08-29-05

Characters involved: Keita, Lily, Leanna, & Darklett.

Salamandastron: Infirmary

Keita has made quite a set up for herself around the little cot. Two crutches lean against the wall next to a bedside table, upon which sit to books, one open to its middle. A couple of empty glasses and a pitcher have also taken up residence. The barhare in question is sitting up at the edge of the cot, one footpaw planted firmly on the floor. A weight sits to one side of her and another is in paw, currently being utilized for arm curls. At Lily's approach she pauses mid-curl, looking up. She smiles. Looking a lot better, isn't she Lily?

Lily slows up by the bed, a nervous tickle causing her to clear her throat. She offers the tray, gently pushing it onto the free space of the bedside table. On it is a glass of cider, a hot bowl of carrot stew, a few corn muffins, and two strawberry tarts. Lily smiles weakly and straightens back up. "'Lo, Kei. Brought yah dinner. They'll probably jus' shove nettles an' seaweed down your throat in here." She tilts her head down and watches the other who does, indeed, look much better. Lily's smile grows firmly.

Keita sets the weight down next to the other and looks to the dinner tray. She leans forward, breathin in deeply. Ahhhh, smells good. "... Thanks, Lil'." She scooches closer to the tray, grabbing... can you guess? One of the tarts, first. Heh, heh. She nibbles, looking to Lily with cheerfully perked ears.

Lily presses her paws together and looks pleased. She leans back, watching the other for a moment. Her eyes follow Keita as she goes for the tart, a chuckle emerging. "Didn't yer Mum e'er tell y'not t'eat desert firs'?" She asks, her eyes narrowing. "Y'know, Ah can go get 'er..." Lily threatens and laughs, stepping forward and going to playfully tweak a perked ear. "Y'look good, Kei."

Keita's eyes widen in mock terror at the threat, and she quickly sets the tart back down, though it is now sufficiently nibbled. At the ear tweak she peers up, then graces Lily with a thoughtful grin. "C'n I show ya somethin'?"

Lily finds amusement in the mock terror and tucks her left paw behind her back, the other patting the hare gently on the head. "Do not worry, dear. Wouldn't call yah dear ol' muthah. She'd probably kick meh out on mah tail." The hare shudders slightly at the thought of the officer doe. "Er, what's tha'?" Lily inquires, looking interested yet nervous.

Keita's grin turns cheeky, and she shakes her head. "Close yer eyes 'n' step back."

Lily chews her bottom lip and nods. The doe steps back a few paces and closes her eyes, her paws fumbling nervously together.

As soon as Lily's eyes are closed, Keita jumps into motion. She twists around, grabbing the two crutches and setting them before her, one to each side. Then, with a good deal of straining, she pushes herself up. Wobble-wobble. Readjusting the crutches underneath her arms, she lifts the crutches and replants them about a foot ahead, then jump-steps. She repeats this stepping process twice more, until she stands just before the other doe. Grinning with triumphant glee, she leeeeans forward, and delivers a peck to the tip of Lily's nose.

Lily swivels her ears around, trying to figure out what those noises could be without the help of eyesight. She's true to her word and doesn't even peek, even as she senses something coming close. Lily's eyes snap open as the small kiss to her nose is felt, her eyes locking in immediately with Keita's. "You're up!" The doe cries out, looking surprised. Her eyes drop, falling on the crutches. The halved leg is barely given a look as lily breaks into a smile and returns the quick kiss, though this one is centered down on the lips. "Ah... Ah can't bah'lieve it! Already? Tha's mah Kei!"

Already the muscles of her arms are starting to strain at the unusual amount of weight being placed in their care, but Keita's too thrilled to care. That smile was all she needed, but the kiss is a bonus. Still leaning forward, her arms shaking a little, she rejoins with a firm kiss. Standing has apparently pepped her up a bit, eh heh.

Lily sucks in a content breath of air, her mouth gaping slightly as the kiss breaks. She looks pouty for a split second, but it soon fawning over the fact Keita is walking. "Ah can't bah'lieve it! Oh, Kei! M'so proud o'yah!" Lily says quickly, though the shaky arms are noted. "Now sit yer rump back down. Gotta work up th' arm muscles... but in good time, luff." She says lovingly, tapping a finger gently on Kei's nose.

