A Trip to the Healer's

Writers: Chelle, Anaria, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd June 2011

Characters: Benani, Lyranel, Chupsin
Description: Benani and Lyranel take Ailnim to the Healers
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 2, day 4 of Turn 6
Notes: Immediately follows "A Case of Tummy Troubles"

Benani

He was standing in the back room of his infirmary, opening and closing
pots of various sizes. Chupsin had them labeled, but he was searching
for something specific and he needed to smell them. The more pungent
the smell, the better the product. The journeyman healer was occupied
thusly when his apprentice arrived to tell him the Lady Holder had come by.

She held the small body in her arms and rocked him. His over warm head
tucked into her neck. It was so early in the morning that she hadn't
dressed yet and had merely thrown a robe on over her night things. At
two Ailnim couldn't really tell them what was wrong, he just knew he
didn't feel good.

"It's ok sweetie," she said to comfort him.

His robes rustled as he came through, approaching her and the child. Despite
nodding to Benani to observe the niceties, he was all business. "What is it?"
Chupsin glanced to the apprentice who began to gather the basic essentials he
might need.

"He's been sick, throwing up, and running a fever," said the Lady.

"For how long?" His hand immediately went out to touch the back of Ailnim's
neck. It wasn't in the danger zone, but the boy was warm. "Has he eaten anything
strange?" His eyes met his apprentice's who handed him a thermometer to pop
in the boy's mouth.

She encouraged Lyranel to speak up as she had when they were talking
about it earlier. After all she was the boy's primary caregiver. "Go
ahead and tell him what you told me Lyranel."

Lyranel nodded, not wanting to talk before she'd been given
permission. "He's not eaten anything out of the ordinary. He had
roasted wherry, red fruit juice, and tubers for supper last night. He
woke up thirsty in the middle of the night and I got him a bit more
juice. A few of the drudges have been ill, one of whom was changing
the linens in the family area of the Hold. Her name is Miralaine, she
mentioned a few of the drudges in her room were ill as well. I don't
believe any of them have come down here though."

"I know of whom you speak and I know what they have is respiratory.
This is indigestion." He frowned, anticipating the solving of the puzzle.
"Please set him on the table there and we'll treat the fever first while
I ask more questions." As his hands sought the jar of febrifuges, he went
through the ticks in his mind. "I ate the roasted wherry as I'm sure you all
did so that can't be it. Has he come into contact with any strange animals?"

"Yes, I pretty much eat the same things that he does, so I'd be unwell
too if it were the food. And no strange animals, not that I know of at
least. He stayed inside yesterday with me for the most part. The day
before his uncle Milroy took him out with his children who are near
his age," Lyranel answered.

"And none of them are sick or I'd have known." He finished what he was
doing and approached Ailnim. "Here, this will make your head stop burning."'
He offered the fever medicine, making sure that it wasn't high enough to
warrant a quick icebath. "Was he sick recently besides this?"

"I haven't been tending him for very long..." Lyranel answered,
looking over to Benani for guidance. Despite herself, she felt fear
welling up. Was this her fault? Was Ailnim sick because of something
she did?

"He's been quite a healthy child since his birth." Benani told the
healer. "He hasn't had so much as a sniffle recently."

Once he had given Ailnim the febrifuge, he let it do its work. The boy
hadn't vomited yet since he'd entered the infirmary, which was good.
Perhaps it was a simple stomach virus. An infection could cause the
fever, but not the stomach problem, usually. He made him comfortable,
with a pillow and a blanket. "How many times did he vomit and what
was in it?"

"The first time he threw up this morning it was everything he ate last
night, it looked like he'd barely digested it," Lyranel said, her nose
wrinkling in disgust. "After that it was all liquid, I've been trying
to make sure he's drinking water but he wasn't keeping it down."

The Lady Holder sat at the child's side wiping his forehead and
murmuring nothing more than his name and that he would be alright. She
knew the healers would see to it.

"Probably a sour stomach. Once the fever goes down, we'll be allright.
Instead of water, try something a little thicker, like watered down klah.
He'll need to sip first." After the fever had started to reduce and he was
no longer worried about that, he sipped some thin klah to make sure it
was reduced enough. "Here Ailnim.." It had an herbal infusion in it to
discourage purging.

Lyranel rubbed Ailnim's back reassuringly as the 2 turn old drank the
herbal infusion. His face scrunched up in disgust at the flavor, but
he managed to swallow it without issue. "Good job, Ailnim!" Lyranel
said encouragingly. "See, it wasn't so bad now was it?"

At least he didn't seem to be feverish and it looked like he was going
to keep the liquid down. "So you don't think it's anything contagious
then," asked Benani.

"No, if it was, you two would be sick or at least the other children he's
around and you said they weren't." Chupsin watched him carefully, brewing
up some extra anti-purgatives to give to them in case. "As it is, it looks
like he'll sleep now. I'll give you some extra herbs to give him in case."

Lyranel took the pouches of herbs from Chupsin, and carefully put them
in a satchel that she carried with her full of Ailnim's things. "Thank
you, healer. Any other instructions, or should we just let him sleep
it off for now?"

"Thank you Chupsin," said Benani. "I'll just take him back to my room
for now and then you can make sure his bed is all cleaned up before he
goes back." With that she scooped him up and went out the door back
toward her own rooms.

"Just watch him carefully. If he becomes feverish again, bring him to me
immediately. Those should be given in tea or warm water. It's three
spoonfuls per cup." He looked at Lyranel. After hearing the story about the
steward turning blue, he wondered if she could be trusted.

Last updated on the June 10th 2011

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A Trip to the Healer's