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 Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:21 pm
Becka tried her best not to intrude on Aleck and Bereck but she knew she had to do her job, even if she was in over her head. She blinked hard when Aleck addressed her "um.. ok Aleck" she said, more than nervous, the young man had already yelled at her once.... yelling she could take, quietness was more unnerving.
She looked at Bereck when he spoke. "Yes... Worst first master Bereck, that means you" she said quietly but she was pleased he was lucid enough to be telling her what she should be doing. She knew she'd done all she could for Bereck though, even if he did bust a couple of stitches, he was right, Aleck was next, he'd been hurt by the Wher too and his wounds would need cleaning. "Alright master Bereck, i'll see to Aleck but i'll come back and check your bandages and stitches after" she told him in a soft voice, smiling a little more than before. "A Benden healer is seeing to Berath too, everything will be alright, we've got Carltis guarding one door, Berath is guarding the other, we're safe... Aleck is safe" she added, reassuring the man, she was worried about the blood loss but she couldn't remember what was safe for Bereck to have that would help him right now.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:30 pm
Trying to be all right was good. Trying meant Bereck had energy left to try, and gut-twisting as it was to see that shaking hand and know the effort was expended for him, it was moons better than the alternative. Aleck tilted his head, pressing his father's hand between cheekbone and shoulder. Cold. Let more of his wamrth flow into that hand; he was willing to spare.
"S'okay Dad," he murmured, and flexed his fingers against Bereck's shoulder as he listened to his instruction with tight-lipped neutrality. Tried, anyway. It became a faint wince as Rochelle screeched a bed across the floor. He'd get the blankets himself but it felt wrong just now to leave, and the look he cast at Rochelle was full of hesitation. He didn't want to sit with anyone, he wanted to sit here, but that wasn't the responsible option.
He had to be logical about this.
"I'm-" damn the lump in his throat, "-going to move so she can work, Dad." He spoke slowly, steadying his voice. "I'll still be right here." He gave his father's shoulder a squeeze and let his hand fall away as he half-rose and transferred himself to the cot with Rochelle, ready to return at the first sign of alarm.
"Becka." She was shaken enough not to notice Carltis sitting right there, which was an impressive feat indeed; he didn't want her futzing with his father more than she had to. "Check him. Check me," he added a silent apology to Rochelle, "and then go into his study. There are three paintings on his desk I want you to bring." They might not have to evacuate, but Aleck still felt a strong urge to gather up what was dear to him and keep it close.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 5:06 pm
[Bereck]
The screech jerked him back to awareness and made his eyes snap open again with surprise, but not alarm; it was a sound that registered as familiar somewhere. Turning his head he saw Rochelle, and another bunk close to his. Really you should carry not shove but those things were impossible to lift by yourself so he didn't bother to reprimand her.
Instead he looked over at Becka again, though keeping his eyes open felt like a huge effort. "Mmmh.... Good." What else was there to say?... Something important, but currently out of reach....
...Out of reach. Aleck was out of reach now, but he was still close. He supposed that would suffice for the present. "Good boy," he muttered vaguely, still trying to think what he had been going to say, still trying to keep his eyes open. He was usually good at multi-tasking, but this was proving to be a difficult juggling act.
Oh, that was it.
Having missed the rest of what Aleck said he looked back over at his son, eyes drifting between closed and half open. "Ber's waiting t'hear... from wingleaders. How battle's going. If it's bad we need... need plans to escape." Talking was hard. He fell silent for some moments, eyes closed, before continuing; "Ber'll spread th'word more. Get people down here. Defen...fensible to wait, for non riders. Some dragons ferry out, some dragons above t'guard their take off. I... I don't know how we'll reach... everyone that needs t'know. To escape."
Not everyone that needed to know would find out; he felt horribly, horribly sure of that. There would be people trapped here and dying... unless other people were making and passing on plans, should they not be able to hold Malvren? They would be, wouldn't they? Would the Weyr's leaders remember those who weren't bonded to dragons? He didn't trust it, not in the hot of the moment. He should be able to think of something, some way to make sure that anyone who needed or wanted to get away if the revolution too Malvren, but he couldn't.
"We should... should go to Trine. Make sure all dragons have... have a jump point."
That was all he could think of.
"Wish I c'ld do more."
His eyes closed, and his head dropped onto somebody's shoulder.
