From:
Andre Oliveira <oliveand@bellsouth.net> Date: Wed Jun 26, 2002 7:42
pm Subject: [DL-T] No rest for the wickedly burnt
Late Evening
The Green.
(Snip)
Then she decided to take a gamble. "The riding harness will rub on his
back, Libby. I'll strap in, and hold him until we get there."
She thanked Nhorit profusely for allowing her to mount, much less strap
herself in to his rider's straps. Then, she gently held on to her new
friend. "Let's go, we'll meet you there, Libby. Please launch gently,
Nhorit, we don't want to jar your rider."
(End Snip)
*****
<* Well, this isn't too bad! *> K'rvey thought to Nhorit as Sarilyn
wrapped her arms around him and carefully avoided his burns. <* I wonder
if she's available? A woman who refuses to hit me, *must* be worth
chasing! *>
Nhorit smiled as he began moving, < Or you know, she just feels so
incredibly sorry for you that she's doing this out of pity. >
<* Yeah? Well...uh... oh... or that too I suppose... *>
Nhorit's tone changed slightly and he asked, < Is your back still hurting? >
<* A bit, but don't worry! *> he said as he grinned, <* I'm sure Libby
will take good care of me. *>
Nhorit laughed < You sure don't seem to make up your mind! Besides, I
doubt she'll take care of you how you hope to be taken care of! >
A few seconds later K'rvey looked to the side and noticed they were
about to land, <* I wonder what gave Sarilyn the notion that I'd be
flying anywhere? I'm not that crazy! I mean you weren't going to take
off right? We were going to walk, right? *>
< Does it matter? > Nhorit grinned, < It's not everyday a woman asks you
if she can hold you nice and tight right? >
Nhorit landed easily enough and coughed a bit as he felt Sarilyn slide
off of him.
(Snip)
Sarilyn got off first, then gently helped K'rvey down.
"You go with Libby, K'rvey. I'm going to take a fast look around, just
to see if the med center here is laid out the same as the one at Xylian
was. I may as well start learning my way around. And..yes, when you're
done getting cared for, we'll go back to your place and get some rest."
(End Snip)
<* See how terribly she wants to get me home? I'm willing to bet I'm not
going to get an ounce of rest today! *>
Nhorit rolled his eyes and grinned, <Uh huh...>
K'rvey smiled and looked to where Libby was jogging to catch up to them,
"You know I was just joking when I said that was my favorite shirt. You
don't have to get me a new one."
"But I want to!" she said quickly, her eyes looking sad again, "I mean
I've got to make up for all the trouble I've caused you right?"
"Are you kidding?" K'rvey said turning to her, "This was one of the best
hatching parties I've ever gone to! Sure the puking wasn't a lot of fun,
or the falling on my ass, or you know getting burned by my own dragon,
or...er..." he stopped as he noticed the look on Sarilyn's face, "Look,
I'm serious! I've had a more interesting time tonight than I've had in a
long while. It will definitely make a hell of a story for my kids."
"Oh, you have children?" Sarilyn asked as Libby finally arrived.
"No," K'rvey smiled as he let Libby help him walk inside, "but you know,
someday!"
K'rvey saw Sarilyn offer him a smile and then leave to tour the Med
Center. He turned to the pretty head nurse and said, "Say you wouldn't
want to help me in that category would you?"
Libby laughed out loud and said, "Sure, just be sure to catch me really
drunk when you want to work on that!"
"Aw, Libby! That's just mean!" he pouted as they reached an empty room
and he was laid down on a cold table face down. "Brrrr... you choose
this table on purpose didn't you? Just because I was a wee bit drunk
that night."
Libby went to a nearby cabinet and reached for a bottle with a brush on
the cap, "Definitely!" she laughed, "So you've decided to drop the
innocent act, Mr. Companee?"
K'rvey sighed and heard Libby twist the bottle open behind him, "Yeah,
well... I'm pretty sure that's the least I can do since my friend and I
dragged you from the party. This isn't going to hurt is it?"
