01-14-05

Characters involved: Rothal, Zeraph, & Keita.

Halyard Tavern: Sleeping Chamber

Even though Rothal is waking up, Zeraph doesn't appear to be moving anytime soon. The buck is bandaged up from the healing treatment he received, ears loosely backward, and the blood isn't there anymore, except that which shows through the white cloth wrapped around his middle.

Rothal blinks, coming to a final and painful awakening. After another round of moans and/or groans, he gets a handle on the pain, one paw gripping the edge of his cot. The hare falls silent, staring up at the roof and trying to figure how he got wherever he is.

One ear raises slowly as the groan is given by Rothal, though this is the only movement that Zeraph gives. Well, as long as his ears are moving about, I guess it is alright. Let's hope he's not bleeding out too heavily..for the sake of Keita's sheets.

A third groan comes from the corner of the room, where a mess of blankets and sheets begins to move on the sofa. A few seconds later, first an ear and then a face appear from the tangle. Keita blinks owlishly and looks towards the two, though they don't appear to be moving /now/, aside from Zeraph's raised ear. "Mmfgh?" Mutter. She swings her leg over the edge of the sofa and sits up, grabbing her crutches to stand.

Rothal blinks once more, still unsure of where he is. Or what happened. His stomach hurts, no doubt from drinking to much... The hare moves to get out of bed, managing to sit before he realizes something is wrong, and where he is. Keita's tavern, of course.

As it has now been confirmed Zeraph is on the bed, he keeps doing what he's been doing. But on the bed. Except his ears lower back again with the other, as he hears no other strange noises that catch his attention.

Well, Keita /was/ relaxed. Then Rothal had to go and sit up. A muttered curse and the clump-clump of crutches can be heard, and Keita's sitting on the edge of Rothal's cot, pushing him back slowly with one paw on his shoulder and the other at his back to guide him back gently. "Doooown," she murmurs.

Rothal still seems slightly confused, but he listens, allowing Keita to push him back to the cot. His chest is heaving slightly with even the small amount of effort it took to sit up. "Right..." He makes no question as to why he's here or what's wrong, simply accepting that it's happening. His eyes flicker as he gazes curiously at Keita, but he says nothing.

It may be the clumping of Keita's crutches that actually gets Zeraph to wake slightly from his deep, unconscious state. His ears begin to raise again, though he makes no noise and his eyes begin to half open, though they are glazed. Still out of it. Definitely.

Keita grins and gives his shoulder a light pat. "You've been injured. Try t' breathe nice 'n' slow... can't imagine /that/," she gestures to his stomach, "feels like a bed o' roses."

Rothal nods, smiling slightly. "h'I'll try, Keita." The hare's eyes flicker once more, as he begins to fall asleep again. "Thanks fah... helpin' me.." That said, the hare falls back into sleep, unconsciously biting his lip against the pain.

Zeraph grunts, eyes closing again and going to start to curl into a fetal position, but then he gasps out in pain. He clenches the bottom sheet in his one paw, shivering and his ears pinned to the back of his head.

Keita allows her smile to fade once Rothal has returned to a state less than conscious. She stands once more at the grunt from Zeraph, moving to the bed. She grabs a basin of water and a damp cloth from the bedside table, leaning over him to brush the cloth over his brow and temples. "Shhhhh..." She presses the cloth to the back of his neck, holding it there for a moment. "Yer all righ' there, Raph."

Zeraph flinches, ears flickering rapidly as he feels the cloth brush across his head and then be pressed to the back of his neck. "..K?" He mumbles out in a delirious manner, staying as still as possible. Waves of pain shoot up through his back /and/ front.

Keita nods, though it's doubtful he's even cognizant of that fact. "The very same... Yer in Halyard, at the tavern. /Not/ a captive." As it's probably helpful to mention. "Yer injured... which ya've probably figured out."

"K.. Roth. He's dead.. K. I dragged him here.. He's dead." Zeraph is whimpering this out, still with a death grip on the sheet beneath him. And continuing to try not to move.

