RP Log ~ Chris
In which Salome visit Chris in the infirmary after her spill on Yaza Plains.
Perhaps it was simply because things had been relatively peaceful for sometime, but even the idea of Lady Chris being left by her horse on the plains was difficult for Salome to come to terms with. Salome would never admit it to anyone, but part of him dreaded seeing her in the infirmary, afraid of what he might find. Tentatively stepping over the threshold so as to not make a sound, he entered the infirmary.
Chris lay peacefully on her back, her eyes closed as she slept. Her scratches had been treated and bandaged by Mathiu and his staff and the hypothermia had disappeared. She was still sweating from a fever, but she had regained consciousness. Hearing someone enter, she said, "Is that you, Hugo?"
Salome breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected her to be awake. "No, milady." He took a few more steps into the room. "I have come to check on you," he added, trusting she would recognize his voice instead of introducing himself.
"Salome," she said, a small smile on her lips. "The doctor doesn't want me sitting up just yet. But it is good to hear your voice."
"And it is good to hear yours." Salome quietly sat in the small, wooden chair by her bed and folded his hands. "I do not expect you to sit up. Can I get anything for you?"
"Your company is enough, friend," she said. "I am embarrassed this happened." She sighed, then said bitterly, "And who was my knight in shining armor?"
"To my knowledge, it was Sir Wyatt who led the search team. Milady..." Was this a delicate subject? Either way, the sooner he knew the reason, the sooner he could put his fears at rest. "Did you fall ill during your trip? Seeing Phoenix return without you....It certainly is something I never expected to witness."
"I wasn't feeling well, but I had to get something to Brass Castle," she sighed. "And a Salamader attacked me. I should have been able to handle it, but between the illness, the snow...it got the best of me and I tried to flee. Phoenix took a quick turn and I fell."
"A Salamander dragon... that would explain it. They can be rather persistent." Salome paused, noting the beads of sweat scattered across Chris's forehead. Hopefully her fever would break by the morning. "It is fortunate Phoenix knew the way back to Budehuc alone..." it went without saying how disastrous things could have become. Frostbite, broken limbs... amongst other, more distressing possibilities had all danced through his mind on more than one occasion.
"She is a good mare," Chris said. "Has anything happened in the castle? I haven't gotten much news down here."
"Only a few new arrivals." Salome absentmindedly tugged on a fray thread on the cuff of his jacket. At this point, there was no use in causing Chris further anxiety in telling her about Albert's return. She had enough to worry about, and her health was his first priority. "There seems to be no end to this ice, and it is too early in the season for anything to thaw. Phoenix will be well looked after in the stables."
"Yes," Chris answered. "I'm certain Kathy will take good care of her." She sighed. "Salome, I hate to ask you to do this, but could you...no, never mind."
He raised an invisible eyebrow. "Do you need something milady?"
"A cool cloth," she said, a blush on her fevered face. "A cool cloth for my head."
"It is no trouble at all, milady." Salome stood, momentarily scanned the room, then located a pile of clean cloths and a basin of chilled water. "Please do not hesitate to ask for something like that," he added, soaking the cloth.
Chris really didn't like people waiting on her, especially her knights. "How are you, Salome? I'm sorry, I forgot my manners and didn't bother to ask."
Salome wrung out the excess water from the cloth before folding it back into a square and approached the infirmary bed. "I assure you that you are not delirious when you hear me say that I am surprisingly idle," he laughed, gently placing the cloth on her forehead. "The steady stream of paperwork from Vinay had dwindled considerably. I am contemplating perhaps learning about ice fishing."
"Hehee," Chris chuckled, trying to imagine her strategist sitting out on the ice with a fishing pole. "I think that would suit you, Salome."
"I am told it is builds character. Sitting on the ice for hours with no company aside from one's own thoughts is supposedly very cleansing," a wry smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I would invite Percival, but I daresay he would be unable to sit still for so long."
"Perhaps you should ask Master Mathiu. I've seen him fish before. Though," she paused. "I don't know if he's the kind of man to appreciate company."
This was a tempting idea. "It would do him good to get out into the fresh air and away from the scents of bandages and antiseptic, just as much as I would rather avoid ink and parchment."
Chris gave a slight nod. "Salome, I'm not feeling well. I'm going to rest. But...if you see my father, will you ask him to come see me?"
"Of course, milady." Salome smoothed out the cloth on her forehead. "Please rest."
"Thank you for visiting me, Salome," she said as she closed her eyes
Salome silently nodded, unseen, and stood there for a few more moments before exiting quietly.
