#earthrunes

"Come, let's get going. I'm sure you'll feel uncomfortable until you can tidy up, Sir Dulf, and we can't have that." And she starts leading the way to their (cars?)....

(Cars)

Indeed, they saddle into Coradel's vehicle, it might be a bit crowded.

Boggans aren't tall, but they tend to fill a seat

It's also probably more than a bit smelly, but it's for a good cause.

August offers Claire the front passenger seat, willing to squeeze in back with the boys.

Oh yes. This man needs a shower..maybe two, but all aboard are too kind to say so.

The trip aboard seems mercifully brief...though an female Eshu in a very nice sports car, sees the nobles, and starts to outrace them

Coradel immediately takes the challenge....

"what's she doing?" Sir DUlf asks his housemate

As the car picks up intently

"Being herself." He responds with a sigh.

THey swerve, they zoom... the Eshu sees that median... Coradel? Does not.

She's laughing with the challenge just as the median makes itself known....

And that's when the axel chooses to stay behind as the rest of the car crests over the hill and ...flips for a bit and...

….. Everything goes black...

In truth, August remembers seeing Claire moving to his true heart and cutting her free from a seatbelt around her neck... he reached to help and then passed out.

----

Later, at the hospital...

"Chloe? Chloe? " Worried, then, "Coradel…"

Coradel was having the most wonderful dream... August had been elder formed into a centaur.

"...mmmmm?" She responds to her name, reluctantly. "Five more minutes...."

"My liege, if it were not for the fact you have at least four broken bones, I would slap you silly- wake up. You've scared everyone by nearly dying"

Delores ' voice

"I...what...?" She blinks and looks around. A foggy sensation...drugs? drink? "What's....what happened?"

"you were in a terrible car crash. Your daughter is worried she's going to inherit ...it was all I could do to make her stay at the throneroom."

A moment's pause, then her eyes go wide and she starts to sit up. "August! Where's August??"

August wakes up, hearing two voices beyond a blanket

"Mmm? 'M here?" A pause. "Where's here?"

"You're lucky he's in the same room, .they don't normally mix the sexes..he's at that end"

And sitting up is not..possible.

"August?" she calls out, relieved at hearing his voice. Then... "Why can't I move?" Still somewhat groggy...oh, almost certainly drugs, she's decided.

"Four broken limbs" Delores says

"Wh' happened?" August tries flexing his limbs, doing a systems check.

Broken arm on August. Lots of scrapes.

Lucky he didn't break his face

Delores sighs and says again "you were all in a car accident. Do you remember any of that?"

"But...four?"

She focuses, closing her eyes...then looks wide-eyed as the memory rushes back. "Oh...oh, no...August...." Then, "Wait, Magnus and Claire! They're okay, right?"

"I remember.... Dulf? Sir Dulf, is he here? Is he ok?" Worried.

"Magnus? Claire? Coradel, are you ok?"

A miserable half-laugh. "I'm kind of broken. You?"

"My arm is heavy and everything aches. Where are the others?"

"Claire's fine. She was the one who called me... wellk, not fine.. but nothing broken."

"Delores....what about Magnus....?" Coradel's voice is tense.

"And Magnus is ..well, he's not well. " SHe says "As for Sir Dulf… the boggan fellow? Seems in better shape than you. I think he's quite convinced you're all mad."

Footsteps, soft, a nurse's.

"Delores, we can't..." she breaks off as somebody else approaches. "Who's there?"

"I'm Kimberlee, your Nurse ?" She says and looks at Delores "Visiting hours are almost over"

"Magnus." August pats around the bed, struggling. He finds the bed remote and stares at it blearily. He thumbs a button, and the head of his bed starts to creak upward, elevating him.