*Morning After The Excitement*

She awoke a little later then usual the next morning, but after the night
before felt entitled to a little more sleep. Koda stretched her arms above
her head to remove the kinks from her back as she took a deep breath and
held it for a minute before letting it out slowly.

She knew she couldn't stay here in her comfortable bed, to much longer. 
she had to much to do in the med center this morning and patience to see
too, but decide a few more minutes wouldn't hurt anything.

......................

"So how is everyone this morning?" Koda asked Sina when she finally 
showed up to relieve the girl who'd filled in last night.

"Carrie's still out of it but Trey's awake and wants to know when he's 
going to be released," the woman smiled as the two of them shared a joke.
"He's complaining about the food in here."

"Then he should love what I brought him," Koda grinned and held up a bag 
she was carrying. "Homemade and fresh this morning. There's some for you 
too on your desk."

With that parting shot she wondered down the hall to make a quick check 
on the Jr. Queenrider to check to see how she was doing, then after 
making a few notes on her chart, picked up the bag she'd set down when 
she came in and went in search of Trey.

He was awake when she entered his room and came in setting the bad down 
on the tray table in front of him. 

"How are you feeling this morning?" she asked, and saw him eyeing the 
bad on the tray. "I heard you've been 
complaining about the food we serve in here so I made you something 
myself."

"Oh?" he looked at her and then back at the bag she had picked up and 
was digging into. 

"Oh..." she nodded her head, smiling and pulled out the first covered
container. Opened it and the smell of fresh backed coffee cake filled 
the air in the room. 

She placed it on the table before him and reached back into the bag, 
pulling out a second container. This one held a egg dish, mixed with
cheeses, mushrooms, onions and bacon. The aroma of the two dishes 
combined making her own mouth water, even though she'd eaten before 
she'd come in.

"Is it safe to eat?" he asked and she could see amusement dancing in 
his mixed-matched eyes as he surveyed the spread she was putting out 
before him.

"Well no one's died from my cooking yet," she commented smugly. "Most 
of the time I can't seem to get by without one or more of Yasi's friends
sitting with us at the dinner table. Ask S'an, he's there often enough."

She picked up a fork off of the old try and spooned up a bit of the 
eggs then held it up in front of his mouth. 

"Open wide," she couldn't help but grin.

"It was my hip that was hurt. Not my hands," he commented, frowning 
slightly as he took the fork from her. "I can still feed myself."

"Oh and here I thought I was going to get some practical experience 
for when the baby came," she giggled. "But if you insist on feeding
yourself...what more can I say?"

Trey rolled his eyes at her humor and helped himself to a bit of the 
coffee cake. Then his face reflected his amazement. "Hey this is good."

"Told you so," she reminded him and stood up to walk around for a 
minute stretching her legs. 

"Have you thought about what you're going to name the baby when it's 
born?" he asked his tone softer now as he took another bite. 

"No.. not yet. Frankly I haven't even thought about it," she admitted
looking at him. All humor gone from her eyes now. "I've had to many 
other worries on my mind I guess. But I'd better start thinking of 
something soon or we'll be calling him or her *The Baby*."

Before Trey could reply there was a knock at the door and a nurse poked 
her head into the room. "Sorry to interrupt Koda, but Carrie's awake and
asking for you."

"Tell her I'll be along in a minute would you please?"

"Sure." The woman smiled and disappeared.

"Well I guess it's time I got back to doing what they pay me for around
here," she commented as she headed for the door. 

"Speaking of that," Trey stopped her as she was opening it. "When am I 
going to get out of here?"

"Now I know my cooking was good, but don't expect it to heal you that
quickly," she looked back at him. "I'll be back later to check and see 
how you are and then decide. Until then just relax and enjoy our hospitality." 

"Does this mean you're bring me a home made lunch too?" 

"Gees..." Koda rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh. "Cook the man 
one tiny breakfast and he expects full course meals at every sitting 
from then on!!!" 

"I take it that means no?" 

"Well see how well you behave yourself between now and then first 
before I decide."

She left then and wondered down the hall towards Carrie's room and ran 
into the rider who'd worked on trey the night before coming towards her. 

"Talitha, right?" she asked when they came abreast of eachother. "I was
hoping to run into you sometime today." Koda smiled warmly at the rider.

"Why was that healer?" the girl asked.

"I never had the time last night to tell you what a wonderful job you 
did working on Treys hip wound," Koda told her, meaning every word. 
"Maybe I'll suggest they call on you to come in if needed when I have 
to take my time off."

"Time off? Is something wrong with you healer?" Talitha asked.

Koda was sure everyone knew by now about her condition. Several people 
had spoke to her able it.

"I'm almost six months pregnant," Koda informed her and saw the woman's 
look of disbelief.

