Unexpected Help (Attn: Kathleen)

[claireducky]

Gianna walked up the stairs into the White Tower, doing her best not to stumble. The great wooden doors were opened wide, and petitioners were passing in and out in a steady flow. She noticed that she was attracting stares as she was passing; a Novice almost dropped the papers she was carrying before she remembered herself and made a curtsy to Gianna with a squeak. Gianna shook her head and continued to walk deeper into the Tower. She was passing other Aes Sedai occasionally now, but none of them made to stop and talk with her. She knew she must look a mess; her hair had fallen haphazardly from where she'd pinned it up this morning, and she was caked in mud from head to toe. She hoped the gloves that Theodrian had given her hadn't been ruined.

 

She neared the Infirmary, and finally a sister in the corridor came up to speak with her. It was Claire, an ancient Brown. Gianna hadn't had occasion to speak with her more than a few times, and that as an Accepted in one of the Brown's classes on history. Claire had a motherly air to her, and came bustling up to Gianna, concern upon her face.

 

"Why, Gianna! Whatever happened to you? You didn't fall from your horse, did you? I'd always heard you were an exceptional rider." The elderly Brown's eyes searched hers for answers.

 

Gianna shook her head softly. "No, Claire-- I didn't fall from my horse. I was in Tar Valon waiting upon a wagon train to pass when someone pushed me into the road from behind. I nearly was run over by it, and one of the horses trampled on my back. I'm heading to the Infirmary now to have a Yellow take a look at me to be safe."

 

The Brown pursed her lips, obviously displeased. "That is a horrible act, if it was not an accident. I am no master of Healing, but let me take a look at you now to be sure I shouldn't send for a stretcher." She reached out and placed her hand upon Gianna's brow, disregarding the dirt smeared there. The glow of saidar sprang up around the older woman, and Gianna felt the familiar weave sink into her, sending shivers down her spine. She looked up at Claire as the Brown released her weave and took a step back.

 

"Well, you'll live. You are banged up pretty well, as I'm sure you know, and I think you may have broken a bone in your shoulder. That is beyond me to Heal, but I can do something about that mud, at least. I have an affinity for Earth, you see..." Claire trailed off as she eyed Gianna's dress, then the glow of saidar appeared around the Brown again and she created a weave that Gianna had not seen before. Earth primarily, with small amounts of Air and Fire, created a net that enveloped Gianna from head to toe. The Blue watched in amazement as the mud lifted away from her clothing and hair in chunks, coalescing into a ball of detritus in the air in front of her. It only took a few moments, and then Claire released the weave, letting the ball of dirt fall into her open palm.

 

The Brown smiled at Gianna. "There, now. You'll still want a bath, and that dress could use a good pressing, but at least it won't have stains now." Her smile faded, and she lowered her voice and took a step closer. "This is not my place, as I am neither your Ajah Head, nor even of your Ajah, but-- If someone tried to kill you Gianna, I don't think I need to tell you to be careful. If they know that their attempt failed, and they surely do know-- then they will not stop trying until they succeed." Her voice lowered even further, and Gianna had to strain to hear it. "There is danger everywhere these days, even here in the Tower itself. We cannot afford to continue losing Aes Sedai, especially promising young ones such as yourself. Fare you well, Gianna."

 

Claire took a step back and nodded at Gianna, then turned to walk down the corridor, bouncing the ball of dirt in her hand as she went. Gianna shook her head at the eccentricity of the Browns, then continued walking the short distance to the Infirmary, lost in her thoughts.

 

I will have to remember that cleaning weave-- no wonder they do not teach it to Novices & Accepted. At least I am not covered in dirt anymore. Now, let's get this Healing out of the way. I mean to be off to Cairhien tonight!

 

She pulled the light-colored wooden door open, and stepped inside. A Yellow she did not know looked up at her arrival, and made her way across the room to her.

[Kathleen]

Seheria spun around to face the door of the infirmary as it opened suddenly. Open anger spread across her face. She was seconds away from berating the sole who came through the doors in such a way. This place was off limits and some of the illness could be catching, not to mention sudden bursts like this could be enough to unstabilize a patient.

 

She caught sight of the intruder and her anger subsided in a flash as she made her way to meet the young woman. As she drew closer she couldn't help but notice the difference between the state of her body and the state of her clothes. Seheria had seen many things in her long life and it was a rare event that could render a body to be in the shape it was in with the cleanliness of the clothes this one was wrapped in. Truly so vain? she wondered, what that must take to care so much how you look on the way to the infirmary!

 

"Come now," she muttered as she wrapped herself under the woman's arm and helped her to the edge of the nearest bed, "Tell me how you came to this state. I cannot fix you if I don't know how you were broken. Leave out no detail, but do get to the point."

