Hallucinations

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 18th October 2019

Characters: Urlene, L'keri
Description: L'keri hallucinates
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 4 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Y'gel, Olwinna

Urlene

L'keri

By the end of the second day in the infirmary, only his dragon's loyal
comfort kept L'keri from longing for the oblivion of death. He ached all
over, his mouth tasted foul from vomiting up what felt like everything
he'd eaten in the past month and his leg, now imprisoned in a cast, felt
as thought it had bloated to twice its usual weight. He shifted in the
sweat-damp sheets, unable to get comfortable. Whenever a healer came
near, he begged them in the most abject manner for a drink. Just one.
Only a sip. He'd do anything. But no-one was willing to risk the wrath
of the Weyrhealer, and the brownrider slumped back into uneasy dreams.

Faranth, all she wanted to do was go back to bed. She was exhausted
after a long day, but she had responsibilities. Besides, her empty bed
felt a bit depressing; she was half a mind to ask Y'gel just to lay
with her for the evening for comfort. Urlene found herself sitting
beside L'keri again for the evening, wrapping a blanket around her
shoulders to keep an eye on the brownrider.

Scooting the chair closer as he slept, she put a cool cloth on his
brow. He was approaching the worse of it, she reasoned. She'd heard
some of his begging himself, when he hadn't realized she was nearby.
"Shh..."

His eyes flickered open, his body too weak to manage much more than a
moan of exhaustion. "Please. Please...just one..." He shivered and then
his whole body stiffened and with a sudden surge of strength he tried to
pull himself upright. "Is that you?"

Urlene rose quickly and gently pushed L'keri back down with a hand on
his shoulder. "Easy, L'keri. Yes, I'm here." She wiped at his brow,
dipping the cloth again in cold water before laying it back on his
brow. "Rest."

"But how...you can't be here. You're gone." He didn't appear to have
heard her. In his eyes, wide and half-fearful, half awed, moisture
glistened, and he reached towards her with a trembling hand. "I
thought...I'd lost you..."

Frowning, Urlene blinked at the man, then understood. It wasn't her
that he was seeing. In a moment of empathy, she took the outstretched
hand in her own. "It's alright, L'keri. I'm here. Just rest. You're
ill and need sleep. "

A tear spilled over, trickled down his cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I tried to come back for you. I tried, but they wouldn't let me. Said it
was too late." His fingers clasped hers as if holding on to a lifeline.
"I'm sorry. For everything."

She didn't know what to say, or how to respond. Normally she wasn't
this emotive to any of her patients and honestly, she should have
immediately gone to fetch Olwinna; she was no mindhealer. So she did the
only thing she could think of to do. Urlene clasped his hand and with a
hesitant move, she wiped the tear from his cheek. "I forgive you. It's
not your fault. "

"Thank you." He took a shuddering breath, closed his eyes, grimaced with
the pain. "I don't deserve it. I've done everything all wrong. Don't
know if there's a way back."

Urlene quickly brought a cup of water laced with fellis to his lips.
"Drink this." What kind of guilt had this man been carrying? Apparently
it was enough that it was likely the cause of his distress and drinking.
As soon as he could, he needed to speak to Olwinna. Her own basic
training in mindhealing wasn't enough to cover this. "Shhh. There is.
Stop drinking and take care of yourself."

A faint smile appeared as he sipped the water gratefully. "Always the
healer, love." His eyes unfocused as he looked on the woman who wasn't
there. "Ariadne... I miss you."

He'd been in love with a Healer? Hm. It wasn't her concern, not really.
Urlene sighed softly, then grimaced as her own stomach lurched. She
exhaled, wrinkling her nose with distaste. The scent of the sweat-soaked
sheets was actually getting to her; she resolved to have them changed as
soon a she was finished here. She pushed it aside to deal with L'keri.
"Just sleep, L'keri. You'll feel better soon. " Her hand still clasped
in his own, she hesitated, them squeezed. "You'll be okay. "

The brownrider sighed, his fingers relaxing around hers as he lay back
against the pillow. "Thank you, love." His eyelids half-closed, heavy
with exhaustion and the fellis, but he fought to remain awake just a
little longer. "Will I see you again?"

She didn't want to play into his hallucinations, but thought perhaps
that it could be used to help plant a notion into his mind. She only
hoped he wouldn't remember that it had been she and not the
hallucination. "You must quit the drink, L'keri. You must
take care of yourself. Please."

"It's hard. I'm so tired." He spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
"But I'll try." At the last, a faint smile appeared on his lips before
he surrendered to sleep. "I promise."

Resolving to speak to Olwinna as soon as possible, she waited until he
fell into a deeper slumber, then curled her feet under her in her
chair to wait. Wrapping a blanket around her, Urlene watched until her
own exhaustion crept into her bones and she fell asleep, half-sitting
in the chair.

Last updated on the November 1st 2019

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Hallucinations