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 Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 8:16 am
Catoth sat up from his spot in bed, and immediately moved to be closer to his rider. She had been groping around for him, her good eye wide open, and it was clear she was afraid from just her body language and overall demeanor. In an attempt to calm her, the little brown sent waves of hugs and warmth her way, and that seemed to help some. Outwardly, the brown sighed in relief. He was going to stay with her and take care of her or just be by her side if he couldn't do much. She deserved that at least.
'Dear one,' he said, wagging his tail and fluttering his wings in his spot in her lap, 'can you see what I am doing?'
Qyprenna could feel the vibrations of the hatchling's wings as they flapped. She could hear the flutter of them, and the swish of his tail as it swung from one side to another. She was even looking in the general direction of where those things were coming from, but something was off. She didn't look at them directly. Instead, it was if she was looking past them, her gaze unfocused and distant. The weyrling gave a shake of her head, and it was then that she started to tremble visibly. Tears were also welling up in her eyes, both injured and uninjured. She could feel the saltiness stinging at them, and instinctively she wiped them from her good eye.
"...No, Catoth," she said out loud, hesitant to actually say the words out loud. Acknowledging the fact that something was horribly wrong would just give a whole new sense of gravity to the situation, and she didn't want that. She just wanted it to be a horrible, horrible nightmare. One that she could jolt awake from, sweating from terror, but no worse for wear aside from that. A nightmare would have been way more welcomed than whatever the hell this reality was.
"...I can't see you at all."
Her dragon wasted no more time after that. While screeching out loudly in an attempt to get the attention of those walking by their room, he also reached out with his mind to Berath, as the masterhealer had instructed. 'Berath, bring Bereck! Come quick! Qyprenna has gone blind. She can't see at all! Hurry! He has to help! I don't know what to do!' There was a desperation in his voice, and it was clear that the brown was just as afraid as his rider. His eyes were a vibrant shade of yellow again, and as the weyrling trembled, he just curled up close to her, to reassure that he'd always be there for her, no matter what.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 8:28 am
Quick.
Quick was not exactly his forte but he was doing his best, was already out of the door of the small lecture room leaving behind a confused and concerned gaggle of apprentices. The closest he could get to running was a sort of odd loping gait, aided by his cane - still the temporary one with the dragon's head - occasionally by a wall, and once by Weyrhealer Amarid's shoulder as he stumbled past her. The older woman called after him, he responded with something vague and urgent but didn't actually stop or even slow.
Luckily the room where Qyprenna was resting wasn't too far, he couldn't have continued this speed a lot further. With his blood running cold and panic twisting his insides Bereck fumbled the door open, stepped inside, and closed it behind him.
It was dim inside the little private chamber in order to allow the occupant to rest but a couple of glows were left uncovered so that she wouldn't have awoken to complete darkness.
Except apparently she had.
"I'm here," he said, probably unnecessarily as at least Qyprenna would have heard the door open but now she would know it was him.
As Bereck approached the bed, making heavier use of his cane than usual after the semi-run, his firelizards appeared with two sharp pops and started to uncover more glows so that he could see better. He wanted to disbelieve it, for it to be untrue, but the notes he'd read from Healer Hall.... But he still wanted to disbelieve, yet how could he faced with the evidence?
And all this because she'd tried to take his cane back from squabbling hatchlings.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 8:40 am
The weyrling's dragon perked up when the masterhealer entered the room. He let out a quiet chirp of greeting, and then hopped down from Qyprenna's lap and onto the floor. The young woman, likewise, took this time to stand when Bereck entered, both arms up and extended outward as she tried to feel out for the man. It was good that he was here because by now she was in a full on panic. Tears had become streaming down her face again from the time Catoth called out to the healer's dragon, to the time he actually got there.
"Bereck --..." she stammered, taking a few (albeit tiny) steps forward in her general direction. It didn't take much, for the moment she moved, she wavered and staggered some, only to stop entirely in her tracks yet again. "I can't see!" This came out as more of a wail than anything else, followed by choking sobs. "I can't see. My sight is gone. I can't see!"
She crumpled to the ground after that, her knees buckling under her weight. The impact from the fall didn't seem to faze her anymore than she already was, however. Once on her knees upon the floor, she just covered her face in both of her hands and let the wave of confusion, sadness, and terror rush over her. All she seemed to be able to do was repeat those same, chilling words.
"..I can't see....I can't see...I can't see."
