More Than She Bargained For 2/2

Writers: Cali, Michelle
Date Posted: 24th October 2005

Characters: Trellyn, A'se
Description: Trellyn gets bit by a snake and is taken to DCW for treatment.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 8, day 7 of Turn 3

"So what is in it?" A'se asked excitedly as Trellyn pried open the box and peered inside.

**He must not have a very good sense of smell.** Trellyn thought. The ventilation holes in the crate had let the sea in and as she looked in her guess was confirmed. "Furs" she replied as she wrinkled her nose.
"Lots of smelly furs!"

Plugging his nose A'se glanced in the crates, "what a waste," he said, "they're probably no use to anyone now." As she started pulling furs out from the crate she sighed, "Let's get these out and see if there's anything else in here that might be useful."

After about a third of the furs were out, she asked A'se, "Can you give me a leg up into the crate? I'll lift them out to you."

"You actually want to go in there?" A'se asked doubtfully, "you'll smell awful."

"Oh, come on!" she sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'll wash off in the water, I want to look and see if there is anything worth hauling back."
She didn't wait for him to decide whether or not to help her; grabbing ahold of the top of the crate, she used the muscles acquired from many years of long distance swimming to pull herself up, over, and into the box.

"If you could do it yourself why did you even bother asking for help?"
A'se teased.

Trellyn chose to ignore his barb though, she was silently cursing him as she looked down and saw the large scratch that ran down her leg from her climb. As she started throwing out the furs in the crate she didn't see the small snake coiled up under them. She did however _feel_ it as it bit into her already bloodied calf. She screamed, a sort of choked scream, and tried to scramble out.

"Shards," A'se swore, as he tried to pull Trellyn out of the crate. He did not understand her sudden panic, but at that moment the reason did not seem to matter. Finally he was able to grab her arm and pull the dolphineer out of the crate. "What happened?" he asked worriedly, "are you okay?"

"Shells!" she cried, falling to the sand. She scooted herself back away from the crate a few paces just in case the snake felt obliged to follow her and then gripped her leg as the pain was already shooting up it. "Quick, give me your belt, I was bit!"

Hastily A'se pulled off his belt and handed it to Trellyn, "are you okay?" he asked again, unable to hide the edge of panic in his voice.

"Shard it, Shard it, Shard it!" she chanted as she tied the belt into a tourniquet just below her knee. "No, I'm not okay! I need to get to a healer, fast!"

*~*

Word passed through the dragons, and there was a journeyman healer waiting for them in the Weyrbowl. Dantial gave a brief nod when he saw the belt wrapped around Trellyn's leg, and led the way back to the infirmary, asking his questions on the way to save time. "How long ago were you bitten?"

The pain in Trellyn's leg was immense. She had been in enough situations to know that staying calm was important but it was hard to do and her voice was uneven as she tried to explain. "It was just... a few minutes... ago. It was... a Ring snake."

Dantial nodded again. "And you tied it off as soon as you were bitten?"
It was rare for anyone to think quickly enough in that sort of situation, but Trellyn had probably saved herself a good deal of agony by stopping the venom from spreading quickly through her bloodstream.

"Yes." She closed her eyes as she answered and tried to concentrate on regulating her breathing.

"Excellent." They reached the infirmary, and Dantial directed for Trellyn to be set on a table. "You're going to be just fine, journeywoman. Your quick thinking did most of my work for me." Not that he didn't have his work ahead of him, but at least he was confident his patient would make it.

"Thanks" she said between breaths, "It's not my first bite."

"Well, you'll be on your feet in no time..." Dantial kept up the soothing talk as he worked with another journeyman to tend to her wound. "Though I'll have to ask that you try to keep your snake bites to a minimum in the future. Quick thinking or not, there are surely better ways for us to see each other!"

"I'll do my best... in the future." she said trying to see the humor in the comment. The healer was doing a great job, and the pains were getting less sharp, but it was still intense enough for her to desperately wish for a large bottle of wine!

She didn't have to wait long. As soon as they were sure they'd taken care of the venom, Dantial had one of the journeymen fetch a glass of wine with fellis. "Now that we don't have to worry about thinning the blood, we can give you something to make the pain ease a bit."

She sighed in relief at the sight of it and hastily grabbed at it, gulping it down quickly and tried to ignore the bitter taste. As she waited for it to take affect, she asked, "Would it be possible for someone to run down to the Dolphin Hall and let them know I'm here and safe? I wasn't supposed to be gone but the afternoon, and who knows what stories the dolphins are telling!"

"We'll let them know," Dantial assured her. "But I imagine you're going to be gone a good bit longer than just the afternoon. I imagine it won't be too long before you start feeling sleepy. I'll have someone tell your Hallmaster where you are, and that you'll be here at least through the night."

She nodded, more than willing for that promised sleep. "Thank you".

Last updated on the October 24th 2005

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More Than She Bargained For 2/2