Xanadu Weyr - Infirmary

The infirmary here is intended for human care. It is spotless and smells of disinfectant, cots are lined up against one wall, a curtain can be pulled to give some privacy to the occupants of the cots if they so desire. A cabinet stands off against another wall, instruments and medications stored against when they will be needed. A couple of curtained off beds are used for examinations of patients and the treatment of minor injuries which won't require long term care. A desk with chair is just off of the doorway for the healer to sit and catch up on record keeping after a long days work.
It is the wee hours of the morning in Xanadu. The night owls have gone to bed and it is much too early for early risers to be stirring. Darkness cloaks the Weyr both inside and out save for a few muted glows here and there. The Infirmary is tranquil, dimly lit by a few glows hung on high hooks overhead and the few patients in here are fast asleep. One Healer watches the room from a desk in the far corner quietly writing on one of the ever-present journals. In one bed lies the still form of Enkavir, his head wrapped in bandages, still unconscious from the blow to the head he has taken from the stall door. His face pale, dark smudges tinge the under eye area. Beside his bed, curled in a chair as close to his cot as she could pull it sits Thea, one hand lightly resting on one of Enkavirs's. Her head rests on the mattress her eyes also closed.
Slowly, so slowly infact that the door makes nearly no sound, Rogawani moves into the infirmary. Although he's paying very close attention, an effort to keep himself quiet, his weight is kept on one foot, his arms bracing on the doorframe. As his eyes sweep over the unconsious form of his friend, his already dour face sinks further, a frown marking his normally easy-going features. With delicate care, he places his foot down onto the ground, gritting his teeth just slightly before catching the eyes of the healer. Rather than draw attention to himself, he just moves towards one of the cots on the opposite side from Thea, propping himself against it and looking down at the ground as if wishing he could melt away into it and not have to deal with this.
Thea stirs. Perhaps it is a tiny sound, perhaps it is some inner prompt that keeps her vigilant to check on Enkavir in spite of the doze she has fallen into. She lifts her head, her free hand sweeping her tumbled hair out of her sleepy eyes to peer closely at the prone man on the cot bedside her. Her thumb gently rubs the back of the hand hers rests on, but there is no response. Her eyes roam the ward idly, rest briefly on that Healer before moving on. And there is Rogawani! Confusion in her eyes, she frowns, puzzling this, but cannot catch his eye, so she whispers, "Psst, Ro? Why are you in here at this hour?" Not that she minds, but there is something about the way he's standing that worries her and her eyes flicker up and down his form, trying to figure it out.
The healer momentarily blocks Rogawani from view as he walks past Thea and Enkavir, looking down at the boy with a concerned, but not worried expression. "Need the bandage changed?" The healer asks, and Rogawani simply nods his head, pulling one knee up onto the cot before rolling up the somewhat spattered leg of his trousers. Dark splotches linger there, mud? No… it has a more ruddy color than that. Hearing Thea's voice, a small wince shoots through him, eyes clenching shut tight for a moment before peeking around the healer's back. "Nothing to be worried about." He murmurs, his voice husky and low. "Sorry about all this." His voice trails off, guilt creeping through in the tone. The healer is quick, and for the moment, whatever injury brought him to this place remains hidden.
Thea doesn't comment further for the time being, giving the boy his privacy with the healer after that peek he does around the man. Her eyes narrow just a hair and she gives a small, "Mmm hmm" at that 'nothing to worry about'. Heard that one too many times, apparently. Her eyes lower to Enkavir, and she props the elbow of her free arm on the mattress, resting her chin in her hand as she resumes her vigil. Rogawani's words and the tone of his voice rouse her, "Huh?" She's confused for a moment, "This is hardly your fault, Ro." Thea's voice is warm, meant to be gently reassuring, "I'm not blaming you, anyway." Concern for both the still Enkavir and now her friend evident in the shadowed green of her eyes.
A near growl echos out of Rogawani's chest, although it seems hard to tell if it's due to the pain in his leg, or due to frustration at the situation. "I should have been paying closer attention." His fist comes down onto the cot, ineffectual. The healer seems to be paying him no real mind, placing a new bandage onto his leg. "Come back again in the morning. This should hold you for the night." Biting down his irritation at himself, Rogawani nods his head, and then watches as the healer moves back towards the desk at the end of the infirmary ward. Taking a few deep breaths, he begins to roll down his pant-leg again, covering a gauze patch taped to his calf. Putting both hands on his knee, he sighs and looks over towards Thea. "That stupid kid wouldn't listen to me. I could have -done- something, gotten in the way, made sure no one got hurt but me. Now 'Kav's hurt and you're in pain too." He punches at the cot a second time, "This sucks." While sometimes Ro' may seem as if he's an old soul, moments like this echo that he's still just a boy trying to be an adult.
