It's been a long day

Writers: AL, Suzee
Date Posted: 18th November 2010

Characters: Vandor, Tavia
Description: A bit of friendly talk over klah after a Fall
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 3 of Turn 5

Vandor

Tavia

It had been a long day. It was always a long day when Thread fell and
Vandor didn't feel guilty about being glad his shift was over.
Actually, it had been over long ago, but he had stayed late, making
sure patients were settled in, helping to clean up, double checking
things. He was finally told by a Master to go back to his weyr and
get some rest or he might find himself a patient.

Definitely not something Vandor wanted.

The large man stepped out of the infirmary and drew in a deep breath.
He could hear the sigh of the ocean, a constant soft roar that those
who came to the Weyr found odd at first - then eventually got used to
once they had been there long enough. The healer turned his eyes to
the sky, frowning at the red star that twinkled so happily above them.
There nemesis. With the Red star in the sky, Thread will fall, gold,
bronze, brown, blue, and green, hear the dragons call...the rhyme
reverberated in his head and he shook it. Several turns of the stuff
didn't make him like it any more. In one way, they'd gotten used to
it. Yet, Vandor didn't think he could ever get completely used to
it...ugh. If there were just some way...

She was exhausted as she came out of the infirmary. The days when
Thread fell were the most difficult. She was bone weary after her
shifts in the sky and then the infirmary, but Tavia was still wired
and wide awake. She stopped as she almost bumped into Vandor staring
up at the sky. "Oops," she said to the big healer "sorry about that."

Vandor turned, his full lips broadening into a smile, but one that
didn't quite reach his dark eyes. "It's all right Tavia." He
inclined his head and glanced back at the sky. "You look exhausted.
It's been a long day...for all of us." He shoved his thumbs into his
belt, trying to settle into a more relaxed stance. "You all right?"

She put a hand to her neck and stretched it to the side trying to
relieve some of the tension. "I'm ok..." she said with a smile in
response to his. "Just very tired." her body ached from the days work.
"I just need a good soak in some nice hot water." she added. "Then
maybe I'll be able to sleep."

"You're neck bothering you?" Vandor took a step closer, his dark eyes
darting over, searching, trying to diagnose. "I can help if it is."
He lifted a hand in an echo to the verbal offer, heavy brows lifting
upward.

"Oh.." she said gratefully "That would be wonderful." She moved closer
turning her back and holding her hair out of the way.

Vandor's large hands could easily wrap themselves around her neck, but
instead they took places on either side. His skin was warm and his
fingers deft and skilled as they wound their way over her. "This
should help relieve the tension. You are pretty tight."

His skilled fingers knew _exactly_ where to rub and she enjoyed the
sensation immensely. This wasn't the first time she'd wondered what
else he could do with them if he felt so inclined. "Oh yes" she
breathed as he made her tense muscles relax but she couldn't help the
quip "You have no idea." when he mentioned her tightness, though she
figured it would just go over his head or be ignored.

Vandor chose to ignore it, though one corner of his mouth twitched up just
a little. He let his fingers work down into the muscle, easing the tension
that tugged so intensely. A few moments later, he stepped away. "How does
that feel?"

"Lovely," she said rather wistfully with a deep sigh when he stopped.
They'd been working so hard and with her 'extra' long shifts she didn't
have any time for socializing. It felt like forever though she knew it was
only a few days. She was certain Vandor hadn't either, there was never a
breath of rumor or gossip about the big healer and he had been monitoring
her comings and goings so she knew he'd been working as hard as she.

"Care for a cup of klah?" The big man suggested as he motioned toward
the Weyr proper. People were still hustling and bustling, but not
with the frenzy that had marked the Weyr just hours earlier. There
would be others with the same idea, he was certain, converging on the
dining hall.

She bit her lips to prevent the bubble of laughter that threatened.
He'd said it with almost the same intonation U'kaiah had used for a
similar invitation. Of course she'd never actually had that cup of
klah but she smiled up at him "Sure," she said "That would be great!"

"Klah can certainly help brighten a day." The big man commented as he
turned to lead Tavia inside. He kept his pace slow. No sense in
rushing and his long legs could certainly carry him faster than
Tavia's. "So I guess this means you're not too mad at me."

"Yes it can" she said. Her short legs worked to keep up with him even
though she knew he was shortening his stride. "Naw, I wasn't mad." she
said "I made a poor choice. It was unfair to the patients and other
healers." She smiled up at him. "You did what you had to."

Vandor nodded and let it drop. Tavia had learned her lesson in a
manner of speaking and he would have done the same thing to any other
healer. "You must not have a lot of time on your hands, as a
dragonrider and healer." He comments, attempting to steer the
conversation to a more pleasant topic.

"You could say that" she said as they walked into the dining hall and
she could smell the fresh klah. She took a deep appreciative breath.
"Oh that smells good."

"Yes, it does." Vandor agreed whole heartedly. "Why don't you sit
down and I'll get us some klah. Do you like anything in yours?" The
healer asked, motioning toward a couple of empty chairs.

She was thankful of the offer and sank into the chair happy to sit for
a few moments. "Thank you yes, just a bit of cream." she said. Then
she put her legs across his chair so no one would get the bright idea
to try and take it.

Vandor headed over to the table that boasted klah - and lots of it.
He wasn't the only one with that in mind and the line was rather long.
Eventually he made it to the front and procured two mugs, both with a
bit of cream. Then he made his way back to the table Tavia had
procured, the spicy scent already helping him to relax. He leaned
over, gently setting Tavia's in front of her before easing down into a
chair of his own. "Any plans for tomorrow?" He asked
conversationally.

She pulled her legs out of his chair when he placed the cup in front
of her but thought about putting them back into his lap once he'd
settled. Holding the warm cup and breathing in the spicy aroma she
smiled to herself wondering how he'd react. "Just relaxation" she
said. "It's been a rough few days." She tilted her head. "What about
you?"

"Today was rough, but Threadfalls usually are." Vandor's dark eyes
regarded her through the steam that wafted from his cup. "Rough
couple of days for you? Is something wrong?"

Tavia usually kept most of her own business very close to her chest.
She wasn't one for close friends at least not lately. Friends injured
in Threadfall always stressed her. "Just injuries to friends.
Sometimes it makes me realize how fragile we all are." she looked into
her cup "I just that's why I just try to keep things light." she shook
her head. "How do _you_ deal with it?" she asked softly.

A single eyebrow arched upward, but Vandor didn't argue the matter.
If she wanted to keep something to herself, it wasn't his place to
pry. Instead, he nodded. "I deal with it by working my butt off when
in the middle of it and then doing my best to relax afterwards.
Spending time with friends. That sort of thing. Doesn't mean it's
easy, just how I deal with it." He shrugged and drained about half of
his mug of klah. "At least there's time before Falls rather than back
to back all the time."

She nodded with a half smile as he talked, she'd witnessed the driven
nature of the big healer daily in the infirmary. He worked himself and
everyone around him very hard. She tilted her head, what was it about
him that made her think if she were to curl up in his lap, the bad
world would go away for a few minutes. "I'd be honored to be
considered one of your friends Vandor," she said.

Vandor grinned over his cup and nodded his head. "I'd like that." He
stated, his smile as warm as the klah in his mug.

Last updated on the December 16th 2010

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