Like a Dying Dolphin
Participants: Maura, Ch'rii, Xantes
IC Date: Day 2, Month 1, Turn 3; 11:00 PM
OOC Date: 5&6 November, 2011
Location: Eastern Weyr: Infirmary
Synopsis: 'Late-night rounds' mostly revolve around conversations between Xantes, Ch'rii and Maura. How long will it be before the riders are expected to return to their wings?
Rating: PG
Posted by: Xantes

Long beds and examination tables are placed strategically throughout this room, each having its own set of curtains to give some sembance of privacy when needed. The walls are lined with counters, each housing cabinets containing the necessary items Healers need to do their jobs. A small sink fills the east end of the counter: the one nearest the entrance to the bowl. The entrance is sloped so as not to allow the sun to shine in the patients' faces. At the far west end of the Infirmary, a small darkened tunnel curves around to the larger rooms where the dragonhealers take care of their draconic patients.


On a hot summer night, whether or not there are red roses or wolves about, we aren't going to be at Eastern Weyr. Instead, as we are, we're surrounded by a murky drizzle that's been going on all day, and shows no signs of letting up any time soon, according to the sweeps riders. (And any other riders who've been flying around high enough to pay attention to cloud drift, really.) In the meantime, everyone with an excuse to avoid the infirmary has been doing so more and more, as the evening has worn on, and as Master Healer Xantes' temper has worn shorter and shorter. Apparently, nobody wants to be too close to one of his rants of displeasure with the number of patients he has to deal with, and the far-too-fast turnover, and the lack of bandaging and strange rehabilitation facilities, and — well. Let's just say that he's not a peach to be around, on this cold and drizzly night.

People may be avoding Xantes like the plague, but there are some who haven't much choice in the matter! Trouble walking around, coupled with a fairly mangled shoulder means she's been in and out of wakefulness. On the bright side, the fellis-induced sleep she's been enjoying has been the best rest EVER. And if she's had any nightmares, they've been so buried in painkillers that she has no effing clue. So, when she wakes up -this- time, late as it is, she's a little too awake to consider going back to sleep. Eyes wide open, trying to shove herself up into a seated position. And possibly avoid some of Xantes' wrath. "Any apprentices about?" She wants water, yo.

At least /someone/ got the drugged kind of sleep. Ch'rii wasn't that person. No, it's been a while since it's been safe to drug Ch'rii — at least a few days, and that much, anyway. He's had a lot of relaxation exercises to help him sleep. The refreshingly soft noise of the water seal of the atrium unit attached to his chest tube (which starts at his chest as three tubes, as chest tubes are wont to do). Occasionally, people talking. But no really, really good sleep by drug; not that it has been mattering much, because sleep is mostly all he is good for. In fact, he is at present still sleeping.

"No." Xantes' answer is short, crisp — not unfriendly, true, but not the best at being friendly, either. He gets up from his seat — a little nook, over by the wall, with a shielded glowbasket so that he can read or write or otherwise try to keep himself awake and entertained, without disturbing the rest of those few who manage to find some — and comes over to Maura's side, automatically helping her sit up, shoving a plentitude of pillows behind her to keep her propped up there. "There's me, though. Don't know if you remember me — you're blue Rikath's, right?" Because he would check her paperwork, but it's over there, and he's over here, with her.

"Figures." Maura mumbles, nodding a brief thanks at Xantes for his answer. And then again when he helps her sit up; a quiet sigh of relief escaping when pillows are stuffed behind her back. "Yes, I remember you. We met when Meiglen arrived at Eastern, I believe." She raises the hand she's able to use, to rub at her forehead lightly and clear out the last of the fuzziness that seems to come with doses of fellis. "How is he doing, do you know?" Keeping her voice lowered, the bluerider gestures towatds the guy with the chest tubes and atrium unit. "I haven't been able to get up and look at his chart." Assuming she could read it to begin with.

They wouldn't have let her. Or else, they /shouldn't/ have let her — those are the primo confidential papers of all confidential papers. That doesn't mean that Maura couldn't have snuck a look when literally no one was paying attention, but it would have been a challenge! Ch'rii seems to be aware he's being discussed, or maybe Zekoith gave him a tip; he opens an eye. (The answer to how he's doing is mostly: slowly improving.)

"I do know," and now Xantes is smiling at her a little, too. He looks amused. "Are you all that good at reading medical charts, then? Bearing in mind that they're usually made purposefully impossible to read, and impossibly dense — do you know what 'pee tee shows signs right arrow period vee ess ess period lungs dee slash see slash bee comma low ess ess drainage' means?" Hey, at least Xantes answered her question, right? In a manner of speaking?

