[ota] I can't see the stars for the sun.

[heartafterheart]

Ceiro felt the first pains when he tried to relieve himself. And try though he might, nothing seemed to relieve that gut twisting, soul shattering pain. It honestly had come to the point that he'd excused himself from the office, making the excuse that he was seeing Mr. Browning off as he was finally returning home (with the assistance of the

Comments

You do not see this tag. Shh. I'm totally writing a paper.

[heartpursuit]

"Your Majesty." It was funny, Abby thought, how in these moments she was able to push past shock and horror and just be professional, and she laid a cool hand on the King of Hearts' brow. It probably helped that, unlike with the Two who had burst into the infirmary and babbled out something about King Ceiro and collapse that she barely knew the man; she'd only been here two weeks.

But she knew Johnny was very fond of him, and that was something, even after as many years as they'd spent doing their own things. She smiled slightly down at him. "I'm going to turn you on your side," she said gently, brushing back his hair. "And you're going to take a moment to catch your breath, and then we're going to get you to the infirmary."

I saw nothing

[heartafterheart]

He rolled with Abby's hands, gritting his teeth as his eyes squeezed shut. In truth, a part of him wished that no one was there, trying to help him (watching him, more to point). But he rolled, and he let the worst of the pain slip away as he slowly opened his eyes to look at the woman leaning over him.

"I...do hope you forgive...my statement," he managed to get out softly. "Please...they...they do not need to see this."

Excellent.

[heartpursuit]

"...I'll have the hall cleared," Abby said after a moment, but her features were already settling into a firm expression. Kings, they were a new thing, but recalcitrant patients, men especially who didn't want people to see them weak and in pain? That she'd seen any time she did an urgent care rotation. "But I must examine you, my lord. You understand that. You wouldn't allow one of your own people to go unexamined in this state."

[heartafterheart]

He nodded, vaguely as he tried to take a deeper breath. He wasn't going to protest her examination, but frankly he just didn't want it to be done there.

"Please....help me to my feet." She could very well wait the few moments it took them to get inside and down the hall, could she not?

And a double tag because why not.

[heartsthespades]

The problem with waving off the guards was that it gave them an opportunity to call the Security office, and that gave Jordan the opportunity to appear, striding down the hallway just in time to see Ceiro's collapse. He knew what this was, he thought; he'd told Judith the day before, but he had no idea what she'd done with the information.

If anything.

He slipped easily to his knees, though for a moment he looked more at a loss than anything else before he laid a light hand between Ceiro's shoulder blades. "We're not far from either the infirmary or my office," he said quietly. "Where would you rather go?"

I am...going to pretend this came....er....before or after Abby? :|

[heartafterheart]

"Either," he said softly, having pushed himself up just a little. It was, sadly, of little use. His strength had fled him, and for better or worse Ceiro felt as if this was the beginning of the very end. Or, at least, this was the first moment he'd allowed himself to truly feel the twinge of fear; the idea that tomorrow might not come and he was leaving too much left unfinished.

"I fear...I am not myself today."

Be...fore let's say, and Jordan got them closer to the infirmary before Abby found them.

[heartsthespades]

The infirmary, then, Jordan thought with a grimly determined expression as he started to help Ceiro up. Unlike the King and their new nurse, he knew exactly what was wrong, but he had no idea how it could be solved. The important thing, though, was getting Ceiro away from where every Heart in the Deck could see.

"It's fine, Your Majesty," he said. "You're not well. We all have days like this." Well, not precisely like this, he thought as Ceiro got to his feet.

Thumbs up

[heartafterheart]

Ceiro nodded vaguely, leaning against Ten as he slowly made his legs move again. But in truth it was a bit like moving stumps, a numbness coming from them that he had experienced once or twice here recently.

"Heh, you're too kind at times."

[somuchheart]

Blythe stopped, staring for a moment at the older man in complete shock. She'd just been heading out for her first bit of fresh air in the day. She certainly wasn't expecting this. But the hesitation is only for a moment. She quickly rushes to him, drops to her knees next to him, hands fluttering nervously. "Your Majesty- Ceiro--" She takes a breath, forcing herself to become a little calmer, then tries again. "We have to get you to the infirmary."

[heartafterheart]

He wasn't sure what to say to say to Blythe at first, though Jordan had been helping him for the most part. But as they approached the infirmary, his legs gave out again and he couldn't help but give the Tens a slightly pleading look.

"We are....getting there." He said after a moment, "slowly."

[somuchheart]

"Do you need-- I can find--" Blythe's frightened gaze jumped from Ceiro to Jordan and back to Ceiro again. She was acutely aware of how panicked she was getting, how much this didn't help. She shut her eyes tightly for a moment, then exhaled, reaching out hesitantly to take Ceiro's arm. She could help. And possibly could keep her mouth shut.

[heartafterheart]

"Perhaps now would be a good time for someone to find Miss Abby." Ceiro suggested, in an almost even sense of humor.

"But...for a moment," he simply wanted to sit. There was, after all, only so much pain a man could stomach.

someone added the tag! Sorry I didn't get this until today.

[heartafterheart]

Ceiro let his eyes close slowly as he shuddered and tried to push himself up. This was not, really, the way he wanted the end to come about, and it was (nor had it been) an argument about where he would be going now.

"Help me stand," he said softly, though he hated to have Judith see him like this.

[heartafterheart]

"Perhaps, my love, it is time to prepare for the case in which it isn't." He murmured, though it was soft as they stood. And despite the fact that dying was the one thing he wanted least? It wasn't for himself he seemed to worry.

It was for Judith, and Tristan. After all, the dead didn't have to worry about much, it was the living that one had to be concerned about.