Characters: Ua, Ebha
Word Count: 1116
In the time since Diffudi had arrived to the time she had left, several healers around the pride had been seeing more and more of their fellow healer, Ua. He knew better, he should have.. and yet every innocent cough and sneeze out of his precious daughters sent him into a panic. Some had taken pity and reassured him at first, Ebha had been one. She wasn't born here, had had to come to terms with what that life would mean for her and eventually the family she and her mate startHe ed.. and she knew Ua's family history was not a good one. She tried to be understanding, so she helped to keep an eye on the cubs. But even her patience was wearing thin.
Standing a few feet from Ua, she gave him a stern look. He looked more sheepish than panicked, but she was still skeptical of him. Even he had to be realizing that he could calm down and give his girls a chance to enjoy being cubs.
"Ebha--"
"Ua, you know better than this," she interrupted, chiding the young father, "Trust yourself more. I can't keep rushing around to check in on perfectly healthy little girls."
Ua cast his eyes downward. Even when he panicked, he had known he was being ridiculous. It was knowing that it could be that bad that had kept him coming back for help, for more opinions. Slowly he had come to accept that, had felt appropriately shameful for his behaviour in handling the whole ordeal. He might never forgive Diffudi for endangering their daughters by bringing them here, but that was because he loved them, wanted to protect them, even before he really knew them. He still felt that way but another little part of him, a selfish little voice in the back of his head, was glad they were here, that he could be a part of their lives.
For now.
"Ebha, that's not why I'm here," he said in a strained voice.
Finally, Ebha noticed the way he spoke- and, suddenly, the way he stood. The tension in his body. It wasn't his daughters he was here about, he was ill.
She clucked her tongue and closed the distance between them, turning to walk parallel to him and help encourage him into the shade so she could get a good look and they could talk about what was going on.
"So now you are sick," she said, giving him a little kick when he didn't start moving, "When did you last eat?"
Ua flinched when she kicked him and moved along to a shady spot where she stopped and waited for him to get off of his feet. He sighed.
"I don't know," he answered, "A couple days?"
Ebha gave him a critical look before taking a couple steps back to take in the whole picture before her.
"Not dangerous but not convincing me of anything," she said, "This isn't your first bad spell, is it?"
Ua shook his head. He'd known for a long time he was sick. He'd tried to keep it from his family as best he could but he knew he failed at that. He could only smile through a stifled coughing fit so many times before it roused suspicion and his family was a suspicious lot.
"When was the last?" Ebha asked, her voice softening as she slowly started assessing the situation. This stage of illness could last for years, but that depended on the will of the lion and how frequently they suffered their worst periods.
"Before Diffudi left," he said, slowly beginning to release the tension in his body and breathing much more loudly for it- though his legs and back were grateful, "Before the girls' mother left. It didn't last long."
Ua was a healer and knew his history well but he knew better than to trust his own assessment. That was why he had sought out another healer. He trusted an apothecary would help him if he had gone straight to them but he hadn't trusted himself to get what he needed straight.
Ebha didn't say anything, pondering how stress might be factoring into this whole mess. With a snort, she left Ua in the shade for a few minutes to send an apothecary for a few herbs she needed. Ua sounded like he was trying to cough up a lung when she returned.
"How long have you known you were sick?" she asked when he stopped and had a chance to catch his breath.
"Al- always?" he stammered.
Ebha gave him a look, guessing it was the family history that made him say that. Thinking back on how he'd been since his daughters arrived, and how often she had seen him before that.. she wanted to believe he wasn't that bad yet.
"I've sent for an apothecary," she said, "Stay here and rest. Someone will be checking with the hunters soon for food, you will not leave until I've seen you eat."
Ua nodded, regretting it almost immediately as his head began to ache. He wouldn't dream of arguing right now, and despite how he felt, he tried to take mental notes about how she was handling him as a patient. She was stern, that wasn't surprising. What was surprising was how easy it was to just listen.
"Ua, you've been putting a lot of stress on yourself lately," she said, "If you want to be well for your daughters, you have to relax a bit."
There was no point dancing around it. Cubs were often a good motivator for getting the ill to behave and strive to improve enough to be active again. She was shameless in using them against her patients.
"You're a healer, you'll be able to help them if they need it," she said firmly, "If you need help, ask for it."
Now she was glaring at him and Ua looked like he might start crying. Ebha's expression softened a touch but her voice remained stern.
"Take it easy," she said, "We'll be here."
She sighed and wandered off to give him some space. Ua lay silently where she left him, trying to focus on what she said instead of how he felt. He did want to be well for his girls, he didn't want them to be sick and he didn't want to end up sick on them. He didn't get his mother, he didn't want to do that to them.
He'd have to stop hiding and admit he needed help. At least his family wouldn't hesitate to help, they did that whether or not he asked.. but he still didn't want to admit he was sick.
Fin!