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 Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:25 pm
There were definite perks in Senshidom. After the bandage change this morning, healing looked promising. Drainage was slowing, her exposed flesh was a healthy shade between pink and red. If she continued to change bandages regularly, Liberty was confident she could avoid the heightened risk of infection. Maybe, she'd be able to sleep on her right side tonight. Her hips were sore from favoring only the left the night previous--not that a restless 5am to 11am had been much sleep.
It was a cool day, but there was a warm breeze. Spring was coming. It smelled like melting snow, drying mud, and fresh, green grass. The extra sun meant the horses in pastures had to be watched extra carefully for symptoms of colic or foundering.
It meant Libby had broken a light sweat on her forehead, her wheelbarrow almost completely full as she removed the last of the debri from the stall. All she had left to do was pan some crystals over the remaining wet spots, dump the wheelbarrow, and replace the remaining shavings.
Getting the wheelbarrow out the door was going to hurt a bit, the tendons and muscles would tug at her side, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow.
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:15 am
"You've got to be ******** kidding me." The dry, accented words were clipped, sounding too pretty for the content, as Avery Hollister leveled an impressive stare at Liberty's back.
Who the bloody hell got home from the Emergency Room at five in the morning, and then went to work later that day? Avery was beginning to question Liberty's intelligence, and felt the distinct urge to shake the silliness from her injured body.
"You are so not at work right now." Nope. That would just be stupid. Avery was not impressed.
Avery had been planning a ride to ease her stress, but the chances of that happening now were slim to none.
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:21 am
One. Two. Three.
You are so not at work right now.
Liberty glanced towards Avery, the wheelbarrow rim caught on the edge of the stall door. It teetered on the front, and Liberty did what she usually did--used the other side of her body to compensate.
There was a loud hiss of air through her teeth, the redhead ground her jaw, and just let the whole thing fall. The pitchfork toppled out, along with a good amount of what she'd just finished shoveling in.
Well, darn. An 'I'm fine' was probably not going to look appropriate at this point, was it?
"Hi, Avery."
Liberty's cheeks were flushed completely red, both out of embarrassment and guilt. She hadn't felt bad coming to work two minutes ago, but now it might have been the worst offense in the world.
"How are you?" Pretending it was the most natural mistake in the world, Liberty went around to the other side of the wheelbarrow to re-right it.
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:27 am
Avery's wide eyes and raised brows, combined with full lips that firmly pressed together as Liberty dropped the wheelbarrowed, let the redhead know exactly how Avery was doing.
"Hello, Liberty." She Was Pissed.
Despite the polite greeting, a growing anger gave her cheeks a healthy pink beneath the tan. Her next words came out incredulous, bursting forth when she couldn't contain them any longer. "Are you insane?"
The answer was obviously yes, and hazel eyes dropped from burning into Liberty's to flick over her abdomen. "You need to be resting."
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:41 am
Making a strong effort not to put a hand on her side, Liberty heaved the wheelbarrow back onto its feet. Her green eyes were looking over the mess and back to the wheelbarrow. She needed to get it out of the stall.
Are you insane?
Feeling the back of her neck prickle, she moved a look over to Avery again. She should probably not try to move the wheelbarrow again.
But she needed to.
You need to be resting.
This time, she pulled the wheelbarrow out half-empty and set it down without much more than a slight wince. Liberty was about to go pick up the pitchfork, but it was about that point that she completely lost her nerve.
How did she explain to Avery that missing a day of work was often a scarier thought than an infected wound? Worse, missing work and ending up with an infected wound.
"The bandages provide a lot of support," she offered. "I'm just fine." Liberty looked longingly towards the pitchfork, but her intuition was smarter than her conscious, and it told her that was a very bad idea.
So, she stood there, between the handles of a wheelbarrow, watching Avery like a puppy being allowed back into the house after it has peed on the floor.
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Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:00 pm
Liberty was being looked at like a puppy that was still peeing on the damn floor. Avery stood there, rigid, watching as Liberty continued to attempt to work, hazel eyes wide with displeasure. It didn't really occur to her that she perhaps didn't have much of a right to lecture the girl.
They were friends, weren't they? Friends were supposed to make sure friends didn't die of abdominal trauma.
"Out of the stall," Avery hissed, a hand planted against her hip as her foot began to tap. "You're going to tear your stitches." Maybe she already had.
"Did you even get cleared for work?" Avery doubted it. Had Libby even told her boss about the injury? Avery doubted it.
