Willing To Teach

Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 26th February 2007

Characters: Iyoen, Abrei
Description: Iyoen finds Abrei drowning in self-pity and chides her gently into putting it aside.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 23 of Turn 4

Abrei

Abrei had ended up bandaging her own hand after escaping from the infirmary. It wasn't particularly difficult, but it didn't solve the fact that her temper was hot and her mind racing. Going back to her room and trying to sleep was out of the question. Finding a man to work out her frustration with still didn't seem very appealing, either. N'vanik had certainly taken the enjoyment out of _that_.

Instead she found herself in the greenhouse, staring at the tray of seedlings that Iyoen had set aside for her to repot when she got a chance. She hadn't shown any real aptitude for working with the plants yet, but she was determined to prove that she could learn how if she put her mind to it. After all, it couldn't be _that_ difficult.

A half-candlemark later found her covered in dirt and tears as she slumped on a stool in front of the small work table and stared mournfully at the mess she'd made of what should have been a simple exercise.

Two large brown eyes stared up at her crest-fallen face curiously. The grey-muzzled canine whimpered her sympathy to the human who obviously felt out of place, giving quiet assurance that she was not alone in her struggles.

Abrei wasn't fond of pets as a rule, but she was so miserable that any sort of affection seemed welcome. Wiping her hand on one leg, she reached down tentatively to pet the canine's head.

Sprout's eyes closed half way in pleasure at the attention, no matter how awkward the gesture was. She walked forward and laid her furry chin on the woman's knee, quietly reciprocating the affection Abrei showed.

Sniffling quietly, Abrei smiled shakily down at Iyoen's canine and scratched behind her ears. "At least you seem to like me."

"Well, I'm glad to see you two are making friends," the master farmer grinned from the doorway.

Abrei started and rushed to wipe her face with one sleeve, leaving several smears of dirt on her cheek. "I didn't think anyone else would be here this late."

"I saw the lights on," he shrugged as he walked around the tables to see what she had been up to. "My my. What a muddy mess this is."

The calm that had started to settle over her with Sprout's appearance drained away as her shoulders hunched defensively. Even worse, the tears filled her eyes again as she glanced back at the mess she'd made.
"Perhaps you should find an assistant who isn't as useless as I am, then." She meant for it to sound aggressive, instead it sounded immature and self-pitying.

"Oh come on now, its not as bad as all that. It's easily fixed."
Laying a hand on her shoulder to reassure her he finally noticed the tear tracks cutting into the muddy streaks across her face. "Oh now, Abrei, its all right."

She sniffled and tried to wipe her cheeks again. "I've had a bad day.
I'm not crying over your plants." At least, not mostly...

He walked over to his work area and dug out a clean rag and wet it.
Iyoen handed it to her, wishing he knew her well enough to find the perfect words to make her feel better. "Do you... want to talk about?"

Abrei cleaned off her face and her hands before frowning at the mess she'd made of her bandage. "I haven't been handling things very well lately."

"What kind of things?" Iyoen asked as he squatted down behind the canine, scratching her sides affectionately.

She used the rag to wipe her hands carefully. "Pretty much everything, I guess. I actually fretted myself into a near collapse, so I'm obviously not good at handling things." "Maybe you just need a healthy outlet for your frustrations."

Abrei laughed a little bitterly. "I tried that. It didn't stay healthy for long." In fact nothing seemed to. Maybe if she could practice a little moderation... but everything she did, she ended up doing too much.

"All right," Iyoen grunted as he stood to his feet. He wasn't about to press her. She would talk to him in her own time. "Then why don't I find you a healthy outlet. Plants can be very therapeutic, I'm told."

She glanced at him and then looked pointedly back at the mess she'd made. "Really."

He looked down at the mess and then up to her sour expression. "Think about this, Abrei. When you were in surgery and something went wrong, did you get mad and give up and feel sorry for yourself? Or did you work the problem?"

"But I was _good_ at surgery," she replied darkly. It came out sounding so petulant that even she was forced to laugh self-consciously. "Which was because I practiced all the time. Fine, show me what I'm doing wrong..."

"That's better," Iyoen smiled. He wasn't about to put up with someone feeling pitiful and sorry for themself, but as long as she was willing to try, he was willing to teach.

Last updated on the February 27th 2007

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Willing To Teach