12.29.08 - No Decisions Made in a Void

Location: Redwall Infirmary

Characters Involved: Tameus, Sivaine, Harper, Gregorian, Brenden, Anselm

Tameus should be in bed, but he is only about halfway. The kid has a blanket around him while one foot is up on the headboard, and he stares toward the ceiling with his head twisted oddly.

One hand against the wall. Tam edges up higher and puts his other foot on there, balancing.

Harper has been handling some work in the main infirmary for the past little bit. He pokes his head into the recovery room, though, and looks around. Tameus, he sees, is awake. And getting into things! WHy, what a surprise. "Tammy," is all he says. He sounds kinda tired. Long day?

Tameus wobbles as his muzzle turns toward his father. "There's a face onna ceilin'," he tells Harper, and points up above his head.

"..what. Are you doing, Tam." Sivaine brushes some hair out of her eyes as she comes into the infirmary, looking sweat-soaked but not as disheveled as usual; that's a fresh ponytail and she's been inside long enough to lose that flushed, just come from a run look. Except - oh, hi Harper. "Er." She backs up a step.

Tameus beams brightly at Sivaine. "Hi! Y' wann' fin' shapes wit' me?" Since when is he so bubbly and cheerful to the mouse, anyway.

"The face c'n stay on the ceiling 'n' you c'n stay on the ground," is Harper's reply. He glances at Sivaine and that's all. He heads over to Tam's cot, plucking him from his precariousness. Sets on cot.

It's been going on long enough that Siv doesn't seem to be surprised by it. What. "If you don't try headstands at the same time. Found the.. map of the eastern shore yet?" She frowns faintly at Harper back.

Tameus bends up his knees a little, toes splaying out stiffly before he's set down. From here he hops off the cot and goes to Siv, blanket dragging, kept on him with the absent grasp of one hand. "What, onna ceilin'? There's a /map/?"

Harper watches Tam go, brow knitting for the faintest of seconds. He turns away, then, going over to a counter where he starts sorting things rather aimlessly. He presses fingertips briefly to his temple, then rubs his eyes. Let 'em play.

Sivaine just.. shakes her head at Harper, then turns back to Tam. "/Only/ visible from the bed," she stipulates with a wry little half-smile, pointing back that way. "Although sometimes it looks like a fat dormouse in a liripipe hat, but yes."

Tameus does an about-face to clamber back up onto the bed. He stands in the middle, peering upward, turning around. ".. fat.. d'mouse.. hmmmmm..." The turning gets him near one edge and his ears perk up, finger pointed. "Looklook! I see's 't! 'Arper, c'mere, lookit!"

Harper turns. Glances ceilingward. "I always saw a great badger," he offers with a shrug.

Tameus waves the pointing hand a little. "'s a /fat/. /D'mouse/. Like Siv said. Siv tell 'im. Da' c'/mere/."

"Gah." Sivaine is right there in a few quick strides, just in case Tam decides to take another tumble. "And his stomach - right, see there? That little wiggly bit? Okay? That's the Broadstream." Let's distract Tam from Harper-interaction.

Tameus leans back into Sivaine a little, feet at the edge of the cot, but the mouse's nearness keeping him from falling. He twists his muzzle while looking up. "Looks jus' like 't!" He has no idea what the Broadstream looks like from above.

With an inward sigh, Harper walks slowly over. He looks at Tameus, at him only, and then the ceiling. "Mm," he half-agrees.

Tameus turns, clasping at the edge of Sivaine's cloak and considering the 'map'. "If 't was'a th' /wes'ern/ shore, 'd show y' where 'm from," he tells Sivaine, then leans across, grabbing at Harper to tug him closer. He gestures up and then holds Harper by the arm. "See th' mou

Tameus turns, clasping at the edge of Sivaine's cloak and considering the 'map'. "If 't was'a th' /wes'ern/ shore, 'd show y' where 'm from," he tells Sivaine, then leans across, grabbing at Harper to tug him closer. He gestures up and then holds Harper by the arm. "See th' mou'tain? I foun' Sal'man'stron, too!"

"Well, I'm from.. right.. there. Or that's where I started." Sivaine stabs a finger at the ceiling just north of the river; her other paw finds Tam's back, because really, the last thing she needs is another accident. She glances at Harper as he comes over, mouth pursed in a little frown.

Harper nods dully. "I see," he agrees. "It's a nice map."

Tameus gets an idea. "Y' stay /righ'/ /'ere/, okay?" he tells them. "'m gonn' get a /real/ map. So's m' neck doesn' haft' 'urt!" Happy, cheerful, he releases them and bounds off the cot. "... /don'/ move. I mean 't."

