Kodai did as he was told by the doctor, forcing each of his rushed breaths to calm to a normal pace. He groaned softly as the pain remained in his aching stomach, wincing slightly from even the gentlest of touches and the winced of expression was beyond his control.
The doctor feels Kodai's pulse as Anna coached his breathing. He examines the quickly forming bruises on his neck.
Kodai gazed up into his beloved friend Anna's eyes with much effort as his breathing softened, relieved that she was there to help assist him with his frantic breathing for a while.
"The child is moving quite a bit," the doctor begins. "Probably a response to the reduction in oxygen. I'm not sure as to why he can not catch his breath. The bruising on his neck is pretty substantial. I'd like to stay and monitor him through the night." Anna says, "thank you for returning so quickly. We would be grateful to have you stay." She continues running her fingers through Kodai's hair. "It's alright," she soothes.
After a few hours Kodai s rushed breaths began to soften as he continued to gaze up into Anna's eyes without a word for a moment before his upper eyelids grew heavy and closed. He listened to both Anna and the doctor speak to one another about his situation.
"He's almost asleep," she says, rising from the bed to pull the blanket over him. "I hope the King has calmed himself," she says, stepping over to the other side of the room by the doctor. "Servant, a drink for the doctor," she instructs quietly. She watches Kodai's every breath worriedly.
When the servant was beckoned she bowed her head, rushing off from the room, down the hall and into the kitchen to pour a drink in a glass cup for the doctor before returning into the room to hand it to him. "Here you go Sir. It is nice and cold." The slumbering Kodai remained asleep, his chest rising and falling ever so gently with each taken of breath.
The doctor thanks the servant, and takes a drink. "We're really in un-charted territory," he says, turning to Anna. "What do you think his mother thinks?" Anna says, "I think she is just worried. I hope this gets easier from here on out," she says, looking at Kodai.
Kodai slept ever so soundly, unknowing as to what both Anna and the doctor were speaking about as he delved deeper into his slumber.
The doctor steps out to eat some dinner. Anna stays to keep an eye on Kodai. She sits in "her" chair by the bed, and gently rubs Kodai's back as he slumbers.
Kodai became even more relaxed as his backside was rubbed upon by one of Anna's dainty and skilled hands. He breathed softly enough to where it was hardly noticeable.
Anna leaned in close to make sure he was still breathing. After an hour, the doctor returns. He sits in the corner reading a book. As the clock strikes nine, there is a quiet knock at the door. The doctor opens it, revealing the Queen. She rushes over to the bed, looks at Kodai's battered body, and collapses, weeping, into Anna's arms.
Kodai continued to slumber for a while longer, fluttering his upper eyelids and awakening within a few hours to the sound of a familiar voice sobbing. He glances around the room, curious about where the sobbing was coming from in his room.
"Shhh," Anna soothes the woman in her arms. "It's alright, he's going to be fine." She sees Kodai begin to stir, and gives the Queen some tissue. She steps over to the bed. She rubs his back gently. "Hey, how you feeling?" she asks quietly.
At first Kodai yawns and stretching out his arms for a moment before he placing them back down upon the mattress of his bed and answers softly with a warm smile while gazing up at Anna. "I am alright. Thank you for helping me."
The Queen steps over. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry," she says, brushing his hair out of his face. Anna steps out into the hall to give them a few moments.
Kodai gazed up into the eyes of his mother, smiling and speaking softly to let her know that he was well. "It is alright mother."
Anna steps back in. "Ma'am, he needs to rest," she suggests gently.
The queen did as she was told, kissing Kodai's forehead for a moment before she left the room. Kodai smiled, beginning to fall asleep after yawning softly.
Anna leaves to go about her duties, and get some food while he rests.