Visiting Hours

Visiting Hours

~*~A Tale of the Long Patrol~*~

Starring:

- Taye, an injured Long Patrol Major

- Deidra, a Halyard resident and friend of the Patrol

- Darklett, a legendary Patrol figure (retired)

- Ava, a Long Patrol healer

- Piffle, a Long Patrol fighter

- Adrian, a Long Patrol fighter

- Flare, a Patroller

- Flint, a Patroller

- Dagda, a Long Patrol healer

- Jinora, a Long Patrol fighter

- Rahier, acting Long Patrol Colonel

- Darcy, the Long Patrol’s Color Sergeant

- Sidney, a Long Patrol Lieutenant

Logger's Note: This one is a bit of a doozy. It's also a part of a continuing plotline. For the first installment, click here.

The Clinic

Owing to her early arrival, the clinic healer on duty has already set aside his other work and prepared one of the closest cots. He finishes collecting the supplies he'll need while Deidra hovers in the doorway, looking off down along the street in the direction she came from, where Darklett should appear at any moment.

Darklett is not young anymore, and has never been large, and the distance to walk was not exactly right across the street. It's a struggle, but Darklett makes it soon enough, rounding the corner with Taye's body in his arms. The home stretch is here, though, and Darklett picks up his pace, making his way to the clinic and entering, finding that prepared cot and gently laying him down. He looks at his upper arm and how much blood is there and grits his teeth. "His head got hit with somethin', hard."

Tucked away in the village clinic is Ava, who was showing some Long Patrol support by aiding the residents with an extra set of paws with all the injuries that has been trickling in. Tonight though has been rather boring for a change, not that she is going to complain any. She could use a night of pea-..and it's gone. As Darklette and company heads through the door with the body of her best friend in his arms, she jolts up to her feet quick as lightning. "What happened to Taye?" Her voice tumbles out fast as she jogs towards them.

Deidra takes one step out past the door, and to the side - ready to assist Darklett, but when it proves unnecessary, she just follows him in closely. She hovers, mindful of not getting in Ava's way, but close enough to provide any assistance that might be needed. "Fight on the beach," she answers, pulling her fretful gaze from Taye's prone form up and over to Darklett's face, even as she edges to a spot at his side, opposite where Ava works, and gingerly grips her brother's hand in her own. "You said... hares were snatched? Slavers?" she guesses.

"Looked like slavers," Darklett confirms. "Weren't interested in killing them, just capturing." The colonel gets out of the way when Ava approaches, letting the healer heal. "Tried to capture Taye and got two other hares, but I didn't see who they were," he continues, ending up standing behind Deidra a pace and a half or so. "Sailed off before I could catch them. The ship was called... The Wayward Walrus." He watches the major's motionless form, eyes on his face. C'mon, Taye.

"The Wayward...?" Okay then. Deidra gives Darklett a quizzical glance over her shoulder, like she's not sure if she heard that right, then shakes her head. Her anxious gaze drops back to the hurt buck's face, and she gives his hand a little squeeze, which is more for her own reassurance than anything. Her ears are low and quivering, and after a moment she whispers, with barely-audible urgency, "You /really/ need to wake up, okay? Please."

Once Taye is settled into a bed, Ava is a whirlwind of activity as she checks his vitals, then starts to prepare the wound on his head. Her jaw is set tightly as she listens. Taking out some gauze, she blots along the wound carefully to check how deep it is, then lets out a heavy breath she was holding in her chest. "That is really deep." She says as she nudges her bag open and takes out her suture kit, as well as some ointments to clean the wound. As she works, she forces herself to be methodical. "Wayward Walrus? Good, now I know who to stick an arrow into."

Throughout the check, the only signs of life from Taye are his very shallow breathing and the slow oozing from the starting-to-clot headwound. It's lucky Taye's not awake for this, because all the blood would have him passing out. It doesn't seem like there's going to be any response from the buck, possibly every again, at least not until the gauze presses to the head wound. His paw, palm turned upward and dangling over the edge of the bed, gives a little jerk, and then his fingers curl inward in a light fist. The one Deidra's holding responds with a little squeeze.

Darklett is trying very hard to keep his distance, figuring he'll just back himself up against a wall and cross his arms as a means toward that, that surface against his back serving as a good fixed point to make sure he sticks to. Ava looks like she's going to stitch him up, and that bodes well for Taye's survival -- healers don't make a habit of stitching up corpses -- so he looks relieved at this. But it's all too much, the colonel stepping forward and placing a comforting paw on Deidra's shoulder. "He'll be fine, Dei. Taye's a strong buck." And just like that, his eyes dart to that twitching paw, and just as Deidra's paw is squeezed, her shoulder is, too, by the colonel's.

With her eyes trained on Taye's face, Deidra feels the movement of the hand she holds before anything else. Immediately her grip tightens, maybe a little more than it should. "/Taye/?" Her voice is low but sharp, and she leans in, bringing her other hand to brush against the buck's cheek. "Hey, c'mon." Her shoulders tense, very slightly, at the feeling of Darklett's hand - just enough to subtly acknowledge the grip, while her eyes don't for a second waver from Taye's face. "Taye. Biiig brooother? Open your /eyes/..."

After applying an anesthetic to the wound and carefully blotting away more of the blood, Ava starts to work on sealing it so that she can stitch properly. As she works, she begins to hum to herself, a soft lullaby, if anything to help keep herself calm as opposed to her knocked out patient. As she begins to thread the wound, she takes her time to keep the shake out of her paws.

Darklett's grip doesn't get tighter than it had just then, thankfully for Deidra's arm, but it rests there, the colonel looking for anything else from the major, anything at all that says that he's going to be okay. His other paw curls into a fist and rises up to place his first knuckle up against the front of his muzzle, worrying at his index finger with his teeth to contain his nerves.

It's another couple of minutes after the paw twitch, when Ava's nearly finished stitching up the wound, before there's anymore signs of life from the buck. It starts with twitch in one ear, and spreads to a wrinkle in his brow, which results in a full-bodied jerk. His free paw grabs to the side of the cot and his other tries to yank free of Deidra's hold, as the stirring-to-conscious buck tries to propel himself upright. A strangled sound works out of his throat and his eyes flinch open, darting around the room.

Rather than relaxing, Deidra remains tense as she continues to coax Taye, the words giving way to a little indistinct murmur here and there. Finally, a response. She flinches on reflex, leaning forward and tightening her grip on the captive hand, while her other arm extends across his upper body and she grabs at the buck's opposite forearm. "Easy now..." She presses some of her weight into it, to level him carefully back down onto his back. Her face hovers above Taye's, a little to one side, eyes searching his with an earnest expression. "You're okay. Got hit upside the head, is all." Never mind the blood soaking the side of his tunic, and splotched all over the previously crisp white sheets of the cot.

"Taye, you need to lay back down." Ava says to him in a soft voice as her bloodied paws looks to urge him back by the shoulders. "I also need you to eat some pain killer or else you will wake the dead once you come out of shock and realize you're knocking loudly on death's door. I need you to be calm for us." She says to him as she seeks out her free paw, giving it a firm squeeze. "I still need to cover the wound. Be still." Once she lets go of him, she heads to the sink to clean her paws, then takes out some fresh bandages, as well as the painkilling numbing ointment. Once both are secured, she fetches some water and a few herbs to mix together.

Darklett lets go of Deidra's shoulder when she jerks forward to help Taye lay back down. His eyes close and he breathes out a breath that it seems like he'd been holding since he'd laid Taye down. When his eyes open again, they rest on Taye's face. He stays out of the way, still, though, letting Ava work and letting Deidra comfort her brother. His work as fighter is done here, at least.

Ffff. Ordinarily Taye would probably put up more of a fight, but he's disoriented. As he's pushed back to the mattress his eyes continue that frantic look around, as misfiring synapses do their best to sort all of this out. "Wh-" His eyes finally lock on Deidra's, so close, and his chest gives a little heave, and then another, as momentary panic seizes him. His eyes squeeze shut. There's something... /important/. It's there, it's... expressed with a rather colorful curse. But at least it's a word, so his brains can't be all jelly. His eyes flinch open again and lock on Ava, next, her words registering, though how much he's processing is questionable. His eyes almost graze over Darklett, but quickly snap back. And then he goes quiet, very still. What was becoming a painfully tight grip on Deidra's paw loosens. "... hhh." He tries again. "Hurts."

"I know." Deidra isn't a healer by trade, but somehow she's still managed to inherit her father's steady, grounded bedside manner. Even as his grip eases, hers is firm, her thumb rubbing in small, soothing circles against Taye's knuckles. "Hell of a headache, I expect. But. You're okay. You went away for a little while, and now you've come back to us." Her other hand now briefly cups to the side of Taye's face, in a tender way that suggests she would be hugging him /quite/ tightly, if not for the greater need of having him tended to. So that hand lifts, and she just very lightly strokes at his hair. "Now you have to stay, okay? Don't go drifting off again. If it hurts real bad - just focus on something else. Talk to me. No sleeping."

Looks like he's gonna be here a while. Darklett grabs the back of one of the stiff wooden chairs and lifts it, placing it against that wall he'd been planted against so briefly before and lowering himself to a seat, paws raising up to rub at his opposite arms, fatigued from having to carry Taye from the beach by himself and not dangling him like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.

Ava finishes crushing the roots and herbs together, then stirs them about the mug of hot water. Once it gains the consistency she desires, she takes a seat on the bed and holds it out to him. "Take very small sips. It's going to taste terrible." Giving a nod to Deidre, she glances over to Darklett. "Do you want anything, sir? I have some snacks in my bag if you are hungry."

It's maddening. He knows there's something... he can feel it, heart hammering against his chest. But it eludes him. Taye's eyes squeeze shut, because yeah. Pounding headache. But when the mug is pushed into his palm, his fingers close around it. With just a little shake in the paw as he pushes himself upright just enough, he does what he's told and takes the tiniest of sips. He lets the mug rest to his side on the mattress, then. His eyes squint open and look between the two does at his bedside. "Where's..." And just like that, it hits him. "... oh Gods, where's Corbeau? What... Where... /is/ she?"

Deidra shifts her position to bring one arm very lightly across Taye's upper back, helping to guide him a little upright, and providing just enough pressure to keep him in that raised position for long enough to sip the tea. "Careful," she murmurs as the mug quivers in his hold, then makes a low, approving sound when he manages a small sip. Then, at the buck's relative outburst, her ears flatten into her blond curls until they nearly disappear. Her lips part in a look of quiet alarm, and she snaps her gaze around to look at Darklett. "... oh." Quietly, under her breath, she echoes the same curse Taye himself uttered upon waking. "No, thank you," Darklett responds in a hushed tone to Ava, accompanying his words with a small smile of appreciation. When Taye speaks again, he listens in, then closes his eyes softly. Corbeau, she's barely even... No, she's just a kid still. "Damn," he breathes out, barely audible. He stands and takes his place at the side of the major opposite Deidra, placing a paw on Ava's back to once again show his appreciation as he kneels down. "Taye, Corbeau was taken. By the time I arrived they had already taken the other two and I couldn't get to them."

As the story unfolds, Ava's ears wilt back a bit as well, then lets out a heavy breath as she slips away to give the three some room to talk. She gives Darklett a nod, then goes to wash her paws off and clean up a bit. "We should get him into some fresh clothes. I probably have something his size around here." She mutters, though now that the rush is over, she is taking in long, deep breaths to calm herself.

When Ava walks off, Taye's eyes follow her as rising panic takes hold of him. The tea is definitely forgotten. As Darklett supplies the answer, his head turns - and the punishing effects of that are quickly apparent as his paw leaves the mug and presses to the newly dressed head wound. Someone better grab that tea before it spills. His fingers dig at the edge of the bandages, like he's got half a mind to rip them off. The other /two/. Other /two/... "Ty," he chokes out. "Tyree."

"Hey," Deidra murmurs, and brings her arm in a little closer against Taye's shoulder blades, curling her hand against his upper arm on the fall side with a small squeeze to held steady him. She makes an unspecific noise, a little croon of reassurance in the back of her throat, then glances aside to the tea. Without letting go of the buck, she leans slightly and extends her hand, making a grab for it that suddenly falls short. Her hand hovers, fingers splayed, and her eyes snap back around to Taye's face. "... what. Did you .. say?"

"Tyree was taken as well. Taye, try to stay still. No sudden movements." Darklett's had a couple head injuries, he knows what he's talking about. "Keep talkin', keep awake, alright?" His paw grabs the tea and places it on the flat surface of the endtable between Taye's cot and the next over. He places his paw over the one pressed to his head bandages, hoping to provide a calming presence as he pulls it slowly away from there. "Keep... Talkin' to your sister. I'm gonna go try to find out where they're goin'." His eyes lift up to Deidra, and then his head looks around the clinic before it lowers to Taye once more. "You're safe," he practically whispers. "At least there's that. I'll be back in a little while." And with that he stands up and backs toward the door, headed right back to the beach.

When her Major's name is mentioned, Ava's body goes rigid quickly and the calm demeanor dissolves. Her first instinct is to grab the bow and quill that leans against the wall and follow after Darklett, but another look at Taye reminds her of what is more important at the moment. "Good luck, sir." She says with gravel in her voice.

The buck's voice does help to calm him, though /just/. His fingers briefly tense at the bandages when Dark's paw rests there, and then relax as he allows it to be pulled away. His eyes follow Darklett's movements through that haze of pain, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows, with difficulty... until Dark backs away, and then his eyes squeeze shut, and his head turns slightly to the side, cheek resting on the pillow. Deidra gets no answer as the door opens and closes with the Colonel's exit.

Deidra's shoulders flinch, which is the only immediate movement from the doe. Otherwise she's gone completely still, expression foggy, lips slightly parted in a dazed look that stays fixed on Taye's face, then only belatedly pulls away to glimpse Darklett's departure. As Taye ducks his head to the side, seeming to close himself off, Deidra slowly inhales and shifts closer, to perch at the edge of the cot. Focusing on her brother is the best way she has of keeping her own upset at bay, and it just barely works. Her ears are all a-quiver and as she strokes her hand along Taye's arm, soothingly, her voice comes out thick and kind of waterlogged. "... Taye? I .. I need you to.. open your eyes. No sleeping, remember?" Her breath catches. "They're together. Ty and.. and he's going to take care of her, okay? He will."

"Tyree will be fine. He's a warrior. They made a mistake bringing him on board. By now he's probably already developed a complicated and heroic plan to save everyone and kill the beasts on board." Ava says in a way to try and sound assuring, though it comes off pained. "I'll get you two something to eat and some fresh clothes for him. Just make sure he stays awake." She says as she heads out the door, snagging her bow and quill as well.

Taye's eyes squeeze a little more tightly shut at Deidra's words, and after a moment of not answering, his ears flicker. "Ave-?" he starts, but then she's talking, and he subsides. There's a little noise in his chest as she also heads out. Fff. It's all such a great effort to talk, to even open his eyes, but he at least does that, finding himself looking directly at the doe. His breath exhales on something that is /very/ close to a whimper, his whole head like a vice grip.

With a sad murmur, Deidra ducks her head so her nose bumps Taye's, only the barest touch so as to not jostle him. Sensing that it may be helping, or maybe because she needs it just as much, she keeps talking, quietly, while smoothing her fingertips along one of the buck's ears. "He's.. going to keep her safe. However long it takes. And.. and after you've rested... you, and Darklett, and Ava and.. and /dad/, and /Darcy/..." Her voice strains, and she pinches her eyes shut against threatening tears, trying to keep her words level and soothing for his sake. ".. you're all going to go.. find them. And bring them home. And they'll be /fine/, because.. they need to be. And I won't have it any other damn way." With the last words, a few stray tears fleck against Taye's cheek.

As Deidra speaks, Taye focuses on the words. Tries to focus on them and not the sick feeling in his stomach, or the waves of blackness encroaching on the edges of his vision. His fingers briefly tighten and then loosen in her grip, and moisture wells up at the corner of his eye and slides free, rolling down his blood-slicked cheek and depositing, pinkly, on the sheets. "... M'sorry," he more mouths it than speaks it, all the strength gone from his voice. "M'so sorry, m'so /sorry/, so sorry..." The words peter off to soundless movement of his lips, and his head falls to the side, suddenly too heavy to be kept up. Without warning, his eyes roll up into his head as he loses the fight. There's no staying awake or not, here. He's simply unconscious.

"Shh. No," Deidra whispers back, ducking her muzzle against her brother's shoulder and holding him with a kind of insistent gentleness. Her shoulders jerk subtly, and more tears leak out, soaking into the fabric of his tunic collar. "Nothing to.. apologize for." Her voice is barely there, but she keeps up the earnest murmur even as Taye going still and quiet in her hold. "Nothing. /Never/, Taye. Never ever ever..."