Harper watches Tam go. "... Well, guess he's feelin' better." Heh. He bends his head, absently rubbing at his eyes again.

And Tam is out the door!

"Or thinks he is. I guess." Sivaine looks the same way; there's relief mixed with worry on her face as she watches the leveret bound off. "You.. don't look so well, though." It's an awkward start, but it'll do.

"Nor feel it," Harp answers with a shrug. "That's what you get for hangin' about sick beasts all day." Eh. "Don't tell him, though."

"I won't," Sivaine promises. Quiet. "I, uh. Sorry about Zade." She glances toward the door.

"That's just Zade. He was born t'be an arse." Harp shrugs. "Doesn't matter."

Sivaine snorts in half-hearted amusement, short-lived as it is. "no. I suppose it doesn't." She's watching Harper carefully now, that solemn expression on.

Sivaine says, "I liked when I could talk to you."

"That's me - always ready t'lend a big ole floppy ear," Harper says with complete lack of amusement.

"They must be big if you need to leave the room to keep from going deaf," Sivaine responds, but it lacks snap and fire. "Harper, what are you /doing./"

Harper's ears flinch back. He finally turns, looking at Sivaine. "What. What am I /supposed/ t'be doing?" He frowns, looking spent. All used up! "/You/ tell /me/, Siv."

Sivaine's mouth quirks in a funny, sad little smile. "Well, if you want me to go away, you couldn't be clearer."

Brenden comes walking into the recovery room, looking rather bored. He stops in his tracks when he hears what he decides is a small argument. His eyes flick from Sivaine to Harper, then back. "Uh...S'pose I'll just...find someplace else to be," he sort of says to himself before taking a few small steps backwards towards the door.

"Maybe. Maybe I do." His voice is very low, almost to the point of inaudible. "You can't just expect me t'be happy like nothing's ha-" -appened! Harper blinks, looking 'round at Brenden. "Oh. Hi. Um. No. C'n I help you?"

"Then you're blaming me?" Sivaine asks, even quieter. She's very good at subsonic murmurs. Her head comes up at the sound of Brenden's backpedaling; she looks at the other hare and offers a small nod of greeting, though her expression is better suited for a statue in someone's garden.

Gregorian is listening in. Well, they're in an infirmary of sick beasts, did they expect privacy?...Maybe. He's at least doing a good job of pretending to be asleep while he mentally screams silent instructions at them as he eats imaginary popcorn or it's equivalent. The hare's becoming a quite permanent fixture in the place, not by choice granted, but he's been sat in the same chair for over a week now ever since he argued himself out of a bed. There's a faint twitch of the ear at the new arrival, doesn't know that voice so well. He's still pretending to be asleep though.

"It has nothing t'do with that," Harper murmurs out the side of his mouth. Grr, argh.

Brenden shakes his head to Harper, "No...no...I'm fine Brothah. Just came tah see if I could make a beast more comfortable." Then he flashes a smile that tells all about how awkward he feels, "I'll just go and find something tah eat then, yah got it undah controll."

"Then what does it have to do with." /And/ ventriloquism. Sivaine is a mouse of many hidden talents.

"It has t'do with the fact I can't just look at you 'n' talk to you like I don't-" Man, it's like the voices are coming from no where and everywhere at once! Because Harper and Siv totally aren't talking out the side of their mouths. "Yes! I do. Have it under control. Thanks, Bren! Um. There's an extra plate or two in the infirmary if you want to snag one." His voice is very loud next to the whispering. Takes him a moment to tone it down. "Feel, um. Feel free."

"Like you don't what." And then Sivaine leans away slightly to avoid losing hearing on that side. She eyes Harper doubtfully and twitches her whiskers.

Brenden blinks. Did Harper just...snap at him? Whatever they were talking about sure had him in a mess. The hare swallows, does an about-face, and reaches for the door. Time to...not be here any more.

Gregorian strains his ears, thank the seasons he has big ears, he'll have to catch up the mouse in the next bed again later. If only they'd speak up! And stop behaving like numpties of course but then what would Greg have for entertainment?

Harper didn't mean to snap. Argh. His ears twitch back and he watches Brenden go, running a paw through his headfur. "Oh bloody hell..." He sighs. "Like I don't feel the way I feel about you. You can't just have it both ways, Siv. You can't just pick me up 'n' put me down when you have a use for me. It doesn't work that way."

This is about when Tam reenters. Well, he gets a step in, a big map-book in his arms. Sees them - talking, intense - and slips back out. He hovers by the door, ears up, listening. Unseen. Oh he's so bad.

