A Jamoura in the Rafters (Job Solo)(Complete)

[Sahashkalila]

Timestamp: 86th Spring 512AV, Morning
Location: Injury Ward

After another restless night in the longhouse, Kalila trudged her way back to the injury ward, wondering what the day was going to bring her this time. Her mood was foul, both from the lack of sleep and the endless cold that she seemed to feel in this place, but she was determined to try and keep her patience today. It was not good to have a foul attitude while at the injury ward, the patients after all deserved some kind of peaceful atmosphere and she wasn't about to bring her mood into a place of healing. So when she reached the entrance to the injury ward, she took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face.....only to walk into a state of utter chaos.

A group of healers and Jorg were gathered around another Jamoura female, all of them looking upwards towards the rafters and chattering urgently. Kalila stepped hesitantly closer, looking upwards as well to see what the fuss was about. The sight that greeted her caused her to chuckle, her hand coming up to remove the veil around her head and she laughed some more. A Jamoura child was up in the rafters, refusing to come down. Kalila assumed that he, or she since it was so hard to tell sometimes, was reacting like any child would when they visited the doctor, except this case was rather comical. One of the healers noticed her presence and came rushing over, annoyance written all over her features. "What iss going on?"Kalila asked, her eyes looking from the child to the mother, then back to the healer.

"Mother brought in her kid to get treated for a cold and a scraped wrist, but the little petcher ran off and up into the rafters and we can't get him down. You deal with this, I'm done."

Kalila frowned at the healer who walked off and out of the ward in a huff, not liking her tone. Any child would be frightened of going to the doctor, especially if they had never been before, and Kalila was fond of children. She walked over to the small group of people and up to the Jamoran mother, who looked stressed and embarrassed. "I undersstand we have a little problem,"she said with a small smile, placing her hand on the female's arm.

"I am so terribly sorry about this. Jara is a good child but.....I do not have the means to take care of his cold myself or the cut on his wrist so I brought him here,"she said with a shake of her head, looking up where Jara was sitting behind one of the beams. "They tried to treat him, but he slipped away before I could catch him and we can't get him down."

Kalila noticed that the mother looked frustrated and embarrassed all at the same time and she patted her arm, keeping the warm smile on her face. "Do not worry, I will take care of thiss,"she said with a chuckle before she moved away from the group and sat down on one of the empty beds, looking up at the spot where Jara hid. She crossed her legs beneath her and folded her hands in her lap, a smile on her face as she looked up. Children seemed to like her for some reason, she assumed it was because of the way she talked, and Kalila didn't mind that. She loved children, amused by their antics and curious minds. Which gave her an idea of how to get the child down.

"Hello Jara, my name iss Kalila"she called, waiting to see if the child would peek out from behind the beam. "You musst be a very good climber to get all the way up there. I don't think I could even do that." Children liked to be praised with what they could do, so she made sure she complimented him a plenty. "But why are you all the way up there when there are many people worried about you down here?" Hopefully the child would be willing to answer.

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila watched patiently as the child peeked out from behind the beam, no doubt curious as to who was speaking to him. He seemed rather small, and Kalila guessed that he was a little over half her height if he actually came down, and that meant that he was very young by Jamoura standards. Kalila was in no hurry though, and patience was always best when dealing with young children.

The little Jamoura seemed to hesitate as he peeked around the beam some more, and she saw that he was holding one of his hands close to his chest, no doubt the one that was injured. Kalila cocked her head to the side and smiled, still waiting on him to answer if he was going to. "Did you come to poke Jara too? Cause Jara isn't coming down, doesn't like poking, or yucky drinks." the little Jamoura said in a squeaky voice. "Jara can climb real good to get away from all the poking."Kalila watched as he then retreated back behind the beam and peeked out to watch her closely, the smile on her face growing.

"No Jara, I didn't come to poke you. Ssee?"Kalila said, holding her hands out for him to see that they were empty before placing them back in her lap. "And I didn't even bring any yucky drinkss either. I actually came to tell you a sstory....do you like sstoriess Jara?" Kalila hoped that her little story would help, and she turned back to look at the anxious group behind her and winked, letting them know that it was okay before she looked back up at the rafters.

