A Step Above Boredom
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Devin, Bree
Date Posted: 28th October 2006
Characters: Abrei, K'mai
Description: Abrei thanks K'mai for brining her to the infirmary, and in return her offers to teach her how to have fun.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 23 of Turn 3
Abrei was not looking her best when the apprentice led K'mai into the curtained off area holding her cot. Her face was pale and drawn and her eyes had the slightly vague look of someone who had been heavily sedated. It took her a moment to focus on his face. "K'mai?"
"Hi Abrei," the bluerider greeted her, in a much softer tone than usual. "How are you feeling?" He sat in the chair beside her cot.
"Sleepy," she admitted, turning onto her side so she could face K'mai more easily. "I think I'm going to fall asleep soon."
"That's good. You need your rest."
She nodded a little vaguely. "I'll get lots of it now. I'm not going to be Weyrhealer anymore. That's why I didn't want you to bring me to the infirmary.
But I suppose I wouldn't be Weyrhealer if I died, either..."
"I think that would be a little hard to pull off." K'mai's joking smile was a bit forced. She'd given him quite a scare.
"Jynrek says you saved my life." Abrei lifted a hand to stifle a yawn. "I suppose now I have to play poker with you."
"_Strip_ poker," he emphasized. "And you should have plenty of free time now to do it in."
"I hate free time," she said mournfully. "I do, K'mai. I don't have any hobbies. Or really any friends, for that matter. What am I going to do with free time? If the medicine hadn't made me so tired, I'd be crying."
"You could spend it with me!" K'mai offered. "I can show you lots of ways to fill up free time. Some of them don't even involve getting naked."
"_Some_ of them?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing a little. "How many things do you do in your free time that _do_ involve being naked?"
"You'd be surprised how many things are more fun when you're not wearing clothes," he said with a wink.
Abrei opened her mouth, hesitated, and then closed it again. "I don't know what to say. How do you always make it so I don't know what to say?"
The bluerider grinned. "Special talent. I have other talents too, but you keep preventing me from showing them to you."
The world was growing a little fuzzy around the edges from the fellis, and Abrei shifted back onto her back, her eyelids drooping. "Well, maybe you'll get to now. I'm not going to have anything better to do after all..." K'mai's eyebrows went up. "Oh, so I'm one step above complete boredom, am I?"
"No..." Abrei scowled and shook her head. "I mean yes... I don't know what I mean. I'm tired, K'mai. And I can't even say the right things when I'm not. I just mean that I'm going to have time to do things that I never thought were important before."
"You mean like fun?" he asked. Abrei stared up at the ceiling. "I think I had fun once. A few decades ago..." "I promise I'll remedy that situation! As soon as you're out of here, I'll show you how to have a good time." Maybe he could help Abrei to stop worrying so much.
Reaching out, Abrei found K'mai's hand. "Thank you for bringing me here. And being nice to me."
K'mai squeezed her hand. "Just promise me you'll never scare me like that again."
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, her voice starting to sound the slightest bit slurred. She turned to look at him, her eyes popping back open again. "Did I throw up on you?"
A tiny smile curved his lips. "No, but it was a narrow miss. You got the journeyman instead."
"Oh." Her eyes drifted shut again, but she didn't release his hand. It was the sort of thing she couldn't bring herself to say out loud, but she didn't much feel like being alone just yet. "Good."
Last updated on the October 30th 2006