Next Day

It hadn't taken long for word to travel through the village about the latest issue with the Long Patrol, and even less time for Jinora to hear of the happenings through one of the other Privates. The young private rushes to the clinic; she had eaten breakfast with the major the morning of the incident, how could this have happened? She should have left with them, not stayed behind with - ehem, well, that's another matter entirely. The door to the clinic opens, perhaps with a little more force than intended and a very flustered Jinora stands in the doorway.

Tucked away in the clinic is Ava, who has not left Taye's side outside of snagging Deidre and him some food and fresh clothes. The Major is now dressed in a clean shirt and trousers. She had a private fetch her some breakfast items in case he does wake up and finds himself hungry. For now, she just tries to keep him comfortable. Holding on to one of his paws, she gives it a squeeze now and again to try and give herself some reassurance that he will pull through. As the door bursts open, she rises upwards quickly, one paw on her dagger and half pulled until she sees who it is. With a sigh, she slumps back down.

"Ah've jus' 'eard..." Jinora mutters, not wanting to have believed. If Taye is really injured, it means that the reports of missing patrollers must be as well. "Wha' 'appened?" She crosses to Ava, frowning down at Taye. "Who...Who did this? An' who was taken?" She can feel a hard knot of panic at the back of her throat.

"Darklett says that some guys on a boat named the Wayward Walrus did this. Slavers. They kidnapped Tyree and Corebeau as well, and nearly took Taye's head off." Ava explains in a tired voice. The bags under her eyes shows she probably slept poorly. "The boat took off and Darklett is supposedly trying to track them down. Can you head to the mountain and tell Piffle and Adrian I would like them to join me here? Also, tell my husband I won't be back for a few days, at least until Taye is safe to move."

Jinora nods, snapping into a salute. "Yes, m'am, right away." Her brow furrows further, already etched in concern. "May Ah bring y'anythin' else? Blankets, food, 'erbs, tea, a book...Anythin'?" Ava's state of exhaustion and stress is obviously another thing at the forefront of Jin's worries. Not to mention the frieken /slavers/. "We'll get them..." She adds in a growl as she drops her salute, paw balling into a fist.

"Yeah, we'll get them. We always do. I almost feel bad for them. They took Tyree on board and Tyree is not a normal buck. Soon as he gains his bearings, he'll probably have command of the entire ship and will steer her home personally." Ava says with an optimistic smile on her face. "And I'm fine, really. I don't need the distractions of a book. I will make some tea I have around here and wake up. Maybe bring another healer back with you as well? I only want Patrollers working on Taye."

"Oh, aye. Ah'm sure we'll 'ave some nice, slaver rugs t'warm th' dormitories with come Winter." This does serve to ease Jinora's mind some, temporarily, at least. "Piffle, Adrian, anothah healah, inform th' 'usband, only patrollahs - Got it." As long as there is work to be done, places to sprint, and the looming possibility of a warm body to stick something sharp and pointy in, then that means that the situation is under control. After a brief pause, though, Jin steps forward to wrap her arms around her friend and mentor. "It'll be okay, Taye's made'a tougher stuff an' we'll give th' vermin /'ell/ t'pay if they think tha' they cin get away with /any/ of this."

Leaning into her, Ava wraps her arms back around her and stutters out a quick sob. She sucks it back in as her eyes blink a few tears away. "Thanks, Jinora. I needed that." She gives a look over to Taye and sighs out. "I should get a shower in, which is right near by. Can I trust you to watch him while I clean myself up?"

Jinora gives Ava a quick sqeeze before relinquishing her embrace. She nods, eager to help in any way possible. "Aye, a'course. Ah'll throw somethin' at y' if he wakes." She pats Ava on the shoulder before slinking into a seated position near Taye. Now probably wouldn't be the best time to bring up some of the other events of the previous night - she'll wait until the dust settles to let her in on /that/ little happening - plus, with Taye out of commission, it wouldn't do to have Ava putting one more buck in a hospital bed this week.

Time Passes

It is now mid-afternoon and Ava is still tucked away in the clinic, still sitting next to Taye's bed and holding on to one of his hands. She had tossed his bloodied clothes in the trash and re-dressed him in some soft, easy to wear pajamas. A half-ate lunch of a sandwich and some soup is off to the side. Having finally got a shower in and posted Jinora out front, she rocks back and forth in her chair gently, watching the Major and Darklett sleep away.

Getting orders is /usually/ exciting! 'Go patrol!' or 'Go kick some vermin tail!'; thus /at first/ Piffle felt a little jubilation at being summoned to an important duty... for about 4 seconds until she learned just /why/ and /what for/ she was being summoned. She's now in the clinic room and unable to settle. Napping is right out for the young private, though she's certainly managed a full meal; there's very little that can prevent Piffle from eating like a hare. She's currently alternating between standing to attention stiffly, and casting dark glances at the ceiling when a vengeful thought takes her, from her post inside next to the door.

"Hey Piff, you can be at ease. Read a book or something." Ava says softly as she gives Taye's hand another squeeze. "In a few hours, this entire place is going to swarming with Patrollers and you should keep yourself loose, just in case you get new orders." Leaning over, she kisses the Major on the forehead, then stands up after carefully placing his hand back against his chest.

There's a clear conflict in Piff's stiff posture as she tries to be 'at ease'. All that really changes is that she slumps a little and her countenance slips to show a little more of the worry and rage at the idea of vermin taking from the patrol- her 'family'- that she'd been trying to keep directed at the ceiling or buried. "Sorry sah, erm, Ava." There's that slip again, coming down from duty to 'at ease'. "I'm just bally well boilin' to flippin' well do somethin', ya know..."

Reaching into her bag, Ava takes out a deck of cards, then gives them a quick shuffle as she motions her over. "We'll play five card then." She says as she starts to deal them. "I am terrible at this by the way, and it will get your mind off things. I'm itching to hit something myself, but we just need to be patient until the higher ups gather more intel. So far all we know is that slavers on this boat called the Wayward Walrus took the Major and Corbeau, as well as probably a few other beasts. Probably been at this for awhile now."

Piffle sighs and looks at the door, then around the room and then wanders over toward Ava. She plonks herself down on the floor, drawing her knees to her. "Ya're right o' course, but I jus' wanna jolly well get ou' there and just find tha' blinkin' ship and bally well tear the blink'n' think 'part 'til it flippin' well sinks!" Piffle huffs and then nods at the cards, with a touch of embarrassment. "An' y'll 'ave t' flippin' well teach me 'ow t' play... M' folks weren't card playahs. Lost a bitta coin in th' bally gamblin' den t' othah day, 'n fact, ya know..."

"My parents weren't card players either." Ava says with a ghost of a smile across her face as she picks up the cards. "You have five cards and you want to get the best hand possible. If you get two or three of a kind you're in good shape. You can toss as many cards as you want back in the pile and re-draw just once to get a better hand. Once you're happy, you show your cards, I show mine, and we see who won." Shifting the cards about in her hand, she says, "I only learned from living here at the mountain. It's all the boys do some days and I wanted to fit in."

"Aye, 've seen 'em playin', didn' 'ave much 'f a bally clue wot game was wot an' 'oo was blinkin' well winnin'..." Piffle admits, reflecting on some times at the mountain where she'd simply gone up to the crater or down to train instead of face the awkwardness of not knowing how to play with cards. "So it were bally stupid o' me to try it at the gamblin' den, but I thought I'd jolly well pick it up, ya know?" The private tries to follow the rules and repeats what she understood back to Ava. "So I take five cards and I want 'em t' be all the bally same or 't least two or three o' the blightahs?"

"Well, there is only four kinds of each card in the deck. So you have a small chance of getting a four of a kind, and a card left over. I'll show you mine." Ava says as she puts her cards down. She has a pair of 3's, a Jack a 7 and a 2. "Right now I have the threes. So I can take a change and drop the other three cards and pick up three new ones and hope I get more 3's, or another pair." She picks up three more cards, a 8, a Queen and a 2. "Well, I didn't do much better, but I still have a chance to win with the 3's. What do you have?"

Piffle puts her cards down to reveal two 4s (a spade and a heart), an 8 of clubs, a 6 of hearts, and a 2 of clubs. "Uh. Bloomin' 'eck. I 'ave these..?" The private offers with a hopeful, tired, smile. At least this is a distraction for them both.

Ava gives a nod of her head. "You already beat me with that hand. Your 4's are higher than my 3's." She flashes a grin at her, then scoops the cards up and reshuffles them. "See, not so hard, huh? At least until you play with coin, then it's pretty stressful." She deals again and holds her cards up in front of her, removes one, and picks up another. "So, what's up with you and Adrian?"

The private looks pleased, despite the surroundings and current situation, to have grasped the concept and even /beaten/ someone at something to do with cards. "Much easiah than I bally thought 't was, sah! It was blinkin' stressful tryin' t' play f'r a bit o' coin when I 'ad no bally clue wot I was doin', wot!" She mimics Ava, removing and replacing only one card. At Ava's question though, she fumbles and drops her hand, revealing a 5, a 9, a pair of 2s, and a 10... "Erm, oops! Blimey, blast my butterpaws! Uh, wotcha mean?" Her ears wilt slightly to the side.

"Yeah, that is exactly what I mean." Ava says with a giggle over to her, then shows her own cards. She has nothing but a bunch of mish-mash cards. She lost again. "Are you two, you know... seeing each other?"

Beneath Piff's fur she's developed quite a blush and her ears nervously twitch in their wilted position. For a moment she's forgotten about her cards or winning and is absent mindedly trying to pick them up without looking at them, though her gaze is /also/ slightly averted from Ava too. "Erm! Well, we're uh, of course we blinkin' well see eachothah!" Piffle settles on pretending to misunderstand the question. "We're in the same bally Patrol, doncha know!"

Ava props her chin in the palm of her hand and raises her brow upwards at her. "Piffle, this is your chance to have a proper girltalk with an actual girl. Don't deny me this moment." She says with a grin.

Piffle wilts and her ears twitch, twitch, twitch and then wilt alongside her as though reflective (in fact they probably are!) of the thoughts going through Piff's mind right up until the acceptance of the situation. "Well, uh. We're not /quite/ bally seein' 'chothah, but we're not blinkin' w'll 'chly th'r'..." The end of her sentence drops away into a mumble.

Giving a nod of her head, Ava reshuffles and lobs the cards out. Picking them up, she gives them a study, then takes back two and picks up two more. "I see. Have you two actually had a chance to talk about how you feel or are you just winging it?"

Paw, paw, paw... Piffle paws at the cards. She's not doing it properly and by some happy accident she manages to eventually get five into her paw and then forgets to look at them before putting one back. She's only half-way looking at them as she responds to Ava. Still mumbly. "'R kin'a w'ng'n' 't..."

Flare is a recruit in the LP and had been around the village, finally getting a good look at it. His one ear listens to any noises around him as he ventures around and he ends up finding himself at the clinic and steps inside.

Perking her ears upwards, Ava lets out a sigh, then shows her hand. Two Queens, Jack high. "Alright, if you don't wanna talk about it." She says as she props her chin up again. "Show your hand, whatcha got?"

Piffle looks like she really /does/ want to talk about it and mutters. "'s just. 'e'd be me blinkin' first buck, ya know?" Her ears perk a little though and shows the hand that she half-heartedly picked and hadn't even properly looked at until that moment. With guards posted outside, her back is to the door and she doesn't feel alarmed that any beast might be entering- she's sure there'd have been a commotion if it was anyone she needed to be aware of immediately. Her cards are, once again, a bunch of numbers mixed red and black suits, with nothing to beat Ava's.

Flare looks around "So… some of th’ Long Patrol hares help out in the clinic here then?"

"Yeah, I remember the day I did the round and round with my first boy. It ended pitifully." Ava says with an amused grin. "But Adrian seems like a nice guy. Here's a pro tip, boys are dumb. Make the first move." With a tilt of her head to Flare, she squints her eyes at him. "I do, sometimes. Can I help you out?"

Flare shakes his head. "No, I am a bit new t’ th’ Pahtrol an’ still gettin’ used to it. Even debatin’ whetah it’s f’ me ‘r not."

"The... first move? Oh, bloomin' 'eck, I'll bally well, uh, try?" Piffle reflects on some other advice she's been given and frowns as she sets them side by side in her mind to reconcile any difference there. Her whiskers twitch as she mixes them, then lets her eyes drift to Flare, who she remembers meeting at the mountain. "Hard t' bally well get out 'f, ol' chap, once y'r in... Don't want t' be known as a bally desertah aftah all! 'S good to see ya though, Flare. Welcome 'board!"

"Those are questions you should have asked yourself before you joined." Ava says to Flare, gathering the cards up again. She casts another look to Piffle, followed by a shrug. "Seriously, first move, or else you two will dance without any music."

Piffle's ears wilt a little and her blush is back as she admits to Ava, quietly. "I um, don't know wot that means..." She, at least, hasn't taken it to mean a literal dance though.

Flare folds his arms over his chest. "Joined t’ try it out. I heard th’ stories of greatness, and t’ get away from...well, memories of my past. Maybe not the best reasons t’ join, aftah all."

“It means you two will dance around the topic." Ava says, twirling a finger in the air slowly, round and round. "Without actually dancing together. Adrian seems like the type of guy that needs a big clue smacked across the head or else he won't get it." To Flare, she gives a nod of her head, then motions to Taye who is in the bed next to her with a large bloodied bandage on his skull. "Does that look great to you? Joining the patrol is making a commitment to the mountain and to the safety of citizens. It's not war stories and high fives."

Flare frowns at the sight. "I have seen wounded beasts before.”

There's a tic- a fond smirk- at the corner of Piffle's mouth as, despite her blush she admits. "Aye. He bally well is tha' sort..." The private seems to be seriously considering it though. She looks like she wants to ask for advice on how or what to do, but the conversation between Ava and Flare takes a dark turn and Piff's ears wilt as her own eyes linger back on Taye's injuries. "We'll get the blightahs." She mutters lowly, but it might be to herself as much as to the other hares.

Ava grumbles as she picks up the cards again, reshuffles and dances them back out between her and Piffle. She scans over them with a frown on her face.

Flare nods. "I… could help but guessing recruits don't really bally well do much."

"You must be bally well kidding, ol' chap, I barely 'ad a blinkin' moment t' myself as a bally recruit!" Piff' pipes up with surprise and a glance over her cards at Ava, who seems to be looking understandably disgruntled. The private carefully replaces two of her cards before showing her hand; the only thing of note is a pair of 7s.

Flare shrugs. "Well there’s always ways to find time to do things, I don't always go to practice."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ava rubs her brow as she flips through the cards in her paws again. Next to her on the bed is Taye, who is unconscious with a heavy bandage on his head, and Darklett is sleeping in the corner, slumped in a chair. Piffle and Ava are playing a round of 5 cards while both looking flustered at Flare.

"Ya really shouldn't bally miss practice, ol' bean. 'S blinkin' important t' be well trained, ya know!" Piff' advises Flare, waiting on the reveal of Ava's cards. There's a tight and tired look to Piff's smile, but the smile is there.

Flare says, "I missed it a couple times, boring stuff if ya ask me. I rather get into the action and not repeat boring drills over and over again or, ‘oh do a lap,’ that sort of thing."

Ava says angrily to Flare. "Hey! You idiot. Practice is how you do /not/ die once you get into the action." She says as she drops the cards on the table, not focusing on the game anymore. "This is not /fun/. This is a /job/, and a job that determines if you live or die, or if your team lives or dies! If someone dies because you're too DAMN LAZY TO DO A DRILL then you should quit right now and go to Redwall and hug a tree!"

Sidney heads into the clinic with a tense expression, coming up short at seeing a few other hares inside. One of whom is shouting. He skirts past them to Taye's side, briefly touching his friend's arm while his look darkens, then glancing at Ava. "If you're gonna go off handing some moron his arse, will you keep the noise /outside/?" he suggests, then turns slightly aside to give the sleeping Darklett a nudge, hand on his shoulder.

Piff's brows knit with consternation at Flare's reasoning but before she can reply... Whoops! Flare's made the Corporal mad. Piffle clams up for the moment and looks from Flare, to Ava, to the abandoned cards. She offers a silent salute as Sidney appears, looking a little like, well, a private who isn't sure where to go from here.

"Hmm?" Darklett sits up, blinking and shifting in his seat. His eyes shut and open a few times as bleariness makes its way out of their corners. He shoots a glare at Ava for shouting, but -- uhm. Hm. He's tired. He shifts again in the chair and rests his head the other way, closing his eyes. Mm. Sleep. He crosses his arms over his chest and bends his knees off to the same side his head rolls and goes still again. ... Only for Sid to come in and nudge him alert again. "Hey," he greets, wiping the corner of his muzzle with a sleeve. "What's up?" He leans forward in his chair, getting a good look at Taye. Still there, that's a positive.

Ava flattens her ears back once the recruit bolts out, then gives an apologetic look to Sidney and Darklett. She looks visibly shaken up as her paws reshuffle the cards again, and again, and again, and again, something to keep them occupied before she dishes the five cards back out to Piffle. "He just got under my skin, sorry sirs."

