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+--- Thread: [G] [O] 742.01.16 | Struck (/showthread.php?tid=4802)
742.01.16 | Struck - B'kit - 17.Jan.21
Despite everything that had happened in the last few weeks, B’kit was determined to get to Fort for the Hatching to support his friends. He’d missed the last one where so many friends had Impressed or been hurt, and he didn’t want to let a storm stand in his way. He’d gotten in a fight with J’shom about going back to Fort after what Corvilis had done, and now he was running late. Checking Erebuth’s harness again, and using the straps, they took off. Kitt pictured the Weyr and they jumped between.
Emerging from the freezing cold of between into a blizzard hardly seemed fair. The visibility was worse than he’d expected, and B’kit squinted against the snow, trying to see where they could land as Erebuth greeted the watch dragon. A sudden gust took them both by surprise with its strength, blowing them off course and risking blowing them right into the walls of the Bowl.
The thunder was cacophonous, drowning out any attempt at speaking. We should go back, Re, he mindspoke in a panic, pulling up the reference for Ista in his mind as he held onto the straps nervously. Just as he felt Erebuth tense and heard him rumble agreement, everything vanished in a searing flare of burning light.
~
He wasn’t sure what happened or how they got down. All he knew was the pain. He couldn’t tell if it was his or Erebuth’s, but it was nauseating, just like the smell filling his nose and the taste in his mouth. B’kit tried to open his eyes, to reach out for Erebuth, and shrieked in pain as he came back to his senses.
The watch dragon and another had helped catch them as the pair fell from the sky, and brought them to an open weyr ledge to get out of the storm before calling for help.The blue had taken the worst of the lightning strike, one wing badly burned and dragging the ground painfully, but he was anxious about his rider. He curled protectively around B’kit until he saw L’gan and Eb’zer and several others dash over. Help him. Help B’kit first, please, the frantic blue entreated them.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - L'gan - 17.Jan.21
L’gan felt sick as he saw the extent of both injuries. Someone had thought quickly and brought as many lanterns as possible along with a heap of blankets and a bucket of numbweed. Praying his voice was steadier than he felt, he said, “we’re going to help you both, Erebuth.”
“We need to move him inside where it’s warmer, but he’s going to be okay. I want to get a look at your wing. Can Noa and I look you over while the others help Kitt?” The blue regarded them with eyes swirling red with pain and panic, but let the healers move his rider, stretching his neck out after them and hissing as that aggravated the injuries of his shoulder.
They’re alive, he relayed to the others through Semath, reassured to feel her steady and comforted by Tiberuth. Taking a steadying breath, the healer bent to his work. It would be a long night.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - N'noa - 17.Jan.21
Narinoa chased after L'gan once he heard what had happened. The Hatching had lost all importance to him as the thought of his own dragon being in that clutch no longer mattering with Erebuth and B'kit's lives on the line. He quickly told the assistant trying to stop him that he was trained in beastcraft and had spent the last sixteen months providing care to the 'sickly dragons of Ista' and he was finally let go. He spared only a glance back to Corvilis as he wondered if he had said anything to his friend before running out. He'd fill him in later.
He arrived as B'kit was being moved inside. He stepped aside to get out of the way, taking in the state of the bluerider before going to the dragon. His skills lied more in tending to animals, not humans, so he'd leave B'kit in the care of the Healers. "Hey, BuBu," he greeted as he approached the dragon slowly. Erebuth wasn't nearly as timid around him anymore but that was before a massive injury and they both knew that anything he did to help fix anythng would cause further pain in the moment.
Narinoa spent a few minutes assessing the damage, not doing much more that inspect and gently prod injuries to find the ones that needed tending to first, quietly conferring with L'gan as they shared their opinions and ideas. He finally started to apply numbweed to help ease the pain. He'd never dealt with burns before and was letting the greenrider take the lead on this and waited for the directions to come.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - Eb'zer - 17.Jan.21
Eb’zer! Zellekath cried, dropping from the edge she’d been watching the Hatching on to the ground, near the entrance. Eb’zer startled, before his dragon filled him in on what had happened and he spun to her, bolting across the Sands as he followed L’gan and a couple of the other more experienced Healers. Swinging up onto Zellekath, Eb’zer let her take him to where the blue and his rider were, not worried about the sturdy and strong green in the storm; they wouldn’t be flying high as he was informed that the pair had been put on a lower ledge.