Keita laughs. It's brief, and not terribly amused, but a laugh nonetheless. "Now that's where yer wrong. It was one 'ell of a patch-up job, 'n' if the two o' you weren't so bad off I'd give ya a piece of m'mind for the trouble, but he's most definitely alive 'n' accounted for. Righ' in this room, t'boot." Pause. "Ah-ah-ah-ah, though, don't ya go jumpin' up 'n' rippin' all yer stitches. He'll be there whethah ya sit up 'n' look or not. Just turn yer head thattaway," she nods, "'n' you'll see him."

Zeraph actually begins to open his eyes, though he seems to be having trouble cause they flutter back and forth for a moment before he begins to raise his head a little, while trying not to move the rest of his spine. Through fogged over eyes, he can see Rothal asleep in the cot, though he has no response. A partial sob is given.

What smile there was fades. She sets the cloth and basin aside and watches his pain a bit helplessly. "... Really, he's all righ'. I promise. He was just talkin' a moment ago, before ya walk up. You just need t'learn to avoid the pointy things, the two o' you..."

Zeraph turns his head back down, into a position that doesn't pull so much on his back. "..I..grabbed him and turned my back on the vermin..." He states dully, eyes half closed now. Slowly he tries to shift, then he grunts, releasing the bed sheet a little. "K... I can't move my legs.." Oh. Yeah. They gave out on him. Why he collapsed.

The spit dries up in Keita's mouth and she swallows, a futile action. "... Might jus' be the shock," she suggests. And doesn't sound at all convinced. That back wound...

Zeraph begins to shiver uncontrollably again. A little bit from shock, some from pain, and then the rest is fear. What will happen if he can't use his legs anymore? The buck goes into a daze, staring off blankly somewhere past Keita. He isn't sure what to say.

Keita digs in a pocket and comes out with a small packet of powder, which she opens and places to his lips. She begins to tilt it. "Take this," she instructs.

Zeraph's head is tilted back a little as well, from the tilting of the powder packet against his mouth. So he won't spill any hopefully. He grunts a little, reaching up to grab her arm, as if to push her back. Like he's hesitant to take the stuff. Some has already slipped into his mouth however.

Keita shhhhhs, shaking her head. "... T'help the pain." She waylays his arm with her other, continuing to tilt the packet.

Zeraph closes his eyes and opens his muzzle to take the powder, deciding to just trust her. She is Keita, after all. The buck swallows the contents of the packet, his arms being lowered easily cause he doesn't fight it. "Will.. I be..okay?"

Keita sets the emptied packet aside, smiling as encouragingly as she can. "'Course ya will be... ya /always/ bounce back, Raph."

Zeraph half smirks up at Keita. "I hope so..... I'm sorry K." He sighs deeply, then winces as he does so. Side wounds. Bah!

Keita waves this away with a 'psht'. "Fer what? Honestly, I figure this's the only way t'get ya t' visit." She grins.

Zeraph closes his eyes, curling up again, with another shiver. "...I should visit more..." He mumbles.

Keita rolls her eyes, then grabs the corner of a blanket that at some point has been shoved to the side of the bed, and throws it over Zeraph. "Yeah, well, yer busy bein' all patrol-ish. I'm an understandin' sort, so I forgive ya."

Zeraph flinches when the blanket is thrown over him, but then he decides...it wasn't so bad. And he just lays curled up there for the moment, eyes half closed again. Maybe he is slipping into another daze? "Alright.... Look where it got me..."

Keita shrugs lightly, leaning against the bed board and looking down at him. "Yeah, well... any time ya give up all that craziness, ya got a place here. I'm tellin' ya."

Zeraph sighs again, though this time he doesn't wince. "I'm glad I always have you..." He mumbles a little bit more quietly now.

Keita smiles, terribly amused, as she comes to the realization that this buck has managed to grow on her. Kind of like mold on cheese, except the good kind of mold. "Aye, well, that's sweet 'n' all, but I ain't kissin' yer booboos no mattah what ya do. That's where I draw the line, s'far as favahs t' friends go."

