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 Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 9:25 am
Even with her wounds slathered in numbweed and wrapped tightly with bandages, Cetalese felt sick and lightheaded from the bloodloss. F'itz being there to patch her up with make-shift first aid had helped keep her injuries from getting much worse. However, Ceta understood that it was going to take multiple sevendays for her wounds to heal and the likelihood of her getting back to her dragonrider duties any time soon was nearly zero.
Cetalese turned her head to look at some of the other seriously injured riders in the beds near her. The curtain blocking them from the rest of the infirmary-- for their own privacy-- kept her from seeing how D'lin was doing with his own medical attention, which meant all she had to look at really was the curtain or the other patients sequestered in the back with her. She had no doubts D'lin would stop to see her before he left, though. After all, he would have something to say about her getting injured as she had, if nothing else.
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 9:39 am
D'lin hated stitches, absolutely hated them, sure he couldn't really feel them being done but just the thought of it made him twitch...and later on they would itch. It would be horrible and he likely would have kicked up a fuss about getting them at all - couldn't they just bandage the claw wounds? If he hadn't been in such a hurry to see how Ceta was doing.
Healers being healers of course didn't like to talk about other patients and D'lin had quickly resigned himself to just sitting still and glowering until they had finished, thrust a jar of numbweed at him and sent him on his way. He was fairly certain that they had meant for him to go home and rest, perhaps even take some fellis juice so that he could sleep if he had heard the mumbling apprentice correctly but D'lin wasn't going to do any of that. Instead he'd wound his way through the crush of wounded to the back where he'd seen Ceta being taken. Cornering a second apprentice he questioned her until she gave in and told him which curtain she was behind and with a thank-you marched off in that direction.
Glancing around to make sure no healer was around to yell at him for disturbing her 'rest' or some other such thing he pushed the curtain aside and stepped in, drawing it closed again behind him. "You look horrible." He told her after a few moments of looking at her, though his tone was light enough to let her know he was teasing in an attempt to not be angry. He wasn't even sure if he was angry at her for foolishly not retreating when she had been wounded, or just angry in general for the way the night had progressed and his own injuries.
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:29 am
"What a thing to say to a girl, D'lin," Cetalese teased back, smiling wanly at him. She knew the healers were going to give her fellis sooner or later, but in the interim she had plenty of time to feel weariness building in her. D'lin's clothes were still bloody and torn from the fight, but Cetalese could see bandages beneath the fabric. "I'll be fine. The healers say I just need time to recover. Are you all right? Did they just bandage those or were they bad enough to warrant stitches?"
Cetalese kept her voice low. She didn't want to alert any stressed healers to the minor infraction of receiving a visitor. They really had so much work to be doing already that the last thing they needed was to add another small matter to their workload. And most healers, as a rule, treated all small infractions as large ones. Cetalese imagined that those overreactions did help save some patients, but in her case she didn't see how it would make a difference.
She moved her legs carefully aside to open up room on the edge of her cot. Without moving her arm, she patted the mattress.
"Sit."
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:51 am
"A couple needed stitches, nothing too major - I've technically been sent home." He assured her as he accepted her invitation to sit. "I think the shirt is done for though." He added mournfully "And it was one of my good ones too...this is what happens when you go to a party and end up fighting fires and tunnelsnakes."
Giving her a half smile he reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle kiss "Speaking of fighting tunnelsnakes...what in the world made you think it was a great idea to throw a rock at it when it had already chewed on you a bit?" He chastised her in a soft strained voice. He wanted to yell at her something fierce but the healers would most definitely kick him out then and no matter how much he wanted to fuss at her..he didn't want to leave her just yet either. He was sure she would come up with some logical reason for doing what she had done something along the lines of 'I was already hurt I wanted to keep others from being hurt' or 'I saw it going for you' or whatever...and he was equally sure that he probably would have done the exact same thing had theirs roles been reversed. But he'd been scared, seeing her laying on the floor of that cave bleeding and not being able to get to her? It had been terrible and now that it was over, his fear had turned into anger.
It wasn't fair and logically he knew that so he was trying oh so very hard to keep from taking it out on her but emotions don't always follow logic. It was probably a good thing that he knew the doctors would kick him out if he didn't toe the line of 'proper' behavior in places such as this. "Has Halith yelled at you yet?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 11:20 am
Cetalese had to think back to the fight to remember why she had antagonized the snake again; everything had happened so quickly that some of her injuries already seemed to be blurring together in her mind.
