A Reliable Tool

Writers: Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 19th July 2007

Characters: Fog, Vaheri
Description: Vaheri has a problem which Fog can help with.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 5, day 6 of Turn 4

"Of all the ones to break, why this one?" Vaheri's voice could be heard coming from the galley, followed by a metallic clang.

Fog was out on the deck having a quick klah before returning to the engine room, he heard Vaheri, and turned back to the common room door. "Something wrong?" he asked, opening the door and popping his head inside the room.

"Just this," she replied, holding up a metal pot in one hand and its handle in the other. "I know, we have other ones but I've used this one for turns and it's worn just perfectly so that when I make gravies I know exactly how much of everything to add."

"Is that all?" Fog asked. "I thought it must be something important." he said with a straight face. He looked at the pot and the handle more closely, "It could be fixed, after a fashion."

Though her reaction was to glower at him for his first comment, his second brought a different mood. "It could? And still be usable?"

"I think so. Maybe not until tomorrow when we reach port. I'll need to have a hot enough fire going, too hot for what we can manage onboard. But, yes, I think we can melt the handle enough to reaffix it." He took the two halves of the broken pot from his aunt, and looked closely, "Yes, and I may have some spare rods that could strengthen the handle more.
Can you manage without it tonight?" he asked, aware of how close he'd been to an earbashing for belittling her worry, but it wouldn't have been the first time.

"If you can fix it for me, I can probably manage for several nights." She smiled at him, a look of relief for his offer. "The less time without it, the better, but I can survive as long as I must."

"Well tomorrow night you should be able to use it again, we'll see how we go. But it might be an idea to start wearing another one in, so that if anything happens again, you're prepared."

She sighed and shook her head. "I doubt that I have as many turns left to me as it took me to break this one in."

"Now Vaheri, don't you start.." Fog looked closely at his aunt, she wasn't getting any younger, and if he remembered rightly she wasn't that far behind Jesten in age, but she still appeared to have plenty of fire in her. "Don't you go retiring on me as well.." he waved a long, work callused finger at her.

She looked at him sharply. "Retire? I have no intention of retiring. But have you any idea how long it took me to get this pot to where I wanted it?"

"Oh..um..no?" had he put his foot in it? It seemed so, especially with Vaheri's reaction. "Well, good." he nodded his approval. He was totally flummoxed now, did she want him to ask, or should he just leave things as they were. He reached out and took the items from her hands, they just looked like a normal cooking pot to him. His forehead creased in a frown as he turned the pot this way and that. "Doesn't look much different to the other pots, to me." he murmured almost to himself.

"Ah, but it is different," she told him. "I use that same pot, day in and day out. . . " She paused. "Fog, do you have any special tool that you use, one that fits just right in your hand, that when you reach for it you know will be exactly what you need?"

"Yes." he nodded, thinking of the wrench that he used most frequently, almost enough to have worn his hand print into the handle.

She waved her hand to indicate the galley and all that was in it. "These are my tools and this," she pointed to the pot in his hand, "is the one I rely on the most."

Fog nodded in understanding. "Then I'll do my best to make it last." he nodded, looking once more to the pan he held in his hands. A new rod down the centre of the handle, after melting it a little, should strengthen it, he thought. "I'll make it almost like new again.." he muttered almost to himself.

"And I'll be extremely grateful," she told him.

"Well as long as my food tastes the same, that's all I'm concerned with." he smiled widely. "But don't have a worry about this Vaheri. I might not be the sharpest knife in the draw these days, but there's nothing wrong with my hands." he said, a half smile on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with anything about you, Fog." She placed a hand on his arm. "I have the utmost confidence in you."

"Thanks." he grinned back at her, "It's nice to be told that occasionally."

She smiled, glad to see a more cheerful expression on his face - something that was often lacking since his accident. "Any time you need to hear it, come see me."

With a wide smile he nodded, "I may just do that. But for now, let me go find the rods I'll need for tomorrow."

Vaheri waved her hand airily. "Do whatever you need to do. I've still plenty to finish in here."

He turned and left the galley, pleased to be able to do something to help his aunt, and - in a round about fashion, help the others aboard the Sungazer."

Last updated on the July 22nd 2007

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A Reliable Tool