Who's Visiting (Or Not)

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 29th October 2020

Characters: C'rin, Riveenata
Description: C'rin visits Riveenata again.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 26 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: T'kala, K'lvin

belated because of Avery LOA

C'rin

It had been a sevenday since Riveenata's accident and C'rin had barely
left her side. The only times the brownrider wasn't there was during
drills, Threadfall, or when her family wanted to visit. Today he brought
a book with him that he hoped Riveenata would like. She had seemed down
each time he had visited recently, and he hoped that giving her
something to take her mind off of everything would help.

"Riv," he said as he came into her room, where it looked as if she had
just been placed in fresh bandages. "How are you feeling today?" he
asked, dropping a kiss to her cheek and taking his usual seat.

The greenrider turned her cheek up into him and reached out one hand.
She was used to his presence as a constant by her side.On the third day
when a fever had spiked and she'd been tossing and turning in the grip
of infectious dreams, caught between unconsciousness and fitful sleep.
The only two things she could remember from the times when she'd clawed
herself back awake were Savith in her mind, and C'rin by her side.

"The fever's down and they say it looks good when they changed the
bandages," she said with a little smile.

"Good," he said, relief clear in his voice and evident on his face. "I'm
not sorry I missed the bandage changing, though," he made a face. "I
don't know how you healers do it."

"It's very strange to be on this side of it. It helps that I know how to
make it a little easier on them." Her voice went quieter as she added.
"I've worked shifts with almost everyone so I know them and they know
me. It feels like I keep seeing pity."

"It's not pity, it's worry and concern," C'rin said. "We all know flying
Threadfall is dangerous, and we all know people are injured by it each
'fall, but it just becomes a little more real when it's someone you know
personally."

"I guess," she said, sounding unconvinced. "When they look at the actual
injuries…I just wonder if it's worse than they're telling me. If maybe
I'm going to not get to keep the arm, or my breast." It was a
nightmarish thought to consider and one that kept occupying her mind
when there was nothing to distract her.

"You'll keep the arm, and everything attached to it,"he said with his
determinedly positive outlook.

"I hope you're right. I don't want to retire. It hurts so much whenever
they take the fellis away and moving everything is stiff and I just
think of all the things that can go wrong." The perils of being a
Healer, she knew it well.

She managed to muster up a little smile for him. "What do you have?"

"I brought you a book," he said holding it up. "T'kala assured me that
this tale is the sort of smutty story you would love." C'rin winked at
her.

"And I don't mind reading it outloud to you."

"Tell T'kala thank you. You won't be too embarrassed?"

"Of course not," he grinned. "I'm a harper, after all, I love a good
tale. Besides, we can just file away the spicy stuff to try later, after
you've recovered."

"You've got plans, huh?" She tried to give him a bigger lascivious
wink, but it was lopsided and pulled with pain a little.

"Of course. I'll earmark all of the 'good pages'," he said, setting the
book on the little table beside her bed as he noticed the pain in her
expression. "How are you feeling? Should I get a healer?"

She had a fear if he got one, they'd dose her again and send him away.
"No, stay with me a little longer and tell me a story before then," she
said.

C'rin's smile returned and he took her hand again. "Okay. What kind of
story?"

"Something... not about Threadfall, and not romantic. I don't want to
think about that right now."

The harper brownrider thought for a moment before snapping his fingers
as it came to him. "So there was this dolphineer...." C'rin launched
into a comedic story about a clumsy, bumbling dolphineer who
accidentally saved the day as the story came to a close. "And to this
day, that is why dolphineers wear swimsuits instead of swimming naked."
He finished the story with a dramatic wave of his hand.

She was laughing at it, but also wincing. Laughing hurt, a lot, using
abdominal and chest muscles. "It's great that you're a Harper and can
tell these things," she said.

After a moment, she said, "I guess you should call the healer for the
next dose."

"I will. Is there any of your family you'd like me to send in?" He asked
as he stood.

"My sister if she's not working..." Thinking about working made her
pause and half-sit-up, which made her wince and gasp again. "Wait. One
question."

"Yeah?" he turned.

"Have you seen K'lvin, or has Dasveth found Xmrenth? Savith hasn't seen
him come in, but...green memories and range..." Her voice trailed off.

"You haven't seen him?" C'rin asked, genuinely surprised.

"No, I haven't." Riveenata paused. She knew it was awkward to ask C'rin
this. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't ask you, but...I just wondered."

They had never talked about what their relationship meant compared to
her relationship to K'lvin, and frankly, C'rin was too afraid to ask.
"He came the first day it happened, he was in the waiting room during
your surgery." The brownrider wondered why K'lvin hadn't been back to
see Riveenata since then.

"I didn't know he came then. He hasn't come to see me while I've been
awake."

"I'm sure he'll be by," C'rin said, reaching out and giving her foot a
supportive squeeze.

"I'm sure you're right." She sighed. "Thank you for coming and reading
to me. It does mean a lot."

"Of course. I'll send a healer over and then I'll check in on you
tomorrow." He bent and dropped a kiss carefully to her forehead.

Riveenata tilted her head into it and smiled at him. "Thanks, C'rin.
You're the best."

Last updated on the November 5th 2020

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