"It was hurting someone and we had to get it to the cave entrance for the dragons to finish off. The only way to get it to move and leave the person it was attacking alone was to get its attention. I hoped it would move close enough to the entrance for one of the Greens to get a hold on it. Everyone else seemed busy just trying to fend it off." Or attack it without any plan, which would have been more suicidal than the way things had turned out, had several of them not had the same idea.
She studied D'lin as he asked about Halith, knowing he was being surprisingly calm considering the situation. He had to know that she was as much a protector as he was, even if she usually did her protecting in a different way. These sorts of accidents-- especially when helped along by the Revolution-- would be inevitable. Briefly, the thought crossed her mind to wonder if he became angry when she got Threadscored.
"Some. She worried at first, so she mixed her concern with her anger, but when she started gearing up for a scolding I shut her down. The healers were working on me by that point and I just... didn't have the energy to listen to it." Cetalese, apprehension showing only around her eyes, turned her hand over in D'lin's and wrapped her fingers around his. "We had to kill it, D'lin. People were going to get hurt no matter how we handled that situation."
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 11:37 am
"I know." He told her, letting out a sigh and squeezing her hand gently. He had expected just such a reply from her. "You weren't the only one to get pretty badly hurt in there, sharding cave...it would have been so much simpler if we'd been in the open where the dragons could have dealt with it." He decided not to comment on the stupidity of some of the people in the cave and the lack of following a plan...that would only make him fume all the more.
"And you know whats really sad? I actually feel a little bit sorry for the snake - oh it had to die and they are vicious creatures even at the best of times..but imagine how confused and scared it was being dropped somewhere it doesn't belong and then being beaten to death. We can't really blame it for fighting back...I'd rather blame the people who brought it here and I'm getting really tired of them." Yes this path of thought was definitely going to get him all worked up, it was probably better if he changed the subject and so he jumped back to the subject of Halith.
"I can have Plexith talk to her if you want, maybe calm her down some before she works herself up for another try. I doubt she'll forget until your wounds are healed. I don't even know if she's angry with you so much as the other dragons and people with us...I think the Weyr needs to start running emergency drills or something..get people used to following a plan, working together. I might do that for the wing at least..bring it up with the others..maybe Narisa and Kindra" He probably ought to have said Abigail in there somewhere but the Sr. Weyrwomen had been a bit absent minded lately and to be honest he was finding it hard to put faith in her of late.
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 5:12 pm
D'lin didn't need to voice his concerns about Abigail; Cetalese had thought of the same thing when he spoke. Their similar thinking was part of what made them a good team. She nodded, as unwilling as he to think of any of the other concerns underlying the recent emergencies.
"If you could, it may help." A smile came to Cetalese's lips and she closed her eyes for a moment. "Halith can express her displeasure to him, then."
She fell silent for a long enough moment that it was plausible she was falling asleep, and then her eyes opened and she fixed them on D'lin with a clear, unwavering gaze. "I'm not going to be able to attend practices for at least two sevendays, if not longer, D'lin. I'm sorry. The healers won't let me leave any sooner, and I can't blame them. I don't think these are going to be quick to heal."
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 5:30 pm
D'lin thought perhaps she had fallen asleep - and that was alright, she likely needed her rest and he was content to simply sit here and ponder his own thoughts until he was sure she was sound asleep or he got told to leave. Whichever came first...but then she suddenly opened her eyes and in typical Ceta fashion uttered the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.
It was so ridiculous that his lips twitched with the effort it took him not to burst out laughing and it was several moments before he trusted his voice enough to answer her. "Ceta...love, I had already assumed that much and no one is going to think badly of you for it. Don't worry about Halith either...I'll make sure she gets oiled and taken care of."
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:07 pm
Cetalese wasn't sure what to make of the pause before he spoke, but his affectionate endearment and the offer he made to keep an eye on her beloved Green brushed the rest aside.
"Thank you, D'lin." Halith didn't need much oiling these days, but she would need it at some point during Ceta's convalescence. Knowing that D'lin would see to it took one concern off of Cetalese's mind and she felt a moment of gratitude toward him.
"If you need help with any planning, I'll be here." Cetalese was not the type to sit inactive, and now that she was thinking of her several sevendays worth of convalescence she realized she was going to have nothing to do unless D'lin or Eliza or someone brought her something to do. And with her shoulder the way it was she found it unlikely that the healers would let her do anything that required moving that arm. For just a moment, horror showed on her face.
