Drown in the Now (Lixue)

by **Sliver** on November 6th, 2012, 12:11 am

Sliver had been with Lixue the entire time, through every instruction and comment. Sure not all of it made much sense to the wolverine, who had learned from her mother that saliva was the only real tool needed in healing a wound, and you got what you deserved if you were being foolish. Sliver recalled her first real scar, she had gotten it when she had spilled some of Khilo's philtering equipment and the acid from a certain bottle had burned practically through to the bone. She had been nearly an adult by that time, and she had been ashamed of the amount of tears that leaked from her face unbidden at the unbearable pain. A Nuit healer had patched her up, but she still had the scar on her forearm between two dark tattoo marks. She recalled her mother, holding the arm and shoving it into her face. Scars were the proof of idiocy and bravery in equal measure, and one had to remember both and wear them just as a general wore his stars. She wondered then how her mother was doing on the undead island, and a dangerous pang hit her stomach at the thought of never seeing her again.

But that wasn't the point of this train of thinking, the wolverine reminded herself, the point was: Honey?

So she had understood everything, and the fact that alcohol could clean a wound made sense, but honey helping it heal? If the doctor hadn't seemed so knowledgeable about everything she probably would have laughed in Lixue's face. As it was she dipped a finger into the honey and licked it from her fingers completely unconsciously, then blushed furiously in embarrassment. Here she was getting healed up and acting like a newborn pup that hadn't yet had supper.

"By Morwen, I'm sorry I couldn't help it....no no I won't be fighting any wolves, unless they come out like they did before."

She stammered, an amusing action for the woman with her mohawk, scars, and tattoos, acting like a hound that had just chewed the furniture, and to add to her child like behavior she huffed at not being able to shift. Human form was generally more efficient when walking, eating, even fighting, but putting a clamp on transforming seemed just horrendous to the wolverine on a fundamental animal level. She nodded slowly and clearly off put, and waited as patiently to be shown how the wound was to be dressed. Gods she had almost forgotten about the honey....she would have to pay close attention to not consume the jar before she was allowed to bandage it properly. Why was medicine so strange?

by **Lixue** on November 6th, 2012, 3:06 am

Lixue could not help the smile of amusement that graced her lips at the Kelvic's behavior. She herself had been tempted more than once to do the same thing; slip her finger into the gooey substance and eat her medicine. Lixue did not view the Kelvic's nature as childish, because she did not know how a Wolverine was supposed to act, much less how a young Wolverine would act. Had she known how such a Wolverine would react, Lixue would not have laughed outright. Even if the embarrassed expression on the female's face was quite humorous. Add in the scars, tattoos, and the mohawk and Lixue should have been rolling around on the ground, holding her stomach and giggling like a lunatic.

If today had been any other day, perhaps she would have been. But today... Today was a hard day to get through. Laughter had no place in the day, but Lixue would have gladly welcomed it. Laughter would keep her from becoming absorbed in her emotions and thoughts; would keep her from falling victim to the depression that threatened to take over.

Quickly, Lixue dipped one of her own fingers into the jar and slipped the sticky liquid into her own mouth with a wink at the patient. Lixue had missed the taste of raw honey. The liquid melted in her mouth, attempting to hold her mouth shut and glue her tongue to the top of her mouth. A sense of pure sugar erupted from Lixue's taste buds. Lixue could not help but to relish the taste. When was the last time she had given into an urge and been rewarded so greatly? With food? Not recently.

Suffering from stress, Lixue had been forgetting to eat. It was not as if she meant to, but the thought simply passed her up and Lixue would continue working without really thinking of the consequences. Only if her stomach grumbled its complain did Lixue remember and fill her stomach. When was the last time she had eaten? The night before? The morning before? Lixue could not remember and knew her stomach would gladly relish food. She could only hope it would not start grumbling and complaining while she was with her patient. How embarrassing; to provide advice for a healthy life to a person and then pay the advice no mind.

Popping back to the present, Lixue remembered where she was and what she was supposed to be doing.

