A Meeting of Minds (Miralyn)

[Claire Lexi'lya]

Early Morning | 27th of Spring

Riverfall was still a complete maze to her.

Claire had been within the city for almost a month… and she still had trouble finding her way from the boarding house to the medical center. It shouldn’t have been so difficult really since the city streets did not move like the ones she was used to. But unlike Alvadas, the streets would not rearrange themselves to eventually lead her in the right direction. Of course, there had been many times where Claire had spent days in a row with Elma with the prediction that getting back to work the next day wouldn’t happen. One would think traipsing back and forth every day to work would eventually settle into their mind.

The morning had started off easy enough. The Kelvic hadn’t been sleeping well as of late and so she turned to the very thing she always did. Work. On some level, the raptor knew it wasn’t entirely healthy. She should have been trying to learn the city, or perhaps make a friend or two. Someone she could lean on like she had with Elma. The old woman didn’t really so much talk as she did mutter in Isur now and then that Claire talked too much. Elma wasn’t one for much affection, but the Kelvic knew she was listening—the old woman had too much heart to hide.

The building towered over her as the raptor tilted her head back to stare up at it. The mere presence of the medical center brought a calm to her, a center that she didn’t always feel. Medicine usually brought that for her when everything else failed. Despite the rapid heartbeat in her chest, the flush on her cheeks, and the shallow breaths coming from her lungs, Claire felt at home. It didn’t matter how long it took her to find her work or the fact that she still got lost nearly every time she stepped out of her rented room. There was a place for her.

Well… mostly.

There was still that empty spot in her that not even medicine could fill. The one that every Kelvic had. She had yet to fill that niche in her life. There was no amount of wild imagination she held that could fill that very idea either. So for the moment she could only cling to the medical center and let her wings spread from there. Riverfall was a city of many beauties, and the Kelvic had no doubt that she would eventually discover more beyond the walls of her self-made sanctuary. She just had to find them.

Letting out a deep winded sigh, Claire pushed her hair back from her face and stepped into the medical center. Most of the staff that worked on the first floor was used to her already, and the Kelvic made her way to the front desk. She smiled brightly as she sidled up next to one of the male Akalak, leaning over his shoulder to look at some of the paperwork strewn out in front of him. “Anything interesting today?”

He let out a small snort, shaking his head before turning in his chair to look up at her. “It’s still early in the morning. I’m sure someone will show up in need of stitches eventually, but we have a few in need of some basic check-ups.” He sorted through the paperwork for a moment before tapping the third page he came across.

“Take your pick, or you can wait and see if anyone comes in. By the way…” Claire huffed and shoved his shoulder lightly with an eye roll. The Kelvic knew what was going to come out of his mouth—the same thing that always came out of his mouth. “No, I’ll wait. And the answer is still no. But thanks for the persistence.” Claire glued a fake sugary smile on her face before stepping to the other side of the desk. He’d keep asking if she let him.

Common | Isur

[Miralyn]

Miralyn
”Kontinese" | ”Common Tongue" | ”Fratava"

Miralyn had put off these appointments for a long time. She hated going to the doctors, she didn’t want someone judging her the way they would for the way she’d been eating, or for the paleness of her skin or the shallowness of her cheeks. Some days, when she was feeling particularly ill she thought dark things like ‘Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if this baby didn’t live’. This was a thought which was always followed by imence regret and a harsh self-loathing. She really needed to talk to someone about this, she knew it wasn’t healthy to keep it to her self. But her small collection of friends where ever so far away and she didn’t have anyone she called friend here in Riverfal. Well apart from her cat and her father maybe. Her cat wasn’t really much for advise and she couldn’t burden her father. Yesterday she had done the dreaded thing and booked herself an appointment. Today she was going in, a smidge early to see whoever was there to judge her and scold her for her destructive habits.

Miralyn navigated the city streets easily. She couldn’t leave her walking stick behind today, she wasn’t feeling well enough. As a matter of fact should someone say hello to her right now they might only receive hostility back. When she made it to the place of healing she had to stand outside for a moment, leant back against the outside wall just getting a hold of her breathing, which was shallow and rapid. It took her a few minutes, but once she was ready, she plastered on a calm look and stepped into the building. Behind the counter was her first big obstacle of the day. She felt a gut wrenching feeling inside of her when she looked at the young woman behind the front desk. At first she couldn’t place the feeling, but it didn’t take her eyes long to find the mark which had been burned off of her own hand on the young lady’s face. Miralyn looked down at her own hand then, and a sinking feeling came over her. She had forgotten to cover her scar. How could she have possibly left the house without her gloves?

