Day 9 - night

Gus watched as Elly and Corwin came together, idly wondering if he was going
to notice the bleeding anytime soon. She should maybe mention it - or, at
least, do something to make sure Elly was ok - but moving was more than she
really wanted right now.  She winced slightly and shifted position.  As she
did so, another trickle of blood ran down her face. Wiping it away, she
pressed the heel of her hand against the wound. Glancing up, she saw Corwin
fumbling for a rag or something to stop the bleeding.  Just use your hand,
idiot, she thought.  At that moment, he managed to pull Ellyās shirt
completely apart. Gus stiffened and looked away, but not before catching the
expression of dismay that crossed his face.

Leaning against Loki, Gus could hear the spurts of laughter - whether at
Corwin or Elly, she wasnāt sure. She felt a surge of anger. Dammit, didnāt
they realize the last thing Elly needed now was them laughing over THIS?

"What the hell are you doing with my sister?"

The laughter sputtered to a halt as the newcomer - Ellyās brother, apparently -
grabbed Corwinās shoulder. Elly moved quickly to interpose and direct his
attention to the bodies scattered about the beach. 

"Those guys, over there ...they were the ones that attacked me!"

Eddy peered over to the dark shapes on the ground and snorted. "I've asked
Hesperus to send for some back-up. Dad's coming... Where is Devon? He was
supposed to be on watch?!"

With the indication that this mess was finished, Gus decided it was time to
head back to the barracks. The fun was over for tonight - and if she left
now, maybe no one would notice the cut by her eye and that sailorās newly bare
fingers and make the obvious connection. Setting her jaw against the protest
of her stomach muscles, she managed to stagger slowly to her feet. 
Concentrating on rising smoothly - well, almost - and not crying out, she
failed to notice either Edāwenās questions about injured or Jerramās approach.

"Are you all right?"

Her skin prickling with the sudden nearness of the voice, Gus spun around,
hands raising to defensive positions. Seeing Jerram, she relaxed slightly,
her hands dropping to her sides. It was only then that his words penetrated.

"Who, me?" 

Jerram made a face and Gus realized just how stupid that sounded, but he surely wasnāt really asking her if she was all right, was he? 

"Iāll live," she muttered.

"You still need to get checked out," Jerram grumbled. "Come on, I'll help...I'll make sure you get to the med center.  Knowing you, you'd try to wash that cut with seawater!" 

"I aint stupid and I don't need no healers."

Staggering only slightly, Gus turned and headed in the direction of the barracks. She hadn't gotten more than a couple of steps when Jerram grabbed hold of her arm. 

"You're bleeding, you're going."

Angrily, Gus tried to yank her arm away, but without using her stomach muscles, it just wasn't happening.  "Lookit, you can't really be as dumb as you seem so I'll talk slow for you. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFFA ME!"  She tugged again - and failed to break free.  "I aint bleedin that bad - it'll stop soon, so I aint goin!"

Jerram exhaled gustily.  "Trainees are my responsibility, so..." 

Without further warning, he heaved her up and over his shoulder.  Gus inhaled sharply at the jolt of pain that rushed through her - followed rapidly by shock, fear, anger, and a vague thought that the view wasn't so bad.  Ruthlessly, she crushed all thoughts but that she HAD to stop this - and NOW.  One brief twist against his grip proved to her that a) he had a really strong grip and b) breaking free like that was gonna cost more pain than she was willing to pay - yet. Thumping her fists against his back, she tried to kick, but he'd thought ahead and had one hand keeping her legs still.

"Put me down, you sonofabitch!  Jerram!  Dammit, I aint that hurt and I don't need a healer."

Jerram ignored both her increasingly vulgar protests and the fists pounding heavily against his back and marched determinedly to the Med Center.  Once there, he unceremoniously dumped her in front of the door.

"Fine. If you aren't hurt, I'm sure they can find that out. My job is done," he snapped and stalked off, muttering to himself.

Gus scrambled to her feet, ignoring the assorted amused glances from her companions. Elly's brother was openly snickering and Corwin was fighting back the laughter as well. Gus had forgotten about the shipwrecked stranger until a hand landed on her arm, pulling her the rest of the way to her feet. Startled and angry - both at the stranger for touching her and herself for not having noticed her - Gus yanked her arm free and stepped back.

"Keep your hands OFF!"

"I'm afraid I shall have to put my hands on in order to fix you up, my lad." Gus turned to face Raleon, who had suddenly appeared from within the Med Center.  He gave a quick glance at Gus's eye.  "Hmm, not too bad, that eye, Won't take but a moment to fix.  A stitch or two is likely overkill, but that is my job.  Come along and we'll patch you up."

Pride assuaged by the healer's no-nonsense manner, Gus followed him into a treatment room. At his gesture, she scrambled up onto a table and waited stiffly.  Ever so gently he prised her swollen eyelids open and assessed the damage within.  Nodding in satisfaction he let the eyelids close and turned his attention to the cut trailing from the corner of her eye.  With delicately probing fingers, he swabbed the cut clean, and readied the area for the stitches. The healer pulled over a small, rolling table over and picked up a bottle and a small glass with graduations marked on it.  Giving Gus a careful scrutiny - at which she bristled visibly - he poured out a small amount of opaque whitish liquid from the bottle into the glass and handed it to her.

"What is that?"  Gus peered suspiciously at the glass she held.

"It's a mild anesthetic.  That means it will lessen the pain - something like alcohol might."

"Like alcohol?"  Gus frowned.  Last thing she needed was to get drunk.  Losing control was not to be thought of - not to mention how much spewing would hurt right now.  She pushed the glass back into Raleon's hand.  "I don't think so."

Raleon raised an eyebrow and sighed.  "All right, but -"

"I know. I aint gonna move."

Shaking his head at the boy's insistence, the healer threaded the needle and got on with the job. True to her word, Gus gave no indication of even noticing the few stitches, except for the harsh set of her jaw.  Once Raleon had finished, she hopped down from the table and hurried toward the door.

"No other injuries, then?"

Gus checked herself before she flinched and said in a determinedly off-hand tone, "Nope. G'night."

She managed to escape the med center and make it back to the barracks without further incident.  She paused outside the door, listening carefully for sounds of anyone awake and wanting to talk.  She was sore, she was tired and she damn sure didn't want anyone asking why she had already been out of bed at that hour.  Hearing no sounds - other than the familiar snores of K'liam - she grinned and slipped quietly inside.  She was slipping off her pants to get into bed when Lainie's quiet voice nearly scared her out of her skin.

"Was Elly - ?"

"She's ok.  Go back to sleep."

At her soft reassurance, Lainie sighed and was soon breathing evenly. Gus listened for a moment more and then she too drifted off.

_____________

Katrina

Ok, tags to Bridget and John.