Perhaps it was simply because things had been relatively peaceful for sometime, but even the idea of Lady Chris being left by her horse on the plains was difficult for Salome to come to terms with. Salome would never admit it to anyone, but part of him dreaded seeing her in the infirmary, afraid of what he might find. Tentatively stepping over the threshold so as to not make a sound, he entered the infirmary.
Chris lay peacefully on her back, her eyes closed as she slept. Her scratches had been treated and bandaged by Mathiu and his staff and the hypothermia had disappeared. She was still sweating from a fever, but she had regained consciousness. Hearing someone enter, she said, "Is that you, Hugo?"
Salome breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected her to be awake. "No, milady." He took a few more steps into the room. "I have come to check on you," he added, trusting she would recognize his voice instead of introducing himself.
"Salome," she said, a small smile on her lips. "The doctor doesn't want me sitting up just yet. But it is good to hear your voice."
"And it is good to hear yours." Salome quietly sat in the small, wooden chair by her bed and folded his hands. "I do not expect you to sit up. Can I get anything for you?"
"Your company is enough, friend," she said. "I am embarrassed this happened." She sighed, then said bitterly, "And who was my knight in shining armor?"
"To my knowledge, it was Sir Wyatt who led the search team. Milady..." Was this a delicate subject? Either way, the sooner he knew the reason, the sooner he could put his fears at rest. "Did you fall ill during your trip? Seeing Phoenix return without you....It certainly is something I never expected to witness."
"I wasn't feeling well, but I had to get something to Brass Castle," she sighed. "And a Salamader attacked me. I should have been able to handle it, but between the illness, the snow...it got the best of me and I tried to flee. Phoenix took a quick turn and I fell."
"A Salamander dragon... that would explain it. They can be rather persistent." Salome paused, noting the beads of sweat scattered across Chris's forehead. Hopefully her fever would break by the morning. "It is fortunate Phoenix knew the way back to Budehuc alone..." it went without saying how disastrous things could have become. Frostbite, broken limbs... amongst other, more distressing possibilities had all danced through his mind on more than one occasion.
"She is a good mare," Chris said. "Has anything happened in the castle? I haven't gotten much news down here."
"Only a few new arrivals." Salome absentmindedly tugged on a fray thread on the cuff of his jacket. At this point, there was no use in causing Chris further anxiety in telling her about Albert's return. She had enough to worry about, and her health was his first priority. "There seems to be no end to this ice, and it is too early in the season for anything to thaw. Phoenix will be well looked after in the stables."
"Yes," Chris answered. "I'm certain Kathy will take good care of her." She sighed. "Salome, I hate to ask you to do this, but could you...no, never mind."
He raised an invisible eyebrow. "Do you need something milady?"
"A cool cloth," she said, a blush on her fevered face. "A cool cloth for my head."
"It is no trouble at all, milady." Salome stood, momentarily scanned the room, then located a pile of clean cloths and a basin of chilled water. "Please do not hesitate to ask for something like that," he added, soaking the cloth.
Chris really didn't like people waiting on her, especially her knights. "How are you, Salome? I'm sorry, I forgot my manners and didn't bother to ask."
Salome wrung out the excess water from the cloth before folding it back into a square and approached the infirmary bed. "I assure you that you are not delirious when you hear me say that I am surprisingly idle," he laughed, gently placing the cloth on her forehead. "The steady stream of paperwork from Vinay had dwindled considerably. I am contemplating perhaps learning about ice fishing."
"Hehee," Chris chuckled, trying to imagine her strategist sitting out on the ice with a fishing pole. "I think that would suit you, Salome."
"I am told it is builds character. Sitting on the ice for hours with no company aside from one's own thoughts is supposedly very cleansing," a wry smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I would invite Percival, but I daresay he would be unable to sit still for so long."
"Perhaps you should ask Master Mathiu. I've seen him fish before. Though," she paused. "I don't know if he's the kind of man to appreciate company."
This was a tempting idea. "It would do him good to get out into the fresh air and away from the scents of bandages and antiseptic, just as much as I would rather avoid ink and parchment."
Chris gave a slight nod. "Salome, I'm not feeling well. I'm going to rest. But...if you see my father, will you ask him to come see me?"
"Of course, milady." Salome smoothed out the cloth on her forehead. "Please rest."
"Thank you for visiting me, Salome," she said as she closed her eyes
Salome silently nodded, unseen, and stood there for a few more moments before exiting quietly.