"Honey is also beneficial to health by eating. It can help keep disease away and help prevent seasonal allergies. The honey should be eaten to achieve those effects. Externally, or outside the body, honey has even more uses. To have softer skin, you can use it as a mask, leaving it on for half a bell. For smoother hair, mix honey with olive oil, and run through your hair." Though the woman would most likely not need that little fact, considering she had a mohawk. "As a doctor, I use honey quite a bit. It helps soothe sore throats by consuming a spoonful every few bells. By mixing it with water and having my patients drink it, I have helped stop stomach aches and dehydration."

Lixue turned the jar in her hands. "My main use for honey is for burns and cuts. With burns, honey can help take away the pain and allow the skin to grow back faster. I simply apply some honey generously to the injury and allow it to breathe. Swelling goes down with the honey. In your case, I will apply the honey to your wound and lightly bandage it. Honey keeps the dirt out and keeps it from becoming infected. It also encourages the injury to heal faster." Glancing up at the Kelvic with black eyes, Lixue allowed a somewhat forced smile to flitter across her lips.

"This is the part you will have to pay special attention to. Later, after you leave, you will have to replace the bandage within four bell's time." Rinsing her hands one more time, Lixue stuck two fingers into the jaw, into the honey. Scooping a bit out, Lixue readjusted Sliver's leg before reaching out and placing the tip of her fingers at the top of the cut. Slowly, she dragged her fingers downward, neither removing her fingers nor sliding them in any direction. Only when she reached the bottom did Lixue take her fingers away. "You can apply it anyway you like, but my preferred method is in a simple line and then smear. Then you do not have too much or too little."

Indeed, even as she spoke, Lixue's sticky fingers ran in circles, starting the top and going downward. When one area became too thin on the sticky liquid, Lixue would carefully make the circle larger and move some into the area where the honey had thinned out. "I try to keep the honey at least a fingernail's width thick. Then you do not have to worry about having too little. When the honey starts to move, you have too much. To take some away, you can scrape at it using a finger. You should be able to easily bend a finger, hold it on either side of the wound and not touch anything in the arch of your finger as you move along the wound." Lixue demonstrated. Sure enough, no honey even grazed her finger.

"Let's give this about five chimes to absorb and see where we are and what the wound looks like. If it loses some of its red coloring, I will most likely bandage it. If not, you will have to leave the bandage off for several bells and tie it on later." Lixue rinsed her fingers off, making sure every inch of honey was gone. No need in gluing her hand to her desk or clothes. As she worked in the clean up process and waited, Lixue's mind was overrun by thoughts.

Ly had always loved honey. He used to do as the Kelvic had; take honey from the jar and eat it straight. Most of the time it was to tease Lixue, who would giggle and shoo him away, claiming he would dirty the medicine. Ly would laugh at her, steal a kiss and duck out before he could be swatted. Lixue missed this. She missed Ly. No longer would he be stealing her honey. No longer would she be able to teasingly swat at him. No longer would Ly interrupt her long days at work for a quick lunch and stolen kisses. Who would keep her feeling optimistic when a patient was driving her up the wall? Who would keep Lixue on her feet instead of the clouds?

Who would be her husband? Her best friend?

by **Sliver** on November 6th, 2012, 5:19 am

Sliver was profusely glad he antics had not spurred any annoyance at her behavior, it had even gotten the tired woman to smile, a quite pleasant expression, though it lasted only briefly.

Even more promising the woman shared in her foolishness, an act which the wolverine appreciated immensely. That was until the Kelvic realized she probably did this with children as well, and she wondered how genuine the action truly was. It was a bit harsh of her to be sure, but there seemed something almost too calculating from the individual, as if every technical step she took, the explanations, the show, was something very necessary to her being, though Sliver could certainly not place a finger on why as of yet.

So instead she listened patiently as Lixue illustrated the uses of honey. It was as if she had absorbed all of Sliver's incredulity and sought to validate the substance as a healing tool as well as a cosmetic, which Sliver was greatly amused by. Who knew such a simple substance could do such a variety of tasks? She smirked at the bit about the hair. Perhaps she would keep it in mind if she eventually shaved this off and grew back the hair she used to have.

