Just Before Winter (Part Two)
Characters: Robin, Aikuen, Tillim(spoof), Garnet
Location: Moledeep
Moledeep: Mole Hall
Robin has been gone several hours, the stoat having gotten a mouse healer from the abbey and is leading him back. But since the mouse wasn't prepared, or given the time to properly prepare himself for a trip through the snow, the stoat carried him all the way back on his shoulders, as hard as it was moving through the snow quickly with a mouse on his back, he made it back to Moledeep when he had told Aik he would. Before dawn. He opens the door and sets the mouse down, looking around to see if the otter is still here.
Tillim, The Redwall mouse healer, uffs a bit as he is set back on the ground, "Thanks for that... Though i think you could have waited for me to get a few supplies... since you weren't very specific on what the case of this... young otter was in..." he dusts his young self of snow, and looks around, "Quaint... Well... Where is he... she... it..." he hrms a bit. As the hall is empty at the moment.
Robin bends over and puts his paws on his knees, panting hard. He's pretty close to just passing out from being so tired. "O-one sec..." he pants out as he slowly heads for the sleeping hall, tracking snow as he walks. "Aik? Aik, where are you?" the stoat calls out, peeking about the sleeping hall.
"Robin? Is that you?" Aikuen's voice is heard from the infirm. They obviously moved Ella to the infirm after the fire died down. Aik peaks around the door, "Robin... Did you bring a healer? Tell them to come inside hurry... please... Thank you so much... Please rest... you have done so much..." he blurts out rather fast.
Robin pants and nods quickly. "T-Tillim!" he calls out loudly, not having the energy to go back out. "Tillim!" The stoat shouts again to see if he can get the mouse in here without needing to go back out as he slowly lands himself a cot, kicking his boots off.
Tillim was generally looking around the hall. Its all very interesting. Like the abbey. But with dirt. His ears turn to the sound, "Eh?" he jogs to the sleeping hall and follows the sound to the door of the infirm, "Yes? Ah... You must be the young ones father..." he holds out his paw for Aik to take.
Aikuen has other things in mind, "Yes... I'm Aikuen... Hurry... Please... For my Ella..." he leads the healer to the cot where all the otters are. Fira is carrying around a poof of blankets that is Ella. A handkerchief clutched in her paw. Garnet is also in the room, with Venei. Seems very sad as well. But not as much as the parents. Aik points out, "She has pneumonia... We believe... Were not good with healing..." he takes a deep breath.
Robin pants hard and closes his eyes for a few moments before sitting off, grabbing an unused towel from the table next to his cot, wiping his forehead clean of snow and sweat before blinking. "Pneumonia?" he frowns, looking around. Kentar isn't here. He's keeping Christopher and Kluna sleeping. The stoat just watches them, slowly getting up and moving next to Garnet. "Is...she going to be okay?" he asks her quietly.
Ella's breath is short and raspy. But quiet. Still unmoving in her blankets. Tillim raises an eyebrow at the older otter, "Really?... pneumonia?... You sure..." Aik nods slowly, "Well... we looked it up... and she has all the same symptoms.... Short raspy breaths. She was coughing and we believed her chests hurt... this was before we looked it up... when she became unresponsive... We also know... its... fatal... if not taken care of..." A fresh stream of tears spring up from Fira.
Tillim ponders this for a moment, "Aye same symptoms... What have you given her?" "Essence of motherwort... and some elfroot... like the book says..." "Aye...Hrm... Here. Let me see the babe." Fira wont let her go for nothing, but shows her to him, "Aye..." he places a paw on her forehead, "Right... Where is your medicine then?" Aik points to the cabinet in the corner of the room. And he goes off in search.
Aikuen room-pages, "Im getting to Garnet. Lots of stuff to write!".
Garnet looks over to Robin, "Ella... will be..." she shakes her head, "She will be alright. Doesn't look to bad.... but it is Pneumonia... so... Hope for the best..." she hrms quietly, "She has to stay alive... For her sister..." she bounces her a little, "Robin. You did a great thing for Aik and Fira... Im proud..." she smiles, even though its a sad time. )
Robin looks to Fira and after nodding at Garnet slowly, not smiling, even after having been told she was proud of him for the first time since he came here, the stoat slowly moves over to the upset otter. Fira. Not Aik. "It will be alright." he says quietly to her, not that she'll hear him. But she will feel the slight hug he goes to give her. He feels so bad for them, but being so tired, he cant really bring himself to say or do much else.
Tillim pulls out a few vials from the cabinet, "You have already gave her a correct medicine... But there is something that is new... Lets see... ah!" he pulls out a vial that has a herb in it, "This... will help..." He adds some of the other fluid like ingredients, and there is a light sizzle in the background. But he seems to see that is okay. Aikuen nods a bit to the healer, "Will she... be okay?" he asks very quietly.
Tillim says, "As far as i can tell... She will be alright... But you never know.... But this will help all the same" he continues to work on potion making. Fira jumps a bit at Robin and she looks over at him, placing her head on his shoulder. As she weeps even louder. Just letting her tears drip onto the blanket below.