"Just got here," Sid replies in a low tone to Darklett, that hand on his shoulder giving a small squeeze. "Came as soon as I heard. How's he doing..?" He turns another look over to Taye's unconscious form, brows knit with concern, and his fingers at Darklett's shoulder tighten maybe a little more than he intends.

Piffle glances at Taye as Ava apologizes to the higher ups, and flashes her a supportive smile. So Flare bolted when Ava snapped; Piff', for sure, felt awkward for a moment, but that look is supposed to tell the Corporal /she gets it/. And now there's all sorts of furtive looks and dramatic quietness between hares that definitely outrank her! Much awkward! Piffle quietly shuffles the cards, replaces one, and shows her hand to Ava. Nothing worthy of note but two red threes...

"Fades in and out," Darklett responds quietly, pushing the heel of one of his paws up against his eye to work out any further sleep. "He'll be okay, though." The hare works himself out of his chair -- it's got some cushion to it unlike the rest of them in the clinic. "He's just in a lot of pain." He places his own paw on Sid's shoulder, shaking his head. "Barely got to him in time. Might've died if the slavers got him."

Distracted, Ava shows her hand to Piffle also, just a bunch of random cards without any pairs. She lost again. "Do we have any new information on that boat that took Tyree and Corbeau?" She asks as her eyes wander to Darklett. "Someone here in this town must know more about them."

Sidney hooks his foot around the leg of the next chair over, pulling it a little around in front of Darklett. He perches on the edge so his head is at the level of his friend's, ducking his muzzle near Darklett's. "But you /did/ and he /didn't/. So don't even go thinking like that, okay?" They've made a little circle of arms, each gripping the shoulder of the other, and Sid gives the retired Colonel a reassuring smile. "You can't even escape being a hero if you try, see? And 'm glad you were there. Need me to mind him while you freshen up or anything?"

Piffle's ears perk as Ava asks the important question! That... Piffle cannot use the answer from for anything useful at all, being assigned guard duty within and around the clinic... Sigh! Well at least she can consider herself being kept up to date and well informed sometimes! Her eyebrows raise with surprise at her win; she's getting better at this.

"Hey. I'm just trying to be a hero /less/ of the time," Darklett jokes, shaking Sid by his shoulder before letting go. "I know, mate, I'm just glad I almost tripped across them when I did." The older hare lets his gaze cast over Taye and he rubs back one of his ears. "Yeah, I think that'd be nice," he answers Sid before he gives a quick talk to Ava. He'd been mostly passed out from exhaustion until now. "I have a few leads, nothing I want to say anything about yet in case it sends you all down the wrong path." He turns back to Sid and places his paws on the fighter's arms. "Make sure nobody flips his cot over or anything, alright? I'll be back when I can."

Ava nods her head a bit, then slides the deck of cards over to Piffle to shuffle. "Well, I am ready to jump whenever you tell me to, sir. I do not plan on going back to the mountain until we have our pound of flesh and our friends back safe and sound."

Shuffle, shuffle, shuff- Oh, blast! Piff' quickly reaches to gather the 10 or so cards that escaped her paws and, more carefully, shuffles the deck all over again. Five cards to Ava, five cards to herself... And then she remembers the other hares. However, Darklet seems like he's about to leave and she's not sure how, or even if, she should ask the Lieutenant if he wants to be dealt in. She glances at her own hand and immediately replaces two of the cards.

"You got it, Dark." Sid gives a firm nod to the black buck, shifting over to take his chair as he rises, so he's facing Taye. "Oh, and if you need a boat..." He leaves that reminder without saying anything else, and tugs his chair a little closer, resting his elbows on the edge of Taye's cot and considering the buck's battered head with a look of clear upset.

"Don't doubt it," Darklett responds to Ava, giving her a confident best attempt at a smile that he can manage. He gives one last gaze over Taye's supine form before heading out of the clinic.

Giving her head a nod to Darklett, Ava rises as well and gives a stretch, then says, "Piff, deal Sidney in while I hit the head and snag some dinner for us."

"Oh? Ah! Dinnah! Top hole! Yessah!" Piff' salutes, smile ratcheting in an appearance at the mention of 'dinner' and then looks toward Sidney. "Ah. If sah wants to be bally well dealt in that 's..." She's not sure that's an 'I want to play cards!' face there... That looks more like an 'I want to will this poor injured sod back to -life- by my staring alone!' kind of face... Still, she holds up the deck in offer.

Sidney blinks dimly as the gesture with the deck catches at the corner of his vision. He turns his head, looking to Piffle while one hand lightly grips Taye's arm. "Huh? Oh. No, thanks, 'm good."

"Sometimes a distraction is good for the heart, sir. If you don't play cards with her, she is going to stand at attention for the next couple of hours and not relax." Ava says as she heads out the door. "I'll be back with food for all of us. Stay strong."

Piffle salutes again, and almost hits herself in the head with the deck of cards. Well that was awkward. She offers a sympathetic smile to Sidney but then a worried look at Ava. She will not! Alright, she totally will, but that makes it sound like a bad thing! "Jus' doin' ma duty t' the best I can! Guardin', sah!" She justifies herself pre-emptively.

Sidney glances after Ava as she departs, then turns a worried gaze back to Taye. "There's not much to guard, anyway. Not like the slavers are gonna come back for him. They're long gone by now." He offers Piffle the thinnest of smiles. "If you want to grab some eats, go ahead. I'll be here for a while. At least 'til Darklett gets back." Probably a whole lot longer, from the look of it.

Piffle offers Sidney a salute but shakes her head afterward. "Nothin' short of a bally d'rect ordah's getting me t' blinkin' well leave, sah! I've been ordahed t' stay and guard, and though I agr-" She stops, realizing she hasn't asked for permission to speak freely and Sidney isn't Ava. "Well, I am resolved t' follow my ordahs, sah!"

Sidney gives Piffle a dull, quiet look. "Okay. Good on you for being so... enthusiastic. But there's no /need/ to guard, so. If you want to get something to eat, go. If you want to stay here, stay. Just ease up on all the saluting and 'sahs', will you?" The suggestion goes along with a small quirk of a smile, to make up for his admittedly tense tone.

Piffle immediately salutes Sidney. Then realizes what she did. "Yessah! Sorry sah! Oh, blinkin' 'eck and cabbagescuts, I mean, uh. Sorry. M' ordahs, see? Permission t' be frank, sah? Oh, blast. Permission any'ow?"

Sidney reaches up to rub at the bridge of his muzzle, eyes pressed shut. "Permission to talk and act like a normal damn hare. But maybe... less hare-like." Cabbagescuts? He can't help but smile at that one, shaking his head.

"Erk. Less 'are like? 'M not sure that's bally well poss'ble, sah, but I'll try!" The private promises. "Ah. But yessah, I know the slavahs ain't gonna blinkin' well charge up an' invade the bally clinic but mah ordahs are t' guard the place an' 'm a bloomin' private. 'S not my place t' be questionin' m' ordahs, ya know? Bad form, wot..."

"Heh. Sounds like whoever gave the order just wanted some company," Sid points out. He gestures at a closer chair, while keeping his position next to Taye's cot. His hand on the Major's arm lightly brushes back and forth. "Consider the 'stand guard' order rescinded. Just... stay nearby. 'On call', as it were. If I know Dark - and I do - he's scheming something up already."

Piffle hasn't sat on anything but the floor in the hours since being assigned 'guard duty'. She's a little quick to take up the offer of sitting in a chair and there's a huff of satisfaction as she sits. "Right-oh sah! Rescinded 'stand guard', assigned 'on call'! Undahstood!" She folds her paws in her lap and tilts her head to Sidney curiously. "'Ve heard stories, sah. But they're all from well bally b'fore mah time..."

Sidney's whiskers twitch as his muzzle manages to curve into an amused grin, fleeting though it is. "'course you have. Who hasn't? And, y'know, only some of them are exaggerated." He settles back in his chair, leveling a thoughtful gaze at Taye, while he speaks over toward Piffle. "Give it a few seasons, then the stories will be ones you were there for, and the legends will be your own officers or peers. Maybe you yourself."

"I met 'im in the bally pub. Refused t' tell any blinkin' stories 'f 'is own." Piff' elaborates a little before following Sidney's gaze toward Taye and wincing a little; it's a good visual remind of 'stories' having a price right in the middle of the conversation. "Blood 'n vinegah an' glory, eh, sah? I plan on doin' m' blinkin' best but I'll be 'appy doin' my bally job, stories 'r no! If 't's stories 'bout doin' mah job well, then top 'ole, an' all that, wot!"

"Nix the glory part, though." Sid lets out a quiet sigh, and reaches to rub at the back of his neck. "Just do your job. Care 'bout doing it well, and who you're doing it for. If you turn out to be a legend along the way, good for you. But that's not what it's 'bout, and the hares that join up for that don't last long. Either they leave, or they die - one or the other, in short order."

Piffle tries very very hard not to think of Flare as she's told that. "F'r the shore 'n the innocent 'pon it, and f'r m' comrades in arms!" Piff' answers unnecessarily and offers a wan smile. "Nixin' the glory! T' be honest, m' short time gettin' t' where I bally am now 'as taught me 'm not t' be expectin' glory 'r even dignity 'n a lot o' this bally work, sah! It's m' path though, I think, f' sure! 'M committed t' the Patrol an' it's served me well s' far. D'ya evah get used t'," Piff' might have had second thoughts about here but she decides it's too late and nods at Taye "that risk though?"

"The risk? Yeah. It's always in the back of your head," Sid says quietly. "Needs to be - keeps you smart. But after a while it's just... it is what it is." He gestures at Taye, then rests his hand against the unconscious buck's shoulder with a small squeeze. "When the risk becomes reality, though, that's hard. There's no getting used to that. If it stops hurting, if you stop /caring/.. that's when you need to walk away." His eyes shift to Piffle's face, his expression gentle, encouraging. "There's a balance, but, it doesn't come right away. You'll be topsy-turvy for a while, 'til you get it right."

Piffle gives a little nod of understanding- even if she's not at the point where she totally gets it yet, she gets it /enough/ for now- and then salutes despite herself. "Y' know, sah," She glances around. "I /am/ a little peckish. If ya, ahem, don't mind some time 'lone wi' 'im, I could do wi' some blinkin' leave to get a bite t' nibbl' on..."

Sidney dips his muzzle in allowance, then jerks his chin toward the door. "Go on, enjoy the fresh air while you're at it. Just no getting picked off by slavers, aye?" He tugs his chair in a little closer to Taye, intending to keep a quiet vigil now that the room has cleared out.

As one hare leaves, another enters. Some whispering and a short laugh is exchanged between the two as Jinora steps in, taking Piffle's place. She clears her throat softly, a sympathetic glance thrown at Taye before she refocuses on Sidney. "'Lo, Ah've been relieved on th'outside, thought y'could use some company." Jin rubs at her lower back, stiff from standing for so long, before adding: "Conscious company, a'least." She sags into one of the chairs near Taye, giving the major a pat on the shoulder as she sits. "Ah think we've met in passin' once 'r twice...Sidney, if I remembah?" The Private clarifies, timidly.

So much for the quiet vigil. Sid looks up at Jinora's entrance with a faint smile, and a nod to go with it. "Let me guess. 'Guard duty', too? I just told your friend - ah, Piffle? Told her she's on call for the moment, on account of there being nothing to guard." He eases back in his seat, stretching out one leg with a small wince at the cramped feeling from sitting too long in the same position. "Nailed it. You're Jinora? New private, not assigned to a patrol yet," he recalls.

Jinora nods in affirmation to his recollection. "Aye, Ah'm jus' undah Dahcy's in th'Halyahd Unit f'now. Y'self?" The doe pushes her back against the support of her chair, groaning as she hears the satisfying 'pop' of her back clicking itself into a more comfortable position. "Been 'ere all day...'E bought m'breakfast before this all 'appened." She reflects, after a pause; another sad look going towards the Major. The recent events still haven't completely sunk in, the past two days having been rather eventful both for the Patrol and her personally. "\Y'eard any updates on the missin' 'ares? Ah've seen a good deal'a hustle an' bustle bu' Ah 'aven't picked up on much."

"Ah, yeah, not a bad assignment. If you like excitement, 'course." Like with Piffle, Sid turns occasional sideways looks toward Jinora, but his gaze keeps drifting back to Taye, hand resting on the motionless buck's arm, his chair drawn in close. "I haven't heard anything new. Sounds like Dark's onto something, though. 'm sure he'll fill me in soon enough. It'd help us all to have something to focus on."

If Taye had any idea of all the hares who have been in and out of the clinic today, he'd probably be just this side of horrified. He'd definitely tell them not to make such a fuss. Aside from being in and out early this morning, he's mostly been out for the later afternoon and evening. As pale as he looks, and as still, he hardly looks alive. The only thing that gives it away is the shallow rise and fall of his chest, persistent and continuing. Now, though, there's finally something more. His brow furrows and his eyelids flutter open, and he sucks in a breath in that startled-to-waking kind of way.

A small snort of laughter expresses Jinora's agreement. "Oh, aye. Gimme somethin' t'stab an' Ah'll be 'appy. 'S been a right kick t'the face, but certainly wouldn't trade it f'anythin'." At the mention of possible leads, though, her ears perk. "Somethin' good Ah -" Her sentence is cut short by Taye's sudden movement, and the doe straightens immediately, a paw going to the Major's shoulder to steady him, should he wake in a panic. "Sah!" She blinks in surprise and relief before looking over her shoulder for the healer. "Mayjah?" She asks the waking buck, with some trepidation.

Whatever they were talking about, it's abandoned as Taye comes to with a start. Sid's hand is already on the buck's arm, and he rises a little from his seat, tightening that grip a little. His voice comes low, earnest, and a little gritty with emotion. "Taye."

This is not the same, frantic waking from the evening before. It's very quiet and still. Taye's eyes slowly focus as he blinks once, twice, and his eyes turn first to Jinora as she lays a paw on him, and then to Sidney at the tightening of his grip. He swallows with some difficulty, and lets his eyes slide shut again. "Where-" He clears his dry throat. "Hnh. Where'm I?" he croaks. His muzzle twists and his unheld paw lifts, going for the stabby pain in his head.

Jinora removes her paw and quickly rises to find the Major some water, leaving Sidney to deal with explanations. His sudden awakening has put her in a small tizzy, and she walks uselessly back and forth for a brief moment before she regains her bearings, locates a mug, and fills it. Stepping gingerly to keep the water from sloshing over the sides, she returns to Taye's bedside, cup clasped in a shaky paw. She holds back a moment to allow him time to get situated and rise up before she holds the water out towards him.

Heading back into the clinic is Ava with a couple of bags of food for the next few nights. She still looks tired, but at least she had showered earlier and freshened up. As she spies Taye starting to move about, she puts the bags down and heads over to him quickly. "Hey, Taye. Just move about slowly. You're still in the clinic."

"Halyard. Clinic," Sid answers, his words overlapping with Ava's and amounting to the same thing. He turns a brief look at the just returned doe, but can't quite summon up any other acknowledgement, with his attention dropping back to Taye immediately. "Dark just stepped out. Lil' while ago. Told him it's my turn to fuss over you," he teases the Major quietly.

The clinic. Oh. Taye's eyes squint open again, which is when he sees there's water. Very slowly, plants a forearm against the bed and props himself up, a bit sideways. His lips press firmly together to combat the nausea-inducing pain, and then tenderly takes the cup from Jinora. He touches it to his lips and has a sip, breathing out through his nose. "Didn't, um. Why was anyone fussin'?" He's just fine, go about your business. His eyes shift from the buck to the two does in turn, but that makes him dizzy. So he stops doing that. He offers a wobbly smile. "... 'Ey," he blanket greets everyone. That'll do.

"Because you're adorable, that's why we're fussing." Ava says as she makes her way around the bed, then crawls on to it next to him. "Hold still, let me check your bandage." Sliding her bag off her neck, she pulls out some fresh ones. Carefully removing it, she wrinkles her nose at the sight of the wound, then begins to gently clean it with a few dabs of gauze before applying the new one. "I brought food, enough for at least four of us. You should get some in you before the next round of medicine."

Jinora is about as useful as paper in a sword fight when it comes to healing. In fact, the fact that her water was useful offers her a warm feeling of accomplishment, one that is subtended by relief at Ava's timely return. "Glad t'see y'up again, Mayjah." She offers before taking a few steps back to allow the more qualified beasts ample room to fuss their hearts out. "Need me f'anythin'? Ah've been told Ah'm /excellent/ at holdin' unimportant things." Jin asks Ava lightheartedly, before finding herself mildly distracted by Flint's entry. She offers him a nod in greeting, not too familiar with the buck herself.