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:17 pm
"If something comes up - or if I can talk the others into running some sort of emergency planning - you'll be the first one I come to for help." He promised her just as the look of horror began to show on her face. He knew it wasn't about what he had said..but knowing Ceta the way he did he could take a wild guess.
"Ah I see that you've just realized that your stuck sitting here until the healers take pity on you...well, perhaps it's time to take up a hobby?" He suggested in a teasing tone "Knitting ?..no not with that shoulder..how about sketching? Pottery? oh..oh! Leather working for Flit harness's! I hear the pretty beaded ones are all the rage with the noble holders." He told her, trying to keep a straight face .
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:25 pm
His first suggestions almost seemed as if he was trying, but by 'pottery' Cetalese knew what D'lin was doing. She sighed at him, but couldn't help the smile that came to her face. She did have a sense of humor, and D'lin had been her friend for a long time before they became... well, not lovers, but boyfriend and girlfriend at least.
"Thank you, Wingleader, for the suggestions. I'll be sure to take them into consideration." Her voice was dry and afterward she shook her head at him. "I think I'll just have to make do with tasks that require only one hand. Unless friends of mine would be interested in visiting me if they have some spare time. If Eliza can, send her my way. I know you'll have more work to do after this, but Eliza can at least keep me company."
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:46 pm
"Hey, I'm only trying to help." D'lin stated in a mock wounded tone, raising his one free hand in a peacekeeping gesture since he was unwilling to let go of her hand with the other. "I'm sure people will stop by to keep you company..but are you really, truly sure that you want me to send Eliza?" Pausing he looked around the room she was in. "I mean this is an awfully small room, there's no place to run off to when she begins to talk your ears off with idle gossip." An expression of mock horror was written across his face when he finished and he gave a little shudder to further drive the point home before smiling at her.
"But regardless of my workload I'll make time to come and visit as well...I won't be back to full fighting trim myself for a little while remember" He reminded her with a motion to his bandaged side.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 5:57 am
The look Cetalese gave D'lin was half-affection, half-chastisement. "Eliza is my best friend. She can talk about the Weyr gossip all she wants; it's probably the only news I'm going to get while I'm in here. Besides, I can always send a message for help to you through Daine if I need it."
The thought of her Green reminded Cetalese of F'itz. She would have to send him a note to thank him if he didn't stop by.
"I'm just glad your injuries weren't worse." Cetalese squeezed his hand as she looked at his bloody shirt again. No one had escaped that fight unscathed; they were just lucky that no one had died. She let them fall into silence, gently stroking the back of D'lin's hand with her thumb as she tried to tell from his facial expression what he was thinking.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 7:30 am
D'lin simply smiled at the look she gave him, he'd expected it from the moment he uttered the comment and Ceta knew that as much as he complained about Eliza and her eccentric mannerisms - he did like her. Like a younger sister..an annoying, bothersome pest of a sister..but a sister none the less. "True...Daine is much more reliable then Vix...or Rubble really, but Rubble is young so I'm still holding out hope for him."
At her comment about his injuries he gave her a small smile "And here I am wishing that I was in that bed instead of you." He stated before falling into silence and staring at the curtains, the numbweed on his side was starting to wear off a bit, he could feel the development of a dull ache that he was sure would get worse as time went on but he ignored it, him mind already thinking about how the Weyr would get through this latest problem. Hard work had been undone, people had been wounded...one of the Greenriders in the cave with them had apparently completely lost it and from what he'd heard no one was sure if or when she would recover. People could only take so much..and the Weyr morale would probably be at an all time low. He was tired of all of it but what could he do? Nothing but soldier on he supposed, rubbing his eyes with his free hand before turning to see Ceta watching him. He didn't need her to worry right now either so he made himself give her a smile.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:47 am
He was tired and it had gotten late very quickly. Although Cetalese liked him near her, she knew it would be best if they both got some sleep to let their bodies begin the healing process. D'lin, at least, would have a great deal to see to tomorrow.
"We should get some rest." She squeezed his hand, a return smile coming to her face. "You should head home. I'll still be here tomorrow."
D'lin was going to develop worry lines early with the way he always felt the need to watch over and protect everyone and everything in the Weyr. He was certainly a good Wingleader, and might be a good Weyrleader even though he didn't want the responsibility, but Cetalese always held a small concern that the stress of trying to do too much would hurt him in the end. Also, there had certainly been a great deal of stress added to his life lately. If she weren't bed-bound, she could be there to help him, but since she wasn't... she would have to hope others noticed and helped or, as a last-case scenario, enlist help. Eliza would keep an eye on him anyway when she could once Ceta spoke to her about it.
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