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 8:51 am
Now was not the time to tell her to get back up on the bed and sit still so that he could look at her eye. Bereck had never considered himself much use at this sort of thing - he was reserved, he preferred to have his own personal space - but he would just have to do his best. He did need to get her sitting up so that he could look at her eyes but a few minutes to let her calm down wouldn't make much of a difference.
Absolutely no words of comfort came to mind and so the healer just limped over to the crumpled heap of Weyrling and knelt down beside her with the help of the little table. After a moment of hesitation he put an arm around her shoulders and tried desperately to think of something reassuring to say. There wasn't anything really, just as there hadn't been anything he or anyone else could say to T'gall after the former Weyrleader's sight had been taken from him.
Eventually he managed to cope out with; "I'm here, Catoth is here, and you're safe." It wasn't a lot but it was true.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 8:59 am
He was there, Catoth was there, and she was safe.
Bereck's words rang out to her, and Qyprenna shifted a bit, wriggling to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. She sniffled some, clearly trying to pull herself together, and took a few deep breaths. In, and out. In, and out. After a moment or two, the young girl had finally managed to calm down. When the masterhealer wrapped an arm around her, she moved in without hesitation, and gave him a hug. It was a tight bear of a hug, almost one of desperation, but eventually she relented and let him go.
Once she did, she then shifted again, this time putting her hand down on the ground to give herself a push up. Pushing up, she stood, straightened her uniform, and then moved to sit back on the bed again. She took off the bandage over her injured eye as she did so, perhaps hoping to save Bereck some time of doing it himself, and to allow him to look at her eye, as she knew he wanted to do.
It could be worse, right? She could be stranded on her own somewhere with no one to help her, but no. Instead, she was safe and sound in the safety of the Weyr, well taken care of by the masterhealer. He was one of the best healers in the entire area. She would be in good hands. She just had to remember all those things, and try not to freak herself out too much.
The moment she sat on the bed, Catoth jumped up beside her. He flopped down at her side, allowing his head to rest on her lap. 'We're all here for you, dear one. Don't worry. Everything is going to be ok.'
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:12 am
Standing up was more difficult than kneeling down, it was perfectly possible but it required the help of the table again and some internal cursing. Letting out a slow breath Bereck approached the bed and gently lifted Qyprenna's chin so that he could get a better look at both eyes. They were both still reddened, he couldn't tell if they were watering because she had just been weeping in any case, but the actual cut over her right eye was starting to look a little better.
"The cut is starting to look better, it's less swollen today," Bereck said eventually in solemn tones, releasing Qyprenna's chin and moving to perch on the edge of the bed beside her. "Your vision.... I can't explain. Sight loss to some degree in your right eye wouldn't have surprised me but the uninjured eye?... However I did find a couple of similar cases in the archives of the Hall, as I believe I told you. Some of them ended with blindness in both eyes." With no recovery.
He was going to do more research, see if he could find any other instances of this at all, and then he was going to write it all up properly and publish it. Maybe it would do somebody some good down the line, maybe somebody would read it and... what? Remove the injured eye? But at what point did you make that call, or rather suggest it to a patient? This sort of reaction was clearly extremely rare so it would be madness to suggest it for all cases. Perhaps if the second eye started to become irritated?
Shaff, shaff it all he didn't know and it wasn't fair!
Life wasn't fair, he knew that, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to be angry about it.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:27 am
Bereck had been into her room a few times over the past couple of days. Sometimes it was to clean her eyes, and others it was to tell her of snippets of information that he found. When he came in those times, he explained that were a few cases of people who had conditions similiar to hers. As he had said just then, some of them ended in blindness of not just one, but both of the eyes. Now, she assumed, she would join the ranks of those individuals, herself. The weyrling didn't want to say it out loud, but she figured there would be no chance of recovering her vision back, no matter how many things that she tried.
This wasn't fair.
Why did life have to screw around with her like this? What was the purpose of taking her sight?
None -- that was what. There was absolutely no reason for it, and now her life was screwed up forever.
She was supposed to be a rider. It was her biggest dream. She was supposed to graduate with the rest of her peers, be accepted into a wing, and live a life where she could help people: her and Catoth both. It was what she had always wanted, and now all of that was stripped away, gone within an instant.
