A Healer A Sevenday (2/2)

Writers: Draconafin, Shawna
Date Posted: 25th October 2026

Characters: Alyndra, Ty'dis
Description: Az’uka unwittingly drags Ty’dis in for an appointment with the Weyrhealer
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 9 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: K'valdran (Not by name; but DFW Weyrleader, and Az'uka's Wingleader at the time), K'leriac, Az'uka

Notes:

"You were badly injured," she reminded him. "It's going to take a long time to rebuild what you can and learn to compensate for what you can't. How is your harness working? The Healer Hall keeps coming out with all kinds of new contraptions," she said it with a tone of mild annoyance, as if their ingenuity was a personal inconvenience. In truth, she'd learned a grudging respect for the new Healer Hall, despite their association with the Hall that had denied her the chance to get her knots.

Ty'dis found himself nodding, at least mentally as the Healer started into her reply. Things he had heard before, and mentally repeated throughout his journey. That was until she changed tact for a second. Mentioning that Az'uka might well enjoy throwing things at him. The words barely landed and the bronzerider's brow instantly quirked as he shot the healer an unrestrained look. One that clearly stated she knew better than to suggest such things. Az'uka was not a man who needed to be given ideas on how to be a menace. "Not in any way to be of use though" came his own dry tone.

The pause that occurred as Ty'dis considered the stern reminder was impossible to hide. Anytime anyone used the phrase badly injured in regards to his shoulder he felt his stomach drop. No amount of logic or predictions seemed to find a way around that fight or flight instinct. Layered with the knowledge it was his own body they were talking about only drove home fear and stress. Which he had masked as completely as possible from everyone. In some instances he even believed it himself, as he claimed he was not aware of the emotions in question. Rather he had tried to break the journey down to logic; telling everyone he was of the mindset that he would rather know -- so he could plan. Not knowing was a harder reality. But the mechanical and clinical way they all spoke about it still leached through. Personally he had taken the jargon on to try and distance himself from the personal toll. Tried to convince himself this was another rider they were talking about. Yet once the words stopped and came back to rest in his mind there was no escaping it. His body just simply couldn't do what he needed it to do at this stage; and healer explanation as to why didn't shake the mental strain he was unwittingly placing on himself. A strain and stress had caused him to empty his stomach in private more than once after particularly un-progressive reviews. What made it really hard was _they weren't wrong_. No matter which way you looked at it, the score _could_ have killed him; and it tried; more than once.

As the Master Healer mentioned the modification that had been made to his riding leathers a sense irony echoed though his head. He was grateful for the forced change in direction it gave his thinking. Proving that the straps had more than one use. They had been made so when in use they would lessen the impact of load on his shoulder. Meaning with care and planning he could do more without enforced periods of rest. Giving the joint the best of both mentalities; time to heal, as well as movements to strength it. The other irony that sparked in his mind he felt was worth sharing and spoke in earnest. "Az'uka caught me using it for the last pass," a faint smile at his friend's worry crossed his features. "It’s actually why he claimed he was doing his duty in bringing me in."

"Oh, so now of course he'll assume whenever you're using it, you need to be hauled off to the healers," Alyndra said dryly, "lucky me. Have you considered finding him a hobby that doesn't involve babying you like an anxious crechmarm?" Still, she had been fending off anxious family members for decades now, she could manage a single annoying bluerider. Her refusal to match their energy usually kept things from escalating, and she rarely had to report troublemakers.

"Well, if it's working well enough, that's good," she returned to the main subject. "If you want any adjustments, there are some healers at the hall that are practically engineers, the work they're doing with K'leriac's artificial leg is a marvel."

