The knee kick struck with significant effect at mid-thigh, abruptly rousting llhaesa from what was a nice, pleasant stretch of sleep.

Smarting from the strike even as her partner continued thrashing about, llhaesa forewent activating a light in favour of decisively reaching her strong arms around Jahrae, attempting to becalm and settle.

Holding tightly, llhaesa called out softly, at least initially, then louder. “Jahrae, Jahrae! Jahrae, wake up!”

The fighting movement evolved into a controlled turn toward llhaesa. “Huh? Llhaesa, why did…” Jahrae woke, puzzled at her waking. After a moment, the dream flooded back in to memory, cutting off her words.

Llhaesa stretched back across the bed behind her and switched on the light. With that done, she returned her attention to Jahrae, catching a rather sheepish look hanging upon her partner’s face. “Did I…?”

“Did you kick me? Yes. Owie and damn but you kick hard, sheesh; you got me right on my left thigh.” Llhaesa pulled back the covers some, enough to show a bruise now forming mid-thigh.

“Oh, no; I am so sorry, ‘essa. I dreamt one of those Brotherhood members attacked you, and I…fought back, I guess rather strongly.”

“No worries. You have endured a few physical dreams on my part. We carry some baggage, we two, and when one surfaces, even in sleep we tenaciously defend each other and ourselves.

I appreciate you fought the good fight for me, and I would not wish to be the person who catches the full fury of your wrath when in defence.

I am going to pour a glass of water, would you care for one?”

“Sure, that is about all I wish to handle right now.”

Llhaesa started pulling her legs out of the covers, but her left, which was uppermost at the time and the one struck by Jahrae, only moved so far before llhaesa realised she needed to push the covers further back in order to leave the bed.

Once her feet were on the floor, she attempted to walk as if of normal health, but her leg refused to cooperate, giving out and sending her toward the floor. Just in time, llhaesa’s hands spread out before her, breaking the fall.

Managing to get back onto the bed, Jahrae moved over and rubbed her partner’s back a bit, feeling awful for inflicting the injury. “I will get the water, ‘essa. Perhaps we should have Elsrensia treat that leg?”

Leaving their bed, Jahrae walked to the bath and drew two glasses of water, returning to llhaesa’s side, handing off one glass while asking a second time if she should call Elsren.

“No, I think not, J’har. If it persists in the morning, I will seek treatment, but I’m not going to disturb her in the middle of the night because of such a silly thing.”

“Please allow me to look at it again, ‘essa. Llhaesa obliged, her legs skewed across the bed at an angle, from midway on her side towards Jahrae’s feet. “That bruise looks worse now that 5 minutes ago. Sheesh, it is at least 13 centimetres in length, and deep blue and purple. I disagree on waiting, ‘essa. You seriously hurt by morning, and I doubt you will rest well the remainder of the night.

I’m waking Elsren.”

“I feel rather silly, J’har…it’s just a bruise.”

Llhaesa’s protest fell on deaf ears, for Jahrae already dialled Ronnie and Elsren’s suite. Explaining the reason for the call, Elsren promised to be along in a few minutes.

Jahrae got up to await Elsrensia, leaving llhaesa to wallow in her sheepish misery. Within ten minutes, Elsren was in the bedroom, scanning the injury.

“That was a severe blow you struck, Jahrae, and I think it time for the two of you to start thinking on therapy to help you cope with these demons of memory. Had you struck in a different area, the injury might be far worse.

I can use the portable ACR to heal this injury, but if you struck at a spleen or kidney, llhaesa would be in the medical area now.

You can wait until we return to Arrhazon if you wish, but after that, I am going to hound you both into therapy.”

“Looks like she has us on this one, J’har, and it probably would not hurt to seek out assistance.”

“I did not wish to go before, but…yes, I will agree to go and explore whether it might help. ‘Essa, I am sorry; that injury to you scares me, especially given what Elsren just cautioned about striking a different area.”

Elsrensia reached in her medical bag and extracted the handheld ACR, placing it over the injury site and activating, the machine automatically calculating and setting time at 173 seconds from start to heal.

“My apologies for needing your mid-sleep assistance yet again, Elsren,” llhaesa still felt sheepish over needing medical help just for a dream-induced Jahrae kick.

“Nonsense; I would be rather upset if I found out tomorrow morning, because you would find your leg quite sore by then. Moreover, I prefer to keep the chance of clotting at a minimum.”