================
[Carltis]
Oh, so he was invisible now was he? Shards, he thought she might have acknowledged him when he was asking something about her precious master. Scowling darkly Carltis shifted to perch on the edge of the bed next to the healer for the time being when Aleck shifted. As he had suspected it proved easier to hold Bereck up from here; his battered muscles hadn't been happy about bearing the healer's weight for so long from the other position.
As the others spoke he glared around as though the whole universe had personally insulted him. Still no sign of movement or life save for them. He supposed that was good in a way, but as Bereck started to ramble about plans (that sounded like ones Aleck had already told him about) he had to wonder how long that would last. Sooner or later other people were going to come down here, and finding out if they were friend or foe could be messy and dangerous....
And now he had a head on his shoulder.
Carltis didn't shove the healer away, but he did look rather uncomfortable with the situation.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 5:24 pm
Rochelle shifted a little when Aleck settled down. He'd sat in a similar way with her when Rocham had been sick and near to death. The situation had been significantly more kind, granted, but it was nevertheless a situation.
"Everything will be okay," She whispered to Aleck, normally calloused tones gentle. Rochelle never was any good at comforting or being 'maternal'. Outside of hugs, words like that were as far as she knew how to do without feeling awkward - and last time she tried that, she got slapped. "S'probably best to lie him down at this point, Carltis, honestly. Keeping him up will only strain the stitches and that's the last thing we need."
The glasscrafter paused, and she patted at the other side of her, on the cot. "Come sit with us so Tiny can check out Aleck. None of us need to be standing if we can help it, y'know?"
Ignore her, Tiny? She'll ignore back! So there! Or - well, no, really, she was worried about Aleck and Bereck and the situation and Becka was something not to mind overmuch right now. Sort of. Unless she got too close.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 5:28 pm
[Carltis]
Carltis glanced at Rochelle, and then at Becka. "You working on Aleck first then?" If she wasn't - if she was coming over here first after all - then there was little point lying him down just to drag him back up straight away.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 5:40 pm
Becka sighed, just a small one, it was true she was shaken, but she had meant more of the fact Carltis HAD been guarding the door and would probably do so again when he could let Bereck lie down again. "Oh" said Becka, a little surprised at Aleck's request but she knew the study better than most of the others and she knew Aleck wasn't going to move far from Bereck just yet.
She glanced at Bereck as he spoke about Berath, it seemed her mention of his dragon had jogged his memory perhaps. "Actually, i think i will see to Bereck first.... if you don't mind Aleck? .... while Carltis is holding him up" she said, grabbing an armful of fresh bandages, she'd need them for Aleck anyway. "sorry Carltis, do you mind holding him up for a bit longer? it really would be smarter to see to him while he's sat up" she said, moving over to work on the man, praying he hadn't bust more than some minor stitches.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:27 pm
There were a lot of things he could say - Ber'll take care of it, I'll take care of it, I'll take care of you - but Aleck found himself listening without interruption, watching those blue eyes open and close and stay closed slightly longer each time.
He shut his own eyes a moment and exhaled a "Yeah." for Rochelle. He wasn't sure of that but it was a sweet sentiment, and he flashed a glimmer of a wan smile in thanks. The brunet looked up at Becka, or at least the space where Becka was. "No, go for it." That wasn't exactly what Bereck had ordered his apprentice to do, but he was muddle-headed and unconscious and Aleck wasn't, although a glance at his shoulder told him Carltis' bandages needed changing.
Right. Carltis. Still here, supporting his father. In need of something to focus on Aleck found himself wondering why, when the other weyrbrat looked as uncomfortable as he himself felt.
"How's the headache?" he asked quietly, feeling compelled to.. do something, vaguely. Pay back mounting debt, maybe; the bruised man was helping them all quite a bit and hadn't made a demand for himself yet.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:35 pm
[Bereck]
Though still semi-aware of what was going on, speaking so much had sapped the healer's strength too much contribute any more for the moment. His eyes remained closed, and his body limp against Carltis.
***********
[Carltis]
Carltis gave Becka a brief nod. "I can manage; he's not that heavy," he elaborated gruffly. "Just tell me where you need me - and him - again, and I'll sort it."
Then turning to Aleck he pursed his lips; he would have shrugged too, but his shoulder was still occupied by head at the moment. He wasn't used to being this close to a near stranger. "It's present," he reported. "Feels kind of like a gold sat on my skull to be frank but it's not about to kill me. I'll live." Assuming nobody hostile kicked that door down, anyway.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:58 pm
Way to be super wrong, Rochelle!
