she tried to turn over on her side to see him better, but he put his hand on her shoulder gently to prevent her. "I'll help you sit up. You should be careful. You've got two rib fractures and a punctured lung." He helped her adjust to a sitting position, and he handed her the tea. She took a careful sip.
"Is my bag here?" She asked, suddenly panicked. "I need to send someone to check on Danyla!"
"Your dog?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She nodded fervently. He pulled out his phone, and typed a quick message. He put it away after a few moments. "She'll be brought over soon. I've sent someone to get her for you." He said simply.
"Isn't this unethical?" She asked. "I mean, shouldn't I be in a hospital?"
Solas rolled his eyes. "You still haven't thanked me for saving your life."
"Well, uh-"
"We needed time. I suppose it could have been done differently, but I wasn't willing to risk it when I knew I could help you faster." He snapped, clearly unhappy with the way the conversation had turned. Shiva stayed silent, taken aback by the Solas' tone.
After a moment, Shiva cleared her throat. "Thank you, Solas." She said quietly. His frown softened into a small smile. "What, ah," she fumbled, looking for something to say. "What is this blanket? Made of, I mean."
"That?" Solas touched the soft fur. "That was a gift to me from one of my... friends." he finished awkwardly. "It's a an albino great bear pelt."
"Oh." Shiva responded, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. "Who gave it to you?"
"A friend" He replied tersely. The brief smile had disappeared from his face. "It's irrelevant. Drink your tea."
"Well, fine..." she took another sip of the tea. It tasted like the forest smelled, and she was pretty sure that was a bad thing. Her face twisted in disgust, and she placed the cup back on the table.
"Not a fan of tea either, I see." He commented brusquely, "That doesn't mean you are allowed to leave it unfinished, though." He motioned for her to pick it back up, and so she drank the rest of it reluctantly. She may not have liked the doctor, but she trusted him enough with her health. She wondered if that was a bit backwards. The tea made her stomach gurgle, and she covered her mouth reflexively.
"What the hell-" she looked around, and quickly grabbed a nearby vase. Just as she leaned over it, she felt Solas' hands sitting her back up forcefully.
"Please, try not to vomit." He held her in place, awkwardly patting her shoulder. "It's a Dalish health tonic. I thought you would be familiar with it. My apologies."
"Not this shit." She mumbled, her stomach lurching uncomfortably again. Her ribs ached with the sudden movement, but the pain wasn't as sharp as it was just minutes before. "This can't be just Elfroot."
"How observant of you." Solas replied. Shiva couldn't tell from his tone if he was mocking her or not. She decided not to stress about it, and laid her head back on the pillow. "It's a blend I modified with some different herbs. An older recipe. The taste is awful, I imagine, but it should help with your pain and help you heal faster."
"I thought you said this was a Dalish recipe?" Shiva shot him a look of frustration.
"Perhaps one more lost to the ages." He said vaguely. "In any case, I noticed the injury on your hand is infected." Shiva realized it was dressed in gauze already. "I took the liberty of cleaning and redressing it for you. I recommend you keep it iced for a while, and taking anti-inflammatory medication wouldn't hurt either." He finished.
"Will I be charged for this doctor's visit, Solas?" She laughed. He rolled his eyes.
"You can repay me by taking better care of yourself, and perhaps learning some self-defense."
"Hey!" she protested "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Was this another 'Pinterest' attempt that left you bloodied and beaten on the sidewalk?" He raised his eyebrows. Shiva pursed her lips. "I thought not."
"Well-" Shiva fumbled. "-thank you. Really."
Solas looked pleased, a genuine smile crossing his lips. "Get some rest, lethallan." He said gently. "I'll be in the other room. Let me know if you nee- hold on." He leaned over her, picking up her heavy bag from behind the couch. He was close enough that Shiva noticed a hint of expensive cologne. The scent still tingled in her nose after he pulled back. He pulled her phone out of the bag and dialed in a number. "That's my number. I don't want you straining your lungs by shouting for me. You can text or call me for anything, alright?" He patted her arm assuredly, and headed for the other room, leaving the phone in her hand.
Immediately, she checked her notifications. Nothing. She felt her stomach sink. Of course, she shouldn't have expected an explanation, but the back-stabbing she had experienced was from someone she trusted. The Isabela she knew wouldn't have robbed her and left her like that... Would she? The thought made her head spin. Or perhaps it was that strange tea Solas made her drink...
Shiva felt her eyelids get heavy, and before she could follow up the thought, she was asleep.