She folded her right hand over the ugly scar on her left. She wanted to run but the woman marked by her goddess had seen her and it’d be too awkward and rude to leave now. Fighting the urge to hyperventilate again, she approached the counter. “Hello, I’m… I’m ‘ere to have a checkup” She told the woman, and patted her stomach “I’ve just wanted to check if… my baby’d doing okay.” She explained, clenching her left hand rather forcefully to keep her emotional state in check and stop the panic from taking over her. This was something she was used to doing so pretty soon she was able to get it under wraps “Oh my name is Miralyn, I’m a little early… so.” She trailed off. The whole time she hadn’t managed to make proper eye contact with Rak’keli’s disciple. She felt like the Godess herself was watching with same at the present and former pupil. There was such a weight on her chest that breathing normally really was a valiant effort.




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[Claire Lexi'lya]

The moment the Kelvic came around the desk, her eyes landed on a woman standing before it. The female was young and pale, though her sharp eyes easily picked up the detail of scales across what skin she could see. A Konti—if she had her race correct. There were several of them in Riverfall, though she had yet to truly interact with any of them. The woman seemed almost nervous, however, slightly stumbling over words and pausing occasionally as she stated she was present for a check up. A pregnancy check up at that.

The male Akalak began to shuffle through some of the paperwork, probably to find the list of appointments, but Claire just knocked on the wood of the table with her knuckles and shook her head. “It’s alright. I’ll help her.” The girl shot the Konti as gentle of a smile as she could muster before addressing the Akalak again. “I’m sure if she was a Nakivak they would have ushered her upstairs already. I’ll let someone know if I need assistance.” Before he could respond, the Kelvic turned on her heel and motioned for the woman to follow her.

“There are several quieter rooms down the hall this way.” The eyes of the raptor shot across the body of the woman, picking out the slightest bulge beneath her dress and the cane that accompanied her as well. Claire knew pregnancy often took a lot of women, but part of her couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps her need for a cane wasn’t related at all to her current condition, but perhaps an old injury that the pregnancy affected. Either way, the woman seemed rather frail looking and getting her to sit and rest seemed like a good idea.

Reaching the first door on the left, the Kelvic rapped on the door twice to ensure the room was empty before poking her head in. Satisfied that the room was indeed vacant and clean, she pushed the door completely open and stepped back to gesture lightly to the woman to enter. “This should do nicely. We can do your check up here without extra prying eyes.” The Kelvic stepped into the room following the woman and closed the door. While she waited for the woman to settle, Claire figured now would be the best time to get some history on her newfound patient.

“My name is Claire, though most of the nurses call me Miss Lexi.” The girl kept her tone light and friendly, doing her best to ease any nerves the woman exhibited earlier. There could have been numerous reasons the woman was uncomfortable and the Kelvic wanted to do her best to not be one of them. “I hope I was correct in assuming that you are not a Nakivak. The Akalak are rather protective over their women.” Pulling her hands behind her back, the raptor cocked her head to one side slightly, a rather obvious crossover trait to her bird form—for those that knew of it.

“Might I inquire to your name? Is this your first check up for the baby?”

Common | Isur

[Miralyn]

Miralyn
”Kontinese" | ”Common Tongue" | ”Fratava"

Marilyn couldn't even cover her nervousness with hostility or sarcasm anymore. She couldn't stand seeing other followers of Rak'keli, it made her head swim with memories she'd rather not remember and her heart seethe with poisonous jealousy. The nurse took it upon herself to give Marilyn a checkup and began leading her to a room down the hall after a brief conversation between herself and her coworker. She could feel the ladies eyes looking over her, at her injury, at her walking stick and at her belly. She knew she had come here to be examined, but she still couldn't help feeling nervous. She figured she was about to get told off about her poor health in her pregnant state. She really should be eating more, and sleeping more. She did appreciate this nurse taking her somewhere private. She knew that she must be a good person, she also knew how much she would have instantly liked her back before meeting jack. But she was a different person now than she was.

She quietly followed the nurses instructions and entered the room. She sat down gingerly on the available chair and faced the young woman, giving herself a little pep talk in order to be able to form proper sentences. The Nurse introduced herself and then asked if she had been right in her assumption that she wasn't bearing an akalak's child. Curiously, she finished her question by cocking her head to the side like a dog or a bird would. Marilyn took the time to actually take in the woman she was speaking to rather than just focusing on her mark. "Yes. This child is... Uh... I'm not a Nakivak..." She told the woman in a quiet voice that she seldom used anymore "The father is not around." She added, but didn't add anymore after that. That was all she was willing to say on the subject.

"Marilyn." She said, answering the question promptly then thinking about how she should answer the next. The truth was, no in all the time she'd been back here in Riverfall she had been lying to her father and telling him she was regularly checking up on her health. She'd lied about so many things to her father. She had known doctors back in Zeltivia, and they had spoken to her about her condition plenty but she didn't know if she could truthfully call them check ups in this sense. "First in Riverfall. I travelled here from Zeltivia at the end of last winter. I knew doctors there..." She told her.

