|
Boredom
Jan 4, 2009 20:03:35 GMT -5
Post by Journye on Jan 4, 2009 20:03:35 GMT -5
S'lem scowled at the apprentice's back as he walked away, leaving S'lem once again reclined on the cot in the corner where he could see his blue sleeping in the larger connecting chamber. He sighed and laid his head back, his chest hurting from the walk he had just taken around the room. He was one of the few riders still in the infirmary after 'Fall.
He closed his eyes and quickly opened them again as the replay of getting hit by Thread flashed through his mind. He still woke in a cold sweat and screaming from nightmares, it often taking his Griflith, his normally bouncy hyper blue, to calm him and tell him it was alright.
S'lem opened his eyes as he felt his pillow move beside him. He tilted his head to find his gold firelizard, Majesty, perched on the pillow beside him. She chirped a soft greeting to him as she nuzzled against his cheek. He smiled and reached up to pet her neck as she settled down beside him, her head tucked against his neck under his chin.
With a sigh S'lem rested his head back, staring up at the ceiling. Shards he was bored! He was more then ready to be allowed out of this cot and see more then these walls and ceilings. He had been good and not yelled at any of the apprentices, but he had cursed each movement he had to make those first few days as each movement pulled at his chest wound. They had stitched him up and placed a drain at the bottom of it to keep infection out.
He hoped that they would take that out and allow him to go back to his own weyr where he could curl beside Griflith. He missed the physical contact with his wonderful blue even though he had the mental. Right now Griflith was sleeping after staying up all night to watch over his rider.
Majesty chirped softly to her person, sending him soothing feelings. S'lem smiled softly to himself and looked around the room. It wouldn't be so boring if he had someone to talk to. He had spoken with his sister earlier, but she had duties to preform. He was just thankful that she had been spared this Threadfall and hoped the next wouldn't be so bad.
His scowl returned at that thought. Why hadn't M'kel and Siterah better prepared them for Thread? Wasn't it there duty after all since they had insisted that Thread was returning? Fine job they had done of that! So many injured. Thankfully there had been no death, but still too many injures if what the whispered rumors were saying passed between the seasoned riders of the past. When they let him out of here he was definitely going to work harder at drills so that hopefully he wouldn't be this injured again and he could protect people from being hurt despite just being a blue rider.
|
|
|
Boredom
Jan 23, 2009 13:49:11 GMT -5
Post by B'kay on Jan 23, 2009 13:49:11 GMT -5
Gaylen rubbed her tired eyes. Since her faculties had begun to return, she had been helping C'lyn as much as possible by taking over patient records, and overseeing the shifts that allowed him to get some much needed rest. But with the mental clarity came the memories ... she'd begun to wonder if it had perhaps been better to forget.
Forgetting too much dishonors the dead, the deep blue voice always present in her mind said through a half-veil of dragonsleep.
True, my love, the aging healer replied gently, as faces of lost friends, lost children, lost weyrmates flashed before her.
A growled complaint then echoed down the corridor from the large healing-caverns weyr on the end, where bronzerider B'kay was still kept under careful watch. Had Syth's wound healed more cleanly, more quickly, she might have been inclined to encourage C'lyn to release the pair. But the combination of the ugly facial scar that still oozed, cracked and bled, B'kay's lingering blindness, and the dragon's current inability to fully extend and flex his neck, kept the impatient pair weyrbound. B'kay's own weyr, though it now had the crude back entrance which had been cut for Penna, was still far too high and remote. Another oath, and then some words she actually made out around the echoes -- something about "it being like walking in his sleep...."
Triggered memories, a dream, a goldrider come forward from the past, a dead dragon, wandering through the snow. She'd had the nightmare many times, she knew. but only recently had begun to clearly recall its images. But they quickly became more blurred instead of clearer, for they were superimposed over other memories of a remote village, almost tribal in nature, in the far north where the sun rarely warmed the planet enough to melt the snows, and children died young from exposure, hunger and illness. Healers fought a futile battled, to barely keep the population going, and the riders didn't fly overhead often, for Thread died quickly upon the snowy landscape. And then plague ... a hero's trek for medicines and healers ... travel companions dying one by one ... and the images merged and once again the young woman wandered alone in the snow.
