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 Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 9:04 pm
Winter brought more than chill and snow to Dussander’s little home in Palisade. Preben’s penchant for running off to the woods to explore finally caught up with him, and he returned home one frostbitten evening with a runny nose and a harsh, dry cough rattling his ribs. Dussander did something that night he’d sworn never to do – he shouted. Cursed, yelled, barely held back the urge to grab Preben round the shoulders and shake him until he shattered. He forced the boy to bed with vegetable soup and hot milk. Dussander went without dinner that night, too wracked with worry to stomach anything more than his own fear.
Pneumonia was practically a death sentence. Dussander couldn’t afford any high priced fancy healers to waggle their fingers around his house and prescribe ten vials of magical leeches. Maybe the cough would clear up in the morning. Too much cold air on the lungs. A decent meal and a good night’s rest would fix the kid up.
But it didn’t. Not that night, and in the morning when Preben was still coughing hard enough to wrack his body with tremors, Dussander forced himself to stay away from the shop. He couldn’t afford to get behind on work, but if he son… if Preben wasn’t around, what would be the point of it, anyway?
He did what he could on his own. Keeping cool clothes on Preben’s brow to try and chase away the fever. Making sure he had plenty of food; mostly hot broth, with the best bits of mutton chopped into tiny, swallow-able pieces. Warm blankets and a stoked stove fire so hot it made Dussander sweat.
He waited three days, but Preben’s condition showed no sign of clearing up on its own. Dussander was going to have to hire a healer. They’d be low on funds for a while, that was nothing Dussander wasn’t used to. They’d get by. They would get by. So he tucked his son into bed with their blankets and their single thick, fur throw, and bent over Preben to press a kiss to his sweltering brow.
“Stay in bed. I’ll be back soon.”
Preben muttered something feverish and dropped back into sleep.
Dussander had seen a herbalist’s not far from where he went to market. Quaint. Accessible. Not a place he’d visit regularly, but it wasn’t a long walk from home. He slipped on is coat and boots and headed in that direction. Even if the shopkeeper couldn’t help him, they may know a healer or two in the vicinity. Or be able to recommend some sort of remedy that might ease Preben’s fever.
So long as it wasn’t leeches. Useless, outdated, tomfoolery.
The breeze was biting at his cheeks when he made it to the shop. He shoved the door open and trudged in, trailing snow and slush with him.
“I need help.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:08 pm
Somnus froze and craned her neck around the door to see who had entered with such force. He did not seem to be a threat, initially. The people who came to the shop were generally distraught to some level. Still, she remained on her feet and watched the man with careful eyes.
Ada herself was startled for a moment as the door hit the wall, but it was mere moments before she regained composure and smiled.
"Hello to you too," she said, and placed her current work aside in a basket by her feet. The hedgewitch sat in a wooden chair by the corner of the shop, plucking and crushing various herbs to prepare for salves and poultices. Winter always brought with it an array of new maladies, and it was best to keep up with the season. Business was always fair nowadays, but she'd have felt terribly guilty if she hadn't stocked something that someone had required.
The shop was warm, heated by a single stove in the opposite room. Various vials, bottles and tins lined the shelving in the main area, and a small countertop rose against the wall. Two doorways left right and backward respectively, but the latter was draped with a filmy curtain. The woman herself wore a dark blue dress, and her hair was pulled together low, still splaying across her back in a mass of wild curls. She stood, approaching the rather large man with no sense of intimidation.
"What do you need help with, exactly?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 2:15 am
The bitter-sweet smell of herbs and roots assaulted Dussander’s senses. It was a heady disparity to the sharp, clear air of winter. His head swam with the sudden contrast – fresh to musky, frigid to warm – but he collected himself quickly, gathering his height and jerking his chin up roughly. His entrance had not been the most polite. He certainly looked a fright, swaddled in a ratty old fur coat and breeches soaked through with snow. Especially now that the frost clinging to him was beginning to melt.
Dussander cowed back at the woman’s apparent lack of intimidation. The urge to apologize welled up in his throat, but… he other priorities. Maybe next time.
“My son caught a fever. Out playing in the woods again, in the cold. I’ve told him so many da- times,” cutting off a curse. Not right to swear in front of women, after all. “ He’s been sick in bed all week and I’ve tried… I can’t…” he sucked in a deep breath, brow furrowed, and rubbed his fingers over his forehead,” He’s not getting any better and I don’t know what to do.”
Nele would have his hide if she knew how far he’d let Preben go before getting help. Nele would have known what to do about their son.
