Rage Against Machine

Writers: Len, Paula
Date Posted: 27th February 2015

Characters: Uetia, U'das, J'nne, Jaylene
Description: Uetia doesn't take the news very well.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 20 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: K'mai, Rhosyn, Sabonus; Follows "Bad News"

Jaylene

They nearly didn't let her out of the infirmary, worried how the shock she had experienced would affect her pregnancy. But she had plenty of family and friends who promised not to leave her alone with her grief. Her cousin and brother from Far Island came to visit as soon as they could. U'das was there to listen her rant of the unfairness of it all. She was now a seacrafter's widow. Pregnant widow. She cried against Seluda's shoulder. G'el tried to cheer her up with ill chosen joke and she actually drove him off. She would apologize and forgive him soon enough, but not just now. Beneath the flirty jokester was actually quite sensitive person. More sensitive than Uetia was. Her grief made him uncomfortable and he didn't know how to deal with it. So he made light of it and Uetia took it in the wrong way. Then Seluda berated her for it and Uetia told her to bug off too. Except her cousin was more thick skinned than her brother and didn't budge. She raged at her and to uncle U'das too. Then she cried some more. Eventually Seluda had to go back to Far Island, she had duties. That just left uncle U'das. All these raw emotions had left her exhausted.

"You done crying and yelling at us?" U'das asked calmly. He knew all about grief and loss and know that sometimes you just had to lash it out on someone. Unfortunatelly, it was often the loved ones.

"For now," Uetia said sulkily. She went to lay down on her couch. All the crying and raving had given her headache. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to look at his eyes. All that sympathy and understanding in them would just make her cry again.

"Take a nap, we won't leave you alone." U'das advised.

"What if I want to be alone?" Uetia asked.

"Not going to happen, not until the worst is over," U'das shook his head.

"And when will that be?"

"We'll know when you're past the worst. When you're accepted your situation and will be able to take care of yourself and your baby."

"Accept it!" Uetia spat the word out.

"Exactly. Now, rest!" U'das murmured and then put some command into his voice. He knew he had to get back to work soon too. So he asked Zack to contact Reanth. Perhaps hers or her brother could come over. He knew they were good friends with Uetia.

Jaylene put down her paperwork and got herself to the infirmity as quick as she got the message from Reanth. She scribbled off a note for her brother and gave it to a weyrling as she walked down to see her friend. Of course everyone had heard about the loss of Sarbonus. Why that foolish boy hadn't stayed and become a candidate Jaylene would never know. It was so unfair to poor Uetia.

"Hey," she tapped on the open door and caught U'das' eye.

"Hi Jaylene," U'das beaconed her in. "Thank you for coming, I need to get back to the weyrlings."

"No problems." Jaylene sat down in the seat he left and took her friend's hand. "I sent Jayonne a message to bring some wine here and some company, if you want it." She squeezed Uetia's hand gently.

Uetia opened her eyes to look at her. "Hi, Jay, you heard the news I take it?" she gave a wan smile.

"She's not to left alone and there still might be some ranting, raving and screaming coming up," U'das warned the older green rider. "I'll see you later and Tiegot will be comming for next restday," he told Uetia and gave her quick, paternal kiss before making his escape.

Jaylene nodded to both riders. "I'm so so sorry, sweetie," she said to Uetia.

"I went to dolphin hall to avoid this, to becoming some seacrafter's widow. And here I am anyway: a sharding sea crafter's widow. With a child. Which could be K'mai's. IT'S SO UNFAIR!" Uetia's voice rose to shriek before breaking down to sobs.

"Okay, okay, calm right down for a moment." Jaylene squeezed Uetia's hand, hard, to get her attention. "First off, you are_not_a sea crafter's widow! You've got one very big, very green thing out there that makes you very much not a widow. A very green thing that needs you, don't forget. Secondly--"

"Hey, am I interrupting?" Jayonne's dark head peered through the doorway just when Jaylene really didn't want to see her little brother.

Sense wasn't what Uetia wanted to listen, not even when Sirjath added her croon to Jaylene's words.

Instead she turned to look at the harper. "The other Jay...please, do come in, everyone else and their cousins already been here." Despite her arbic words, seeing him actually did lift her heart, at least a little bit.

Jayonne knew well enough not to take her words or her tone to heart. She was in shock and grieving and needed to be treated accordingly. Lifting up a bottle of the best wine he could charm out of one of the kitchen help, he slid into a seat and opened it. "Thought you could use this, just a bit." He knew she was pregnant but even so...

"Pregnant women can't drink," Uetia said with sudden, fierce protectiveness. All she had from Sabonus was his baby...unless it was K'mai's baby.

"Fine, I'll drink for you," Jaylene muttered, taking the wine from her brother's hand. Men, really, did a one of them_ever_think?

"Getting drunk is men's solution to everything," Uetia said. "I wish I could get drunk though, and to forget whole this deadful day."

Jayonne fidgeted in his chair, aware that he had done something wrong. "Can I get you anything, Uetia?" Maybe if he could run and get her something, then it would be okay?

"Sabonus?" she suggested with a flat tone and shook her head. "Tell me some funny weyr gossip or something, to get my mind off it."

Jayonne looked unexpectedly flustered. Jaylene gave Uetia a sly look and said, "A certain young harper was caught dancing with the Weyrwoman and she sure looked like she wanted to do a bit more than just dance!"

"Well, did she do more than dance?" Uetia asked. This was exactly what she wanted...distraction. Something that pulled her mind away from her sorrow.

Jayonne's face went beet red and he shook it vigorously.

Jaylene snorted. "Little brother, if you shake that thing any harder, your head's going to fall off." She gave Uetia a sly look. "I bet he was thinking of 'it' don't you? Rhosyn just wants him in her clutches so she can force him out onto those Sands."

Uetia was surprised to found out she still could laugh. "That I would love to see."

"What, him in bed with Rhosyn? Or our dear little Jayonne on the Sands?" Jaylene placed a teasing arm around Jayonne's shoulders, which he slapped off. "Wonder what colour you'd have? What d'you think, Uetia?"

"Both," Uetia giggled. There was an edge of hystery in her tone. "I'll bet for bronze."

"You don't think green? After all, green's the family colour of choice!"

"Oh, you two," Jayonne grumbled, folding his arms. If he had known they were going to be like this, he would ahve stayed back in his room.

Uetia's laughter turned into sobs again.

"Ah Uetia." Jaylene wrapped her arms around the girl, squeezing her tight. She--and Jayonne--knew all about death, they had lost both their father and their eldest brother to Score injuries. She also knew time healed all. And that's what Uetia needed.

Time.

Last updated on the March 1st 2015

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Rage Against Machine