"Oh, sod off," Sid mutters, his lips twisting into a rueful smile. The concern is still there, eyes creased at the outer corners as they focus attentively on the wounded Major. "'m just returning the favor, right? After all the fussing you've done over me, just lately," he reminds Taye, tone low; kind of a private joke. He's paying little attention to anyone else in the room, easing back down to sit at the edge of his chair in an effort to not be too hovery.

Taye behaves himself quite admirably for the check-up, though the headache is redoubled by the time Ava's done. What is actually a very gentle process feels like hammering on his skull. "... Nnh. Not hungry, Ave," he informs the doe, and has another, very small sip of water. "Medicine. Medicine sounds great." Was that almost a smile, there? His paw quests around briefly 'til he finds Sid's paw, and holds on tightly. No goin' anywhere.

"Medicine -and- food, or else it will upset your stomach." Ava says as she leans in and pecks him on the cheek once she is done, then climbs off the bed. Handing the bloody bandage to Jinora, she gives her a quick grin. "You can dispose of this. I'm going to ground up his pain reliever, a strong dose." Ambling to her self-made work station, she starts the process of mixing the herbs together that she filters out from the small packages.

Alas! A task! Bandage disposal suits Jinora just fine, and she hops to her very prestigious assignment. The bandages find themselves /thoroughly/ disposed of, and she offers the Major a soft and overly gentle pat on the foot as she passes the end of his bed on her way back. She isn't capable of helping his pain any, so the least she can offer is a good old fashioned reassuring foot pat.

Sidney's chair is already drawn up about as close as it can get to Taye's cot, and he sits stiffly about as close to its lip while still having something to support his weight. He occupies his hands with smoothing out a wrinkle on the sheet, frowning at the pinkish speckles left over from hours before, then snaps his eyes back up when Taye's hand finds his own. That's a much better use for it, after all - giving his best friend something to subtly cling to. 'Hey,' he mouths, with a faint grin for Taye's sake, and squeezes. His eyes travel after Ava, then Jinora, as he keeps tabs on the goings-on but for now is content to just provide a bedside presence.

"S'already upset," Taye remarks of his stomach. One of the benefits of /just/ a head injury is that he's free to curl over onto his side, though his movements are very slow, and turn his eyes into the pillow. He lets out a shaky breath, all exhaled against downy softness as his knees draw up, one arm curling across his stomach.

"Thanks, Jin." Ava says as she grounds the last of the medication up, then dumps it carefully into a mug of hot water that she pours. Giving it a few stirs to create the right consistency, she ambles over to hand it to Taye. "Be careful, please. Don't spill this on you. I'd hate to re-dress you again."

As Taye's fastidious repositioning turns him onto his side, facing Sidney, the lieutenant buck keeps their hands clasped. His chair scoots back slightly so he can lean down, his other arm bent at the elbow and resting along the edge of the cot, chin docked on the back of his forearm so his head is at about the same level as Taye's own. His eyes rise, whiskers shifting with a faint smile of acknowledgement and appreciation for Ava's ministrations, before he's gazing at Taye's face again. "Hey," he gruffs, "'s a nice-sized lump you got. Think we should name it, if it sticks 'round much longer."

With Ava taking care of things on the healing front, Sidney covering things on the reassurance and support front, Jinora is able to take her leave free of guilt. She pats Ava on the shoulder before she exits, and nods to Taye and Sidney. "Ah'm goin' t'check in an' see if Ah'm needed in the searches. 'S 'bout time Ah got th'chance t'hit somethin'." She salutes with a grin, turns, and heads back out towards the door.

Oh thank the Gods. When the mug from Ava bumps him on the arm, he uncurls that arm enough to accept the tea. He stays curled, upright just enough to successfully sip at the tea without, indeed, spilling it. It's only after Ava's gone off that he words register and he lets out a little groan or mortification. There's not enough energy for him to add a farewell to Jinora, so he just. Doesn't. He quiets and just sips for a moment, willing for it to do the job. Alas, Ava was right, because in short order the nausea intensifies and he pushes the mug to Sid with a minute shake of his head. "... Name it whatevah. Jus'. Kill me," he mutters, only half-joking. His knees press up tighter against his stomach.

Sidney's head raises fractionally from his arm, to let it shift just enough so his hand can scoop around the cup. It's drawn a little away - within easy reach if Taye summons it, but resting on a flat area of the mattress not indented by the buck's weight, his curved palm against it to keep the contents from spilling. The other hand is still joined with Taye's, even as the other buck seems determined to press into a tight enough fetal position to actually occupy someone's wound. He looks so... /little/. It makes Sid's chest twinge with upset, and he offers a brief, tight squeeze of Taye's hand. "'Tiny Major'?" he suggests, low and with a forced bit of humor. "No, hey. We'll call it 'Zul', and refer to the both of you as... Taye-/Zul/." Tayzle!

The response from Taye is as minimal as can be expected. He does try his best at impersonating a smile, but it fails terribly. His free paw presses to the flat of his forehead, having the good sense to avoid the bandages and head wound. "Where's..." But he doesn't clarify, just presses his muzzle together and goes quiet.

Now that the clinic has been vacated again, but for the two of them, Sid ducks his head and lifts Taye's hand just slightly, to press a fretful kiss against his knuckles. "Dark?" he guesses, at the other buck's broken-off query. "He'll be back. Any time now, I expect. Told him to get lost for a while, so... hey, who knows, by now he's probably amassed an armada to go after the slavers." His voice holds a vast fondness, for both of them.

The slavers. Huh. Taye's head is a bit of a jumble. He can only focus on so many things at a time. What happened and who it happened to had been pushed to a remote part of his consciousness, but now it comes back to the forefront. "T'go aftah Corb 'n' Tyree," he corrects after a tense silence.

"Yeah. 'course." Sid is trying his best to provide a bit of comic relief, not that he's been doing a stand-up job of it so far. "You know Dark, he just /has/ to be the hero. He'll probably manage to fetch a kitten out of some tree while he's out there." Never mind the lack of ocean-trees? Sid's other hand reaches to brush at Taye's upward facing cheek. "He'll find the /one/ tree in the whole damn sea, and rescue a whole basket of kittens out of it. 'cause Darklett."

The silence lengthens, and lengthens, and lengthens. Taye is staring at a speckle of blood on the sheets, his cheek pressed to the pillow. Just that little, tiny speck of blood has all of his focus. His throat, still dry, works as he swallows. "... M'kinda." His eyes flinch shut. "Tired." Sidney will recognize this as Taye closing off.

Sidney's voice trails off, into that uncomfortable quiet. It's raining now, lightly pattering against the windows and roof of the clinic, and if anything that sound just amplifies Taye's silence. With a tense frown, giving up the attempt at humor, Sid turns his gaze down to follow the line of Taye's own. Seeing the speckle of blood, he slides his hand - holding the cup - over a little to cover it. "You can.. talk, y'know," he says, voice dim and words halting. Deeply uncertain.

"... Talk," Taye whispers. "'Bout... what?" His muzzle twists with upset. "'Bout... lettin' my little sister down? 'Bout picturin' her bein' beat on 'cause I..." He doesn't finish the sentiment. "Or about-" But another one of those tiny head-shakes. /No/. The pitter-patter of the rain is like an ice pick in his skull, and it turns up his aggravation to an eleven.

Sidney's ears press back. There's a bit of a drooping appearance, the way they're positioned, and his throat tightens. "Taye. You know... when I lost Charlie?" His voice couldn't get any lower without just disappearing completely, and his hand cups to the side of Taye's muzzle, thumb grazing as if to smooth away the pain-laced twist of his features. "Where I went? You don't wanna go there. Trust me."

"Not goin' anywhere. Just /tired/," Taye replies. And he is. The mental strain's pretty tense, not to mention the physical. But mostly he just wants to go away inside his head. Except his head's full of angry hornets, so it's not even a good place to go right now. He presses his head into the pillow again, curling over onto his stomach with knees tucked under him. "Just... won't. /Stop/," he complains, his voice cracking a little.

There's that lurch inside Sid's chest again. That unsettling feeling in his stomach. His mouth twinges, nowhere close to being able to form words. After a moment, he stops trying, and instead slowly rises from his chair. Just very briefly, very reluctantly, his hand draws away from Taye's. There's the low sound of the chair's legs scraping back along the floor, then a few faint footsteps as he circles around the foot of Taye's bed. The buck is curled up at the center of the mattress, leaving plenty of space for Sid to shift onto it. He gingerly rests on his side and edges in, his chest to Taye's back, and reaches his arm across and over, reclaiming that hand with a little squeeze.

Fff. Taye's free paw digs into the sheet, twisting the fabric and pulling the corner free of the mattress as he he all but writhes. It's not a pleasant sensation when you want to crawl out of your head. He's unaware of what Sid's doing, only that his touch has fallen away, until he feels the sink of the buck's weight onto the cot behind. He stiffens just a little bit, his eyes slitting open as they glance towards the door. But there's no one there, and it's late, and right now the comfort is worth the risk. His fingers tighten on Sid's and he ducks his muzzle forward to his chest, where he tugs Sid's arm, hugging it to him. The only sound is the pitter-patter of the ran, and Taye's somewhat ragged breath, which he's trying to control. "... I don't," he starts. His eyes squeeze shut and his throat tightens, achy and hot. "I don't want 'im t'go," he whispers. As soon as he says it, he /hates/ that he said it. "/No/, shut up. Just... shut up." Don't acknowledge what I just said.

It's not just for Taye, but for Sid too. Comfort for both of them, and any danger, such that it is, is more than worthwhile in this moment. When Taye doesn't just allow the gesture, but clings to it, Sid presses in as close as he can get against the other buck's back, scooping his other arm gingerly between Taye's neck and the pillow, a little above his shoulders. It bends at the elbow, making his bicep into a raised surface he can rest against, while his fingers crook and pet against one of Taye's sloped ears. The upper arm, which ends in their clasped hands, curves in against Taye's chest at his friend's bidding. He rubs at Taye's knuckles with rough fingertips and nuzzles against the back of his neck. "I.." He stops, when Taye's whispered admission is followed by a grumpy moment. He breathes out, the slow sigh brushing the slope of Taye's shoulder, then ventures, "I can go. I can do it. Okay? Not him."

Nngh. He was supposed to /ignore/ what he said, not... not do that. Taye's quiet, and it almost seems that perhaps he won't respond... /ever/. But when he does, there's a bitter taste to the words, like acid in his mouth. "... Ya know that won't. Won't matter. Ya know he'll go. He's a'ready gone. He was gone the second..." His eyes close. "S'okay. S'fine." His muzzles against Sid's forearm, his breath hot and huffy as he tries to will himself to sleep. Just. /Sleep/.

Sidney's lips part, close against the back of Taye's neck, whiskers flickering at the motion. He swallows down whatever he might want to say, and quiets as well. His embrace tightens just a little more, and while the rest of his is still, molded however best suits Taye's needs, he keeps up the slow drag of his fingertips against that ear.

And the silence stretches out. It doesn't necessarily mean Taye drops off immediately, because he doesn't. It's long, and it's drawn out, and only much later does he finally drop off from exhaustion. His breathing finally evens out, though even in sleep his expression stays fretful and lined with pain.

Next Day

It's approaching two days since the incident, and that's long enough. Right? Because Taye has a moment of alone time, free of healers, and he uses that time to attempt an... escape? Well, really thus far he's just managed to sit up, with his bare feet resting on the floor. His torso is lowered with his elbows to his knees, paws gripping his head while he adjusts to the new position.

Darcy has been minding Taye since early morning, since shooing the ever-watchful Sidney and Darklett away for a while. After stepping out for all of a few minutes, she reappears in the doorway of the clinic, managing to look halfway decent for not having slept more than maybe an hour or two. "How's that workin' for you?" she asks, with a sympathetic smirk in Taye's direction.

One could say that Taye's been less than communicative with Darcy. This has been helped by the fact he's been asleep for most of it. Now, though, his shoulders heave in a quiet sigh. "Great," he answers, sounding gutted. He doesn't lift his head, largely because he doesn't dare. "Thought you were gonna take a break."

"I don't take breaks." Ever. Didn't you know that, Taye? Darcy stays by the door, leaning a little into the frame, while a draft comes in from behind her. Hands in pockets, she gives a small dip of her head. "Go on. Might as well try. Or d'you need someone t' lean on?"

"... /No/," Taye grunts. He doesn't. His paws fall away from his head and he plants them to either side of himself on the mattress, puffing in and out a few times to kind of psych himself up to it. And then he pushes upward, except it's a really /slow/. Upward push. And is punctuated by a deep groan. He does make his feet, but the first thing he does is turn, staggering a couple steps to the wall, which he presses in against with a shaky breath. "See? I did it." He laughs.

Darcy watches from her spot at the door, body angled and shoulder against the frame, eyes half-shut and following Taye's movements with a careful appraisal. "Good. You can leave when you've walked end t' end," she gestures along the length of the clinic, the path between rows of cots, "and back gain'. All at once. No sittin', no passin' out, no leanin' on anythin'."

Darcy watches from her spot at the door, body angled and shoulder against the frame, eyes half-shut and following Taye's movements with a careful appraisal. "Good. You can leave when you've walked end t' end," she gestures along the length of the clinic, the path between rows of cots, "and back gain'. All at once. No sittin', no passin' out, no leanin' on anythin'."

"Heh," is Taye's only answer. He stays that way for a moment, just catching his breath and letting the pounding in his head subside. Only then does he turn around, leaning back against the wall with palms flat. "Should be able t'do that in a few minutes. Just gimme a sec," he jokes.

"Mm-hm. I have no doubt," Darcy replies, dryly. There's just enough of a tease in her tone to keep the focus of their discourse away from the physical weakness the buck is experiencing; she's well acquainted with his pride by now. She takes a few steps over to a chair placed not far from the door, drawing it well out of the way of Taye's expected path, and gives it a little spin to drop into it in a backward position, her arms loosely crossed over the back of it.

The weakness isn't so much the thing, though there is some of that. It's the pain. His head is like a fireworks display, except without the fun of the ooohs and aaahs. He stares at her in quiet displeasure for a moment and then snorts. "Oh, sod off. M'not gonna do it," he admits with a little mutter. He slides tenderly down to the ground and hugs his arms around his knees, resting his head back against the wall. "I don't need... mindin', though." He stares at a crack in the floor.

Darcy's shoulders lower with an almost imperceptible sigh. She lowers her head, chin docked on the uppermost of her folded arms and her ears sinking backward. Despite the impulse to rise again and go over to the buck, she chooses instead to give him space following his admission. "No. You don't. By now 'm pretty sure you can be trusted t' not overexert yourself." Not that the head injury would let him anyway. "Think of it as... me seekin' out likeminded company? Y'know, within th' context of wantin' th' world t' disappear for a while."

"The world's gonna do what it's going t'do with or without me," Taye answers. He glances up and to the side at the cot, which is essentially 10,000 miles away. Eh. He was sick of it, anyway. He reaches up and touches tenderly to the bandages, right over the stitching. He quiets, though, and his brow furrows as he looks at the doe. His muzzle remains tightly shut for a moment longer, and his eyes drop. "M'sorry," he mutters.

Rahier hasn't actually /been/ in this clinic before. It's... really weird, stepping into a healing-center and not having to work there or be in charge of it. Like a surgeon stepping into someone else's operating room. He looks around when he enters, taking it in, though it only lasts for a few moments before he sees Darcy, leaning in her chair, and Taye, leaning against his... wall. "He looks a little unsteady t'be walkin'," Rah notes, not that Taye is walking anymore, necessarily.

The redhead doe adopts a tepid, fatigued smirk. "Yeah, well, 'til it finally does go up in flames, or everythin' gets swallowed int' ocean... or whatever other form th' eschaton ends up takin'? We--" Never mind. Her ears fold back, angled so the tips overlap, and she looks at Taye for a quiet moment, then shakes her head just slightly. One hand comes up to rub near her temple. "No. 'Sorry' is a death condolence. 'Sorry' is for when y'do somethin' wrong. Neither of those apply here, so..." And there's Rah. His observation rises a low chuckle out of the doe, and she stretches out one arm in his direction, palm up, fingers curled and making a small twitch in summons. "Yeah, he was jus' figurin' that out. Have you come t' join our lamentin'? 's awful fun, I promise."

When the apology goes unaccepted, Taye shuts up about it. Not necessarily because he agrees, but because it's easier. He glances across at Rahier from where he's slid to the floor. He lifts a paw and waves, stretching one foot out in front of him, the other leg staying tucked up with his arm wrapped around. He may just live here on the floor, now. "I was just dancin' a jig a moment ago, ya missed it," he remarks to his father as his eyes close.

Pushing through the doors is Ava who just completed a circuit with a number of privates. She slips her bow off and places it on the wall, then heads over to Taye's bed with a smile on her face. "Hey guys." She says to all three as she lift a hand to give it a way. "How's the patient?"