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:48 am
Ada listened to the man's plea and nodded in understanding. Children were always at the greatest risk in the winter months, and a fever was nothing to be particularly worried about. With the way the man had entered, she'd thought his wife was on her deathbed, or his child had fallen through the ice.
"Well, I have plenty of medicines available, but if you'd like, I am also a healer," she said. her calmness seemed to transmit to her familiar, who now lifted her head with a gentle swish of her tail. She was eager to work, as always. To help was pleasant, if help could be had.
"I would be willing to visit your son, for a price. I also accept trade, payment plans..." The hedgewitch was moving about now, tying up her dress to save the hem from snow and pulling on a coat. With the way her newest customer was holding himself, she didn't imagine that he would be bringing his child out in the chill, nor would he want to wait.
"I'm Ada, by the way," she said, and nodded to her familiar, "That is Somnus. She's harmless, I assure you, and a great help in healing."
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:12 pm
A healer. That’s exactly what Dussaner had hoped for. He could manage to patch up cuts and bruises well enough, and fix a mediocre tea with whatever herbs she might sell to him, but his bedside manner and his knowledge of medicine was dismal. For a price though. Always the catch. But this was Preben’s life and well-being. Dussander could make up for lost income, he couldn’t make up for a lost son. Doing some dirty work under the table wasn’t anything Dussander hadn't done before.
“Thank-you,” he breathed the word out in a sigh of relief,” I can pay, but... payment plans would be helpful.” It was embarrassing to say, but he kept a stoic face and stubbornly high-set chin.
The fox gave him a bit of a start. He hadn’t taken notice of it before. His brow knit together and a frown wrinkled his thin lips. Predators in his house. Vermin. Ada had said familiar, and he understood that those were animals of special intelligence. He wasn’t keen on having it musking about his little hole in the wall, but… he’d put up with it. For Preben.
“Dussander.” Hopefully she’d get that was his name and not some foreign curse word.
He did step back and hold the door open for her, letting the cold breeze slither into the shop,” We don’t live far. And… thank-you. Thank-you.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:33 pm
"That's just fine," Ada nodded. Were it not for her own material needs, she would have liked to not charge at all. It was an aspect of healing that she was not so fond of. Delivering babies only paid so much, and was entirely dependent upon how many happy couples there were at the time. She could never assume that she would be set. This man, though, he seemed to be in a rather tight spot. Where was his wife? The options were all fairly grim. At least the wolves had not yet made it to Palisade.
"It's nice to meet you, Dussander. I'm sorry it wasn't under a more pleasant pretense," she said, and gave a thankful nod as she looped a bag over her shoulder and stepped out into the snow. Her breath billowed out before her in a great white plume, and she sighed. The young woman waited on the sidewalk for her customer to continue. Rarely did anyone arrive with a carriage.
"It's nothing. I help when I can."
Somnus followed after, giving Dussander a special glance as she passed by him. It was not unusual for others to condemn her. She could have fleas, after all, horrible diseases, nasty predisposition. She didn't, of course, but she and Ada were more than used to the glares, especially from the husbands of expectant mothers. She didn't like to leave the witch's side, especially not around big, strange men.
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Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 7:25 pm
Of course Dussander fully intended to pay, but if the healer would accept staggered payments that would make things a hell of a lot easier. He wouldn’t throw a lady kind enough to help him to the wolves. She had taxes to pay and bellies to feed, just like him. Can’t imagine how much those herbs cost , either. Probably a sight bit harder to find than the tired old weeds that grew around Dussander’s home in the summer.
Finding fresh herbs in winter? Dussander couldn’t fathom it.
The winter cold bit ruthlessly at any exposed skin. Dussander burrowed his chin into the collar of his coat and stepped out into the street.
The trek to his home took no more than fifteen minutes, at Dussander’s pace. Not as fast as he once was, with his knee not entirely able to extend. The cold did it no favors, either. While he was ordinarily capable of disguising his limp, the chill, the worry, and forcing himself to move faster than he ought to, brought a twinge back to his leg.
The house wasn’t much too look at. Small and squished in between two other equally average homes. There was a small addition to the side where Dussander conducted his business. Just large enough to work on a small project and store the rest of his tools. Most of his carpentry was done on site, after all.
He stepped up to the narrow door and fumbled his house key through the lock. Warmth greeted him as he swung open the door. Their chimney stove was burning strongly, fighting off winter as well as it could manage. There wasn’t much in the way of room. A little sitting area with a threadbare couch and a handsome table beyond it. There was cluttered from one end to the other, mostly children’s toys carved out of wood. A horse here. A boat and sailor there.