They arrived quickly, with Zellekath hovering in the storm as best she could before gripping the ledge with her claws, letting Eb’zer dismount with a stumble and a slip in the icy coating of snow, before she launched off again, retreating to the Hatching Sands once more, to keep herself out of the storm and out of trouble; there wasn’t enough room on the ledge for all the dragons that could have tried to fit.
“Easy, Erebuth,” Eb’zer murmured as he joined L’gan, peering over the greenrider’s shoulder before moving around to make himself more useful. “We’ll take good care of him.” With the dragon spoken to, Eb’zer began bossing around those who were going to help him with B’kit, issuing orders as the bluerider was picked up and carried into the depths of the weyr. It was a guest weyr, kept clean and clear and thankfully ready for guests. Well, B’kit would be that guest for now. When the bluerider was on the bed, Eb’zer began the task of removing clothing so he could get a proper look at the damage that had been done by the strike. He’d never dealt with such a thing before, and had no idea what to expect, but he was ever good in an emergency. He’d cope, and B’kit would come out of it as well as possible.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - B'kit - 17.Jan.21
The riding jacket and boots were singed and still smoking slightly as they were pulled off. It looked like nothing Eb’zer had seen before; aside from a blackened spot on his back, and a mark where the metal from the riding straps had arced along his thighs, there was no obvious cause for the sheer pain the bluerider was in. Red lines spread like ferns along his body but the skin was unbroken.
Realizing he wasn’t with Erebuth, he panicked, thrashing against the people holding him down till a sudden movement made the room tip sideways and he had to shut his eyes tightly to keep from throwing up. Gentle but firm hands pushed him back down and began applying numbweed. Gasping as the pain slowly began to partially recede, he finally opened his eyes. “Eb’zer… Erebuth—“ he sounded like he was underwater, and he shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears, regretting it the moment he did so.
I’m okay… the blue whispered in his mind, though B’kit doubted that very much. Narinoa and L’gan take care of me and Eb’zer helps you. I’m okay.
The blue had laid down and stretched his wing out as much as he could. Several of the smaller bones in the joints seemed broken, and the surface was tattered and burned in places. He was trying his best to be brave for everyone, but everything hurt and B’kit was in pain and needed him, and the sudden crack of thunder made him flinch and L’gan jump to avoid being pinned against the wall by the terrified dragon.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - L'gan - 18.Jan.21
Numbing the pain, then dealing with the wing sail were his main priorities. They could clean the other wounds later, but the longer the wing stayed torn, the less likely it would heal properly. L’gan sent someone running for sturdy fabric they could use to help support the worst sections, then bent to help Narinoa and the others apply numbweed, talking soothingly to the blue as he did.
This poor pair couldn’t seem to catch a break. At least Erebuth was sturdier than Zezeath; he shuddered to think what sort of shape she’d be in with her frail bones. As it was, the burns themselves seemed to stretch along his shoulder and leg, and partway up his neck, patterned almost like the lighting which inflicted them.
They were more vivid than the ones on B’kit, and there were several other smaller burns where the buckles and other metal fittings of the harness had burned. They’d had to cut the riding straps and harness off, and he worried about keeping the wounds clean so they wouldn’t fester.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - Eb'zer - 18.Jan.21
“Easy, B’kit,” Eb’zer said gently, hands soft as he examined the strange wound; it was like nothing he’d ever seen before, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do. Fellis and numbweed seemed like a great starting point, but the lack of visible wounds had Eb’zer at a loss; he knew that one didn’t need visibility to be injured, but he would have thought being struck by lightning would have left more of a mark, like it had on the dragon.
Issuing an order for fellis to be mixed up, making the strength just that little bit more than typical. It would help B’kit into the soothing embrace of unconsciousness, to relax, and relaxing would be good for the muscle soreness he could determine from gentle poking and prodding. While they waited for the fellis to arrive, Eb’zer pulled on a glove and set about putting numbweed on B’kit. He used what he could see of the wound to guide him, and the unconscious responses of the bluerider when he poked a spot that was tender.