The ACR softly beeped in indication of completed healing. Elsren removed the unit and examined the leg, pronouncing it fine. “Try standing on it now, ‘essa.”

Llhaesa spryly left the bed, walking about the room without impairment. “It feels great, Elsren; thank you!”

“Great! I am off to bed. Try to go easy on each other the remainder of the night, please,” Elsren teasingly remarked as she let herself out.

With Elsren gone and her leg healed, llhaesa turned to Jahrae, her eyes messaging imminent mayhem. She took a deliberate step toward Jahrae, who immediately realised the intent of her wife and scooted away, out the bedroom door, on into the kitchen, placing the table between she and llhaesa.

Llhaesa stood on the opposite side, calculating angles of escape, deciding on how to position such that Jahrae could not get past her as she closed in. “You know I will catch you, J’har. I recommend surrender,” llhaesa played up her advantage.

Not willing to succumb, Jahrae feigned a move one way, instead taking off in the other direction with a single burst of speed, catching llhaesa by surprise, safely reaching the living room beyond even as llhaesa turned in pursuit.

“You cannot escape so easily, Jahrae. Come to llhaesa.”

“No way,” Jahrae found it hard to respond given her bouts of laughter. She loved it when llhaesa chased after her, and her eyes were suggestively and playfully open, making no effort to hide her inner glee that danced in them.

Llhaesa feigned twice, pretending to take off after Jahrae, but Jahrae did not fall for the moves. Jahrae knew she could make it past llhaesa, but this was a false hope as the only option was to the bedrooms, either of which would prove a trap she would not escape.

Deciding she had nothing to lose, she took the bedroom option, zooming past llhaesa, heading for their bedroom, accepting her inevitable fate, but with a bit more playful pursuit first.

Unfortunately, as Jahrae turned into the bedroom, she tripped in spectacular fashion; spinning by half, she knocked over an acoustic guitar llhaesa had left inside the room, right next to the door.

The guitar slid to the floor, strings up, six strings singing their protest at the unexpected disturbance. Jahrae, her body leaving the spin and dropping uncontrollably, landed upon the guitar arse first and square over the guitar’s sound hole.

The failing guitar sang its final displeasure, its structural integrity fracturing under the force and weight of Jahrae crashing down upon it.

Llhaesa, just reaching Jahrae, tried to catch Jahrae too late, watching just beyond her reach as Jahrae crushed the guitar; Aghast at the accident, yet amused by the surreal guitar sound, her thoughts reformed into worry as Jahrae called out in pain.

Llhaesa reached down to help, but as Jahrae tried to move, the guitar moved with her. “Owww. Ruh roh.

Damn that hurts. Shit, ‘essa, I have a huge splinter stuck in my buttocks, and I cannot move.”

“I’m calling Elsrensia!”

“Like hell you are, ‘essa. She will laugh for a week when she sees my arse impaled by a flipping guitar.

Not to mention she just, not ten minutes ago, told us to behave for the remainder of the night.”

Llhaesa played the card of practicality. “J’har, it is either I extract that wayward piece of wood from your arse, unknowing exactly what is in there, or of its depth, or you can let a professional extract it, and be certain you are healthy.

I am calling.”

“I am so going to get you for this.”

As llhaesa called, another voice, this one groggy, stood in the doorway of the second bedroom. Jahrae realised too late that Addie spent the night in their suite; she had forgotten. “Mum, what is going on?” Addie asked, wiping sleep out of her eyes.

“Why are you sitting upon the floor, in fact, why aren’t you sleeping?”

“It is a long story, Addie, one too painful to tell in the moment,” Jahrae replied, wincing as she did so. “Damn but this hurts.”

“Here, let me help you!”

“No! I mean no, do not try to move me Addison, I do not wish for my sorry arse to play yet more unintended music. Your mum ‘essa is calling mum Elsren.”

“Your arse; play music? I do not under-“ Addie started to snicker, finally spotting the guitar neck and crushed pieces around her mother. “You squished the guitar and it stabbed you in the butt?”

Llhaesa hung up, trying hard not to giggle, given she knew J’har’s partial impaling seriously hurt. “Elsren is on her way, and I fear, so too is Ronnie.”

“Oh, great; that is just fucking great. Thanks a bunch, ‘essa. Good thing I flattened this guitar, because it would be destined for you to wear around your neck!”

