.: Aug 13th - Early Morning :.
"Mrph..S-Stop that.."
"Miss Rhysata please lay back down." The nurse insisted strongly, pressing into Katt's shoulder to get her back in the bed. It didn't take much pressure at all to get the feverish girl to lay back down.
Sulking in the bed she eyed to woman hovering above her, eyeballing the needle she was prepping in order to draw blood. She didn't like needles and started to shy back into the bed.
"Now now. I just need a little blood." The woman informed Katt and reached out for her arm. The woman scolded when Katt's arm tucked close to her side and from her touch. "You can give me that sour look all you want, young lady, but I need some blood to-"
"You aren't touching me with that thing.." She wanted to hiss but instead whined like a somewhat frightened child. Really they were damn lucky that they got the IV connection in place and that she hadn't ripped it right on out by now. To date she didn't seem to notice it.
"Even as sick as you are, you are quite stubborn!" The woman chuckled and capped the needle. "Fine. We will wait till later. How about that?" A cup of chipped ice was placed on the bedside table. "These will help keep you hydrated and with the fever so try to chew on some every now and again. I know you are uncomfortable but we are just here to help you, Miss Rhysata."
The woman's words were hard to piece to sentences she understood but eventually she nodded to show she did, indeed, understand. It hurt to think and really she was starting to wonder if it was even worth it to attempt.
*******
Down the hall..
Insomnia was the name of the game, wasn't it? Sergei had been back barely a day from his latest job, when he found Katt sleeping in his bed, and then he was back in the sky, this time a ways 'north' of Vrashne on the borders of the Halban Empire's South Province, his homeworld. After a lengthy (and expensive) phonecall to his mother and grandfather, he had made his way back to Vrashne, planning a layover in Dasponte until he found out that, unlike nearby St. Aldwin's partial quarantine, Dasponte was fully blocking any traffic that had been to RhyDin within the last two weeks.
It took nearly a day to get the details sorted, at which point he found it better to use a new flight plan altogether. A red-eye flight across the ocean brought him into RhyDin at six in the morning, and by eight he had been informed of the outbreak of RhyDin Bengu Fever, vaccinated (complete with a band-aid with rocketships on it), and was on his way to the Healing Clinic, with a bouquet of flowers in tow.
Honestly he knew nothing about flowers, and this bouquet seemed a mix of every color and more than a little garish. He rubbed his arm across his eyes (which got him a disapproving look from a passing nurse) and asked the lady at the front desk,
"Is there a Kathryn Rhysata here?"
The woman gave him a skeptical look. "Are you related to Miss Rhysata?"
"...I'm her cousin!"
The skeptical look deepened.
"By marriage!"
"...Uh-huh. And have you had your vaccine yet, Cousin Rhysata?"
Somewhat buoyed by the fact that the boy had gotten his vaccine after all, the receptionist relented, giving him directions to the room, and Sergei was on his way once more.
*******
"I am going to guess but you do not appreciate being touched." The nurse mused out.
She was granted a weak grunt. That was part of it. "Hurts...."
"Ah, yes. I suppose being touched and moved about in your condition would hurt. Well you have been treated and now you just need plenty of bed rest." The woman dunked a rag into some ice cold water and twisted it firmly. Once she lifted it she started to fold it and move over with the attempt to put it on Katt's flushed face.
She pawed the woman away, not wanting to be touched. That single doll like watching the less than amused nurse. "M..fine.."
"You are not fine, Miss Rhysata now please let me-"
"Miss?"
That timid voice was familiar and it made her stomach crawl. She watched as the figure who came with the voice was handed off the rag and the nurse stepped out. A moment later, and some detour she wasn't quite aware of, there he was at her bedside. She watched his progress to her bedside in silence and a little frown started to form when she realized he was getting too close. "Nhh..n..no Sergei.." She knew it sounded like a whine but she couldn't help it. The idea of him getting this sickness. "Go..."
