One Step Forward

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 10th September 2009

Characters: Zelle, K'hetah
Description: K'hetah helps Zelle take her first walk since her injury.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 19 of Turn 5

K'hetah had been helping out with Zelle's rehabilitation for a a while now; massaging the strained muscles and tendons, helping her with her exercises, but this was the highlight. Facing her, with his hands grasping hers, he moved slowly backwards. "Try to walk normally. Head up, confident, remind yourself that I've got you."

"You do? You sure?" Zelle's tone was teasing and effectively hid her concern. She hadn't realised she would have such a hard time. Atrophy was what she had been told, that and her body still healing simply made it difficult for her to walk. She'd have to practice again, as if she were an infant. It was humbling to say the least.

"Really sure. I know I've been responsible for some of your injuries in the past, Zelle, but I won't drop you this time. No, I mean it. Don't look down at your feet. You can't afford to learn to walk again looking down and all hunched over."

"All right, but if you drop me, I get to kick you once I'm all well." Zelle tried to straighten up and not look down. It was very difficult and the action caused her to tighten her grip on K'hetah. She felt foolish, like a baby, but she was doing her best not to be embarrassed.

"You're doing fine," he reassured her, seeing in her expression that it wasn't easy. "It's hard, I know, but try to relaxed and just remember walking. The way you did when your back was well and all those muscles and tendons were loose and flexible. Just ... walk."

It worked, somewhat, his gentle encouragement. She loosened his grip and she took a step, then another. They were shaky, unsteady, but they were steps nonetheless. Zelle had no idea it was so easy to forget how to do something so simple after so short a time of not doing it at all. She took a third, then a fourth step. There was pain with each one, but she had been told to expect that at first and it would eventually stop.

"Talk to me, Zelle," he instructed. "Tell me about the day Rillith found you on the Hatching Grounds."

"It probably sounds a lot like the day Loeth found you." Zelle realised he was trying to distract her and she was grateful for it. "Though in my case it was cold and poured down rain."

"But you were nice and snug in the Hatching Grounds, I suppose? Or were you steaming because you'd run across the Weyrbowl and got wet?" He tightened his hands to support her as they turned a little to clear the doorway of the room.

"I was steaming after the hatching." Zelle afforded a laugh which caused her to falter. "Yes, the hatching grounds were warm, but I woke up thinking that it was an awful day for a hatching."

"No day's really awful," K'hetah said, though he knew it could seem that way to outsiders. "Not once those shells start breaking."

"That's true. After it was over, I realised it was the absolute best day that had ever happened to me." Zelle sighed in time with one of her steps. "A beautiful day indeed."

"Isn't it always." He smiled at her. "You're doing well. Is it getting easier?" The muscles should loosen up after a while in their new 'upright and walking' position - if the massaging and exercise had done their part.

"It is." There was still some pain, but it was more of a dull ache rather than a sting. Zelle was moving better, still stiff, but not quite as stilted. "I think your distraction technique helped."

"Yeah. I'm an expert at keeping people distracted," the bronzerider said with a grin. "Now let's fly in a slow wheel until we're heading back the way we came."

"Remember what happened last time you tried to distract me?" Zelle's voice was tinged with amusement as she did as K'hetah suggested, inching around as best she could, still stiff, but slowly getting better.

"No. What _did_ happen last time I tried to distract you?" he asked in a teasing tone as Zelle finished the turn and they were again walking ahead.

"I believe I ended up with a sprain and a black eye." Zelle cocked her head toward her and closed one of the said eyes. "Funny that."

"Is that the time you gashed your leg on the rocks because you just _had_ to see my weyr?"

"And you just _had_ to block me, as if I was going to steal everything you owned." Zelle stuck her tongue out at the Wingleader, a gesture that took away a few turns from her face.

"Let's face it, Zelle, it's not us. Not me or the bluerider who caused this. It's you, sweetling. You're just accident prone."

"Me? I beg to differ." Zelle sniffed in a disdainful manner. "I'm just surrounded by men who are accident prone."

"But we're not getting injured." He glanced behind himself to make sure they could navigate themselves back to Zelle's room. "Do you keep sacrificing yourself to save us?"

"Yes, that's exactly it. I'm not appreciated." Zelle tripped but K'hetah's hold upon her kept her from falling. "M'net was injured, but this would have been him had it not been for me!"

K'hetah had slowed the pace a little after her stumble and now leaned forward for murmur in a low tone: "I would rather it had been him."

"What's done is done, no use in harping on it." Zelle moved her elbow so that it nudged K'hetah though the touch was light. "At least this way you get to be a healer for a little while, right?"

"I suppose I do. Not that I was missing it much, but it's nice to have the skills to help." Even though he had Impressed his focus had been healercraft - until Thread returned and he had felt that he needed to commit himself to the new role he and Loeth would be called upon to undertake. It had been a wrench at the time, but he wasn't unhappy with the change now.

"Besides, you've been here every day." Zelle continued as she inched her way closer to her room. "I have to say, it's the most attention you've paid me since we became friends. I'm certainly not complaining."

"Is it?" It probably was. "I'd like to think you'll be as attentive to me if I'm injured - likely scored. You'll come and hold my hand, then, won't you?" he asked in a pitiful tone. "And tell me everything will be all right?"

"You know I would." Zelle smiled, though she hoped that would never be the case. Seeing K'hetah in pain was not something she wanted to experience and she wasn't sure how well she truly could handle it. Not as well as her own pain, surely.

"Good. And now we have that sorted, and we're back where we started. Well done, Zelle. That's your longest walk yet!"

"And most tiring." With K'hetah's help, Zelle lowered herself back down on to her bed. "Though not as tiring as I thought it would be."

"Because you were walking properly. Don't let anybody let you shuffle, Zelle, or stoop. It's not how bodies were designed to walk and as well as relearning walking _wrong_ it will be more tiring." He automatically adjusted the greenrider's pillows and smoothed the light coverlet she was laying on. More than a decade of patient care weren't overcome in a few Turns away from it.

"I'll try to remember that." Zelle shifted, then winced. "Would you be willing to ask for some fellis for me? I don't think I'm going to be able to get to sleep as sore as I am."

"What about something milder than fellis?" the bronzerider suggested, his concerns about Zelle's dependence on the strong pain reliever returning in a rush.

"Something. If you'll just ask Journeywoman Fris, he'll be able to help." Though Zelle knew the other stuff wasn't going to do it for her. Fellis was what really seemed to help her.

"I'll speak to him on the way out," K'hetah said, leaning down to kiss Zelle's forehead. "You rest in the meantime until he gets here."

Zelle reached out to take K'hetah's hand and squeeze it. "Thanks K'hetah." She murmured, wishing she could kiss him back but knowing it would only serve to run him off. "For everything."

"You're welcome, Zelle."

Last updated on the September 13th 2009

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