"Yeah it does," Thea agrees soberly, her eyes kind as she regards Rogawani. Her eyes drop to linger on Enkavir's face for a moment, her expression tender. The lad's words, punctuated by that dull thump to the cot have her eyes swiftly raising once more, "I'm sure you feel that way, Ro." Again not disagreeing, "But, really could you have done more? Kav should have listened to you when you warned him to move." There's a slight, sad smile on her lips, "He can be hard-headed at times." She shrugs to her pain and she quips, a feeble attempt at best perhaps, "They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." She gives a small head-shake about the kid, "Can't always control other folks. Morlanol may have learned a lesson with that thump he took." One could only hope.
"Don't know." Rogawani finally admits, swinging his legs down to dangle over the edge of the cot. As he finally sets them both onto the ground, he stands up, taking a deep breath to try to calm the harsh edge his thoughts seem to be taking. "That's the problem though. What if that runner -had- killed someone." He mutters to himself, running a hand through his hair while still trying to maintain some focus so that he doesn't add a broken hand to his list of injuries. "Kav's still not awake." His words are tinged with worry as he walks over, trying his best not to limp. Standing closer, it almost seems as if he might have grown an inch or two recently, perhaps his body starting to catch up. "I can tell by the look on your face. I hate it that either of you have to be hurt." He pulls a chair over and abruptly straddles it backwards, arms-crossing over the chair back as he places his head down on them, looking like a sulking puppy.
"Well he didn't," Thea rejoins calmly. "If he had?" She shrugs eloquently, "We'd just have to deal with it the same as we are now. It would be hard." Her quick-indrawn breath is telling as to how hard she feels that would be and she doesn't linger on that thought as the fingers of her hand give a brief, spasmodic squeeze to Enkavir's hand. As her friend moves to the chair, she pretends not to notice his limp for the time being. Reassurance is sometimes not possible, but sometimes the facts will help a little. She shakes her head, "You're right, he hasn't come 'round yet, Ro. He's had something for pain, it's helping to keep him still. The healers are carefully optimistic." Her gaze lingers on the back of the lad's head as he drops it to his arms, "Yes, you hate it, and that's ok. That's what friends do. Loving people…" She searches for the words, "makes a person vulnerable to pain sometimes."
"Yeah." Rogawani murmurs, his head barely moving from it's spot atop his arms. His eyes sweep over the prone form of Enkavir, lips pursed slightly before he lets out a sigh. "I just hope he wakes up soon. I hate seeing you so sad." He mutters, not seeming ashamed at all to admit this fact. "Besides, if you you faint again, you need him around to catch you, right?" A smile tries to force it's way onto his face as he lifts his head a little, cocking it to the side. "I'm too small for that, you'd squish me." He teases, but then lets it slide a bit as his nose wiggles a bit. "Maybe I just need a girlfriend so I can stop being the third wheel to you two."
"I'll be ok Ro. He- we wouldn't have wanted you in his place." Firmly said with a nod for emphasis before Thea's lips quirk and her free hand reaches out to poke at Rogawani's shoulder if she can reach it. "I'm so huge, yeah? Squish you flat indeed!" She actually can laugh quietly before she snorts softly, "We're not seeing you as a third wheel, but if you're feeling that way perhaps we can fix you up with someone, hmm?" She appears to consider the options, "Lesse there's Vivian. She's quite… unusual." He gets a sly look out of the corner of her eyes before she checks Enkavir. Still out.
Rogawani's eyes follow the motion of the finger moving to poke him, and then he smirks. "Yup. Huge." He teases, his voice kept light, even if the humor doesn't get as far as his eyes. His nose wrinkles again at the thought of being set up with someone. "Oh come on." He shakes his head, raising a hand. "Sure, I can tolerate her more than most, but even I'm not stupid enough to try a hand at that. If nothing else, Niva'd have my hide and I like my body in one piece." He coughs a laugh, and then just smirks, propping his head on one hand. "I'm not too worried, though. Maybe you guys will bring in some attractive girls for Avaeth's clutch." He waggles his eyebrows, although it's clear he's not being serious. "You two are pretty serious though, right?" He looks between Enkavir's still unconsious form and Thea. "You don't show much infront of me, but… I know." He taps his temples, as if he were some sort of mind reader.
Thea winks, knowing full well she's not being taken seriously, "Oh, I dunno about Niva. She might prefer a divers-" She coughs, changes her track entirely, "Attractive? How about homely but loves runners?" She winces at that word, a silent apology in her glance before her eyes return to Enkavir. For a long time she doesn't answer Rogawani's question and perhaps it may seem she won't as she considers the still form on that cot. Her eyes trace the profile of his face, the lashes dark on pale cheeks. Finally she nods, "Yes." It's but a whisper. "There's simply no one else for me, Ro." It is a measure of the regard she has for his friendship that she shares the next thought,"It went through my head at the time that if he was-" she swallows quickly, "I would take Seryth and go *Between* myself."