Brenden continues right on out the door and goes about his day, forgetting completely about all of this. He never saw or heard anything.

Brenden room-pages, "Oh...sounded kinda snappish to me. My bad. I've blundered into conversations kind of like this before and tried to explain my way out, then was snapped at. All in all, it was pretty funny.".

Sivaine recoils as if slapped. "You think I-" she hisses, eyes suddenly narrowed to hurt slits as she turns to face him. "You think /that's/ what I want? That- you- I never wanted two of you." For a minute, she looks like she's about to slap /him,/ and possibly throw in a knee for good measure.

Ah good, they're back to louder voices. Greg won't have to catch others up with much at all. He almost feels sorry for Harper...buuuuut he doesn't know the hare that well and he really liked Flax so Harp gets minus points for her wandering off on his watch. Plus, Greg is bored. Really, really bored.

Oh, bloody... His ears flatten back and his eyes close. And they get rubbed at again, for good measure. "I don't mean /that/... I mean. /I/ can't just go back to being your friend, Siv. What I'm /trying/ t'do is figure out how t'deal with all this, with the fact that you're here 'n' he's here 'n' there's nothing I c'n do about it. So forgive me if I'm not the most talkative ever."

Sivaine's sudden flare-up of rage dies down to a controlled burn; she gives him a sort of 'well, all right' look and crosses her arms. "Nothing you can do about it," she repeats flatly, remembering to lower her voice after a quick glance around the place. She'd drag him into the supply closet to chat, but he's on duty. "You think I know how to deal with those facts? I was starting t-" She bites down on that. "And then there's- nnngh." She pinches the bridge of her nose and mutter something. Be glad you can't hear it, Greg.

"Yes. Nothing I c'n do about it," Harp repeats. His head is starting to pound. "I'm sure someone like Zade would try 'n' fight for you, but what's the point? It's your decision. I can't make it for you. I just wish... I just wish you'd /make/ it already. Or if you've already made it, stop holdin' off-" And his voice lowers, and he sighs, "On tellin' me."

Gregorian tries to hear it all the same but no luck so he goes back to mental yelling. A particularly silent 'YOU IDIOT' aimed at Harper too. He almost wishes he could stop pretending to be asleep and go slap them both round the head...alas he can't do either. One, they'd know he'd been listening and two, they're not within arm's reach and he can't get up.

Ok, so what if Brenden didn't go off on his business. So what if he decided to hang around the other side of the door to listen. He had nothing better to do. It was either eat, which he just did, or hang around. Something had Harper all riled up, and he was interested in finding out what. Though, he had a good idea what it was now.

Tameus is just to the other side of the doorway still, glancing up at Brenden when the hare stays also. His eyebrows lift but he makes no comment.

Brenden smiles down at the other hare and gives a silent wave as he turns his head and one ear towards the door.

Tameus lifts one hand from his book to wave back. Eavesdropping buddies!

"Hah," Sivaine snorts at the Zade comment, and doesn't say anything for a bit; she just sighs through her nose, ears folding back. "..this is funny, you know," she remarks with black humor. "Coming from someone who said 'I've never met a beast so convinced of their own fate.' And smirked." It's not done meanly, just.. resigned.

Harper blinks. His ears twitch back and he just looks at her for a moment, lips parted. Stunned into silence. Eventually he manages something. "I decide things for /m'self/... I don't, I /can't/ decide for others." Ech. "Would it make a difference? If I made a stink? Took you in my arms, held you close? Told you I love you, told you - choose me? Would it?" It's almost as if he /leans/ forward, toward her, but he doesn't really move. His voice drops low. "Would it?"

Tameus edges over to peer in the door, toward them. His ears are folded back, eyes slowly blinking.

Gregorian mentally nods though he's not actually moving. It's a better answer he thinks. Not so easy to take as a potential insult. Granted he still thinks the other hare needs a kick but he's not silently yelling this time. Imaginary fingers crossed now people.

There. The rage drains out of Sivaine's features until she's just looking at him, blinking slowly, expression solemn, slightly sad, and.. he's seen this expression before, in various guises. "Isn't that how it usually goes? Or do you just expect them to read your mind?" she asks quietly. "There's- no decision's made in a void, Harper." Her eyes stray away to the door.

The door which Tam is not visible in - he's ducked out to the side again, and is seated just next to it on the other side, hugging the book, listening still.

Sivaine says, "..maybe I should tell you a story."

"Then. Then /that/. Those things. Siv-" Harper sighs, pressing the palm of his paw briefly to his head. Oh, this /headache/... His head lowers. Murmurs. "A story?"

