FFM 2023 16: The Road to Freedom – Take IV

No prompts used. This is a continuation to FFM 2023 14: The Road to Freedom – Take III.

The first time Nedyom left Bereth’s side was at nightfall when he took Odlanya and Xyr with him to find food. Merlina remained with Bereth, joining him in healing his injured back further.
“You’re going to scar quite badly,” Merlina remarked as she looked at the half-healed skin. “The explosion and rubble did a lot of bad.”
Bereth hummed. “What about everyone else? How have they healed?”
“The rest of us are just malnourished aside from the stab wound. They’ll probably scar too since we only healed them enough to stop bleeding, but it’s nothing compared to your injuries.” Merlina brushed the uninjured part of Bereth’s upper back with her fingers, observing how the more injured mage shivered at that. “…You’re touch-starved, aren’t you?”
“Touch-starved?” Bereth repeated.
“Everyone needs physical contact. It’s a primal need. If you don’t get enough of that, you’ll wind up touch-starved, which will poorly affect your health, both mentally and physically.”
Bereth hummed noncommittally.
Merlina moved her fingers to Bereth’s shoulders and massaged them lightly, feeling how the man melted under her touch. “That wasn’t a no to my question.”
“…I don’t want to talk about this. If you don’t mind,” Bereth murmured. He added to ease the tension, “Maybe when we’re safe. But not now.”
“Understood.” Merlina smiled to herself and hoped that she could help where magic would always fail.

Bereth was asleep again by the time the party came back with food and water, his head on Merlina’s lap and a hint of a smile on his face as Merlina stroked his hair. Merlina looked up to Nedyom and murmured, “He needs more help than we can give.”
Nedyom nodded. “So his dreams have told me.”