It's Time to Wake Up, Daddy

Writers: Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 16th April 2019
Series: The Wingleader's Surgery

Characters: D'hol, Kielya, Wylra
Description: Kielya sneaks into see her father
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 25 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Cyradis, K'deren, Jeyme, Ma'din
Occurs after the surgery

D'hol

Kielya

---

The infirmary was quiet that evening, but in the tent stationed near
the back, soft wheezing breaths could be heard from within. D'hol lay
still on a bed, his face pale, but breathing steady, with bandages
covering a section of his abdomen. Beside him was the source of the
wheezing. An older woman lay sprawled on a small couch that had been
brought in, her head pillowed on her arms.

A small blue flit glided over the curtains and up into the rafters to
peer down at the scene below. He'd been watching for his person every
hour since she'd asked him to and reporting back with the number of
people around. So he sent a quick visual to her.

~~sleeping woman, sleeping man~~

Kielya sneaked through the darkened healer rooms and past the
attendants glow lit desk. The infirmary was very quiet and she wanted
to make sure her daddy was alright like momma said he was. She knew
from her flit they'd just checked on him moments ago. She was very mad
that no one would let her see him so she decided she was going to get
there herself and Peeps was happy to help.

A little bit later she slipped into the room and up to the side of the
bed. "Daddy?"

D'hol laid quietly, still deeply sleeping. Still under the influence
of fellis, his daughter's voice didn't rouse him. The woman on the
couch kept wheezing, but a small gleam under lashes hid the fact that
the voice had roused her. She kept silent, the gleam vanishing as the
lids lowered to a close, but kept listening.

A memory came to the girl of a time before when her bronzerider father
had been unconscious in the infirmary. She'd told him a story back
then like the ones he always told. She even remembered the one she'd
told him then just before he'd woken up. So she smiled and leaned over
to put her head next to his on the pillow. "I love you," she said
softly. "So I'm going to tell you a story." She began the one about
the feline and canine locked in the baking room...

D'hol sighed softly, his eye lids fluttering as the familiar voice of
his daughter. His head weakly turned towards her, and the lids slowly
opened. "Kielya?" On the couch, unseen, a single tear leaked down the
wrinkled face.

"Hi daddy," she said softly. "I'm glad you're awake. Yumath misses you."

"Hey, baby." His voice was whisper soft and a little hoarse. The
realization that he had lived came slowly to him but was difficult to
entirely process. "I'm awake, now." He weakly moved his hand, offering
it out to her. "I'm so glad to see you."

"I'm glad to see you too," she smiled and held his hand. She knew he
was delicate right now. The Healer lady had told them all how they had
to be very careful. "Oh," Kielya smiled. "They got out whatever that
thing was and said you're going to be just fine."

"Am I?" He gave as much of a smile as he could. "Well, good. Guess
your daddy's gonna stay here with you. I guess I have to thank your
momma and Jeyme, huh?"

"I wouldn't want you to go away and never come back," she said
seriously. "Neither do momma and Jeyme. Even Ma'din was here." She
knew there were problems between her brother and father but they were
both nice to her so she just smiled.

His brows raised just a bit and he struggled to stay awake for his
daughter. "Was he? Well...he is your brother." He gave a soft sigh and
tightened his hold on her hand just a fraction. Then he frowned,
noticing how dark it was in the infirmary. "It's late, isn't it?" He
looked over at her, muzzily figuring out that she most likely didn't
have explicit permission to see him. At the moment, he didn't much
care. "I'm glad that you're the face I woke up to. It makes me feel
better."

Kielya smiled even wider at that. "Yea it's the middle of the night
but its the first time Peeps could find you alone." She looked up
toward the ceiling where her little flit still lurked. "They didn't
want to let me in to see you. But I had to."

D'hol looked upwards, but his eyes were still to unfocused to see the
little blue. He sighed and looked back to Kielya. "I don't want you
to get in trouble with your momma or K'deren, Kielya. I love that you
came to see me and wake me up, but next time you visit, you come
during the day, okay? And with permission." He squeezed her hand
gently. "Now, would you mind getting your daddy a drink of water?
And then I think I need to go back to sleep."

"Sure," she said and went to the pitcher on the stand next to his bed
to pour him a glass. She brought it back with the reed in it like
they'd done the last time he was hurt. "here you go daddy." she smiled
and held the glass for him and angled the reed toward his lips.

"Thank you." D'hol drank greedily, the water soothing parched mouth
and throat. Nearly finishing the entire glass before he pulled away,
he lay his head back. He smiled at her. "Okay, now get back to your
weyr before you get caught, okay? And I love you, Kielya."

"Okay," she said. Though her tone was disappointed. She did know he
would need to sleep as much as he could. "But if you need me you just
tell Peeps. He'll be up there watching." Then she turned to put the
glass down and saw the old woman watching them. "Who are you?"

"I will." He frowned as she looked past him and turned his head. He
blinked for a moment as Wylra sat up, but his smile was warm.
"That's a good friend, Kielya. One of my best friends."

Wylra offered Kielya a smile that for some reason had a touch of
sadness in it. "Hello there. I've heard so much about you. I've known
your daddy since he Impressed Yumath. That's a really long time." She
looked at D'hol and rose, shuffling over to lay a hand on his brow.
"But he does need his rest, child. I promise I'll keep the secret
about you sneaking down here as long as you hurry back home and don't
get in trouble, okay?"

Kielya warmed the moment her daddy said the woman was a good friend.
"I love you too daddy," she said and tried to hug his head so she
didn't touch anything hurty. She looked at the woman for a moment and
then without thinking or trying to understand she said "Okay," and
gave the woman a hug too. "Thank you for taking care of him," she said
and slipped out of the room.

Briefly smothered as Kielya hugged his head, D'hol's smile was gentle
as he watched her hug his friend, then leave. "She's a good girl. " He
murmured.

The hug had warmed the older woman to the core. "She must get it from
her mother."

Last updated on the May 3rd 2019

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It's Time to Wake Up, Daddy