The First Blooding (3/3)

Writers: Clancey, Len
Date Posted: 4th November 2011

Characters: G'wen, J'darin, T'bel, Halgalla, G'waren
Description: A regretful J'darin checks in on G'wen, and his family
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 10 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Cardella

Note: part 3 of 3

J'darin

Dark and coldness outside matched the way the inside felt as J'darin
slipped quietly into the Infirmary to check on G'wen. He nodded at
the Healer on duty, who let him pass without comment. He was not an
unknown rider, after all, and one of the weyrlings being seriously
hurt meant he'd be visiting often.

He had seen to all the others, hurt and not hurt, scared, terrified,
shocked, and all the other emotions weyrlings always felt after
Blooding. They were all worried they would lose another of their
number to death. He had done his best to reassure them (and himself)
but he wasn't sure it had done any good. Hasaarth had checked and
Neath seemed to be calm for the moment, which meant G'wen was okay -
for the moment - and so he thought to check on the boy to see if his
claims that G'wen would live and heal fine had any truth to them.

He parted the curtain, his eyes going first to G'wen, so he didn't
notice the other visitors immediately. But they noticed him.

The boy lay unconscious, as pale as the sheet that covered him. His
breathing was ragged and his good hand was being held by his father.
On the other side T'bel softly stroked his black hair onto the pillow,
idly watching the contrast of colour on the white pillow case. Halgalla
looked up, narrow eyed, at the entrance of the Weyrlingmaster.

"What do you want?"

"Now now, that's no way to be, Halgalla." G'waren turned to her
before nodding to J'darin. "Come in, have a seat." He nodded to the
empty chair that had held S'vin before N'den had come into take him
back to his weyr for the evening.

"I'm just checking on your charge, Halgalla." he said softly, his
eyes on G'wen, though he nodded at G'waren and T'bel before he took
the indicated seat.

He sat quietly for a moment, never very good at sickbed sitting. He
sighed softly as he looked at the pale skin.

How had he not noticed? He would never have missed anything so obvious
as a wound. And he had known G'wen was acting strange. Somehow he'd
coerced his dragon into evading Hasaarth's questioning and before
J'darin could look closer he'd been gone, on the next run with
firestone. What an idiot Weyrlingmaster. Who doesn't realize
something is wrong and ground him, even on a suspicion? What had he
been thinking?

"I'm sorry, G'wen.Its my fault, not yours. My fault." he said, so
quietly that it was possible no one heard him.

The lad remained obvious to all the suffering he had caused. The
infection from the long score had entered his bloodstream and he was
gripped in the pains of it. As his fever had soared the healers had
decided to knock him unconscious with fellis, hoping that it would
keep Neath calm at least, if she wasn't made to know how much
suffering he was under. But even with all the drugs in his system the
boy still let out a moan every once in while.

Beside J'darin, G'waren tenderly placed his son's hand back on the bed
and stroked it once. "He's always been a stubborn child, there wasn't
much you could do," he told the Weyrlingmaster in a voice harsh from
crying.

How could there be anything worse than watching your child suffer and
knowing there was nothing you could do to help? **If you get out of
this, son, I'll never criticize you, stop you in any way or get in
your way ever again. Just keep fighting, please keep fighting.**
Leaning down to his son's ear, he whispered, "I love you."

J'darin, if not so already heartsick and torn up, would have snorted
in answer to G'waren. It was clear the lad's father was just being
nice, but in all honesty, there was no reason for him to have missed
something wrong with the boy. None. And no excuse. Not G'wen's
stubborness, which he had to admit, was very evident more and more
each day as he and Neath grew into a wonderful team. It wouldn't
have mattered how stubborn he was - if the Weyrlingmaster said 'sit',
you sit. And he should have made him sit.

He did appreciate the sentiment though, and said quietly, "Oh yes,
Neath chose a good match for herself in your boy here, for certain."

"Do you need anything, any of you?" Still quietly, though it was clear
G'wen, at least, was fairly oblivious to his multiple visitors.
J'darin felt as if he should leave the family to their time.

}:You want to leave so you can have wine. You do not need wine.
Stay. Stay and do not make your head hurt with wine. :{ Hasaarth
said forcefully, making J'darin roll his eyes at the voice in his
head. Blast the bronze dragon!

"No, we're fine," T'bel answered, just as quietly. "Only...please
keep an eye on S'vin. Cardella too." He twisted a strand of G'wen's
dark hair between his fingers as he spoke, having to do something to
divert his mind. If he stopped to think on the last two sevendays he
would have to be doused in fellis himself.

G'wen chose that moment to moan out loud, in pain, and try to shift
from his position on his side. His father gently pressed on his good
shoulder, to keep him from rolling onto his injured back whilst T'bel
stroked his head and said nonsense comfort words. The boy screwed his
face in a gesture of what he was feeling and rolled onto his stomach.

J'darin flinched, both from the moan, and from the request T'bel asked
of him. Cardella. Of course he would watch her. He couldn't stop
watching her. It tore at his heart in strange ways. She was way
too young for him, and way too ...just ... not for him. But sitting
here with this family, full of worry for their son, all he wanted was
to find Cardella and ask her to hold him. What kind of sick man was
he, to want comfort from a girl not even old enough to know what
_comfort_ meant?

Not sex. That isn't what he wanted. But someone ... someone warm to
hold him, too. The way this family would hold each other in the bad
times. The last few weeks had been rough for them, and now this...
He smiled slightly to himself, shaking off his selfish thoughts.

"I will look after them, T'bel. I know G'wen liked to look out for
both of them. I will do my best to fill in for our boy there, until
he's better. And he _will_ be better. "

He stood to his feet, slowly and quietly, and nodded around at them.
"You just look after him, and yourselves. And please let me know if
you, or G'wen, needs anything. I'll be looking in on him often."
He turned to go then, as quietly as he had come.

Last updated on the January 3rd 2012

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The First Blooding (3/3)