 

She did listen to the reply, but one would never know it the way she called over the woman for the Accepted to bring the supplies she would need to see to the sister on the bed. She didn't stop to ask permission or even to inform the patient as she began the delving weave to see if the damages spoken would account for the damages she could sense within the woman. More often than not the account of the victim did not line up with the injuries sustained, and Seheria was used to guessing at what needed to be done. Though there had been the odd time that a small detail told did change the healing greatly so she hoped the woman wouldn't choose this moment to be the tight lipped Aes Sedai most could be.

 

"How much time has passed?" What she wanted to ask is why it took so long to get to her, and why none helped her. Surely the woman wasn't daft enough to think it wasn't doing any damage moving herself along alone this way.

 

Seheria Sedai

Being a Yellow for once!

[claireducky]

Gianna watched with trepidation as the Yellow marched over to her, anger flashing in her eyes. She knew the Yellows could be tetchy over their dominion here. But she saw the anger melt from the Yellow's face as she realized that Gianna was hurt. The woman didn't give her name, but murmured, "Come, now," and wrapped deceptively strong arms around Gianna's waist, helping her to the nearest bed. Gianna was glad of the help; walking herself the miles back to the Tower had probably been a mistake. Her body was hurting all over, and the left side of her back near her shoulder was practically screaming.

 

They reached the bed, and Gianna sat down heavily with an audible "Hff!" It felt good to have the weight off her feet, and she kicked off her hard-soled slippers under her dress. As she sat, the Yellow began to examine her. Saidar glowed around the woman and she questioned Gianna as she worked.

 

"Tell me how you came to this state? I cannot fix you if I do not know how you were broken. Leave out no detail, but do get to the point." The Yellow spoke in a no-nonsense manner, but something made Gianna hesitate before answering. She remembered what Claire had said to her in the corridor earlier.

 

"There is danger everywhere these days, even here in the Tower itself. We cannot afford to continue losing Aes Sedai, especially promising young ones such as yourself."

 

What exactly had Claire meant by that? What sort of danger could be lurking in the Tower? Gianna hadn't thought twice about giving the true story of what happened to the Brown, but maybe a modicum of caution was necessary. After all, she didn't know this Yellow sister at all. Gianna shook her head minutely and turned to look at the Yellow, who was watching her with questioning eyes.

 

"I was walking in Tar Valon and I fell down in front of a grain wagon. The wagon didn't roll over me, but one of the horses reared and landed on my back when it came down." Gianna kept it her answer short and to the point. And all true, although she'd left out the part about being pushed. Surely that wouldn't matter much when it came to Healing her, would it?

 

The Yellow sister appeared to listen to her answer, but no emotion registered on her face beyond continued concentration on her tasks. She barked out some orders to a nearby Accepted, who went running for supplies and brought them speedily back to the Aes Sedai. Gianna looked at the tools and implements warily-- surely this wouldn't take long to fix. She needed to be away to Cairhien! The Blue hardly noticed when the Yellow asked her another question, her mind was racing at the possibility of being confined here to recover. The woman finally had to touch her arm to get Gianna's attention.

 

"Hmm? I'm sorry, I didn't hear your question." Gianna said. Her head felt muzzy and thick, like it was stuffed with wool.

 

The Yellow patiently repeated herself. "I said, How much time has passed?"

 

Gianna considered the question for a moment. "Probably a couple of hours. I walked back here from where I fell. It was just before mibbles when it happened. I've no idea what time it is now. I met Claire Sedai in the hall, and she cleaned my stird for me but said she couldn't Heal me. It was nice of her to clean my stird, though, don't you think? I hope that my pickles didn't get ruined...now where did I put those?"

 

As the Blue spoke, her words started to run closer together, sometimes jumbling into a mess that made no sense. "I had a plick in my tay...but I don't see it now. A plick for plicking, you know?" She gestured like she was combing her hair, and the Yellow nodded uncertainly. "I hope Bili likes his new home, he was such a dear boy....a dear..." Gianna's words trailed off into mumbles, and her her eyes rolled back in her head as she fainted dead away, falling back onto the infirmary bed.

 

 

/probably just *slightly* concussed

[Kathleen]

Seherai noted the momentary shift in speech when the woman came to the point of how she ended up in front of the carriage, but she didn't focus on it. The injuries she did find were cohesive with the story the woman was telling, and the time between getting injured and getting help seemed to add up. Everything seemed to add up but the reasoning of an Aes Sedai falling before a grain carriage in Tar Valon, but that was of no concern to Seheria now. Had tripped over her own feet or had the Great Lord himself dropped her there, it was of no concern now. She had come for healing and that was all that mattered now.

 

She quickly checked the woman's lungs for punctures and made sure the rest of her vital organs were in tact with the delving weave. She felt out the fractured collarbone and began the weave of air, spirit and water that came so easily after the many years or practice. The healing would take some time, but it would heal well.

