Stubborn

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 5th October 2007

Characters: F'lin, Riveenata
Description: F'lin sprains his wrist and Riveenata takes care of it
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 12 of Turn 4

Although he was there every week or so to visit Tiya, F'lin found himself feeling rather awkward as he walked into the Infirmary. Most of the Journeymen ignored him as he slumped into a chair to wait for someone to free themselves up. His boots needed a polish, F'lin thought as he stared at his toes. **Better do that before M'galec finds something else to rag on me about.**

He was so busy staring at his feet he didn't notice that someone had come by until she cleared her throat. The bronze weyrling glanced up, then grinned - apparently it was his lucky day. "Riveenata, right?"

"Right." Riven confirmed with a smile. "How are you doing, F'lin?
How's Seneth?" She liked him well enough; he was handsome, probably good in bed, and he was kind enough to spend time with Tiya often.
Not a bad combination, but of course he was still a weyrling.

"Good. Big." The weyrling shook his head. "I swear, I had no idea how much dragons ate. I'm surprised that he can fly."

Riven laughed. "They start off so small and grow so big! Especially the bronzes." She sobered up. "Are you doing fine? After all, you're here."

"Well... sort of. Mostly. It's stupid, really..."

"The only stupid injury is one you don't get checked out." Riven's eyes sparkled, though, to indicate she was just teasing him.

F'lin sighed. "I did something to my wrist in a Toss drill. I think it's fine, but I've been nagged into coming here to make sure."

"You might have sprained it. Let me take a look and I'll see."

He held out his left hand, unsure about whether she'd want to look at it right there or whisk him off to an examination room. "It only hurts when I bend it back."

She looked behind her. "The cubicle over there is free now. Come on."
If it really was a sprain, she could bandage it up in there rather than bring supplies out there. She headed over there and waited for him to arrive.

F'lin poked his head in cautiously, then entered and shut the curtain behind himself. "I feel kind of silly about this."

"There's no need to feel silly." Riven said. "Anyone can get hurt, y'know? Dragonriding is a dangerous business, even when you're in weyrlinghood." It was why she'd stopped Standing.

"Hey, I got hurt more where I was a carpenter, you know." Smashed thumbs, twisted ankles, splinters, sprains and bruises were part of everyday life. You sucked it up and carried on.

"Did you really?" she asked. "Let's see how that is during Threadfall." she commented idly. She tested his wrist, manipulating it, noticing his reactions. "It's a sprain." she said. "I'm going to treat it and bandage it, okay?"

"Shards." F'lin caught himself and flushed slightly. His grandmother would wash his mouth out. "Er, pardon. You're not going to recommend grounding, are you? We just got into the sky..."

}:You're not going to fly with me?{: His bronze, who had been silently lurking in the back of his mind all the while, suddenly grew concerned. }:But you must! We must learn together. You tell her that!
Tell her I said so!:{
**All right, all right,** F'lin shot back, but then did no such thing. "I didn't bugger it up too badly, did I?"

"Grounding?" She eyed him for a long moment. "You shouldn't use it strenuously for at least a day. Opening doors or taking off your clothing would be fine, if it doesn't make the wrist hurt. If it does, don't use the hand at all. No firestone tossing or _anything_
that makes involved use of it for about 2 days. I'd think that includes getting on a dragon. It will have to be kept wrapped, and putting something cold against it for a few minutes is good. Keep it elevated, too. It's not a bad injury, though."

Her voice turned sympathetic. "I know you want to continue to fly and have your lessons, but if you use it, you're just going to make it worse, and that means you'll be off it longer." she explained.

**Two days?!** F'lin grinned and tried to make himself look charming.
"That seems a little excessive. It's not hurting that badly..."

"Do you know what a sprain is?" Riveenata asked sweetly. "It's where you _tear_ ligaments that help your wrist move. Maybe it doesn't hurt that badly to move it, but every time you will, you could make the tear worse. Imagine catching a firestone sack and doubling the length of the tear, making it hurt worse *and* risking needing more serious intervention. Do you want that?" Her tone was polite the entire miniature speech.

**Herdbeast.** The weyrling suppressed a scowl - what was her _problem_?! He wasn't seven. "I know what a sprain is."

"Then why would you think two days are too long? You could make yourself need even more treatments and ruin being able to do anything for days. Doing this now will prevent that."

"Fine. All I'm saying, though, is that I know my own limits."

"Then you should know not to do anything strenuous with it. I'll even give you washing your dragon as not too strenuous, if he helps by making you not have to move it wrong. But firestone is definitely out."

F'lin was quiet for a moment as he stared at his bandaged wrist. The bandage was snowy white against the dusky brown of his skin. "Is that it?" he asked, finally.

"Ice it first, and after that's done you can go." she told him.
"Assuming you're going to follow orders."

"Is there ice here or do I need to go to the kitchens for that?" He didn't bother responding to her other comment - a niggling little part of himself knew that she was right, but F'lin was stubborn.

"We have it here. I'll be right back." Riveenata replied. She backed off, fuming slightly. She wasn't a born-yesterday healer, she knew what she was doing! But she knew that he wouldn't want to feel left behind or like he couldn't do what his classmates were. She brought him the ice and handed it to him. "Do you know how to ice it?"

"Yup."

"Good." There was silence for a bit, then Riven looked up. "I'm sorry." she said abruptly. She didn't mind F'lin, he was a nice person. He helped Tiya out. Maybe she'd been rough.

He shrugged. "Why? It was me that was stupid and got hurt in the first place."

"I was harsh. A healer shouldn't talk like that to their patients.
Unless maybe they're really stubborn." She'd been so on edge, and she didn't think it was her time of the month. It was just...just... she felt like something was missing from her life, and it made her cranky and irritable.

F'lin felt himself thaw a little toward the healer, in spite of the fact that she'd managed to make a subtle dig out of her apology. At least she'd had the grace to apologise at all. "Hey. I'm tough." He smiled at her. "Don't worry about it."

"Alright." she said. "I hope it gets better soon. Be sure to tell someone if it doesn't."

"Yes ma'am." F'lin gave her a cheeky grin and slid off the table, before leaving her alone with her thoughts. Two days... **We'll see,** he thought.

Last updated on the October 6th 2007

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Stubborn