Long, nimble fingers wrung all the excess water from the thin cloth and once again placed it against her forehead. Afternoon sunlight filtered in the window of the necessary, and Sianna, crouched and bent over a basin on the floor winced against the glare. Retches coursed through her body, yet her body had been purged several times earlier in the day, so they produced nothing but cramps and waves of nausea. The sound of Johnny's work-boots on the stairs were enough to eke a small groan in response. The cool cloth wiped her face as she willed herself to regain some sort of composure.
Trying to walk softly, he didn?t entirely manage up the stairs. But Sianna had been in the bathroom for much longer than her usual wont ? and the sound of her heaves had been plain enough. His face was creased with worry, drawn tight with the expression, and he paused outside the door to lean his head against the doorframe. No dropsickness, no travel lag, should last this long. With a mug of ginger tea in his right hand, he placed his left on the cool painted wood of the door itself and spoke. ?Si, love ? ya righ? in there? Brough? some?a tha? ginger tea up fer ya, if?n ya wan?.?
"I - " She muffled another gag into the cloth. "I... will be out in just a moment, aye?" Her mouth was dry and bitter, the thought of tea should have been a relief. Yet all it did was send another clammy wave of nausea over her, the crest leaving her swaying lightly before slumping against the wall for support.
The frown deepened across Johnny?s brows, and his hand moved to the door handle. He paused and sighed before he did more than touch the smooth metal, however. ?If ya aren? ou? in just a momen?, I?m goin? ta come in there, an? Lor? an? Skies take anythin? ya say agains? it.? Worry and a bit of fear made his voice sharper, harsher than usual. A blink lowered the silver film over his eyes and a look at the handle showed the latch fastened from the inside; he bent to set down the mug of steaming tea as he waited for her answer.
His manner cut through her like a hot knife through butter. Yet, in her weakened state, her normal feisty nature was dulled to stubborn resistance. "Dinna be a clot-heid, Johnny Smith. Bossing me about will no' get ye in here any th' faster, aye?" And it was true. The door opened out, not in, and it was not like he could knock the door in without risk of hurting her. One hand weakly reached for the latch, resting instead just to one side against the door. "Now if ye plan tae be sensible and ask me politely, I'll consider it...." Her voice trailed off as she tamped down another dry heave.
?Ya?ll consider it?! Sianna, ya?ve been turnin? yerself inside ou? yesterday an? all day t?day, an? ya ain? been ou? o? th? bathroom in almos? an hour! Le? me in, love, please.? Anger and exasperation trailed into the statement that wasn?t quite a request. He was perfectly prepared to take care of the latch using his mods, despite the trouble it would be to repair later. He turned the handle and released it, turned the handle and released it as he scowled at the door and then twitched the muscle at the corner of his eye. He could see the heat of her through the wood, the outline of her hand against the door.
She grabbed the handle from the inside and wiggled it back and forth in the same manner that he did. While his emotions were flowing from love, the delivery of them exasperated her. "Ye can be verra glad ye thought tae use th' word 'please', otherwise ye could stand there 'til Kingdom comes..." The latch was flipped defiantly and her arm withdrawn, joining the other in encircling her knees and pulling them towards her chest.
A blink retracted the silver film when he saw the latch pull back and heard the faint ?click? of it. ?I?d?a gotten in, Si, don? ya think otherwise.? His scowl was composed of that odd anger that comes directly from exasperation and fear. When he opened the door and saw her huddled there, with the limp, barely-damp rag still clutched in one hand, the scowl deepened. ?Why din? ya jus? le? me in any?a th? times b?fore?? The frustration sounded clear in his voice, but at the same time he took another cloth from beside the sink and damped it with cool water.
"I told ye that please was th' magic word, did I no'? Yer manners were no' as stellar in yer earlier attempts." Her eyes dropped closed as she tilted her head back until it made contact with the wall. Mouth drawn in a tight line, one could not tell if her eyes were closed from weariness or to keep Johnny's scowl from affecting her. "And ye can think whatever ye like, but if ye came in here tae grouse at me..." Voice trailed away again. She simply lacked the strength to finish the statement at the moment.