But which life was hers? Or was neither?
Her reverie was shattered by the image of a queen firelizard.
Startled, Gaylen shook herself and looked around. Her own Memory, still silvery on her undersides and around her paws and muzzle as a reminder of her long illness, fluttered pale gold wings and tilted her head toward her human. The image repeated, and Gaylen understood ... Mem had been sending her a message.
"Whose, darling?"
The flitter replied with an image of a blue dragon, and his rider, in the infirmary. S'lem ... and emotions of impatience and resignation.
Gaylen nodded, and reached for the tin of dried wherry jerky she kept on her desk, broke off a healthy piece, and thanked her little friend with a smile and a treat. Memory gnawed contentedly on the bit of meat, while fluttering to Gaylen's shoulder. She always enjoyed a visit with the other flitters in the Weyr.
Alabanth sunned on the ledge, indicating his desire to stay put, as he soaked in rays of warmth that penetrated the unusual cold the Southern Continent had been experiencing. Gaylen reached her connection to him as a caress and headed down the hallway.
She stopped at the entrance of S'lem's temporary quarters and rapped politely on the lintel. "Bluerider S'lem? It's Gaylen. May I come in and take a look at that drain?"
|
|
|
Boredom
Jan 24, 2009 14:01:51 GMT -5
Post by Journye on Jan 24, 2009 14:01:51 GMT -5
S'lem looked toward the entrance of his small area that had been curtained off to give him a semblance of privacy. He shifted to sit more upright, wincing at the pull of his stitches.
"Yes, please come in Healer Gaylen," he said politely. Majesty chirped her own greeting, peering over her person's shoulder. S'lem silently hoped that the older blue rider would deem him fit enough to return to his weyr. He had heard the grumblings of the Weyrlingmaster and his bronze, though he wasn't certain how badly the pair had been injured and he hadn't asked.
He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, making a face at the greasy feel of it. Yes, a bath was definitely in order once he got out of here. They had allowed him a sponge bath, but he wanted a nice, long soak in a real bath, maybe visit that hot spring Calysta had told him about.
He shook his head again, looking back toward the entrance, toward Gaylen hopefully. "I hope that I can go to my weyr soon. Not that I don't enjoy getting visits from you Gaylen, but I miss being with my Griflith," he said with a smile. Majesty trilled softly and nuzzled against him.
|
|
|
Boredom
Jan 24, 2009 19:14:09 GMT -5
Post by B'kay on Jan 24, 2009 19:14:09 GMT -5
Gaylen smiled back at the disheveled young rider on the bed. She certainly had spent her share of recent time in infirmary beds ... and marveled at the way she could remember most of those hours. The shock of Araelen's first Threadfall had injured so many ... could it truly have healed one?
Memory fluttered her wings, stretched her slender neck, and chortled a greeting to the other queen.
"Well, now, let's take a look," the healer replied to the bluerider. "Of course, the major decisions will be Masterhealer C'lyn's, but I can certainly pass along my observances to him, of course."
A sterile kit lay on the stores shelf, along with clean bandages and medicines, and Gaylen gathered what she'd need to examine the wound. As soon as she'd settled on the edge of the bed, skilled fingers were maneuvering the snips through the bandaging, which fell away cleanly, no trace of blood or drainage showing.
A nice, neat, scar stretched the length of the wound, only slightly red, but without any of the tell-tale inflammation that would indicate infection. It must still pull and ache when S'lem moved about, but it was healing well. The skin around the drain was clean, and the drain fairly dry. She furrowed her brows slightly ... had she been checking this herself daily, she'd probably have removed it a day or two ago.
Suddenly, realizing S'lem may have caught her slight frown and misunderstood, she smiled at him. "Looks like there is nothing to worry about, and in fact I was just thinking that the drain might have outlived its usefulness already."