But now was certainly not the time to consider one's aesthetic appearance, it was time to concentrate. Changing the dressing in four bells didn't seem to pose an immediate problem, but while Sliver heard most everything Lixue said to her, she was more interested in the application of honey. It was cool when applied to her skin, and dark eyes widened with interest as she watched her doctor dab and rub it in even layers, assessing the thickness upon her skin.

Five chimes. So fast to see how well it was working it seemed, but then again she hadn't known honey was used in healing until a few chimes ago either. The wolverine lowered her leg gingerly and arranged her robes in a slightly more comfortable manner as she glanced around the pristine work space. The doctor seemed a very thoughtful one, not prone to much conversation, or perhaps that was just because she was tired.

Sliver was torn somewhere between trying to make conversation and remaining silent so as not to disturb her caretaker. She puzzled with this query for about two chimes before hesitantly offering up a probing question of the most slight and easily answerable topic.

"How long have you worked in the Center?"

by **Lixue** on November 7th, 2012, 3:18 am

When the woman spoke, Lixue jumped. So quiet the office had been, the female's voice was startlingly loud. Was she sucked up inside of her own mind again? Being caught up in her thoughts seemed to be a recurring problem today. But, then again, how could she keep the thoughts out? A mental blockade had not worked. Apparently trying to work the thoughts away had not worked, either. What would it take for her brain -and her heart- to understand Lixue did not want to think about Ly? That she did not want to remember the good times and over-look the bad? What would let her think about other topics, ones that did not connect back in some way to the web of Ly? How could she simply forget?

Lixue ignored the harsh thump of her heart and proceeded to answer the Kelvic's question. "I have worked at the Avanthal center for a total of seven days." So few, yet so long. Glancing up at the Kelvic, Lixue continued, "But I worked in the Spires, a city south of here, for two season after the Djed Storm." And, apparently, had learned a lot in the city if Lixue's behavior and medical knowledge was anything to go by.

Lixue would definitely say she had learned a lot in the city. Besides becoming a leader, she learned how to react to the unexpected, think on a whim, and handle chaotic situations. She treated patients who simply had cuts to those who needed stitches down their legs to a blind Jamoura who was depressed to an infant Jamoura who fell into a fire. More times than Lixue could count was she called into the wild for an unexpected situation. And Lixue would go, if only because many others could not, to the site, carried by the Jamoura. To the best of her ability, Lixue would try to stabilize the patients so they could be transported back to Base Camp. If they survived the rough trek home, the ill-equipped doctors would attempt to fix the patient. Anything requiring surgery was out of the question unless extremely minor. Such as the time Lixue placed a leg bone back into the leg with the blunt force from the heel of her hand. The patient had learned to walk again, but it was amazing he could handle weight on that leg at all.

There was a hesitant pause as Lixue absorbed the silence, knowing she had been caught inside her own mind. Again. She shifted in her chair, arranging her body to become more comfortable. A day sitting could wear a person out. Not to mention sleeping on the hard surface of a desk. Maybe her body ached more easily because of how tired she was; emotionally and physically. Or maybe her muscles were becoming stiff and needed a loosening. Lixue made a mental note to stretch later, perhaps take a walk around the town and ignore the pitying stares passed her way. Then again, perhaps she would simply stay at work and go straight home afterwards.

"How long have you been a part of the Icewatch?" If Sliver could judge a tone of voice, perhaps she would note that Lixue was seeking more than just that answer. Perhaps she could note that Lixue needed something to focus on, something to train her attention to and help keep her mind off of Ly. Off of his... passing. Off of how lonely her home would be when she got home. Off... Off of life.

by **Sliver** on November 7th, 2012, 3:45 am

Sliver noticed how her question seemed to have summoned Lixue from a sort of reverie, in fact she seemed to be doing that a lot in their short time together. Lixue answer in the expected manner and brought Sliver briefly to her short time in the Spires. The inability to remain in human form, the chaos and fog. She shook her head a little bit and found a new found respect for a doctor who could hold her own in the middle of such mayhem.

"I traveled to the Spires for a short time, those were interesting times..."

