When Friends Hurt

Writers: DL, AL
Date Posted: 10th June 2011

Characters: S'ryad, Meledei
Description: Surryad visits Meledei in the infirmary.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 12 of Turn 6
Notes: Notes: mentor approved by Clancey

"Did you hear what happened?"

"Yeah, how horrible!"

"Queens never get hit!"

The chatter in the Candidate Barracks in the final candlemark before
bed was about the last Threadfall - the injuries, the heroics - mostly
things that Surryad didn't pay much attention to. Until he heard two
words in the same sentence that snapped his head up.

"Wait, who did you say was injured?" he asked the nearby Candidates.

"Meledei and her queen," was the heart-stopping reply. Surryad didn't
remember taking off running towards the Infirmary but he was winded by
the time he got there, frantically searching for Elleth.

"Please don't let her be hurt, please, please, please," he whispered,
until he saw the queen and then, "Meledei!"

Elleth turned her head, her eyes whirling, though she wasn't _overly_
agitated. She snorted at the sound of her lifemates name and stretched
out her neck to wuffle Surryad's hair with her breath.

}:It seems you are going to have yet _another_ visitor.:{

**Really? Isn't it kind of late?**

}:It is. It is one of the candidate." The queen straightened up and
yawn, those sharp teeth in full view for a brief moment before snapping
shut. The dragon then turned around and settled down, and it was then
the ball came into view, small compared to the dragon, but her tail was
curled possessively around it. }:Watch out, he's coming your way.:{

"Whoa, young man." Vandor nearly collided with the candidate who
barreled into the infirmary like a dragon going after Thread. "Hold on
there." He reached out and caught hold of the boy's arm. "And where
are you off to in such a hurry?"

Surryad immediately bowed and said, "Sorry, sir. I'm here to see
Elleth's rider, Meledei. Is she alright? Can she have visitors?"

"It's a bit late to be coming to the infirmary now isn't it?" Meledei
had received a _lot_ of visitors and some had been turned away -
partially because she had fallen asleep or they had come during times
that she was being treated.

"I'm sorry, sir," Surryad apologized. "I was in class most of the day.
If it's too late, when can I come back to see her? Or can you give her a
message that I was by? I just want to make sure she's okay."

"Surryad? Vandor?" Meledei's voice could be heard from behind a
curtain just diagonal from where the two were positioned. Vandor
turned and then held up a finger, indicating the young man should
wait. He stepped back and disappeared through the curtain and the
candidate could hear soft murmurings of voices from past it. A moment
later, Vandor appeared and nodded. "You can see her as long as you
don't stay too long. She needs her sleep, and I'm pretty sure you have
a curfew to keep."

"Yes, sir," Surryad said with another bow, "Thank you, sir." And he
ducked behind the curtain to see Meledei, steeling himself mentally.
This was what Threadfall was going to be like. With a calm he didn't
feel, he went to sit by her uninjured side and sought out her hand.

"How are you?" he asked softly, concern apparent in his gray eyes.

"I'm all right." Meledei was in better spirits than she had been
earlier the day - she'd deal with bouts of annoyance, lack of
confidence, and of course lots
of pain. At the moment it had settled to a dull ache thanks to the
application of numbweed. Vandor had just given her another small dose
of fellis as well and she knew it wouldn't be long before she drifted
off into slumber. "You're cutting it close, aren't you? Not going to
get yourself into trouble on my account, are you?"

"I'm a fast runner," he said with a shy smile. "I heard what
happened...well, sort of what happened, in the Barracks. But...how did
you get hurt? I thought...I thought queens fly the lowest flight path?"

"Thread still gets through from time to time. After all, that's why
we're there." Meledei pointed out. "And...well, some got through from
behind me." And thanks to a greenrider who wasn't where she was
supposed to have been. "It's not too bad, though I won't be flying for
a bit."

"How long?" he asked, ignorant of such injuries. "How long does it take
for Threadscores to heal?"

"It depends on how bad the score. This will probably take a few
sevendays. It could be worse, it could be a few months!" Meledei had
certainly been fortunate - and Elleth had been quick to go /between/
before more damage could have been done. "I'll be all right. Just a
little scarred."

"Does...does it hurt?" Surryad asked quietly, concerned.

"Yes, it does." Meledei wasn't about to lie to him. If Surryad
Impressed, he was going to be in even more danger of getting scored
than she was. Hiding it wouldn't do him any good. "Score always
hurts, but it's a part of a dragonrider's life."

"Good thing Elleth was so quick," Surryad said, giving her hand a
squeeze. He didn't have much longer til curfew. "You should sleep," he
said. "It'll help you heal."

"Yeah, you're right. Guess I should." Meledei had a feeling she'd be
doing a lot of that in the next few days. "But thanks for coming to
visit me and feel free to come by again."

"I will," Surryad promised. He squeezed her hand again and got up. "I'll
come back tomorrow if I can. Or the next time I have longer."

"Good." Meledei had had a lot of visitors already, but the more she
had, the less bored she would be so she didn't discourage them. "I'll
see you soon."

Last updated on the June 13th 2011

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When Friends Hurt