A set of narrow stairs led to a single bedroom. Preben’s dry cough rattled down. Dussander grimaced.
“Preben,” he called,” I’m home. I’ve brought a healer.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:09 pm
Ada followed without comment. The cold had never done wrong by her; it was simply another function of the seasons. She did notice the progressive limp as they continued, but it was certainly none of her business to speak of it, especially with Dussander so worried and so determined.
When they reached his home, the hedgewitch softly bowed and entered. It took only a glance to realize that the man's wife was no longer present. Her gaze trailed from left to right across the room, and then up the stairs.
"Well, it doesn't sound like pneumonia," she said, turning to Dussander with a reassuring smile.
Somnus wove in through Ada's feet, wary that their customer might lock her out in the cold. She could handle it, of course, but she'd prefer to not have to. There was no pause in her step as she entered and trotted up the stairs. Her form disappeared against the shadows the fire threw, but she could be heard tap-tapping her way into the room upstairs. She turned and poked her head into the main area, eyes glowing in the dark.
"After you?" Ada asked, gesturing for Dussander to follow up first. A strange woman wandering into your room was enough to scare even a healthy child.
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Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:30 pm
Thank god. Pneumonia was practically a death sentence. Dussander’s shoulders drooped a little. Some of that stiff tensioned drained out of him. He returned Ada’s smile with a twitch in the corner of his lips.
“I’m… sorry about the mess.” Nele had never kept a messy house. Always neat and shining clean. Dussander tidied, of course. Didn’t leave out dirty dishes. Cleaned up anything dangerous. But working and watching Preben on his own was time consuming and exhausting. Didn’t often have guests over to worry about.
Dussander glowered at the fox as she snuck by, and was quick to follow her up the stairs. They creaked under his weight. Preben had thrown off some of his blankets and was lying in a pale, sweaty mess. Dussander stepped next to his cot and pressed a cool hand to his brow. Preben muttered something delirious and dragged his eyelids open.
“How you doing, little man?” Dussander’s tone was soft. He stroked his hand along Preben’s forehead,” I’ve brought a lady here to see you. She’s going to help you out.”
Hopefully.
Preben stretched his cracked lips into a smile, but another bought of coughing overtook him before he could reply.
Dussander pinched his eyes shut, mouth stretched tight in a wince.
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Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:54 pm
Rather than get right to work, Ada let the boys talk a moment and set her bag down on the other end of the bed. This place was comfortable, charming even. It was clear that the familial bond was strong, and she couldn't help but smile. She invited herself to sit then and smiled to Preben. He didn't seem as sick as his father's entrance had implied, and that was a good thing. Especially ill children were perhaps the most stressful part of her job, aside from especially ill newborns. There was so much pressure to help them, and to help them fast.
As humans bumbled by the bed, Somnus eyed Dussander and approached cautiously before setting her front paws up on the blankets. Kids liked her, and she knew it. She liked them too! A soft, dark nose sniffled at the child's feet, almost asking permission. She was a large creature for her type, perhaps the size of an average dog, and invitingly fluffy.
At this intrusion, Ada gave Dussander a questioning glance. He hadn't seemed too impressed with Somnus to begin with, and she knew the fox's habits. Her attention shifted quickly, though, and she addressed her newest patient directly.
"Hello, Preben! My name is Ada, it's nice to meet you," she said, offering her hand to shake. "Can you tell me where you feel sick?"
Children, she found, were much more apt at describing their illness than their parents. They were less concerned with dying, and much more interested in foxes and sneezing.
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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:38 pm
The look Dussander shot Somnus left no doubt that he’d rather see the fox skinned and turned into mittens than come up on his son’s bed. Preben gasped softly (followed by a raspy cough), and snapped his wide eyes on the animal. He slowly dragged his gaze off of her and up to his father. Dussander’s upper lip curled in clear distaste, but he snaked his hand out over the bed and gave it a few inviting pats near Preben’s bony knees. Ada wouldn’t have brought the animal along if it was harboring disease, right? If it left hairs though…
Preben finally managed to turn his attention away from the fox, and where it ought to be. On the healer. He cleared his throat a little and spoke in a creaking voice,” I like your pet. She’s pretty.”
Dussander rubbed his forehead and dragged his fingers through his hair. Not the right answer. “Preben…”
The boy pouted his dry, cracked lips, but continued,” My chest and my throat. I’m all scratchy inside.” He gave a short cough that rattled his limbs, and Dussander swept his eyes up to Ada, pleading.
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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:52 pm
Somnus happily leaped up on Preben's bed and curled up at his side, hopefully acting as a comfort and a distraction to the ill child.