"..a story," Sivaine nods absently, still watching the door. "I meant to tell you, before all of this got distracting." She won't look at him.

A story? Greg would raise a brow if it wouldn't have the chance of giving him away. Today's instalment of infirmary drama is proving quite good though, more than worth the amount of time he's having to stay still. Let's all hear this story.

"Okay. Tell me a story," Harper says. He knows Siv. Her stories have a point. Usually one she can't just say flat out.

"I didn't make this one up," Siaine murmurs. "There's a prince, an evil witch, and a-" She chuckles wanly and glances at Harper. "Unicorn."

Harper's eyebrows quirk. Get to it, Siv! "A Unicorn." He just goes quiet, listening.

"A unicorn," Sivaine agrees. "You're, um." Cough. "You're the unicorn. Tam's not that subtle."

Oh yes. Tam knows this story.

Harper suddenly snorts. "I see. Well. Okay. And you're the evil witch. Except now you're a fairy princess because I'm not kissin' you anymore. Works out great for everyone."

Sivaine arches a brow at him. "..so are you going to listen or not?" she asks lightly, matching snark for snark. "Or do you think you know the ending already?"

Harper arms cross over his chest. "Go on."

"I was never a princess anyway," Sivaine mutters under her breath and twitches an ear, then blinks. She starts stretching her bad arm as she talks - something she hasn't done today and should. "Apparently, the prince had a unicorn but lost it. He was never supposed to get a second. But he did. And he loved it more than anything."

Harper makes a 'continue' gesture. Keeps his quiet.

"But there's a witch, and she steals the unicorn," Sivaine continues, with a steady half-lidded gaze that she turns on Harper now. "And the unicorn forgot everything."

Harper doesn't say anything. Is that the end?

"He hasn't finished it," Sivaine explains, rather ruefully.

Harper is silent for a few minutes. "Okay. Why did you tell me the story?"

Gregorian decides it's a very weird story so far. Harper's a unicorn, too bad he doesn't have anything to make that from, it'd be entertaining. The mouse, whoever she is, Siv didn't the say? Fairy princess...nice wings. But now she's a witch and Harper's going to forget everything...is she holding some sort of amnesia inducing pan? He chances opening an eye a fraction. No pan...Mouse, your stories are confusing! And Harp's still an idiot for many reasons. Greg's confused though. They should go back to yelling at each other, it was entertaining yet easy to follow.

"There's a teller's meaning and a listener's meaning," Sivaine murmurs, running a paw through her scruffy bangs and looking back up at him. "I told you because I thought you ought to hear it."

Harper's head lowers again. More head-rubbing. He grimaces. "I don't need a child's conception of the situation to know how Tam feels. I already know. But it doesn't make a difference - because I'm not a Unicorn and you're not a witch. You couldn't make me forget Tammy if you /wanted/ to. And whether it's you or not - doesn't matter. Because if you go ahead 'n' choose Nathan, I'm not just going to live like a widower for the rest of m'life. There will be someone else. And he'll have t'get used to it, /eventually/." Brow furrow. "So if you think I'm going t'let you use Tam's /welfare/ as an excuse? You're wrong. If you want t'say - hey, I'd rather not have a small child make my life miserable anymore? Fine. That's another thing. But that's on you 'n' /only/ you."

"..I'd rather not be my mother is what I'd be," Sivaine replies, and her tone's cooled by a few degrees.

"You're not your mother anymore than I'm my step-dad," Harper answers promptly.

"You'd be surprised what I am," Sivaine responds, spreading her fingers to bend each one back individually. Focus. "Well." A humorless little smile, directed past her fingertips. "You.. did say you were using me."

Well, at least Greg knows he can spend the next couple of days trying to work out this latest drama with the mouse in the next bed over soon as he can stop pretending to be asleep. It's lasting entertainment. Hmm, he's starting feel his leg again, that must mean it's nearly pain killer time again. Mmmm pain killers. No, focus! They're still talking.

The door to the infirmary recovery swings in gently, opened by some unseen hand, complaining loudly on ungreased hinges. A few beats later, a cart laden with foods, mostly broths and stews, but with some tasty desserts and the like, rolls into the room, preceding its pusher. How the hare managed to get the cart up the stairs is unclear, but his expression makes it very clear that he is proud to have pulled it off. The wheels cling to the uneven flagstones, but the intrepid hare just pushes harder. "I say!" he calls cheerfully, remembering a beat later to keep his voice down in the recovery room. "Who called for an evening scoff, wot?"

