Infirmary Visit.

Writers: Leigh M-F., Paula
Date Posted: 4th October 2016

Characters: Jessmyr, A'kua
Description: Jess visits A'kua, and receives some support as well.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Yanley, Firelloa

The smell of fresh cinnamon buns followed Jessmyr when he entered the infirmary. More than one patient asked if those were for them while Jess looked for a right cot. Eventually an apprentice guided him to right bedside.

"Hi A'kua. How are you? Lady Yanley sent her regards," Jess greeted and placed the bakings on the small table next to bed.

The weyrling in question had been slumped against the pillows given him to make sitting up for periods easier, staring at the ceiling. Composing hadn't been going well; neither had much else. Zeiranth was currently eating, having missed a meal in doting on his rider. Thus A'kua wasn't very distracted, and starting to brood as a result. Jessmyr's arrival was extremely welcome. "Jess," he said in relief, straightening. "Good t' see ya." The news that Lady Yanley was thinking about him warmed his heart, especially when he hadn't had much chance to speak with her once he'd moved into his weyr. "Heard ya been real busy lately. How's that goin'?"

"I've doing good. You, however, just had to go and get yourself Scored," Jess replied and pulled himself a chair to sit on. The was a worry underlying his scoldings.

The moment the sentence eft Jessmyr's mouth, A'kua crossed his forearms against his chest, drew up his knees, and bit his lip. He almost wanted to snarl at his friend, say it hadn't been his idea to get scored, and he was having enough trouble dealing with it without hearing smart remarks. The rational side of him -yes, it existed- recognized the worry in Jess' tone, and understood it. He took a shaky breath and tried an equally shaky joke. "Well, y'know bronzeriders. Always in the thick o' things."

"Yes, and always so incredibly brave. Here, take a cinnamon bun, they are just for you. I had to fight off people wanting to eat them when I can here," Jess said. He was trying to cover the tears in his eyes with joking. He helped permanently crippled riders as part of his job. He knew how dangerous Thread fighting was and how close call it had been for A'kua.

The redhead picked up one of the buns, careful to just use his fingertips. If he got anything sticky on the bandages, the healers wouldn't be pleased. "I didn' feel brave," he quietly confessed. "I just didn' have a choice." He had a bite of the sweet, relishing it, and swallowed. "It was fast. The blue I delivered to was still stokin', an' there wasn' another pair who close 'nuff to flame it." Another bite, another chew, another swallow. "So I took the hit." He looked at his friend. "I know it was stupid. I know I coulda gotten myself killed. But- But what else could I do?" His fingers started trembling, and he hastily finished the rest of the bun to avoid dropping it.

"I don't know. I never been up there. I never can go up there," Jess replied quietly. "I'm just glad you're alive."

"No offense, but I'm glad ya cain' go up there," A'kua replied, licking his fingers. "I got too many people I care 'bout in the wings. I don' want any of 'em hurt. Don' want ya hurt either. You're one o' the only men I trust."

"Thanks," Jess smiled. He did consider A'kua his best friend too.

A'kua was more relieved than he probably had a right to be that Jess wasn't offended. "You're welcome." He took another bun. "Thanks for this. Infirmary food's bland. This stuff's good as the cinnamon tea."

"They are," Jess took one for himself too. "They are actually from lady Yanley. Maybe I should learn to bake too."

"What, you're not busy 'nuff?" the weyrling asked, surprised. "Ya been runnin' 'round like a decapitated avian."

"Yes, I'm keeping busy. As long as I'm being useful they have no reason to throw me out of here," Jess said and for a moment, he had the look of a young boy whose parents had dropped him off to Weyr because he had no place in Hold. Abandoned and betrayed, alone. He quickly covered up, muching his bun like he had no care in the world.

A'kua gave him a long look, then cleared his throat and took care to enunciate properly. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"Yes," Jessmyr admitted. "I've never told you my whole story, have I?" he said. He didn't like to talk about it so all he had given were bits and pieces.

"No," his friend replied. He knew Jess wasn't in the best shape physically, but he had never let on he was hurting emotionally. Even A'kua, good as he could be at reading people, hadn't guessed. He had only figured Jess was a very private person, so he hadn't pressed for details out of respect, and waited until his friend was ready to talk about anything like that.

Jessmyr finished his bun in silence while he made up his mind. "I was born in to a Runner family, you know, those people who ran between Holds taking messages. Every relative of mine had something to do with the Runner business, one way or another," he started to tell his story. "Every male one ran...except me. I was born with a heart defect, so I just _couldn't_ ran. My parents didn't know what to do with me. I have cousin, he was Searched and stood as Candidate here in Dragonsfall. That probably gave my father the idea. He took me here and left me. My cousin did look after me, at first. But he failed to Impress and when he came too old to Stand...he returned to the Hold. So here I was, alone. Don't take me wrong, I'm actually happy here: I've made myself a life of my own and I feel useful. I've made friends. But I do miss my family and I would love to see how my sisters and brothers have grown. I probably have nieces and nephews I've never met. But I was the oldest son and terrible disappointment for my parents." Yep, he had abandonment-issues.

A'kua finished his bun in silence as he listened to Jess' story. His heart ached for his friend, and he reached for Jessmyr's hand. "Even if the Weyr was a place that threw people out for no reason, they'd have to go through me to get to you," he said seriously. "And there's no reason for your folks to be disappointed in you; I meant it when I said you'd be a great Headman. Plus, if you want to visit, ask me to fly you out when I graduate. You said you can't go between, but even flyin' straight would get you to your home Hold in good time, if it's not too far." If Jess' parents truly were disappointed in him, surely they wouldn't be after seeing him brought in by a bronzepair.

"Thanks A'kua," Jess had to clear his throat few times before he could talk. "They live near Opal Cove, inlands, so it's not that far;" he told him. "Good Runners cross that distance in a three or four candlemarks," he added.

The redhead actually smiled. "Opal Cove's where Firelloa's ma decided to settle. I'm learnin' that area really well. I'd get you where you need to go safely."

"First you need to recover and graduate," Jess replied. He wished he could figure out some way to repay A'kua's kindness.

**Can I recover?** A'kua thought and did not say. "It's still good we have a plan now," he pointed out. "So what else have you been up to?"

"Well, quite a bit..." Jess started and took comfortable position so he could share news and juicy pieces of gossip with his friend.

Last updated on the November 30th 2016

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Infirmary Visit.