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Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:21 pm
"Avery, I can't just stop working in the middle."
The mere idea of it was heinous. A half-done stall, shavings spilled all over the floor, would certainly get her a good lecture. There would be complaints, at the very least, and Liberty had worked hard to remain in good standing. She kept her head low, did good work, and everyone got along.
"No matter how much you want me to."
And it was hard not to want, herself. Liberty was caught between the steadfast, stubborn head of the girl she was used to being, and the desire to be completely, and entirely emotionally compliant to the angry woman tapping echoes through the stalls.
Deep breath.
"Let me clean this, and then I'll sign out. I promise."
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Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:26 pm
There was a pause as Liberty's logic worked its way through Avery's indignation, tugging at the perfectionist part of her brain and telling her that it was not, in fact, okay to leave a job half done.
Her lips pursed as she considered the situation.
"I'll do it." In fact, manicured hands had already begun unbuttoning the decorative cuff of her silvery-blue blouse, rolling the sleeve up to her elbow. Her high waisted skirt didn't somehow make her incapable of manual labor, and she didn't hesitate in picking up the abandoned pitchfork.
"You're in the way," She politely informed Liberty.
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Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:37 pm
Seeing Avery's face loosen, Liberty felt confident that her logic was successful. The redhead shifted out from the wheelbarrow right in time for Avery's command.
"What?"
But Avery's sleeves were already at her elbows, and she had a grip on the pitchfork like it might be a spear. Liberty took a quick glance behind her, and towards the front of the nearly empty complex. No one to start a rumor.
Somehow, this didn't make her feel very secure.
You're in my way.
The redhead cleared her throat and let Avery by. After about two seconds of watching Avery, Liberty was squirming with guilt and the need to do something.
"I'll go sign out."
And by sign out, she meant organize the small office. Avery, thank god, was still not back when she'd finished, and so Liberty grabbed a few carrots to break up and put in a bucket for Adorn in order to cover for her absence. It was a sad ruse at best, but it gave her a reason for being in the hallway, leaning against a stall door, eyes following the way the muscles of Avery's arms tensed when she finished Liberty's mess.
"I'm sorry."
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Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:47 pm
Tying back her hair, the brunette spared Liberty one long look, to make sure the redhead actually headed toward the office. After that, her attention was on her work.
Avery Hollister had cleaned quite a few stalls in her lifetime. Her family had horses, and her mother didn't think you should have something you didn't know how to take care of. In fact, the labor was somewhat soothing. It gave her an outlet for her frustration and put a familiar, pleasant ache in her back and arms.
She did a good job.
Focused. So focused, that she almost forgot that stupid Libby was actually still around, until she spoke again.
Sorry? There wasn't really a reason to apologize to Avery. She set the pitchfork in the wheelbarrow. "Want a ride home?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 1:32 pm
"For worrying you," Liberty clarified.
She let the last hunk of carrot drop into Adorn's feeding bucket, gave the horse a pat on the bridge of the nose as he sucked up the gem, and then let him be.
"Home?" It was at least a half an hour drive. Avery had just gotten here. Grasping a bar on the open stall, Liberty leaned her free weight against it, thankful for the pressure it removed from her other side.
"Sure. I can change bandages and then eat lunch until you're ready." That good ol' Reever jaw was set stern. While she was excited to share a car ride with Avery that wasn't enveloped in exhaustion and confusion, she wasn't going to let Avery put herself at an inconvenience for Liberty's sake.
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Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 10:42 pm
Adorn was a spoiled glutton and had long since become accustomed to Liberty's presence. As well as the treats she carried on her person, and seemed to be in a relatively good mood, compared to his equally spoiled rider.
Avery gave Liberty a long look, before deciding that arguing over whether they should leave immediately, or after some light work with Adorn, just wasn't worth the effort.
"Alright," Concern touched her features. "Do you need help?" With the bandages. She indicated the wounded area with a fingertip.
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Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 11:02 pm
Liberty returned Avery's long stare, her jaw becoming more pronounced as the seconds passed. The tension passed as Avery relented, and Liberty's chest rose with the relief of it.
No sooner was she raising both her brows. The amount of help Avery Hollister was willing to give her was almost obscene. Almost ready to refuse, the redheaded decided against it. She'd been arguing with Avery since early this morning, and the Reever had plum hit her limit.
"I could use some help, yeah."
The stubborn cowgirl did not want to admit it, but she was tired. Leaning on Avery for a little while, well. . . it felt nice, in the way that not being able to complete ones work shouldn't.
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