Where You Been? (Boo)

To say that things were busy was possibly the biggest understatement of the Interval. Tedaon had been awake just about all day every day since the fire and no doubt looked terrible. Being who he was and missing a hand, he was assigned to more of the post stitching care in other words, running around and trying to bring fevers down. Not to mention he had needed to treat some of the more difficult persons in the Weyr, namely Sagaral… He’d seen a couple of the candidates but didn’t know who they were at all. Although he, as a healer, had treated most of the people who had been injured in the fire he had struggled to know them as more than a face and their injuries. The exception, of course, was the few patients he already knew. Not conducive to winning a bet.

Therefore, when he spotted Atenna in the infirmary he became acutely aware that he knew few, if any, candidates. The Gold would clutch soon enough and he would know hardly any of the candidates standing. Time had been tough leading up to Threadfall and organising things, preparing numbweed and supplies, had taken up the time he would have used to get to know patients.

He’d just have to make things up.

He was good at that.

He finished up checking the bandages of a blue Weyrling and then turned to face Atenna, rubbing his face tiredly. But she certainly brightened up the Infirmary and a smile cracked his tired, withered face, as he looked at the orange in her hand suddenly aware of just how hungry he was.

“I’m sure I can spare time for a friend… And some food of course.”

Turning, he spotted Neras chattering away to a couple of firelizards and called the black over through their bond. Neras, being who he was, immediately flew over to join them and seeing Atenna chirped an excited greeting before landing on Tedaon’s shoulder.

“Shall we head out of here? If I stay too long I’ll be set to another task.”

Tedaon smiled back at the other Journeyman knowing that she was probably the type of person who would be loathe to really keen another from their duties. Fortunately, if he got away fast enough, he would not be set to caring for another patient. Not that he disliked it he just found it trying sometimes. He was also, however, thankful that she had arrived. With all that had been happening and all that would come she had arrived at rather an opportune moment.

“Well, it would be great to have a break,” he sighed softly, “It’s been tough but we all do our part. Most of those who were injured are much better now but it’s just difficult to give all of them the attention they need.”

If he ever found out what actually happened and who was responsible he would personally hunt them down. Probably wouldn’t be the only one either. He’d heard a great many rumours about who might be responsible the main one he believed was that a Fort rider was responsible. As much as he wanted to think good of the other Weyrs he distrusted the Fort Brown transfer. Perhaps he was prejudice but Tedaon, like all others, wanted someone to blame.

The fact that he distrusted both Fort and Brownriders placed a lot of his suspicions on the unfortunate sub-king rider G’kar. Of course, he wasn’t about to make his views clear.

“Well, Dalibor has pulled through assassinations… I believe we can pull through this too.”
It was true. It would certainly be difficult but eventually they could get back on their feet. Hopefully in time for Threadfall. It was unfortunate that they were wasting a lot of their supplies on healing injuries that could have been avoided.

Tedaon shook his head softly at her question. Although he had inhaled some smoke he had barely noticed with all the patients he’d needed to care for. As soon as he’d heard the call and smelled the smoke he had charged from the infirmary knowing that they would need healers on triage. Those who could determine relatively swiftly who needed healing first and who could wait with an apprentice… Or a candidate basically trained in healing. Fortunately, there were a few of those around.

“No I left almost as soon as the call went out. There was a need for more immediate healing. I believe that if we had stayed in the infirmary any longer the Weyr may very well have had more deaths…”

He’d heard that a dragonless man had passed in the fire. It was saddening that there were those around who had lost their dragons… Well, at least he would be safe with his dragon now. Forever in the comfort of his bonded. Life without a lifemate was hardly a life… Tedaon pushed these thoughts from his head as he listened to what Atenna was saying about their geographical location.

It was true enough that they were relatively cut off from the rest of Pern but that didn’t stop people from betweening to help them. Weren’t there ways to swiftly contact the other Weyrs? Well, if there weren’t there should have been. Firelizards were helpful enough. He knew what had happened though. He’d pulled the shrapnel out of people, he knew something had exploded and wasn’t daft enough to brush it off as an oven. A flamethrower had been left there and somehow failed. Well, as was understandable considering the heat of the fire.

Things may have been contained quicker but if the flamethrower had been left Tedaon could only assume that the fire had spread faster than the Weyrwomen could comprehend. When it came down to it, shrapnel wounds were easier to heal than serious burns.

None were more thankful than he that they had managed to escape alive. Well, they weren’t precisely in the vicinity of the fire. Perhaps the explosion made it more possible and likely for injury but Tedaon wasn’t so sure about that. Well, considering he had left the infirmary as soon as the call went out he didn’t really know exactly what happened there. He had just assumed people followed him and others out.

At her touch he deflated a little more but listened to her words, trying to cheer up. It was tough though. The keening of the dragons had filled his mind as it had a few times before. These past few sevendays had been filled with the memories of the dragons keening for their lost fellows. He nodded ever so slightly.
“True enough.”

Atenna was right, though, she was here to cheer him up not make him dwell on the things that had happened. They could, of course, discuss the upcoming hatching but Tedaon figured he should ask her about some other things first. He’d told her all about his problems but surely she was struggling with some of the problems that had occurred with the beasts of the Weyr.

“And how are things with the Herders? I recall that the Runner's food troughs were put to some use. Must have scared them to no end.”