"And I said I wouldn't treat you like you're her. And I /don't/." Small scowl. "She wasn't this /exasperating/..." Okay, maybe insulting her is not the best route, Harp. Did you miss that memo? His ears twitch and he looks around at Ans. He... nods. "'Tis time for their evenin' meal, aye."

Tameus edges out of the way of the cart as it passes through. He hunkers and makes a show of reading the book. Well, looking at the pictures.

"Using's still using," Sivaine replies. Bring those desserts close to her, Anselm, and she'll keep that flan cool for you with her voice. "What do you /want,/ Harper. /Me,/ or a warm body with enough personality to be interesting?" ..and then Anselm comes in. Sivaine draws herself up, fixing the newcomer with a look he doesn't really deserve, all things considered.

Gregorian can't help but ear twitch at the mention of food. Poor timing, it was getting good but time to wake up perhaps? Won't interrupt anymore than Anselm is anyway. Quick breath in and he half opens one eye "Mmm? Somebeast mention food?" he's too good at faking that, he has it down to a fine art right down to the sleepy voice. He didn't hear a thing, honest!

Sivaine leans in and murmurs in her lowest of voices, lips barely moving, "Or.. do you want someone who's just different enough from her?"

Anselm gathers a stack of bowls from under the cart and begins ladling random stews into the bowls, trying hard to ignore a mousy glare. Who knew the Redwall mice would try to hate a body to death? "Right here, old chap! Any preference?"

Gregorian tries to keep looking a little sleepy at least as he moves to pull himself up a bit, straighten up in his chair after so long in the slouched sleepy position "We have a choice today? Wot's on offah?" takes a little shuffling to get himself comfy again before he really peers at the cart. It's like he doesn't know Harper and Siv are there, they're invisible, mostly as he hopes they won't stop.

When did this become about what /he/ wants? Harper's eyes cut to the side at Sivaine following the whisper. "I. Want. /You/. Though you're starting t'distinctly make me wonder /why/!" It's a whisper, but it's an angry whisper! "You are the most frustratin', impossible t' read, impossible t' /live/ with, mouse I have /ever/ met, 'n' I want you. I want your scowls, I want your happiness, I want all your incoherent noises, I want how every little sadness of yours makes me break... So BLOODY WELL DECIDE ALREADY!" The last he, um. Kind of shouts. o.0;

Anselm stares down at the contents of the bowls in his paws, trying to ascertain their ingredients. "Erm, wot looks like a spiffing mix of, uh, leek and might be watercress? with some carrots thrown in there, and in /this/ bowl we have.... Well, y'll figure it out quicker if you have a bally look for y'self." That said, bowls in hand, he presses the cart with his chest until he makes it over to Greg's cot. "There we go. Now, old chap, choose y' own."

Gregorian hates his cot, he argued so much that he's taken up residence in the chair next to it instead. He leans forwards to inspect the bowls, sniffing a little "I'm thinkin'...a little of each one aftah the othah" he smirks, perfect meal for a hare. His ear rotates onto Harper as he starts his speech...awwww it's all rather sweet. The mouse in the bed is awake too, for the sake of confusion lets call him Bert. We all like Bert. There's a quick exchange of meaningful looks there. It's getting good again though neither is looking at the action.

Anselm lets one ear flop forward at Harper's shout, as though it were leveled by the shockwave. "Excellent choice, old bean." The hare has already ladled one of each, so he just sort of... hands them over. Glancing over his shoulder, he indicates the desserts. "Same for these, or just one, eh wot?"

Sivaine stops mid-stretch, leaning away ever so slightly from the decibel explosion. ..oh, hello, people in the room. She shuts her eyes and takes a few measured breaths, tail flicking behind her.

"..sorry," she murmurs.

Gregorian looks back to Anselm again swiftly "Oh I think one of each of those too. Don't get much of a pick of the abbey's fine selection of foods up here, have tah make the most of them" is there a fight going on a few feet away? Nothing to see there. Eyes forwards, take first soup bowl "Yah a healah or just deliverin' the food?" polite conversation with Anselm.

Harper's ears fracture back. He stares at Sivaine for several long seconds and then. Shakes his head. And. And. And walks off. He is bound for the door.

And that's where Tameus is - seated, back to the other side of the wall. His ears are down - not like he has to strain to listen. He angles his muzzle up when footsteps come nearer.

Anselm shakes his head blithely, the tips of his long ears following the motion a beat after each change in direction is made. "No, sah, Patrol Recruit, as you can see by these abso-bally-lutely splendid pins I've got." Concern sparks in his eyes, and he hesitantly asks, "You can tell, cawn't you? I do have the look of the Patrol, so I thought, anyway..." His eyes flick down over his uniform, worried that he isn't wearing it right.