Then, her eyes took on the classic "rider to dragon" look of disconnectedness, as she sent images to Alabanth, of S'lem's wound and the drain area. My heart, please relay through Greylith to C'lyn that S'lem's drain looks like this ... (and she increased the impact of the image in her thoughts) ... and that I'm going to remove it now. I think it's overdue, in fact, but it looks as if it will be fine. Her sleepy blue acknowledged peacefully, and she could feel the echo as he passed the message along.
Returning her attention to her fellow bluerider, she said, "I do think this can come out, and have sent the Masterhealer a message. As far as your release from the infirmary, though," she gave him a wink, "He's the Master, after all! We'll have to wait till he discharges you." Though the elder healer had enjoyed that title for many turns, she willingly set it aside, knowing that her situation did not merit "Master" any longer.
Gaylen drew a forcept, sponges, and some fresh ointment and bandaging from the supplies, set them on the bed table, and then went to the stores shelves again to pour a small amount of diluted redwort solution into a bowl.
She gently cleaned the area around the drain, which had obviously been well tended not long before, and snipped the two small sutures that held it in place, pulling them gently through the skin. Her eyes were half raised, watching S'lem's face for reaction. Then, she decided to fall back upon an old healer's trick.
"Now, then," she said as she grasped the end of the drain with the forcept, "This might sting just..." ... with a quick, practiced motion, she tugged, and, in the time it took to pass a thought from one word to the next, the drain resisted for only half a breath and then slid smoothly out .... "... a bit."
Gaylen's bright green eyes flashed up to hold S'lem's, and she awaited the young rider's reaction....
|
|
|
Boredom
Jan 27, 2009 10:06:19 GMT -5
Post by Journye on Jan 27, 2009 10:06:19 GMT -5
S'lem smiled and laughed softly at Gaylen's encouraging words, looking down at the scar that was forming on his chest. He sighed softly at the sight of it, he badge of honor as it were for surviving a 'Fall. Deep inside he silently hoped that his younger sister would never have to bear such a thing, but he knew now that every rider was scarred in some way, and understood why.
He shook his head and turned his attention back to healer as she spoke, smile widening at her wink. "I understand that Master C'lyn will have the final say, but its good to hear that you thank I'm healing well. I owe that to you. Griflith told me that you were the one that took care of me when we arrived back in the weyr when I was scored," he said, tilting his head slightly as he looked at her with true gratefulness.
He had heard others talking about the relationship between Gaylen and the Master healer, but he knew that one couldn't put stock into the rumors. He watched as she cleaned around the wound and snipped the stitches holding the drain into place.
He was about to ask her if there was any truth to the rumors when she spoke the first part of her warning.
"This might sting just..."
Then she tugged the drain free from its place. He gasped and couldn't hold back the small yelp of surprise more then pain. He furrowed his brow slightly as he tried to process the sensation of the drain pulling free. It wasn't really that painful per say, but it was an odd sensation of something slide free. He shuddered at the feeling and shook his head, looking back up at Gaylen.
He couldn't help but chuckle softly, reaching up to rub lightly below where the drain had been. "Now that was an interesting feeling," he said with a slight wrinkle of his nose. He could understand why she had simply pulled it free with out warning, kept him from tensing up and making it harder to pull the drain free.
He tilted his head as he regarded her for a moment, still smiling. The a thought hit him and before he could sensor it, he blurted his question. "Did you train Master C'lyn?"
He felt his cheeks color slightly at the sudden question, but one couldn't pull words back into their mouth after they were spoken, so he was stuck with whatever the outcome was, and he hoped he hadn't upset the kind older lady.
Majesty had watched the whole process with intent curiosity, chirping softly every now and then. Now that it was over she turned her attention back to Memory, creeling a polite greeting to the older queen and moving over on the soft bed to give her room is she wished to rest there with her.
(OOC: I wrote S'lem's reaction to the drain being pulled out as my own when I had to have a drain removed when I had surgery year before last. Its a very interesting sensation, almost like a slimy centipede is peeling pulled out and trying to put on the brakes *shudders* )
|
|
|
Boredom
Jan 27, 2009 19:47:11 GMT -5
Post by B'kay on Jan 27, 2009 19:47:11 GMT -5
S'lem's reminder of that first Threadfall for Araelen brought a sad smile to Gaylen's lips, but she focused on the young man's wounds after a slight nod.