Then the silence returned. Sliver figured she had lost her doctor in thought again, and tried to put the pieces together. All the signs were there for the wolverine to see, but she had yet to put them together. The tiredness, the physical weariness showing upon her features, the way her shoulders slumped when she wasn't paying attention to instructing Sliver on the finer points of cleaning and bandaging a wound. And then the desperate concentration on her tasks. Sliver blinked. The silence drew on, but to the Kelvic's surprise, it was Lixue this time who broke it with a question much too imploring for its own good.

Sliver tilted her head a bit, pulling up her injured leg and putting it at an angle against her leg.

"Less than a season. Almost immediately after I was accepted I volunteered to aid with the Spires and have only just returned...."

Sliver trailed off for a moment, introspective as she thought of the Vantha Icewatch member and his mourning bondmate, the Icewatch bringing back the hunters....

"I am proud to serve, I just hope I can help...the animals they're....something is off."

Suddenly it clicked. The way her face had appeared when she mentioned being attacked by bold wolves, her state was one of mourning...one of the hunters. Sliver's eyes widened in realization. The Kelvic's head snapped up and she tried very very hard to keep back the words on the tip of her tongue, clearly all this woman wanted was to lose herself in her work, she being oblivious to her emotional trauma, probably a blessing. Her mouth opened, closed, and opened again. Then it came out, a rush of words, completely unpreventable.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, I'm sorry that I wasn't there to help, you should get some rest, this can't be healthy, but you know that, you're a doctor, what am I saying? When was the last time you ate? Oh Morwen I'm so sorry, I'm sure everyone has told you this and you're so sick of hearing it...just, what kind of Kelvic would I be if I didn't say that...rather...selfish actually when you think about it..."

The wolverine stammered to a halt and glanced away, the red returning to her face. Goddess she was so foolish, how much more pain did this woman need to go through without her mucking about in it?

by **Lixue** on November 7th, 2012, 3:25 pm

Lixue had known the woman would figure it out sooner or later. Everyone did. Perhaps Lixue was not hiding her mourning enough, was not keeping her emotions in check. Or perhaps it was the purple bags under her eyes, the desolate expression on her face, the way she became lost in thought. Perhaps it was simply obvious because Lixue was not trying to hide her feelings, was not trying to keep the fact that she was mourning a secret. Lixue had assumed nearly everyone knew, but perhaps not. The Kelvic seemed surprised at the fact, if the widening of her eyes was anything to go by. When the woman spoke, Lixue could not help but wonder if she had been one of the few to retrieve her husband’s… body from the wilderness, from the possessive grip of the wolves that had so cruelly attacked him and his partners.

For a long chime after the Wolverine had quit speaking, silence filled the office. The only noise was of Lixue arranging and rearranging the bandage on the desk. The bandage was neatly organized when Lixue paused and glanced up at the wolverine with pure black eyes that twinkled with unshed tears. Lixue’s hands shook as she let them settle in her lap, fingers folding and unfolding, interlocking and unlocking. The worrying movements zeroed in on the fact that Lixue was trying to gather her thoughts and rearrange words mentally to make the best sense. It was obvious Lixue was struggling to keep her composure.

“You words are… appreciated. I understand the meaning behind them and I thank you for your concern.” A pause as Lixue’s fingers tugged the bandage off the desk and onto her lap. Shaking fingers worked at stretching it. “I realize I should not be at work,” more than the Kelvic probably realized, “but I need to be here.” Lixue hesitated before whispering softly, “Where should I be? At a home that echoes with silence and death? What would I do what should I do? Organize and reorganize his clothes, pack them away? Out of sight, out of mind? Or lie in the bed I shared with him and try to ignore the scent that will no longer be refreshed? Maybe I could wander from room to room, lost in my memories, and fall deeper into an emotion that will do no good?” A tremor echoed, mimicking the way her hands shook. With each word she spoke, Lixue fell quieter. “If I am here, I can at least help. I can try to keep my mind off the… situation until later. I can help patients heal.” Even as I myself try to heal from the most powerful blow.

