"Me neither," Dero joined in with a chuckle of his own, only for it to end in a bit of coughing. The obsidian lion let his eyes fall shut for the moment, just content to be with his wife again. There was much to be said, but it would only be a short time before the others returned with their herbs and the healing would truly begin. They'd get their time eventually, the time they needed to reconnect.

At least, he hoped they would. So long as Ademt and Nymeria came back with the correct herbs and the sovereign was able to help fight off the infection that was racking the male's body, then they would get time together. "Me too," the dark knight breathed quietly, knowing it was not what he wanted to say, but the energy to say more was not within him. "I love you, too, Hanneth." At least he could get that much out as he lay in wait for help to return.

@Hanneth

Table by Amanda | Reference by Celestial-Drift (Permission given to add scars) | Background from unsplash

"thank you, @Ademt." nymeria replied, tones genuine at the offer for assistance, before setting off towards her den. she felt better knowing that @Dero was within the arms of his wife, after all, for if there was anything that the valour had learned thus far, it was that @Hanneth loved him dearly. if she did not, none of them would be where they were right now, after all.

however, to say that nymeria was a bit worried would be an understatement -- a man's life hung in the balance, after all, and she, a stranger, had been entrusted to save his life. while she was an experienced and confident healer, the racketing of her nerves was inevitable as they sprung within her chest, bouncing around beneath her flesh in frenzied and chaotic fashion. she did not let such things deter her from her mission, however, arriving swiftly to the outskirts of her den and honing in on her herb cache with poise and focus. she grabbed everything that came to mind upon first glance -- frankincense, loctus bean, pigeon pea, wild mango, and usnea. it was probably more than she needed, considering that ademt was also out fetching white weed and nimbia, but nymeria would rather have too much, than not enough. carefully, though ensuring that she did not waste any time, she would bundle the herbs up into a wide banana leaf before clasping it tightly between her jaws and turning to make the quick journey back towards the awaiting duo.

moonstone gaze casts itself across the group once she returned, dropping the leaf and its ingredients to the earth as nymeria hoped to settle along dero's free side, praying that ademt was not too far behind. "the first thing is going to be getting you some pain relief, and then i will start working on your wounds." she explained, posture straightening as that small switch went off within her brain, allowing the woman to focus solely at the task at hand. pulling forward a few strands of the loctus bean, pigeon pea, and wild mango, nymeria would start working quickly on a small potion, bringing the fruit and seeds beneath one of her heels, as her eyes flickered back up onto the gathered faces. "this is going to help with your pain and discomfort, and start treating the infection from the inside out. it will taste a bit bitter, but it will help." only when the ingredients had been ground into a paste would nymeria offer it to dero, sliding the mixture towards him atop a piece of leaf, before offering hanneth a reassuring look. he was going to be okay - he had to be.

A brief nod was all that was given before the dusky lion disappeared into the woods in search of the desired herbs. Though unfamiliar with these lands, memories of his younger years sprang back to life as the Hodari elder's gaze scanned the area. He recalled searching for herbs like this before, always learning something new from different healers over the years. White weed and nimbia, however, the white-maned lion was not familiar with. With @Nymeria's instructions, though, the herbs were not difficult to find. Ademt plucked an abundance of the foliage, having the same mindset as the native in thinking that it would be better to have too much than not enough, before he'd turn back towards where he had left his grandson and granddaughter.

By the time Ademt had returned, the queen was already setting to work on something. Her actions in grinding together different components was not lost on the former healer. The elder recalled making pastes and salves to apply to wounds over the years. It was a strange feeling to be aiding in healing once again after so long. He'd set the herbs down at the High Sovereign's feet before stepping back to allow her room to work once more. Though the Hodari remained fairly collected for the moment, worry would never truly leave his knit brows. Dero's breaths had grown shallow again, which continued to concern the grandfather, but he'd have to simply put his faith in Nymeria and @Hanneth. Between the three of them, Dero had to survive. "Can I do anything else for you, Miss Nymeria?" Ademt questioned, hating any time spent sitting idly by.

