06-25-05 2
Characters involved: Darklett & Zoe_Lang
Salamandastron: Leaders' Dormitories
It's morning time in Salamandastron, and somewhere outside, gulls are calling, waves are crashing, breeze is blowing, and the sun is shining. Being inside the mountain, any hare could be completely oblivious as to how wonderful of a day it is outside. Darklett could surely use some fresh air, anyway, at least... The lieutenant hare is not looking very well at all. He's sitting right outside the door to his dormitory, his knees curled up against his chest and his arms wrapped around them. Occasionally, he'll shudder, and on closer inspection, one could see his paws are shaking. Must have had a bad night.
It's the morning of the rescue mission. Announcements are to be made, troops are to be lead, and orders given. First, though, as Zoe steps out of her dormitory with a small package held in her arms, there is a delivery to be made. The package, wrapped in cloth and tied with a sash, is looked upon with the fondness of a creator. Turning to her task at hand, the delivery of said package, Zoe turns in the direction of Darklett's dormitory, only to see him sitting there. She blinks, and takes a few steps towards him in which time closer inspection is indeed given. "... Darklett?"
Darklett takes a rapid breath inward and turns his head with wide eyes to the officer. "C-colonel. Is it w-w-winter?" As his face turns to Zoe, she can see his eyes seem to be sunk back into his head, and he looks very tired. "It's c-cold." As he speaks, the lieutenant tries to get to his feet, very slowly. Leaning against the wall, Darklett finally manages to stand on his own, and throw a very shaken salute. "Making... th-the announcement tod-d-day, right?"
Zoe_Lang regards Darklett with intently narrowed eyes, now moving closer to the other buck. Closer, closer. "Now, lad... why doncha take yerself a seat, there?" The package is set down on the next surface she passes, and she holds out her now free paw in a gesture towards the floor. "An'... yes, makin' the announcement t'day."
Darklett nods to the Colonel, placing his back against the wall and sliding down, inching until he's finally seated on the floor. "Th-that's what I th-thought... Aren't you cold, Colonel?" He regards her with a strange, almost worried glance. "F-f-freezing..." Spots of Darklett's dark fur glistens in the dim hallway light, indicating perspiration, regardless of his shivering and complaint of cold.
Continuing the rest of the way over to him, Zoe slowly lowers herself into a crouch at his side. "Darklett... when did ya start feelin' this way, lad?" She grasps his chin gently between thumb and finger and turns his head this way and that as she examines him.
Darklett complies with the Colonel. "What way, Colonel? Cold? St-started last night... Last night, big breeze, felt like it w-was shaking my b-b-bones." He shakes a little more, his jaw quivering at first, then clenching shut. He's quiet for a very long time, then his eyes shoot downward, and his shoulders give a few shakes, like he's sobbing, only he's not crying at all. "...Th-they've g-g-g-g-got m-my place reserved in... Hellgates, Colonel. All of us. We're all g-g-goin' that way."
Zoe_Lang goes on to feel gently on either side of his throat, but the very slight frown that soon surfaces would suggest she's not finding anything that she likes, anyway. Sitting back on her haunches, she regards Darklett grimly for a moment. At her next statement, it's apparent what she thinks the problem is. "Lad... if yer worried 'bout the... the mission, t'day, ya needn't be. 'Tis all right t' be scared... We c'n give ya a post right 'ere in the mountain, safe 'n' sound." She places a paw on his shoulder to try and steady him.
Darklett doesn't seem to be hearing anything the Colonel is saying... In fact he's not even looking at her anymore. He's looking right past her, slightly over her shoulder. His voice, now dropped to somewhere below a whisper, croaks out, very painfully slowly, like the last utterances of some sick, dying beast: "They're waiting for me..." And his paw lifts up to move very slowly towards the Colonel, reaching out to rest on her shoulder. "...And they're waiting for you."
Despite her age and experience, Zoe has to fight the urge to recoil at his touch as a shudder runs up her spine. In the end, she merely lifts his paw from her shoulder and hooks his arm around the back of her neck. She then begins to stand, slowly at first so hopefully he'll get the idea. "Lad... it's time t' stand up, now. Up, up, up..."
Darklett blinks out of whatever trance he was just in, and stares at the colonel for a while. Then, he nods cooperatively, and begins to slowly stand. His breaths are deep, heavy, and rapid as he finally gets to his footpaws, and, perhaps thankfully, no more words coming from the shaken hare's voice.
Zoe_Lang stands slowly with him, and turns towards the exit from this hallway. "Okay... now we're gonna walk. Gonna take a visit t'our friends in the infirmary, mm? 'Tisn't very far, now..." Her words are as soft, coaxing, and soothing as she can make them.
Looking to the Colonel with another slow, shaky nod, Darklett lifts his footpaw off the floor and moves to take a step towards the exit. "Inf-f-firmary?" He questions, but is still compliant, slowly making his aided way out of the hallway, towards the infirmary.
Zoe_Lang gives only the smallest of nods, and as they pass the package she'd brought, she leaves it and continues on. "Aye, Dark... the infirmary. Just fer a little visit." She gives him a comforting pat on the back as she slips her other free paw around his waist - to better support him. "T' the infirmary.." She kicks the door exiting the hallway open with a boot-tip, and ushers them through.
Darklett stumbles along with the help of the Colonel towards the infirmary, the buck able to support himself a little more with each step, but he's still breathing heavily and shaking. "O...kay." He says it as if he's got a feeling that something is definitely wrong, and complies with Zoe all the way to the infirmary without saying another word.