"Nope. But since he has a habit of making things seem better then they are, I figured that sneaking a look at his chart is the closest I'll get to real information. And then I would ask his sister to translate for me. She can't really get in to trouble for answering an innocent question, as long as she's not looking at his chart /for/ me." Maura explains, or… rather, assumes. And she says all that even knowing that Ch'rii has woken, because when she glances over that way again there's a wry smirk on her face. "I'm guessing since he's awake now, it's at least 'the same'. Which, is better then worse."

"Talk about me over here!" Ch'rii jokingly yells, knowing it's him they're discussing. Too bad his attempt at yelling is fairly pathetic; it carries across the room, all right, but sounds like a dying dolphin rather than like a human voice. At least the words are clear enough, and when he speaks at a normal volume, he doesn't sound too bad at all and never really did. So while his voice isn't going to be scaring anyone, they might be able to laugh at him, now.

"I can, however, give Charisli orders not to answer your questions about him, if I need to," Xantes points out — and frowns a little, glancing between the two of them. "If you want all the information about mister Dying Dolphin, though — and I note you haven't actually asked if I think you're doing all right — well. Hm. Should I actually give it to you?" That question, at least, is really loud enough for either of them to answer; it's not like anyone else is a) awake, b) present, or c) otherwise complaining about him talking loudly.

"As if I would tell on her." Maura scoffs. "I do want the information on.. what did you call him?" Calling him -dying- anything is probably a bad idea in front of her, since it makes her turn unnaturally pale. So what does she do, since Rii's yelled over at them anyway? She starts getting up out of the bed to go see for herself how he's faring. "Riders get threadscore all the time. I'll live. I'm more concerned about him." is replied, simply. Whether she can move past him or not.

Ch'rii is awake, but he's not sitting up — which makes it hard to talk at volume anyway, even if his bed is angled upright somewhat. No lying flat for Ch'rii. No doing much of anything for Ch'rii. If he /could/ read, he'd probably have picked up a bunch of books. Since he can't very well and mostly doesn't by choice, though, it's not an issue and instead he's gotten used to communing with the ceiling;t his holds much more interest for him. "Dying dolphin," he fills in for Xantes. "It's the wheezy voice."

"And while I can appreciate that," Xantes tells Maura, with perhaps a surprising measure of sympathy, "I still don't see how his health is actually your concern. You're not in the same wing, after all." Also, Xantes has big hands — which is relevant mostly because one of them has just stopped Maura by flattening against her sternum, neatly avoiding any hint of impropriety by (admittedly barely) missing her breasts, and has gently pushed her right back into that bed of hers.

"Well, nobody should be calling you a dying -anything-. I don't care what your voice sounds like." The underlying annoyance in words is matched by the upset hitch in her voice when delivered. And then she's indignant. -Obviously-. At being set right back into her sickbed. Her temper (or perhaps Rikath's) simmers just beneath the surface of an overly polite response. "We /were/ in the same wing, before they reshuffled all of us. And even if we weren't in the same wing, his health would still be my concern because of the nature of our relationship. Now, if you'll excuse me." She tries to get past him again. Stubborn little thing, she is. "I hope you're having fun listening to this over there Ch'rii. Will you just tell him it's alright?"

Ch'rii waves a hand about messily in the air; it loses the direction in which it's meant to be waving a couple of times and starts over. "Been in the same wing most of Rikath's life," he explains first, because that is, in fact, true: they've been together ever since Maura got tapped out of weyrlinghood. Well, in the same wing, anyway. As for the other kind of together? "An' I'm going to marry her, so, y'know, tell her whatever you want."

With that, Xantes' demeanor changes abruptly, in a palpably 'awww, these kids are so SWEET!' sort of way. Not that this stops him from admonishing Maura with that raised hand once again, though — "Be that as it may," and it's all bluster, if she noticed his expression, how brusque he's being now — "that's no reason for you to go and muck up your health and healing in order to fuss over him. It's not like you can sit on his bed anyway, so you just sit tight for a moment while I get you settled. That's an order, rider, and right now I do outrank you, directly." And, with a last stern glance to keep her put — at least temporarily, and hey, at least her bed is reassuringly solid underneath her, right? — he's off to find her a comfortable, yet portable couch to rest on next to Ch'rii. He's maybe muttering something, loudly, about how he's somehow expected to heal riders magically and throw them up on their dragons mere days after horrible injuries, what sort of miracle-worker is he supposed to be?

Maura is apparently not quite expecting a drugged up declaration of the kind that Rii gives, because she's quite frankly speechless for a few seconds after he's said it. Though there's a bemused smile on her face. "I.. b… yes sir." Surprisingly meek now that she's no longer in a bit of a huff, the girl is surprisngly quiet. Mostly because she's trading messages with Rikath. "How soon are they expecting me back in the air, then?" is one question she can't help but ask, listening to Xantes' diatribe.

