Building a Life
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Devin, Bree
Date Posted: 28th July 2006
Characters: N'vanik, Tiraval
Description: Tiraval goes looking for her missing patient, and is surprised to find her in N'vanik's weyr.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 9 of Turn 3
Tiraval had guessed within a few moments of discovering her patient was missing that she would end up finding her wayward charge in a bronzerider's weyr. What she hadn't expected was that she would find herself outside N'vanik's weyr instead of U'kaiah's. A query through her dragon had resulted in the surprising answer that Loseth's rider had gotten Talryne to go to sleep, so Tiraval took her time getting to N'vanik's door. She wanted to talk to the bronzerider _without_ Talryne listening in.
}:Wake up, N'vanik.:{ Loseth urged softly. }:Rasalanth's rider is here.:{ N'vanik shifted, but still didn't open his eyes. **Who?**
}:The healer.:{ Shards. Now he did open his eyes, and after another slight movement, he realized his arm was numb. Talryne was laying on it. Moving very slowly, and hoping to Faranth that she wouldn't wake up, N'vanik got his arm loose and slipped out of bed. He could feel the heat fading from where Talryne had lain against his body. **Please don't wake up,** he thought at her, watching to make sure she didn't stir. After a moment, he turned and walked out of the sleeping room.
Opening the door only enough so they could see each other, he asked the healer quietly, "What do you want?" As if he didn't know.
"Is she still asleep?" Tiraval asked without preamble.
"Yes."
"Then I want to talk to you for a few moments." Tiraval took a step back, gesturing to indicate she expected him let her in or step out into the hallway. N'vanik hesitated a moment. In the hall their voices would be less likely to wake her, but if she _did_ wake, he didn't want her to think she'd been left alone. He opened the door wider to let Tiraval in.
Following him inside, Tiraval lowered her voice. "I'm not pleased that she wandered out of the infirmary, but I'm willing to overlook it if she's actually asleep in there. Did she fall asleep naturally?"
He frowned. "I didn't drug her, if that's what you mean."
Tiraval shook her head. "I was more worried about wine or anything stronger.
It... can be a concern, in cases like this." "I didn't give her anything."
"Good." And encouraging... she hadn't gotten Talryne to sleep without sedating her yet. N'vanik might not have been the person Tiraval would have chosen to look after a woman in that much pain, but obviously Talryne felt differently. "Then she can stay here, but you have to bring her to the infirmary tomorrow morning so we can see to her threadscore."
N'vanik sighed. "Alright. I'll bring her there before drills." He'd been expecting some kind of argument, a demand that he take her back to the infirmary right away, but the healer seemed to have no problem with Talryne sneaking off to come here.
Tiraval's face was blank of emotion as she studied him. "And after drills?"
she asked in a carefully neutral voice. "What?" he asked, not understanding. Slowly, his expression turned suspicious. "Wait. You don't want me to come get her, do you?"
"I don't want you to do anything," Tiraval replied in the same neutral voice. "But you might want to think about what you're going to do if she comes back here again."
"She can come back here if she wants to." He certainly wasn't going to turn her away.
Tiraval wasn't sure N'vanik was thinking about the implications of that, and usually she wouldn't care. But Talryne was already teetering on the edge.
She'd made the decision to try to live, and it was up to Tiraval to help her figure out how. "And if she keeps coming back? She's trying to build a new life, N'vanik. Don't let her build it around you if you're just going to hurt her later on."
N'vanik stared at her, the healer's words triggering so many thoughts it was hard to sort them out. "I . . . don't want to hurt her," he finally managed.
**Not again.** Tiraval gave him a sympathetic look, resting one hand on his shoulder briefly. "She's not your responsibility, N'vanik. Just remember that when you make whatever choice you have to make. If you need to talk, you can come find me any time."
"Yeah, sure," he said, distracted. **What choice?** he wondered, afraid of the answers that loomed in the back of his mind. "Well, then." Tiraval cleared her throat, feeling more than a little awkward. "Then I'll let you get back to sleep. Please make sure Talryne is back in the infirmary tomorrow."
"I'll bring her." N'vanik led Tiraval to the door, closing it behind her when she entered the hall. He stood there for a moment, lost in thought, before he returned to the sleeping room. To his relief, Talryne was still alseep. He got back into bed carefully, putting an arm around her waist and moving close against her back. It was some time before he fell asleep again.
Last updated on the July 28th 2006