Take Care of Yourself

Writers: Avery, Devin
Date Posted: 11th June 2015

Characters: N'vanik, L'pin
Description: N'vanik comes to check on L'pin after the flaming accident.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 22 of Turn 7
Notes: Notes: Follows "Things Fall Apart".

N'vanik

}:Mine would like to talk to yours. Can you tell us where he is?:{ Loseth
asked.

}:He is drinking in his weyr. He is very distressed.The weyrling's burn is
making him upset. I am concerned for him.:{ The big blue was hunkered on
his weyrledge, trying to shove his head into the weyr. His color was
bordering on unhealthily grey.

N'vanik let out a long sigh and hurried through the Weyr. Before long
he was knocking at L'pin's door. "It's N'vanik. Can I come in?"

The bluerider was sprawled on the couch he normally reserved for guests.
An empty wineskin was next to him. An untouched one was on the table, next
to a glass.

The knock startled him. "Yes," L'pin said dully. It was a bad idea to keep
out the boss, right?

}:You like him:{ his dragon reminded. }:He wants to help.:{

N'vanik stepped in, a frown crossing his face when he saw the empty
wineskin. "I heard what happened so I thought I'd come check on you."

"Take a seat. Want a drink?" the bluerider asked. "I screwed up big time
today."

"No, you didn't." N'vanik moved the full wineskin, but only to get it
farther from L'pin. "Some weyrlings made mistakes and you stopped it
from getting worse."

"This was the first big injury of this class... I thought we were
doing so well." The bluerider looked up at the bronzerider. His grey
eyes were haunted.

"They're a bunch of hormonal teenagers on baby dragons. Accidents
_will_ happen." N'vanik sighed. "But I know what it's like. I blame
myself whenever someone dies in Fall. But I've learned to... cope. I
can't save everyone all the time, and neither can you."

The Weyrleader was right, and the part of L'pin's brain that was
rational knew it. The statistics of dragonrider life weren't good. But
the part of his brain that empathized so greatly with his charges was
heartbroken and all-too-willing to blame himself.

"I thought we'd at least get them through to the Blooding," he said,
half to himself.

"No one died, not this time. I lost a young bluerider just days ago.
He had his whole life ahead of him and now he's just... gone." Like so
many others before him.

"That's true. The dragonhealers say the green will live, but how well
she'll thrive depends on the next few days."

"And the rest of the weyrlings depend on you to get them through the
rest of their training." N'vanik eyed the wineskin and then reached
for it. "Every weyrling that makes it through is an accomplishment.
Think of all the ones you trained that are still here."

}:He is right. Please listen,:{ Chaneth pleaded.

"Meledei is at least. And most of her class." But not the one who'd
mattered to him. Terrible as it was, L'pin would have traded away the
Weyr's precious goldrider's life for his son's.

N'vanik took a drink. "And now Meledei's gold is having hatchlings of
her own. You'll have class full of her weyrlings soon."

"True fact, that. Funny how it goes." L'pin heaved a sigh. "Sorry you had
to see this."

N'vanik waved a hand. "No need to apologize. I like that you care,
even if I'm worried about how deep these things hurt you."

**There's probably a reason this job keeps burning people out,** The
bluerider thought. Then he mentally flinched at the accidental choice of
words.

"Anything you want to suggest, on a personal or a business level?" he asked.

"Take care of yourself," N'vanik said. "There's a time to push through
and a time to take a breather. Don't try to hold it all inside or
carry it alone."

"One day at a time, and don't explode." That was advice he could live
with. That wasn't too hard. Right?

"Yeah, please don't explode. That would be an awful mess." The corner
of N'vanik's mouth turned up.

"It would be terrible if people just...popped."

"They get too stressed out and... bam!" N'vanik made an exploding
gesture with his hand. "All over the walls."

"With recent events there'd be a lot of them right now," L'pin said. The
image gave him a little smile. "Offended Holders everywhere."

N'vanik snorted. "Speaking of that, could you keep an eye on J'ackt?
Try to keep Sh'del from being too hard on him. If people exploded
under stress, that boy would be one of the first to go." N'vanik
snorted again. "And Sh'del with him."

"That's not a bother," L'pin said. "I like J'ackt. I'm not quite sure why
Sh'del has such a problem with him. I'd be happy to be his staff
advocate."

"Thanks." N'vanik took a small sip of wine and smiled. "You're good
with the weyrlings, L'pin. Don't forget that."

"I love teaching them. It's why losing them is so hard," L'pin said. "I
appreciate your continuing confidence in me."

"You've earned it, no matter what you think." N'vanik leaned over to
pat his shoulder.

L'pin gave him a wan smile. "Another drink? And got any funny stories?"
Maybe N'vanik knew something to take his mind off things.

Last updated on the June 17th 2015

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Take Care of Yourself