Dishing It Out

Writers: Devin, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 26th April 2013

Characters: J'kri, A'kua
Description: Who knew washing dishes could be hazardous to one's health?
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 28 of Turn 6

Candidates, Aluka decided, were the Weyr's answer for when people were short-handed, or just needed more manpower to get things done. And there were many, many Candidates now that it was a Pass. Part and parcel of those who wanted to Impress. At least some chores gave his mind time to wander and compose songs, like now, as he and his fellow Candidates helped wash the Weyr population's dishes in the kitchen.

Aluka set a dish in the drying rack and picked up a bowl to wash next. He looked it over for chips and other signs of wear, concluded it was fine, and set it down in the sink a little more sharply than intended. That was when the bowl decided to self-destruct out of sheer spite thanks to a long crack hidden under the thick glaze, and it fell apart in shards, one of which cut right into Aluka's palm.

"OW!" he yelled, yanking his hand away. "Sonuva-" The profanity that followed would have given his grandfather a heart attack. The redhead grabbed his wrist and put pressure on the veins in an attempt to stifle the bleeding somehow, and looked for a clean towel or something he could press against the wound.

Alarmed at the noise, Jykri spun around and saw blood on his fellow Candidate's hand. He spotted a stack of dish towels and grabbed one on the way over. "Here. Is it just your hand, or did you cut your wrist?"

"Just my palm," Aluka hissed, holding his hand over the sink to minimize mess. "Fardles, how'd that thing break so badly? It didn' look like it was 'bout to fall apart." Appearances were apparently very much deceiving. He checked to see if the blood was slowing any, and couldn't tell much difference. At least it had gone from real pain to an annoying sting. Good thing he wasn't right-handed.

Not close to the artery, then. Jykri used the towel to wipe the wound clean and tried to get a good look before it filled up with blood again. "We need to get you to the infirmary. I think you need stitches."

"Aw, c'mon," the tall boy complained, but he knew there was a good chance Jykri was unfortunately right. Aluka sighed. "All right." He looked around for the nearest ranker; he had to announce their intention to leave and why.

One of the cooks walked in carrying a pan of dough. Jykri hurried over, almost dragging Aluka with him. "Ma'am, he's cut himself. We have to go to the infirmary."

The older woman glanced at Aluka's hand and paled at the sight of blood seeping through the cloth. She quickly turned away. "Yes, yes. Go!"

Perhaps cruelly, Aluka snickered as he and Jykri walked off. "Jays, ya'd think this was the first time she saw someone bleedin'." Yes, his schadenfreude was showing. "Hey, move the towel and lemme look, will ya? I think it's gettin' a li'l better under there." There was not any tingling in his fingers, or numbness anywhere, which meant he hadn't nicked any nerves. Always a good thing, that.

"Not until we get to the infirmary. You can get a good look there." Jykri led his fellow Candiate outside. "We'll get a weyrling to take us up. I don't want to climb all those stairs with you bleeding the whole way."

"Aw, c'mon," Aluka complained again. "'S not like I slit my wrists or somethin'." Sure, that was pretty coarse, but it got the point across. "'Least lemme hold the towel myself, huh? We keep walkin' like this, one o' us's bound to trip." His other hand was just fine, after all.

"Well, I suppose I shouldn't be dragging you around like a herdbeast." Jykri let go with a little self-conscious smile.

Normally, that smile would have made the other Candidate feel smug. But this wasn't someone trying to hurt him; it was someone trying to help. So he shrugged casually, as if nothing was the matter. "'Sall right. Ya were just worried." Was he getting soft? Did it matter if he was? Eh, maybe not.

"Hurry, though, or I'll start dragging you again. The sooner you get that cleaned and stitched, the better."

That was indeed incentive to hurry up. Aluka obligingly quickened his pace. They got to the infirmary with minimal fuss, and one of the Journeymen took a look at Aluka's hand. With the blood gently cleaned away, it was concluding he did not, after all, need stitches, but a snug bandage and a warning to be gentle with his hand followed. While that meant Aluka couldn't practice gitar for a while, that also meant he was exempt from dish duty for now. So in the end, it wasn't a bad day after all.

Last updated on the May 1st 2013

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Dishing It Out