This is why she went into glasscrafting. Glasscrafting, you had to worry about fumes and not burning your fingerprints off with a careless flick of the wrist. Things like feelings and healings didn't add into things - unless the fingerprint burning happened. So she linefaced, and she squirmed, looked down at her hands.
"If she's helping your Dad, maybe I could look at your arm?" She hazarded. Being useless sucked. And - Carltis' head? Rochelle frowned, eyeing up the larger weyrbrat. His speech wasn't slurred and he hadn't thrown up as far as she could tell. Probably no concussion. But.. Guh. "Are your ears ringing? Are you dizzy?"
She'd gotten a concussion once. Nasty business. Puked for a while, had to stay awake, and was in bed for a day or two. Ugh.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 2:30 pm
Becka knew she was going against Bereck's instruction but it would be easier for the man, and faster, to see to him now, though she did see that she needed to see to Aleck soon. She turned her head back to Carltis when he spoke, ignoring Rochelle completely, it seemed the best thing to do. "Just hold him up so i can check under his bandages without moving him too much Carltis, thank you" she actually gave the young man a small smile before busying herself checking on Bereck, thankfully his exertions hadn't split any of his stitches open and he wasn't bleeding all that badly from the deeper ones, better than she'd hoped for, though they were likely to scar badly, the stitches not really neat, more functional to hold her master together.
When she was finished she glanced at Carltis again "Thanks Carltis, lay him down gently please, and get him several blankets to keep him warm while i see to Aleck?" she asked, turning to the other young man "Aleck, may i?" she said, gesturing to his bandages, her hand already on some clean ones to bring them over when she was finished taking a look at his wounds.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:56 pm
Aleck thought about squeezing her hand, but old taboos still lay in place. (Also she was sitting on his bad side.) Instead he said: "Sure, if you want." It could have been a response to 'Could I have a look at your garden?' or 'Do you mind if I take down this wasp nest?' He felt a little flicker of morbid curiosity about the state of the wound, though he wasn't tempted to poke it. The brunet half-turned, presenting a better angle, and watched as she began to peel back the bandages.
..right, curiosity killed. Focus on something else.
"Should be stuff for that," the weyrbrat said anyway; ounce of prevention and all that. He'd slipped from his first thoughts of rations and triage; until someone else came this small group was his focus, and he needed Carltis. "'ll get some when-" he trained his eyes away from Bereck and his shoulder, "-this is done." Well. Someone could - Becka or maybe Cai if she was back. Not for the first time Aleck wished he could reach out to Berath with the kind of light mind touch the healer described. (He'd never wished the same for his father; nothing is worse than having your parent in your head.)
He'd done so well at focusing on something else that Becka's address got a mildly surprised blink. "Oh. Yeah, go ahead. How's he look..?" 'He' was Bereck, and Aleck scanned the apprentice's face for clues while he adjusted his glasses and made a point not to look at what Rochelle was doing. He'd seen red, and layers, and while by itself weirdly fascinating the sight was a bit too much along with everything else today.
If he didn't think too much he could stay on top of this.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:19 pm
"I've wanted this since I was fifteen," She said softly, doing her best to sound carefree, voice light in some sort of warped inside joke. Rochelle moved in a little closer, lips pulled into a quiet frown. For a loud, brash woman she had a gentle and delicate touch, used to working with breakable items and fire. No sense hurting the young man more, small fingers edging to the bandage to take it off as gently as she could. "Or something like that. How did you get this anyway?"
Rochelle decided not to act on the anger in regards to Becka acting like the sixteen year old she was. (Rochelle had issues with flouncing out of an intense conversation and ignoring, but those were personal things, and the second one made her a hypocrite anyway.) She concentrated instead on Aleck and cleaning out a bit of the shoulder. She was just about to shift away from him to getnew bandages when Becka spoke.
She took a quick breath before half turning to smile at Becka, as calm and collected as one could ever want. Punching the girl in the head would wait until later. "If it looks clean to you, I'll rewrap it while you go get those pictures Aleck asked for. I get lost in a straight hallway with no doors, I'd be no good being sent to get them."
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 5:18 am
(I apologise in advance for the length of this post)
[Bereck]
Being prodded was not on his list of favourite things ever. Bereck's face tightened with pain as he was carefully shifted and Becka checked the wounds, but he remained quiet and still.
Nothing worse than an idiot patient who wouldn't hold still.
Eventually he was aware of being laid down onto the bed, voices still going on, so he presumed he was still awake... if he was presuming things then that probably also meant he was awake, or was having a very situation appropriate dream.
