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TOWN CLINIC - PATIENT ROOM - MORNING
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Maybelline cringes as the first sensation to come back to her is pain. Her throat is dry, everything is sore, she tries to roll over, but fails, something literally stopping her. Slowly, she begins to open her eyes, trying to recall where she is, all summed up in a low gurgle from the back of her throat, "...gah?"
Doc Plume is standing nearby, having seen signs of life in the stoat earlier. They walk over at the sound and gently rest a hand on Maybelline's shoulder. "You're in the clinic. Don't try to move much." They hold out a cup of water with a straw and position the straw next to May's lips. "It's been about four days since the accident."
Maybelline takes a moment to parse everything, but the first thing that she recognizes is water, shifting her weight at first to get closer, but finding resistance there, she purses her lips around the straw and greedily starts to drink.
Doc Plume watches, making sure that may doesn't drink too fast. The cup is refilled a couple of times before Doc speaks again. "Right now you're strapped down on your uninjured side. You have ICEE burns on about 60% of your body and you spent 72 hours immersed in neutralizing gel. I only took you out last night..."
Maybelline coughs a moment after she stops drinking, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Ah... Alive? H-how? I was..." She pauses, swallowing again to keep from coughing. "I was... I was inside the generator. S-sixty percent...?"
Doc Plume nods as they take the water away. "Brun brought you in right away. You're lucky that I apprenticed with a surgeon near the generator district in Westport. I got the burns neutralizing in time that you're not likely to suffer any permanent muscle damage. Healing will take a while, though. If not for Brunilda, though, it probably would have been too late for your right arm and leg..."
Maybelline shifts her head a little to get a better look up at Plume. "Brunilda... saved me? I remember... I yelled for her to run. She didn't get hurt did she? I'd hate to think she risked herself for..." She pauses again, then just sighs.
Doc Plume shakes their head. "Not too badly. Burns on her back and legs, but only a bit of ICEE and not very deep." They carefully undo the straps holding May in place to give her a bit of movement.
Maybelline frowns as she listens, "I really screwed things up... town must want me driven out. I think I've hurt... yeah, damn near everyone I thought would be my friend... guess I'll get my wish to go home afterall."
Doc Plume shakes their head. "No, no one cares right now. Everyone is worried about you. Lots of folks have left notes. I think there's a bunch of flowers for you at the generator site too." They carefully help May sit up and offers her more water. "We can get by for a while with oil lamps and pumping our own water."
Maybelline blinks a few time, then takes another, slower drink of water before she shifts to roll onto her back, cringing at the sudden pain of putting pressure on her right side, but slowly settling her head on the pillow more comfortably. "...notes? Flowers...? Why? That doesn't make sense." She glances over at Doc, confusion and desperation on her face. "I screwed up. Why would anyone still want to even bother with me?"
Doc Plume helps May settle onto the cot. "Because you're the town engineer and you got hurt while trying to keep the town powered." After getting may settled down, they walk over to their desk and recover a twine-wrapped bundle of letters about four inches thick. "I'll leave them here next to your bed." They set the notes next to the cup of water and look over May. "Anyway, how's your
Doc Plume pain? Do you want some willow bark?"
Maybelline shifts a little and cringes again. "Right arm... and leg... I can't much feel them much." She focuses a moment, then sighs, "Can't move my fingers or toes. But everything else on that side hurts when I move. Willow bark will help that?"
Doc Plume brings over a few pieces of willow bark on a handkerchief and sets them next to the water. "Chewing it will help the pain. Won't make the sensation come back any faster though. And don't swallow the bark."
Maybelline chuckles weakly, "I think I can manage that." She carefully reaches out with her left hand and takes a piece, chewing a moment before she speaks again. "N-no one else got hurt, right? Me... Brun... but no one else, right?"
Doc Plume shakes their head. "No one that I know of. The guards sealed up the perimeter, and the building contained the blast, so there shouldn't be any ICEE contamination anywhere else." They walk back over to their desk. "Do you want something to eat? You must be starving. I can have some broth brought over from the Minnow..."
Maybelline barely nods, her stomach rumbling in advance of her response, "I... yeah. Food sounds good. I have my coins back in my house... assuming it's still there. I mean, it should be, I just... oh, plus I owe you the gold that Vix gave me back when she... realized what shape the generator was in..."
