You walk into the Infirmary.
Igen Weyr Infirmary
The scent of numbweed permeates the Weyr's infirmary, a remarkable cavern with room for both dragon and human patients. This large cavern has been split into two parts. The outer part is set up for the dragons, complete with a stone couch and tub of water. Cots have been set up near the dragon area for injured riders, with curtains drawn around each for privacy. Movable walls section this off from the human-only side of the infirmary, where the more numerous cots have thick screens to grant a little more privacy. The eastern wall is half-filled with six-foot tall shelves, containing scrolls, herbs, concoctions, and various useful equipment. Filling the other half of the wall is a lockable cabinet, beside which at least one healer sits on duty all the time, to ensure proper use of the more dangerous items.
A long desk sits next to the southern opening which leads to the Weyr's living caverns. The breeze from the west keeps the air here fresh most of the time. People are always mopping the floor or scrubbing the equipment with astringant, working hard to keep the infirmary clean.
Contents:
Learan
Learan stands near the bowl entrance, staying out of the way of the healers. He looks bored.
Livia sort of skulks in, her new knot dangling from one hand as if she'd been fidgetting with it. She looks like someone who's upset but is trying really hard not to show it. Trying so hard in fact, that she doesn't even notice Learan near the entrance as she goes past him, looking ahead as if she were a girl on a mission.
Learan catches sight of Livia and smiles. Until he sees her expression. "Hey, Liv," he says quietly, announcing his presence.
Livia turns at the voice and sighs, "Hey. Didn't see you there." She glances around and wonders, "Liah's not done yet? Well, that's good really. I was hoping you'd still be here...
Learan steps closer to his friend. "Here, let me have that," he says, holding out his hand towards her still unworn knot. "What's up?"
Livia puts the knot happily into the herder's hand, then wipes her own hand on her tunic as if the knot had soiled her hands. She shakes her head, glancing towards the bowl, "Joshi is so mad at me. She has every right to be, really. I feel so bad, though. This whole thing is my fault."
Learan works to remove the old knot as she speaks. "How is it your fault?" he asks as he slips the knot off her arm.
Livia watches the knot removing with a little frown, "Because...because I turned her in to the Weyrleaders. Shells, I'm a terrible friend, Learan."
Learan pauses before slipping on the new knot. "Turned her in for what, may I ask?" He secures the knot purposefully, reminding her of the symbol of her new position in the Weyr.
Livia scratches her fuzzy head, "For having apple chips with sweetner on them. I told the Weyrwoman. Because that's my job. And then she got in trouble because she had sweetner. It all started because of me. My fault."
Learan finishes with the knot, pleased with how it looks on her shoulder. "Liv, that was Joshi's fault for doing something she knew was wrong. It isn't your fault for doing the right thing." He sighs. "That doesn't help, does it? Knowing you didn't do anything wrong but feeling that you may have." He leans in to hug his good friend.
Livia accepts the hug, frowning uneasily, "It sort of helps, but then it doesn't. Maybe P'can was right. Maybe I am just a pawn. Maybe my sense of duty just makes it easy for people to push me around.." She snifs a little, pushing away from the herder, "Maybe she was right. Maybe the only reason they gave me Wingleader was because they knew they could get me to do whatever they asked." She reaches up to pull off the new knot, but finds that Learan secured it too well. Frustrated, she pulls off her Igen Watch armband instead and drops it moodily.
Learan frowns as well. "Liv, I know M'val and Sarai pretty well. One thing I am confident of is they didn't put you in charge of a full Wing because you are a pushover." He shifts so he can look her straight in the eye. "You are a good rider, good teacher, even tempered and thoughtful of other's needs. You earned this position based on what you've done for your Wing and Weyr. Don't let people like P'can or Joshi put other thoughts and doubts into your head. You /earned/ this," he says, tapping the Wingleader's knot.
Livia frowns and stoops to pick up her armband again, still driven by her duty when she's cursing it. Starting to look a little puffy eyed, she struggles to not get upset about it. "That's all well and good, but who's going to want to work with me now anyway? Now that I've alienated people. I mean, Joshi has been a good friend to me for turns, and I just pissed all over that." She rubs her eyes and states in a strained tone, "And the others..They tossed me out of my own poker night. They don't trust me now."
Learan doesn't have immediate answers to this. He asks, "Do you want to be everyone's friend, or do you want to be the best asset you can to the Weyr? To Pern?" So simply put, but as a leader himself, he knows the difficult balance between duty and friendship.
That's it. That's all it took. The big, bad, scary, shorn headed brown rider bursts into tears, hiding them behind her hands. It only takes a second before she's trying to stow away the emotional display, though. Rubbing her eyes furiously and sniffling heavily, she replies, "I want to do what's right and do my duty."
Learan pats Livia's arm, a familiarity he wouldn't normally do to many people. "Then you need to do that, Liv. Shells, if Joshi really were a friend she would understand. Your /real/ friends do," he says, reminding her of their friendship.
Livia wipes her nose on her hand, and shakes her head, "You probably wouldn't say that if I got you in trouble and put on punishment detail." She rubs her eyes again, and snifs hard. She adds, "And if you tell anybody I cried over this, you'll really be in for it.." She makes an effort at making light of the matter.
Learan holds a hand up. "Our secret, Peach. Our secret." He smiles.
Livia lightly punches her fist into the hand he hands up, "Better be..."
Learan nods. "I should go check on Liah now. You will join us for dinner soon, right?"
Livia nods her head, still trying to get rid of the evidence of her tears. "I will. I promise. I'll let you know when I can come and we can work something out..Learan, thanks. For just, you know.."
Learan simply nods, no other words needing to be said.