60th Ashan, 720
"I'm a'right," she said, calmly and gently. "An' if you ask me one more time, I'm gonna punch you so hard, I'll hurt my knuckles on the inside of the back of yer head." As ever, Vega thought, she was being patient and polite. "An' if you look at me like that again, I'm gonna get grouchy." The healer who was doing his very best to look after her was giving her "that" look - the one which meant that he wanted her to do something differently, to behave in a different way. "Vega, that you're alive is a miracle," he said quietly. "Your body has taken an enormous amount of damage. I really want you to think about..."
Vega glared at him and the young healer faltered slightly, his words stopping. "You want me to think about what?" Vega said. But, being who she was, she didn't give him a chance to answer. "I didn't die, so it's not the worst I've been injured. An' come to that, it's not the worst I've been injured in times when I wasn't dead, too." Logic and she might have parted ways some years ago, but Vega could still bamboozle people with her words. "I know how injured I was because Betty, Billy, Bibbity an' Boo keep comin' in to tell me an' Im still better off'n all the folks who died, aren't I?" He didn't answer and Vega glared some more. "Aren't I?"
"W..well, the thing is, that yes, you are, of course. But your body requires rest, to heal," he said. Vega nodded. "It does. An' it's had it. An' my mind requires somethin' other than your lanky an' scrawny form to interact with. I can't do this, you don't get it." She hadn't remained so still for so long even after her legs had been shattered. She was going a little bit stir-crazy. Of course, that was on top of the almost overwhelming guilt and the mind-numbing boredom. Vega was the sole survivor of what had been dubbed the "Stormwastes Massacre", where everyone she'd gone with had fallen - she'd been able to bring back a corpse of a new kind of creature. But, for all that it had opened up new avenues of exploration, Vega had been horribly injured and she couldn't help the feeling of guilt. She should have been able to help them. To save them. To do something. If there was one thing above all others that Vega hated, it was being - or feeling - useless.
"I'm goin'," she said. Slowly, carefully, she sat on the edge of the bed. "Because there are stupid people doin' a stupid thing. An' I really, really hate stupid." She looked at the young man who was just doing his best and Vega sighed slightly. "Look, I get it. I do. But I've got to do somethin', you know? I've got to try an' save them."
He looked at her and spoke quietly. "It wasn't your fault, Vega. You stopped those creatures from taking Storm's Edge," he said. "And they all knew the risks - the people there with you." Vega looked at him with a thousand colours swirling in her biqaj eyes. "Yeah. An' I hope that gives some comfort to the families of those what died because I weren't fast enough doin' it," she said, and meant it. But then, equally, she meant it when she added, "an' if you try to sympathise with me again, I'm gonna turn you inside out. Now, be a good boy an' help me?"
He sighed and, reluctantly, helped her to pack up her things. "Your healing rate is excellent, but I'd like you to rest for another few trials," he said. Vega considered him calmly and then - suddenly - she grinned. "If all else fails, sunshine, at least you can get a job as a professional nag." He blinked at her and she strapped on her sword belt, then gave him a companionable thump on the shoulder. "I'd hire you."
And, leaving him rubbing his shoulder with a perplexed expression, Vega left.
Vega glared at him and the young healer faltered slightly, his words stopping. "You want me to think about what?" Vega said. But, being who she was, she didn't give him a chance to answer. "I didn't die, so it's not the worst I've been injured. An' come to that, it's not the worst I've been injured in times when I wasn't dead, too." Logic and she might have parted ways some years ago, but Vega could still bamboozle people with her words. "I know how injured I was because Betty, Billy, Bibbity an' Boo keep comin' in to tell me an' Im still better off'n all the folks who died, aren't I?" He didn't answer and Vega glared some more. "Aren't I?"
"W..well, the thing is, that yes, you are, of course. But your body requires rest, to heal," he said. Vega nodded. "It does. An' it's had it. An' my mind requires somethin' other than your lanky an' scrawny form to interact with. I can't do this, you don't get it." She hadn't remained so still for so long even after her legs had been shattered. She was going a little bit stir-crazy. Of course, that was on top of the almost overwhelming guilt and the mind-numbing boredom. Vega was the sole survivor of what had been dubbed the "Stormwastes Massacre", where everyone she'd gone with had fallen - she'd been able to bring back a corpse of a new kind of creature. But, for all that it had opened up new avenues of exploration, Vega had been horribly injured and she couldn't help the feeling of guilt. She should have been able to help them. To save them. To do something. If there was one thing above all others that Vega hated, it was being - or feeling - useless.
"I'm goin'," she said. Slowly, carefully, she sat on the edge of the bed. "Because there are stupid people doin' a stupid thing. An' I really, really hate stupid." She looked at the young man who was just doing his best and Vega sighed slightly. "Look, I get it. I do. But I've got to do somethin', you know? I've got to try an' save them."
He looked at her and spoke quietly. "It wasn't your fault, Vega. You stopped those creatures from taking Storm's Edge," he said. "And they all knew the risks - the people there with you." Vega looked at him with a thousand colours swirling in her biqaj eyes. "Yeah. An' I hope that gives some comfort to the families of those what died because I weren't fast enough doin' it," she said, and meant it. But then, equally, she meant it when she added, "an' if you try to sympathise with me again, I'm gonna turn you inside out. Now, be a good boy an' help me?"
He sighed and, reluctantly, helped her to pack up her things. "Your healing rate is excellent, but I'd like you to rest for another few trials," he said. Vega considered him calmly and then - suddenly - she grinned. "If all else fails, sunshine, at least you can get a job as a professional nag." He blinked at her and she strapped on her sword belt, then gave him a companionable thump on the shoulder. "I'd hire you."
And, leaving him rubbing his shoulder with a perplexed expression, Vega left.