?Came in here ta see if ya?ll go ta th? doctor now tha? ya don? have anythin? lef? in yer stomach ta ge? rid of.? Baritone voice was still harsh, but he knelt beside her on the floor easily. Gentle touch of his mesh-embedded fingers brushed away the curls of hair clinging to her sweat-damped face. Taking the cool cloth, he followed the trace of his fingers with the fabric. The scowl had eased away, back into the tight-set expression of worry that knit his brows together.
Eyelids opened a crack before lowering once more, dark lashes brushing her cheeks. "If'n there's nothing left then there's nae reason tae go tae th' doctor." She allowed his ministrations but her chin jutted out ever so slightly, the movement resignedly defiant. "Think I'll go lay down for a bit and then be right as rain after." Her head lifted a mite too fast however, and the motion caused her eyelids to flutter as her equilibrium sought to balance itself.
?Righ? as rain? Si, yer so drained ya can? even lift yer head, an? ya?ve hardly kept anythin? down in th? past two days! This ain? righ?. Ain? no travel lag or bug should be doin? this t?ya.? Frustrated, he hurled the cloth violently at the sink, where it landed with a slap and draped over the faucet. Shifting his arms behind her back and under her knees, he stood and lifted her carefully, trying to keep the motion as smooth as possible. ?I wan? ya ta see a doctor, Si. There?s ones tha? deal with th? medicine ya know if?n ya don? wan? somethin? modern, bu? ya go? ta see someone.? Holding her cradled against his chest, he strode down the hall to the bedroom, kicking open the door. Crossing the room, he sat on the bed and kept her in his arms.
"Mebbe it's jus' something I've eaten... or my flux is going tae be particularly rough." She was often beset with cramps and headaches during the courses of the moon in keeping with her body's internal clockwork. "Mayhaps even be that th' balance of humors is all wrong and 'tis making me sae fretful." Her head rested upon his chest, the steady thump of his heartbeat a reassuring comfort. "But I've told ye there's no' reason for me tae see a doctor. No' just yet, anyway." A pause as she took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "Sae dinna push me, oirduine."
---------------
Adapted from live play.
oirduine = golden man
Trying to walk softly, he didn?t entirely manage up the stairs. But Sianna had been in the bathroom for much longer than her usual wont ? and the sound of her heaves had been plain enough. His face was creased with worry, drawn tight with the expression, and he paused outside the door to lean his head against the doorframe. No dropsickness, no travel lag, should last this long. With a mug of ginger tea in his right hand, he placed his left on the cool painted wood of the door itself and spoke. ?Si, love ? ya righ? in there? Brough? some?a tha? ginger tea up fer ya, if?n ya wan?.?
"I - " She muffled another gag into the cloth. "I... will be out in just a moment, aye?" Her mouth was dry and bitter, the thought of tea should have been a relief. Yet all it did was send another clammy wave of nausea over her, the crest leaving her swaying lightly before slumping against the wall for support.
The frown deepened across Johnny?s brows, and his hand moved to the door handle. He paused and sighed before he did more than touch the smooth metal, however. ?If ya aren? ou? in just a momen?, I?m goin? ta come in there, an? Lor? an? Skies take anythin? ya say agains? it.? Worry and a bit of fear made his voice sharper, harsher than usual. A blink lowered the silver film over his eyes and a look at the handle showed the latch fastened from the inside; he bent to set down the mug of steaming tea as he waited for her answer.
His manner cut through her like a hot knife through butter. Yet, in her weakened state, her normal feisty nature was dulled to stubborn resistance. "Dinna be a clot-heid, Johnny Smith. Bossing me about will no' get ye in here any th' faster, aye?" And it was true. The door opened out, not in, and it was not like he could knock the door in without risk of hurting her. One hand weakly reached for the latch, resting instead just to one side against the door. "Now if ye plan tae be sensible and ask me politely, I'll consider it...." Her voice trailed off as she tamped down another dry heave.