"Uh-uh. I'm fine! Cordy made me get my shot," his announcement was said with a little frown, then showed her his band-aid, "see? And this'll help with the fever," he tapped at the soaked rag, "okay?"
She huffed quietly at the little rockship band-aid he had on. Did that mean he was safe? She wasn't quite sure but he seemed more then confident that he would be fine being there. Slumping down into the pile of pillows tucked under her she nodded a bit. "G..Good..I don't want you to get sick." Her head tilted enough to look around him and the door. How many had died from the virus now? The nurse said it was in the 40s. Would be sad if he was one of those. "Is that..why you are here?" She made a quite unsure sound from the back of her throat. "Mrm..I mean..the shot.."
"No, there was a vaccine drive closer to the Bon Bon this morning, and uh, I figured that was probably safer than crossing town to the clinic... just in case." He hesitated, tweaked a few sweaty bangs away, and laid the rag down carefully across her brow. "Sorry, Katt... I only just got back into town... There's quarantines about everywhere now, you know."
The skin of her nose wrinkled right on up when she felt the coolness of the rag and she slumped fully into the pillows. Eyes half-masted peered up to him, trying to convey the confusion. "Why..are you sorry..?" There was suppose to be a 'goof' or 'silly' in there. "You have your w-work to do.." There was a pause and she furrowed her brows. She didn't know about the quarantines. In fact she hadn't known anything about the stupid virus until she got it!
"Mm. Well, I'm not doing any work for a while, I think... not until this whole thing blows over. No one wants a courier from RhyDin right now... So!" He sat down on the edge of the bed, and smiled. "I get to stay in town for a while, help out with the Bon Bon while you concentrate on getting better."
"Mrm..." She shook her head but barely managed to do so. The sticking strains of lavender that were clinging to her cheeks and neck from the sweat were most annoying! They itched even more when she tried to move her head. "Have..Have Cordy close the Bon Bon. Take a few days to relax.." Yep even while in the slap of fever she was still concerned about business. Go figure.
"...okay. You know, I think business is gonna be kinda slow right now, anyway. Just... don't worry about it, alright?" He tried to show her his best smile, as terrified as he was.
Things were getting worse in the Empire, and his mother had all but told him the state was monitoring all off-world communications, that this was likely the last direct call he'd be able to make... He realized that, without his few friends in RhyDin, he was well and truly alone. Without thinking, his fingers ran over the dog tags and the wing pendant hanging there.
Her brows started to dip. She didn't know what it was but she had the urge to tell him she wasn't worth his worry. If that was even what he was doing. Sighing she turned her head from him and winced almost instantly. Moving was such a horrible idea. Even with the medication it felt like her body was going through torture. That was when she spotted something..or in this case somethings..colorful. She squinted trying to see what they were. Flowers? Blinking slowly she looked back to him in time to see him give attention to his dogtags. "Wha...something..wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing... just kinda long flight, y'know?" He smiled at her, and having seen her look at the flowers earlier, he nodded. "Those, um... those are for you. Thought it might be nice to, y'know... have something to, uh... liven up the room a bit, while you're here, y'know..."
He was awkwardly rubbing at his neck while he talked. She wasn't quite sure why. Oh good grief she wasn't sure she wanted to laugh for his choice of words or scold. A good old fashion stare was given instead. It wasn't one of her heavy ones for sure. Instead it was soft, as if simply watching him. "You..brought me flowers?"
"Well... yeah," he laughed a bit, giving his neck another rub and staring out the window. "I brought you flowers."
It made her smile just a bit. "That..is very sweet. Thank you.." She'd give him a hug if she could or rather if she had the strength. "I'll have one of the n-" She stopped mid-sentence, face squinched up in pain. A shaken breath left her followed by a huff of annoyance. "Nurses...p-put it in water.."
Her head tilted side to side a little while she looked at him. "If..you want to go..you don't have to stay.." At least that is what it looked like to her. "C-Can I ask..a little f..favor though...?"
"Mm," he nodded firmly, cut off from the protests he was about to form. "Anything."
