The Splintered Dreams

Khaat knew her father had his reservations about letting his daughter sleep in the same room with a strange man she'd only known two days, even if it was in a hospital room. She figured that was why he left the door open and left clear orders for Archangel to protect her. But her own aching and rather flat feeling head left her in desperate need of rest. She allowed her eyes to close because of the relief her father's spells had brought. She knew she needed to rest while she had the relief they brought. Her eyes fell shut heavily, uncontrollably, and she fiinally slept.

seeing her finally fall asleep Cordell finaly succome to his of sleepyness turning his abck to her to show he would not do anything to her he knew better , besides that was not his way his father had taught him from an early age to respect others and treat them as you would be treat he was certainly not going to take dvantage of her , he respected her too much for that, he did understand her fathers logic , he was a stranger from another contry he'd been in a coma and god knows what could have changed in him. He sighed as she drifted off to sleep he knew nothing ahd changed inside him except fotr the fact now he had a freind in this contry, one pretty much like himself.

Cordel woke slowly the sheet pulled ovber his head as he sun broke threw it, he growned throwing the pillow over his head as he turned onto his stomach to try and catch the last remnants of sleep that he could , but nomatter how hard he tried he just could not and gave up placing his head on top rather than under it.

Khaat had been up and showered, hair done and dressed hours before Walker had even thought about coming conscious. She was dressed for work. She was still a bit dizzy, and her head hurt, but she was considerably better than the day before. She had not seen her father yet, and knew he would be quite put out with her. But she had a job to do. And one day was all he was getting from her. She passed by his room door, saw him struggling to wake and conjured a cup of hot french roast beside his bed on the bedside table as she went past. She did plan on stopping back, with her own cup of coffee, after she had given him a few minutes to wake up. She figured she had about even odds on whether he would understand her need to be up, or whether she would catch the devil from him too.

Robert knew full well that Khaat had been living at St. Mungos for a long time, feeling unable to go to her own home because she wanted Rob to stay badly enough that she'd given up her home for him. He had offered her to move home to Cornwall with him and her mother, but Khaat had refused him. He hated the fact that she wouldn't evne take enough money for a London apartment or a hotel room. But if there was something good in it, she wasn't alone here at St. Mungos. She was relatively safe.

He knew also, equally well, that she was not capable of obeying him til morning. She never had been. She had never been the best at just sleeping and resting. He went to the room where he'd left her and found the bed empty, just as he had expected. He saw Cordel trying to wake up. "Don't worry. She's probably just gone for the closest pot of french roast," he told Cordel as he walked past, "I'll find her."

cordell looked at Robert "thats what i could do with " he said sitting up "ya need some help finding her ?"he said then smirked "I'm a good tracker ,sir" he slpped on the dressing gown and thin slippers they had given him the day before and stood up . he felt the stiffness in his legs and flexed the muscles there finding after a few minets it eased and he moved around the room almost like himself except forsome stiffness , he knew eventually it would go as soon as he started his normal routine again.

Moving to an open spot he started his Tie chi , hie arms mved slow ly while his breathing remained its normal state , slowly he quickened till he fell the pull of his muclkes then backed down sligtly continuling to move rythmicly closing his eyes he saw himself on a mountain top the wind pushing against him but he stood his ground

Khaat stood for a long moment, leaning on the doorway, her coffee in her hand, just watching him do his Ti Chi routine. She hadn't seen anyone do Ti Chi in a long time, and wouldn't have minded joining him, but her shimmering emerald green tight fitting Asian Style dress would not be a good choice of workout clothing. For being into her 3rd month being pregnant, she barely showed even the slightest bulge. And even she knew that wasn't right. However, she didn't mind having a good figure a little longer, though, either.

She and her father had missed each other all morning. She was still technically a patient because although she really could sign herself out, it was against policy. She reallly did need him to do it. But she was completely positive he knew she was up and working by now.

She finally cleared her throat softly to gain Walker's attention.

Cordell heard her behind him "know your there , known since you arived , love the dress by the way" he said slowling his pace down till he finally stopped breathng out slowly and opening his eyes sa he stoode upright again . Walking over to ehr he stood close but at a respectivble distance "so ya caught ya father yet?" he asked "hes worried about ya" s he stood a brown owl flew into teh room purching on his bed a letter held in its talens as soon as Cordell waled forward it flew back out again leaving it on the bed "now what?" he asked walking over and picking it up "well it's fur me" he said opening it he reads slowly.

"

To ranger walker.

You are hearby assingned to British Ministry of Magic as the liason for the rangers and Federal Ministry of Magic till you are deemed by the head of the hospital to be fit for duty in body and mind. You are a valued member of the rangers and a eceptonal Auror take this time to recover from your loss.

I hope this finds you well and good luck with you new post.

Chief Secretary of Homeland Security,
Jeff Strikland"

He turned and waked over to Khaat holding out the letter "Looks like im here for a while and not justthe hospital ether , some bloddie buracrat thinks im better off staying here" he handed it to ehr so she could read it .

Khaat laughed heartily out loud. It struck her funny. He was now hers. He could not go home, officially, until Khaat said so. She wasn't sure he realized that meant she basically determined the course of his life for now. "Well, now, how convenient is that!" she laughed. "I own a Texas Ranger now. That's not something I ever thought I would own. Well, now, let's see. What exactly should I do with you, Ranger Walker?"

Cordell looked at her then it dawned "ow boy" he said softly "your the head of the hospital" he now stood wondering just what she was going to do "if I were you 'd release me so I can get back to my home and find who ever it was that killed my family" he said sturnly now his suborn streak was showing "orders or not " he folded his arms across his chest as he waited for her awnser but as he stood he found himself calming down some what "sorry Maam, its just I have unfinished busness there" he looked down at his hand the ring sparkling in teh morrning sun "that and I so could use a coffee, Im a grouch if I don't" he wondered just what the British Ministry of Magic was like, ws it like his own fedral one or differant and if so how differant , would restrictions be place on him , he was use to working at his own pace and level on reason they sometimes called him a maveric till he'd met janet , she had held him to rights and calmbed him but now she was gone he could geel the rebel side creeping back out.

"I left you a cup of french roast earlier, but I'm sure its either gone or cold," Khaat said. She made a small flick of her fingers and the cup refilled. "Try that," she said gently. "Look, Cordell," She sat on the bed that she had occupied during the night. "I don't want to hold you someplace you don't want to be. God knows I've been there myself. But you need to get it through that thick Texan skull of yours that you almost died, and 6 months of being off your feet causes immense damage to the body and the mind both. You are not free to function for duty until I say otherwise. However long that takes. I'm sorry. But if the tables were turned, you'd be doing exactly the same thing. We both know our mutual potential to do really self destructive things when we're on the hunt. I cannot let you do that. So, much as you don't like it, I am your biggest obstacle right now--because I am your healer and I am your friend. "