"A bit," she admitted behind a smile, "but I'm sure a big strong man
like you can take it. If not, there's some ropes right next door at the
dragon clinic I can tie you up with."
K'rvey inhaled sharply when he felt the brush touch his burns. He
grabbed the edge of the table and held down getting ready for what he
thought would be Libby's revenge. But to his surprise, she was very
gentle and he barely felt the brush strokes or any pain at all.
When he finally felt the last brush stroke he was surprised to find that
the medicine that was suppose to just help prevent scarring also
immediately numbed the stinging pain. He almost felt fine again.
"See, it wasn't that bad was it?" Libby said kindly as she put away the
bottle, "Now let's put something to cover your back and you can go home."
"Thanks Libby." K'rvey said as he closed his eyes, " Sorry about
grabbing you the other day, by the way."
She began walking out of the room and smiled again before she said,
"I'll be right back. Don't move."
After a few seconds of waiting K'rvey turned his head to the window and
saw his dragon peeking in.
<* Is it just me or are all the females I've met today being strangely
nice to me? *> K'rvey asked as he let his arms swing back and forth from
atop the table.
< Well it may have to do with the fact that you aren't drunk...> Nhorit
said from outside, < and you're actually being cooperative, thankful,
and treating them with somewhat respect. >
<* Oh... you think that's what it is? *> he said sounding a bit
disappointed, <* I thought it was the fact that they all noticed my raw
animal magnetism... *>
< Uh huh... how often has that worked for you? >
<* Uh... *> K'rvey said as he thought, <* I can't recall at the moment.
*> he lied.
K'rvey could hear his dragon laughing outside, < Well I can! Too few to
mention! >
<* Har... har... har... *> K'rvey said dripping sarcasm, <* How are you
feeling by the way? Do you still have a headache? *>
< No, but my nose feels like it's a waterfall! It just won't stop running. >
Libby walked back in, carrying a large white square of cloth and two
long flat strips of the same fabric. "Okay, we're almost done! If you'd
sit up we'll get you all wrapped and ready to go."
Grunting, K'rvey sat up and watched as Libby walked around him and began
to hum as she worked. The large piece of white cloth easily covered all
of the burns and the medicine helped make it cling to his back.
"Arrrms *up*!" she said in tune to her hum. K'rvey complied and she
responded in the same tone, "Thaaank *you*!"
She began wrapping the long strips around his chest and stomach.
Finishing her chores, she walked in front of K'rvey.
"Alright, you're all set up! Now I want to see you tomorrow again to
make sure you're healing okay."
"Aw, I knew you couldn't help yourself." K'rvey said behind a smile.
"You simply had to see me again didn't you?"
Libby grinned and said, "You keep thinking that. But I'd refrain from
doing anything strenuous for a day or two." She winked, "Especially with
your lady friend tonight."
K'rvey couldn't help but laugh, "Oh sure, ruin my plans why don't you?"
"I'm serious though!" she said forcefully, "If I hear that you've had to
come back tonight because you've ripped those Band-Aids off or if a
chunk of your skin has been stretched or torn off. I'll make sure they
give you the medicine that *really* hurts!"
K'rvey gulped and responded, "Okay, okay! Besides she's not really my
lady friend anyway. We just met today."
Libby shook her head, "Don't tell me, she's the reason why you're here
right now?" he nodded and smiled sheepishly. Libby crossed her arms and
sighed, "Look, it's not my job to tell you on how to come on to women,
but being drunk and grabbing them is not the way to do it!"
"But that's not what happened!" K'rvey began, "See it was like this: I
was drunk--"
K'rvey was interrupted by what felt like an extremely small earthquake,
more of an earthly shudder than anything. It lasted only a second or two
and ended just as abruptly as it began.
"What the hell was that?" he asked hopping from the table.