“Well, look at it another way, J’har. We find more than one way to be legendary, well done!”

Addison laughed at llhaesa’s comment; it just struck her the right way.

“What are you laughing at, my dear daughter? You find amusement in seeing me skewered by this infernal guitar?” Jahrae tried to play it grouchily serious, though she too thought it funny. Yet she could not laugh; it hurt too much.

Elsren walked in again, this time with Ronnie, Addie stepping out of their way. “I am not at all certain I wish to hear how this happened,” Elsrensia began, crouching down next to Jahrae.

“Please speak for you only,” Ronnie admonished. “I wish to hear every dirty and sordid detail of what led up to this um…twanging.

Did llhaesa try to spank you with a guitar? It all sounds rather kinky to me!”

Llhaesa started laughing, triggering a chain reaction with the others, including Jahrae, who promptly switched from laughter to an exclamation of pain. “Owwwww! Cut out making me laugh; when I do, it hurts!”

“J’har, we have to move you so I can see the extent of the injury,” Elsrensia advised. “First, I am going to administer an anaesthetic so you will not feel pain as we shift you. Second, I will recruit llhaesa to move the guitar and keep it positioned exactly as it is relative to you right now.”

Elsren reached in her bag and removed the necessary item, adjusting the medication and dosage before finally administering it to Jahrae.

“All right, that should work within seconds. ‘Essa, can you come around, careful not to do more harm, and scrunch down along J’har.

Good. Now please be gentle, and do not laugh. We can laugh later, but right now, Jahrae is in pain, and we need to make her well.

Are you ready?”

“Yes, anytime you are.”

Elsren started to turn Jahrae, with llhaesa slowly turning the guitar with her until Jahrae was on her side. The guitar once again mildly protested the movement, though the crushed frame did little to amplify the sound, unlike earlier.

“Excellent! Now please hold the guitar right there while I check the wound and then scan the injury.” Elsrensia cut away Jahrae’s nightshirt, through which the offending piece of wood struck at her posterior pride.

“I like that shirt,” Jahrae lamented.

“Llhaesa, the anaesthetic will make her a bit silly, although she found you quite silly with your medical commentary, so I doubt you are concerned.”

“Ooh, you mean this could be fun after the fact?”

“You might find additional amusement in her comments, yes.”

“I have a really nice arse,” Jahrae declared to those gathered.

Addison dropped away from the doorway, trying hard to suppress the audible element of her laughter.

“That you do, J’har. It is a pity that a piece of wood found interest in it as well, and at a rather inopportune time,” llhaesa deadpanned.

“This is priceless,” Ronnie offered. “You two never cease to amaze me, with your ability, with your antics. I so love being in this family!”

“Yes, well, you have us at a disadvantage, Ronnie. If you get a guitar stuck to your arse, you need only ask your partner to remove it. We have no such good fortune,” llhaesa shot back.

“Llhaesa has an even better arse than me,” Jahrae continued her apparent new interest, expounding on derrieres. “I cannot resist hers.”

“That we know, J’har,” Elsrensia confirmed, more to keep her attention focused and away from laughter than for any other reason.

“At least Jahrae did not comment on anyone else,” Ronnie made the mistake of saying aloud.

“What was that you said, Ronnie?” Jahrae asked. “You said something about you and Elsrensia? You two are cute as well, and you both have nice arses, please do not feel left out,” she added, ever the diplomat, even in her amusingly medicated way.

“We are an attractive family; did you ever notice this before?” Jahrae asked, her eyes now fixated on llhaesa.

“I haven’t given it much thought, to be honest, J’har,” llhaesa replied.

Jahrae seemed satisfied with this answer, allowing llhaesa to breathe easier for about two seconds. “I am horny, and llhaesa was chasing me around the suite after you left.

That is when the guitar jumped up and bit me.”

“You are horny, Jahrae?” Ronnie asked, trying to prime the commentary well.

“Yes, aren’t you, Ronnie? You have a good woman here in Elsrensia; you should be horny.

Did you get any earlier?”

“Llhaesa, do not shake the guitar!” Elsrensia admonished the unsteady from laughter llhaesa.

“I am sorry, but I so wish this was recorded as my goofiness was,” llhaesa lamented. “This medication stuff would be great at a party, Elsren.”

“Yes, it might well be, except it is a highly regulated and powerful narcotic.

