Bruised and Broken

Writers: AL, Cali
Date Posted: 3rd March 2009

Characters: Zelle, M'net
Description: M'net apologises for his careless to an unconscious Zelle.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 1 of Turn 5

M'net opened his eyes to the well lit infirmary and quickly closed them again. He hurt... everywhere. He reached out to his lifemate and was soothed somewhat by the blue's comforting assurances. They'd both been lucky, they'd all been lucky.

He still didn't really remember what happened; Yereth's wing tangling with the greens, Zelle crashing into the cliff, being crushed as Rillith fell on to him and Yereth. He remembered Yereth's cry of pain as he broke the green's fall with his own body and landed on the rocks at the base of the cliff. But then he didn't remember anything until that morning when he had woken up in the infirmary. They told him everyone was alive and that they'd been lucky, and that he needed rest. Zelle was in the bed besides him, but had been asleep, like he soon had been after they gave him a dose of fellis.

He opened his eyes and turned his head, Zelle was still there... still pretty even with all the bandages. A healer approached him, alerted by his movement, and checked the wrappings on his chest. It hurt to breathe, but the healer said with six broken ribs it was to be expected. She suggested not trying to move, as it would jar the broken collarbone and arm, and made him drink more fellis.

She lay there, silent, unmoving save for the fall and rise of her chest as she breathed in and out. Her eyes were closed, her face pale. Her arms lay limply at her side. If it hadn't been for that small movement afforded by her breathing, she looked as if she were dead. In reality, she wasn't quite fully asleep. She was in a half sleep. Pain was penetrating the slumber, making it difficult for her to rest easily. The fellis they had practically had to force feed her earlier was wearing off. Her body was afire and she was unable to pinpoint exactly where the center of it was in her doped up state.

The bluerider opened his eyes and wondered how much time had passed. His limbs were heavy and his head lolled to one side when he tried to move it; the fellis was still in his system. He looked around but there was no healer in sight, only Zelle. "Zelle?" His voice sounded odd in his ears, slurred and slightly pitched.

There was a flicker of movement, her hand that inched at her side. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, not quite opening, but seemingly trying to at the sound of her voice. The sleepiness that tried to drown her loosened its grip a moment. That voice was familiar. Whose was it? She should know, it was someone she knew. But who? Dragonrider? Yes, another dragonrider...what was his lifemate's name?

Was she awake? He couldn't tell, but he had to tell her... "Zelle, if you can hear me, I'm sorry."

Hasaarth? No, that was J'darin's. Where was J'darin? The voice wasn't his. K'hetah? Loeth? No, not them either. Who was it? He was sorry? Why was he sorry? The blasted pain was making it almost impossible to think. Softly the greenrider groaned.

Was she in pain? Shards, he'd caused that. "I'm so sorry Zelle, really, so so sorry."

Who was sorry? Why was he sorry? Why couldn't she think? Zelle tried to open her eyes, but the most she could get was the barest of slits, the world shadowed by her eyelashes, making it look like she was looking through thick branches of a fir tree. Where was he? The voice that had been speaking wasn't him. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was trying to help M'net...

M'net! The bluerider! He had asked for help, he had gotten cocky, too cocky and..."M...M'ne..."

"I'm here!" he tried to reach for her, but his arm was heavy and it dropped off the side of the bed. "I'm here. Zelle I'm so sorry that this happened. You know I didn't mean it. You know I wouldn't... I'm just glad you're okay." He knew he was rambling, and he still sounded funny, but he had to know that she understood.

Her hand twitched once more and her eyelashes fluttered. Zelle moaned again, her head inching just slightly, as if she were trying to look at him. Finally, she seemed to give up, or perhaps the fellis was taking a stronger hold upon her. Whatever it was, the bluerider got no more responses from her, though her shallow breathing let him know that she was still alive.

M'net's voice had alerted a healer and he came to the bed, readjusting his arm and tucking the sheets tight against his body to hold him in. He wanted to ask about Zelle, she seemed much worse than he was, but the healer made him drink another concoction, this one for a fever the bluerider didn't even realize he had. "I'm sorry Zelle." he said one last time before giving up the fight and falling back to sleep.

Last updated on the March 13th 2009

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Bruised and Broken