A low chuckle bubbles up from Rogawani's chest, a bit deeper than what would be considered normal. Then again, it does seem that he's on the cusp of a growth spurt. "To be honest, I wouldn't care that much either way as long as she loved me. But if we're talking hypothetical girl of my dreams 'n all, she might as well be pretty." The boy's face shows a hint of slyness behind his eyes, not quite so innocent as some people may think. The smirk that had settled there fades as he looks between Thea and Enkavir, seeming a bit more somber as he considers her words. "Hey, don't think like that." He reaches out, trying to nudge his fingertips against her shoulder. "Kav's not going anywhere. And besides, you wouldn't want to make your bestest best buddy here all sad would you?" He sticks his lower lip out, looking up at her with big eyes. It's a heart-melting sad puppydog look.
That nudge to the shoulder rouses Thea from her thoughts, her head turns, "Hmm? Oh- I know." A hand waves the mention of dire decisions away, "Was just went through my head at the time. Don't be sad." And she smiles, although it is not one of her sunniest, it a warm, genuine smile and her voice is forcibly light, "He's tough!" There's a small chuckle about his dream girl, "That would be a priority I'd think, her loving you, but runners next yeah?" She smirks to the pretty comment, perhaps not as fooled as some might be regarding innocence. Her eyes slide down towards that bandage on his leg, "So what happened to your leg, Ro? Don't tell me that beast bit ya?"
"Maybe." Rogawani shrugs his shoulders, "Really she could hate runners for all I care. You don't like them much and I like you just fine." He explains, his face somewhere between somber and bemused. "Just don't go jumping off between, okay? I don't think Kav would like that idea either." He murmurs, letting a small sigh slip out of his lips. Drumming fingers against the side of his cheek, the boy just shakes his head. "Nah, didn't bite me." Shifting his leg underneath him a bit, he scowls down at the splotches on his pants. "Once I got it outside, I dove for the fence. Stupid runner reared up and caught my leg with a hoof before I could get under." His face shows his distaste for that particular beast. "I hope it gets fed to a dragon before it hurts someone else. Sharding untamed …" His voice dwindles off into a mutter intermingled with curses now and again that he seems to be trying to keep from Thea's ears.
Thea laughs outright at this admission, then claps a hand over her mouth as the Healer at the desk sends them a stern look. She merely shakes her head at his next words, "Don't worry." Kav is still with her, after all. The fingers of her hand lace between his still ones and for a moment her brow wrinkles a tiny bit at the limpness of his. Rogawani's next words, have her shaking her head solemnly, "Could've broken your leg." Her mouth forms an unhappy line at that thought and she lowers her head, a thumb tapping at her lips. For a long moment she is silent before a quiet, "Ro, thank you." It is simply said and she doesn't gush words but she knows he knows what she means by them. And lest he try to refute what she is thanking him for she adds with a half-grin, "Seryth will be happy to oblige, I can assure you!"
Rogawani's eyes search the Weyrwoman's face for a moment, as if trying to make sure that there really isn't anything to worry about. However, the motion of her lacing fingers with her beloved is enough for him, and he nods once. "Could have, but didn't." He replies quickly, reaching down to rub over the pant leg, only wincing slightly. "Just a few stitches. Should be healed up in a seven-day or two." He tries to ward off any worry, "Don't go worrying about lil' ole' me. You've got enough on your plate." Motioning his chin towards Enkavir, he lets out a small, exhasperated raspberry of sound before just giving a shrug, accepting her thanks and not arguing. His eyes go unfocused for a moment, perhaps his mind's eye imagining Seryth making a meal of the black runner. Then, with a laugh, he nods a bit. "I wouldn't mind, as long as you can deal with an ornery herder. I'm sure he couldn't argue that the beast makes a better meal than an addition to the bloodlines. Gah." He shakes his head, getting rid of the thought. "Can you imagine a herd of those reckless monsters? We'd be safer breeding tunnelsnakes." Which is saying quite a bit, knowing Ro's fear of them.
Thea's thumb resumes it's gentle movement on back of Enkavir's hand as if to comfort him. Who knows but that unconscious folks might be in need of such? She shakes her head at Rogawani's directive not to worry about him with a tiny grin quipping dryly, "I shall try to restrain myself then, hmm? I should remember you've already got a foster mama." She tilts her head considering the black runner for a moment, "I think Seryth might snag him whether I said or no. She's fairly unhappy with the beast. Might be a good thing for the owner to put the thing in a more secure… holding." Her eyes drift across the aisle to the also-head-conked Morlanol where he is asleep on his own cot, "I think that youngster needs some training before he returns to the stables." An observation, really, rather than a request.