?Ya?ll consider it?! Sianna, ya?ve been turnin? yerself inside ou? yesterday an? all day t?day, an? ya ain? been ou? o? th? bathroom in almos? an hour! Le? me in, love, please.? Anger and exasperation trailed into the statement that wasn?t quite a request. He was perfectly prepared to take care of the latch using his mods, despite the trouble it would be to repair later. He turned the handle and released it, turned the handle and released it as he scowled at the door and then twitched the muscle at the corner of his eye. He could see the heat of her through the wood, the outline of her hand against the door.
She grabbed the handle from the inside and wiggled it back and forth in the same manner that he did. While his emotions were flowing from love, the delivery of them exasperated her. "Ye can be verra glad ye thought tae use th' word 'please', otherwise ye could stand there 'til Kingdom comes..." The latch was flipped defiantly and her arm withdrawn, joining the other in encircling her knees and pulling them towards her chest.
A blink retracted the silver film when he saw the latch pull back and heard the faint ?click? of it. ?I?d?a gotten in, Si, don? ya think otherwise.? His scowl was composed of that odd anger that comes directly from exasperation and fear. When he opened the door and saw her huddled there, with the limp, barely-damp rag still clutched in one hand, the scowl deepened. ?Why din? ya jus? le? me in any?a th? times b?fore?? The frustration sounded clear in his voice, but at the same time he took another cloth from beside the sink and damped it with cool water.
"I told ye that please was th' magic word, did I no'? Yer manners were no' as stellar in yer earlier attempts." Her eyes dropped closed as she tilted her head back until it made contact with the wall. Mouth drawn in a tight line, one could not tell if her eyes were closed from weariness or to keep Johnny's scowl from affecting her. "And ye can think whatever ye like, but if ye came in here tae grouse at me..." Voice trailed away again. She simply lacked the strength to finish the statement at the moment.
?Came in here ta see if ya?ll go ta th? doctor now tha? ya don? have anythin? lef? in yer stomach ta ge? rid of.? Baritone voice was still harsh, but he knelt beside her on the floor easily. Gentle touch of his mesh-embedded fingers brushed away the curls of hair clinging to her sweat-damped face. Taking the cool cloth, he followed the trace of his fingers with the fabric. The scowl had eased away, back into the tight-set expression of worry that knit his brows together.
Eyelids opened a crack before lowering once more, dark lashes brushing her cheeks. "If'n there's nothing left then there's nae reason tae go tae th' doctor." She allowed his ministrations but her chin jutted out ever so slightly, the movement resignedly defiant. "Think I'll go lay down for a bit and then be right as rain after." Her head lifted a mite too fast however, and the motion caused her eyelids to flutter as her equilibrium sought to balance itself.
?Righ? as rain? Si, yer so drained ya can? even lift yer head, an? ya?ve hardly kept anythin? down in th? past two days! This ain? righ?. Ain? no travel lag or bug should be doin? this t?ya.? Frustrated, he hurled the cloth violently at the sink, where it landed with a slap and draped over the faucet. Shifting his arms behind her back and under her knees, he stood and lifted her carefully, trying to keep the motion as smooth as possible. ?I wan? ya ta see a doctor, Si. There?s ones tha? deal with th? medicine ya know if?n ya don? wan? somethin? modern, bu? ya go? ta see someone.? Holding her cradled against his chest, he strode down the hall to the bedroom, kicking open the door. Crossing the room, he sat on the bed and kept her in his arms.
"Mebbe it's jus' something I've eaten... or my flux is going tae be particularly rough." She was often beset with cramps and headaches during the courses of the moon in keeping with her body's internal clockwork. "Mayhaps even be that th' balance of humors is all wrong and 'tis making me sae fretful." Her head rested upon his chest, the steady thump of his heartbeat a reassuring comfort. "But I've told ye there's no' reason for me tae see a doctor. No' just yet, anyway." A pause as she took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "Sae dinna push me, oirduine."
---------------
Adapted from live play.
oirduine = golden man