They reached the third floor and the stretchers were flat again. "How did you get here on foot?" Bay asked. One final question before he turned it over to Sera, directed at all of them.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Aleth had been laying with his eyes shut and teeth clenched, getting progressively more irritated. Ky was always so annoying when she got this way. He usually tried to stop a step before he took it this far. That, or he’d just take her all the way over the brink of unconsciousness. As it was, there was nothing at all he could do to shut her up. He hoped she’d pass out on her own. Or that the apothecary would knock her out. Perhaps she’d be in enough pain when they tried to warm her up to do the trick.
“O-ver the m-mountain… pass… sir,” Aleth said, cracking an eye. “W-we got… f-free of-of a convey… accident.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"You traveled that far?" His eyebrows shot up. "There are closer Keeps than ours. Why here specifically?"
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
“W-we heard L-L-Lor… Ash… is… m-merc…iful to people L-like us,” he managed, legitimately struggling. “W-we weren’t… sure… i-if the o-oth…ers… w-would s-sell us… back.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"The Barrasters and the Loquiturs have outlawed slavery in their territories as well," he informed them as they neared the infirmary. "But you're luck yto have made it here."
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Aleth nodded but fell silent, exhausted from the effort of speaking.
Tadaaki had also lost the energy to stay propped up looking at Ky, but was doing his best to keep his eyes open to watch her. Though his best wasn’t great.
Ky was breathing loud and shaky, though doing her best to obey and control her breaths.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
They entered the infirmary, where Sera was waiting. "Oh, gods," she murmured as she saw the state of them. "Get them up onto the beds, please, quickly." She had a pot over the fire warming some water, warm rags, heating stones, and blankets.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Ky whimpered as they laid her down even though they did so very gently. Tadaaki inhaled sharply at the change of position but clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. Aleth simply didn’t breathe for a moment until his body unclenched and he could take one without a whimper.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Several assistants started wrapping all three in blankets as gently as possible, leaving only their faces exposed. Sera brought warm, dry cloths over. "What are your names, please? How are you feeling?"
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
(Okay decided on injuries. I think they’d all have broken ribs for sure. Let’s say Ky has three on the right and also her left forearm has a fracture but not like completely broken in two; we’ll say Tadaaki has three on the right and two in the left. And Aleth can have four on the left and his left foot has all but the big toe needing to be amputated. And also it will be a few weeks healed now but Aleth would have gone to town on her abdomen and so she’d have two fresh blooms that are maybe three or four weeks old. So. Healed. But still a bit tender and obviously fresh. Then absolutely bruised as fuck. Aleth would probably have the most since he pissed Tarr off)
“Hot!” Ky couldn’t quite move her body but she tossed her head, trying to get the blankets away from her neck. She felt like she was being smothered. Too hot. The blankets were covered in knives. “Bad!”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Listen to me, dear." Sera tucked the blankets gently back into place. "You're in shock from the cold and could very well die if we remove those blankets, do you understand? You've come this far; you'll be comfortably warm soon, alright?"
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
(Also giving Tadaaki a broken collarbone for the hell of it)
Ky whimpered and kept turning her head but didn’t get the blanket any further off. They were trying to roast her to death. Cook her alive. “Bad.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
She moved on to the others, checking their injuries first to see if they had frostbite. Captain Bay departed.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Tadaaki was shuddering, each breath feeling like it was shaking his organs. But he laid very still and watched her with cracked eyes, scared and hurt, but very quiet.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Sera saw him watching her as she carefully felt for broken bones under the blankets. "You won't come to harm here," she promised him. "Everything is going to be alright."
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
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