Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

"I... yes? Wait, still?" Merrill asks as she flips the sheet. She pulls up her nightgown to look at her bare legs, frowning as she prods at them. Evidently the pain is either dulling or she's getting used to it because she's barely flinching anymore, even when she prods at them firmly.

[Carver Amell]

"You were... awake, before, when you were ill. You mentioned not being able to feel your legs, but we thought... we did a ritual, to fix the damage. It fixed your mind, you're definitely yourself again, but I thought... I thought it would fix your legs too."

[Tethras Clan]

"I was awake before?" the elf asks, distracted from her legs. "I don't... remember any of that."

[Carver Amell]

"You... yeah. But we could all see you weren't... well. In the, in the head. It... we wanted to help you. I wanted to help you. You shouldn't have had to suffer like that."

[Bethany]

"Very tactful, brother mine," Beth says from the doorway, most of her focus on Merrill. "Good to see you awa-"

[Tethras Clan]

"Beth! I-" Merrill's bright smile of welcome twists into a guilty look and her eyes drop. "I..."

[Bethany]

"We can talk about... any of that later," Beth says quietly. "First let's have a look at you. Carver, give me a hand moving her around if she needs it?"

[Carver Amell]

"Yeah. Of course. Anything you need, Merrill. Gods, I have so much to tell you."

[Bethany]

Fifteen minutes later and they have an initial diagnosis. "It... it looks like you seized, when you... did the ritual," Bethany says quietly. "And it damaged some nerves in your spine. There was some brain trauma as well that we healed, in addition to the mental stuff. It masked the nerve damage and... at this point, it'd take some serious ritual magic to fix. Way behind what I can do. It... less effective but much safer to go with mundane physical therapy."

[Carver Amell]

"Will she... Will she walk?" He asks in a hushed whisper.

[Bethany]

Beth spreads her hands helplessly. "Maybe? But we're talking years of hard work before then. Muscle relaxers, steroids, anti-inflammatory regimen on top of the physical therapy. It'll be long and painful. I... I'd give good odds she'll be able to walk, slowly, eventually. In a few years. But without serious magic, you'll never run again," she says softly.

[Tethras Clan]

"Oh," Merrill says, staring at her lap. "Well. I... suppose I should start saving my limited flight for showering and stuff..." she muses. "What if I shapeshift into a snake? Snakes don't have legs."

[Bethany]

"Uh... Well... it's physical, not mental, so... should work, yeah?" Beth offers, the elf nodding agreely at the point.

[Carver Amell]

Carver takes a deep breath, then another. Quietly, firmly, looking into Merrill's eyes, he says, "Merrill? I promise, I'm not abandoning you, even if you can't walk. But I-- I need a minute. Okay?" 

Then he pulls his gaze away, his hands clenched tight, and gets up, intending to head to the bathroom.

[Bethany]

"That's fine," Beth says quickly. "Gives me a chance to help get her cleaned up a little and changed. We still have the wheelchair from before, so how would you like to come out to the kitchen for a bit? Maybe have some spiced milk?"