Arrival and Diagnosis (2/2)

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 29th January 2021

Characters: R'ayl, Enamra, Aviday, Urlene
Description: Furayl gets a brief tour of the Weyr and sees the Healer
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 18 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Thayde

Enamra

Aviday

Urlene

They didn't have long to walk in the corridor before it opened up into
the large brightly lit infirmary. Enamra kept her hand in Furayl's as
they approached the journeyman on duty. When asked why they were
there, Enamra spoke. "We're supposed to be given a check up. We're
both new Candidates. I'm Enamra and this is Furayl."

The journeyman checked his hides and nodded. "It'll be just a moment.
Have a seat."

Enamra smiled down at Furayl but before they could sit, a slim blonde
woman stepped out of a room and checked the hides over the
journeyman's shoulder. Her lips pursed as she glanced up and studied
the two. "I'll take them, Silain. Zeita is a bit busy." She stepped
around the table. "Enamra...Thayde's wife? I heard you were here. I'll
be with you in a bit." She glanced at the hide. "Furayl? Can you come
with me please?"

Furayl stared at the woman, wide-eyed. She was wearing similar knots to
those the Master Weavers wore back at the Hall! He'd never seen a woman
crafter before, although he'd heard some of the other apprentices
mocking the harper craft for admitting girls. But no-one in the
Infirmary seemed the least bit surprised to see her. "Yes, ma'am."
Reluctantly, he let his hand slip from Enamra's and followed her back
into the side room.

Leading the young boy to an exam room, Urlene spoke calmly. "I am
Master Urlene, the Weyrhealer of this Weyr. " She gestured to the
table. "Hop up, please." She tilted her head as she watched him,
taking in the small frame quickly with pursed lips as she pulled the
stethoscope from her pocket. "When's the last time you saw a Healer,
Furayl?"

The boy looked up at her with panicked eyes. How long ago had it been?
His heart began to beat rapidly, like it did when he was called on to
answer in class. "I don't remember, Master. I'm sorry. It was before..."
Before they'd left the Hold, before his father's injury and disgrace.
"B-before I left harper classes, when I was little."

"It's alright, Furayl. There's no need to be scared." Urlene's smile
was quick and brief. "That's actually rather common. Most people don't
see a Healer in the Holds unless they're sick. I'm going to check your
heartbeat, alright?" She placed it on his chest. "Okay, hold still and
take a few deep breaths for me please."

Relieved, Furayl breathed in and out as she'd told him, which calmed him
a little. He watched her face, curious, as she listened, and wondered
what she was hearing and what it told her.

Even as he calmed, his pulse sounded far too thready for her liking.
She frowned, then looked up at his face, noting the dark under his
eyes and the pale lips. A suspicion grew in her mind as she pulled the
listening device away. "Furayl, can you lift up your lips for me to
show me your teeth and gums please?"

The boy blinked, wondering if he'd done something wrong. Maybe she just
wanted to check that his teeth weren't bad, like his Mama did when he
had a toothache? Obediently, he tipped back his head and opened his
mouth, pulling back his lips.

Sharp eyes took in the pale gums and she sat back, making a quick note
on a piece of hide. "Tell me, Furayl, does anything odd happen to you
when you exercise? Do you feel lightheaded or dizzy sometimes?" Urlene
peered at him, her head tilted to the side as she studied him. "It's
important that you're honest with me about that sort of thing."

Furayl had drawn breath to deny it, but her last words stopped him
before he could reply with mouth half-open. How could she know? If they
found out he was sickly, what would happen? Would he be sent home
without having sent a single message to his Master? But somehow, he
couldn't bring himself to lie to the Weyrhealer, and his reply turned
into a reluctant nod.

"I fell over when I tried to help in the fields," he said softly. His
head bowed and he stared at his knees. "My mama said I should work
indoors after that. But I can do lots of chores! I can cook and wash
dishes and mend clothes..." It sounded ridiculous even as he said it.
What kind of dragonrider could only do girls' work?

"Those are valuable skills." Urlene replied easily, no judgement
apparent in her tone. "And ones everyone should learn, boys and
girls." She considered him further, eyes studying his face. "What was
your diet like? What kind of things did you eat then and now?"