All right, here is the diagnosis. Jahrae has three splinters stuck in her left buttock, two of which inserted roughly 3 centimetres, but the third is in almost 6 centimetres; that one pierced muscle, and has almost a jagged hook to it, based on scan results. I cannot simply extract, it would cause a deeper wound to the surrounding tissue.

‘Essa, I am going to snip off the pieces from the guitar. This will leave her looking like the victim of a scorulha – porcupine – attack, but at least then we can get her to the medical area where I can surgically remove the intruding splinters.”

“You have to operate on her arse?” llhaesa asked, surprised.

“Yes, I do. That ends the chances of my catching any sleep tonight. Ronnie, I suggest you go back to bed, as you should, Addison.

Llhaesa, since you are half of this mid-night frolic and antics team, you get to stay awake with me.”

Elsrensia called for a gurney, with someone arriving with it within two minutes. Llhaesa threw on a robe and escorted Elsrensia and the flat on her stomach Jahrae to the medical unit, while Addie went back to bed and Ronnie returned to her suite.

The delicate medical work took just under an hour, with llhaesa waiting outside the surgical area. Elsrensia came out and sat down alongside llhaesa, looking bleary eyed. “Well, it was successful. Jahrae will sleep through the night, and then some, ‘essa.

While I am tired, I am also hungry and thirsty, too wired to sleep. Are you up for a bit of a snack and a beer?”

“It is the least I can do, and I could use a beer in any case. Are you planning to change?”

“No. Here, let me get you some scrubs, you can wear them instead of your robe. You can leave that here and retrieve it tomorrow.”

Llhaesa changed into pastel yellow scrubs, feeling the colour might brighten her mood at a rather unexpectedly dreary moment.

Making their way to the lounge, they chose to sit at the bar rather than a table, llhaesa ordering a round for both, while Elsrensia scoured the board behind the bar, deciding what she wished to order for middle of the night comfort food.

The beers landed before them in seconds, leading each to a prompt initial tasting. “Good idea, Elsren. I have to admit that my thirst surprises me.”

“Suppose you tell me how this happened, ‘essa.”

Llhaesa gave details of what happened after Elsren left. “It was just a quirky accident. In my mind, I can vividly see the guitar falling, twanging as it bounced on the floor, even as Jahrae fell toward it, creating yet more chaotic string noise, followed by the crushing wood of the guitar.

We were silly, tired, and a bit wired, even then. Jahrae wore a look of playful prey; she so loves me giving chase to her and of course usually it ends in a rather intimate involvement, rather than with a guitar attached to her butt.

I will say the incident will not stop us from such antics; it is too much a part of our interaction, our respective personages. We play hard, we work hard, and we deeply care for one another.

I am sorry that it devolved to a point where it affected you, Elsren. For that I am deeply sorry, and promise we will take better care in our playfulness.”

“Well, if nothing else, you amused Ronnie, although I fear Jahrae will be a tad sensitive about her derriere for a while, and she might give guitars a wide birth.

By the way, I hope that was not a good guitar lost in your hot pursuit of your partner.”

Llhaesa once again looked sheepish, wincing at the thought. “It is a new guitar, I was breaking it in, um, no pun intended. I bought it on Arrhazon, and…it is actually a top of the line, handmade guitar. I know the craftsperson, and she will not be happy to hear one of her precious creations was lost in such a foolish way.”

“With that said, it is rather funny, ‘essa. What the hell, I am up now, the sleep is gone, the surgery done, I can laugh about this. I have seen my fair share of amusing medical predicaments, and this is just one more; actually, it is quite tame in comparison to some others I have witnessed.

And the comments she made whilst medicated, ay yee yee. What is it with you two? You started in about being horny when medicated for your appendix, and now J’har starts rambling about arses. Wait, didn’t she mention something about being horny? I think she did.”

“What can I say, Elsren, we are in love after all. I am as enamoured with Jahrae as I was 19 years ago. We interact as if we are still in our early twenties, though of course we separate that conduct from our responsibilities. We try to keep fun in our lives, and encourage fun in our family, along with healthy discussion of serious topics.

When something like this happens, when we need medication that predisposes us to silliness, it is bound to manifest in this way, especially given our play just prior to the incident, where it was headed had no injury occurred.”

“True enough, ‘essa. I was a bit grumpy from the waking, but now…I agree with you on balance.

Shall we have another?”