****************
[Carltis]
Being useful was good, as was getting the cold clammy head off his shoulder. Once Becka had finished up he nodded curtly and eased the healer down as gently as he could. The canvas was still underneath him, but it hadn't looked dirty or anything so it probably wasn't worth worrying about just now.
As the healer apprentice moved on to Aleck, Carltis straightened up and fetched a few blankets. As he laid one after the other carefully over the pallid green rider he decided he definitely wasn't cut out for this kind of thing. The immediate trauma had almost been easier to deal with; his hands had been shaking like mad but at least he hadn't felt... awkward. Squirmy.
"My head'll be fine," he said, finally answering Rochelle's question. "It's thumping like a hall full of apprentice harpers practicing the drums, but my ears aren't ringing or anything. I'm going back over to the doors now, somebody ought to be guarding them, and at least that's something I'm better qualified to do than any of you lot." Without waiting for a response he turned and headed over to the doors, glad to leave the uncomfortable scene behind but slightly regretting he hadn't accepted the offer to sit down with his fellow Weyrbrats. He didn’t want to guard the doors all by himself, he wanted to be with other people and feel... safe. Scowling at himself he gripped his whip and strode onward; he didn’t have time for being stupid and sappy like that.
****************
[Berath]
The green dragon's deep alto voice reached the mind of everyone inside the infirmary, sounding perhaps a touch relieved.
****************
[Kleos + NPCs]
Things were not going well, not in the least. After waking alone in a corridor - not the one she had passed out in - she had managed to gather a ragtag group of loyalists, but despite their best efforts they had made no headway against the traitorous revolutionaries. Running out of options - and out of strength - she had opted to take her fellows to the infirmary, which Moriath informed her was currently held by the resistance.
Bloody knife in hand, and covered in her own blood especially on her head and face where scalp wounds had bled and then dried, Kleos strode up to the doors to the infirmary and threw them open. Behind her those who bore weapons raised them; Moriath had been told the resistance held the infirmary but she was prepared for it to be a trap.
...If it was a trap it was the poorest she had ever seen. One young man (admittedly quite a large one) with a whip in his hand and a scowl on his face. "Announce your allegiance boy," she demanded, "and make it swift, or you'll feel an arrow between your eyes!" She hadn't looked back to see whether or not the old silver rider had nocked his last arrow, but she trusted that he had.
The young man with the whip glowered at her. "I support the Malvren Bolts display team myself, but something more Trine way is starting to look pretty attractive I must admit. What the hell side do you think I'm on? Didn't you get the message from the green giant?"
"None of your cheek!" Kleos snapped, raising her knife and returning the glare like for like. "We received the message, but Moriath does not know the green personally, we could not be sure of her."
"...Green giant? You can trust Berath."
The quiet voice of the silver rider interrupted her ire somewhat, and Kleos turned to face him. He had lowered his shortbow and was looking past her at the other occupants of the room; he looked rather unwell. "...You are certain of that, V'eck?"
The white haired man's hazel eyes snapped back onto her and he nodded stiffly, his usual aloof expression reasserting itself. "As certain as I am of my own dragon."
Kleos paused for a moment, studying his face for some sign of the distress that had been there a moment before, but it was gone. "Very well," she inclined her head to him, "you have been steadfast this day; your faith is my faith."
"Do you always talk like that?"
Another glare was directed at the young man with the whip. "Watch your tongue, I've no time for your posturing."
"It was just a question."
Kleos kept glaring, and the tall young man continued to study her as if she was something unpleasant on the bottom of his boot. Eventually however he rolled his eyes and relented.
"Right, right, no time for ego. You'd better come over and hear what we've planned so far."
Feeling rather satisfied that he had backed down before she did Kleos nodded again. "Very well. I had expected more people to be here... but I will hear what you have to say. Your four, guard these doors, Janna, K'ri, H'ran, sit down and rest. V'eck, Thria, you're with me."
"...Wingleader, would I not be better to take up guard duty?"
"You've only one arrow left, and I would rather not put you in close combat if I can avoid it," Kleos replied swiftly, "With me V'eck."
"...As you command."
"Good." Before anyone else could insult her or try to disagree with her Kleos set off after the boy with the whip for the little group centred around a bed. She knew the man in it, she realised as she drew closer, knew him in passing at any rate; he'd been one of the masters looking after her when she returned from her trip through Time. Strange to see him as a patient rather than a healer....
Everyone else here looked very young.