"I wouldn't want to think of you as my mom anyways. Eww." Rogawani sticks his tongue out, showing a bit of disgust on his face. "I've got two moms already, I'd rather just have friends." He chuckles to himself, fidgeting as if not quite sure what he should be doing. "I'll talk to the herder about it. He's out at the hold looking for more breeding stock." The last words are spoken as if he didn't quite think of the nearly wild runners as good for any breeding program. "Betcha when he hears what happens he'll freak." This idea seems to bring out a wicked sort of subdued laughter in Rogawani as his eyes follow Thea's, eventually settling on Morlanol. "Well, we can't exactly lock all the doors and let no one in. You think maybe Satoris could talk some sense into the kid? He outranks him and … stuff." It's strange how he refers to the boy, only three years his junior, as a 'kid'. "I may nearly live in the stables sometimes, but… it's not my job to go telling people what they can 'n can't do there."
Thea just laughs silently at Rogawani's face-making. "How about big Sis?" She's only half-teasing now. At the mention of the herder, she frowns slightly in uncertainty, "Is it normal to place wild runners in an enclosed space like that Ro?" She doesn't know runners, but the idea to her a strange one, by the look on her face. She lifts a cautionary finger to him, "You may not be able to keep folks out of the stables, but I can!" Thea's voice is firm on that. "Although it's not Morlanol's fault that a half-wild runner was in there, he had no idea how to conduct himself around them." She shakes her head unsure, "Normally Satoris, yes. But he's-" Her lips close on that. Hmm.
"Fine fine. Big-sis." Rogawani replies with a chuckle, seeming more than accepting. Still eyeing the apprentice minor for a moment, his lips twitch before looking back at Thea. "He didn't want the runner out with the main herd yet, not sure if he'd start up trouble." He explains, hoping that this much makes sense. "They hadn't even gotten a chance to shoe the sharding thing before he was off looking for more." Mutter. It's clear that Ro' doesn't really care for some of the herder fascination with breeding lines. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again, even if I have to stick my nose in herder business. They won't like it, but if I threaten them with Weyrwoman wrath, they should listen." He chuckles a little, and then pauses, looking curiously at Thea. "He's what?"
"He's bringing more." It's flatly said and the weyrwoman's brows lower at this piece of insanity. "Look Ro, I'm gonna have a word with D'son. We can't be putting folks here in harm's way. I don't want you in danger either." Thea raises a hand to forestall, "You don't need to say a word, D'son will handle the herder." She's muttermuttering to herself now, "Separate paddocks might help? He seemed pretty angry to me. Musta been a reason for that, if they're not insane as you're always telling me." Her brow clears as she turns back to peek at Enkavir, tenderness in her eyes. She bends forward to listen to him breathe for a moment, then satisfied, she leans back. There's a baffled shrug in answer to Rogawani's question about Satoris, "Changed." It comes out clipped, strained, though not directed at him and she waves off further probing. "I'll talk to him about Morlanol."
"Not more wild ones… I hope." Rogawani replies, although the drawing in of his eyebrows echoes the uncertainty in his voice. "Don't worry yourself about it." He says, pushing himself up from the chair before tucking it back underneath a nearby table, sighing to himself. "Talk to D'son if you want, doesn't matter to me, but I'll make sure things are safe from my side of things." He mutters, not about to be dissuaged from doing his best to keep people safe. "Thea…" He pauses, and then shakes his head. "Runners raised by people aren't the same as wild ones. There's some that just can't be broken. It's different." Unable to really explain it, he just lets his hands dangle at his sides. "You just take care of him. You've got enough to worry about." He doesn't comment about the Xanadu Miner, or about Morlanol. "Listen, I'm going to go." He thumbs towards the exit. "If you need anything, I'll send in Kialio, she can find me." Limping towards the door, he keeps his face hidden from view for the moment, not about to let Thea see whatever emotions linger there.
"Take care of that le-" Thea she stops with a smile, and changes it to "See ya around, Ro." But he is heading away from her, so she says it to his back. There is a mighty thoughtful look on her face as the young man heads out. After a beat, she turns back to the cot, scoots her chair closer to Enkavir. Keeping her fingers laced in his, she places her free hand on his chest over his heart and is comforted by the steady beat under her palm. For a long time she watches the rise and fall of his breathing and the tiny movements of his eyes under those closed lids. Her eyes seek the Healer, she is noting he is busy with something else, before she leans over and places a gentle kiss on his cheek with a soft whisper, "Come back to me, Kav."