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His warmth started to ease a part of her that she had been hiding away. She was overtaken with emotions and when Nym and Ademt came back Hanneth slowly moved out of the way and just watched. Her mind was taking it what was being used and storing it away for later. Her eyes were watching every movement and did their best to not give away the turmoil that she was feeling within her soul but that had never been a strong point for her. She had failed most of the time to hide things from others, every so often she could manage it with strangers but those who she cared about... never. At the moment, she wasn't sure what was harder. Not knowing where he was or this, watching and being unable to do anything. She felt frozen in a fear that even though he was here that all that was going to happen would be that she would be able to say goodbye and that was it. She knew the infections that he had were bad and may be past the point of anything helping. Would being able to say goodbye help any? Would having that be a gift or would all of this turn into a curse that she would carry with her until she joined him? Her mismatched eyes watching her husband being cared for. She remained unmoving and didn't say anything else as they all worked.

@Nymeria

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pushing the mixture towards @Dero, nymeria hoped that it would provide the man with some relief from his injuries, aches, and other pains -- maua knew that he could use a moment of repose, no matter how small or fleeting it may be. if there was one thing that the woman believed in, it was that she could, and would, help him to the best of her abilities. the mental and emotional wounds may follow for months to come, but so long as his physical form could be taken care of and nurtured back to health, she had no doubt that he, and the rest of his family, would prevail.

and so, with the first potion done and hopefully having been accepted by the hodari, it was time for the druid to move onto the more pressing and substantive injuries. the potion would help him internally, battling off the infections and any possible invisible wounds, but the external ones would need just as much attention. her eyes traversed dero's figure once more, pausing for a breath or two to gather her thoughts, before shifting back towards @Ademt, intending to respond to his offer. "of course. if you can get started on his back leg, i will tend to his eye." she would never turn away the offer for assistance, after all, and thought that it might help soothe some of the family's worries if they were working on his injuries together, rather than watching nymeria's do it on her own. "the white weed or nibima will be good for dressing the wound at the end. -- here, this is usnea, and this is frankincense." she explained further, pushing a few bundles of the herbs in ademt's direction, trading for some of the whiteweed as she withdrew her paw back towards her body. "if you split open the root of the frankincense, the sap will help fight off inflammation and infection. layer the usnea, and then the dressings, on top of that, and it will help his body begin to heal."

while she explained the process to the other man, nymeria would follow suite of her own words and do the same. it was a methodical practice, one that almost came as a second nature to her -- she gathered the herbs together, carefully slicing into the frankincense until she got to the sap, before using a gentle touch to apply it around the edge of dero's eye. the swelling was severe, but with time, and repeated check-ups and changes to his dressings, there was hope. there was always hope. "it is all going to be alright, you know." nymeria murmured absently as she worked, gaze flickering up from her work, and hovering a moment longer upon the worried visage of @Hanneth. she did not know if she said it for herself, or for them, or for both -- but she knew it to be true nonetheless.

The moment @Nymeria and Ademt returned to them, the pair's quiet words to each other end. Dero resumed his position as obedient patient once more before a mixture of herbs was set before him. Following doctor's orders, the dark brute ingested the concoction with little difficulty. If having a healer as a wife had taught him anything, it was that the worse something tasted the better it probably was for you, so he would not spare a struggle on the bitter tasting herbs. The paste lingered on his tongue for a while longer, even when the bulk had already been swallowed. It hardly mattered, though, as any distaste on his facial expressions were likely hidden beneath his injuries.

Continuing to be still, the Hodari patriarch hardly listened to what was going on around him. He'd try to simply keep his gaze on @Hanneth, whenever she was in view while Nymeria and Ademt worked around him. Every so often, the pair of healers would hit a sensitive spot, causing the fallen king to wince from the pain, but otherwise, Dero remained immobile, just doing what he was told. Of all the things the native queen said, though, it was her murmur that caught the Hodari's attention. With his view of his wife blocked by Nymeria, the battered man's gaze was left to idle on the queen's paws as his head lay against the earth. "But it will never be the same," he quietly whispered to himself, holding back all the images of what had happened back home in his monocular gaze. The things he did, the things he saw. Dero wasn't sure if he could ever tell Hanneth about some of it, not wanting to relive the pain again.

Table by Amanda | Reference by Celestial-Drift (Permission given to add scars) | Background from unsplash

Oof, that back leg. The moment Nymeria instructed for his assistance with his grandson's mangled back leg, Ademt nearly wished he hadn't offered to help. Wasn't there a thing about doctors working on family members or something? Well, good thing this wasn't Grey's Anatomy because Dero needed all the help they could get. Given the dusky male's longer lifespan, he'd seen and been through so much in his life that he was probably better equipped to deal with his grandson's condition than @Hanneth would be at the moment. He could only imagine what she was feeling at seeing her husband like this. Thankfully, Ademt had never had to see Paloma in such a condition, but he could imagine the extent of his distraught if anything should ever happen to her.

