(no subject)
Cotton Candy #25. Telltale Signs
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1260
Word Count : 660
Really not sure about this piece. I had to research, and I hope I pulled it off. If anyone knows better, feel free to give me a clue since it's subject matter I will have to revisit at some point.
“Broccoli again?” Shasa wrinkled her nose as Kairn loaded his plate.
He shoved his tray down the line. “You never used to mind it.”
“Well, I do now,” said Shasa.
Kairn looked over at her plate. “You didn’t even take any.”
She clutched her tray and slid past the offending greens. “The smell is bad enough.”
“You haven’t bothered with anything else either,” he said, still staring at the steaming mass of gravy that seemed to pass for a meal as far as his sister was concerned. “You’ve just got a plate full of meat. What are you-” The hands on her tray lurched. “Shasa?” He snapped his head up to meet her eyes and found her open mouthed and blinking at her plate. “Shas? Dammit, Shasa!”
Kairn threw an arm out behind her just as she went limp. The tray slipped from her grasp and rattled against the counter. Her back struck his arm as her feet flew out from under her, and his knees buckled under the sudden weight.
“Shasa?” Arm still behind her, he guided her, as best he could, to the floor while dodging the haphazard thrust of arms and legs. The crowd about them thinned and parted, exclaimations of shock and offers of assistance blurring in his ears. He waved them back with his free hand. “She’s fine.”
Kairn rolled her to her side and knelt in front of her. She stared, unfocused, eyelids fluttering, convulsions wracking her slight frame. After a moment, the spasms grew weaker, and he felt his own breath return as he watched her chest heave with air. With a sigh, he laid a hand on her shoulder as the motions subsided.
“Shasa?” Her eyes slowly found their focus and slid to his. “You alright?”
She nodded.
He ran a hand down the arm that now lay limp before her. “You haven’t had a fit in ages,” he said. “What happened? Maybe you need to adjust your medication?”
“Haven’t been taking it,” she mumbled.
Kairn froze, thin fingers cradled against his own. “Huh?”
“Not good for the baby,” she said in the same thick voice.
“Shas,” said Kairn, “you’re not making sense.”
Her eyes narrowed, some measure of force returning to her tone. “The baby, you idiot.” She sighed. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt him,” she added quietly.
“What ba-” The hand fell from his grasp. “Shasa, you’re…?” He put his hand to his head. “Of all the stupid… “
Shasa blinked suddenly and looked around, puzzled. “Why,” she said, her hand sliding over the floorboards, “am I on the floor?”
Kairn shook his head with a sigh. “Good question.” He braced an arm beneath her to help her stand. “Let’s get you to your room.”
Still blinking, she staggered to her feet. Her eyes strayed to the counter and the abandoned trays. “Thought we were getting dinner.”
“We were,“ said Kairn, bent to hold her against his shoulder. “Can you walk?”
She managed a shaky step. “Think so.”
The two staggered out of the way and the normal dining hall commotion resumed in their wake. “What were you thinking?” Kairn asked, as they hobbled towards the exit.
“Huh?” said Shasa. “Oh, yeah, the medicine.” Her brows knit for a moment in thought. “Didn’t I just tell you-”
“I’m not talking about the medicine. I’m talking about the fact that there’s a baby to worry about at all. How did this happen?”
Shasa flushed. “I didn’t mean to-”
“I should hope not.”
She slumped against him as they shuffled into the hall. “Can we talk about this later?”
“Yes,” said Kairn, tightening the arm around her as she struggled with her footing. “After you’re medicated.”
“But-”
He cut her short with a look. “As if fits are any better for…” He shook his head as his eyes fell to her middle. “…for the baby.”
Shasa heaved a sigh, but let him lead her along with no further protest.
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1260
Word Count : 660
Really not sure about this piece. I had to research, and I hope I pulled it off. If anyone knows better, feel free to give me a clue since it's subject matter I will have to revisit at some point.
“Broccoli again?” Shasa wrinkled her nose as Kairn loaded his plate.
He shoved his tray down the line. “You never used to mind it.”
“Well, I do now,” said Shasa.
Kairn looked over at her plate. “You didn’t even take any.”
She clutched her tray and slid past the offending greens. “The smell is bad enough.”
“You haven’t bothered with anything else either,” he said, still staring at the steaming mass of gravy that seemed to pass for a meal as far as his sister was concerned. “You’ve just got a plate full of meat. What are you-” The hands on her tray lurched. “Shasa?” He snapped his head up to meet her eyes and found her open mouthed and blinking at her plate. “Shas? Dammit, Shasa!”
Kairn threw an arm out behind her just as she went limp. The tray slipped from her grasp and rattled against the counter. Her back struck his arm as her feet flew out from under her, and his knees buckled under the sudden weight.
“Shasa?” Arm still behind her, he guided her, as best he could, to the floor while dodging the haphazard thrust of arms and legs. The crowd about them thinned and parted, exclaimations of shock and offers of assistance blurring in his ears. He waved them back with his free hand. “She’s fine.”
Kairn rolled her to her side and knelt in front of her. She stared, unfocused, eyelids fluttering, convulsions wracking her slight frame. After a moment, the spasms grew weaker, and he felt his own breath return as he watched her chest heave with air. With a sigh, he laid a hand on her shoulder as the motions subsided.
“Shasa?” Her eyes slowly found their focus and slid to his. “You alright?”
She nodded.
He ran a hand down the arm that now lay limp before her. “You haven’t had a fit in ages,” he said. “What happened? Maybe you need to adjust your medication?”
“Haven’t been taking it,” she mumbled.
Kairn froze, thin fingers cradled against his own. “Huh?”
“Not good for the baby,” she said in the same thick voice.
“Shas,” said Kairn, “you’re not making sense.”
Her eyes narrowed, some measure of force returning to her tone. “The baby, you idiot.” She sighed. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt him,” she added quietly.
“What ba-” The hand fell from his grasp. “Shasa, you’re…?” He put his hand to his head. “Of all the stupid… “
Shasa blinked suddenly and looked around, puzzled. “Why,” she said, her hand sliding over the floorboards, “am I on the floor?”
Kairn shook his head with a sigh. “Good question.” He braced an arm beneath her to help her stand. “Let’s get you to your room.”
Still blinking, she staggered to her feet. Her eyes strayed to the counter and the abandoned trays. “Thought we were getting dinner.”
“We were,“ said Kairn, bent to hold her against his shoulder. “Can you walk?”
She managed a shaky step. “Think so.”
The two staggered out of the way and the normal dining hall commotion resumed in their wake. “What were you thinking?” Kairn asked, as they hobbled towards the exit.
“Huh?” said Shasa. “Oh, yeah, the medicine.” Her brows knit for a moment in thought. “Didn’t I just tell you-”
“I’m not talking about the medicine. I’m talking about the fact that there’s a baby to worry about at all. How did this happen?”
Shasa flushed. “I didn’t mean to-”
“I should hope not.”
She slumped against him as they shuffled into the hall. “Can we talk about this later?”
“Yes,” said Kairn, tightening the arm around her as she struggled with her footing. “After you’re medicated.”
“But-”
He cut her short with a look. “As if fits are any better for…” He shook his head as his eyes fell to her middle. “…for the baby.”
Shasa heaved a sigh, but let him lead her along with no further protest.