"Well, thank you very much," Ada replied and nodded. She hoped that Dussander would prompt his son back into the conversation at hand and looked up to him, but he had already acted. She turned again to Preben and nodded.
"Ohh, I see," she said, "That must not feel very good. Do you mind if I touch your forehead? I'd like to see how warm you are." Certainly the boy had a fever, with how upset his father was. Exact numbers were not really Ada's concern. She could feel the sickness in the warmth and gauge how desperate the situation had become. Preben seemed fairly coherent, though, and was even interested in her familiar. He certainly didn't seem like a dying boy.
Ada then felt Dussander's eyes on her, and she peered up to catch his gaze. Already smiling softly, all she could do was try and relate reassurance in her eyes. Her attention turned almost immediately back to her young patient and his illness, and her eyes softened in the way adults looked to children with important things to say.
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Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:27 pm
Preben’s eyes were affixed to Somnus. He managed to wrangle one of his hands out from the cocoon of blankets, sweating with the effort to do so. He stretched his bony fingers toward the fox, wiggling his body back and forth until he could reach far enough to brush them against her warm, soft fur.
Dussander frowned during the entire display.
Once Preben had happily tangled his fingers against Somnus’ loveliness, he turned his tired eyes back to Ada. His lips quirked in contentment. “Not really, but Papa says I’ll get better,” he wrinkled his nose and lowered his voice to hushed, conspirital tones,” And I won’t ever get sick again, ‘cause Papa’s soup is pretty gross.”
Dussander snorted and looked away. Cooking had never been a skill he thought he’d need.
“You can touch my forehead,” said Preben, finally, with a resolute nod of his chin.
Dussander swept his own hand over his son’s brow first, feeling the heat, immense heat as far as he was concerned. He let his fist fall back to his side and took a couple steps away from the bed to let Ada do her work. Not far, though. He hovered near, shooting Somnus a dirty look now and again. The house was going to smell like fox when she was gone.
“He’s clammy,” said Dussander,” I haven’t… I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to give him a bath. Didn’t want him to get worse.” Being wet and cold couldn’t do anyone any good.
Preben gave Ada an exasperated look,” He means I’m smelly.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 6:06 pm
Somnus gladly wriggled closer to the boy and lowered her chin to his blankets. She was just a soft distraction to others, but she rather enjoyed the attention she got when they visited children. This one in particular seemed rather gentle.
"Oh, indeed? Well, nobody likes being sick, and it's a good idea to try and stay healthy anyway," Ada agreed, giving another soft nod before reaching out to touch Preben's forehead. She used most of her palm and the bottoms of her fingers to try and gauge the level of his sickness. He was warm, for certain. She had no doubt that there was something more than a cold in this little boy's chest.
"Has he vomited at all?' she asked then, beginning to rifle through her bag. The question was directed toward Dussander, since children often underestimated the desperation in their own bodies. "A warm or lukewarm bath is fine. It'll help clean out his nose. Just don't let the water get cold, and dry him off as quickly as you can. A chill could make his... well, his chills worse." She smiled up at Dussander, and then turned her attention to Preben with a wider grin.
"Preben, do you prefer the taste of honey or fruit?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 7:58 pm
Preben’s dry lips cracked into a grin as Somnus wriggled closer. He stroked his frail hands through her lovely, thick fur, delight playing in his eyes. He kept his hands on her as Ada probed at his brow, content enough to simply enjoy the softness and warmth of the rather oversized vixen. The only foxes Dussander ever permitted him to touch were one’s quite safely deceased and skinned. Not that they could afford a fox skin, of course. Preben did… enjoy the company of animals, though. And without his mother or many other children around to play with, having something to keep him company might not be the worst option.
Like a cat. A nice, outdoors cat. That could feed itself on mice and birds, so Dussander didn’t have to do anything with it.
“No vomiting, no,” said Dussander,” He’s managed to eat everything that I’ve given him. Just liquids. Didn’t think solid food would help him.” Didn’t want to take the chance on giving Preben anything too rich or upsetting. Or having him choke on something hard if he had a coughing fit mid chew.
He colored a bit at Ada’s permission to bathe his son. Damn it. What sort of father let his kid swelter in his own sick stink when he could have had a bath? Damn, damn. Dussander dragged his fingers through his hair and scowled. He’d give his boy a proper bath tonight, then. Poor kid.
“Fruit!” squeaked Preben, chin jerking up so he could stare at Ada,” I really like fruit!” He so rarely got any after all. Apples were a fine staple, and figs when they picked them themselves. Anything more exotic than that was generally out of their price range and too hard to find.
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