Libby walked over to the window and looked outside, "Well whatever it
was, it wasn't one of the buildings collapsing or anything." Libby's
eyes focused somewhere across the green and said, "Seems there's
something happening at the Dining Hall."
*******
Dalmar
The Dining Hall
(Snip)
*Zareena!* he called out mentally.
[What?] asked the queen, with what seemed less than the ire she usually
displayed when dealing with him. He guessed that she was beginning to
receive some very confusing messages from other dragons in the warren,
who were in turn passing along what they were getting from their riders.
*There's gas venting into the dining hall!* he cried. *Tell all the
dragons...have their riders get out...and to get the message to the
unjoined as well...anyone who stays in here may die!!*
And with that, he began to drag Fal'k to the nearest entrance.
(End Snip)
*******
The Med Center
Nhorit immediately rose at hearing the queen's broadcast and turned to
look back at his rider in the building where they fixed sick people.
< K'rvey! There's something wrong with the air in the Dining Hall!
People are going unconscious and they may die! >
<* What? *> K'rvey yelled from the inside of the building. In seconds he
was half running, half limping outside and getting ready to mount. The
female human who had come to help him was right behind him, yelling
something and looking very worried. Nhorit only picked up a few words
from the human's strange speech but it was enough.
"You...... well.......you....hurt!"
K'rvey responded by saying that he didn't care and that his friends were
in the building. He began climbing up Nhorit's back again and the female
yelled some more. The only word that Nhorit comprehended was "stupid"
having heard it said before to his rider on numerous occasions.
K'rvey stopped climbing and froze; he said she was absolutely right and
began running towards the cave next to the building, the dragon clinic.
He came back minutes later dragging a long coiled piece of rope.
K'rvey mounted and said <* Nhorit, tell Sarilyn's dragon that I had to
go back to the Dining Hall and help. Ask her to tell her rider not to
worry about the burns and thank her for a most interesting evening. *>
then, as an after thought, he said, <* Also tell her that the offer to
spend the night at my place stands if I don't end up passing the next
few weeks at the med center. *>
(Tag: Jeanette)
******
K'rvey clung clumsily to Nhorit's back and the rope, desperately trying
to ignore the excruciating pain of his back and to not lose his grasp.
Meanwhile, Nhorit, refusing to fly since his rider refused to strap
himself down and increase the pain on his back, was running flat out
towards the Dining Hall, hopelessly trying to roar with his sore throat
to get the attention of the humans.
<* Nhorit, stop it already! *> K'rvey snapped, <* Every dragon in the
warren knows already! *>
< Well I have to do something! I can't exactly go in the building and
pull humans out like you! >
<* Don't worry, you'll have plenty to do once we get there. That's why I
brought the rope. *>
<Why did you bring that anyway? > he asked as he noticed a young human
reach the Dining Hall just in front of them. He also noticed that he had
writing utensils in his hands as well as a sheet of paper.
Noticing the boy as well, K'rvey began undoing the rope and, having
Nhorit stop just in front of him, he tossed one end at the boy's feet.
"Hey, you down there!" K'rvey yelled to the boy, "I'm going to need your
help!"
"What's going on?" the young man asked as he picked up the rope, "What
am I suppose to do with this?
K'rvey dismounted and flinched as he felt his burned skin stretch
painfully. He ran behind his dragon and began tying the other end of the
rope to Nhorit's tail. Without turning around to face the boy he said,
"I want you to run inside and tie as many people as you can to this
rope. The air is poisoned so hold your breath as long as you can! Come
out when you can't hold it anymore. My dragon here will pull everybody
you tie to this rope as soon as you come out. I'll start pulling people
out one by one while you're doing that! Got it? Then what the hell are
you waiting for? Get going!"
(Tag: Sam and anybody else that wants to help)
******
NRPG: Okay Sam, time for Niklas to play the hero :)
******
Submitted by:
Andre Oliveira
aka
K'rvey and Nhorit