Doc Plume shakes their head. "Now's not the time to worry about that..." They open the door and step out into the street. After giving a whistle, they speak to someone who dashes off toward the Minnow. Doc returns inside and looks over to May. "I'll save all the poking and proding until after you've eaten, but I really should do a full assessment now that you're awake."
Maybelline reaches her left hand up to wipe some moisture out of her eyes, then nods. "T-thanks, Doc. I'll do my best to stay awake for you then. This isn't my first ICEE burn... just... the first one that should have killed me."
Doc Plume rests a hand on May's shoulder. "It'll be okay. We'll get you through this together."
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NORTH CARAVAN TRAIL - NOON
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Narrator: Five days, nearly to the hour, more or less the fastest this caravan could have made the voyage. Perfect weather, no wild animal or bandit attacks, no injuries or break downs... Certain people might even call it boring, but most are grateful for the uneventful trip. As the group descends the final stretch of the downhill road, perhaps half an hour out from the heavy gates ahead, the smell of the ocean wafts toward them on a welcoming breeze. On the horizon well beyond the walls of Bairnell's Foothold, a heavy stormcloud threatens to make outgoing sea travel interesting at the very least.
Bracvar has been getting visibly antsy since the caravan had begun moving early in the morning, absolutely thrilled that their journey was promising to come to a favorable end. He's been grinning since breakfast, keeping very close to the cart ahead of his as if hoping he could force the rest to move faster by proximity.
Dorri walks on the left side of Bracvar's cart, watching the group ahead move. "Hmm... not far at all now..."
Yengrisk flanks the cart on the opposite side. "It has been a nice trip, yes?"
Bracvar nods, smiling at the yak. "Aye, a really calm walk in the park!"
Dorri looks around at the others carts in the caravan. "Could have probably made it three days without all these lollygaggers around."
Bracvar laughs his hearty laugh, too happy to be moderate. "With you helping, absolutely! Take shifts to travel at night and it can be done in just over two, but, well... That requires a hefty guard posse."
Yengrisk nods a bit. "Yak helped, yes? Yengrisk is not as strong as crab friend, but yak tries."
Dorri smiles at Yengrisk as she trots along quickly on her short legs. "Aye. More than your share, I think..."
Bracvar nods in affirmation. "Absolutely, everyone did their part, that's why everything went along so smoothly."
Yengrisk smiles. "And the trip back will be easier, yes? Maybe not as many carts when we return?"
Bracvar shrugs. "No idea, could be less. The trips out of Respite are usually pretty even, the ones in can vary pretty heavily though. The fewest I'd even done was three carts with ten guards, which is an insane ratio, that was very expensive for the other merchants and I since we pay each guard a share of their amount."
Dorri ponders this. "I'll pay my share for guards on the way back, of course." They look over at Yengrisk. "I'd like the trip back to be quick. There's an important transit I'd like to focus on in about a week's time..."
Yengrisk ahhhs. "Yak has been on a few caravans, but this was one of the quietest, yes."
Bracvar grins at Dorri. "Yeah, nobody expects you to pay as a tag-along for this direction, but you might have been expected to beat up anyone trying to hijack my goods."
Dorri looks up at the skies. "I've missed the stars. Barely enough time to sleep, let alone set up a telescope..."
Yengrisk glances upward as well, shielding their eyes from the sun. "Day sky is nice too. That cloud looks like a yak, yes?"
Bracvar looks upward as well, flinching slightly and turning straight ahead instead. "Not much longer, at least. How long do you think it will take you to rebuild?"
Dorri shrugs. "Will be done by winter, certainly. Not going to rush it too much since all the timbers need replacement." She looks over to Yengrisk. "You don't mind living in a tent, do you?"
Yengrisk shakes their head. "Yak can handle a tent, yes."
Bracvar nods as the caravan lurches to a halt ahead of them, prompting Bracvar to lean sideways to try and see around the cart ahead of him. "Hm? What's the hold up? We don't usually stop outside the gate like this."
Dorri takes a moment to stop. "Hmm? What's going on?"
Yengrisk peers ahead as well, curious about the halt. "That's weird, yes?"