Beaming at Lily for a moment longer, Keita however heeds the advice, turning shakily and crutching back over to the cot. She turns, facing her back to the cot, and slowly lowers herself back into a sitting position. She sets the crutches aside and then rubs at the stump of her right leg, which is now suitably aching. Still, she beams. Beams and beams. "Nice surprise?"

Leanna is sitting on a nearby bed, having coughing fits in the middle of the night. she's sweating, tossing and turning in her bed. it's amazing she's not attracted more attention.

Two healers hover over Leanna, one applying a wet cloth to her forehead whilst another places a small glass to her lips. "Drink this..."

Leanna is kind of forced to drink it, in her dillusion and frusttration protesting the vile liquid. "Wot *cough* the hell es tha' supposeta *cough cough* be, tree sap?!" she is reduced to a large fit of what sounds like seal barks

"Just drink it, foxy..." This is voiced by the non-drink-giving hare, who dabs at Leanna's perspiring forehead.

Leanna frowns gulping it down unwillingly. "ey *cough* Idon't *cough* call you Rabby, do I" she says, eyes slowly becoming blooshot.

Lily places her paws gently on Kei's shoulder, feeling guilty about making the doe stand. "Well... yeah, righ' nice surprise... but don' be tirin' yerself on mah account." The doe watches her for a moment until the noise of others tears her away. She frowns and lowers herself on the foot of Kei's bed.

"I don't call yer potions tree sap, do I?" A... witty retort. Right. The buck makes a face and moves away from the fox, leaving the healer doe to handle the vixen.

Keita pokes Lily's knee with a claw-tip, shaking her head. "I did it fer me too, don't worry." She hehs, winking. "Just a nice bonus t' be able t' impress ya with it."

Leanna calms down considerably after taht. "so....*three coughs* wot th' hell -es- in thi' stuff anyway??"

The doe who administered the vile tasting substance smiles down at Leanne, patting her reassuringly on the back of her paw. "Just somethin' to help with yer fever... Got to bring it down, y'know."

Lily cowers back as the poke is given, her paws flying up and holding up. "Eh now, Ah was /very/ impressed!" She insists, nodding and winking. Her eyes return to the scene unfolding. "Huh, you give up this much o'ah fight?" Lily inquires with a glance over to Keita.

At the question, Keita looks around at the vixen, brow-quirking. She snerks, shaking her head. "I'd nevah hassle a healah. I've had t' deal with it too many times on the healah end o' things."

Darklett is roused from his sleep finally, his eyes blinking open. "Mm." He'd been sleeping through the days recently, and laying awake all night. His eyes remain on the ceiling as his mind slowly registers that he is indeed awake, and he raises his arms carefully above his head, one higher than the other as they have different thresholds before the pain hits, and stretches as best he can with a little grunt of exertion.

Lily leans forward, her elbows resting down on her bent knees. She watches with amusement. "Huh, vermin." She mumbles to Keita with a harsh look. "Healah's... eh, not fond o' 'em. Won' let 'em near me... but cheers t'those 'oo do." She mumbles and perks her ears. "Evenin' Darky boy."

Keita's lips twitch upwards in a smirk, and she leans closer to Lily, murmuring just loud enough for her to hear, and /possibly/ Darklett if he's listening. "Well, ya certainly seem t' let /me/ near ya..." What with that whole stint as a healer these past couple of months. She turns, giving Darklett a nod and a wink. "Mornin', sleepyhead."

Darklett's nose and ears twitch as he lowers his arms back down to his sides, rolling his head to see Keita and Lily, and... a fox, too. Beh, no questions. "Mo-... Evening, I mean..." He says to Lily, then stutters a little more at Keita. "Evening, Ke... I mean, morn... Don't play with me, which is it?"

Leanna struggles at the sound of darky boy she gulps the rest down and raising herself up onto her elbows.