Her hands moved, sliding along the bed before planting as firmly as she could and she pushed herself to sit up. Despite the pain she just needed to move even if just a little. Her body folded forward, held up by only by will and her straigtened arms. "Mrph..C-Can..you feed S..Sumps.." Oh wait..did he know about the kitten? She ..didn't quite remember which was odd for someone who's memory was so good.
Sergei moved out a hand to steady her, then paused, blinking, giving her a rather blank look. "Sumps?"
She was concerned he could get sick still so shied a little from his touch. She didn't want him to feel how hot she was either. "Mrm..K-Kitten.." Her head tilted and she smiled weakly up to him. "H-He will..p..probably..be around my..r..room.."
"Okay," he nodded. "I'll feed Mr. Sumps." There was something more meaningful he wanted to say for a minute or so as he thought about it. What he said instead was, "Katt... you okay alone for a bit? I want to go take care of that, then grab some stuff to bring back... Maybe an hour or so?"
One word among the rest sort of stuck out. Alone. Placing her hands into her lap she scratched her thumb into opposite palm. "Y..You don't have to come back si-silly..I know you have things to do. It's really nice of you to come visit me." Lifting her head she managed a smile up just for him. "I wasn't..expecting it.." It was a pleasant surprise in fact.
"I'm grounded, literally," Sergei smiled. "And... I want to see you," with a rather bashful look away. He cleared his throat. "Anyway. I'll be back in a bit, okay?"
She was on her way to leaning to the bedside table to get the cup of crushed ice there, fingers twiddling in the attempt. Blink. She stopped and nearly fell off the side of the bed when she did. She looked over to him and dumbly nodded. "O-Okay..m..maybe..you can ..tell me about your t..trip when you get back."
He spotted it, and gave her a 'you goofball' look, the same kind she usually gave to him instead! And handed her the cup. "Definitely."
She watched as he jetted out of the door like he was on a mission. The look he gave her went swoosh! Over her head. Instead she took attention to the cup happily and started chewing on pieces of ice. When the nurse came by? She squinted a sour look to send the woman on her way.
"Mrph..S-Stop that.."
"Miss Rhysata please lay back down." The nurse insisted strongly, pressing into Katt's shoulder to get her back in the bed. It didn't take much pressure at all to get the feverish girl to lay back down.
Sulking in the bed she eyed to woman hovering above her, eyeballing the needle she was prepping in order to draw blood. She didn't like needles and started to shy back into the bed.
"Now now. I just need a little blood." The woman informed Katt and reached out for her arm. The woman scolded when Katt's arm tucked close to her side and from her touch. "You can give me that sour look all you want, young lady, but I need some blood to-"
"You aren't touching me with that thing.." She wanted to hiss but instead whined like a somewhat frightened child. Really they were damn lucky that they got the IV connection in place and that she hadn't ripped it right on out by now. To date she didn't seem to notice it.
"Even as sick as you are, you are quite stubborn!" The woman chuckled and capped the needle. "Fine. We will wait till later. How about that?" A cup of chipped ice was placed on the bedside table. "These will help keep you hydrated and with the fever so try to chew on some every now and again. I know you are uncomfortable but we are just here to help you, Miss Rhysata."
The woman's words were hard to piece to sentences she understood but eventually she nodded to show she did, indeed, understand. It hurt to think and really she was starting to wonder if it was even worth it to attempt.
*******
Down the hall..
Insomnia was the name of the game, wasn't it? Sergei had been back barely a day from his latest job, when he found Katt sleeping in his bed, and then he was back in the sky, this time a ways 'north' of Vrashne on the borders of the Halban Empire's South Province, his homeworld. After a lengthy (and expensive) phonecall to his mother and grandfather, he had made his way back to Vrashne, planning a layover in Dasponte until he found out that, unlike nearby St. Aldwin's partial quarantine, Dasponte was fully blocking any traffic that had been to RhyDin within the last two weeks.