“Thank you,” Eb’zer murmured when the fellis arrived, using his ungloved hand to take the cup and shifting around to be beside B’kit’s head. “Here, drink this. It will help. All of it; there we go.” Eb’zer smiled softly as all the liquid was drunk down, nodding in satisfaction before moving back to his previous task. It wouldn’t take long for the fellis to knock B’kit out, and Eb’zer was fairly sure he’d gotten the bulk of the muscle pain caused by the bolt dosed in numbweed, massaging gently.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - B'kit - 19.Jan.21
Blisters were forming on the surface along the red lines, proving them to be burns despite the strange presentation. More were appearing by the minute, extremely painful and he writhed away from the touch. But his reaction to the smell of fellis under his nose was extreme, gagging and pushing the hand away and shaking his head vigorously despite the accompanying wave of dizziness.
“No, no fellis, please.” His voice sounded unnatural, and he didn’t seem to hear what Eb’zer was saying, not entirely. What the hell was happening to him? B’kit, it’s okay. I’m okay. But please drink it; it will help the pain. I’ll be here.
“Promise me he’ll be okay.” He still sounded so strange, and he couldn’t tell if Eb’zer had replied. It gives him nightmares. He doesn’t like it. I think something’s wrong with his ears. Erebuth spoke directly to Eb’zer. The blue’s mindvoice was miserable and pained, but he tried to stick up for B’kit and tried to help. When the healer nodded, and Erebuth confirmed it again, B’kit reluctantly swallowed the concoction.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - N'noa - 22.Jan.21
Narinoa leaned back against the wall and slid down until he was sitting. He was exhausted thanks both to the late hour and working so hard on Erebuth. Dealing with the burns, setting delicate bones in wings, and just the wings themselves left him drained. Despite the work he had done with the small Ista class the past year and getting to see some of the new notes the higher ups were making with their research, Narinoa was still hesitant around the wings. He never focused on anything aviation in his studies and he was good at doubting himself now. But he was confident they did the best they could--but would it be enough? Narinoa worried Erebuth would never fly again or maybe not with extra weight--like B'kit.
But the pair was alive and that was all that mattered in the moment. Erebuth still seemed agitated, with good reason, but had calmed some. From the snippets he heard as the teams updated each other, B'kit had been given fellis. Did that affect the dragon through the bond as well or was it just the lack of pain and stress feeding between them? They really needed to run experiments on that. He'd ask L'gan sometime if they could drug him and see what Semath felt.
But right now he needed a moment to rest and Narinoa patted the ground for L'gan to join him. "Think we can get some bed rolls brought up? I'd like to stay near by tonight but I also need a nap." He also wouldn't mind an update on the Hatching and if any friends Impressed. Some good news right then was needed. But he was also afraid to learn about hatchlings that betweens. What if that happened because he wasn't there? Was this a life for a life situation? His stomach churned at the thought but Narinoa focused on the good they had done with Erebuth.
RE: 742.01.16 | Struck - L'gan - 22.Jan.21
L’gan sank down onto the floor next to Narinoa with a weary sigh, wiping his hands off with a damp cloth and handing it over. “I’m sure we can. I’m not exactly inclined to leave their side tonight either,” he admitted.
He took on the distracted appearance of someone conversing with their dragon, then added, “Semath reports that the Hatching went smoothly, thank Faranth. And someone will be up with some bedding and light food shortly.” Smiling tiredly he added, “plus some changes of clothes. If I look half as terrible as you do, I’d just scare the wits out of poor B’kit and Erebuth,” he teased.
The poor blue looked ragged, but he had fallen into an agitated sleep finally. They would have to reapply numbweed soon, and probably change the bandages, but it looked like the supports would work well for holding the wing together. L’gan was concerned about mobility, but everything was second to making sure the pair survived. The greenrider reached over and squeezed Narinoa’s hand. “We did our best. Now we just have to see what tomorrow brings.”