"How about," Ch'rii is just going to guess a date for Maura, okay? How's that? "Four days? Think it's four days? It could be four days." Outside, Zekoith and Rikath are probably making fun of them; or, at least, of him. "I could bet on that. Also on four months, because I don't have a clue."

"They probably are expecting you back in the air in four days," says Xantes' sigh. "And I'm going to do my best to make it closer to four weeks, although I am entirely certain that I will fail at that, and will consider two weeks something of a miracle." The couch in place, he moves back over to Maura's bed, helping her over to sit next to Ch'rii, propping her up with a bevy of pillows, the whole kit and kaboodle. Everything but a drink of water, really. "But right now — your shoulder is a mess, so you can't wear a jacket, and without a jacket you can't safely fly at any altitude, much less pop Between. Not to mention how much trouble you're having walking right now, dear. We've got a lot of work to do, there, to get you back to fully working order."

Even Maura looks stunned at the idea of being back in a fighting wing in four days. Thus, she doesn't bother being at all stoic and trying to refute the help to move next to Rii. No, she'll lean all the way over. "I can't really feel my shoulder yet, since they keep dousing it in numbweed. Sounds like I don't want to feel it either, at this point." she admits, sinking gratefully down onto the couch. "Sounds like you were right, Rii. Even drugged up higher then a green in mating flight." she jokes, nodding an agreement at Xantes. "And to think - my injuries were comparatively mild. Have they told you how long they expect Ch'rii to be out of comission?"

And Ch'rii — is still here. He's not got much of anything to say, because all he's doing is watching conversation go by and focusing on breathing. And taking a drink of water. That's a big one, too. "I'm not that drugged," he points out diplomatically. "Only a little. I don't get the best drugs. It's just a tube. I can't even cough so I don't hurt that much." Shrug. He's waiting for Xantes to rant again.

"Technically speaking, most greens don't really bother with drugs," Xantes' response cuts in, in an absent tone — is he serious? Does he really not get her point? Or is that the point? "This particular brownrider… Depends, really, on how he's doing, and it's not a they so much as it is a we, for that matter. He can't go up until the Healers clear him, and I'm one of those." He smiles again, a little, and does something to the tubes coming out of Ch'rii's chest — don't look too closely, Maura. "Once he's ambulatory again, he'll still have rehab, the length of which will depend on how long he's down. Once rehab's done, he's still not going to be up to flying a full-length Fall; healing takes time, and I don't know whose brains are so shard-addled they don't realize that." Cue more grumbling and a dressing change.

"Just a tube." Maura deadpans, sounding fairly incredulous. "Rii…" Oh, nevermind. There goes Xantes poking around with the chest tubes and she turns a bit pale again before glancing up and away. Lalalala. She ignores what Xantes says about greens, fortunately. Nope, not commenting. "Until we get more transfer riders, I don't think they feel there's much choice. It's either pushing us past our limits or letting Hold and Craft folk die out there." she points out, in a kind of quiet voice. "

Ch'rii seems fine, anyway! Whatever Xantes is doing with the chest tube and the dressing isn't bothering him. Thank Faranth for EMLA. "Well, while it is a large tube it is just a tube. It's not the first tube! I had three full size ones the first time around, with the — " Handwave. He's not saying that particular word in front of Xantes right now. You know, Maura, the thing? The secret thing? "So yeah. I'm not too worried about i — OW DON'T PULL SO HARD ON THE TAPE."

"Don't go trying to keep secrets from your healer, boy," Xantes grunts, and completely fails to alter the level of pull on the tape. On the other hand, he's basically done pulling on it by the time Ch'rii is done complaining, so does it really matter? "I can look up your medical record any time I feel like it." (Is that supposed to sound so much like a threat?)

"It's not something that would be on his official medical record." Maura notes, sounding apologetic about it even. "Suffice it to say, he was sick. Very sick; fever, chills, delirium, chest congestion, cough.. the works." What? It's not like she's saying the word Iceblood. And if it's going to help, then she's going to tell. This is her mate being discussed here. Overprotective instincts are overprotective, people. She also winces when he shouts about the tape; instinct has her reaching over for his hand. But, uh, yeah. Bad idea with that shoulder.

Shrug. "What she said." Eloquent Ch'rii is eloquent; also, under orders not to actually say. "And the Weyrwoman had ordered me not to disclose; suffice to say it isn't, what's the word, communicable? now. It's what caused the damage, though." And, thus, his wonderful case of respiratory distress syndrome and its accompanying factors like the surprise hemothorax that came out of nowhere but a coughing fit. "Dude, I think my skin is glowing now. That tape is killer."