Once his drain was out, however, and she met his eyes again, her smile broadened, though the shadows still remained in her expression.
"You bore that well ... and yes, drains are odd things. The body gets used to them being in there, forgets about them, and then you experience them all over again when they come out." She chuckled softly, and reached up to stroke Memory as she thought of a way to respond to his earlier expression of gratitude. "You're very welcome, S'lem, for ... that day. I'd like to say I was just doing a healer's job, but there was much more going on for me. What was a black cloud for Araelen Weyr turned out to be a bit of sunshine for this scramble-brained old woman."
She knew that rumors about her mental state had been whispered through the Weyr corridors since her arrival, but she really didn't mind, so she accented her statement with a smile and shrugged. "The big question is, of course, 'will this sunshine last?'"
His next question, however, took her by surprise. She allowed herself to enjoy the sight of the two queen flitters making friends, as she thought of how to respond, and even took a moment to fish into her waist pouch for the chunk of wherry jerky that was always there. She broke it evenly and offered half to each little golden treasure.
"Masterhealer C'lyn was already a very talented and highly trained healer before he arrived at Artemis Moonlight Weyr," she said at last, and met S'lem's gaze frankly. "I can't honestly say I trained him, therefore, though yes, he did finish his Mastery under my supervision ... officially, that is. I have to confess, I learned as much from him as he did from me."
Gaylen knew that there were other gossipings about her and the Masterhealer, so she wondered if S'lem's refreshing curiosity (it was so much nicer to be asked outright than whispered about, after all) would lead to other questions. After all, everyone had seen Greylith and Alabanth curled up together in the sun whenever the opportunity arose.
A touch of sadness trickled through her heart, as she again remembered the added burden her recent infirmity had placed on the already over-worked C'lyn. They had long been weyrmates in the past, though since she'd arrived back among the living, their relationship had been more of caretaker and patient.
|
|
|
Boredom
Jan 30, 2009 14:18:38 GMT -5
Post by Journye on Jan 30, 2009 14:18:38 GMT -5
S'lem watched as Majesty gently took the offered jerky from the older bluerider. He smiled softly, grateful that his little willful gold was behaving herself. He tilted his head and looked up at Gaylen as she spoke about the day of the 'Fall.
"I hope the sunshine lasts a very long time for you Gaylen, if any one deserves it, its you," he said with an honest smile as he settled back against his pillows, listening as she answered his question.
He looked thoughtful for a moment, he didn't wish to be rude, but then again he was curious. He had heard the gossiping and had never been one to believe it nor tolerate it. It wasn't right of people to assume things about people behind their backs.
He glanced back up at Gaylen and watched her for a long moment before speaking again. "Master C'lyn was lucky to have you to help him finish his mastery," he said soft a gentle smile, looking down at his hands. He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment, then spoke again.
"I have seen his green and your blue curled together before and I have heard the gossip. I am not a fan of gossip personally, its foolish prattle and can often be harmful," he said with a shake of his head, looking up at her again. "Are you and Masterhealer C'lyn a couple?" he asked it simply, he knew he was prying, but he wanted the two of them to be happy and he had seen how C'lyn had looked at Gaylen.
"Forgive me for being noisy Gaylen," he said softly, reaching down to gently stroke along Majesty's neck.
|
|
|
Boredom
Feb 1, 2009 13:45:13 GMT -5
Post by B'kay on Feb 1, 2009 13:45:13 GMT -5
Gaylen was expecting the last question, of course, and was actually relieved, in a way, that it was finally being openly asked. Her new clarity, unfortunately, did not hide the memories of the days of confusion ... nor of the way people avoided being too open with her, out of fear of confusing her further. She appreciated the careful way everyone had treated her, of course, and knew it was out of concern for her wellbeing. Still, it was nice to see that the weyrfolk were starting to feel like they could discourse with her as an equal.
However, it was the sunshine analogy which first preoccupied her thoughts, and she said, softly, "The only problem with sunshine is that it also casts shadows.... "
Memory, still gnawing on the last of her treat, looked up at her human and tilted her head, emitting an inquiring chirp that caused Gaylen to chuckle aloud.