"You're kidding. Why you hardly show!"

"That's cause you've never seen me in anything but my med center 
close," Koda chuckled. "Try seeing me try to fit into my normal 
clothing. I can't even get them past my hips any longer."

"Is this your first?"

"Does it show?" 

Talitha laughed. "No.. not that I would know, but I never heard 
anything about the healer having any kids."

"There's a good reason for that," Koda quipped. "It's because I don't. 
Not that I didn't want to but ... things got in the way before. This 
time I'm not going to let them."

She was quiet for a moment until Talitha cleared her throat to remind 
her she was still there. 

Koda smiled up at the girl. "Well I really just wanted you to know 
what I fine job I thought you did last night. Good work, but now I 
really do need to go by and see Carrie or she'll think I forgot about 
her."

"Umm.. thank you."

Koda made her good-byes and continued on down the hall, around one 
corner to the second hall the entered the second door on the left to 
find Carrie sitting half up and half down in the bed.

"How you feeling this morning," she asked the Queenrider as she moved 
into the room and pulled the woman's chart from the holder on the end 
of the bed.

"Compared to what?" Carrie's voice came out sounding no stronger then a
rough whisper. 

"Oh I don't know," Koda grinned slightly as she put the chart on the 
Trey stand and moved to the side of the bed to reach for Carrie's hand. 
"You know... you're lucky to be alive this morning.. If the Arrow hand
entered a half inch to the right..."

"Then Waylene wouldn't have to worry about me going off on my own so 
much," the girl shifted restlessly on the bed.

"Something like that," Koda muttered while she rechecked
 her work to make sure the stitches had held and healing was started. 
"You know you're going to be here for sometime with these injuries. I 
don't want you trying to walk around on that bum leg of yours for while."

"How bad am I?"

Koda looked at her, trying to decide what to tell her, and then 
deciding to put it to her strait. She was old enough to handle the 
news. Not some kid they were trying to keep from being scared.

"You have a hole in you chest where the arrow entered that came close 
to hitting a main artery. I had to work for sometime to get to it and 
get it out without causing you any lasting harm. A second hole caused 
by a second arrow down closer to your ribs and by the swelling in you 
right leg, I'd say you sprained the knee and ankle joint pretty good. 
It might be awhile before your able to use it to get around with out 
aid of crutches, and not at all until the swelling goes down some."

She looked at the girl to make sure she was listening.

"You've torn some ligaments, and they will take some time to heal," she
tried to find the right way to describe what had happened. "They aren't 
like rubber bands that just ease back into place after you pull them 
apart. They've been badly pulled, stretched to their limits and it'll 
take time for them to ease themselves back they way they were."

"How long will that take?" Carrie asked, frowning at the healers words, 
for she was not a patient kind of girl.

"Four to ten weeks. Depending on how much you listen to my advise about
staying off of the leg as much as you can to start. Which for a time 
you'll be doing anyway because I don't want you moving around to much 
until that wound in your chest has a chance to heal."

Koda stood up, reached to pull open the chart file again, made a few 
notes then replaced it and turned back to the girl on the bed. 

"I've ordered that the knee and ankle go through a series of ice packs 
for the next couple of days. This will help reduce the swelling and then
I'll be able to have a better look at those injuries. Until that time 
you are to stay completely off the leg and I mean it!"

"But I can't Koda... I have things to do. Responsibility around here 
that I can't do if I can't move around."

"I don't see why some of your work can't be brought here for you to work 
on, and there are plenty of riders who I know would be happy to act as 
your legs while you're laid up," Koda replied. She understood the girl's
worries, but would stand firm on her medical decision. 

"But understand this my girl!! You *are NOT* to try moving around on your
own for any reason at all!! To do so could bring worse injuries to that 
leg of yours and cause permanent harm! Now... have I made myself clear?"

She left after getting the Queenriders promise, though she suspected the
words didn't meet up with the woman's true feeling on the matter, her 
word was all Koda had. She just hoped the woman was smart enough to 
follow her advice.

She finished off the rest of her rounds, but avoided the one room she 
didn't want to go into until last. Had their been any other healers
available, she would have sent them in to check on C'tain instead of 
going herself. But as the second healer on the sift wasn't due in for
another hour, she knew she couldn't put it off till then and slowly 
pushed open the door leading inside.

He was there on the bed looking better then he had any right to look. 
Her heart jumped at the sight of him, propped up on the pillows with 
the sheet hugging his hips, with only the white padding of the bandage 
on the left side of his ribs covering his naked chest. He looked so 
handsome sitting there.

"I've.. come to check your dressings," she got out knowing she sounded 
a bit breathless and cursed herself for it. "It'll just take me a 
minute."

