Thekla's Promise

As the sun finally slipped down and the soft gray light of evening filled the sky, Thekla stopped the cart and crawled in beside her friend. Pulling back the bandage to change it for the last one that she had, she was terrified to see a dark brown fluid oozing from the wound.  Xantha's fever was much higher; her skin felt like hot paper under Thekla's hands.  After changing the bandage, Thekla used the last of the water supply on her friend's face, trying to cool her off, but even it the cold night of the desert Xantha felt hot.  Thekla lay down next to her friend, trying to give her friend some of her warmth and strength.  Thekla listened through the night as each breath became harder for Xantha and more time past in between them.  Xantha was struggling to hang on to the last gossamer thread of life, but that thread was quickly slipping out of her grasp.
    As dawn was breaking and the sky was beginning to lighten, Thekla looked down into her friend's face and was astonished to see her lovely blue eyes for the first time in several days.  Those eyes that she had known all her life looked past her, seeing her but at the same time not seeing her.  Thekla was not sure if Xantha even knew if she was there.  She reached over and stroked her friend's cheek and took her hand, holding it next to her own cheek.  Finally, Xantha looked into Thekla's eyes, as if she were trying to reassure her friend that everything would be fine.