It took nearly a day to get the details sorted, at which point he found it better to use a new flight plan altogether. A red-eye flight across the ocean brought him into RhyDin at six in the morning, and by eight he had been informed of the outbreak of RhyDin Bengu Fever, vaccinated (complete with a band-aid with rocketships on it), and was on his way to the Healing Clinic, with a bouquet of flowers in tow.
Honestly he knew nothing about flowers, and this bouquet seemed a mix of every color and more than a little garish. He rubbed his arm across his eyes (which got him a disapproving look from a passing nurse) and asked the lady at the front desk,
"Is there a Kathryn Rhysata here?"
The woman gave him a skeptical look. "Are you related to Miss Rhysata?"
"...I'm her cousin!"
The skeptical look deepened.
"By marriage!"
"...Uh-huh. And have you had your vaccine yet, Cousin Rhysata?"
Somewhat buoyed by the fact that the boy had gotten his vaccine after all, the receptionist relented, giving him directions to the room, and Sergei was on his way once more.
*******
"I am going to guess but you do not appreciate being touched." The nurse mused out.
She was granted a weak grunt. That was part of it. "Hurts...."
"Ah, yes. I suppose being touched and moved about in your condition would hurt. Well you have been treated and now you just need plenty of bed rest." The woman dunked a rag into some ice cold water and twisted it firmly. Once she lifted it she started to fold it and move over with the attempt to put it on Katt's flushed face.
She pawed the woman away, not wanting to be touched. That single doll like watching the less than amused nurse. "M..fine.."
"You are not fine, Miss Rhysata now please let me-"
"Miss?"
That timid voice was familiar and it made her stomach crawl. She watched as the figure who came with the voice was handed off the rag and the nurse stepped out. A moment later, and some detour she wasn't quite aware of, there he was at her bedside. She watched his progress to her bedside in silence and a little frown started to form when she realized he was getting too close. "Nhh..n..no Sergei.." She knew it sounded like a whine but she couldn't help it. The idea of him getting this sickness. "Go..."
"Uh-uh. I'm fine! Cordy made me get my shot," his announcement was said with a little frown, then showed her his band-aid, "see? And this'll help with the fever," he tapped at the soaked rag, "okay?"
She huffed quietly at the little rockship band-aid he had on. Did that mean he was safe? She wasn't quite sure but he seemed more then confident that he would be fine being there. Slumping down into the pile of pillows tucked under her she nodded a bit. "G..Good..I don't want you to get sick." Her head tilted enough to look around him and the door. How many had died from the virus now? The nurse said it was in the 40s. Would be sad if he was one of those. "Is that..why you are here?" She made a quite unsure sound from the back of her throat. "Mrm..I mean..the shot.."
"No, there was a vaccine drive closer to the Bon Bon this morning, and uh, I figured that was probably safer than crossing town to the clinic... just in case." He hesitated, tweaked a few sweaty bangs away, and laid the rag down carefully across her brow. "Sorry, Katt... I only just got back into town... There's quarantines about everywhere now, you know."
The skin of her nose wrinkled right on up when she felt the coolness of the rag and she slumped fully into the pillows. Eyes half-masted peered up to him, trying to convey the confusion. "Why..are you sorry..?" There was suppose to be a 'goof' or 'silly' in there. "You have your w-work to do.." There was a pause and she furrowed her brows. She didn't know about the quarantines. In fact she hadn't known anything about the stupid virus until she got it!
"Mm. Well, I'm not doing any work for a while, I think... not until this whole thing blows over. No one wants a courier from RhyDin right now... So!" He sat down on the edge of the bed, and smiled. "I get to stay in town for a while, help out with the Bon Bon while you concentrate on getting better."
"Mrm..." She shook her head but barely managed to do so. The sticking strains of lavender that were clinging to her cheeks and neck from the sweat were most annoying! They itched even more when she tried to move her head. "Have..Have Cordy close the Bon Bon. Take a few days to relax.." Yep even while in the slap of fever she was still concerned about business. Go figure.
"...okay. You know, I think business is gonna be kinda slow right now, anyway. Just... don't worry about it, alright?" He tried to show her his best smile, as terrified as he was.
