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.
Early morning after breakfast sees Thea making her daily stop into the Infirmary to take report from the healers and chat with the patients there. Since a few of the cots have brightly-colored softly-woven blankets on them, it's apparent she's still got extra blankets from her home hold to give out. Now, however, she's sitting by the desk with a clipboard in hand, taking notes as the healer on duty fills her in on the latest.
Shellie yawns, as she comes in, just coming on duty. She's been commuting to the main hall for the last couple of sevendays, so having a shift in her home infirmary is a relief. "Morning, Thea. Everything going all right today?" She looks around, checking a couple of charts as she does.
It's several more minutes before the door to the Infirmary opens and Tenebrous enters. His manner suggests he's in something of a hurry, and without even looking up, he moves over towards the supply cabinets. Into his coat he reaches, coming up with a notepad and a pencil, and he hastily begins scribbling.
Thea turns her head at her name, spots Shellie. "Hmm, yeah. Quiet today," she answers casually. "Everything all right at the 'Hall?" She's looking that way as Tenebrous heads in, but says nothing for the moment to interrupt him. She's back to that healer behind the desk, "So right. That's the list?" She holds her hand out for the paper, takes it, scans it before placing it on her clipboard and signing it.
Shellie nods. "Good to hear." Seeing Tenebrous enter, she goes over to him, and watches, but doesn't interrupt, although she does do a brief, silent visual assessment of the supplies, then goes over to the desk, and settles down in front of one of the computers
Tenebrous's writing slows for a moment when Shellie approaches, but speeds back up to a near feverish pace when she moves away again. He makes several quick checks into the various cabinets, and then makes a rough note at the bottom of the list, underlining it twice. The pad is set down on top of one of the cabinets and almost gingerly, Tenebrous removes that long hide coat he wears. Beneath, his short is clean, if somewhat off-white, save for a tear on the right arm and a bit of a blood stain.
So her question about the Hall goes unanswered. Thea shrugs. The woman must have other things on her mind. She hands that paper back to the healer behind the desk, nods to him and rises smoothly. She's on her way out, apparently as she heads straight for the door. Cool green eyes flick towards the young man. Almost doesn't speak to him, but for that bloodstain on his shirt sleeve has drawn her eye. "Morning Tenebrous." It's a cheerful enough greeting. Then a casual, "Hurt yourself out gathering herbs?"
Tenebrous's response is curt and somewhat distracted. "No. Not herbs. Fell down a hill." One hand snakes into a cabinet, coming up with a faceless jar or some kind of salve. A practiced motion sees him daubing a small amount onto a wicked looking slash on his forearm, and then replacing the lid on the jar. Then, almost non chalantly, he rips the torn piece of his shirtsleeve, and begins wrapping it around the limb as a makeshift bandage.
"Hey, wait, wait." Thea's stepping nearer to the young man even as speaks and although her tone is gentle, there is a firm command in it. She doesn't touch him, but lifts a hand to stay his wrapping of that laceration. "Don't need to do that. There's plenty of bandages in here. And that should have been cleaned before the salve." So she spends enough time in here to know that.
Tenebrous wiggles the fingers attached to that injured arm before murmuring, "Sick people need the bandages. I don't like wasting them…" Your comment about disinfection seems to have passed him by, and he reaches for his heavy coat, looking over at you as he does so. Those strange blue eyes of his are largely unfocused for the forst second, but then they snap onto your face directly and he goes still, his free hand inches from his coat. Recognition dawns in those eyes, and he shifts on his feet, bumping the cabinet hard enough to knock his pad to the floor with a loud thump.
Thea blinks at both the words and the violent recoil the lad does. She waits for a beat, perhaps giving him time to calm. "Bandages are for -injured- people and we have plenty. Not a waste to use them." That same quiet, gently firm tone in her voice as she speaks. There's puzzlement in her pale eyes as she regards Tenebrous, "What is the matter? I don't bite, you know." So there's a bit of a light laugh in her words, but underlying it a hint of sharp concern. She smiles, hoping to reassure him.
Tenebrous is stock still for another few heartbeats before swallowing once and mumbling, "Yes, Ma'am." his eyes flicker down to his arm for the briefest of moments before moving back to your face. They never lock on your eyes, always looking at something else. Your forehead, your cheeks, your lips. Looking for something… "It's…" He swallows again. " 's not … I mean, it's…the arms fine, I promise. I…" Then his voice trails off and his eyes drop to the pad on the floor.
Thea isn't going to let him off the hook, no. She's kind enough not to bark at him, gently correcting him, "Thea, please? Not ma'am." His nervousness is so obvious and is he is at all observant he'll see dismay written all over that face he's looking at. "Yes, it's fine, healer. But will only stay that way if you take proper care of it. Now," She hesitates, then presses carefully, "What makes you so nervous whenever I am around?" It's a cautious query, but it's also clear she expects an answer.
When you speak again, Tenebrous' eyes jump back up to your face, looking around its area before finally coming to settle on your eyes. He takes a breath, and for a moment looks like he might not let it out. But then he exhales slowly. "My …mentor tells me …" Then he swallows again. "Master Fraille…she knows who you are…"
Thea's eyes blink with a sort of blank confusion, "Knows who I am." Unexpected this. Unsure exactly what 'knows who you are' might mean in this case, she merely nods, "Master Fraille, yes I know who the master is as well. And..?” A not so subtle prompt for him to continue, but lest he not understand, she adds, "Go on." There is no tension whatsover in her as she waits, her face open, encouraging but still quite baffled.
Tenebrous swallows once more and then, very quiet, he murmurs, "I have to go fetch something, ma'am…Thea…" Your name sounds thick, almost uncomfortable coming form his mouth. "I…" He slowly pulls his long coat to himself, wadding his hand sup in it. "Master…she said you're…you," he finishes lamely.
Thea strives for patience. One hand lifts and she rubs at her face. His reluctance is palpable. With a sigh she steps back and if he's looking he may see an expression of distress on her face. Her next words are kindly said, "Never mind. I can see you've no wish to quote your master." She catches her lower lip in her teeth, wincing at a thought before releasing it to add, "Just… be aware that everything people say is not always…" There's a pause while she searches for the right word and settles on, "accurate." She does wait should he want to say anything more, but her shoulders droop with defeat.
Tenebrous slides around you with something resembling tangible relief, but he stops at the doorway, watching your posture. "Fraille says you're important," he blurts. "She says I shouldn't bother you." The hide of his jacket creaks audibly in his hands as he clenches it tightly. Then, very softly, " she says you're very beautiful, and very sad sometimes." He swallows again, half-in and half out of the door now. "Master Fraille is right, ma'am…" Then he blinks and looks terrified, as if he just realized he was speaking. "I'm…sorry, ma'am, I .. I have to fetch something…" And then he darts from the room, leaving silence, and a scribbled pad on the floor.
Thea reaches a hand towards the young man, but only when he is over by the door. An unconscious gesture to express her desire he not run off. "But I'm not…" He is gone, "…important." She mutters with a sigh of disappointment as he rushes off. Her hand falls to her side, her head drops, her lips forming a flat, unhappy line, "Shardin' Fraille, means well, makes things worse!" Her reverie is interrupted by the sight of that pad of paper on the floor. She bends, scoops it up and places it on the counter for Tenebrous to find later. Something there catches her eye and she's bending to peer at it more closely. At the bottom of the list of herbs she reads aloud softly, "’Still can't find mother’?" Her head turns towards that door the lad just exited and it's a mighty thoughtful look that she gives it.