 

The Yellow let her eyes fall on the patient's face as her speech began to fail her. Seheria reached a hand behind the blue's head as consciousnesses failed the woman.

 

"Get a cool, damp cloth on her forehead," Seheria ordered the Accepted as she laid the Aes Sedai back onto the pillow.

 

 

Busywork would do the Accepted good, she thought. She remembered well her time as Accepted and how much she had wished to help people. While this girl was here it was better to give her a task that would make her feel useful than to leave her stand in a corner. This one seemed promising to join the Yellows herself one day and so Seheria tried to encourage it where she could.

 

Seheria went back to work delving the woman and healing the minor inflictions the woman had received. Hoping the woman would come to on her own swiftly.

 

"Keep your eye on the cloth; keep it cool. She'll be fine, she had quite a bump on the head, and all this overexertion was hard on her."

 

Sleep will do her healing well, she thought, She'll be fine now, but a day or two of monitoring to be sure the brain wasn't truly damaged would do her well. We'll see how she takes the suggestion when she comes around. She didn't have much hope that the blue would take the advice.

 

Seheria Sedai

Yellow Sister

 

OOC: had to end up rushing this as I had to leave.

[claireducky]

For a time, everything was dark, and Gianna drifted in that darkness. She could not say how much time passed-- a minute, an hour, an eternity? It was like floating in nothingness.

 

I wonder if this is what it feels like to be dead. But I cannot be dead, or I wouldn't be able to think. At least, I think that I am thinking...oh this is so confusing. I wish I'd just wake up!

 

And as if her thoughts summoned them, sensations began to return to her. Light began to filter in through her closed eyelids. The smells of a Infirmary registered to her. And words-- soft at first, but growing louder and more present in her consciousness, came to her ears.

 

"....bump on the head, and all this overexertion was hard on her."

 

Gianna groaned softly, and her eyes fluttered open. The view above her was of oaken beams, obviously laid by the hand of a master carpenter. Cobwebs sheltered in the corners of some of those beams where they met the arching ceiling. An errant thought flitted through her mind: They really should clean those...this is supposed to be a sickroom, after all.

 

She shook her head to clear the cobwebs from her own ceiling beams, or at least she tried to. It felt like a huge weight was resting upon her forehead. Her hand groped up to her face and discovered a cool, wet cloth laid upon her brow. It seemed to weigh a hundred pounds as she dragged it away, letting it fall to the floor. After that exertion, sitting up seemed like moving the world itself, but Gianna persevered. An inch at a time, she scooted her arms beneath her body and managed to prop herself up on her elbows. The view of the ceiling gave way to a slightly more interesting view of the Infirmary, with beds in neat rows-- some occupied, some vacant with pressed bed linens pulled back, awaiting their next occupant. The Accepted who had been present when Gianna arrived noticed the Blue attempting to rise, and went running to fetch the Yellow sister who had tended to her.

 

The girl in the seven-banded dress came running back to Gianna's bedside, with the Yellow walking purposefully a few steps behind her. When the Aes Sedai arrived, Gianna managed to rise up a little higher on her elbows, and asked, "So, what is the verdict, sister? I feel absolutely exhausted, so I imagine that you had to Heal quite a bit. I also am fairly sure I could eat a horse, if it was seasoned properly. If at all possible, I'd like to be able to travel soon."

 

Holding herself up with one slightly trembling arm, Gianna managed to adjust her pillows behind her and laid back into them so she was at least sitting up. She did her best to nonchalantly hide the fact that her arm almost collapsed under her before she could accomplish this feat. She hoped that the Yellow wouldn't order her to stay in the Infirmary.

[Kathleen]

Seheria finished healing the blue and rose to return the task she had been doing before the woman had came barging into the room. She had just gotten into the back room when the Accepted came running in, panic filling her voice, "Seheria Sedai! She's awake! She's awake!"

 

"I have ears, child, why did you leave her side?" The yellow barely had the words out of her before the girl's eye widened and she turned on her heel, all but running back to the bed. Seheria just shook her head as she made her way back to the patient's side.

 

When she arrived at the Aes Sedai's side she continued speaking to the Accepted, "Next time, if you make it back here, do not leave a waking patient's side. She could have lost her senses and fell out of the bed. She could have been wild, had her injuries been of another nature. You must stay with the patient to monitor their abilities, reassure them or remind them of where they are. Often, they are disoriented when they wake. You mustn't leave them on their own where they could harm themselves."

 

She hadn't meant it to imply that Gianna was any of those things, only to teach the Accepted of how things could have been with another. She didn't even concider that the Blue would take her words out of context as a prod, and by the time she realized the woman might have her point was made.

