>The wilder opened her eyes, and flinched as the light hurt her eyes and
her head. She tried to sit up but hands held her down.

	>"Lie down, your not going anywhere," a female voice said. Fae'Rhee didn't
recognize the voice.

	>"Do you know where you are?" the woman asked.

	>Fae'Rhee looked about uncertainly. "Daere," she said thickly, as much a
question as an answer.

	>"What is you're name?"

	>Fae'Rhee had to think. It was there, but she had to reach for it, try to
grasp it. "Fae'Rhee," she answered uncertainly.

	>"Good," the woman said, "Do you know who I am?"

	>Fae'Rhee shook her head. It throbbed and the back of her head was tender.

	>"I'm Kizera, I'm a healer," the older woman supplied.

	>Fae'Rhee shook her head uncertainly. The only thing she could remember was
the dream. 

	>Kizera looked at her with concern, "You are running a fever and you had a
seizure. You hit your head pretty hard, you may have a concussion. You need
to stay here a while so we can run some tests..."

	>"Zert..." Fae'Rhee murmurred.

	>"What about Zert?" the woman asked.

	>"Zert's a dragon," Fae'Rhee said.

	Kizera glanced at the man in the doorway, who began scribbling some notes.
She reached over to a basin beside the bed filled with cool water and
clothes, taking them out one at a time to lay across the girl's chest and
neck to cool her down.

	"Zert's a dragon!" she repeated.

	"Yes, of course he is, dear," Kizera murmured, settling more cool clothes
around the girl.  She was beginning to get restless again, and that wasn't
good for her condition.  Her body temperature had to come down and stay down.

	Fae'Rhee squeezed her eyes shut, her head rolling from side to side on the
pillow.

	"No..." she moaned, fitfull.  "Don't just say that!  Believe me!  Believe
me!" she grabbed Kizera's tunic, clenching and pulling herself up.  The
healer grasped the girl's shoulders firmly and gently laid her back down.

	"I believe you, Fae'Rhee.  I do.  Now listen to me - you are very ill.
Your body is very, very hot, and we must cool you down.  If you do not lie
still and rest, you will die."

	"Ask Zert!  Ask him!  Oh, you must believe me!" she collapsed back onto the
bed and began to weep.  Outside, a dragon's distressed calling could be
heard.  The high-pitched mew echoed throughout the med center as Alustriel
instinctively called out to the other dragons for reassurance.

	"Fae'Rhee!  Fae'Rhee!!" Kizera's voice was sharp and commanding, her charge
responding to the authoritative tone immediately.  She froze and fixed her
attention on the older woman, her head throbbing.

	"Listen to your dragon, Fae'Rhee.  She needs you.  When you become
distressed, she becomes distressed.  If you are ill, so is she.  If you love
her, you will listen to me and calm down, and help her calm down.  Do you
understand?"

	The girl nodded, sniffling and setting her mouth in a thin line as she
struggled to regain control.  Kizera watched with satisfaction as
dragonrider's mental discipline wound it's way through the girl's mind, her
face reflecting her thoughts.  It was the same processes she had seen on a
hundred riders' faces over the years as concern for their lifemate became
the focus.  Finally, the dragon's crying stopped, and Fae'Rhee sighed.

	"I'm so tired," she said wearily, shutting her eyes again as Kizera gently
wiped her brow with a wet clothe.  The healer began to hum a sweet tune in
rhythm with her ministrations, and before long Fae'Rhee's breathing slowed
as she drifted off to sleep.  This time it was Kizera's turn to sigh.

	She looked at the doorway to regard her assistant, Beeker, who had been
there taking patient notes.  He lowered the chart and met her gaze equally.

	"You know, it might not be a bad idea to have a someone who can help calm
her queen if that happens again.  Explain things to the little hatchling."

	"Normally Noni would handle this sort of case just for that reason, but..."

	"Zert's a telepath.  We could ask him to stay with Fae'Rhee and work with
her dragon."

	Kizera shook her head.

	"No, not in this case.  I can't have Zert setting her off again and
delaying her recovery."

	"You don't think his presence would counteract her delusion?"

	"I don't want to take the chance that it wouldn't, not in her condition.
Lemme think, who else is there..."  She snapped her fingers as an idea hit her.

	"I had a female dragonrider in here a bit earlier that I put on seventy-two
hours leave.  With nothing else to do, she'd be ideal!  And she already has
a friend among the slave girls she'll probably come back to visit.  I'll
take the morning report to Jayleigh and get her to authorize it."

******Early next morning*******

...(Jayleigh)

	>"Vesta my courier will be put at your disposal while you are here,"
Jayleigh offered and >knew the girl wouldn't mind. 

	>"Thank you M'lady. Then I'll get started as soon as things can be arranged."

	>Jayleigh reached out and touched the woman on the arm when she would have
moved on by. "Thank you."

	The WarrenLady turned and proceeded to leave the med center.  She was
almost to the door when a woman behind her caught her attention.

	"Jayleigh!"  Kizera stopped beside her and smiled, extending some bound
papers.  "I was just about to bring you the med report."  Jayleigh managed a
smile in return, took the report.

	"I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things," Kizera began, waiting
for a facial cue to continue.

	"I had a rider come in last night with the group that brought in Noni who
has a leg injury.  Nothing too severe, but I've placed her on leave.  A bit
later Fae' Rhee was brought in with a fever, dehydration, and possibly a
concussion."  Kizera paused as Jayleigh absorbed this news on top of
everything else.

	"She should pull through, but I'm having problems keeping her calm, and
naturally Alustriel too.  Apparently she's had some fever-induced delusions
that are doing a good job of keeping her agitated.  Since Noni isn't
available to help out, I'd like to have Nefiri - the rider I placed on leave
- come in to stay with Fae'Rhee.  My thinking is that she can help keep
Fae'Rhee calm, and her dragon can help keep Alustriel calm.  I just need
your approval on it as soon as possible."

	Jayleigh considered Kizera's plan a moment, then nodded.

	"Alright.  I need to speak with Nefiri this morning anyway.  I'll inform
her then of what she is to do.  Was there anything else immediate?"

	"No, that's it."  Kizera smiled again, and left Jayleigh to return to her
duties.

	>When she (Jayleigh) finally got back to her office she had Troy end out a
message to those involved in the healer Noni's rescue. <<I need for someone
to tell me what in the hell she was doing out there and what happened!!>>

********************************************************************

nrpg:  Beeker
Ok, remember the muppet scientist with his orange-haired, big-nosed
assistant?  That was my inspiration, now it can be yours.

Tag: Barb

All:  I apologize for taking so long.

ttfn
niki



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