Bracvar sighs, setting his legs close together and pushing himself straight upward to peer over the carts ahead, arms crossed.
Dorri hops up into the empty cart to get a better look over Bracvar's head. "What's the holdup?"
Bracvar squints ahead, grunting. "Looks like the gate's open, but there's a pile of guards around one of the carts... Oh, it's being taken aside!" One of the guards steps back into view a few moments after the cart vanishes behind the right side of the gates, waving for the rest of the caravan to start moving again. Bracvar lowers himself back down, taking hold of the pushbar again. "That's curious."
Dorri hops down and frowns as she resumes her trot. "What do you think? Contraband?"
Yengrisk huhs, holding closer to the cart for the moment. "Is smuggling a thing out here, yes?"
Bracvar starts pushing the cart again with a light grunt, a bit tired after the trip. "Perhaps? I can't imagine what you would bring out of Aephix though that they'd want to stop at the port..."
Dorri shrugs. "Lots of interesting plants around. Some might consider a few of them to be drugs."
Bracvar tilts his head back and forth, then nods. "You're right, but that's a lot of risk. Even if they got past the guards, any honest captain could put em in the hold if they found out. Ah well, not my concern."
Yengrisk tilts their head a bit in thought. "Who knows! But we're fine, yak is sure, yes."
Dorri nods. "Sure, just never seen it, then again I've only been on a handful of caravans."
Bracvar turns to fish around under the cover of his wagon, still walking forward as he retrieves a set of papers, bringing them out to peek at them before they reach the gate.
Dorri looks over at Brac and his papers. "Hmm. Hope I don't need any of those..."
Yengrisk keeps close to the cart, a bit nervous now as the adults show signs of concern as well.
Bracvar glances at Dorri, considering her cargo. "If you don't have any, just don't mention your cargo. Easy to say you're not selling your charts anyways." He shushes up as they pull even with the gates, turning to the hulking oxen guard standing there, clearly bored. Bracvar catches his eye and they just stare at eachother for a few moments before Brac lights up. "You're back to work!"
Dorri moves to stand next to Yengrisk and rests a hand on the middle of their back. "It's all right, just let Brac do the talking."
Bracvar makes quick, animated conversation with the guard, managing to keep most of the topic on the guard's life and recent events in Bairnell's Foothold. One interesting bit of news that caught Bracvar's attention was that a couple rather well bred ladies had recently arrived, their airs causing hushed rumors to quickly spread. After a few minutes, the ox waved them through without once looking at the paper in Brac's hand or the cargo under his cover. Brac started the cart along the cobble road, smiling.
Yengrisk giggles a little. "That went smoothly, yes?"
Dorri smiles. "You've got a good mouth for someone who's usually underwater...."
Bracvar chuckles, slipping his manifest back under the cover. "Years and years of practice."
Yengrisk nods. "That was pretty impressive, yes? Yak could not do so well."
Bracvar shakes his head a bit as they approach an intersection of the road, one way leading to the market and main warehouses, the other to the lower docks where Bracvar's own warehouse waits. He turns to the other two, angling his cart to the left. "Well, I believe this is where we part ways."
Dorri frowns a bit. "All right. Well, it was good travelling with you."
Yengrisk awws! "Will yak see crab again? Yak hopes so, yes?"
Bracvar smiles warmly, putting a hand on Dorri's shoulder. "It was a pleasure travelling with you, I'll make sure to visit you both next time I come to Respite." He turns to Yengrisk as he speaks, nodding at them as well.
Dorri reaches out to give Bracvar a tight hug before he can scuttle off. "You had better. And take care of that eye."
Bracvar blinks, hesitating for a second before he gently hugs her back. "Will do, have a safe journey." He turns from them with a smile, pushing his cart along down the road to his own storage warehouse.
Dorri lets out a little sigh as the crab departs before turning to Yengrisk. "So... how are you feeling? I could use a proper bed and a good night's sleep."
Yengrisk nods at Dorri. "Yak agrees. So much walking, yak would like a day to stay still, yes."
Dorri laughs. "We can get a nice room at an inn and relax for today. Start on our business tomorrow." They look around and head toward what looks like the center of town with their apprentice in tow.
Yengrisk follows along after Dorri. To an outside viewer, one might find the pair amusing.