The Waiting Game

"Lakoda..."

"Yes-mother-I'm-coming," the other healer replied in a singsong, "I know, I
know. Just let me finish this up. I'm about ready to start eating bandages."

Her stomach was beginning to protest the lost of any real substance.
Thinking back on it she never did eat the meal she'd found in Ribbon's
saddle bags when Martyn had showed up to find her. 

"I have some fruit and sandwiches in the saddlebags, and there should be
enough supplies around here for us to make actual food if you want it.
Jindalie and Baeta brought quite a bit back." Arri laughed. "Besides,
bandages would give you the WORST case of indigestion, trust me."

Koda nodded and tied off the wound. "I guess they would at that." Standing
and looking at Arri, the young woman held her hands to the small of her back
for a moment. As soon as her patient left, a tear rolled down the young
woman's cheek. "Do you think she's okay, Arri? Do you really?"

The thought of her daughter had never been far from her mind even as she had
worked at her healing. Martyn just *had* to find her. Talera was so small.
To young to be away from her mother for such a long as time as gone by. And
even thought she knew C'tain and his sister would take good care of her,
Koda couldn't stop worrying about her. It was the not knowing that filled
her heart with dread. 

The elder woman walked over and hugged Lakoda reassuringly. "I'm sure she's
right as rain, little one. Right as rain." Smiling, she added, "But for now,
come on and let me get you something to ea..."

<Incoming Koda.> Ribbon's mental voice filled her mind just then. <He's
someone I do not know but he says he has a badly injured man with him and
he's asking for help.>

Lakoda's eyes met Arri's and they sighed as one.

"It never ends, does it, little one?"

"Nope. Not until they bury us, I don't think. Let's go see how many pieces
of him there are." replied Koda as she rubbed her eyes and headed for the door.

Arri threw a plum at her. "Well, at least eat that on the way. We can't help
him if we drop dead of hunger either."

She caught the fruit and as they made their way quickly to where a large
smoke-gray colored dragon and his rider were landing, bit into it and sighed
as the sweetness exploded inside her mouth, reminding her stomach that
something more would be needed soon. 

"I'm Lakoda, head healer here. what do you have?" she asked quickly as he
lowered the injured man to the ground. 

"Arkt'han, rider of Auram. I don't know who he is but we found him out there
somewhere and when my dragon queried other dragons, they said to bring him
here."

"Happens to be the right place to come," Koda smiled slightly as she and Ari
bent down to have a better look at the man. 

"Dehydration for sure," Koda mumbled and Ari beside her agreed. She saw the
older woman move to take off the white gloves she wore and threw out her
hand to stop her. "I wonder when he *ate* last."

"My friend you are just as tired as I am and this man can be helped better
by just getting him inside and cleaned up. See how dry his skin is.. and
..." she went on talking, more to keep her mind on other things then her
worrying over her daughters whereabouts ... "and get someone to make a bowl
of brother for him until his stomach can handle solid foods again."

Orderlies with a stretcher showed up then and carefully lifted the injured
man onto the gurney with the help of Arkt'han.

"We're going to take him into the med center to have a better look at him
but if I could get you to help a little longer..." She had to look up a good
way to see the face of the rider.

"How can I be of help to you healer?" he asked.

"This man will need something in his stomach. Nothing solid now but a cup of
broth... and while I know you're a rider and not a kitchen helper.." she
smiled and shrugged slightly. "we're just spread so thin right now that I'm
recurting any help I can get."

Arkt'han nodded. "You see to him healer and I'll get the broth."

She reached out and touched his arm. The gesture meant as a way of conveying
thanks, but as a wave of dizziness came over her, she found herself holding
on to it for a moments support until it passed. "Thank you."

"Are you okay healer?" he asked, as he covered her hand, tactfully offering
her the support she was needing. His ice-blue eyes full of concerned. "You
look almost as tired as he does."

"I'll be okay. We've just been busy today, but it seems to be tapering off."
she told him, praying it would be so. "I'll just see to your friend here
then rest."

"Come on Koda," Ari called from behind her. "They're ready to move him. 

She nodded her thanks to the man for not saying anything about her moments
dizziness, for if Ari had known she'd have put a stop to any more healing
for the day.

Koda knew she needed to rest soon or collapse. She hadn't had any problems
lately with recurrences from the illness in her youth, but if she knew she
was on the brink right now and badly over worked. 

Food.. that would help. But first she would see to this man the rider had
brought in. then she'd rest.. if she could.

Once inside they had the orderlies help remove the tattered garments the man
was wearing and Koda could see that meals for him had come few and far apart. 

Ari agreed with her on her diagnoses of dehydration and malnutrition, and
when Arkt'han showed up with the bowl of broth, took the cup from him and
began to add some herbs to it that she knew would help restore the man to
health. 

"Where..." they all were startled at the sound of the rusty question issued
from the man's lips. 

"Hush now, don't talk," Ari said being the first to respond. She moved to
caress back a mop of hair from his forehead "You're in the med center at
Marrid and we're going to see that you're taken good care of."

They got the man cleaned up as much as they could for now and tended what
injuries they could see, then once dressed in a med gown, they wheeled him
into a ward and Ari gave a nurse the order to make sure the man finished the
broth. 

When she returned she found Koda talking to the rider who had brought him in. 