Sivaine twitches an ear and grimaces. "Harper," she calls after half a beat.

Harper pauses at the door, paw on the handle. "What."

Sivaine just looks at him, expression sad and complicated. Then she breathes out. "..I don't want someone who acts like this."

Oh drat, it's all taken a turn for the worse. Greg finally gives Harper a glance as he's headed for the door. He's not sure who's the bigger idiot now. He can at least say Harper tried, even if he is apparently bad at it. The mouse...mental note to do research on her though sounds like she might be blowing it anyway, pity. Don't ask how he's going to research when stuck in here either. No healer to ask for pain killers in a bit now either, baaaaad Harper, leaving poor innocent patients to suffer so he can stomp off in a hissy fit. He looks back to Anselm again as the fight has potential to go on "Ahhh, Recruit, fightah or runnah? Fightah myself...though, heh, uniform is currently takin' a nice break tah get few holes stitched up in it"

Anselm is in the process of dishing up a healthy chunk of a massive pasty, and doing his best to ignore the argument behind him. Seems to have ended, though this may be the eye of the storm... "Haven't got the legs for runnin', sah. My bally pater'd have a fit if he found out his boyo ended up anywhere but carvin' up baddies of the frontlines."

Harper's shoulders jerk. He stiffens, doesn't say anything for a long time. Eventually he seems to thaw, though, and he twists the handle. "Fine." And after a beat, "... I'm tired of bein' expected t'bear my soul for nothin' 'n' no reason. So fine. Fine." And he pulls the door open and he's out.

Gregorian chuckles quietly to Anselm, his ears trained on Harper and Siv still, yep, mousey blew it "At a guess I'd say yah fathah eithah liked the patrol a whole lot or he was in it" he says to Anselm, starting sipping from his soup at last too.

And there's Tam, just .. hunkered, hugging the book. Looking up at Harper when he comes out and then ducking his head.

Sivaine closes her eyes again. For a long time, she's just a statue.

Harper doesn't even /look/ at Tam, though if he did he might note the eavesdropping little stinker! He's a man on a mission, and his mission is... elsewhere! The door leading outside is pulled open and shut behind him. And he's off into the snow.

Anselm indicates to Bert that he should pick a stew and dessert, his attention still on Greg. "Oh, great wallopin' whiskers, yes. In it tooth and paw." One ear swivels at the noise of the door.

"Da'?" Tam pipes up - but Harper's gone.

Gregorian nods along to Anselm though he's partially distracted now, watching Siv out the corner of his eye "Usually the sort tah be extra proud when their kids join the patrol" he says to the other hare, all the while deciding whether to meddle or not. Eh. It can't get worse right now. He uses the moment while Bert's questioning what the pudding's were, raising his voice a little for Siv though he doesn't look directly at her, still sort of out the corner of his eye "Ended that in a grand fashion"

"Hh." Sivaine breathes out and her eyes flutter open. She doesn't say anything. She just pads quietly over to the door, opens it, and pauses to look back at Gregorian. "Nothing grand about it."

Anselm recognizes that he's not included in the conversation as a humble recruit, and points out his personal favorite pudding to Bert.

Drat. Greg can't tell if that's enough regret or not "Well, if yah got the result yah want I don't suppose will mattah" Recuits aren't excluded from conversation! Greg's just running on a time limit, namely until the mouse makes that final step out the door. Bert is a well behaved distraction meanwhile. He seems to approve of the pudding a lot and is currently going through how to make it in great detail, may be a cook, Bert is a mouse of mystery.

"Hnh." Sivaine snorts self-deprecatingly. "Doesn't really matter what I want." She turns to go.

Anselm nods along as Bert goes through the steps, slowly beginning to drift his cart on to the next alcove, got to feed everyone...

Gregorian raises a brow, he still has time, he flops back in his chair, casual, relaxed, eating soup innocently "Well that's silly. Half of wot Harpah was spoutin' was about it being your choice and yah said didn't want him" Bert keeps talking until the hare's very clearly making his escape and he peters out a bit.

Sivaine closes her eyes with an 'oh god' look on her face, ears angling back. "..don't tell me you were in his patrol too," she nearly groans. "Bloody hell. No. No, in this case? No. Father first, Brother second, dillydallying dead last. I don't want otherwise." What she doesn't want, /that/ Siv has a pretty good handle on.

Tameus has risen, now. He holds the book of maps, ears back, stepping into the room and watching Sivaine with a questioning expression. ".. hi."