Keita smiles, terribly amused, as she comes to the realization that this buck has managed to grow on her. Kind of like mold on cheese, except the good kind of mold. "Aye, well, that's sweet 'n' all, but I ain't kissin' yer booboos no mattah what ya do. That's where I draw the line, s'far as favahs t' friends go."

Zeraph actually begins to lightly smile when she says this, even if he is delirious. He half leans his head up to look at the doe, with a partial waggle of his ears. Maybe that powder is working. "Well.... mum.. I don't expect that."

Keita makes a soft 'tsking' sound, nodding. "... Too righ' ya don't." She does, however, reach down to brush his headfur back where she'd mussed it before. Doing this, her eyes go a bit squinty around the edges and she looks away, eyes settling on Rothal. "Soooo, do they give ya some sort o' medal if ya hit the fifty mark fer battle scars?" Ahem.

Zeraph closes his eyes a little more at the brushing of his head fur, feeling a little..less than there at the moment, so he only slightly catches the look that is given to him, ears perking. However, he is easily distracted. Her question gets his attention. "I hope... I could use something.."

Keita manages to smirk. "I s'pose I'll nevah undahstand why ya do it... ah well. Thanks fer savin' that one, even if he is just's crazy s'you." She sighs, ever so put-upon. Then, a thought strikes her. "Ah... 'ey, guess who's stayin' here, too?"

Zeraph grunts, looking down again as he relaxes against the mattress even more. "I wouldn't let..him die..I'd miss him..." Then a curious flick of his ears is given. "Who's staying?" He asks again.

"Ole Vannykins." She looks back down at him.

Zeraph nods his head a little, going to try and shift again, though it doesn't work so well. "I missed seeing.. his ugly mug.."

Keita gives his shoulder a gentle rap with two curled fingers. "Stop tryin' t' move," she grumps. Then, "Aye. Some o' your lot tried - 'n' succeeded - 'n' makin' him into a livin'-breathin' pincushion. Bleeds worse'n you do, 'n' that's sayin' somethin'."

Zeraph sighs, looking a little worried. Maybe not being able to cover emotions so well at this point. "I hope he's alright...." He mumbles. "..Dark told me about it..."

An emotion not quite typical passes over Keita's face, and for that reason it might take a moment to identify it for what it is - vague anger mixed with distaste. "He did, did 'e? Well, wasn't that nice o' him."

Zeraph gazes at the floor, as he is conveniently on the edge of the bed right now. "..said he might be dead.. Didn't give much details. But I left before he could..." He mumbles, then glances up. For a second, he is confused by the expression.

Keita shakes her head. "I don't let m'friends die, if I c'n do somethin' about it." She rests her head back against the headboard and stares up at the ceiling, trying to dissolve that tight little knot of displeasure.

Zeraph is watching her more clearly now, and goes to slowly reach a paw out to rest on the first thing he can get to. Her leg. Trying to be of some comfort.

Keita's eyes flicker downward at the touch, a little surprised, but a smirk follows quickly upon that. "Don't know s'I'm quite welcome at the mountain anymore, though. So you'll have t' make sure ya do visit, aftah this."

Zeraph lowers his paw back to the bed, with a nod. "I will... I'm sorry again..." The buck seems more coherent..and yet..less at the same time.

Keita's smirk softens into a smile and she pats him on the shoulder. "I'll accept yer apology on one condition - sleep." She grabs her crutches and scoots to the edge of the bed, tucking them under her arms before glancing back at him. "A'right?"

Zeraph nods his head, not trying to move again, and seeming to be about to sleep anyway. He closes his eyes, with a small smile. "I will.." Powder..It was a drug! I know it! DX

Uh-oh, they're on to her. She stands up, moves to check Rothal briefly, and then makes for the door. When she reaches it she pauses just long enough to blow out the lantern hanging there, bathing the room in darkness. In the ray of light from the hallway, the doe looks back one last time. "Sleep tight." The door slips silently shut behind her.

Zeraph is already...out like that light.