His eyes followed her as she walked towards him, never leaving her face 
as she reached out to pull back the dressings and not even as her fingers
moved to test the area around the wound.

She could feel his eyes on her, and it was a bit unnerving as he sat 
there staring while she was fighting hard not to let him see how much 
being near him was effecting her. Silently she finished checking him 
over and then reapplied a new smaller bandage.

"The healing is progressing just fine," she turned away from his 
piercing glance unable to face him for fear he'd be able to read the
feelings of her love for him she knew was showing on her face. "I 
think you'll be ready .. to leave.. here in a few more days."

She made a few notes on his chart, replaced it and turned to leave.

"Koda."

She stopped as her hand was reaching for the door knob, but did not 
turn around to face him. 

"I would like for you to fill me in on what happened last night?" his 
voice was cold impersonal as he spoke.

She gave him a brief run down of the events that happened. Then answered
each of the questions he asked. Each one delivered in the same cold tone.
Her heart was breaking, it was agony to stand there hearing his voice, 
yet knowing in a few days time he would be gone from here and she would
never see him again.

"I have to go. I have others to see." She opened the door then and 
stepped outside right into Sina who was about to enter the room. 

"Are you okay Koda?" the girl asked worriedly when she saw the look on 
the healers face and noticed the tears seeping from her eyes. "Has that
brother of mine...."

"No!" Koda piped up quickly when she saw them girls eyes lift towards 
the door leading inside. "I'm just being silly. He didn't do anything."

"Maybe that's the problem there," Sina commented. She'd noticed the door
leading into her brothers room hadn't quite shut all the way and had an idea.

"Koda have you tried talking to Tain and telling him how much you love 
him?"

"What good would that do me?" Koda bit out angrily. "Tain doesn't care 
the same way about me. So why should I embarrass the both of us, by 
telling him how much I love him and how the much the very thought of 
him leaving here, never seeing him again is tearing me apart."

"Oh I give up!!" Sina threw up her hands with an exaggerated sigh. "How 
two smart people who both care so deeply about the other could be so 
stupid and blind is beyond me. I give up on the both of you!!"

She turned then and headed down the hall, muttering under her breath as 
she walked away. Koda was going to go after her when a commotion down 
the hall caught her attentions. 

She stopped the first nurse she could as the woman was racing past her 
and asked what was going on just as Ribbon's thoughts entered her mind.

<There are Wraiths flying over the warren!!!!> came the dragon's 
agitated cries, echoed by others and the sound of the alarm filled 
the airs around them.

<<WRAITHS!!!!>> Koda cried and started down the hall to the front of the
center where others were gathering near the door looking out towards the green.

<There's... something ... strange.. about these Wraiths,> Ribbon's 
confused thoughts came to her just as she was reaching the crowd and 
pushed her way through to see what was going on. 

Upon seeing her, and the look she was giving them, several of the others
there moved back away from the door and started down the hall to get the
medical center prepared for the battle they knew was to come.


<<What do you mean by strange love?>> she asked when she finally made 
it to the door. Off to the left near the older part of the center, Koda
noticed that the pile of coal that was kept there for the dragons who 
looked to the med center had yet to be touched.

It had been stored there so that the medical dragons wouldn't have far 
to travel in case of attacks on the Warren itself, and could defend the 
med center itself in times of need, but so far as she noticed, not one 
of the dragons had availed itself of the black stuff.

<<Ribbon???>> She could see them now. Bloated black/gray shapes of
nothingness slowly moving across the open plains of the green making no
other course changes or sudden moves... strange indeed was the objects 
that suddenly began to fall to the ground as wave after wave of Wraiths
seemed to be dropping something and then flipping in the air to return 
back the way they had come.

She'd counted four rows, each one consisting of about five Wraiths and 
each and every one of them could be seen carrying something before it
floated to the ground.

What was even stranger still, was the one Wraith, slightly bigger then 
the rest who hovered out in front as if keeping a watch over the others,
until the last of the rows had dropped off their offering... 

Yes offering. For that was the feeling Koda got from what she had just
witnessed. Then as she stood there with the others, she watched as the
twenty or so of their most hated enemies, seemed to float back a ways 
with the biggest one still out in front, but instead of leaving the 
Warren, and going back the way they had come, stopped and seem to hover 
in the air in line formation as if waiting for some response. 

"What's going on?" some off to her right muttered.

"What are they waiting for?" came another voice.

"Better yet," came a third voice. "What do they want?"

[Tags to Chris and Kris :)]

*****Submitted by: ******

Healer Lakoda & Ribbon
Head of Marrid Medical Center
Marrid Warren

aka 
Barbara







okay.. I'll end mine with them arriving and dropping the stuff then moving
back a ways to wait... is that okay with you?