Gregorian slowly raises a brow. Weird response. Not what he was going for but ok then "No, I was just a recruit the same time as him. Don't even know him that well and not sure I follow yah? Just makin' conversation aftah seem tah have some rathah distressed folks yellin' about the infirmary"

Anselm has ditched his cart due to the hitching flagstones and now moves about the room, ferrying food to each of the patients. Until, of course, he trips on one of the same bothersome stones. Plate of pasty held aloft like a precious treasure, the hare goes down, managing to spin and land on his rump. How dignified.

This involves passing right by Sivaine, who blinks down at him. She's too tired to be surprised, or utter an incoherent little noise of consternation. "Tam." Her eyes lid over slightly; tired. She shakes her head at Gregorian, moving past the leveret. "Well. Sorry about that. Won't happen again."

"Siv," the boy says quietly. "... let's go s'where, okay?" A glance around the infirmary; he reaches to take her hand. "Let's jus' go s'where."

Sivaine's mouth thins and deepens at one corner. "I have training," she tells the leveret, though her fingers curl around the smaller paw. "Hitting things with sticks."

Erk. Won't happen again? Must fix that. Greg shakes his head "Not tellin' yah off miss, didn't even hear the most of it" liar "Just concerned and all" his eyes narrow slightly at the dibbun's suggestion just before he hears Anselm go down. Bah...or not bah. Potential "Eh. Could someone pick him up?" not like Greg can get up and do it himself after all.

".. well lemme come," Tam says quietly. "'e lef' an' I don' think 'e's comin' back. .. not t' put me t' sleep an'way. An' I don' wann' be 'lone."

Anselm flicks an ear in embarrassment, which slowly loops around behind his head. "Fine, fine, really. Bally rocks, like to get my paws on the bounder who laid 'em so cattywumpus." Setting the pasty aside, he struggles to his feet.

"Well. Thanks." Sivaine half-smiles wryly, but it's an effort and doesn't last. "But there's some stories I'd rather not tell." She looks back to Tam. "I know you don't," she murmurs. She taps her fingers on the door handle, debating. "But he'll come back."

"Well 'e's not 'ere an' y' 're," Tameus points out, fingers squeezing at hers. "C'mon. Please."

Gregorian doesn't try pushing further. They'll be back. Harper's a healer, he's practically tied to the place. Until then it seems they have Anselm's slap stick to entertain for a few minutes "Cattywumpus? Well that's a new one. Might have tah go back in time a hell of a lot of seasons tah get hold of the beast that built this place though"

Anselm shakes his head, distributing the pasty to some injured woodlander. "I say, not what I meant, wot."

Sivaine huffs a little sigh and looks to the window, although with the sun down it's impossible to gauge the time. She frowns faintly and looks back. "Not this time. I'm going where it's dangerous, and you." She crouches down and fixes the kit with her direct gaze, taking his paw in both of hers, expression serious. "You need to wait for him."

Tameus looks right back at her, gaze steady and unhappy. "Y' know I 'eard 't all," he tells her, and tugs the hand away - only to drop the book and hastily step closer to Sivaine, wrapping his arms around her neck in a firm hug. He lets go, takes up the book, and heads into the healer's dorm.

Sivaine's arms come around the leveret, one hand resting gently on his back, and squeeze him to her briefly before letting go. Then she stands. "Damn you, Harper," Sivaine hisses through her teeth, and glances to the window again. Just enough time. Okay. She follows.

There are the mental silent cheers of the infirmary drama fans, the show could yet make a come back!

Tameus glances over his shoulder as Sivaine follows, and gets the tiniest of smiles. He sets the book down and climbs up onto the bed, taking up his doll and getting under the covers. "... Siv?"

"Hi," Sivaine says gently, leaving the door open behind her. She crosses over to the bed, much less hesitantly than before. "I can't stay long. But I can put you to bed for now."

"C'n y' sing me th' song?" Tam asks, hugging onto the doll and settling his head down.

Sivaine quirks a brow as she leans over, pulling the covers up snug around the leveret. "Which song?"

"Th' lull'by," Tam says, peering at her with his eyes mostly shut. "'Lil' chil', b' not 'fraid'.."

"..that one." Sivaine nods thoughtfully. "I.. you and Harper have a lullaby. He said he had one, just for you."

Gregorian room-pages, "Alright, I'm going to head for bed. Anything more I can see in the log. Expect more meddling from the infirmary drama club if I can get away with it :P".

"Yeah. 'e does. Jus' f' me," Tam affirms. He glances at the door. "... but 'e's not 'ere, so."

"He'll be here," Sivaine promises; she looks to the door too, then back to Tam. "He'll be here," she repeats. She might have to hunt him down and drag him upstairs, but. "And if I sing you a lullaby and you fall asleep, you won't get to hear his."

