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Title: Before He Soared Rating: G Summary: Short ficlet that takes place within the miniseries, simply "off camera". David falls ill and is sent off to bed. This simply captures the few moments before he falls asleep for a week. Before He Soared
Under the matriarch's orders, the young man David was taken straight to bed to be cared for, healed. His two arms stretched over the shoulders of two helpers as they dragged the heavy form across the main room and down the hall to a spare chamber. The young man's shoes scuffed the floor with lifeless feet making little or no effort to help. "Should we undress the lad?" the first asked as they deposited David on the bed. The second, taking David's arm from around his shoulder, gave a shrug. "Off with his shoes at least." The first replied, while tugging one shoe and sock off, "Yes, at least." He'd crashed into the sea during a storm. He'd been dragged cross the beach to a new world. He'd slept out in the cold night air under half a blanket. He'd been tossed down a strong, cold waterfall. He'd crossed a river. He'd nearly been eaten by mosasaurs. He was now chilled, feverish, ill. Together, the two men managed to get the lad undressed down to undies and his t-shirt, and tucked under covers. He sniffled, tugging the blankets closer around him, hugging them close to his body as it gave a strong, desperate shiver. Burying his face in the folds of one blanket, he took a silent breath in, then shook in place from an oncoming sneeze. "eh-Chuhhh! Heh-Chuhhhh!" He blinked, rubbing his nose with the back of one hand with what little energy he possessed. "Don't suppose you have Kleenex here?" he mumbled. The second shook his head, and offered over a personal handkerchief. "Is this what you mean?" "Close enough." David's eyes were already beginning to close again, and his breath caught in his throat. He twitched his nose, which was tickling, and held the folded handkerchief to his face. "heh-CHUHhhhh! ehh-Chishhh! Heh-Chuhhh!" "Bless you," said the second, and reached down to pull the blankets back in place. David stirred a bit, trying to get comfortable in what was an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar land. His head burned hot, his body was chilled cold. And he felt dampness around him still, even in the warm, dry bed. He clutched the handkerchief tightly, sniffling into it. Everything was foggy from his congestion and his temperature. People moving him about, people moving about him, people talking in hushed voices. Meanwhile, the first looked up to see Karl arrive. "Your brother is badly off. We'll fetch some tea and more blankets." Karl, caught between feeling the normal annoyance toward his brother, guilt for the young man's condition, and something of sympathy crossed with worry, hovered over him a moment, looking down. He had never been a fan of his brother's, barely knew the young man and understood him less. But it had been their fistfight that sent them over the waterfall in the first place; a sort of punishment for fighting in the city, perhaps. He knew he'd never fully agree with the so-called codes of Dinotopia. Above all he wanted to escape, return home to the real world, and though he hated it, David was his last tie to such a world. "You really don't look so good, David." "Wonder why?" he mumbled, closing his eyes. Soft, tired, handsome eyes. It was only seconds later when he had to sneeze again. "Hehhh...heh-Ehchuhhhh! Heh-Chehhhh!" There was no 'bless you' this time, only a dangerous silence, broken by one more sneeze, then the sound of a nose blowing. "hehh-Chuhhhh!" Just as David had been ordered to bed, Karl had been instructed to 'care' for his brother. But that seemed the last thing on Karl's mind at present. Instead, thoughts of Marion were first and foremost. "Look, David, I should go..." David built up his energy enough to roll from his back to his side, hugging the blankets tighter to him. He sniffled, pushing his head deeper into the down pillow. A few more sneezes snuck through before he could say anything else, "ehhh-Keshhhh! Eh-Chushhh!" He blew his nose miserably and closed his eyes again. "No, Karl, please... Just stay until I fall asleep?" As much as he blamed his brother for his ill health, he was family, and family was what you wanted when you felt most ill. Karl reluctantly agreed, sitting down on a cot across from David. "Yeah, sure." With the state David was in, he didn't anticipate that to take very long at all. David sneezed again, weakly, softly into the handkerchief. "ehh-Ihhshhh! heh-Cheshh! Eh-Chuhh!" Then coughed, shivered, snuffled. He wanted rest, he wanted comfort he wanted... "Marion!" Karl leapt to his feat as the beautiful woman turned the corner and entered the small room. "Hullo, Karl. How's David?" She sat down on the very edge of David's bed, as if sitting in air and needing no support at all. She leaned over him, her brown curls dangling to his face. Without waiting for, or perhaps simply not expecting, a reply from Karl, she spoke softly. "You badly need your rest, David. You're safe with us here. We'll look after you." She reached beneath the blankets and placed a hand on his stomach, then one on his forehead. The cuff of her sleeve brushed against his nose, making an already irritating tickle worsen. He pulled away from her touch, turning head and face into the pillow. "ehh-Chumph! huh-chumphh!" When he brought his face out, Marion was there to rub his nose with the handkerchief. "There, I'm sorry. Bless you. Now I want you to sleep." She pressed her hand to his stomach and closed her own eyes. In seconds, David's breathing slowed to heavy, strained breaths through his mouth. "Sleep well, David," she whispered, her lips just an inch from his. "Warm thoughts. Sweet dreams." She paused a moment, as if she would deliver a good night kiss. But instead, Marion rose, keeping an eye on the sleeping young man as she did so. "He'll sleep as long as his body needs," she remarked to Karl. "I want you to make sure he has water when he wakes up, and then some healing tea." Karl nodded, standing as well. "In the meantime, I'd like to take a look around this place." He stuck out his arm and put on a thick grin. "And I could use a guide." Giggling, Marion nodded. "I would be most delighted." She took his arm and the two headed out towards the field and hatchery. |