The smile broadened into almost a chuckle when the Master healer compared his friend to an anxious crechmarm. It was a likeness that would amuse the bronzerider for some days, and one that Az’uka wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of, given its oddly fitting nature. As for trying to find his friend a hobby, there was another suggestion that seemed to stall out given Az’uka’s apparent preference for causing chaos. Any further musing he might have given the suggestion on behalf of the bluerider was swept away just as quickly when the Master Healer returned to the subject at hand. Truth be told he hadn’t considered getting the makeshift straps altered in anyway. His mind had locked onto the idea that they were make shift and consequently he had been using them as little as possible. Not wanting to develop a dependence that he would have to later overcome. That said, he couldn’t deny the fact that there might be more comfortable ways to achieve it. Perhaps something that sat under the leathers, rather than over them? Right now it tended to bunch and gather unnecessary materials, making it bulky, unwieldly and sweaty -- other reasons he avoided using it. Perhaps if it was more concealed under his riding leathers then it might just stop Az’uka from butting in. What he couldn’t see he couldn’t be overly dramatic about. Defiantly something worth considering if they felt they had the time.

Hearing Alyndra mention K’leriac his thoughts took something of a nose dive, almost blindsided by the Wingleader’s name. Truth be told he had no grievances with the man. His methods? Maybe. It was a discomfort that stemmed from his own place of healing. While it seemed that K’lrieac was fighting back on his own front it made it seem like his priority to his Wing came second. It was a lack of a hands on approach with Valley Wing training that had Ty’dis questioning his own path forwards when he could barely see it. Sure enough K’leriac did fine by the main members of his Wing, those of greater age and who took the reassignment to retirement in stride. But when it came to the two bronzeriders in question they were both so focused on their own need to get back to the Fighting Wings that they had little time for each other. Lead alone the possibility of trying to help each other find their road back. The similarities in their journeys couldn’t be ignored; although it was debatable that the Wingleader had the harder battle ahead. A thought crossed his mind -- could he be looking for someone else to blame his lack of progress on. It made him uncomfortable and he shoved it away. Reality being he would be just as proud of K’leriac as anyone should his fellow bronzerider make it back to being a fighting force.

Words seemed to fail him for a long moment. Carefully looking for a way back into the conversation that had placed him mentally between a rock and a hard place. Without Az’uka to charge around the conversation, Ty’dis almost considered it due diligence that he choose his words carefully. Perhaps that was where Az’uka was a blessing in disguise. Settling his thoughts for the most part he turned back to the proposition the Masterhealer had put forwards. He honestly hadn’t considered it. More correctly hadn’t considered that a better fit might provide a foothold for better progress. That which didn’t involve such incrementally small milestones.

“I might just have to take them up on that Master Alyndra.” Voicing the potential action out loud he finally relaxed his posture enough to ease back into the chair. Idly his shoulder rolled. Ripples of tension caused it to catch slightly as he forced it to relax. Absently setting the scapular back into its correct position. The faint and familiar pulling of scar tissue guiding it. Functional complaints of learning to use it again. Reminders to double check himself always. “The healers that is,” he corrected his statement, “Not Az’uka. I am sure any hobby I could suggest to him would only be overlooked for the chance to meddle in someone else’s affairs.”

"Well, I can write to Master Laithan and see if his healers have any ideas and let you know. One of them might even want a field trip to the Weyr. They can be very pokey, though," Alyndra warned with an almost fond tone despite her irritable words. "I'll let you know if I hear anything back. Was there anything you needed from me today? How are your supplies of the salve you're using for the wound?" She moved on pointedly to the more medically focused part of the intended appointment.

A huff of laughter escaped him when Alyndra mentioned that the Hall might be fond of poking people. “I believe over the last Turn I have been poked by most of the Apprentices this side of Pern.” His frustrations at being a patient so long were etched on his features; but softened with his next words. “At least it has proved a decent teaching experience. Knowledge that Healers can add to their records without someone else having to go through it.”

“As for the slave,” He returned the conversation back in the same direction Alyndra had, following her line of questioning without missing a beat. “I have enough for the next sevenday.” A slight pause happened as he considered some of the things he wasn’t answering. Like the fact he had been trying to see it as a temporary measure, just as much as the unrefined straps. There was also the lingering questions in the back of his mind. Such as the fact the salve wasn’t showing as much improvement with each use; proving that recovery was indeed, not a straight line. Even so he remained diligent to the instructions given. Which kept him honest to just how much of the slave he had left. Just enough to make it to his next appointment with the Master seated across from him.

Last updated on the October 28th 2026

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A Healer A Sevenday (2/2)