A Visit To The Healer

Writers: AL, Avery
Date Posted: 28th March 2008

Characters: Kitali, Riveenata, Talvan
Description: Kitali takes her son Talvan to see Riveenata because of an earache.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 1 of Turn 4

Kitali cradled her younger son in her arms as she strode into the informary. He was whimpering, sniffing, and his face was red as if he had been crying for some time. There was a tear that hung just beneath his eye and he kept his face half hidden in his mother's houlder, hands clenching at her sleeve. There was one person there before her, so she stood to the side and waited until there was a healer who was free and could help her.

"I can take you now." Riveenata said, walking over to Kitali. "What seems to be the problem today? Not you, I hope?"

"No my son." Kitali smiled at the healer and shifted her little boy, who protested with a soft whine. "Talvan's not feeling well. He's been pulling at his ear and running a fever, so I'm thinking some sort of infection." While Talvan was talking, he still wasn't talking enough to be able to tell Kitali what exactly the problem was. However, she'd been a mother long enough to know what pulling at the ear meant.

"It could very well be an ear infection. How about we go over here?"
Riven indicated a cot over on the wall with a curtain that can be pulled around it. "You can set him down and I'll take a look. He won't mind me examining him, right?"

"I think I'd better hold him while you examine him." Kitali suggested as she moved over to the cot, then sat down upon it. "He gets really clingy when he's not feeling well."

"That works for me." Riven answered as she collected her tools. "How are you settling back in?" she asked. "Do you feel like a lot has changed?"

"Not really, I was only gone for a month." Kitali shrugged, such as she could considering her son was clinging to her so tightly. "There have been a few changes," Ones that were mostly her fault, "But not much. I've settled back into my classes. I particularly enjoy working with the younger children."

"I can't ever imagine leaving," Riven said thoughtfully. She moved to examine Kitali's son, who was tugging at his ear again. "It's the right one?" That seemed to be the affected one.

"Well, he's been tugging at one, but mostly at the right one." Kitali gently rubbed her son's back. "So I'm wondering if the infection is starting so spread."

"It could be, but I hope not. We can still treat it either way, he just might have to take more medicine for longer." The ear looked reddened, but Riven couldn't tell if it was from tugging or from infection. She touched the boy's head- he was certainly hot. "Has he had any signs indicating it's more than an ear infection? Coughing?" Earaches could also be part of sinus or respiratory infections, she knew.

Kitali shook her head. "No more than the usual occasional one because he swallowed his water too quickly." The harper smiled. She wasn't really worried. Talvan hadn't gotten sick very much in his short life span, though she certainly was concerned. She knew that this too would pass.
"He's been pretty cranky, though that's to be expected."

"That's good. Colds in younger children can turn into nasty things sometimes. An earache is easier to deal with, for you and him." No one liked having a sick child, especially if they had duties. "I think garlic oil for the earache, and meadowsweet for the fever. Does Talvan generally have problems taking medicine? Meadowsweet isn't unpleasant tasting, but the garlic might be worse."

"I can mix it in with some water to make the taste less powerful."
Kitali suggested. "Not a lot, but enough so that it doesn't overwhelm him. Otherwise, I'll just have to get him to take it one way or another."

"That sounds like a plan. Let me go get the herbs for you." Once Riven returned, she continued. "The garlic is two times a day for a sevenday.
As for the meadowsweet, that's 3 times a day until the fever goes down.
If it's still there in two days, then it might be more serious, and you should bring him back. If you're at all worried, you can bring him back." It was a standard healer's litany of advice and recommendations.
Kitali had probably heard most of it before.

The harper nodded, pocketing the vials of herbs. "Thank you. I'm sure he'll be better now that we've got something to help him fight it." She kissed her son's forehead and let him down on the ground, taking his hand.
"I'll be sure to come see you again if he's not better in a couple of days. "

"You'll forgive me if I say that I hope the next time I see you or him isn't in the Infirmary." she said with a smile. "Meeting in the dining cavern is much better than him being sick still."

Kitali laughed and nodded. "I have to agree! I'd much rather meet there.
Perhaps we'll run into each other."

"Perhaps we will. And remember, let me know if anything happens." Riven requested.

Last updated on the March 29th 2008

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A Visit To The Healer