"Th' /patient/ might glare you t' death if you call him that," Darcy greets Ava in a stage whisper. She's seated on a backwards chair in the general proximity of the door, out of the way of any traffic and roughly opposite where Taye has ended up. Her gesture, meant to draw Rahier closer, turns into something akin to grabby-hands as the buck steps aside and just beyond the door, momentarily dealing with an inquiry from some nearby Patroller who saw him headed into the clinic. Not feeling particularly inclined to get up, she turns back to Taye for the time being, cracking him an amused smile. "I suppose th' jig-dancin' must've happened in th' five whole minutes I stepped out earlier. Or is this a fancy new kinda finger-jig that doesn't require... standin' up? Movin'?"

"The patient is-" But Taye subsides when Darcy answers for him. He squints one eye open at the nearby doe, looking up at her. He lifts a paw in a half-hearted wave, though he does manage a small smile for his friend. "Hey, Ave."

Darklett has been busy! The colonel steps into the clinic, having been gathering information and locating patrol hares to go with him. He even went to the mountain and grabbed a uniform for the occasion. Having returned, he stops just inside, spotting that Taye is awake and not groaning in pain. "Evening," he greets, looking antsy.

Maybe Darcy should relocate? She twists a little sideways in her chair as Darklett enters shortly after Ava, mindful of the clutter starting to form near the doorway. "Dark," she greets the buck with a muted smile.

When Darklett enters, Taye's head turns up at him from where he sits, back to the wall. He uncurls his arm from around his knee, noting both the uniform and the ants in those uniformed pants. His muzzle presses together in a faint smile, and his paw twitches up in a greeting. "Hey, Colonel."

"Darcy," Darklett returns to her with a smile, then past her to the bedridden Major Taye. "Major," he greets him, taking his side almost immediately afterward. "Good to see you sittin' up, Taye," he says, taking a seat in the chair he'd brought from his house. "...I... Guess you know where this is going," he assumes, in a very timid sounding voice.

"Hey Taye. How are you doing?" Ava asks as she takes a seat in a chair once she drags it over. "You need anything to eat or is there enough here for now?"

"Dark," Darcy echoes herself, and tilts her head, considering the uniform. "Had a private ask t' get assigned t' th'.. retrieval efforts. Friend of Corb's." The way she says 'friend', it should have air quotes. "Adorably earnest. 've got no problem with it, but told him t' have a word with you t' be sure. Blond buck, name's.. Spencer. Hm." She quiets, looking between Darklett and Taye as she senses the former's uncertainty.

Uhf. The small room is getting crowded and Taye's eyes squint briefly shut, his head pushing back against the wall at the pounding in his head. It's okay, just respond to one thing at a time. "Nah, Ave. M'good. Appetite's kind of-" Non-existent? At the sudden nearby voice of Darklett, his eye squints open again and he looks at him. "Had a hunch."

The door opens up again, and in comes Dagda, the healer toting his omnipresent satchel as he makes his way inside. He's watching his feet and only looks up after he makes it a few steps inside, stopping abruptly as he realizes the number of inhabitants the room is housing. "Uh..." Cool blue eyes flick from Darcy to Darklett to Ava to Taye, to Darcy, to Taye... "...Seems they've got th' healahs all called out f' y', wot, Majah?" He gives the other buck a grin, stepping in a bit closer without crowding the floor-ridden Patroller, a bit of solidarity emanating forth from that easy smile, while a mental tally goes on the list of injured Runners.

Darklett's eyes flit to Ava, then to Taye. Does he need anything? Get whatever he needs. Sigh. He rubs at his face, his head dipping down to the floor next to Taye's leg. "Are you only not screamin' at me 'cause you're injured and you can't?" He lifts his eyes back up to Taye's face, studying it before turning to belatedly respond to Darcy. "I'll take any hares with an extra bit of motivation, as long as he won't do anything stupid." Dagda is in turn offered a short greeting -- he's got other stuff on his mind right now.

"All right." Ava says as she slinks off the chair and flops down next to him on the floor. She gives him an amused look. "Bed is more comfortable than the floor last I checked." She pats the spot next to her. "Definitely more comfortable." Giving a wave of her hand to Dagda, she flashes a grin. "Hey you."

"I told them I don't need a minder, but more just keep." Taye's muzzle twists slightly as he replies to Dagda, and his eyes dart downward. "Just keep showin' up." He rubs gently at his forehead, then glances beneath the arm to Darklett. There's a very brief pause before he answers, his shoulders lifting. "Knew you'd go. You should." To Ava, he snorts softly, and leans briefly into her shoulder. He suddenly laughs, kind of abrupt in the small room. "I can't get up, so."

"We c'n fix that," Dagda offers, stepping forward and reaching his arm down for the other buck to grab onto. Physical and emotional support, now. "Let's get y' up. C'mon." After Taye's... situated however he ends up situated, Dag's gaze wanders towards the old Colonel. "Y' goin' aftah 'em, then?" It's a quiet murmur.

Darklett's lungs fill with stuffy clinic air, and he lets it all go at once. He looks around. Too many hares. His gaze does land on Dagda and he offers the buck a nod of confirmation. "Yeah. I'm goin'. Takin' a few patrollers with me and gettin' our hares back." His eyes cast over to Darcy, then to Taye again. Even seated, he looks antsy and uneven.

Darcy arches one eye slightly, in a pointed look at Taye. So much for the escapism, now that the clinic is filling up. To Dagda the doe replies, "I asked Dark to step back int' th' ol' Patrol boots. Personal favor of a sort, given 'm stuck here." Her muzzle twists in a wry expression. "Consider him a stand-in Darcy."

Sliding herself in against Taye, Ava pushes herself up as well to help aid Dagda in returning the major to his feet. With a look over to Darklett, she gives a firm nod. "We -are- getting them back." She says with confidence in her voice, full of optimism and focus. "And I can't wait to see the looks on the faces of those slavers right before we wipe 'em out." Ooh-rah.

Dagda's arm is looked at as if it's something greatly undesirable, at least for a few seconds. He uses the grip to pull himself up, supporting himself against the wall as the pounding in his head redoubles. It's /just/ a couple steps to the bed, so he grabs onto Ava's shoulder for the short transfer. He sinks down onto the edge of the bed and then backs to the head of the bed, eyes squeezing shut while the conversation bounces around in his head. His ears twitch with quiet agitation.

"Hm." Dagda chews on the syllable as he chews on his lip, brow furrowing as his mind turns through the problem. "I'd like t' be on that mission m'self, sah," he says, still to Darklett and still quietly. "Be like ol' times, almost." Yes, he was on Darklett's patrol back in the day. Yes, it was... are you waiting for it? /legendary./ "If'n y' not booked up on healahs as it is."

"Stand-in Darcy, but a Colonel," Darklett quips, smirking at the doe in question. Maybe a joke? Maybe not? "...Can't believe I'm agreeing to get on a boat, but that's the way it is." He spots Taye's apparent annoyance and lowers his voice when he continues. "Can't take everybeast that wants to go with me," he comments, with a touch of authority. "But you could be our healer."

Darcy considers Taye with the slightest squint of her eyes as he fumbles back to his cot, then shifts a look back over toward Darklett. He gets a nose wrinkle for the could-be jest. "Sidney said th' boat's got a capacity of five," she reminds him. "/Maybe/ six. Lotsa emphasis on th' /maybe/. If you leave full, that's two of you walkin' back once Corb and Tyree are recovered."

"Split into two, one by land 'n' one by sea." That suggestion comes from the hunkered Taye, eyes still shut. "They'll be slowah, but you might need the reinforcements."

Having been dragged out on business, it's time for Rah's return. There's a bit more activity in the room, that he picked up on, but a great deal more familiar faces. "Y'jus' can't all avoid clusterin' in an infirmary," he says, by way of greeting. Looks like they're strategizing.

Once Taye is secure in the bed, Ava gives him a warm smile, then flops down on the edge of it with a small bounce. Her ears give a perk upwards as she listens to each in turn.

"Could work," Dagda adds to Taye's muttered suggestion, nodding. "Certainly don't want t' sink th' lotta y' with my chow-sack." Bit of a grin there. He springs a bit straighter as Rahier enters. "Evenin', Colonel." Two in one room.

"Yeah, that's... The problem." Darklett presses his paw to the side of his head, and now /he's/ got a headache. He thought he had this whole thing settled! "This is it, then. Sidney'll take the boat as acting Major in lieu of Taye. I'll lead the march -- still not all that fond of the water, heh." He glances at Taye with a grin. "...Dagda, you'll go with me. Ava, get your sea legs ready. So that's two patrol leaders and two healers..." Rahier walks in at this time, and he raises up his eyebrows, taking a moment to greet the Colonel and gather his thoughts.

When Ava sinks down on the bed beside him, Taye's paw snakes out and catches hold of hers, lacing his fingers with hers. He returns Darklett's grin with a brief one of his own, his shoulders rising and falling in a sharp exhale of breath.

We're doing what now? Darcy's eyebrows nearly skim her hairline. "Wait. Stop. How many for each, four? Five? And th' healers're covered." She makes a 'hold on' gesture, closing her eyes as she rearranges the pieces that had already been fit together. "Alpine, Collin, Tameus, Spencer. Micah's good too. Hey, you," she adds, leaning her head back a little to view Rahier over her shoulder, where he stands in the doorway.

"Yes sir, I will get my sea legs, sir." Ava says with a salute of her free paw, while the other winds it's way up with Taye's when he seeks it out. She gives her best friend a quick grin, squeezing his paw. "I'll make sure to plug a vermin or two for you."

Rahier grins at the combined greetings, and turns his hand up to Dagda as he snaps to attention. Permission to... continue being informal, in that Patrol-style. Rah looks to Taye first, of course, concern there on his face, but it softens when he sees that Ava's taking close care. He'll be in good hands. So he steps to the gathering, and places his left hand on Darcy's shoulder so that he can bump Darklett's arm with his fist to return the greeting. "Try not t'get stuck in th'riggin'."

Dagda waits and watches while the gears of command turn, content to stand back from the process and simply act on the final decision. In the meantime, he slips over to Taye's bedside, rummaging briefly in his satchel to produce a flask of something that he paws off on the other buck with a wink. There's a reason he's one of the most popular healers in the mountain.

Darklett is trying to get a mental list going as the clinic seems to swim around him. Luckily, Darcy helps. "Right. Alpine and Collin will take the remaining open spots on the ship. I'll take Tameus, Spencer, and Micah with me and Dagda." He pauses here. And that's it, right? He looks up to Rahier with a grin. "I'm not touching the boat, Rah. Don't even mention it."

"Thanks," Taye snorts. "My kill counts a'right, though." He returns the squeeze to his paw. "Just bring 'em back," he murmurs to Ava.

The bottle bumps into Taye's arm and he looks at it, and then the wonderful giver of said bottle. He breathes a great sigh and even manages to grin, taking it and tucking it to his side. Turn awaaaaay from all of the other healers in the room that might take it away, unscrew the cap, aaaand ah.

Ava stares judgingly at Taye as he drinks from the flask, then hisses under her breath to him. ".. at least share it." She says with a smirk, giving his paw another light squeeze and a tug. Though she is not known to be a drinker. At least not a heavy one. "And we'll bring 'em back. Count on it."

"Fff. So - whoever gets there first executes a rescue, then sits 'round and waits for th' others t' show up?" Darcy pinches her eyes shut, shoulders a little tense under Rah's hand, and rubs at the bridge of her muzzle. "Somehow I don't think th' slavers are gonna feel like sittin' 'round sippin' tea with th' Patrollers who've jus' reclaimed their... property."

Darklett's head moves to Darcy as she speaks again. If the colonel was feeling nervous about this whole situation already, it's only really getting worse by the second. "Four hares isn't gonna be enough. Does anyone here have another boat and someone who knows how sail the thing?" Tension builds in his voice, and Darklett's eyes dart to the rest of the room. Why doesn't the Patrol just... Get a navy?

Rahier can feel the tension writ on Darcy, as well as... literally feeling it, under his hand. He uses both hands, one on each shoulder, and gives her a squeeze to both. "Maybe y'should take a break," Rah suggests. "Y'been goin' at this rescue thing pretty hard. How 'bout we go get some food?"

Ha. Taye glances to the side at Ava and, after a moment of hesitation - because will she give it back? - he brings the flask around to rest against her forearm. "... Fine," he finally allows, and relinquishes the flask to her. "But give it back," he mutters. He /needs/ it.

Darcy pushes upright from her chair with a huff of breath, and reaches up to rest her hand atop Rah's where it sits on her shoulder. "Dark. We're nixin' th' land group. Talk t' Sid, but 'm sure he can provide a basic sailin' lesson t' whoever needs it. /I/ will find another boat, you worry 'bout everythin' else." She steps back, bumping into Rah's chest, then turns and steps toward the door with his hand still snagged in hers. Tug.

The provider of the flask has gone silent at the mention of another boat, worrying again at his lip. As Darcy starts to move towards the exit, he offers up a suggestion. "Uh, m' da. M' da's a fishah. 'e's got a boat." The speaker is Dagda, of course.

Taking the flask, Ava gives an amused look to Taye and takes a tiiiiiny sip, then hands it back to him. She leans in against his shoulder, eyes rolling upwards playfully. Though, at Dagda's suggestion, she says, "Could even have those on the boat dress up as fisherman. Take 'em by surprise."

When the flask returns to him, Taye has a rather healthy drink of it. It's probably cool, mixing head injuries with whatever's in the flask, right? He leans back into Ava and rests his head on her shoulder, eyes closing. "'Least I'll have some peace 'n' quiet when all you all go," he mutters.

Darcy pauses, nearly to the door, and jabs a finger at Dagda. "Noted." And now it jabs at Darklett. "Jus'. Make it work on your end, 'll make it work on mine." Satisfied, she glances up at Rah with a smirk. "Screw food, we've got a boat t' find. Even if it means commandeerin' one, like /actual/ damn pirates." Arr? With a dismissive glance to the others, she steps out.

"...Alright, then. We leave tomorrow." Darklett gives a stiff nod to Darcy. Make it work. Got it. Sounds simple enough. He watches the Sergeant go, and... He turns to those remaining. "Groups stay the same, but... We'll hopefully have another boat waiting for us tomorrow morning. If not," he would shrug, but his shoulders are already up his neck. So, he just lowers them, releasing some of the tension there. "I guess we'll just figure something out. We need to get moving, either way."

"Yes, sir!" Ava salutes to Dark once more at his words, sitting up a bit straighter even if Taye is leaning against her. She gives the wounded an amused look, then leans forward to press a kiss between his eyes. "Soon as we leave, you will complain you are bored. I am going to sharpen my sword. May need it tomorrow. Take care." She says and slides off the bed, then heads out the door after snagging her blade from where it leans next to her bow.

Rahier tosses a wave to the group of gathered friends, good to see all the pals in one place again. It's weird to not go adventuring, though. Sigh. He is tugged by Darcy and exits too.

"Da' was in th' Pahtrol," Dagda continues down his potentially ill-advised suggestion, doing his best to calm his worried state of mind. "Can't see 'im sayin' no, 'specially if she shows up on 'is doorstep with promises of glory, blood, an' vinegah. He always did say he retiyah'd too young." A nod finishes the speech. "Y' should 'ave y' boat."

The room's rapidly emptying out, and that's of great relief to the injured buck. All the voices are kind of loud in his head just now. When the bed is exited, he stretches out a little more and holds the flask in his lap, resting his head back. The alcohol's helping just a bit. "So, you'll have t'brave the sea anyway, Dark."

"Looks like it," Darklett responds to Taye, his ears slicked back to his head as things have quieted down considerably. "So... That's it." He sits back down in his chair, looking between Dagda and Taye. He looks somewhere between frazzled and rattled.

".. Yeah," Taye agrees quietly. And then, tipping the flask this way and that way, he holds it out to Darklett with a small smirk. "Think you could use this more'n me."

Headed into the clinic, Sid steps aside and watches with a slow blink as what seems like a long line of hares exits, one after the other. He finally ducks inside, ruffling one hand back through rain-dampened hair, and turns a smile to Taye and Darklett. "... what'd I miss?"

Dagda intercepts the flask and takes a heavy swig before passing it on, having just volunteered his own father for a daring life-and-death rescue mission. It is his flask, after all.

Darklett welcomes the flask when it finally makes his way to him, grabbing it in having a very thorough swig. Just. A fantastic inspection of its contents. Oh well, Dark'll just have to hook Dagda up at the tavern when they get back. "How long's it been since you and me were on patrol, Dagda?" He huffs out as he offers the flask back, hanging an arm casually over the back of his chair.

"Since y' were majah, if I recall correctly, sah," Dagda replies, unfazed by the disappearance of his liquor. That's what it's for, after all. Sidney's question is considered briefly. "Well, we're takin' two boats aftah those scoundrels now, f' one thing."

"You missed..." Taye's eyes are following that flask, because. He wants it. And then he gets it, which is satisfying. "... Everything. Everything, everything." He flashes Sidney a small grin, gesturing vaguely at Darklett. "Check out the uniform." Meet your fearless leader.