She was aware that her answers were short and that she was putting up several walls against the nurse, but she couldn't relax, even around another healer, she could not. She knew this woman could be trusted, Rak'keli wouldn't have chosen her if she couldn't, but there was a mental wall there that she couldn't surpass. She dreaded telling the lady that she didn't actually know when contraception occurred, and therefore just HOW soon she could expect to give birth but she knew the question would come and she wanted to get it over with, so she took a short breath. "I should tell you, I cannot say exactly how far into my pregnancy I am. I expect I am about half way at least now... maybe 2 seasons... half a year... maybe more maybe less..." She shrugged "It was... unplanned." She added and then closed the matter by shutting down conversation about it.


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[Claire Lexi'lya]

The woman seemed short, not in a rude way, but that told Claire pushing the subject was not in her best interest. As much as the Kelvic hated secrets being kept from her—at least when it pertained to the health of those cared for—there was little one could do to get someone to open up. There was a respect she had to give and if the woman was hiding anything she could only hope that it didn’t affect her directly. Or that the information would come to light before harm could befall her or the baby.

“Miralyn.” The Kelvic murmured the name to herself in order to help retain the information. She was notoriously bad at keeping names straight, especially here in the medical center. People moved to and fro so often that Claire rarely saw the same two people. It was completely opposite of the small clinic Elma had run. “Zeltiva. If I remember correctly that’s quite the trip. I imagine the morning sickness on the boat being a nightmare in itself.” The girl avoided mentioning that such a trip left a wide open gap in visits. As she was nervous enough the Kelvic figured harping on her would only make things worse.

The raptor made no comment to the unplanned pregnancy. It wasn’t her job to pass any sort of judgment, but to merely take care of her. Things happened for a reason and the Kelvic understood at least in a basic sense what it meant to be a single mother. She had—after all—witnessed her mother raising her. But the circumstances were entirely different from what Claire could gather and she wasn’t bound to push a topic she very clearly did not wish to discuss.

“I know the room is a little cool, but could you lift your dress? I’m going to need you to lie back so that I can examine your belly. I might be able to give you a better idea—” The Kelvic’s words were cut off as the door opened behind her. Claire whirled around to face a woman she knew to work up on the second floor. Undoubtedly sent by one of the Akalak to ensure the woman wasn’t carrying one of their children. Given how thin Miralyn appeared it would have immediately put them on edge. Doing her best to keep the annoyance off her face, Claire sighed and gently motioned to Miralyn before the woman could ask a question.

“This is Miralyn. She isn’t carrying an Akalak child.” She did her best to make it sound final, though she should have known better. The woman shot her a slight glare before smiling lightly at Miralyn. “Please excuse us for a moment.” Claire got the idea instantly that she was to follow her out of the room and thus gave Miralyn an apologetic smile before ushering out of the room. Once the door was closed the raptor sighed and looked to the healer. “I’m sorry. I don’t feel quite like myself today…”

It wasn’t a lie either. Ever since her run in with the Eypharian over a fortnight ago the Kelvic had been feeling wildly out of sorts. She had an inkling why but refused to accept the terms. The healer reached out and gently rubbed her arm in an attempt to help settle the Kelvic’s emotions and while the motion was appreciated it didn’t really do much to settle her nerves. “I know you’ve done a few assessments with the Nakivak upstairs, but I’d like to observe if you don’t mind? In case anything comes up?” While the idea wasn’t entirely thrilling, the Kelvic had to admit she wasn’t the fittest for this sort of check up. Claire's knowledge was outfitted for damage, not children. Nodding gently she pushed open the door and stepped back into the room with Miralyn, the healer in tow.

“My name is Lensia. I’m one of the healers that care of the Nakivak upstairs. I’m just going to observe and assist as Claire needs. She is very capable of doing your check up, but I have hopes to move her upstairs at some point.” While Lensia was a pleasant woman, Claire was mildly surprised to hear that she might be requested to work a more permanent shift on the Nakivak floor. Shaking her head slightly, the raptor returned her attention fully to Miralyn. “As I was asking before if you could lift your dress and lie back so that I can examine your belly?”

As she waited for the woman to do as she requested the Kelvic thought it might be best to knock off a few questions as well. The thin woman was obviously in need to eat more than she was, but it was best to eliminate any outward causes first. “Has there been anything about the pregnancy that worries you? Bleeding, severe headache, or any other sort of unexplainable pain?”

“Or perhaps your morning sickness is rather acute? You seem terribly thin my dear.” Lensia commented, obviously annoyed that Claire had not asked. The Kelvic, however, felt her own irritation. The question would have come in time, but Lensia did not seem to pick up on the nerves Miralyn presented.

Common | Isur