A Hard 'Fall

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 30th March 2019

Characters: Rorela, Harki
Description: Harki checks on Rorela after a very difficult Fall
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 19 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Paetri, J'kri, G'nir.
Takes place after "I Will Follow You into the Dark"

It was a hard 'Fall. Harki and Cerillith flew first and Harki had to
fill sacks and toss firestone for the second half of the 'Fall while
Cerillith keened for both of them. As soon as she was released from
duty she hurried to the Infirmary and grabbed the first Healer she
could. Her firestone-stained gloves left a smear on the sleeve of his
coat. "Where is Rorela?!"

The rattled Healer pointed to a curtained off area. "She's there." The
Healer tugged free, hurrying to another rider who had just arrived.

Rorela lay back, bare from the waist up, but covered in enough
bandages to cover the small curves of her chest and abdomen. Her face
was pale and as the curtain twitched open, she lifted red-rimmed eyes
to peer at Harki. There was no laughter in them today. "Hey..."

"By the Egg, you're a sight for sore eyes." Harki sat heavily on the
edge of the bed. "You scared me, woman."

"I scared me." It was her first serious score, but apparently she
didn't even get injured in halves either. She'd have score marks all
over her breasts and belly. "I think I have both nipples left." The
words were dull, as if the injury wasn't that important. "Is it true?
I was being treated when Upinth keened. Both of them?"

Harki couldn't say it. She nodded, then reached out and gently
squeezed Rorela's fingers. Tears pricked at her eyes and the
greenrider blinked them back. "I don't-- the weather's not that-- not
that... shells." She sniffed. "I'm really glad you're here, Rorela."

Rorela squeezed the offered fingers in return, struggling to keep her
lips from trembling. "It's not fair. They were both so...they loved
each other. I mean really loved each other. It's just not fair." Her
voice dropped to a whisper as she quickly wiped at her eyes and looked
at her friend. "I'm glad you're here, too. I'm glad you're safe."

Harki managed a tremulous smile. "It's not fair. But here we are, and
we are here. My usual solution is to drink until vomiting, but I don't
think the Healers will let me throw a party down here. The bastards."

"I don't think I can drink anything right now anyways and it's no fun
watching everyone else drown themselves in good wine." Rorela sighed,
then sniffled, needing to change the subject. "Oh...I didn't tell you.
I tackled G'nir in his office."

"Oh really? Please tell me you made a right mess of it." Harki forced
a grin, happy to follow Rorela's lead. "Hides everywhere, rugs
rumpled, glass shattered...?"

Rorela's chuckle was faint. "I didn't. _He_ did. I told him that I
wasn't going to chase his bronze ass anymore." She wiped at her eyes
again, but kept a wan smile on her face, forcing it to widen. "And
then I told him he was too improper to do anything about it and..."
She grinned, finally a spark of her old mirth in her eyes. "On the
desk. He scattered everything off, spilled his inkwell...everything.
He's still got a stain on him that hasn't come off. He even told
someone who knocked right in the middle to leave." There was a hint of
pride in her voice. "Our clothes were everywhere."

"Good for you," Harki said approvingly. "_And_ you marked him. You had
better have written your name on his ass."

"It's not like that. It'll wear off eventually." Rorela glanced down
at her bandaged chest and her smile faltered. "Probably sooner now."

"Nah. Not if he knows what's good for him." Harki would do her best to
make sure of that, at least. "Besides, you said you have two nipples.
What more could he possible want?!"

For the first time in her life, Rorela felt a surge of self-doubt.
She'd never been scored, had never been seriously injured. "It'll be
ugly and I didn't have much to begin with. So, no more two pieces for
me. I'm reduced to one pieces." Her lower lip began to tremble, not
just from her injury, but from the entire day.

"Don't be silly. Nobody around here is going to blink at a bit of
'Scoring." Harki reached out to squeeze Rorela's hand again in an
effort to stave off tears. "It's going to be fine."

She had to take a deep breath as she blinked back the stinging in her
eyes. "I can be silly if I want to." She pointed to herself. "I'm a
greenrider; we're allowed." She paused, then her eyes darted to the
bandages again. "Can you check? Just to make sure they're still there?
I haven't looked."

Harki hesitated. Threadscore was nasty and the Healers would have a
fit if someone messed with Rorela's bandages. There would be blood and
raw muscle beneath the bandages. And what if Rorela had no nipples?
Then she set her jaw. "It's going to hurt."

"Just peek under." Her fingers tightened in blankets and she held
still. "I'm covered with numbweed. I'll be fine. Just...quick okay?"

"Right." Even though they were in a curtained-off section of the
Infirmary, Harki still did a quick shoulder check to make sure that
there weren't any Healers around. She moved to stand near Rorela's
head and gently pried the bandages away from her friend's body.
Underneath was a mess. Blood, numbweed and a Healer's poultice mingled
into a reddish-brown paste over gaping, rope-like Threadscores. She
could see the white of bone and yellow fat, and here and there small
stitches to tie off blood vessels. "I see... two nipples." She let the
bandaging settle back against Rorela's chest. "You have 'Scoring above
your boobs and between them, but you still have two nipples. Shells,
woman." Harki swallowed. "I'm glad you're here."

Did it really look that bad? Rorela didn't miss the expression on
Harki's face, as she peeled up the bandage and looked. She didn't want
to look herself, she still remembered the pain of it. At Harki's
announcement, she sighed and visibly relaxed. "Oh, thank you. I'm
glad the jacket took the brunt of it." She peered up at her friend,
"I'd hug you but I think it'd probably hurt past the numbweed."

"And you'd probably bleed all over me." Harki was quiet for a moment.
"I should probably go take care of Cerillith. Let me know if you want
me to do anything for Upinth while you're in here. Or anything,
really."

"Probably." Her eyes unfocused as she reached out to her green.
"Upinth is asleep. She got scored just a little on the neck and
shoulder." She had taken the brunt of the Thread, but the scores on
Upinth still concerned her. "Could Cerillith check on her? Maybe bring
her a wherry when she wake up? I think I'll be in here for a few days,
so if G'nir comes to visit..." If he came, she thought, "I'll see if
he can round up some Candidates to give her a bath."

The greenrider stood. "I can too, if you want. Just let me know. I'll
come by tomorrow at lunch to see how you're doing."

"Okay." Her lip curled up. "Sneak some good wine in if you can. And
maybe some sausages."

"Your wish is my command!" Harki grinned at Rorela as she waved
goodbye. Her smile slipped as soon as Rorela couldn't see her anymore.
She'd lost Paetri and J'kri, and nearly lost Rorela too. Grief, fear
and relief mingled into a sharp ball of guilt in her gut.

It was a hard 'Fall. The greenrider took a deep breath, and kept going.

Last updated on the April 4th 2019

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A Hard 'Fall