Two boats? Sid looks toward Darklett, brow slightly knit. "'kay." Sure. He'll just go with it. A little smirk crawls along the line of his mouth, and he glances the Colonel up and down at Taye's urging. "But, just to be clear. You know what two ships means, doncha?"

Rolling his eyes animatedly at Taye's gesture his way, Darklett spreads his arms out wide to show off. Yeah. "Wait, what does two ships mean?" He thought this was a done deal.

The showing off earns Darklett an amused smirk. "Fits 'bout the same," he reassures him. He then waits to hear what two ships mean, also.

This /is/ a clinic, and Dagda /is/ a healer, and Taye /is/ injured, so the buck finally decides to do something beyond getting the patient drunk. In the background, he can be seen rummaging through his satchel and examining various pots, urns, and beakers, concocting some sort of primordial ooze.

"/Two/ ships makes a fleet," Sid explains, as that smile just grows, and /grows/. "And given the nature of our enterprise, and the killing that'll likely be involved - I'm going to go 'head and call them /war/ships. Know why?" He crosses his arms, looking so incredibly smug.

Darklett looks appreciatively at Taye's assurance, then his ears slowly, slowly perk up as Sid goes on. There's a few moments' pause, and he looks to Taye or Dagda to see if either of them will answer before he finally bites. "No, why is that?"

Aww, Dagda. You /do/ care. But the flask was enough. It's done a fantastic job of dulling Taye's headache. He tips it to his muzzle again, eyeing the healer buck somewhat suspiciously as he concocts something that's no doubt bad-tasting. It doesn't distract him entirely from Sid's antics, though, smirking slightly.

Wait for it. Sid rocks a little on his heels, grinning about as wide as his muzzle can go. "'cause a fleet of military vessels is an /armada/. And that, m'friend, makes me... /Admiral/ Sidney. Thankyouverymuch."

You're so right, Taye. Dagda wanders back over to the bed with a mortar full of something faintly acrid. "So uh," he begins, murmuring so as not to interrupt the ongoing antics, "Y' drink this, y' wake up tomorrow. Prob'ly past th' worst'a y'r 'eadache." He sets it on the nightstand, starting to look towards the door.

Taye takes the mortar with a thoughtful frown. "So it'll knock me out?" he wonders. Wake up tomorrow, eh? Before or /after/ they all leave? He glances briefly towards Sid and Darklett.

"Oh, of course." Darklett leans back in his chair, rolling his eyes skyward once again, though he's at least showing his teeth in a grin. "Sounds great, though I think you may have to fight me for that title." He stands up, but not to fight Sid. He turns toward Taye and reaches for a soft hold of the injured buck's upper arm. "Hey. I'll be by tomorrow morning before we head out, alright?"

"Tha's righ'," Dagda confirms, nodding shortly, frosty gaze coolly regarding the major. "A good twelve hours, I'd expect. Dependin' on how y' react. Everybody's a little bit different, wot." Shrugging off the ambiguity, he starts to head for the door. "Nigh', Majah. Feel bettah."

"Pfft. You don't even like ships," Sid counters, still grinning, "and you couldn't tell a jib from a jackarse. No contest, man." Dagda gets a nod as he departs, and then he glances to Taye as the Colonel prepares to go as well, his smile becoming more subdued. "Hey, y'know. Since you'll pretty much be nauseous th' whole time anyway... might has well let me handle it. And you.. take care of things here."

Ahh. "... Well. Thanks!" Taye calls after Dagda. "Um. Good luck?" he adds towards the sergeant's back. He looks down at the mortar quietly a moment, aaaand leans over, setting it on the bedside table. Only after Dag's left, though. If it keeps, he'll take it and sleep solidly for a day /after/ they leave. It's only then that his attention focuses back towards Sid and Darklett, and his ears twitch slightly at the younger buck's words. Fff. His eyes dart to Darklett's face and away, taking another swig from the flask.

Darklett offers Dagda a wave of farewell. "Thanks for the help, Dag," he offers to the sergeant. "...Fine, you can have Admiral. Doesn't matter to me, the sea can all... Rot." He shakes his head, trying to stay nonchalant about that when Sid offers to head things up for him. The swallow that comes after is audible, and he looks at Taye just in time to catch that fleeting glance. Sid was just making things a bit easier on him, then he goes and does that. He doesn't respond, immediately.

And then Dagda is gone, and it's just the three of them. Sid's smile is barely there, but what's left is so... /earnest/. "I mean it," he says, quietly, while his eyes shift across Darklett's face. "If you.. think it'd be better. To stay?" For a moment he looks to Taye, then murmurs, kind of speaking to both of them, "I got this."

Ugh. Taye would like to crawl inside of that flask and not come out, but since he can't do that he has another long drink. He sets it to his side, then, and draws his knees upward, tucking an arm around them. His Adam's apple bobs as stares down at the flask. "... Why the hell'd it be bettah for him t'stay? There's /no reason/ for him t'stay." Good, Taye, good. You sound totally confident.

Darklett's face turns back up to Sidney's, and he stands there before the fighter, unsure how to respond, and that stays the case until Taye speaks again. He sits down in his chair, hard, and slides up next to Taye's cot. He reaches out to hold the major's arm, leaning in to look over the other hare's face. "...Okay," he responds, nodding. "Okay. Just... Darcy asked me to take care of this, so... Please. Please make it back with Corbeau and Tyree, alright?"

Sidney's eyes narrow slightly at Taye. Not aggressively, but kind of pensive, and after a moment he opens his mouth as if to counter the Major. Then, his jaw hinges shut again, and he looks at Darklett with a slow-blinking expression. Kind of taken aback at the unexpected response. The smile creeps back, small and gentle and infinitely warm, as he eases his hands into his pockets and looks at the two of them. "I got this," he repeats. "Promise."

Heavily on the defensive, Taye meets Darklett's lean-in with a guarded expression. He sinks back, not pulling his arm away but not reaching for him or anything. His eyes shift to Sidney, his jaw working slightly. "What's he supposed t'say when they ask why? Because he has t'take care of his gimp boy-" He cuts off, with a frustrated noise. "Darklett, /go/. You /want/ t'go. Darcy wants you t'go. So go."

"Taye." Darklett's voice becomes firm, and he closes his eyes. "Please just. For once, can you be the one that just shuts the hell up?" His eyes open again, the fear of Taye talking him out of it having passed. "This is where I need to be. I know you want me to stay, and Darcy will understand why. If the others ask..." He swallows. What if the others ask? "...I'm retired. Liability. Can't make the trip. Just. Shut up. I'm staying with you, alright? It's the only choice."

Sidney tactfully keeps quiet, now, and drifts a step back toward the door. His work is done; he can fade into the background.

Taye spends a long moment just looking at Darklett, his expression warring with itself. After a moment, his throat feeling unnaturally tight, he /does/ reach for the buck, and finds his paw, holding on. "... You're an idiot," he mutters, but he can't quite keep the little wobble out of his voice, /or/ the note of relief. Quieter yet, he adds, "You're an /idiot/, 'n' I love you."

Darklett's muzzle curls in a smile. "I'm an idiot for even changing into the uniform," he admits, at least, the smile spreading wider, ears splaying back to his head again, though it's less out of anxiety and more out of calm this time. Funny things, long ears. "Love you too," he murmurs, nudging his nose up against the chin of the other buck to tilt it a certain way, then planting his lips right over Taye's, eyes closing and paw clasping at the major's upper arm gently as he kisses the buck.

Sidney has his back turned politely, now leaning into the doorframe, looking out into the street. Keeping watch, to let them have their moment.

Taye's muzzle twists in a little grin. "The uniform... I don't mind s'much," he admits. "It's-" But whatever it is, Taye never gets a chance to say. He mmfs, and his smile broadens at the kiss, his other paw tucking briefly to the back of the other buck's neck. He gives a little squeeze, there, and then pulls back, head resting against the wall. "... Thanks, Dark," he mutters, and bumps the side of his nose, briefly. "... Now leave me 'lone, 'cause m'gonna pass out." He /hopes/. His eyes shift briefly to Sidney. It's a fond glance. D'aww, man.

Time Passes

Darklett's sitting next to a cot in the clinic, his head leaned back against one of the walls as he's relaxing in an off-theme cushioned chair, obviously brought from outside the clinic. His eyes are closed, so he may be sleeping, but his chair is nudged up right against the cot that the injured Major Taye is occupying. His ease of breath suggests that he's slumbering, but the hour of the late afternoon and early evening would suggest that it might not be so deep of a sleep.

Finally, /finally/ off duty, Jinora drags her tired eyes and sore back to the clinic once again. This time, instead of toting medical supplies, healers, and news: She is toting a small, brown bag full of pastries. "Majah? Are y'awake?" She asks, softly, as she nudges the door open with her foot. She hushes up when she spies not one, but /two/ sleeping bucks, and a small, sad smile tugs at the corners of her muzzle. "Sahrry..." She whispers to nobody and everybody, slipping the rest of the way inside with renewed dedication to soft footsteps.

And that not-so-deep sleep is interrupted! That's probably for the best. It's late enough, despite that Darklett's been up and down all night tending to Taye. He sits up and rubs at his eyes, straightening himself by pushing down on the arms of the chair he's occupying and peering through the dim at Jinora. "Hey," he murmurs, tracing his paw through his headfur as he takes some time to properly wake up.

That door opens again. And then we have...Adrian, looking spiffy. "Hoy, Jin. Why are ya wakin' the poor sots?"

Taye's sleep has been inconsistent and marked by frequent wakings, which certainly hasn't helped Darklett's sleep situation any. He's no longer on a 'night schedule' so much as a 'whenever his body passes out' schedule. The Colonel is not the only one who is stirred by Jinora's voice, as Taye curls over onto his side with a sleepy groan. His eyes squint open and he blinks a couple times, adjusting to this whole being awake thing. His ears twitch further as Adrian enters, and he pushes up one elbow, the blanket helpfully tucked 'round him sliding down to his waist. Hnh? "'Llo," he mutters, just on general principle. Who's here now? He glances around, eyes narrowed to slits.

Jinora anxiously rolls the top of the bag back and forth in her paws. "Didn' mean t'wake you, sahs!" She hastily apologies, keeping her voice hushed, despite the general wakefulness that she has so /rudely/ inspired. And then they have Adrian! "Ah wanted t'check on Majah Taye an' -" She lifts the bag by way of finishing her explanation, helpfully elaborating: "Sweets!" She dips her head in another anxious apology. "Jus' wanted t'drop these by...Y'bought m'breakfast th'othah day so Ah wanted t'return th'favor. Ah couldn't remembah wha' y'got, though, so Ah, uh, brought you a few." The bag does, admittedly, look heavier than the meal of a singular, sane beast. Another thought occurring to her, she continues her apologetic babbling: "If either of y'would like any - please 'elp y'selves! Bu' Mayjah gets firs' picks...unless 'e doesn' want first picks...Do y'want first picks, sah? Ah -" Someone stop her!

Darklett's ears flicker at Taye's shifting, and he glances down at the major. "Evenin', Maj," he greets. "I'll have to call Dagda out on his lies about that mixture knocking you out for the night when he gets back." Darklett stands up from his chair, a couple pop-pops audible as his knees extend. "Jinora," he cuts the doe off with a laugh. "Thank you," he simply states, stepping forward toward the pastry bag, if only to get a few steps in to stretch himself out.

Adrian raises his paws. "Jin, Jin, I think they undahstand, wot? Yar as nervous as a mouse in an addah's den, eh? Anyway..." The buck salutes smartly. "Hello, sah! An' Dahklett."

Taye's ears twitch downward at the barrage of words, and he takes the time to sit up the rest of the way, easing himself with his back to the wall. "... Yeah, well. Healahs," the Major complains with a snort. He rubs absently at is head, which admittedly doesn't feel as bad, today. "Helped the headache a bit. Ummm, hey Jin." His muzzle twists in a small grin at the excitable doe. "I'd, um. Love somethin'. Ya didn't have to. Uh, hey Adrian."

Adrian salutes again. "Majah Taye. Ya look rough." Never one to beat around the bush. "I was shocked when I heard tha news, only today, wot. I'll find Tyree, mahk mah words."

Jinora's mouth shuts with gracious speed, allowing the room a moment of sweet, sweet quiet. She relaxes with a small chuckle, a paw rubbing at the back of her neck. Chill, girl, chill. "Righ' - er, 'elp y'selves! There's a croissant, a bagel, strawberry an' blueberry tahts, a few muffins an', uh...'alf of a scone." She lists off, holding back the opening of the bag with a finger and counting them off as she sees them (admittedly quieter on that last one). Moving towards the Major's bed, she plops the bag onto the table with a small grin. Her purpose has been served! Huzzah!

Darklett's brows raise at Adrian's statement. "...Well, you better start runnin'. The patrol to rescue Major Tyree left by boat this morning." He feels a little badly about this, but what's done is done. It's worth noting that Darklett is actually still in his uniform, though his boots are kicked up against the side of the chair he'd just been sleeping in. He leans forward, reaching down to touch his toes and holding like that for a while before straightening up with a grunt. "I am /not/ made to sit that still for that long."

You know, at least in the infirmary there are usually /other/ injured. It reduces the fish in a fish bowl effect, which is in full force just at the moment. Taye leans over to collect the bag from the table, though he first offers it out to Darklett. "M'fine, Adrian. And, heh. You oughta snagged a cot, Dark." He gingerly swings his legs over the edge of the cot and sets his bare feet on the ground. "Anyway, Darcy said if I c'n walk back 'n' forth 'cross the room, I c'n leave." He could totes do that. That's not so hard.

Adrian sighs, and this time fixes Jin with a glare. "Oh, it *has*, has it? Well..." He harrumps. Grumpily. On the other hand, he weighs his options. There is that standing order from Lord Ciocan to watch the Redwallers. While that still seemed like an important task, he now realizes his paws are effectively tied. That and Jin failed to deliver Ava's order, and, in fact, everybody failed to keep him in the loop. Seriously. "Well then... Well. I swear." He curses. "Yah know I'm hampered by ordahs or tha lack thereof..." Glance at Jinora again.

The glare doesn't go unnoticed, and Jinora isn't having any of it. "Oh, aye, Ah forgot it was m'bally obligation t'take a break from m'bloody duties t'search th'mountain high an' low f'you, rathah than do m'job, Ah'm /so/ sorry." Just when she was starting to think that the Private was an okay bloke, too. Shame. "Not t'mention tha' it 'ad /nothin'/ t'do with who went, y'dolt." She adds, not bothering to hide the bite to her voice. "Take responsibility f'ya own bloody screw up, or stop cryin' abou'tit." She seems to remember, all at once, that it probably isn't proper form to go off on him in the clinic in front of Taye and Darklett, and her face flushes pink. "Sorry, sahs. Long shift." She mumbles, clearing her throat and stepping back to allow ample access to the pastry bag, a dark glare shot back at Adrian as she does so.

Oh, now he /really/ feels bad about that. Oh well, oh well. Darklett heads back to the cot and snags a croissant out of the bag, lifting it up to inspect it. "This'll do," he judges, and has a bite, his jaws working as he chews. "Mm. Thanks 'gain, Jin." Swallow. "You, uh." He turns to Taye, gesturing with his croissant at the injured hare. "You think you can do it?" He doesn't particularly seem to mind Jinora's outburst, all things considered.

The color sergeant /may/ have specified walking across without stopping, leaning, or sitting in the process. Taye's lips press together and he glances, briefly, towards the lower ranks. Risk of embarrassment? High. But whatever. He presses his palms into the mattress and then shoves off, standing there wobbly for a moment, eyes squinting half shut. "Suuuure I can," he exhales. Stupid, bloody-minded healers.

Adrian shakes his head. "It ain't *mah* screw up. I suppose I should disregahd direct ordahs from the Badgah Lord 'imself." To be honest, he's starting to think he should disregard that order. It's not like the Redwallers are in danger or anything. Besides, who'd ever know he ditched that responsibility. The buck mulls that over seriously. Would that be considered insubordination? He sighs. "Listen, I'm sorry, wot. T'ain't yah fault, an' I know it." He scowls. "Eithah way, those bloody Redwallahs can bally well take care of 'emselves, wot..."

With a nod, Jinora accepts the apology, though his initial reaction still stings as a slight in the back of her mind. "S'fine." She mumbles, her attention fixing onto Taye as the Major takes his rise, and Jin takes an anxious step forward out of instinct. He doesn't look especially stable, but it doesn't do any good to say /that/ now, does it? She stands by, for now, one paw half-raised, expectantly. The healers must put up with a good deal of stubborn hares, it must be a pain to treat the fighting members of the Patrol, dang.

Darklett is standing by as well, offering his arm out to help Taye should he need it. "Be careful, don't force it, alright?" The retired colonel keeps that arm raised, casually munching on that croissant handled in his other paw. It's a pretty good croissant. "Don't need you fallin' and makin' things worse."