Things were getting worse in the Empire, and his mother had all but told him the state was monitoring all off-world communications, that this was likely the last direct call he'd be able to make... He realized that, without his few friends in RhyDin, he was well and truly alone. Without thinking, his fingers ran over the dog tags and the wing pendant hanging there.
Her brows started to dip. She didn't know what it was but she had the urge to tell him she wasn't worth his worry. If that was even what he was doing. Sighing she turned her head from him and winced almost instantly. Moving was such a horrible idea. Even with the medication it felt like her body was going through torture. That was when she spotted something..or in this case somethings..colorful. She squinted trying to see what they were. Flowers? Blinking slowly she looked back to him in time to see him give attention to his dogtags. "Wha...something..wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing... just kinda long flight, y'know?" He smiled at her, and having seen her look at the flowers earlier, he nodded. "Those, um... those are for you. Thought it might be nice to, y'know... have something to, uh... liven up the room a bit, while you're here, y'know..."
He was awkwardly rubbing at his neck while he talked. She wasn't quite sure why. Oh good grief she wasn't sure she wanted to laugh for his choice of words or scold. A good old fashion stare was given instead. It wasn't one of her heavy ones for sure. Instead it was soft, as if simply watching him. "You..brought me flowers?"
"Well... yeah," he laughed a bit, giving his neck another rub and staring out the window. "I brought you flowers."
It made her smile just a bit. "That..is very sweet. Thank you.." She'd give him a hug if she could or rather if she had the strength. "I'll have one of the n-" She stopped mid-sentence, face squinched up in pain. A shaken breath left her followed by a huff of annoyance. "Nurses...p-put it in water.."
Her head tilted side to side a little while she looked at him. "If..you want to go..you don't have to stay.." At least that is what it looked like to her. "C-Can I ask..a little f..favor though...?"
"Mm," he nodded firmly, cut off from the protests he was about to form. "Anything."
Her hands moved, sliding along the bed before planting as firmly as she could and she pushed herself to sit up. Despite the pain she just needed to move even if just a little. Her body folded forward, held up by only by will and her straigtened arms. "Mrph..C-Can..you feed S..Sumps.." Oh wait..did he know about the kitten? She ..didn't quite remember which was odd for someone who's memory was so good.
Sergei moved out a hand to steady her, then paused, blinking, giving her a rather blank look. "Sumps?"
She was concerned he could get sick still so shied a little from his touch. She didn't want him to feel how hot she was either. "Mrm..K-Kitten.." Her head tilted and she smiled weakly up to him. "H-He will..p..probably..be around my..r..room.."
"Okay," he nodded. "I'll feed Mr. Sumps." There was something more meaningful he wanted to say for a minute or so as he thought about it. What he said instead was, "Katt... you okay alone for a bit? I want to go take care of that, then grab some stuff to bring back... Maybe an hour or so?"
One word among the rest sort of stuck out. Alone. Placing her hands into her lap she scratched her thumb into opposite palm. "Y..You don't have to come back si-silly..I know you have things to do. It's really nice of you to come visit me." Lifting her head she managed a smile up just for him. "I wasn't..expecting it.." It was a pleasant surprise in fact.
"I'm grounded, literally," Sergei smiled. "And... I want to see you," with a rather bashful look away. He cleared his throat. "Anyway. I'll be back in a bit, okay?"
She was on her way to leaning to the bedside table to get the cup of crushed ice there, fingers twiddling in the attempt. Blink. She stopped and nearly fell off the side of the bed when she did. She looked over to him and dumbly nodded. "O-Okay..m..maybe..you can ..tell me about your t..trip when you get back."
He spotted it, and gave her a 'you goofball' look, the same kind she usually gave to him instead! And handed her the cup. "Definitely."
She watched as he jetted out of the door like he was on a mission. The look he gave her went swoosh! Over her head. Instead she took attention to the cup happily and started chewing on pieces of ice. When the nurse came by? She squinted a sour look to send the woman on her way.