Nodding along and listening carefully to @Nymeria, the Hodari male did as he was told with the herbs in question, exchanging the white weed and nibima for bunches of other herbs that the queen had brought back to them. Muscle memory seemed to take over the moment the elder started working with the herbs. He recalled many times patching up friends and family over the years of his living life. He even treated his own daughter after being attacked. Now, he was helping to patch up her son. Kito, the dark man started to silently prey to the memory of his late daughter, wherever her spirit may be. Please keep him here, Kito. Keep him with us. We just got him back... Help your son find his strength again. Ademt continued to prepare the herbs around Dero's leg. Though he tried his best to be gentle, the knew the injury was deep. The deeper he could place the herbs, the better his grandson's chance at healing, and so, without looking back, the elder would drip as much of a sap as he could into the gaping hole in Dero's leg before then packing as much usnea into it. Expectantly, the battered male gave a cry of pain, though managed to hiss back the rest of it. It hurt Ademt to know that he had caused his grandson pain, but he knew it was necessary. It had to get worse before it could get better, right? After the important parts were put inside the wound, the elder would go on to cover them with the dressing herbs.

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Hanneth watched. Feeling numb and useless. She was still trying to process that Dero was here. Alive and with her and the depth of his wounds was staggering but there was hope for him now. He was being tended to and with this help she wouldn't lose him. Her life had been shattered but this was a part of it that was being put back together. Her focus had been on their work but her mind wasn't following anymore. How were those remaining going to take this news? How was she even going to tell them? Hanneth looked at the lioness as she spoke and focused on her and Dero's words with a soft but forced smile. Life is ever changing and never something to be taken granted. She looked to Ademt for a moment before looking back to Dero. There was a lot still to do but she would find a way. Thank you for your help. I owe you. Hanneth didn't know how she would repay her, the offered by her kin didn't seem like something she knew how to do. At least not yet. Hanneth moved in closer to Dero in the areas that had been tended to and pressed herself against him and closed her eyes. She wanted to rest with her husband once again and she knew that he would need the rest as well.

Exit via rest

@Nymeria

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despite the churning and flipping of nymeria's stomach, she maintained a stoic and professional exterior. she was devoted to her cause and to her duty -- and so, with a practiced and careful paw, nymeria finished applying the mixture to dero's wounds. she also applied it to other injuries scattered across the areas that she could reach, and once satisfied with her work, the druid began carefully applying the dressings, as needed. she grew more and more thankful that @Ademt was there to help, considering the expansiveness and depth of @Dero's injuries, with her eyes only occasionally fluttering over to his work to ensure that things were going smoothly and without issues.

thankfully, it got to a point when nymeria felt comfortable with the progress that they had made. this would, of course, not be dero's only healing session, but it was a start - one that would likely save his life. exhaling a small rush of air, her posture shifting, it was then that the queen's ears tilted forward to catch @Hanneth's words, which prompted a quick shake of her head. "please hanneth, you don't owe me anything." soft tones murmured, before shifting to speak to the wider group. "maybe now is a good time to rest." she said finally, pausing, knowing that the hodaris needed it -- more than nymeria could ever offer, and likely more than the universe could ever give. but, a little bit of rest would be a start. "your dressings will need to be changed in a few days, but i'll bring you a few more things for the pain, and some food from the cache tomorrow -- for now, your body just needs time to fight off the infection." nymeria would take another moment to glance over the man's figure, ensuring that there was nothing grave or life-threatening that had been missed, before turning her attention back towards ademt and dero. now, it was time to rest. exit via fade, unless stopped?

Dero did his best not to move too much, but every so often, more often than he would admit, it did truly hurt to be touched. He could feel his grandfather moving about in the injury that rippled down the dark lion's back leg while Nymeria addressed the other wounds. The fallen king did his best to simply block out the pain, though that seemed to block out much of what was said as well. In the end, all he seemed to hear was the words of finality, that the healers had done all that they could for the time being. "Thank you," came the words forced, yet genuine, while Dero barely looked ahead in a dazed expression. Rest. Yes, that was exactly what he needed. It would take no prompting for the Hodari to eventually set his head back down to the ground, quickly slipping off into some much needed sleep.

Exit via sleep

Table by Amanda | Reference by Celestial-Drift (Permission given to add scars) | Background from unsplash