"He seems stable for now and but he's not out of the woods yet," she told
him not holding anything back. Something had told her the man wouldn't have
appreciated it if she had.  "He's been so long without food or water that
we're worried about infections setting in, but we're giving him something to
try and fight that. We should know by morning if what we did will be enough."

"I'm sure you did find healer," Arkt'han told her, looking around at the
make shift camp. "Especially under the circumstance."

"Yes well..." Koda frowned as she too looked around. Then brought her hands
up to rub at eyes weary from the lack of sleep and psychical discomfort. 

"If you don't mind my saying so.. you look like you're just about done in
yourself."

Twice she'd had to take small breaks to empty the milk from her swollen
breast, each time crying as the milk intended for her daughter soaked wasted
into the ground.  

It was then as she was looking around that she caught sight of a now
familiar dragon landing near by and turned hopeful eyes up to look at the
rider as he dismounted. 

As Martyn turned to find her, she could see the disappointment in his eyes
and felt her knees give way under her. 

She might have fallen if Arkt'han, hadn't of reached out an caught her.
Other hands reached for her and she felt herself being pulled against a warm
body. Arms going around her to hold her. 

"I'm sorry Koda," Martyn sighed, as one hand moved to hold her head against
his chest where she could hear the steady beating of his heart. "But I won't
give up until I find her for you."

"Please Martyn.. you have to find her.. She's all I have next to Ribbon,"
the tiny healer cried softly. "I don't know what I would do if.."

"Hush now Healer," he chided softly and hugged her even tighter. "We'll have
none of that talk. I'll find your daughter for you. I promised didn't I?"

Before she could answer, she felt a sharp prick against her upper arm, and
when she would have turned to see what it was, he prevented her.

"It's just a mild sedative," she heard Ari's concerned voice saying. "It
won't knock you out.. though in your case with as tired as I know you are
right now little Raven, I wouldn't be surprised if it did. It's to relax you
right now so you can eat and then get some rest."

"But there are people needing help.. and I can't sleep until Martyn finds
Talera..." she protested as her head was released and she turned to look at
her old friend. 

"We have other healers who can heal just fine and wearing yourself to the
point of making yourself sick isn't going to bring back your daughter any
sooner. Think of your health girl."

Another thought hit her.

She'd been thinking of only herself and how she badly was missing Talera,
but there was someone else who needed to know she was missing.

"Has anyone seen Trey?" she asked. "Does he know she's..."

"Trey isn't here Koda," Ari slowly told her, not wanting to upset her even
more. But knowing she'd have to. "We don't know where he is at the moment.
He didn't arrive with the other riders who showed up here... But you're NOT
to worry. Koroth is a fine dragon and he will look after his rider."

Not to worry.. then she remembered he had two other daughters.. the twins.
Where were they?

"Martyn..." Ari said looking up at the rider  who's arms were still
supporting the tiny healer. "Why don't you take Koda over to the dining hall
and make sure she eats something."

"But he's got to..."

"But I need to get back out..."

They both protested the idea quickly. 

"Look I don't really know what's going on here," Arkt'han spoke up. "But I
can see how important it is that Martyn here find someone for the healer..
so why don't I take her over to the hall and feed her. I can get something
to eat myself at the same time."

It was agreed upon and with one finally long hug, Martyn released Koda then
turned and ran back to his dragon. 

"Go on little Raven.. eat. Then try and get some rest," Ari told her pushing
her gently in the direction of her hall. "We'll manage just find without you
for a little while."

Knowing she had no choice.. Koda allowed the tall Arkt'han to lead her over
to the hall like a parent leading a small child. 

She really should have taken a break earlier to eat instead of allowing
herself to get in this condition. But there had just been no time with new
injures coming in at a steady pace all day long.

"Why does she call you Little Raven?" the man beside her asked. 

"If you had ever seen my father," she started to explain thankful for
something else to think about. "You'd understand. You see he's a Master
Healer in the halls at Tinobal and stands about as tall as you. She calls
him *the big Raven*.. but not to his face... so that makes me the *little*
Raven in her eyes... Or maybe it has something to do with how short I am."

"So you must get your.. height from your mother then?"  he said thinking he
understood. 

"Nope. I think I'm one kid who could honestly say that while I was growing
up and still today.. has to look UP to her parents. My mother is nearly as
tall, but not quite as my father. She's 5'11" in her socks."

Ari must have sent word along before they arrived, for a kitchen worker was
waiting for her when she entered the hall, and it was already filled with food. 

"Dragon speak spreads quicker then us human's can walk," the woman said and
led them over to a table. "She sent word to a rider here who past the order
on to us.. So you're to eat as much of this as you can young woman."

She turned to the man with the healer. "Just tell me what you want and I'll
see to filling your plate for you rider."

Arkt'han gave her a list of things he liked then motioned for Koda to begin
eating. 

"Healer you really shouldn't worry so," he told her. "It doesn't help."

She could sense his words had a double meaning. One he hadn't indented for
her to find out about, but if she wasn't to worry then she needed something
else to think about. 

"What about you Arkt'han?"

"What about me?" he asked slowly. 

Tell me about yourself to keep my mind off of other things," she told him.
"Like how were you out there in time to find the man you brought in."

[Tag Dave... care to tell her about yourself... she'll finish eating and
then head for some much needed sleep.]

================================= 

John... think in the morning would be a good time to *find* what is missing?"

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

Lakoda (Koda) & Ribbon
Head of Marrid Warren Medical Center

aka
Barbara