Lily breaks into a full grin. "Ah, yer jus' ah barhare. Much bettah. But, Ah mean... if y'insist on meh stayin' 'way from yah..?" She says with a look. The doe bats her closest ear at Keita and wiggles her nose. "Actually... pretty sure 'tis Af'ernoon, Darky!" She pipes up, chuckling.

Keita can't help but snicker, especially as Lily throws in another possibility into the mix. Afternoon indeed. "How 'bout we just stick with 'hullo'?"

"Wh... Is... Yes." Darklett closes his eyes, rolling it back onto his pillow. "Hello, Keita, hello, Lily. Buckthorn didn't happen to come in here, did he, do you know?" he asks of the pair, while resting his eyes and facing straight up.

Leanna listens to the dialogue, all of a sudden wondering where korit's been.

Lily sends a glancing smirk back towards Keita and nods in agreement. "Oh aye, hullo Darklett." She finally says, sounding slightly stuffy at the boring greeting. "Buckthorn?" She rolls her eyes up into her head for a moment. "Oh! Y'mean th' great big 'un? Really grumpy all th' time?" She inquires, peering at Darklett. "Can't say Ah 'ave. Why? Avoidin' th' nasty ol' healah? I bet he's th' 'un tha' gives out nettle soup."

Keita's ears twitch, one swiveling towards Dark and the other towards Lily. "Buckthorn? Can't say I know 'im, Darky."

Darklett nods at Lily's questions. "Mmhmm, fit him from his footpaws to the tips of his ears. I shoulda known you two didn't know him... Eh, nevermind, then." He heaves a deep, restless sigh, his eyes looking like they force themselves open as he stretches his legs out as far as he can manage, before slumping them against the cot.

Lily shrugs slightly. The doe glances around, watching Dark until he appears busy. The doe stands up, turns to Kei, and leans down for a kiss on her cheek. "Ah, well, Ah should go an' let y'rest, Kei." She says softly. "Ah'll be 'round, yeah? Jus' don' wanna bothah yah." She steps back with a sheepish grin. "Night." Lily adds, turning to the door. "Darky, er... foxy." She mumbles, sending the fox a odd look. "Finish yah dinner, Kei." The doe adds as she slips out the door.

Leanna mumbles something dark about not having been born with the name foxy,,, which once again disitigrates among coughing

Keita's ears perk up at the kiss to the cheek, and she returns it before Lily pulls away. She then watches as Lily moves to the door, smiling faintly. "Night, Lil'-darlin'." Once the other doe slips out, she settles back against the wall her cot is backed up against.

Darklett takes another deep breath, his ears flicking as well as he hears a little smooch sound. :P He doesn't really pay much attention though, and raises his paw to wave as Lily leaves. But, his eyes open slowly at Keita's 'Lil'-darlin,' and he moves those eyes to peer out of their sides at Keita. A smirk crosses his lips, and he looks back up at the ceiling.

Leanna raises her ears, the fever making her sway a bit. "a' ye....rabbitgirl...Have ye seen a black fox round??? big cross on the neck and bandaged foootpaws by *fit of coughing* by *cough* change?"

Keita catches Darklett's glance and smirk, but she merely smirks smugly in return. She catches Leanna's question to the healer hare, and Keita can't help but put her two cents in. "Ain't goin' t' see many foxies 'round here, m'gel." The healer doe confirms this, with a small shake of her head and a pat to Leanna's arm. "No, deah, I'm sorry. I haven't."

Lily has left.

Leanna pouts at the doe.. "'ee carried me 'ere."

The doe pats her arm again, then goes about refreshing the damp cloth on Lea's forehead. "I'm sure he's somewhere about, deah. Don't ya worry."

Darklett's ears flick again, and his eyes are now trained on Leanna. "...Black fox? With a cross?" He shifts in his cot. "...Is his name Korit, by any chance?"

Leanna nods. "aye, korit. didn't think any'd know him *two coughs* by name." her voice starts to get weaker. "And yee're darklett, Aye?"

