Flirting with the Patients

Writers: Bree, Jane
Date Posted: 18th February 2007

Characters: O'rian, Dantial, Kenaline
Description: Odarian assists Dantial stitching Kenaline's hand
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 1 of Turn 4

While he would have liked to have attempted the stitching of the slice across the top of patient's palm but he knew that it was one of the trickiest and most important of tasks. He had seen it done, and this time the journeyman would talk him through it; next time he would likely be asked to do it himself - under careful supervision. His own palms felt a little sweaty at the thought.

He glanced at the journeyman healer, his uncle Dantial, hoping he was doing everything he should to balance being both assistant and spectator for the procedure.

Dantial looked relaxed and at ease, almost as focused on putting his patient in the same state as he was on actually stitching the wound.
"Odarian, why don't you ask Kenaline how this happened?" Dantial already knew, of course, but it would serve the dual purpose of giving Odarian practice at asking the correct questions and would keep the patient distracted.

The apprentice dragged his gaze away from the wound and smiled at the young greenrider. "How _did_ you cut your hand like this?"

Kenaline's cheeks turned a little pink. "Broken glass?" she offered sounding more than a little embarassed. "I knocked a wine glass off the table and then cut my hand trying to pick up the pieces."

"Ouch," the apprentice said with ready sympathy. "How long ago did that happen?"

"Just a candlemark or two ago..." She glanced down at her hand and turned a rather sickly looking color at the sight of Dantial calmly placing stitches in her numb palm. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Oh no! Surely not? You a dragonrider and all," Odarian teased with a laughing charm that came easily to him. "I'm going to grab this bowl just in case but you won't need it." He moved so that Kenaline's eyes would be drawn to him and away from her hand. "What wing did you say you were in?"

"Hurricane Wing," she said faintly, fastening her eyes on his face a little desperately. "I just don't do well with injuries. Blood makes me queasy."

"Heights make me queasy," he said quite untruthfully. "So we'd better stick to the jobs we have. Do you like being in the Weyrleader's wing?"

"It's all right. I've only been here for a few months, though..." Her eyes furrowed as she studied Odarian and then let her gaze slide back to Dantial. "Would it be rude to ask if you're related?"

"Of course it wouldn't be rude. Senior Journeyman Dantial is my uncle."
He waited to see if there would be any questions about their likeness to O'dan and schooled himself to handle that as lightly.

Kenaline grinned. "You must get tired of that. I look just like my mother, and used to get asked about it _all_ the time!"

"She must be a very beautiful woman."

"Oh, that's shameless," Kenaline replied, but she looked pleased. "Are you _supposed_ to flirt with your patients like that?"

"I'm pretty sure I am. Don't you think so, Journeyman Dantial?"

Dantial chuckled as he gave Kenaline's hand a gentle pat. "Of course.
Especially when you do it so well that your patient doesn't even notice that her hand's been stitched up."

Odarian leaned over to inspect the stitching, thinking that he _might_
have been able to do as neat a job but glad he hadn't been called upon to do so. "It looks good. I'll put a dressing on it and then you can go."

Standing, Dantial smiled at Kenaline. "I'll leave you in my nephew's most capable hands, greenrider. If you experience any increase in pain or inflammation, come back to see us at once. A wound on the palm like that is not something you want to take any chances with."

Kenaline nodded her agreement and smiled at Odarian as the journeyman left. "So you're going to take good care of me, hmmm?"

"I'm going to put the most _perfect_ dressing on your hand and give you a list of _wonderful_ instructions about caring for the injury and returning to have the stitches removed," Odarian said lightly, not about to promise anything more. "You'll love it."

Last updated on the February 19th 2007

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Flirting with the Patients