Late For An Important Date

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 25th September 2008

Characters: J'gen, Irlani, Gyta
Description: Irlani is' late and J'gen and Gyta find out that she is sick.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 5 of Turn 4

Irlani must have been running late this morning, J'gen and Gyta had
been expecting her for the morning meal in their room, as she usually
joined them, but this morning, there was no sign of her. "You
finished?" J'gen asked his daughter, glancing at the time piece on
the table.

Gyta nodded, and stood from the table. She walked across to her father
and slipped her hand in his.

"Let's go and wake the sleepy head, shall we?" he asked, squeezing her
hand lightly.

***

He had knocked twice already, and was about to knock for a third time
when he could hear movement from behind the doorway.

The first knock upon the door went unheeded and it was a good while
after the second before the door slowly opened and a pale form peered
out at father and child. Colour had drained from her face and her hair
was tousled from the night's tossing and turning. Irlani swayed a
bit, confusion crashing over her features as she grasped the door jamb
to keep herself from falling. She looked for all of Pern like a woman
still half drunk after a night of revelry.

"J'gen?" Irlani's words rasped forth, as if she struggled to find her
voice. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Irlani!?" she didn't look well, it was obvious to anyone that not only
had she slept in, but that she was unwell. "It's not early." he
replied, glancing up and down the corridor in the hopes of spying a
drudge he could send for the healers. No one was around, the corridor
empty - everyone was probably already at their days work, or soon
would be. "You look terrible." he said finally.

"It's not? I'm late?" Irlani looked around, then turned around and
tottered back into her room. She moved to a chest of drawers, hands
shaking and stumbled, falling against it and just barely managing to
catch herself. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." She muttered, hands
erratically dancing at a drawer and opening it. "I'll get dressed
right now."

"No!" he held out his hand, attempting to still her fractious
movements, without luck. "No, Irlani, please, sit yourself back
down."

"I promised," She muttered, then began to cough, the sound hollow in
her chest, "I promised a treasure hunt today...It's just a cold."

"Even if it's _just a cold_, neither Gyta nor I want you making it
worse. I'm sure Gyta can forgo a treasure hunt for a few days until
you're completely well, can't you Gyta?" he asked, turning to his
daughter, who had slipped her hand into Irlani's and was pressuring
the woman to sit down.

Gyta nodded emphatically. She didn't want her foster mother to get any
worse, a shiver of apprehension went through the child at the thought
of losing another mother.

Irlani was about to make another protest, but a second round of
coughing cut it off. Finally allowing herself to be moved back to the
bed, though her face twisted with uncertainty.

"Gyta can stay and look after you today and I'll call back up at noon
to bring you both a meal and keep you company for a little while, how
does that sound?" he asked, following the pair through to her bed. He
had never entered this room before and wasn't sure she would
appreciate him being here, but for now she really had no choice, he
wanted to make sure she wouldn't leave her bed again.

A smile managed to creep over Irlani's lips. "Aren't _I_ supposed to
be the one looking after her?" It faded then when something came to
mind. "Ravyan..."

"Tell me who his mother is and I'll see to it that we organise someone
to care for him until you'd better. I _can_ organise stuff like that,
you know." he said with a smile on his face.

"Ail..." Irlani was interrupted by another spasm of coughing.
Eventually, she managed to rasp, "Aileyan, a greenrider."

"Okay, don't worry I will let her know what's happened, and together
we'll find someone else to care for the boy until you're well. What
about that other fostermother? The one Gyta had before..." he
couldn't remember the woman's name now, had forgotten it almost as
soon as Irlani had entered their quarters that first morning.

Irlani shook her head, then coughed another moment or two before she
could answer, "She's dealing with a new baby. No, I have a friend,
Adera, she's fairly new to the weyr."

"Alright, I'll find her and we'll see if she can help out, I just want
you to rest, and I'll get a healer up here to look in on you and see
if there isn't some medicament they can give you, alright?"

Irlani sighed softly, an act which only sent her into yet another
coughing fit. Her chest was hurting from all the coughing and she
moaned softly when it was over. "I'm not supposed to get sick..."

"We all get sick at some time, and its no great problem that can't be
fixed, it would be more so if you became even sicker though, so you
follow whatever the healer tells you - promise?" he asked, meeting her
eyes for the brief moment she had them opened.

"I'll try." Irlani smiled a little, then sighed. What little energy
she had was rapidly leaking away and suddenly all she wanted to do was
sleep.

"Is there anything I can get for you before I go?" he asked, "I know
Gyta will help you in any way you need, but can I get them to send
some juice and a light meal? Gyta and I have already broken our
fast."

Irlani shook her head. "I'm not really hungry." The foster mother
admitted and closed her eyes. Food was really the last thing she
wanted at the moment.

"Okay, I'll leave you for now," he nodded, turning his attention to
Gyta. "I'll be sending up a healer shortly sweetling, but no one else
is to disturb Irlani, okay?" he asked, waiting for a nod of
understanding. "Find something to occupy you, and I'll get a drudge
to bring you something to draw and write with once I'm down in the
infirmary."

Gyta nodded, and walked her father to the door. She would take her
duties very seriously. Irlani was almost like another mother to her,
she didn't want to lose her and she sensed her father didn't either.

"Thank you." Irlani called out, though the words were soft. She hated
being sick and hated the fact that they wouldn't be able to go on their
treasure hunt. She had something special at the end. Hopefully she
wouldn't be sick for too long.

Last updated on the September 28th 2008

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Late For An Important Date