Sick of Being Sick

[Kitari]

The Healing Caverns were fast becoming one of T'ryis's least favourite locations in the Weyr. He had spent multiple sevendays strapped to a cot while his Threadscore healed, had then undergone slow and painful rehabilitation to be able to walk around without tearing open the wound on his inner thigh, and was now sitting back on a cot again with a pounding headache and waves of nausea. Nope, the Healing Caverns held no joy for T'ryis at all.

Throb throb throb!

The brownrider took a slow breath. He was leaning over with his head propped up in one of his hands and his elbows on his knees. His flitter, Panther, was pacing back and forth on the cot, hissing in displeasure at his's pain, and lashing his tail and glaring whenever someone passed. The little fire lizard was having a hard time understanding that the discomfort was coming from within his bonded rather than being caused by an external force.

Wearily, T'ryis reached his free hand over to try and calm the blue flitter, while he fought to focus on the faces that passed him by. It was difficult to see straight; the throbbing pain in his skull was also blurring his vision.

Luuuuuuuuurch!

Suddenly, the brownrider grimaced, clutching at his stomach and leaning further over. He had already lost the little bit of breakfast that he'd managed to get down today and was not enamoured with the idea of heaving up his stomach once again. The young man fought down a wave of nausea, running a hand through his short dark hair.

I don't like that you hurt so, mine, Wickhath sent, along with a wash of soothing warmth.

"Me neither," T'ryis ground out aloud. He looked up blearily, glaring at the nearest passerby as if this was all their fault. "Those herbs you gave me are not working! When is this blasted flu going to end?!"

[B'kay]

BUMP! SLOSH!

"Aargh!" Ravyna said, grabbing the cup of warm herbal tea. Some spilled over the edge and all over the drudge she'd bumped into as she came around the corner to the infirmary.

GRRRROWL..... The man grumbled something unintelligible and stalked off, wiping at his stained tunic.

SIGH

The greenrider continued on, glad that she had not lost all of the mixture. Gaylen had said it was working quite well at settling stomachs around the Weyr, and that it actually had a pleasant taste as well. That would be a good reprieve for....

The familiar voice that sounded from inside the door halted her. He sounded so miserable.

PITTER-PATTER

Her heart reached for him, wishing she could do something to really help. She felt guilty, for the worst she'd experienced from this nasty bug was a few days of rather severe headaches. The healers thought she might be immune, for even helping out in the infirmary with the sickest patients, she had managed to escape the worst of it.

Ravyna poked her head around the doorway, and sought out Igrainth's encouraging touch. The lithe green still had a extreme fondness ... Ravyna teasingly called it a crush ... for the man. Igrainth's rider often used that as an excuse for her own emotions, though inside, she strongly suspected that those thoughts were indeed only an excuse.

FLUTTER

Long lashes batted her cheeks as she gazed uncertainly at the poor man. He looked absolutely awful. Would he accept her, and her cup of tea? Or did he just want to be left alone?

"Hi," she said softly, and stepped into view. "I've brought you something that might help a bit."

[Kitari]

While the victim of his outlash scurried away, T'ryis let his head droop once more. He knew it wasn't the Healers' fault. No one understood this flu, and even the most trustworthy herbs were failing to produce their usual results. He certainly wasn't the only one suffering its effects, and if everyone feeling a little pain started lashing out, the whole Weyr would crumble into chaos.

Now guilt was adding to the throbbing in his head, only souring his mood further. It just wasn't fair. A childish complaint, to be sure, but he still ached from his Threadscore every once in a while, and it was starting to seem like he would never be free of pain again.

He missed the open air, and the feel of Wickhath's wings pumping as they soared above the Bowl. They'd scarcely made it through Weyrlinghood, and they were grounded once again. It was more than a little frustrating for the Lordling; he'd never felt so powerless in his life. First, he'd been seized from his Hold and carried off to the place he loathed, forced to defer to the dragonriders who had turned the world upside down. But then he'd met Wickhath, and things had begun to make sense again.

And now this!

Then a soft voice broke through his dreary thoughts, and a slender, all-too-familiar figure slipped into view in front of him. Hesitantly, T'ryis raised his head, meeting Ravyna's dark brown eyes.

He must look a wreck. His hair was grown out and scruffy, far from his usual, clean-cut composure. He was pale from nausea and aches, and his eyes were darkened by shadows.

This was not at all how he wanted her to see him.

"Ravyna." His throat felt suddenly dry, and he looked away, distracting himself by trying to soothe Panther's pacing once more. "I...um. You might not want to be around me. You don't want to catch this." Really, of course, he was mostly anxious that she not see him so weak and miserable.

But she might misconstrue his intention, think he simply didn't want her around. "Thank you, though," he added quickly, reaching out to take the tea. T'ryis forced a small smile, before dipping his gaze to the floor once more.

[B'kay]

[ooc: no better way to jump back in, than to jump back in!]

Ravyna steadied the mug as T'ryis took it, seeing that he was still so weakened from his ordeal. As the warm cup rested in his hands, she wrapped her fingers lightly around them, just until, she told herself, he has a steady hold.

She smiled, and, as it was awkward to lean over the bed, turned herself to sit on its edge. "The healers think I may have some natural immunity," she said quietly. I've been helping with the sickest patients, and have not had more than a headache." She chuckled, "Trust me, the healers have been putting that to good use."

She hoped the dark circles under her eyes didn't show too badly.

"Small sips, Gaylen says it's been working very well on nauseous stomachs. I took a small taste myself earlier today, it doesn't taste too bad."