When Jinora takes that anxiety-fueled step forward, Taye sends her a look that could almost-maybe-sorta-kill, except he's generally too nice for that. Head wounds, man. He lets out a little noise of frustration at Darklett's advice, though he tries to stifle it. "If I have t'spend one more day bein' stared at, I'm /going/ t'commit murdah." And with that he starts forward, and even makes it several steady steps before he gestures flappily with a paw for them to /stay/ away and bends at the waist, pressing his paws to his knees. "... Ha. Haha, s'like bein' drunk 'n' hungover at the same time 'n' without /any/ of the fun."

Adrian wisely does not step forward to assist Taye. Instead, he offers moral support. "You can do it, Sah! I know ya can! You're as tough as a rock, wot!"

"Fine," Darklett responds with a soft laugh, taking a few paces away. He does, however, dig his grubby paw into that bag of pastries there. He leans his backside against one of the tables, keeping his distance but watching carefully. Ready to spring, as it were. "Apparently you don't remember last night at all. You probably /are/ hungover, Maj."

Jinora casts an apologetic glance to the Major, and she feels herself wither from the inside out; but she doesn't back up - he can glare all he wants, it doesn't make him any less...oozy. She doesn't dare say this out loud, though (especially the 'oozy' party), but as he stops she gives a sad smile. "We cin stare at th' wall if y'prefer, sah, but Ah've got t'say, you're a tad more interestin'. Think of it as a favah t'the rest of us sorry lookin' folk."

There's a pregnant pause from the Major and then he snorts. "... Oh." That had slipped his remembrance. HEAD WOUNDS, man. Or probably drunkenness, man. MAYBE BOTH. After a few more seconds he straightens up and makes it the rest of the way across the room, with only a couple more stops on the way and a couple of close wobbles. But that's where he taps out, and sinks heavily into a chair, leaning forward to hug his pounding head. "Cutitoff," he groans. All the heads, just. Off. "Wondah how many of 'em've puked on the boat, s'far." Nothing like others' misery to brighten the mood!

"Jin's right, you know. Most of these beasts're probably just usin' it as an excuse to stare at you." Darklett shoots Taye a grin, his ears twitching each time Taye looks like he might wobble a bit too far. Buuut, he makes it to a chair and falls into that, so all is relatively well. "Taye, that'd be, um. Unethical," he asserts, that grin spreading more widely. He's so helpful! "Want me to find some more painkiller?"

"Taye, yah made it!" Adrian praises. "Ya look much bettah now, wot!" He gives a thumbs up.

"Your /face/ is unethical," Taye grumps at Darklett with his head still down. But then it comes up with a little, hopeful grin. "Yes, please?" He sinks back against the wall, sighing out before glancing to Jinora. "Stare at /Darklett/. He's got a spiffy uniform on. I've got /pajamas/." But then, Darklett heads off in search of painkillers. So. He points at Adrian. "His face. Way more interestin'."

"Ah'm sure they're all sprayin' their guts about now, don't y'sweat it." Jin offers in the cheery spirit of schadenfreude. It seems that there would be a pastry or two which could survive the night, so she doesn't feel guilty inching back to the bag and pulling the other half of the scone free. She offers a salute to Darklett as he passes her on his way out, wiping some crumbs from her whiskers as the door closes. She casts a look over at Adrian, tilts her head, and then looks back to Taye. "If y' like, Ah cin go drag some recruit in 'ere so y'cin hit /them/ ovah th'head t'take y'mind off it?"

Adrian is very interesting, yes. Piffle even finds him irresistible. "Well... Thank ya, Sah."

Huh. Taye eyeballs the bag of of goodies, which he's failed to dig into yet. He reaches out, making grabby hands at it towards Jin, with an amused grin. "So, what d'you guys think? C'n I bribe you int' tellin' Darcy I walked back 'n' forth 'n' danced a little jig so I c'n get outta here?"

With a grin, Jinora obliges; snatching the notably-lighter bag off the side table and crossing to Taye, dropping it in his lap. "Go crazy. Bu' you'll 'ave t'sweeten the deal if it means lyin' t'Darcy. Ah wouldn't want t'end up as y'roommate in the clinic."

Adrian nods his head. It's no secret he's pretty loyal to Taye. "Sure, I'll say wotevah ya want, Sah."

Being a private means taking care of all the stupid little jobs that are too demeaning for an officer but too important for a recruit. At least that's what Bran tells himself as he opens the door to the clinic hauling a sack of stuff. That's right: stuff. The room is surprisingly well-populated, and the buck takes a moment to readjust his demeanor as he notices at least one pretty doe in the room. Maybe two- no, that's Adrian. Okay. Yeah, he's got this. Rapid blinks of mental assimilation settle quickly into a cool, calm aura and a pair of blistering blue eyes. He chooses his greeting with deliberate nonchalance- "Hey."

When the bag is plopped into his lap, Taye digs a paw in and picks out one of the tarts. Blueberries, mm. He holds it up to Jinora in thanks, and has a small nibble. His appetite has been understandably reduced. "Okay. You guuuuuys c'n, um. Skip kitchen duty for a month. A whole /month/," he promises. For his part, to Flint, Taye remarks with a tip of his finger towards his head, "Head injury. Wouldn't trust my account." Aha. Ha. He notes another entrant and tips that pointing finger forward in a little salute to Dagda's little bro.

Adrian is indeed pretty, but as Bran correctly deduced, he's not a doe. "Well, hello there, fellow Private. Come join the party, wot?"

It takes a moment for Jinora to reconnect a name to Bran's face, and she remembers him taking her down in boxing before the name returns to her memory. Also asking her out for a drink and then disappearing forever - yeesh, that's embarrassing. Ahem. Ignoring the familiar flush that is slowly creeping back up her cheeks, Jin mumbles a greeting before pointedly refocusing her attention on Taye. "Hm, tha's temptin'..." No kitchen duty vs. death by Darcy....Hm...But Adrian seems eager enough. "Ah'll leave this one t'Swiggle ovah here, eh?"

"I brought this /stuff,/" Bran explains, setting the sack down on a nearby countertop. His eyes narrow subtly as he tries to place Jinora himself, then returning to their ordinary width as he remembers... asking her out after taking her to the cleaners. Literally, figuratively, respectively. And never showing up to make good on his offer. Hm. His chosen reaction is no reaction. "With Tyree gone, y' th' only majah left, sah," he offers to Taye. "Prob'ly bad luck if y' keel ovah halfway back t' th' hill."

Adrian sighs. "I should be out there, helpin' ta look for Tyree... I'm clearly a failure..."

"She won't believe just /him/," Taye complains with a serious frown, fussing out a sigh. "... Bloody 'ell." He's just going to have to /actually do it/ before he can leave. What a ridiculous situation, actually listening to healer advice. To Bran he snorts. "I've got a destination a /whole/ lot closah in mind."

"Sorry, Mayjah, but...well, the Color Sargent scares th'livin' 'ell out of me." Jinora laughs, shrugging apologetically. And rightly so. For now, she /very/ pointedly ignores Bran: for hell hath no fury and she hath been scorned! She opens her mouth to say something else, possibly further encouragement or the offering of further victims to make him feel better about his temporary physical short comings, but instead she turns to frown at Adrian. "Y'not th'only one who didn't go, mate. S'not the end'a the bally world - chin up, eh?" She tries to sound sympathetic, but between Flare's death and Taye's wibbly wobbly head thingy, she's running out of kind words and tones.

"Sometimes y' get left behind," Bran agrees, nodding. "Not always a lot of thinkin' that goes into that stuff."

Taye is somewhat short on kind words, because being abed - or achair? - makes him cranky. But he does his best, having a little munch on the tart before he sets it in his lap. "... Adrian, someone has t'stay behind. Two patrollahs... even these two, they're not s'important as... keepin' the mountain safe. Without the mountain, we're nothin'."

Adrian shrugs. "Eh, not all bad, I s'pose. I *do* have that meal with Piff tomorrah... Not like the world'll end while we enjoy ourselves, wot." He nods. "Yes, yes, I know, Sah. I just feel bad that I was off playin' babysittah ta the Redwallahs while all...*this* was goin' down."

The door opens, and Deidra slips in, pushing back the hood that covers her curly hair against the rain. She stills just inside as the door swings shut again behind her, and offers a little smile across the room toward Taye. "Hey..." She looks with a bit of hesitation toward rhe others in the room. "Am I interrupting?"

"... Interruptin' what? The gawk-at-Taye party?" Taye's found himself in a chair across the room instead of the cot. He offers her a small, reassuring smile smile. "Feel like givin' me an arm back across?" he asks her, quietly, and offers an arm out to her. Invitation. His brow knits with subtle concern, but he tries not to make it obvious.

Jinora waggles her eyebrows at the mention of Adrian's date with her friend and partner in drunken crime; its an automatic response by this point, she can't even control it. Deidra offers a distraction, and she flashes a smile - Taye reallly is just Mr. Popular over here. "'Course not! Don't let 'im bribe y'into gettin' 'im out of anythin', though." She warns Deidra with a grin. "Also: pastries!" If there are even any left, that is.

Adrian waves at the doe. "Evenin', Miss. Taye is the life o' tha party, wot. We all love 'im."

"Is that what this is?" Deidra replies wryly, and steps across to Taye, reaching to grasp his hand. She glances to Jinora at the offer of pastries, with a small shake of her head. "Not hungry, but. Thanks. Sweet of you." Her eyes come back up to Taye's face after a brief nod to Adrian as well, and she lowers her voice somewhat. "... glad you're okay."

Well, Taye may be popular, but sitting around and looking at his head can only be entertaining for so long. Bran has begun to itchily gaze towards the door, apparently ready to be out of this place. Jinora is suddenly regarded. "'ey, Jinora, wasn't it? Didn't I offah y' a drink?"

When he's got Deidra's paw, Taye pulls himself up and tucks his arm around her waist. He leans into her briefly, kissing her cheek. "Am," he promises his sister. Then, quieter, just for her, "An' so is he."

"Don't mention it, they're stayin' 'ere so don't be shy." Jin offers to Deidra, stepping out of their way as Taye makes his way back to bed. Seems like she should get going soon to give the Major a rest from all the prying eyes. It is around this time that she turns a raised eyebrow to Bran. Does she pout? Or...What? She decides to go the honest route. The slight's sting had been dulled by the weeks and their events. No use crying over spilled promises. "Yeah, ages ago. Still owe me a re-match, too." She allows a smirk tugs at the corners of her mouth. "Ah'm leavin', if you want t'make it up t'me now." She nods towards the door.

"Tha' was th' general idea," Bran replies, grinning back and making his way forward towards the door. An arm pops up a bit out from his side to offer towards her, waiting. "Shall we?"

Adrian grins. "Oy, you bettah make up for it good, Bran, wot?"

"Mayjah, y'feel bettah, alrigh'?" She raises a paw to wave off Adrian and Deidra. "Ah'm sure Ah'll see y'in the mornin', Swiggle m' Wiggles." Yay, morning Patrol. She isn't even leaving Halyard tonight. Again. Woot. "Right, then." She takes the offered arm after a moment of trepidation, the flush creeping back up into her cheeks - at least she isn't stuttering like an idiot, like usual. "We shall." Onward!

With one hand still gripping Taye's, fingers tightening against his, Deidra sidles closed into the curve of his arm. Her muzzle touches to his shoulder. "I'm holding you to that," she mutters. "Suddenly I'm realizing why.. everyone always says to not get involved with a Patrol buck."

Adrian watches in silence, having little to add to the moment.

Taye's head turns briefly to watch the departure of Jinora and Bran. He lifts his paw in brief farewell, before his attention shifts back to Deidra. With ample support, he starts the walk across the bed, finding her support helps quite a bit with the not having to stop, though for the second half of the walk his eyes are shut and he's just trusting her to walk him blind as he leans into her. When they reach the bed and he sinks down onto the edge, which she's just going to have to sit down there with him. "It's... not for the faint of heart," he admits with a little smile to her. He glances across to Adrian, then. "Yo need t' do me a favah 'n' keep an eye on the recruits 'til I get back. Run 'em ragged, eh?"

Deidra guides him with slow, steady steps, watching Taye's face toward the end for any sign that he needs to pause. The grip of her arms around his conveys the strength of a smith - she has a good bit more muscle than might be assumed at first glance. "I thought Darklett was leading the mission?" she inquiries, in an effort to at least somewhat shift the subject away from her missing boyfriend. "But I just saw him on my way over..."

Adrian grins at that, and salutes. "Cartainly, Sah! I'll give 'em wot for, eh? No slackin' recruits on mah watch, wot!"

Taye slips his arm from around Deidra, letting it rest on the cot behind her as he rests his forehead briefly on her shoulder before pushing back onto the cot, rolling back onto his back with a grunt of pain. Ah, there we go. His brow knits at mention of Darklett. "Ahh, well. He decided... t'let Sid have all the glory, this time." He raises his paw, giving Adrian thumb's up. About all the effort he has in him, at the moment. "Thanks, mate. Knew I could count on you. 'Specially keep an eye on Private Weebly. Don't let 'im... burn anything down."

Deidra says, "Sidney. Your Lieutenant," Deidra recalls, not having really interacted with the buck in question. She shimmies her hips to wiggle to the side and get a cozy position that doesn't get in the way of Taye lays back. She tips her head back, looking up at the ceiling with a pensive expression, worrying at her lower lip. "How long have you known Ty? I mean... he's been through this kind of thing before, right?""

Adrian nods with determination. "Aye, sah, I won't let Weebly burn anythin', sah! Ya have mah word, wot!"

"... Well. Yeah. He has. He's been in tough spots, for sure. But... you know Tyree. He'll... be okay. Even if he's not, he'll be okay. Because that's Tyree. He'll come back t'you, Dei." He leans over, and presses his muzzle to her forehead. "I promise. An' then, you'll get married 'n' be disgustingly happy t'gethah."

That gets a fretful little grin from the pale doe. "I don't know about /married/. Hell, Rahier might murder him if he suggested it." She turns and wiggles so she's laying along the cot, facing him, while she nuzzles her brow against Taye's chin. "Disgustlingly happy, though... hell yes. A hundred times over."

Taye rolls his eyes at the doe. "He loves you like... I don't even know," he laughs. shaking his head. "I've /nevah/ seen him like 'e is with you." But then he subsides, and turns his head towards her. "It's gonna be okay," he whispers. He needs to hear it as much as he needs to say it.

Now she really grins, with a helpless little laugh, and muffles it against Taye's chest. "Yeah? He makes me... ten different kinds of stupid. It's /annoying/, but holy hell, I'm crazy about him." Then she sighs out a soft breath. "Wish I could.. talk to Rahier about all of this. He's seen more of this than anyone. It... would help."

Adrian is still here for this touching scene... But is silent as the grave...

"Then talk t'him," Taye urges her quietly. "He'll be there for you, even if..." Well. The rest goes without saying. He reaches up, ruffling her headfur gently. Speaking of Rahier.

Deidra's muzzle crinkles at the ruffle. Because of course. "You too. Since... I know you're thinking this was your fault."

The buck's quiet is /very/ quiet. The Major ducks his forehead briefly forward, to rest against Deidra's. It's not an admission or a denial. His muzzle tugs upward in a small smile. "I'll think about it," he offers, in his way of not committing without precisely saying no. His eyes close, then, and he huffs out a breath as he settles into the pillow. Exhaustion strikes at odd points, and now is one of them. He lets his eyes close, his arm resting against her side as he quiets, and soon enough has drifted off to sleep.

Adrian takes that as his opportunity to slip out of the clinic, into the night...

Later on…

Note: Something seems to be missing here, but the scene was too touching to remove.

"No, it was you two. Ty throwing me around the boxing ring and beating the tar out of me, and you being my moral compass and helping me focus my pain through my bow. I was so lost and stupid without direction." Ava says as she hugs him back tighter. One paw slides around the back of his neck, gently ruffling the fur there. Leaning back, she gives her nose a gentle rub against his briefly. "Doofy."

"You still won't listen t'me, though," Taye remarks with a rueful shake of his head. "You were lost. Ya weren't stupid. Nevah that." He wrinkles his nose at her. "'Doofy'," he complains. "I hope you spend the whole time pukin' ovah the rail," he grins.

Grinning back at him, Ava pokes him in the chest with a finger. "I'll make sure to save a bit of it for you when I get back. Sharing is caring." Her other hand on his neck gives a gentle squeeze as she continues to grin at him, nose to nose with him. "Lost, stupid, it doesn't matter. You were there for me. You always have been. More so than most that have been in and out of my life."

"Well, yeah. 'Course I was," Taye remarks. "We're fam'ly. That's what the Patrol is," he reminds her with a small smile. "Gotta stick t'gethah." He reaches back to encircle her wrist with his paw, pulling it back 'round to the front, where he holds it 'tween his two paws. "That's why you're gonna come back safe. Othahwise I'm gonna be /so/ pissed at you, Ave."