 

She cut off her speech as the blue forced herself up onto her elbow, propping herself up onto the bed. "So, what is the verdict, sister? I feel absolutely exhausted, so I imagine that you had to Heal quite a bit. I also am fairly sure I could eat a horse, if it was seasoned properly. If at all possible, I'd like to be able to travel soon." The woman spoke with power behind her words, but her body shook slightly beneath her and Seheria knew her body's true weariness.

 

"Being trampled by a horse does generally cause need for much healing," she quipped, "but you were lucky, sister, considering how much worse things could have been. There was quite a bit to be done to heal you, yes, but I'm more than used to it. You should be fine, now, but rest would be good for you. I would like to keep a watch on you for a week, to be certain the dizziness won't return." Before the woman could protest Seheria turned back to the Accepted, "Fetch her a meal from the kitchens, tell them to fill the tray well." Seheria turned back to the Blue, "Do you have a preference from the kitchens?"

 

She hoped the change of focus would be a good enough deterrent from protesting the week of watching. It often did, but she knew even if the topic shifted it would come around again as soon as the girl was out of the room.

 

Seheria Sedai

Yellow Sister

[claireducky]

Gianna shook her head, trying to process what Seheria was telling her.

 

A week? I can't possibly stay here for a week. What if Claire is right, and the person who did this is still after me? That gives them that much more time to find me. But of course, I can't tell Seheria that.

 

She made an effort to smooth the edge in her voice as she replied, "Anything from the Kitchens would be fine, Seheria, but I would request a pot of mint tea, and a loaf of hot bread with a generous amount of butter. You are absolutely correct; I am famished, and rest would do me well after what happened today. I will not fight you on the issue, but may I request to be allowed to convalesce in my own rooms?"

 

Hopefully, the Yellow would acquiesce to her simple request.

 

OOC: Sorry so short, trying to get back into this story line!

[Kathleen]

"You heard her, child, mint tea, hot buttered bread and two servings of whatever is already prepaired for meal time. Go, child, and hurry back." The Accepted dropped to a quick curtsy, twisting mid way through to face both Sisters. It was probably her way of trying to be fast, and Seheria let it slide. She could have sparred a word for the Accepted, but not only would that slow her down, it would have meant she couldn't the order out of her mouth for the Blue before the Accepted left. Some Sister's were drastically different in the face of an Accepted than they were when one on one with another Sister, and Seheria needed all the backing she could get to have this woman's word, just in case she was of one of the women from the first group.

 

"It would be preferred that you stay here, while you heal," where we can be sure you won't go running back off under horse hooves, and then blame faulty treatment by us on your loss, she added to herself, "We would hate to see you having a relapse, when we are not around to help and having serious damage come of your decision to leave. This condition could be quiet serious, though the initial danger is done. Should you be open to having myself or another yellow checking in on you periodically, and if you agree to come in at the first sign of any aches in your head, dizziness,  confusion, forgetfulness,  or any similar upsets, no matter how mild, I suppose there is no harm in letting you rest in your own rooms. It will free up this bed for more people with more immediate threats." Seheria knew that if this woman truly wanted to leave she could not rightly hold her here. And even if she could hold her the Yellow had no desire to. Should the fool woman wish to run back out and cause more damage to herself, that would be her own stupidity, not Seheria's. It was Seheria's place to warn her of the damage, and offer what she could to help her back to health, but after the healing was done so was Seheria. 

 

Seheria Sedai

Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah

 

OOC: I forget if I was supposed to say yes or no.......if it was supposed to be no with a fight to come I'll edit this, just let me know. But I don't really see why they would make her stay..i mean, doctors now don't have healing and they still let you go home with concussions.

[claireducky]

As the Accepted dropped an almost-too-quick curtsy and scurried away, the Yellow turned her attention back to Gianna.

 

"It would be preferred that you stay here, while you heal," Seheria said. "We would hate to see you having a relapse, when we are not around to help and having serious damage come of your decision to leave. This condition could be quiet serious, though the initial danger is done. Should you be open to having myself or another Yellow checking in on you periodically, and if you agree to come in at the first sign of any aches in your head, dizziness,  confusion, forgetfulness, or any similar upsets, no matter how mild, I suppose there is no harm in letting you rest in your own rooms. It will free up this bed for more people with more immediate threats."

 

Oh, thank the Light, I won't be forced to sneak out of the Infirmary. Now, how to get out of here with none the wiser tonight...

 

Gianna cleared her throat slightly, wishing for that tea. "That would be acceptable to me, Seheria. You or any other Yellow may come check on me in my rooms whenever you like. After I eat, I would like to retire there promptly-- if that Accepted would be so kind as to assist me there."

 

She stretched her arms above her head, in not completely feigned tiredness. "In fact, I would appreciate it if someone would check on me before I retire for the evening, although I am likely to be asleep well before then.  Feel free to go ahead and enter my rooms if I do not answer your knock."

 

Hopefully that would satisfy the Yellow, and Gianna would make a point to be there when the woman arrived this evening.