"They are far too perceptive at times, aren't they?" she said, "Especially the queens."
Hands, thin, long-fingered, and with skin showing the drying signs of age, gathered up padding, bandages, and fasteners. "That wound looks very good, but I think we should keep it covered a few more days, till the opening the drain left behind dries out. I'm sure you've already been instructed as to signs of infection, but I'll leave a note in your charts to make sure it's cleansed well daily. I'm sure Masterhealer C'lyn will probably be checking in on you as well. "
As she worked, she finally allowed her bright green eyes to meet S'lem's and responded to his final question. "Yes, we were weyrmates at Artemis, for quite a few turns. Alabanth and Greylith are also very fond of one another, as many in the Weyr have whispered about for a while." She laughed. "Yes, I might have been a bit ... confused ... there, but my hearing was still excellent." Her gaze went soft as she finished up the bandaging. "C'lyn has been my strength in many ways. I don't think I'd be here today if not for him."
She leaned back and began to put supplies back in storage, and her expression turned to one of mischief. "So, my friend, how about you? Anyone special in your life?"
Gaylen-Mine, her dragon reached for her, his tone full of scolding, It's not polite to tease.
|
|
|
Boredom
Feb 2, 2009 11:33:07 GMT -5
Post by Journye on Feb 2, 2009 11:33:07 GMT -5
S'lem nodded slowly as she spoke about sunshine making shadows. He looked down at Majesty as she happily chewed on the treat she had been given, laughing softly.
"I agree that they do see to be more preceptive then they look to be. I know Majesty can be," he said as he looked back up at Gaylen. He nodded as he listened to her instructions about his wound.
He looked down to watch her bandage his wound, sighing softly. He could understand needing to stay so that they could keep an eye on him to make sure that the removal of the drain wouldn't cause infection. "Yes, they told me what to look for and to call for a healer immediately if I suspect there is infection starting," he said, looking back up to meet her eyes.
At her acknowledgment of her relationship he smiled smile brightly. It was good to have someone special in ones life and he certainly thought this kind woman deserved it more then most. "I'm sorry to hear that you heard the gossip, but folks seem to see gossip as a form of entertainment it seems. I've always felt that its best to ask what you want to know," he said with a soft laugh.
He couldn't help but blush slightly at her questions. He laughed softly and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "No, I don't have anyone special in my life. I haven't found that right person and I've been too busy to look," he admit with a slight shrug, looking back up at her.
"My father was training me to take over his position as steward so I was always with him learning. Then I was searched and was doing my best to keep track of my little sister. Then I was a weyrling and such things really weren't allowed," he said softly, his blush fading away slowly.
|
|
|
Boredom
Feb 3, 2009 19:23:03 GMT -5
Post by B'kay on Feb 3, 2009 19:23:03 GMT -5
Gaylen couldn't help but grin at the two little queens, S'lem's young Majesty and her own Memory, whose odd coloring, pale gold above and silvery-grey beneath, left behind from her long illness after having traveled so long and far Between times, was such a contrast to the other's. Memory trilled soft sounds to her new friend, eyes bright, and tilting her head quizzically toward Majesty. It caused Gaylen to wonder what secrets she was sharing in their fascinating, musical tongue.
"I don't think you have to worry about infection, but it's always safe to keep an eye on things," she said, returning her attention to S'lem. Catching the disappointed sigh, she added, "And honestly, you seem to be well healed ... I certainly don't want to speak for him, but I'd wager a guess that C'lyn will probably not be keeping you back much longer."
"I don't really mind the gossip," she said, casting fond thoughts toward her dragon, whose telltale affection for Greylith had certainly been easy enough to spot, "And finding someone who understands you ... even when you're at your most misunderstandable," she tossed in a chuckle, "Is a gift indeed! You'll find your right person some day, I'm sure. In the meantime, life offers much adventure, and there's always something interesting to do!"
She laughed again and added, "Except when you're being held prisoner in the Infirmary, that is!"
|
|