Sivve // search
Falas Weyr was certainly not like any other post she'd been assigned to. The weyrbowl and lower caverns where two of the busiest places she'd ever seen. And everything smelled of the dragons. The dragons had a distinct smell to them, not a bad smell but a distinct one. Everywhere in the Weyr, even Sivve's quarters tucked away deep inside the lower caverns smelt of dragons. The weyrfolk couldn't smell it, but they assured her she'd get used to it quickly.
She was put to work in the infirmary as soon as she had put down her things in her new quarters. Ortov introduced her to the Candidate, Telatl, who seemed both annoyed and flattered that the best healer in the field of healing muscles had been brought in specifically to tend to him. He was facing the opposite way from most of the patients, seeing as he had to lay on his stomach because of a nasty thread wound on his back.
"You treated the Karon?" Telatl exclaimed when she told him of her time with the jockey. "The best racing runner jockey in the world?"
"He was the best," Sivve corrected him. "Don't you people get any news? He died just earlier today, thrown from his runner in his last race."
"I'm sure everyone else knows, but news rarely makes it as far as the infirmary," Telatl sighed and made a face. "But how could he fall? They say he's never fallen from a runner."
"Well, you can't believe everything They say," Sivve scoffed. "He fell and he looked like he'd had plenty of practice doing so. The fall wouldn't have killed him if he'd been healthy."
Telatl shook his head in disbelief. "Faranth. And I thought I had it bad losing my leg."
"Speaking of which, I'd better do what I was brought here for," Sivve told him, pulling back the blanket to expose the stump of what had once been his leg. It was healing well, she noted, whoever had performed the amputation had been careful to leave it clean. "Who's been caring for you since your injury?"
The Candidate shrugged. "Oh, lots of people. It's been a while, but they still want me in bed. Can't you talk some sense into them? I fought on ground crew like this but they won't let me even walk around."
"You fought and got seriously Threadscored," she reminded him. "Until your Threadscore is totally healed, you're staying right where you are." She smiled sweetly as he glared at her. "Except," his face brightened at the word, "when I am helping you to completely retrain your leg so you will be able to get around on only one crutch and maybe, if I can find away, with an artificial leg."
Telatl's eyes widened at the thought. "Can you... can you really do that?" His silver copper flit, who had been dosing until now, awakened and gave a happy trill at the idea.
Sivve smiled. "Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. The scientists at Falas Hold can help me. It's never been done before, or if it has, I've never heard of it, but I'll try."
Telatl nodded seriously. "If anyone can find a way, I'm sure you can." The faith in the young man's voice almost made Sivve choke. She'd always had the feeling that her patients trusted she could work miracles, but she'd never actually heard one say it.
Sivve spent the next hour talk to and examining her latest patient. By the end, she had become good friends with the Candidate and had a good sized list of notes on his injury. "You just relax now, Telatl," she told him as she left. "I'll be back tommorow."
"As if I could do anything else," the Candidate sighed. His eyes unfocused, telling her that he was talking with his flit, and Sivve quietly slipped away.
She didn't get very far, though, because a riding gear clad man had been wordlessly watching her work, and he tapped her shoulder now as she made for the door. "Journeywoman Sivve?" he asked, smiling warmly when she nodded. "May I have a word with you?"
Sivve nodded. "Of course."
"First, let me introduce myself," he extended a hand. "I am P'mir, Searchrider with my blue Siyeth. I Searched Telatl and requested that you be brought here to help him."
Sivve grasped the outstretched hand. "Merry meet, P'mir. I can assure you the boy is in the best of hands and, if I can, I'll have him up and walking in no time."
P'mir smiled patiently. "I know that, that's why I asked for you. Siyeth has called to my attention that you also have the potential for Impressing. Now, we don't expect the Hatching for some time, probably enough time to get Telatl to a stage where he could be cared for by another until your dragon permitted you to tend him. This will complicate things for you quite a bit, so I won't feel insulted if you do not accept."
Sivve sat down very suddenly on a cot. "Impress?" she repeated.
"Give it some thought," P'mir advised. "Get back to me tommorow, if you need to sleep on it. It's not as if you're going anywhere."
Sivve nodded but only let him get to the door before she got up and followed him. "P'mir?" she called, stepping out into the weyrbowl and shielding her eyes from the midday sun.
The Searchrider turned. "Journeywoman?"
"I accept."
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