Robin hugs Fira tightly and lets her rest her head on his shoulder, the stoat sighing quietly. "It will be alright, it will be alright." he says quietly, patting her back gently. He almost f:alls asleep like that but then blinks himself awake. He slowly lets go of Fira for fear of dragging her down if he were to fall asleep there, sitting back on his cot, watching.
Aikuen takes a deep breath. Has to keep his composure as much as he can. He has too, "Thank you... Um. Tillim..." He nods slightly before going to sit next to Fira. He reaches over and strokes the head of his daughter. Tillim smiles a bit, "Its what i do. Why i became a healer in the first place..." he chuckles. Keeps a cool head doesn't he! He closes the vial and shakes up the ingredients, "Alright... This is good..." When Robin leaves, Fira moves her head from his shoulder into Aiks chest. Aik takes a deep breath, "Alright... Anything to help her... please do..."
Tillim goes over to the otters and hands over the vial, "At her age... probably better for the parents to administer the medicine... Just a few drops if you can..." Aikuen takes the vial and rubs Fira on the back, "Come on... Hold her steady..." Fira blinks sadly at Aik, but nods slowly, "Yes..." is all she says before holding Ella up, and holds her chin down. Aik opens the vial and drips a few into her mouth. The first few don't do anything, but after the 5th one or so Ella coughs loudly and begins to cry. Fira smiles a big ole smile, "She is awake! She is awake!" as she goes to rock her, trying to calm her down after that.
Aikuen grins and jumps up from the bed, "She is awake!" he goes over and grabs the healer, hugs, and twirls him, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Tillim ergs, "Ah! Put me down... You big brute..." he grunts and pats the otter on the back, "Put me down you loon... Ill i did was help clear her lungs... She still needs rest and warmth..." he is put back down and dusts himself again, though there is no dust. Aikuen is still happier beyond belief, "Thank you... Will she be alright now?" The healer says, "Yes... She will... but it will take some time..."
Robin smiles tiredly. "Heh...see Aik? Told you she'd be fine." the stoat grins with a nod. "Thanks Tillim." he looks to the mouse with a nod of thanks for letting himself be carried here. "Think though you'll...have to go back home to the abbey yourself." He chuckles, laying down on the cot finally, still tired.
Fira has been able to quiet Ella. Who mrrs quietly now, "Ella..." she hrms and kisses her on the forehead, "I love you Ella..." she hugs her closely. Tillim looks over at Robin, "Back to the abbey? Ha... I will be staying here for a few days. Just in case... And besides..." he goes over to one of the cots, and plops down "Its certainly a change a pace from all the colds of the abbey..." not like they really need him or anything. )
Aikuen goes back to sitting next to Fira putting an arm around her, and the other rubbing the chin of Ella, "Tillim... You can stay here as long as you want... You are more than welcome..." just so happy that Ella is responsive again. He can hardly contain himself.
Robin hrms a little bit and ahs, nodding at the mouse. "Ah. Okay. Well. As Aik said, your more then welcome to stay as long as you want." he nods once before yawning, rubbing his eyes. "Remind me to get dad to go next time." he mutters.
Tillim nods and yawns, "After being yanked from my nice warm cot at the abbey. In the middle of the night. I think i deserve it... This place is interesting enough. What you called this place again... Molecreep?" he shrugs, "Your dad? More stoats? This place is really interesting now..." he chuckles, "Anyway... Aikuen... Keep her warm... and resting... Thats it. Other than that, just keep hoping..." he nods once or twice.
Aikuen looks up, "Hoping? I thought you said she would be alright?" "Well... She is doing very well... But... You cant tell from now... Just keep it up. Do as i told you to do... Everything should be fine..." Aikuen blinks at the mouse and then takes a deep breath, "Aye..." Fira missed it, but Aik holds her closely after that, "Thank you..." he goes back to watching his daughter. Who is mrring quietly moving her paws about. Fira wraps her tightly in more blankets.
Robin watches Tillim for a few moments before looking towards Aik and smiles a little bit. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I don't lie. I told you I'd be back before dawn. I was. I tell you Ella will be better. She will." he smiles before finally closing his eyes.
Aikuen takes another deep breath, "Thank you... Please... There is a kitchen near the entrance... Please help yourself to anything..." Tillim nods once before hoping off the bed, "Neat. Okay. Just call me. If you need me..." and he walks out the door, running his paws over the wall. Very interested. Aikuen looks over to Robin, "Thank you... I hope so... i really do..." he nods once before looking back at his daughter. Fira rocks her very slowly, humming something softly. Aikuen closes his eyes and takes a final deep breath, "Please... Help her..." he seems to say to some beast. After a bit he looks back over to Robin, "Please rest... you have done so much... Thanks"
Robin yawns and nods, wiping away water from his eyes that the yawn left. "And rest I shall." he chuckles quietly before laying down and getting under the covers, shuddering slightly before drifting off to sleep.
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