"Wingleader Kleos at your service," she introduced herself smartly, throwing a salute to the ladies and the blue-eyed young man, "have no fear, my companions and I shall defend you."
"Oh good, so long as you’re here I'm not worried about this whole revolution thing at all anymore."
Kleos glared again, wiped her knife clean on her britches, and did not dignify the snide comment with a response.
Behind the bloodied crimson rider Thria - a short muscular woman gripping a meat clever - offered the assembled folk a strained but warm smile. V'eck on the other hand, tall, lithe, fine-faced despite his obviously advanced years stood stiffly and looked through them with no discernable expression at all.
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:14 am
[Siata: Created character, app WIP in the application section. Throwing her in here because she needs to do something)
Having Siask Chase after some bloody-minded Gold had never been a part of the plan for the revolution. Shards - she'd never even thought there would actually be a revolution. People said things without action all of the time, every day, never acting on a single thing. She wanted her weapons, her hammer, her chisel, her absolutely anything to hold in that mad dash.
She'd been too caught up in the Chase to hear anything about what it was the Infirmary held. Even still, her head felt like a foggy blanket had stuffed itself in there, face and neck and ears bright red with feelings not fear or embarrassment. Sweaty hands and the need to run, to not be in that small Crafters quarters and around other people (preferably female but any company would do, especially the fully-clothed sort).
A wher meant that if the infirmary filled itself with Revolutionists, she could lie and say 'yeah, I totally am with you guys, didn't fight because my dude is making babies'. Being of the mind that a Weyr was protected by and cared or by dragons meant that she could not lie, if it was held by the resistance... if they didn't kill her first.
Siata really did not want to die.
Bravado fled in the face of blood and fists and lack of alcohol. She'd heard a group, discussing things like not being the Revolutionists, kept back and... followed them. Like a coward, she followed them, doing her best to keep quiet (thank goodness for sneaking out of sticky situations as some sort of messed up training). And... and ... four at the doors.
Crap.
... where had all her back-slapping, beer drinking, loud grinning bravery gone to? (Right, wher in her head, the taste of blood in her mouth, aching legs from running she hadn't done.) Siata put on her swagger anyway, and headed to the doors of the infirmary. Hide away the terrified over this violent and terrified world under the bright grin and Run-glassed eyes
"Good evening! I'm with you guys. Head is foggy. Hey. ... can I come in?" Hands in the air. Her fingertips itched. "I don't have my belt with the knives and things and - oh. Journeyman Smithcrafter, Siata. Hi. I have a wher. He's uh, he's not here. Or killing anyone."
A pause, because she yammered, and continued right now. "There was a Run so, yeah, head, foggy. Can I come in?"
Right, blathering. It didn't help these were human people and she wanted to jump and gnaw on them without drawing blood.
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:13 pm
Becka checked on Aleck's wounds and had to admit, Rochelle had done a tidy job of cleaning them "Looks good" she said, "I don't think they need stitching, just clean bandages and minimal movement" she said, "If you think you can do it then fine" she said to Rochelle, her tone not friendly but not overly hostile either. "I'll get the paintings then put that arm in a sling to keep movement down, Aleck" she said, stalking off.
She was reaching for the paintings when Berath spoke to her, to everyone it seemed from the timbre of her mental voice. She grabbed the paintings Aleck wanted and rushed out of the room, stopping dead as she saw the bloodied face of Kleos, she recognised the rider from very early on in her apprenticeship, she rode a Crimson if Becka recalled correctly. Her throat closed up a little at the crowd of others, rushing over to Aleck she gave him the pictures before recovering herself a little. "Who.....who's hurt here?" she asked Kleos, though there was at least one obvious answer "Master Bereck is badly hurt... i.....i'm the only one here, besides another Apprentice but she's outside taking care of Berath" she said to Kleos, more than a little overwhelmed at the sudden influx of people arriving.
Her ears caught the word 'Wher' and she jumped, turning her head sharply to the Handler "Stay away from him" she said, an gestured to Aleck sitting beside Bereck "Take a chair in a dark corner, if you're not hurt, there might be some cold Klah somewhere" she said, somewhat less tolerant than she'd been with the riders, she didn't hate Wherhandlers but she wasn't particularly well disposed towards them right now, perhaps less if Bereck died though she'd blame herself if that happened. She turned back to the Crimson Rider "i don't suppose you brought any other Healers with you did you?......" she said very quietly as she looked at the people entering the infirmary and swallowing hard.
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