"So dramatic." Ava breathes out to him in a playful manner. "You'd be pissed for a few seconds, then probably tell Adrian he is your new best friend." Winking, she leans forward, pauses for a moment, then mumbles something under her breath before she presses herself in for a kiss, free paw giving him a tug forward by the shirt.

Taye's breathes out a snort at the suggestion. He /likes/ Adrian, but... Ha. He's about to say so, when there's that little mutter, and then the kiss. His ears twitch upright at the press of lips. He jerks a little in surprise, clearly not having expected that. His eyes shut and his lips part a little in surprise, but then he tugs back... just a little. Looking ath er. "... Ave." His tone is fond, but a little hesitant and unsure. "... If you don't stop actin' like this is it, m'gonna. M'gonna kill you myself," he mutters.

Even later…

For once, the clinic is not crowded to the gills with onlookers. For this, Taye is very grateful. Darklett is resting, slumped in the chair beside, and he's not about to wake the exhausted buck. At the moment he's sitting on the edge of his cot, having just pulled on fresh uniform pants - which he now buckles up with chin tucked to chest. An undershirt sits beside him, which he snags and gingerly works over his head and down 'round his neck, making grimacy faces. He slots first one arm into a sleeve and then the other, tugging it down 'round his waist. All of this as quietly as possible.

Darklett's resting easily in the chair that's been camped out next to Taye's cot since the day the injury happened. He's not snorting, necessarily, but there is at least audible breathing, threatening to rattle the throat but not quite there. He's certainly slept easier the last two days with the major's steadily improving condition, but he's still decided to spend an awful lot of time in the clinic. Taye's efforts in getting dressed don't rouse him at all, in fact he's barely moving save for the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Next the uniform top. Taye shrugs it over his shoulders and starts doing up the buttons, starting at the bottom and working his way up. The big wad of bandages covering his head has been replaced with a smaller wrap, just to keep the wound clean, so all thing's considered he almost looks... normal now. Save for the bare feet. Which he fixes, bending low to reach under the edge of the cot, though it's punctuated with a wrinkle of his brow. Stupid head. He sits back up and slips one foot in and then the other, the sink boot thunking a little as it settles to the ground. He gives a hard tug on the laces, tightening them, and does them up quickly, before finally sitting up. Ahhh, that is /so/ much better.

And still, Darklett slumbers. He looks downright peaceful there in his chair, paws folded over his stomach as he snoozes along. He's been more of a napper lately, anyway, so lots of consecutive hours of sleep haven't come his way. When the boot drops to the floor, though, his ears twitch, and he sits up all of a sudden, a sort of delayed startle. He blinks away the sleep and looks over to Taye sitting up and dressed. "...Theeeeere's the Maj," he mumbles, rubbing the bridge of his muzzle with his fingers on either side, clearing sleep away.

"Here he is," Taye admits, a small grin touching his features and that sleepy voice. He glances up, tugging at the shirt. "Feels a little loosah. Always was the best way t'lose weight," he jokes. He nudges his boot out, to the side of Dark's. "You need t' sleep in a bed t'night."

"If you insist," Darklett deadpans with a grin following shortly after. "Bout ready to get up and out of here then?" He loosens his posture, slouching back down into the chair. "I mean, I'm grateful for the clinic 'n' all, but the on-duty healers are giving a lot of side-eye to the patrol healers that've been sitting you all this time. Encroaching on their territory, y'know."

"T'be honest, I'd've been okay with any healahs, so long as they came equipped with pain killahs." He sighs out and tucks his paws to either side of him on the cot, and pushes upright. He's a good deal steadier today. He takes a step away from the cot and glances to Darklett with a grin, which he tries to keep from being /too/ goofy. But if he can get out of here, /oh man/. "You're my witness, now. For Darce."

"You got it," Darklett nods, getting up out of his chair. Not to save him if he falls at all, nooo, no sir! He's just stretching. "Though you better actually make it 'cause I'm not lying to get you out of here." He grins to the major, keeping an eye on him as he walks past to head to one of the tables inside. There are pastries again! Or maybe these are day-old pastries. There are so many pastries these days, he can't keep track. "...If you make it I'll give you a danish."

Taye makes a face at Darklett. How could he not lie for him? Psh. He scratches at his chin, flashing Darklett a smirk as he does so, and then without more fanfare starts off. He takes his time and only has one wobble about halfway across, and then reaches the wall with a light brush of his fingers, before turning back, just briefly pushing back into the wall before walking across again. He reaches the opposite wall, taps it, and turns, and leans gratefully. He proceeds to make grabby hands. "Give." Which is the most subdued celebration /ever/.

Ooh, that wobble. Darklett almost makes a dash for it! But he doesn't. He holds, and is rewarded by watching Taye complete his journey across the room and back successfully. The further along he gets, the wider his smile is, and he claps his paws together. "Nice!" As promised, the colonel fishes out a blueberry danish from the tray and carries it over to the major. "Got your walk back /and/ your appetite. I think that's enough for me to vouch for ya."

Taye takes the danish with an also broadening grin, munching for a moment. "... which is good, 'cause at the moment the mountain's down several officahs." He hehs, reaching up to rest a paw on his head. "Bet Da's lovin' all the papahwork."

Darklett laughs. "Oh, he always did. I mean, he's a healer, so he basically just sits around all day anyway." The retired colonel has at /least/ changed out of his uniform, though he's kept those boots on. They're good boots. Not the kind they give privates and recruits; we're talking officer's boots with arch support and everything. Just, solid boots. "Think I heard a healer say you probably shouldn't read anything for a while, anyway, so... Looks like you're out of paperwork for a few more days at least."

Oh, now that /is/ something to celebrate. Taye has another munch of the danish, having eaten about half of it, which he then offers to Darklett with a raised brow. All done. "Don't s'pose I could bunk at your place for a coupla days while I get m'legs back for the hike home, could I?" His muzzle twitches slightly.

"Seems like the responsible thing to do," Darklett agrees, taking the other half of the danish and taking a decent chunk out of the pastry, speaking around a half mouthful. "Honeshtly, you looked like a yearling learnin' to walk jusht then..." He swallows and wipes crumbs from his whiskers with his sleeve. "So I don't think it'd be all that great of an idea to send you packin' to the mountain just yet." His own muzzle twitches slightly. Heh. That's not even logic he had to make up, that actually is pretty sound!

Taye's muzzle twists wryly at the comparison. It's true, so there's that, but it still earns Darklett a punch to the arm, as Taye leans in towards him. "You're so charming when your mouth's full." He sinks back, then, and brushes some residual crumbs from his front before turning, squinting towards the door. Oh, to /leave/. To leave. It's almost too good to be true.

Darklett accepts this punch to the arm that he so rightly deserves. He shoots Taye a rather animated wink. "Oh don't you know it," he laughs. "Care to lead the way? Or, ah. D'you want me to find you some crutches, or something?" His eyes scan the room thoughtfully. Does this place even have things like that?

The door bangs open emphatically to admit a pair of crutches, followed shortly by Bran. His hurried entry halts abruptly as he notices the other two. Oh right, this was a delivery. "Uh- Crutches! Sahs."

"Um. I'd... also like, uh. Some gold, 'n' all the vermin stuck on an island somewhere, 'n' some... well, you get the idea. Chop chop, Bran! Off with you, now. Wish fulfillment, go." Because obviously he's a genie. Taye walks forward - all on his own!!! - and takes the offered crutches, tucking one under each arm.

Darklett spins towards the door. Whoa. "...Very good, Bran. You're promoted." He claps his paws together a few times. "...Or, you would be if I wasn't retired. Better luck next time." The colonel shoots the patroller a grin. "Great timing though, that'll serve you well in your career. These for us?" He gestures to the crutches, which Taye is accepting. They are now, even if they weren't.

"They weren't really specific," Bran replies, handing the crutches over eagerly. "But if anyone asks, they got here." The young buck takes a look towards the door, eyes gleaming brightly. Being helpful and praised by old legendary figures is fun! "Where y' headed, sah?"

Oh. Oh, no. Being legendary means they're... old, doesn't it? /Man/. Taye grins, happy to commandeer the crutches right out from under whatever poor sap they were actually intended for. But possibly him, so whatever! "Dark's lettin' me bunk with 'im for a coupla days. Got tired of bein' ogled. M'just not pretty enough for that."

Darklett lifts his head up in a half-nod, then lowers it after a beat. "Yeah, I figure it's the best thing to do. If he's gotta stay in Halyard, it might as well be at my place." He rolls his shoulders in a shrug. "So, what, are you on duty, then? I'm Darklett, by the way," he extends his paw to shake Bran's paw. Legend.

"Bran," Bran replies, reaching out to grab Dark's paw and give it a firm shake. "Yeh, they sent me down here with them," the young buck explains, nodding towards the crutches. "With Majah Tyree gone, I'm basically a glorified go-fer until 'e returns." The grit of his teeth at the end of that phrase illustrates his pleasure with the situation.

"Does that mean I'll get t'use you as a go-fer, too?" Taye wonders with a hopeful grin. They're always good to have. Little collectibles, even. He hesitates for a moment before taking that first crutching step forward, as, if anyone remembers, /he just got rid of them/ not too long ago. But he takes the plunge and heads for the door, taking his time. "/Out/ of here," he announces, and nudges the door open, heading out into the... whatever time of day it is. He has no clue.

Darklett shakes Bran's paw right back. "Good to meet you, Bran. Now I have to warn you, Major Taye's been cooped up in here for way too long, and if you try and stop him from leaving he might go rabid." So, warned.

"Aye, sah," Bran replies, looking past the colonel as said Major Taye makes his exit to the rear. "Mind if I sort'a, y'know. Tag along?" It's probably okay to not do whatever he's supposed to do if Darklett said to do it. Or at least he can pretend he thought so.

As soon as Taye has stepped outside, he sucks in a great big breath of /fresh air/, turning his head upward to the sky. You know... at which point he sways back a little bit, before a well-placed crutch stops in. He glances back, and around. No one saw that, right? Right. He side-steps to get out of the way of the others exiting behind.

Now now, Bran. Darklett can't really give orders anymore. You're probably being insubordinate now. But, you know. He won't tell, probably, right? "Taye, found one that'll make eye contact with me," the retired Colonel mentions to the Major with a thumb over his shoulder at Bran as he follows him out. "Feel free to come along, you're not interruptin' anything."

"Al/righ',/" Bran enthuses, managing to hold down his cover of disinterested coolness just barely as the excitement of not working threatens to blow the whole thing off. "I didn' know y' lived in Halyahd, sah. M' folks 're just a stone's throw fr'm 'ere."

"He's Dagda's little brothah," Taye explains with a small grin sent Bran's way. Sorry, he's just outed you. "But, you know. Also a /very/ capable Patrollah," he tacks on with a nod. Because, yeah. "Plus he grants wishes! So let's keep 'im." He eeeases along in the direction of Dark's home, trying not to have to set the pace too slow for his gimpy self.

"Oooooh." Darklett looks back at Bran in a wholly different light at that revelation. "Dagda, huh." Hm. His whiskers twitch. "Oh well. Everybeast has flaws." He shoots Bran a wink and follows just behind Taye, watching his crutchy gait. Making sure all's well. "Hey, Taye. You need a break let me know, alright?"

The curse of relation. Forever seen in the light of his brother. Bran curses under his breath as Taye makes the revelation, staring darkly at the road for a few moments before shaking it off. For a second Darklett actually thought he was cool, but that's over.

"I will /stab/ you in the eyeball, Darklett," is Taye's cheerful reply as he wobbles and then rights himself, his brow furrowed with deep determination.

"After all that I've done for you the last few days... And the danish, Taye!" The colonel tsks audibly. "You'd just stab my eye, just like that. I see." An overacted frown is directed back at Bran as Darklett strides slowly along. "Ah, Bran. Don't worry about it. Dagda was in my patrol for a good number of seasons. We're alright."

"Yeh, I know 'e was." Really, stories about Darklett are all Bran has heard for the last... his entire adolescence before joining the Patrol. "He talked about y' sometimes."

"... Okay. Okay, m'sorry," Taye relents. "For the danish." It was damned good. After a few more steps, he does pause to take a little break, muttering. "Shoulda grabbed one'a those packets of herbs for the road," he muses. Ah well. After a few seconds he gets going again. "I bet the cannibals came up. They /always/ come up."

"Ah, I s'pose he would. Probably all kinds of mean, nasty, horrible things." Darklett muses on this for a few seconds, his paws pocketed as he moseys along with the other two hares towards his place. "Like, I mean some of the wounds he had to patch up were probably pretty gross." And then it's the cannibals again. Always the cannibals. "Or the shark, probably. How I punched a shark. That one's popular."

"Th' /shark?/" Bran asks incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "Y' didn' do tha'. Dag would'a mentioned." Would he? Surely he would have. Did he? Maybe. No. "...did y'?"

Taye's muzzle twists in a /big/ grin, which they can't see because he's walking ahead. He shakes his head in amusement, lowering it briefly.

"Yeahhh, I punched a shark. Got... Thrown overboard 'cause the crew of a ship that picked me up from floating in the middle of the ocean thought I brought a bunch of storms to 'em, and decided to do it during a bloody shark attack while they were at it." Darklett waves his paw in dismissal of those stupid sailors. Dumb sailors. "Punched him right in the face. One of the sailors tossed a harpoon at the shark and missed, and I grabbed it out of the water and stabbed him. Left me alone after that." Shrug. "That was right before the cannibals."

Wide-eyed, Bran listens to the brief tale. Alright, hero worship /does/ outlive teen angst. "That's... I don' even know wha' t' say t' that." The young private just shakes his head in bewildered disbelief. "In th' /face?/ Aren't there too many teeth an' all?" He stops to think this over himself, quietly deciding it is indeed a valid question, ears waving in the breeze.

"You can bet I was pissed t'heah about all the things I missed on /that/ particular adventure," Taye notes in mild complaint. They've reached Darklett's street, a little ways down from the house in question, and Taye's flagging a bit but still plugging along at some kind of pace.

"Oh, believe me. You missed out on a lot, Taye." Darklett does not speak eagerly of such things, or so it would seem. "Bran, if you ever have a chance to get scooped up by a bird and dropped out into the ocean, pass on it, and that's an order." Which he can't officially give, being retired, mind.

"Noted, sah." Bran hasn't fully decided if the story is true or not, but he decides to let it go. "Is that y' house-" he fumbles for the name but settles on "sah" instead.

"'Tis," Taye helpfully supplies, because... well, it's his turn to talk next. He stops at the gate. There is a gate, isn't there? And leans on the crutches, waiting for Darklett.

There is a gate. "This is my place," Darklett confirms, stopping at the gate as well. "Thanks again for the crutches, Bran. Hope your brother and dad're gettin' along well out there on the sea." The colonel chuckles, tilting his head up to the evening sky and sighing. "It's been a long several days," he practically breathes out, grinning at the major.

"'m sure they're alrigh'," Bran nods, wandering away and making a mental note of Darklett's address for future reference. "Evenin', sahs!"

When Bran heads off, Taye looks after him with an amused grin. "Good kid," he allows. And then turns, glancing first at Darklett and then up at the house. "... An' yeah, it has been." He lets out a breath. There's so much less /tension/ not being cooped up, ahhh. "Ya know, I wouldna /really/ stabbed ya in the eye." Because that was at question. He waits for Dark to open the gate before crutching through.

Darklett unlatches the gate and swings it open, holding out his paw to let Taye pass before following him. "I'm... /Really/ glad you're okay. Knocks to the head can be serious, or so I hear." He steps around Taye to get to the front door, fishing out his keys and opening the door for the major. "Knocks to the head can be serious, or so I hear."

Taye crutches up the walk, and now that Bran's gone he has assumed a /much much/ slower pace. He's kinda slow-mo. he snorts. "Yeah, I'm-" But then he trails off, as he waits for the door to be opened, as the words are echoed. His brow furrows and he glances up at the buck's face, and then his eyes narrow, and he shoves at his chest with a laugh. "/Bloody hell/, you're such an arse." And then he grabs Dark's shirt, and crutches inside. Drag.

Darklett makes a show of himself at the push, waving his arms around like he's off-balance. He even does a spin, planting his feet and firing a grin off at Taye. "Oh, you know I am." He closes the door behind him, unable to suppress laughter. Gosh he's clever.

As soon as the door closes, Taye steps in closer to Darklett and presses a kiss to the other buck with a smirking grin. "I do," he agrees, and then cups his paw briefly to Dark's neck. "M'gonna go... raid your alcohol supply." Yay, self-medication! "Meet you back here inna few minutes?" He releases the other buck and steps back.

Darklett nudges a kiss right back into Taye, his muzzle spread wide in a smile as he looks up at Taye in the close quarters. "Heh, make sure you save some for me," he requests of the Major. "I'll be waitin'. Don't keep me too long."

For the next part of the story, click here.

Groups:

• Long Patrol