Almost inaudibly, Lixue whispered, “Should I try to sleep and be plagued by the nightmares of what if? The nightmares that only cause me harm, emotionally? If I cannot sleep and I cannot stay at home, what should I do? What can I do other than come to work and try to be of some service?” No matter if the service was bad. At least Lixue was so focused on her tasks she would not make an accidental mistake. At least Lixue was trying to help. Trying to be of some service. She could have stayed home, could have lost herself into a depression and only come out when forced. Could have curled up between the sheets, hugged his pillow to her chest and whispered prayers filled with tears. There were a thousand things Lixue could have done for her own selfish needs. But working today would help. It had to.

Lixue did not know what she would do if work did not help.

Struggling to keep her composure, Lixue gave a wobbly smile to the Kelvic. “You are not selfish.” If Lixue knew anything about Kelvics, she knew a Kelvic could not decidedly be selfish. “Now then, how about that leg?” The joke was pitiful and half-hearted. Lixue reached out with wobbling fingers to pull the Kelvic’s leg toward her. Blinking away the tears that clouded her vision, Lixue studied the wound.

The cut was looking much better. The swelling had been reduced significantly and this improvement was easily visible. The injury was not nearly as inflamed as it had been; the red graced the outer, puckered rim of the injury. Lixue felt around the edge of the honey and was relieved to feel the heat had been reduced significantly. It seemed as if the wound was not nearly as wide as it had been and not quite as long, either. The honey had seeped into the wound and, peering closer, Lixue could visually see how the honey created a mold to the wound and kept it from pulling open when the Kelvic moved. Good.

Setting the Kelvic’s leg on her knee, balanced only by the ankle, Lixue retrieved the bandage from her lap. “I am going to loosely wrap the wound. You need to pay close attention to this method because you will have to repeat it in four bells. After eight bells, you can remove any bandaging. At which point, you will continue applying honey. During the night, keep the bandage on. This will keep you from rubbing at it accidentally, scratching at it in your sleep, or splitting the wound. In the case of it reopening, apply pressure for five chimes and place a layer of honey as you have been instructed. Wrap the injury.”

Without wasting any more time, Lixue held one end of the bandage in one hand and slid her other hand a good length down the bandage. Holding it tightly, Lixue placed the end on the bottom of the Kelvic’s calf and pulled the bandage straight up. Carefully, she angled it at a forty five degree angle and pulled downward. The bandage was entrapped by the honey. Several more times around the leg and Lixue reached the end of her bandage. Here, she grabbed a pin out of her desk, held the bandage slightly away from the skin and slipped the pin in directly at the end of the bandage. When she released the bandage, it stayed. Lixue slid a finger around the top of the bandage and around the bottom, under the layers, to make sure the leg could breathe. “Do you feel any numbness? Or does it feel too tight? Can you walk and use your muscle?” If so, Lixue would repeat the process until the Kelvic was comfortable.

by **Sliver** on November 7th, 2012, 3:50 pm

Sliver grew very quiet then, eyes turning very slowly back to Lixue as she spoke. She saw the edges of the very poorly constructed facade being to break, the wetness at the corner of her eyes, and that same look Sliver had seen in the eyes of her polar bear comrade when his bond mate had returned. She wondered with fear in her gut how many more times this season she would see that same look, one utterly lost and so filled with sadness.

She wished she knew how these people felt, ached to know it. She had loved her parents, loved Khilo, but had never bonded to him, she had been thrown out of Sahova just on the cusp of the event. Thinking about the possibility of never seeing any of those three again, especially her mother and Khilo, it gripped her with a sadness that she often threw from her mind. But as far as she knew they were still alive, if solace could be taken it was in the fact that they were operating exactly as she had when she had left. Perhaps by this time Khilo had become a master and gotten his own laboratory, her parents had probably had another Kelvic child, one considerably more obedient than she had ever been. Perhaps they had forgotten of her, and if not quite forgotten, only considered minutely and in the back of one's mind. This sat well with her, but her separation and loss paled in comparison to Lixue's, and in a morbid way Sliver wondered if the woman realized how lucky she had been to experience those feelings in the first place. What a highly inappropriate thing to voice when her loss was so fresh...So Sliver kept it to herself.