The little Jamoura came back out from the rafters once more and looked at her curiously, shifting his feet on the beam a bit. "Jara likes stories. Mother tells Jara stories before bed at night, so Jara will listen to the lady who talks funny's story."Kalila smiled briefly as she watched him sit down on the rafter and stare at her anxiously, the little jab about her lisp amusing her. Most children found it funny, and children say the most amusing things at times. "Alright Jara, I'm going to tell you a sstory about a little Jamoura names Jorg who got hurt one time,"she said with a grin, turning around to wink at Jorg who smiled at her in return, before she looked back up at Jara.

"Once upon a time....."

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila carried on for quite some time, rambling on about a little Jamoura child who didn't want to be taken to the doctor no matter what the reason. Until one day that child got stung by a wasp, a harmless sting, but the wound smarted and festered until the little child got sick, forcing him to finally make his way to the doctor's ward to get treated. He was nervous about being given medicine and poked, just like Jara, but he knew that he had to get better or else he might have never gotten to go out and play again. Once he got to the ward he realized that it wasn't so bad, and he was able to go out and play once again after he left.

"....and you know that he liked the ward ssso much that he wanted to be a doctor too and help other little Jamouransss. Issn't that right Jorg?"she asked turning her head, looking at her mentor with a smile. Jorg smiled and nodded at both Kalila and Jara, amused with the entire spectacle. "Ssso what do you ssay Jara? Would you like to come down and let usss have a look at you?" she asked with a small smile, looking back up at Jara patiently.

The little Jamoura looked down at all of them, pleased with the story that had been told....and also worried that he might not be able to play ever again if he wasn't looked at, and slowly nodded. "Jara will come down, only if the lady with the funny talk helps Jara,"he said with a nod of his little head, starting to slowly climb down from the rafters. "Jara wants to go play again."

Kalila chuckled and got off the bed to catch Jara as he came down, staggering slightly at how heavy he was. She was rather small and the "child" was almost over half her height, but she grinned and placed him on her hip, carrying him back to the bed. She sat down with him on the bed and took his injured hand in her, looking at the small cut and inspecting it. "Alright Jara, I'm going to put a little medicine on thisss and then wrap it up ok? You have to promisse you will leave the bandagess on until they fall off on their own,"she said to him, looking for his response.

"Jara promises, will be good and wait,"said her new little friend with a firm nod of his head, his nose wrinkling at the thought of medicine.

Kalila smiled and began to put the salve on his hand, covering the cut anf then wrapping it up and sealing the bandage with resin so it would not fall off. "Alright Jara, I need you to promisse one more thing for me." She reached over to the side of the bed and picked up a bottle of cold medicine and a small wooden bowl, pouring a dose into the bowl. "Thiss will make you feel much better Jara, will you promise to take it for me?"she asked gently, knowing that she had to let him make up his own mind instead of forcing him to take it.

Jara looked at the honey colored liquid in the bowl and frowned, but nodded his head after a moment, a determined expression on his face. "Jara will take it, if it means Jara can play again,"he said, taking the bowl in his hands and drinking what was in it before giving the bowl back to her. He pulled a face at first but then smiled at Kalila. "Jara thinks that it wasn't that bad, just like the lady said." He then bounded off the bed and over to his amused mother, sitting up on her shoulders. "Can Jara come back to see the pretty lady mother?"

Jara's mother smiled gratefully at Kalila, knowing that words would never have been enough to thank her with. "Yes, we can come back and see Kalila, I think she will be happy to see you again,"she said with a chuckle, reaching up to pat her son. "Thank you so much, really." She then waved goodbye to them all, Jara waving energetically from her shoulder and headed out of the ward.

Kalila got off the bed and smiled at Jorg, starting to put away her supplies and then clean the wooden bowl. "Well, that wasss mosst interessting,"she said with a laugh, thinking that she hadn't seen the last of her new little friend.

[Creeper]

Skills Observation: 1 Interrogation: 1 Leadership: 1 Persuasion: 2 Child Care: 2 Storytelling: 1 Bodybuilding: 1 Medicine: 1   Lores Checking Your Attitude at the Clinic's Door Children Love Compliments Storytelling: Making Stories Relateable   Other Other Rewards I liked Jara a lot, and its nice to see a caring figure having come from the slums of Mizahar. If you'd like, you can write up a basic NPC of Jara and/or Mother as a side project.