Nothing Too Cruel

Writers: Bree, Emma
Date Posted: 3rd June 2006

Characters: Abrei, J'an
Description: Abrei talks to J'an about the problems she's having with his 'second.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 12, day 1 of Turn 3

Abrei

"J'an?" Abrei poked her head around his door, giving him what was probably supposed to look like a smile but turned out looking rather like a grimace instead. "Do you have a few moments?"

"For you I can make time," he said rising to his feet to pull out a chair.
"Come in, sit down and tell me what's on your mind."

She closed the door behind her and dropped a file on J'an's desk before sinking into the chair. "I had a... run-in with your 'second yesterday."

"What's M'galec done now?" he asked. He wondered how the man had ever managed to rise in his craft, and impress. There was just something about him that seemed to rub off badly on a lot of people.

Abrei sighed. "Let's see... he stormed into my office, insulted me both as a healer and as a person, insisted that I'm incapable of doing my job and then informed me that he's making one of the candidates write an essay on how I don't know my place. And that's just what he did yesterday."

"I see," those words didn't seem enough, because J'an suspected that there was more to come. Anyone who could rile Abrei that much...

"You see?" Abrei replied sharply. "Shards, J'an... I know you're even tempered, but you can't tell me you think that what he did was acceptable!"

"No it wasn't acceptable," he admitted. "I have a hard time dealing with the man myself. How he managed to get where he is today I'll never know."

Slightly molified, Abrei settled back in her chair. "It started over Tsaera's grandson. M'galec decided that the fact that the boy snores is an obvious indication of some sort of severe medical issue, and ordered him to unnecessary appointments which he then punished him for not attending. If the situation really was as serious as he thinks it is, any other journeyman would have brought it to my attention. M'galec seems to think his status as your 'second means he doesn't have to follow the rules of the infirmary, though."

"Surely the boy had a routine physical when he was formally accepted as a candidate? I mean if there was health problem surely that journeyman would have picked it up?"

Abrei reached out to pat the file. "I have it right here, and I checked it as soon as M'galec had left. No allergies, no chronic sinus problems... he's healthier than many. And I would think one late night shift in the infirmary after Threadfall would make it clear to M'galec that plenty of dragonriders snore and still manage to fight Thread. I can't fathom what his problem is, except for that I know he had a run-in with Tsaera over Lenala. Do you think he's capable of taking it out on her grandson?"

"I don't know that he would stoop that low. He strikes me as they type to go straight to the source of a problem, not use someone as a pawn in a chess game," said J'an thoughtfully. "Unless you think he'd dwell on things and suddenly explode."

"Then you have a far higher opinion of him than I do," Abrei replied sourly.
"Or maybe you just haven't been treated to the abusive side of his tongue yet. Every time his ego gets bruised, he does everything in his power to hurt the person responsible, and he's made it clear to me that there is nothing too cruel for him to say."

J'an considered that for a moment before speaking. Whatever it was M'galec had done, to get Abrei this riled, well it had to be serious. "Would you like me to speak to him?"

"I'd like you to ask him not to have candidates writing essays about me,"
Abrei snapped, then she sighed. "Shards, I'm sorry J'an... he just. What makes him _say_ the sharding things he says? Why does he think he's so much better than the rest of us? I can't stand it. And I don't want him in my infirmary anymore."

"You can order him out you know," said J'an. "Or I could find extra duties that would change his shifts around so you don't have to meet." That in turn would benefit him as well, the less time spent with the man the better, for all of them it seemed. "It wouldn't take much to swap some of his duties with Aynho."

Abrei hesitated and then shook her head. "He's bad enough when I'm there to supervise him. I don't think the answer is to let him run wild through the infirmary when I'm not around. And I have to tell you, J'an... if this gets much worse, I'm going to Tsaera over it. He's causing disruption to the infirmary."

"I'll speak to him," J'an decided as he spoke. "If he's causing this amount of grief for you, which he shouldn't do, I'll speak to him."

"If you think it will help," Abrei replied tiredly, though she didn't sound very hopeful. "Thank you for trying, at least."

"It's the least I can do for a friend."

"And you're a good one." Abrei managed a smile as she reached across his desk to squeze his hand. "Good luck, J'an. You'll need it."

"I'm sure it'll be just fine."

Last updated on the June 4th 2006

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Nothing Too Cruel