Furayl's brow creased in confusion, as he wondered where all these
questions were leading. "We mostly ate vegetables and tubers from the
garden. Sometimes my mama would trade for grain and bread... There was
just her, me and my little sister on the farm. Then, one of our kind
neighbors started bringing us meat and supplies, but that was only a
few months ago, just before I went to the Weaver Hall."

"Only a few months ago, hmm?" Urlene nodded to herself. "Well, I think
I might know why you were getting so ill and dizzy, Furayl." She set
aside the hides and peered at him. "You've nothing to be ashamed of,
young man, and it's certainly not your fault. Some people, old and
young, simply need different foods and what your body needed has been
lacking." She gave a brief smile. "And I know how to help you get
stronger and feel better. You're going to have to eat differently here
than you did at home, especially as you're going to be more active,
especially if you Impress. What you have been lacking, Furayl, is meat
and green leafy vegetables. Your body needs them more than most. It's
not common, but it's not rare either. So, every meal you will need a
healthy portion and a half of meat and, and for lunch and dinner, make
sure you eat that and as many vegetables and green leafy vegetables as
you want. You must eat three meals a day and two snacks between. Do
not skip. For the first two sevendays, until your body begins to
replenish what you have been lacking, you'll be on light duties. But
after that, you'll need to work up to heavier exercise. I'll speak to
the Weyrlingmaster myself. After a time, you'll gain strength and much
needed muscle and you won't feel weak or dizzy. As you exercise more,
you'll need to eat more, understood?"

The boy listened to her open-mouthed, hardly able to take it all in. All
his life he'd been small and weak, no use at all for heavy work or
exercise. He'd come to accept it as a part of life, just like being
hungry and tired and scared.

"Meat...at _every_ meal?" He thought of the kitchen at home, where meat
at dinner had been a treat, and if he took more than his share, there
would be less for his mother and sister. "But what about everyone else?
Will there be enough?"

Urlene nodded. "At every meal. We make sure that everyone has enough,
Furayl. And I'll make sure that the cooks know that you are to have
larger portions of it. You have a greater need right now. Don't you
worry about anyone else. I guarantee that in a sevenday, you'll start
feeling stronger."

He still looked astonished, as though he couldn't quite take it in. But
he'd do anything to get stronger and bigger. If he did, then maybe the
other apprentices back at the Weaver Hall wouldn't bother him any more.
He could even have friends. Slowly, the fearful, wary look on his face
gave way to a tentative hope. "Thank you, Weyrhealer!"

She nodded. "You're very welcome. Come back in a sevenday, alright?
And then we'll see if we need to do more to help you, but I think
you'll find that we won't."

"Yes, ma'am." Furayl slid down from the table. Meat every day...three
times. And snacks. It was hard to imagine. Even though at the Hall there
had been meat, the bigger boys had always got the largest share. He
wondered with a sudden pang of nerves, whether that would happen here
too, and if he'd get in trouble. "Should I go and fetch Enamra?"

Urlene gave a brief smile. "Yes, thank you, Furayl." She rose. "And
after this, I'd like you to go immediately and get something good to
eat, alright?"

For the first time since he'd set foot on the ground at Dolphin Cove
Weyr, the corners of Furayl's mouth lifted into a slight, but genuine
smile. It seemed a very long time since he'd eaten at the Weaver Hall.
He'd been too scared up until now to be hungry, but now he could feel
his stomach rumbling. "Yes, Weyrhealer."

He hurried out into the infirmary and, still bewildered by the idea of
meat every day and growing strong, looked around for Enamra. "Master
Urlene wants to see you now."

Enamra nodded and rose. "Alright. If you want to wait for me, we can
get something to eat after, okay?"

"Okay." Furayl watched her enter the side room, then sat down in the
chair she'd left empty. He breathed in the scents of herbs and the faint
sharp odor of redwort, and listened to the faint scratch of the duty
journeyman's pen, allowing his racing heartbeat to gradually slow. It
was all right, so far. No-one knew. And perhaps, it wouldn't be so
terrible, after all.

Last updated on the February 19th 2021

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Arrival and Diagnosis (2/2)