She watched, trying not the create any more awkwardness as Lixue changed the subject back to her leg. That was fine with her she supposed, it had been past five chimes already. She smiled softly at the obvious improvement in the wound's condition, and after Lixue had wrapped it, trying to remember everything she said, she gingerly rose and put her weight on the foot. The pain was there, but it was more of a numb throb then the pang that she had felt this morning when rising from bed. She walked around a bit. Then nodded and sat back down.

"Feels fine actually."

She cocked her head to the side.

"If I may. Perhaps you could stay in the hospital for a few days, move a cot in here or something instead of using your desk." Sliver was not the most observant creature, but depending on how long the doctor had been in the room there were really no other places for one to sleep. "I understand your need for work, but you look like a Nuit who needs a new body, and believe me, I've seen plenty of them. You should sleep and eat something, nightmares or no you're going to have to go to bed eventually."

She smirked at her little joke, hoping she hadn't been too blunt. She waited for any last instructions, looking eagerly at the jar of honey and vaguely wondering exactly how one paid at the White Vine Healing Center.

by **Lixue** on November 8th, 2012, 11:48 pm

informationI'm okay with stopping it here. We can assume Seiled overtook the appointment.

Lixue accepted the woman's statement of staying at the hospital. In fact, when her cheek had been lined from sleeping on her desk, Lixue had given the idea of bringing a cot into her office. Her patients could not always be sitting on a chair, especially if they were not conscious. If a patient lay down for an inspection, Lixue had nowhere to have the individual do so. A patient with a head injury should not be sitting up on a chair they could easily fall out of if they were to pass out. If such an instance were to happen, only bad could come of it. Besides, even if Lixue did not plan to sleep in her office anymore, she could keep a cot in there just in case she was working a late shift or did not want to go home.

"A... Newt?" Lixue was not fluent in the races and had no idea what a Nuit was. Though, judging from the way the Kelvic mentioned needing a new body, Lixue was not certain if she did want to know. On the other hand, perhaps she could learn of the race and avoid them? Noting the way the Kelvic's eyes lit up after her sentence, Lixue could only assume it was meant to be a joke. Even though she did not understand, Lixue was polite enough to force a smile across her lips. Maybe once she knew what a Nuit was, Lixue would be able to comprehend the joke. Then again, maybe it was just not that funny and the Kelvic's humor tastes were different than her own.

Lixue opened her mouth to begin explaining the instructions necessary for proper care of the injury, but did not manage to even squeak out a word before her office door opened without warning. The door tapped against the back of Lixue's chair and, incidentally, swung her around to face whoever had interrupted the appointment. The man who had interrupted them wore a tight expression and the hand that gripped the door was clenched. Curly hair skirted his shoulders and was highlighted by dark amber. Today, he day old stubble hanging on his face in the shape of a beard and mustache. Thin lips were pursed and masculine eyebrows were furrowed. Rich orange swirled in his eyes. "Doctor Lixue, may I have a moment?"

Lixue nodded, and turned to her patient. "Excuse me," she murmured. "Have a seat again. I recommend going over how the bandage is wrapped, so you can do it later. When I return, we will go over how you should care for your wound." When Lixue stood, Seiled's height became apparent. He towered over Lixue's petite four foot nine frame with his own five foot nine height. Lixue stepped past him, shoulder brushing against his suede jacket in the tight space. Without even a glance at Sliver, Seiled shut the door quietly. Almost too quietly.

The first thing Lixue noticed was that no one was around in the hallway. During a busy day, where was everyone? The second was that Seiled was not as intimidating as he believed himself to be. Sure, he had his height to add to his advantage, but other than that, Lixue was not frightened. She had faced down feral Jamoura with more intimidation factor than him. An exaggeration for certain, but one that Lixue held.

Besides, Lixue was plain tired. Her emotions were pulled taut and her patience worn thin. But, Lixue would attempt to hold her tongue. Not because she feared him or feared losing her job, but out of respect.