"I'm not going to graduate..." she finally said, lifting her head and turning it to look in the direction of Bereck. In the end, she was actually looking over his shoulder, but she didn't know that. "I'll be lucky if they let me do anything now. Wings are out of the question, and even around the Weyr, they won't want me around. I'll just get in the way of any work they are trying to do. What use is a blind girl to anyone, Bereck?"
No use, that was what.
It was at this time that a certain hatchling lifted his head, moving it to nuzzle Qyprenna carefully. He wanted to tell her that she would find something, somehow. She would be ok. The two of them had each other, and that was all that mattered. He' be there for her, blindness or not. There was no way they could pry him away.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:41 am
He remembered feeling like that himself, the memory was as clear as though it were yesterday and cut sharp as a knife. His concerns hadn't included not graduating but he had feared that he would never be able to do anything that mattered, that his life would have no purpose. He had to think of something to say to her, and luckily here he wasn't quite so terribly at sea. He couldn't help with her pain at not graduating but the rest, well, there were things that could be done.
Bereck reached over to take Qyprenna's hand in his own and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. "If this is permanent," and it probably was, "there are things you can do, once you adjust. You could work with Venk or B'tes helping with the candidates or Weyrlings - T'gall is planning to do just that I believe - or you could perhaps take up a craft. Not all of them require the use of your eyes. I've known blind Harpers who create sublime music, and weave incredible stories. Speaking of that I met a blind weaver once, she did everything by touch, made the most beautiful cloth... and of course you will be able to use Catoth's eyes. No help to graduating of course but once you learn the skill that will make you more mobile out and about." Of course to become an apprentice she would need to pay an apprentice's fee and presumably study within the Weyr for Catoth's sake. There were Harpers here however and there were Weavers. "Or you could try your hand at diplomacy, the attaché program relies on retired riders now that we're in a Pass."
There were choices, she had options. It didn't feel like enough.
Bereck gave the girl's fingers another squeeze, wondering if a hug would be more appropriate but finding himself unable to decide. "I'm not saying it will be easy but I am saying that it isn't the end of your life."
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:57 am
'I have good eyes,' Catoth commented, his eyes switching back to green now that Qyprenna had calmed down. 'the best eyes in all of Pern! Together, we're going to do great, dear one.' Her dragon's words soothed her all the more, and as scared as she was, initially, she knew that she would be ok in the end. It would be difficult, most certainly. She'd have to learn to take care of her new partner, and she'd have to find out the limitations that her disability would cause. Flying in a Wing or during threadfalls were certainly out, but she wouldn't be without a purpose.
Weaving, in particular, seemed quite intriguing. When Bereck mentioned it, her thoughts immediately turned to home, and to the llamas that her family raised. They produced wool, which was often used by weavers to create not just wonderful cloth, but clothes, tapestries, and a wide variety of things. She had a good nose for textiles before, so perhaps she could develop that further as an apprentice. Maybe she could even become a master, if she was good enough.
"Weaving sounds fun," she said with a smile, "but first comes caring for Catoth. After weyrlinghood, I'd like to see about an apprenticeship." Content with deciding what she would do after weyrlinghood, she stroked the brown affectionately. "...I should see about getting a dog or something, in the meanwhile, and train them, too. To help me around, perhaps, when I can't use Catoth's eyes."
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:08 am
She seemed to be taking this unnaturally well, but then again she might well still just be in shock over the whole thing. Losing one of your senses, one of the most important ones, almost overnight? Far too much to take in right away.
Bereck nodded, realised that this was not a lot of help, and said; "Mmh, yes. I've heard of people having a dog to help them before, I'll see what information I can turn up for you." Firelizards too, though they were unreliable they could still be helpful. How was a girl like Qyprenna going to afford a firelizard though?
....
No, no he really could not make a habit of buying firelizards for young women who happened to get injured in circumstances related to him. People would talk.
buy Aurata for R'soua.>
That was true - he had just been thinking it, which was probably what Berath had picked up on - but still.... Well, he would say nothing and thing about it.
As he had been thinking about firelizards however Aorta was attracted and moved over to snuggle in between the two humans, hoping for pets.
Bereck obliged. "But yes, you have plenty of time to decide what you want. For now of course you need to focus on Catoth, as I know you know." And adjusting to blindness. Shards, he was going to have to go and tell B'tes that he'd lost one of his students already.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:15 am
Catoth, yes.
He was the most important thing right now.