Xantes mutters something under his breath, while he's across the room, that sounds suspiciously like threatening to complain to the Weyrwoman… but even he can't mean it, can he? "I'll be sure to mark in your record that if you ever need disciplinary action, you should be taped to your ledge and allowed to unpeel yourself slowly," he answers, while marking down the dressing-change in Ch'rii's record. Charting is important!

"It won't do you any good. The Weyrwoman that gave the order isn't available to be compained to. And you'll risk raising questions that are best left alone if you ask anyone else. Just leave it be, please." Maura means it, apparently. As for disciplinary action involving bondage and sadism, the little bluerider just does her best not to say a word; instead, biting on her lower lip and trying not to smirk. "So can they give you anything good to help you sleep yet? Next time P'sec or D'lan stop by, I'll tell them to bring you a deck of cards or something to keep you busy too." is offered, to merrily change the topic.

"People keep," Ch'rii mutters, "giving me books. Can't read. Doesn't everyone know that? Feel the need to rub it in? And I think that would actually work and you are evil," he informs Xantes, in a rather calm sort of tone. "Also, sleeping is not — hard. Sleeping's the easiest thing in the world when you have holes in your chest."

Xantes is evil, yes. The astonishing part is that Ch'rii is only just now realizing that, according to Xantes' expression — his baby sister is the man's apprentice, after all! "I could always send my daughter along to teach you," he suggests innocently. "It'll keep your mind occupied between naps. More useful than playing solitaire."

"I've offered to help you with reading before. Maybe you should finally take me up on that." Maura suggests in a light tone. "Otherwise, you can help me keep my card cheating skills honed." Dimple! "Or, you could allow the evil man's daughter to help you." Because that just sounds so promising. And yes, she does glare at the healer for making the suggestion too. "You know I'll ask anyone for anything you want, if I can't get it for you myself. Just tell me what you'd like to help keep you busy."

Ch'rii gives everyone, especially Xantes, a 'what are you crazy' kind of look. Definitely Xantes. Maura has no reason to worry about it so much: "I thought you were a Master! Shouldn't you know how hard it is for /adults/ to learn something like reading? I have not ever needed to know how to read. I've lived my whole life without it and see no reason to have that change now."

"And you could, undoubtedly, manage for the rest of your life not learning how to read," Xantes agrees, dismissing both Maura's glare and Ch'rii's disbelief as if they don't even exist. "That does not, however, mean that you should necessarily do so; reading is a delicate skill, and not everyone can master it, but I was under the impression you were supposed to be a fairly skilled man. Your sister certainly speaks highly of you, and implied you were intelligent enough to learn such a skill without too much trouble." Not in so many direct words, no, but still. "There's a reason that people are supposed to learn to read, though, son," Xantes adds more gently. "Not just because it's tradition."

Maura has learned better then to try and argue the brownrider out of this particular position. And, accepting him just the way he is has meant that after a few light-hearted tries to encourage him, she isn't going to push it. Plus, she was mostly glaring at the suggestion that Xantes would be sending his -daughter-. "Charisli and I agree on many things - and that is certainly one of them." she pipes up about, though. Because it's true. Her half smile for the master healer is for his attempts here, even if they don't work.

Xantes and Nahia's oldest daughter would not have any interest in Ch'rii in any way that might threaten Maura anyway; there's not much of anything to worry about there. Ch'rii is surprised by the emphatic desire everyone seems to have to see him read, but doesn't press it so much as say, "I'm trying to heal now. Maybe in a month."

"Now, that is a reasonable objection, and one I will grant you without reservation," Xantes announces, and starts pulling Maura's pillows away. "And because of that, and because you are also healing, I am going to make sure that both of you continue to rest — not by requiring you to go back to your own bed," to forestall objection from Maura, "but if you're going to stay over here, you need to at least pretend you intend to sleep once in a while, all right? Now, I have other patients to attend; you two lovebirds stay quiet, don't be stupid, and I'll bring your medicine by in a little while."

Hey, Maura doesn't know that! She does, however, know that the answer Rii gives is probably the best they could have hoped for, and this favors him with a pleased smile. And oh hey, Xantes is obviously a mindreader. Because she was, totally, going to object to being moved back away. "Yes, Masterhealer." she agrees, with no argument whatsoever once his orders are given. "Not exactly the way I'd have chosen to be allowed to stay nearby, but it'll do." she murmurs, referencing her own injuries. "I'll take it."


"Progress note, [that morning]: pt shows signs of [arrow to the right]. VSS. Lungs d/c/b, low SS drainage" was a gift from Ch'rii, who came up with it in about ten seconds.

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