Listening to Healers

Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 14th October 2005

Characters: Abrei, M'galec
Description: Abrei and M'galec talk after Threadfall.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 3

Abrei

Abrei had washed her hands and stripped off her dirty outer tunic by the time M'galec arrived in her office. With a mouth full of hairpins, she had to settle for nodding him towards a chair as she tugged the escaped pieces of hair back into the knot on top of her head. A drudge from the kitchen had brought her usual post-Threadfall meal--enough food to feed three people and two pitchers of ice-cold juice.

She pulled the pins out of her mouth long enough to say, "M'galec, help yourself to something to eat or drink." Then she resumed the task of shoving pins into her hair to get it up and off her neck. After spending the last however many candlemarks running non-stop, she was starting to think fondly of the snow that would be on the ground at Dragonsfall now.

M'galec tried not to admire the Weyrhealer's figure as she stood there so nicely posed. It was, after all, highly inappropriate. Instead, he poured two glasses of juice, one for each and studied the trays that were brought.

Abrei finished with a sigh of relief and dropped into her chair, accepting the glass with a grateful smile. "I keep swearing that I'm going to cut all of my hair off. I must secretly be terribly vain, because somehow I never do it."

"Oh, I don't know. I think it looks quite lovely," the bronzerider said matter of factly. "Although, I can imagine that in this heat it can be rather troublesome."

"Enough that I'm thinking of taking a dip in the weyrlake," Abrei replied with a tired smile. She held the glass against the side of her neck, letting the cold seep into her skin. "So how is Lenala? I assume that the fact that you're sitting her calmly means I don't have to tell the Weyrwoman that her 'second is gravely injured."

He followed her example. The bronzerider decided that the next Threadfall he would find the lightest shirt he could. He was sure he had never sweat so much in his life! "It was minor. There was a moment when I think she was on the edge of shock, but we pulled her through it easily enough."

"Good." Abrei took a sip of her juice before reaching out to pick up a piece of fruit from the selection on the table. "How did everything else go? I'm assuming you worked smoothly enough with your assigned journeymen and apprentices?"

"Yes, they are very well trained." He took a sip of juice and sighed appreciatively. "I suppose I have you to thank for that."

"Not all of it," Abrei conceded, "but I'm proud to take credit for some of their abilities. Not everyone understood all of my methods, but we proved during the disaster at Dolphin Cove that we're prepared for anything."

M'galec nodded gravely. He could only imagine the horrors they had faced that day. "That must have been a terrible trial to put them through. But I can see why they would succeed. You are a good leader, Weyrhealer."

"Thank you, M'galec." Abrei gave him another of her rare smiles as she refilled both glasses. "I've seen enough of your skills to appreciate the compliment. There aren't many of us who can handle the pressure of trauma surgery. I'm very glad that there is someone else here now with a real affinity for it. It takes some of the pressure off of me."

"Yes, I was sad that we were so busy today. I would have liked to have seen you work."

"I'm sure you'll get plenty of opportunities, unfortunately... There's always some sort of crisis that needs attention in a place this big."
Sometimes Abrei wondered how the other Weyrhealer's managed it all, honestly. She was young and energetic and spent most of her time wishing she could run on three candlemarks of sleep.

The bronzerider could well believe it. "Well, I hope you know that you can count on me whenever my Weyrlingmaster Second duties and my duty to Dwarkanath allow."

"And it's a relief to me to know that," Abrei replied, pressing the cool glass against the side of her face this time. Tired as she felt, she still had plenty of work to do in the aftermath of the Fall. "I may try to sweetalk J'an into letting me borrow you to teach a few journeymen from time to time." "Well, I would not object as long as the Weyrlingmaster can spare me. And if not, I could teach from time to time after."

Abrei smiled smugly. "Oh, you leave J'an to me. I'm sure I can talk him around. And if that doesn't work, I could always pout." "You have some sway then?" the bronzerider asked, his eyebrows raising in curiosity.

"Some. He spent a lot of time looking after me when I injured my leg a few months ago..." Abrei's voice trailed off thoughtfully as she looked at M'galec with renewed interest. "Which reminds me. Now that I have a skilled surgeon, I need to find some time to have you take a look at my knee." "Oh?"

Abrei sighed. "I did myself some pretty serious damage... oh, nearly seven months ago now. I was on crutches until just a month or two ago, and I'm having some problems with scar tissue." M'galec nodded. It sounded like the right job for him. "I would be happy to take a look at when you have the time."

"Excellent. Just don't let me forget... and don't let me put you off _too_
many times." Abrei gave him a wry smile. "Because I will, you know. They had to haul me out of the infirmary by the back of my shirt and lock me into my weyr to get me to rest. But I've learned my lesson about listening to healers." The bronzerider chuckled. "Good. As a healer myself I can tell you, we know what we're talking about."

"That we do," Abrei replied. "Which means you have to listen to me when I say you're going to help me finish this food. It's the only way to clear off my desk enough for me to do my post-Fall reports." M'galec reached for a redfruit. "Yes, ma'am. I live to serve."

Last updated on the October 15th 2005

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Listening to Healers