Darklett closes his eyes again, nodding against his pillow. "Mmhmm. Crazy fox, that one... Don't know what to make of him." He murmurs this out, still quite sleepy, probably from being completely inactive for quite a few days now.

Leanna folds her arms. "He'll be allright." she says, the stregnth in her voice raturning. "I know he will."

Keita rolls over onto her side so that she's looking at the rather sluggish Darklett. She wrinkles her nose slightly, propping herself up on elbow. "'Ey. Darklett. Wakey-wakey, eh? Yer makin' me tired."

Darklett huhs, rolling his head to the side again, his eyes still closed until a few seconds after. "What? I'm still sleepy. Heh heh. How 'bout you? Don't you get just... exhausted when you've been doing absolutely nothing all day?"

Keita wrinkles her nose at Darklett, then jerks her head towards the two crutches. "'M free, Dark. Well... sorta. I c'n stand fer a little bit, anyway."

Darklett hmphs, his mouth curling downwards in an envious scowl. "I'm about to just get up and try walking myself, but I promised this healer hare and friend of mine Buckthorn I wouldn't until he said it was okay. After all, I'm not a healer, so what do I know?"

Keita eyes Darklett thoughtfully for a moment, then nods. "Yer friend's prob'ly right about you not movin', yet. All those healin' bits, wouldn't do t' strain 'em. Righ'?"

Leanna plops down loudly in her bed, stillholding her attidtude through the sickness.

Darklett smirks. "Guess a second opinion wouldn't help, why don't you go ahead, Keita?" Well, at least he's still capable of sarcasm. :P "Probably right, actually. I don't want anything to get worse-- I don't plan on ever being hurt any worse than I was after that badger was done with me."

Aww, poor Darklett. Some mood-lightening is in order! She lies back a bit and lifts up what remains of her right leg. Grinningly she points at it. "If it makes ya feel any bettah, I don't got no leg." Hehe. Heh.... heh. XD She'll be here all night, folks.

Leanna curls up and retreats to herself, coughing every now and then.

Darklett's previously closing eyes flick open with a cot-squeak, and he sees a stump being raised in the air. "...Uh... huh." He actually does grin at this. "I guess I shouldn't complain, right?" His head rolls back up to keep from staring at where the missing half of Keita's leg should be, but he's got a smirk glued on his face.

Keita lowers the stump with a satisfied smirk, dropping back onto the pillows. And, oh! She glances around at her night table, where she reaches into a drawer and brings out a small wooden figurine. Then, lying back, she tosses it over Darklett's way. "Look-it what Rah made me." It's a near-likeness of Keita - though coincidentally, it still has both legs.

Darklett has to move quickly to grab the figurine, and quick movements are not Darklett's friend right now. He breathes in sharply through his teeth, and holds still for a while... But he tries to pass it off as intentional, flipping the figurine around in his paw as if inspecting it. "Hmm. Very nice... Well, a little inaccurate, but still pretty nice of him, heh." He gulps down, and throws it back, gritting his teeth as he does so, trying not to stretch his side out too much when he does.

Leanna coughs loudly. is she the only one in the sick bay whose actually trying to sleep?!"

Keita's ears perk at the loud cough and she looks around. Which results in the figurine bouncing onto the cot beside her. Ooh. She looks down at her side and picks it up, setting it back on her table. She then settles back on her pillows again. "... Yeah. Good ole Rah." Her voice is notably quieter.

Darklett finally settles into his cot, closing his eyes again. "Yeah, he's a good hare, Rah." He looks like he's trying to get some more rest, which he probably doesn't need. :P "Should talk to him sometime, haven't had a chat in a while..."

"... Bet he'd like that. Next time I see 'im around, I'll tell him t' stick around fer when ya decide t' wake up next." Keita grins faintly, eyes closing as she yanks a sheet up to her chin, rolling over onto her side facing away from the lights, which coincidentally means away from Darklett. "Night, Dark."

Darklett smiles, his head forcing itself back into the already quite dented pillow. "Thanks, that'd be nice." He turns his head to grin, but she's not looking. "Night, Keita." And his eyes close again, and the hare tries to go to sleep.