"An' if 'e doesn' come?" Tam asks, brows up. "Then I won' get a lull'by 't all."

"He will. He loves you. He won't leave you behind while he still has breath," Sivaine tells him, reaching out to smooth an unruly cowlick. "You.. waiting's important, Tam. You know? I can.. there's a story I can tell you about that."

Tameus looks contemplatively at the mouse and nods. ".. okay. Tell m' th' story. While 'm waitin'."

Sivaine smiles. "It's not a lullaby, so." The bed sinks slightly under her weight; she folds her paws in her lap. "This one's.. actually, this one's about me," she says faintly. "..me and Nathan."

Tameus shifts onto his back, looking up at her. "Okay," he murmurs.

"We." Where to start. Sivaine looks down at her fingers, lacing them together. "He.. well. I love- ..he was special. Very. Special," she murmurs, and closes her eyes. "We met one summer, and.. then I had to leave. My family was leaving. We wouldn't be back for a year."

Tameus shifts and cocks his head to the side, absently petting Taye doll's ears with his little fingers. "Y' love?" he prompts.

"I loved him." She can say that much. Sivaine gazes at the door. "..and he loved me."

"An' y' had t' leave," the kid murmurs thoughtfully.

"And I had to leave," Sivaine repeats. "So he- ..he promised me. And I promised him. When I came back, I'd stay. And he'd.. be there. Waiting for me." She absently touches the hollow at the base of her throat. "I'd be gone a long time, but he promised me."

Tameus gives a slight nod, listening but not interrupting.

"I waited. I- He gave me a necklace. I never took it off." Sivaine closes her eyes, letting her fingers rest on her collarbone. "And I spent that year - that whole year - getting ready to leave. Getting ready to stay. We moved.. all the time. Staying was new."

Tameus is still listening; this isn't the sleep-time kind of story.

"So we came back, when the spring flowers were fading in the summer heat, and.." Sivaine takes a breath and closes her eyes. "..he hadn't. Waited for me," she murmurs.

Tameus sits up a little now, looking at her closely. "That's why y' hit 'im."

Sivaine stifles a little noise - a snort? - and wipes something out of her eyes. "..that's why I hit him. That's.. why I, yes. I never expected to see him again."

"Keep goin'," is his response.

"This isn't about now," Sivaine cautions. "This.. well, I suppose it's a bit. About now. I don't know why he didn't wait. It wasn't because he didn't love me. He.. no, he really did. Does," she murmurs. "But somewhere, he.. he was weak, and gave in. It was a long time ago. It's easy, when you're young." Pause. "Younger."

"Gave in t' what?" the leveret asks.

"Gave in to being.. lonely. Being tempted. Heh." Sivaine smiles sadly and looks down at her hands. "I wasn't the only one who wanted him. Other girls - other ones he didn't love, but they were there, they.." She falls silent for a moment. "..they were there," she repeats, quietly. "And they wanted him."

Sivaine says, "Other lullabies."

".. but not th' one f' 'im," Tam responds, very soft. He understands.

"No," Sivaine says quietly. "Not that one. ..and eventually he got free, but by then I'd gone east of the sun and west of the moon, and.. well. I think.. no, we did. Both of us had a hole in our heart. And if not for improbable circumstance, we'd have grown old and died that way."

".. so's," Tam concludes, nodding solemnly, "I's haft' wait f' th' one I love mos'. More'n an'thing. ... n' matter 'ow lon'."

"Unless you /know,/" Sivaine modifies. "Unless you know that they're never, ever coming back, Tam. Unless they're dead," and she softens it with her gentlest tone, "Not just lost, or gone for a long time, but truly dead, then.. yes. You have to wait."

Tameus looks carefully at her, gaze soft and thoughtful. "I will," he says firmly. "'ll wait. Pr'mise."

"There we are." Sivaine rests a gentle hand on his forehead with a fond smile. "Be sure you keep your promises."

"'ll keep m' pr'mises," the leveret promises. "An' .. I won' 'urt n'one."

"Good," Sivaine nods firmly. She tucks a fold of blanket in, snugging Taye doll closer to Tam - and on some whim, perhaps, kisses him briefly where her hand rested before she rises.

Tameus churrs and smiles at the mouse, hand coming up against her arm, head tilting into the little smooch. He gives a noise of affection and settles down, eyes shut most of the way. He doesn't doze off though - he's waiting for his father.

Sivaine watches the dozy leveret for a moment, contemplative. Then she nods to herself - "Good night, Tam." - and heads for the door.