Kicked ribs

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 12th July 2017

Characters: J'nev, Drumilla
Description: J'nev checks into the infirmary and checks out the new healer.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 5 of Turn 8

"Sharding runners..." J'nev groaned as he slid off Ankioth's back.

}:You are in pain. You should go to someone to help you,:{ the bronze said, turning a great eyes swirling with worry in his direction.

"Naw, it's ok. I've been around runners most my life," his rider assured him, but as he reached out to scratch the bronze's eyeridge, he felt a deep and aching pain. "Ok, yeah, maybe..."

}:I should have eaten that thing,:{ the bronze huffed his annoyance that any creature would dare hurt _his_ human!

"Runners don't taste good," J'nev assured him as he carefully shrugged out of his jacket. It hurt too much to reach up to hang it on the peg, so he just kicked it to the back corner of his ledge.

But he sure did curse that beast, all the way to the Healers. "Excuse me, miss."

"Yes? How can I help you?" Drumilla asked. She had started working as soon as she had arrived to Dragonsfall. Duties helped her to gain her footing and helped to cope with the grief over her mother's death.

"Hi," J'nev nodded, reaching an arm around to cradle his side. Even breathing was starting to hurt! "I was on a sweep... And I saw a wagon on the road. It seemed the people were having some trouble, so I put Ankioth down... That's my bronze, Ankioth... Anyway, I set him down nearby and I went to see if they needed help. The trace, that's a leather strap that connects to a cart, anyway, it kept falling off and this old man couldn't get it back on. I was trying to help him, stepped a little too close to the runner, and... Well, he caught me in the ribs."

"Ouf, that must be painful," Drumilla said with sympathy. "Please take off your shirt and I take a look."

"Sure." It hurt to lift his arm on the side that had been kicked, so he unbuttoned it with his other hand, but as he tried to shrug out of the shirt it caught on something. "Sharding belt," he groaned as he tried to get it lose, but the movement just caused more pain. "Um... could you help me?"
"Of course," Drumilla replied and unbuckled his belt with deft hands. She wasn't dealing with men's belt for the first time in her life. "There."

J'nev couldn't help but notice that she smelled rather nice as she leaned down to help him. "Sorry about that," he said with a slight blush.

"Don't worry about it," Drumilla said.

"I don't suppose you see many runner kicks in a Weyr infirmary," he said, trying to make conversation.

"You would be surprised," Drumilla replied. "Sometimes I think dragonriders should stick to riding dragons only. You seem to fall off from everything else. Now, lift your hands above your head. I have to poke your ribs, so this is going to hurt." Of course, he hadn't fallen off but it was still close enough.

"I can ride a runner just about as well as a dragon," he assured her. "After all, I ride a bronze. That's not exactly easy." J'nev wanted to make sure she understood he was in fact a _bronze_ rider. "But I wasn't riding this sharding runner, just hooking it up to the cart! And it kicked me!"

"Yes, yes, I got that part," Drumilla said, and if she sounded distracted, it was because she was inspecting the bruise forming over his ribcage. "Nice bruise coming up, your side will be blue and black." She started to go thru to ribs to see if they were broken. It meant she had to press his flesh to feel the bones. Since he was fit like all dragonriders, it meant she had to press past the obstacle of muscle tissue.

J'nev grunted slightly, but bit his lip so as not to make too many unmanly sounds. "Do you do massage, too?" he asked through gritted teeth as she poked and prodded him.

"Nope," Drumilla replied. "My fingers are too cold, or so I've been told. Nothing's broken as far as I can see. Your side is going to be sore for awhile and you should avoid twisting and pending it. I'll make poultice for the bruising."

"Well, if you want to practice your massage technique sometime..." he said, feeling a lot more cocky and flirtatious now that the painful part was done. At least for the moment.

"Perhaps I shall take your offer up one day, but now I'm on duty," Drumilla grinned and went to make the poultice.
She wasn't the most flirties of persons, but she was weyrbred and enjoyed a tryst now and then.

The bronzerider watched her go, feeling far more interested now that he hadn't been rejected straight out. He looked at a mental picture of his weyr trying to remember if it was presentable for company. Of course, he probably had a little time to at least throw things in the closet...

"So when are you _off_ duty?" he asked as she walked back in.

"You're not to practice any vigorous activities in a day or two," Drumilla warned him. "That also includes throwing firestone sacks, Thread fighting and drills."

He noticed she didn't even acknowledge his question! "Come on, you're gonna need to eat something when you finish here, right? That's not vigorous, right?"

"No, it's not. I already promised a lunch with my brother and niece," Drumilla said, evading. It also happened to be true.

The bronzerider was nothing if not persistent. As much as he wanted to believe he was wise to the ways of the Weyr, he still had a lot to learn about patience! "Well, hey, sounds like I'm going to be off drills for a couple days. How about a cup of klah when you're not working?"

"You are presistent, aren't you?" Drumilla was amused and maybe little bit flattered. She was pretty but she wasn't a great beauty.

Without thinking, J'nev shrugged his shoulders, and instantly regretted it, letting out a rather unmanly yip. Blushing as his cool exterior had been breached, he said with a less cocky smile, "I am, but I'm apparently also a little hopeless. Maybe you can give me some pointers on how to take better care of myself. You know, as my healer."

"Watch out for the runner's hooves. Those buggers kick nasty," Drumilla said with serious expression, althoug the merry twinkle of eyes betrayed her. The poultice was ready and she started to wrap it around J'nev's chest.

It was frustrating and yet fun that she was playing hard to get. The look in her eye at least gave him some hope. "Come on. Please? Just a cup of klah. And maybe a sweetroll."

Drumilla's expression grew more serious and shadow of pain and grief appered to her eyes. "Not just now. My mother died less than two sevendays ago and I've moved to a new place to live. I'm not quite ready for that yet. While it does sound like a good distraction, you have to give me time to recover."

"Oh." J'nev could feel himself deflate. Not only did he just get rejected for a date, but she had a sharding good reason to do it. There was no way to get mad, but there was nothing he could think to say to that except a mumbled and uncomfortable, "Sorry."

"That's all right. It's not that I keep a sign hanging my neck saying: grieving refugee from River Bluff Weyr."

"Yeah." **But maybe you _should_...** he thought a little sourly, though he tried to keep his face neutral.

"You're good to go. Do you need painkillers to go with you?" Drumilla stepped back and studied her handiwork. She was all professional again.

"Yeah, that'd be good, thanks," he said, wincing as he reached for his shirt. He'd wait till she was gone to put his shirt back on, and try to save what little pride he felt at that moment.

"Alright," Drumilla went fetch him the herbal mixture. "I take it you know how to use this?"

"Ummm... Put it in water?" was his best guess.

"You brew it, like tea. Let it seep at least five minutes," Drumilla advised. She was bit surprised, most dragonriders were more than familiar with the pain relievers. All those thread scores and other injuries.

"Thanks," J'nev muttered, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He knew how to make tea! "Is that it?"

"Yes, pretty much. Have some one check you out after a sevenday to see how the healing has progressed," Drumilla replied.

"Thanks, I'll do that." He winced slightly as he stood up off the table. Those ribs were definitely hurting! He definitely needed a bit of that tea, soon! "I guess I'll see you around then."

"See you around," Drumilla replied with polite and professional smile.

Last updated on the July 21st 2017

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Kicked ribs