Qyprenna flashed a faint smile, and continued to stroke her dragon. Catoth, likewise, trilled happily and snuggled in closer. He was fond of the affection, and given everything that happened, perhaps it would help to make them both feel a little bit better. Shards knew Qyp needed it. 'We focus on each other,' he said with a definite tone, lifting his head up to look at his rider, then the masterhealer and his flitt, and then back to his rider again.
When Aorta moved over, the weyrling extended the hand that was petting her own dragon, and gave the firelizard some brief scritches. She was a pretty thing, and Qyprenna had always enjoyed seeing flitts. They were fun to watch, and it was always neat to see which riders had what sort of firelizards. The were as varied in personality as the dragons and whers they were paired with.
"I'll do my best to take care of Catoth. And he'll take care of me, too."
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:53 am
Bereck nodded again, and then said; "Mmh," again too. "Berath has always taken care of me," he continued, "she covers for my failings where she can, as I am sure Catoth will for you." Where were the pair going to live? Would the barracks be suitable? Not right away for sure, probably best that she stay here really. "I think it would be best for you to stay here for the time being," Bereck said, looking down at the dragon and giving him a smile. "If you want things brought that can be arranged, and if you need any help or advice with Catoth - outside of whatever B'tes arranges - I can help of course. Ah, and by here I don't necessarily mean here, in this room. There are some rooms further in designed for people who will be staying a while, more homely."
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:03 am
'Our own room? Without worry of other weyrlings? That doesn't sound so bad.'
As much as Qyprenna wanted to agree with Catoth, she couldn't help but think about her peers. All of them would be staying together, still, and there would be that sense of comradery between not just them and their dragons, but with each other as well. In that regard, she wished she could stay along with them. Given her newly apparent disability, however, that would be out of the question, at least for the time being. Perhaps if she got better with getting around on her own, they'd let her go back? For now, this was their best bet.
"That seems alright."
Her thoughts then turned to the logistics of getting around. Catoth would have to be at her side almost constantly, and then when he wasn't, perhaps a dog. She would also probably need a cane, much like Bereck had, but longer and more slender. Something she could move around with to know if there were things in the way or not. She didn't want to be stumbling around like an idiot. That would not only be embarrassing, but possibly dangerous for her as well.
"I'm going to need to get a cane, I think. To help me get around. I know blind people utilize them, and that they can help a great deal."
She certainly didn't need something as grand as Bereck's. The masterhealer's cane was a beautiful item, and it also had a lot of sentimental value as well. She wouldn't have risked her life for it, if she hadn't thought it important, that day at the Hatching. It was ironic, though, she thought to herself. She was injured over a cane, and now she would have to rely on one as well for the rest of her life.
Funny, how those things work out.
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:05 am
He was glad she wasn't resistant to the idea of staying here, he didn't want to have to fight her over it. What happened later, well, they could deal with that when they came to it. "We have some canes for the purpose in our stores," Bereck affirmed, "I'll bring them along, you can choose one to your liking for length and weight and so on." It never got easier to do this sort of thing but part of him, that part that was most like Berath, considered that this was probably a good thing in the end. It might be painful but it was better than losing your compassion, you had to have compassion - though not necessarily too much softness - to do the job right.
A cane though, and information about dogs, and perhaps he could get T'gall to come and speak to her; it would probably do both of them good.
After a brief silence Bereck added; "Your fever seems to be down somewhat too, are you hungry?" One had to be practical, and it was one of the things he was good at. No matter how you were feeling and what was happening your body needed fuel.
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:25 pm
Her very own cane. Figuring out which one was the best, given what Bereck said, was going to be an ordeal, Qyprenna thought. She wasn't going to have sight to rely on, which would be difficult. Weight and length as a way to determine something was just one of the things she was going to have to get used to. 'This is going to be more difficult than I thought...'
Catoth looked up at this point, looking from his rider and then to Bereck and then back to Qyprenna. 'We'll get through it,' he said with a nod. 'And I'll make sure none of my siblings steal your new cane. If they do, they will have to answer to me.' This was reassuring, and a smile pulled her lips upward. Catoth would have her back, no matter what.
Food sounded good right about now, compared to earlier when she didn't feel much like eating at all. "I could eat, yes. I actually feel like I could eat now. Before, I just sort of pushed my food around, and I didn't eat much." The brown hatchling's eyes swapped from green to red immediately upon the mention of food. 'I'm hungry, too, dear one. Tell him I'm hungry, too!'
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