Blood from Stone [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill frowns a little, light touches on Liz's forehead, neck and stomach. "Slight fever," she notes. "Touch but not hug?" she suggests. "She's still deep in dreaming sleep, so she won't wake for hours yet, I think. Unless it turns nightmare enough to spook her."

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy hesitates, and almost doesn't reach out. Then, gently, she moves to lay her hand on Liz's arm, wrapping it around her slender wrist. "I'm here," she whispers. "Please, be safe. Please."

Liz slowly settles, her breathing evening out. 

[Tethras Clan]

"See?" Merrill settles herself back down, years of practice allowing her to use her arms to move on the bed easily. Despite her desire to cuddle and be held as well, she gives the couple some space. "Nothing like the touch of a loved one to soothe."

[Marian Hawke]

The soothing doesn't last long. Unfortunately, the sleeping does; Liz remains abed far into the next day, until early afternoon, when Helene, Wynne, and Merrill all gather at her bedside to see what may remain to be done. She makes small noises, shifting here and there, as though she would wake from a nightmare, but she never does, remaining asleep, tortured but sleeping.

It's hardly a surprise, then, to find that there is a curse lingering in her body after the effects of the poison are gone. Which is strange; what sort of poison curses someone? Not yellowmoss, certainly. It might cause the sleeping, but the curse, that had to come from somewhere else. Perhaps the excursion earlier in the day; she'd picked up a new bracelet. Perhaps it was enchanted, and the curse simply didn't gain a foothold until the poison ripped an opening for it.

Regardless, when Wynne treats the curse, Liz relaxes against Cindy, finally peaceful. They give her until dinner to wake, but it doesn't take that long. With Cindy snuggled against her, and Varric standing guard while the others prepare for dinner, Liz sighs, once, shifts a little, and opens her eyes.

[Tethras Clan]

Wynne and Beth are across the street, tearing the bracelet and the contents of Liz's alchemy kit apart to see if they can detect any lingering traces of the curse- or anything else, honestly. Merrill, in a rare show of cunning, decided to make the most elaborate dishes she knows, which of course required both Carver and Jass to assist her.

[Varric]

As he had every time Liz had made a noise or stirred more than a twitch, Varric's attention cuts from his book to her instantly. See her eyes open, finally, he's on his feet and padding over to her in a second. "Hey," he whispers.

[Marian Hawke]

"Hey," she whispers, a smile flickering like a ghost at the edges of her lips. "I had the worst dream..."

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy makes a small, strangled noise, clutching at Liz more tightly, pressing her face into her back.

[Varric]

"Yeah, I imagine you did," he murmurs bleakly. "What's the square of six thousand seven hundred twenty four?" he asks abruptly.

[Marian Hawke]

"uh," she says softly. "Eighty... eighty two?"

[Varric]

"Correct," he says with a faint smile, a bit of relief showing on his face. "Do you hurt anywhere? Headache? Chills or feel overheated?" Wynne did that healer trick for bedridden patients not two hours ago (thank the gods for that) so that shouldn't be a problem at least. 

[Marian Hawke]

"I... I feel... tired. Or, no, more.... heavy," she puzzles through, slowly. "the sun is up-- how long did I sleep?"

[Varric]

"Sixteen hours," Varric says bluntly. "And some change. Well. Technically, thirteen hours of sleep, three and some hours of unconsciousness."

[Marian Hawke]

"I..."

Something guarded comes across her face then. It's a subtle shift, but he's seen it on Cindy's face enough to recognize it on the face of his beloved daughter now. "I see."

[Varric]

Varric reaches forward and taps her nose, gently. "Not sure if you do," he says gently. "Not all of it. Sure didn't see the devastating pain and loss on Cindy's face when she thought you were dead."