Seiled wasted no time before biting into Lixue. His words were low, in case any passersby would happen to see the pair. "You dared come into my medical center when you were aware of your emotional state." It was not a question. "Even as you were aware of your emotional and physical state, you still chose to come and work." Still, no questions. "You are emotionally unstable and physically exhausted." Gee, was it that apparent? "You are a risk to the patients!"

Here, Lixue stiffened. Pale lips pursed in a futile attempt to hold back her anger. She lasted only a few ticks before the words erupted, in the same fierce, quiet tone Seiled had used. "I am not a danger to the patients, nor do you have any right to say so! My work is efficient and thorough. I do not make mistakes." Well, maybe sometimes. "I have been here since before you were even here and you run the medical center. What does that say, Doctor Seiled? My morning has been full of appointments and taking cases. I have not stopped moving all day," except once, "nor I have had any complaints! If you think-"

Seiled broke in, effectively cutting off Lixue's words. "You have not made a mistake, yet. Yet. Your body is ready to collapse and, judging from your reaction currently, you are barely stable in your emotions. Even the smallest choice when the mind is shot can be biased, clouding your rationalization. I will not have you running around my hospital when you cannot even concentrate on standing up, much less how to properly handle a patient! You are going to-"

Lixue took a step closer, unconsciously trying to intimidate him. "You may be my supervisor, Seiled Whitevine, but you are not me. You do not know how my mind is like at this specific tick in time, nor do you know what my body needs. Do not, I repeat, do not," Lixue stressed the words, "tell me what I do or do not need to do based on my needs. Again, you do not know my needs. You do not have any right to tell me I am going to make a mistake when I have done nothing to make you think so! If you have the audacity to accuse me of a mistake I have not even committed yet, I worry about your sanity and biased decision-making."

Someone walked past the pair, glanced over and stared. Neither one noticed how close together they were or how their hushed arguing looked more like shared secrets. The individual's lips curved up at the thought of spreading such juicy gossip and he hurried away down the hall.

Seiled was tense and looked down his nose at Lixue, not a difficult task to do. "You want proof? There are bags bluer than the midnight sky under your eyes." How romantic. "You are nearly translucent and you are wobbly on your feet." Simply because her cane was back in her office. "Your hair looks like you took a roll in the Frostfawn Stables with an Icewatch Member!" Ly loved the Frostfawn Stables, it was where he and Lixue were accidentally married. "You are clearly not rational. Instead of coming to me, your supervisor, I had to be told you were not fit for the job by another employee." Seiled's eyes narrowed.

"You can ask my patient! My job was done thoroughly. In fact, you can even check the injury yourself if you are so certain I am making mistakes left and right and putting people at harm. I did not come to you because I did not need to. I am competent enough for work! My mind is here, not elsewhere! Nor will I allow it to be elsewhere!" Had she not just spent the last half a bell keeping it on track? "My physical appearance can be fixed!"

"Can you fix your emotional appearance as well?" was the snappy reply.

"How many times must I tell you before you get the idea, Doctor Seiled? My mind is intact and perfectly able to function! Now yours I question. You interrupt my appointment instead of waiting until I was finished-" Seiled bit out a tough sentence to swallow about how he would not leave a patient with her any longer than necessary, "-and you accuse me of being mentally unstable. You have the audacity to claim I am a risk to the patients and insult my appearance as well!" Seiled's mouth opened and shut. "I have done nothing wrong, nothing to earn this.. anger! Nor will I stand for it! If you will excuse me, I have a patient to look after..."

Seiled moved to intersect Lixue when she went to shift around him and reenter the office. Lixue sighed heavily and took a step back, knowing he was not about to move without physical force. And Lixue was too tired to try and move him. Instead, she crossed her arms (more so he would not see her hands shaking) over her chest and waited. It did not take long.

"You are not going back into that office. Your patient is now mine. And though you may claim otherwise, I still believe you are not fit for the job today." A pause as Seiled's gaze softened. Lixue did not notice, she was studying the way his shoes shined. "Go home and get some rest, Lixue. Take a couple days off. We will still be here when you get back."

by **Valkyrie** on November 13th, 2012, 8:06 pm

Sliver :

Lixue :

You Will Be Collected if Worthy

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.

Closed Drown in the Now (Lixue)