To The Rescue

Writers: Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 14th March 2008

Characters: D'veck, Laysea
Description: D'veck comes to Laysea's rescue when injured by a runner
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 2 of Turn 4

"Take it easy!" Laysea pulled on the reins of the runner she had been treating. The mare was more used to being out in the fields and began panicking the moment she was brought out from the beastcraft cavern.
Suddenly the runner reared, the rein torn from her hands as the runner's front hooves smacked into her jaw, throwing her sideways.

D'veck had taken his time over lunch, having arrived late to table.
Though he could have called Gannoth back to him, he had opted to follow the meal with a walk, striding across the weyrbowl toward the shoreline, where the bronze dragon basked in the sunlight. His walk took him close to the beast pens - just in time to see the young woman under attack by the runner.

The bronzerider did not stop to think, but vaulted over the fence, dancing around to avoid the hooves and grasping the runner's harness. He tugged with all of his might, digging in his heels to try to control the beast.

Laysea rolled into a ball to protect herself from further damage, not realising at first that she had been recaptured, until the runner snorted and stamped further away from her. She unfolded her arms from around her head, and looked up to see a tall, bronzerider before her.
"Tha- Owww..." she moaned, only realising the pain she was in when her jaw protested movement.

"Stay where you are," he told her briskly. He moved to tie off the runner's reins, looping them around the nearest fencepost before turning back to her. "Move as little as possible until you figure out exactly what hurts."

She nodded, and once more pain shot through her head. She gingerly touched her jaw and felt the bruised skin raising from her face. She moaned softly, and struggled to stand. She held her mouth together gently, teeth barely touching. A dizziness spilled over as she regained her feet, but other than the pain in her jaw, she felt no soreness anywhere else.

The runner secured, D'veck moved quickly to her side, an arm encircling her. "I think we'd better get you to a healer - and quickly. Can you walk?"

She nodded and groaned again, her eyes squeezing tightly shut as the pain increased with the movement. She clung to the rider with her free hand, as she walked gingerly beside him, trying to cause as little movement as possible. Her eyes opened, they were watery from unshed tears, as she looked up at D'veck in grateful acknowledgement of his help.

"Not much further," the bronzerider told her.

}:What are you doing?:{ Gannoth asked his rider.

**Something that needs to be done,** D'veck replied.

A strange feeling washed over her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be sick or pass out as they walked towards the infirmary. She was grateful to his support, but worried that he would manage her if she did lose consciousness. She felt a sense of relief as she saw a healer take note of them and start to run in their direction. She clung more tightly to D'veck as the healer neared.

"What happened?" Marn asked, coming to a halt before them. He reached out to help D'veck with supporting Laysea, just as the woman passed out.

The bronzerider could feel the woman's body going slack and tightened his hold on her. "She was kicked by a runner, " he told the healer, shifting his body to take more of the injured woman's weight. "She said she was well enough to walk, but obviously she mis-judged."

"Obviously." he nodded, taking up the slack of Laysea's weight. "Looks like a broken jaw if the discolouration is anything to go by." he said, taking a quick look at her. "Let's get her into the infirmary and I'll be able to take a better look. She's lost colour too, shock probably."

"I hope I didn't do her any harm," D'veck remarked. "I should have carried her instead of letting her walk here."

"No, no - you weren't to know. And at least if she attempted to walk we know she hasn't broken any limbs. Did you see the accident? Did the runner stamp her - or kick her anywhere else?" They edged into one of the smaller observation rooms off the main entry to the infirmary.

As they placed the woman upon the bed in that room, the bronzerider thought back to the scene in the beast pen. "It all happened so quickly, but no, I don't think so. Just the jaw."

She moaned in pain as she felt them laying her down. Her eyes fluttered open to hear D'veck's words. She tried to shake her head slowly, but even that small movement caused the pain to ricochet through her head.

"Ah, awake again." Marn smiled encouragingly. "We'll have you sorted in no time." he promised. "First, instead of shaking your head, which I take it, wasn't such a good idea; we'll get you to blink - once for yes, twice for no, understood?" he asked, his eyes holding her gaze tightly.

Laysea blinked once, her eyes flitting from Marn's to D'veck's.

"It's ok," D'veck told her, gently squeezing her arm. "Concentrate on the healer and answer his questions. I'll be right here."

Concentrating on the healer was all well and good, she thought, but it didn't explain how she'd arrived at this juncture. She sensed her jaw was broken, but couldn't quite remember how it had happened. And what was D'veck doing here - was he somehow involved?

"I'll give you some fellis, which should ease the pain, but you'll have to drink it through a reed." he warned, turning away he busied himself with getting what was needed.

Laysea watched the healer as well as she could from the corner of her eyes, then returned her attention to the rider before her. She imitated writing with her hands, and hoped he understood.

He noted her motion and looked around him. Snatching a stack of papers from a nearby table - undoubtedly available for the healers' notes - and a pen, he held them close to her. "Don't move your head. I'll hold the papers in front of your face and you can write."

She blinked her eyes once, and took the pen from his hand. Slowly she inscribed the words, What Happened? on the page, and looked back up at him.

He glanced at the words and then turned back to her. "Apparently you had an argument with a runner. I just happened to be passing by and took your side."

Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember what happened, but nothing came through clearly enough. The runner - is it okay? she asked, more worried about _it_ than about what was happening to her.

The healer turned back, with a beaker full of fellis laced wine, and a reed to sip through. He tilted it into her mouth and Laysea had no option but to sip on it. "She'll be out to it again shortly." Marn said, in an aside to D'veck, "So you may as well say your goodbyes for now."

She wouldn't let the fellis take hold until she knew that whichever runner it had been, was safe. She tapped against the hides, hard with the pen.

D'veck had to admit to himself that the woman had spirit. He nodded quickly. "He's fine. I tied him to the fence before I brought you here.
If you want, I'll go back and check on him."

She could feel the fellis taking hold, and had to concentrate hard on blinking just the once. She hoped he understood how grateful she was for his help. She lifted the pen to write again, but wasn't aware of her hand flailing before flopping down against her stomach.

"She'll be out for a while, it'll give me a chance of examining her jaw without her being in too much discomfort." Marn explained. "You can stay if you like, or I could let you know when she's coming around again?" he asked.

"Stay?" D'veck glanced at the woman. "I . . .uh. . . I was just passing by and saw her in trouble with the runner. I don't even know her." He shrugged and smiled nervously. "Not that I don't care what happens to her. I'd like to know how she's doing and will probably stop by to see her."

"Oh, er sorry. My mistake." Marn said a little flustered. "I sort of assumed, since you were taking such care of her..." he didn't finish his sentence, embarrassed for the blunder. "Well, in that case rider D'veck, you needn't stay."

"Then I suppose. . . I suppose I should be going." He started toward the door, glancing back uncertainly toward the bed and the sleeping beast handler.

}:Are you finished soon?:{ Gannoth's thoughts cut impatiently into the rider's hesitation.

**Yes, on my way now.** He looked back one last time and then was through the door and back to join with his dragon, though a part of him hoped that all would go well with the injured woman.

Last updated on the March 19th 2008

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To The Rescue