Some Family Reunion This Is! (C'olt/Tara/Any)

[Kendrall]

It never once crossed his mind that there was a family member - albeit extended family - now present at Nova.

C'olt was preoccupied with his thoughts while tending to one of the weyrfolk in the Infirmary, cleaning and dressing several wounds the patient suffered from a fall. Fortunately for the patient, none of his bones were broken. Unfortunately for C'olt, even though he had managed to smooth things over with Lyrensa and Kia - a result of that stunt he pulled by seducing them both and leading them into a rather wet, steamy, intimate session in one of the heated baths - there was something that prevented him from fully engaging in his work. No, it wasn't the fact Kia and Lyrensa were both with child by him. It wasn't how he managed to keep the peace between two pregnant women whose emotions were out of control at any given moment. Nor was it how much the three had enjoyed each other that afternoon, that they were truly free to explore; even though C'olt wound up doing most of the satisfying, heeding Kia's and Lyrensa's commands as if he were a slave. Not even Aromath, his beloved Green, had any inkling of what disturbed her bonded so, in spite of her best efforts.

It wasn't any of that at all. What was it?

Is something wrong, Mine? You seem...distant. As if you're not quite there.[/color]

The Healer merely shook his head in response. No, I'm here, love. I knew what you meant by your question, though. It's just...

Just what? Have you asked Merequith's or Brigith's for advice?[/color]

C'olt wasn't entirely sure if he should bring in Kia or Lyrensa in on the conversation. But if this sensation kept distracting him from his work, the last thing he needed was to accidentally wound one of his patients, aggravating their condition. I suppose it wouldn't hurt, love. It's almost as if...well, I was thinking about the last time I've seen anyone from my family. My mother or father, for instance. Or any of my aunts, uncles, or cousins.

Do you miss them? Have you not told them the wondrous news, that Merequith's and Brigith's are with child? That you're about to become a father?[/color] Aromath was a bit inquisitive, alright. Perhaps a bit too nosy. But she had always been a bit on the naive side, and that was one of her endearing traits C'olt loved about her. He had to silently chuckle at the query. No, love. I haven't sent word to them about Kia and Lyrensa. I'm just not certain how to break the news to them, let alone how to handle the ladies' parents. They'll probably put it down to flightlust or something, I hope.

Do you know if any of your family are here?[/color] That last question brought a spark of clarity to the Healer's mind. What if someone from his family was here at Nova?

I...I'm not sure, Aromath. I guess I'll have to make some inquiries after I finish up here in the Infirmary.

Meanwhile...

(TAG: Tara - then open to any other character)

[Jammi]

Tara still wasn't too sure she was meant to be here. Sure she had a few friends both in her candidate lessons and out in the beast pens, but what was friends when one was used to having family near by? As the Rukbat set every night, Tara's nagging sense of homesickness grew stronger. Was Aaran and Papa doing okay with out her there to tend the herds? Was Mama still crying at night because of what Uncle had done? Had any one told Fiara of what happened or that her cousin wasn't living at home any more?

Normally Tara was able to keep such thoughts locked away in a tight box until night fall, but today the beast healer had received a letter from home. Nothing major, just news on what bovines were calving this next season, who was seeing who, and other gossip from home. What little it actually contained about her family's well-being was enough to set Tara back a few weeks to the first few days of being so far away.

Now when someone gets distracted like Tara was, it should come as no great surprise that accidents can happen. All it would take was one heart beat of distraction, one excitable canine, and one misplaced rock. Since all three pieces of the puzzle was in place, no one around Tara wasn't expecting something to happen. One heart beat the short-haired teen was standing tall and proud gazing off towards where home would be, the next Tara was sprawled out flat on her back. Well not entirely flat. In an attempt to catch herself as she fell backwards, Tara's right arm managed to become lodged between her small frame and the aforementioned rock. Now the fall hadn't been high enough, nor with enough force to break the bones of the girl's forearm. It did however have enough force to bruise a good portion as well as split the tanned skin of her arm. Hissing in pain Tara wondered just how lucky the fall had been, or if the accident was a precursor to more misdeeds to come. Well there's only one way to find out if there's bad news, and that's to go find a healer.

So after wrapping her headscarf around the slowly oozing wound, Tara made her way to the crowded Infirmary. As a beast-healer herself, she knew the wound wasn't too life threatening, so the girl settled in for a good wait. Since she had time, and wasn't planning on going any where until after the wound had been looked at, Tara used her good hand to pull out her mother's letter once more. Sure the hide had been read several times and was now bearing quite a few creases, the love and connection between the scrawled handwriting and the girl reading the words was enough to block out the pain now slowly entering the tomboy's world.

[Kendrall]

His long blonde hair tucked securely under his green cap, with the few strands of loose hair framed around his face, C'olt had finished his rounds in the Infirmary. He was making his way towards the waiting area to bring the next patient to the back when he noticed a wiry, slender girl with cropped hair and brown eyes. The Healer's trained eye took note of fabric wrapped tightly around an arm, the fabric becoming dampened with fluid and most likely blood. Her one hand held a scrap of hide parchment, presumably a letter. C'olt shrugged. The personal note wasn't any of his business. Tending to his patient was. Although oddly enough, she seemed slightly familiar. Supposedly it would be found out soon enough, whatever "it" was. C'olt cleared his throat to get the girl's attention, then waved her on back to one of the rooms. "Next!"

While waiting for his patient to comply with his request, C'olt gave the girl a brief once-over with his eyes. She certainly wasn't terrible-looking, perhaps a bit on the homely side...defintely a tomboy if the Healer was any judge. But there was something about the girl that gave him pause. Where had he seen her before? Unwrapping the fabric, C'olt winced at the sight of the wound, then turned to look the girl in her eyes. "I'm C'olt, one of the Healers. Nice to meet you. Anyway, this wound doesn't look too terrible," he started his usual spiel as he reached for some fresh yarrow leaves, "but mind if I ask how this happened, er...?" Realizing he never caught the girl's name, he simply shut his mouth and tried not to blush from sheer embarrassment. Had WeyrHealer Tess or any of his fellow Healers been present, surely they would have given him a hard time about it.

[Jammi]

Tara had to glance around when the healer called "Next!" to see if it was really her turn. The shock of her fall was starting to fade and the pain was steadily growing, something the healer in the girl knew was a good thing. If nothing else it meant she didn't have nerve-damage. So after folding her much-loved missive back into a smaller form and tucking it away, Tara stood to follow the older male. A bit wobbly on her feet, Tara was glad no one was around to comment on it. After settling onto a stool she held her injured arm out for inspection.

Tara winced as the cloth came away from the fresh wound, but tried to mask the pain with a small smile. "C'olt huh? I had a cousin back home we called Colt... Mine's Tara by the way. As for the arm it got caught between a rock and hard place. Or rather my back and a rock," She said with a self-teasing grin. "I know it's not broken 'cause I can move the fingers, but I don't like the look of the bruise..." She trailed off with a hiss of pain as she attempted to show how much her fingers could wiggle.

[Kendrall]

C'olt started to apply the yarrow leaves, nodding as the girl started to speak...then he looked up as her words started to sink in. I had a cousin back home we called Colt. He didn't really pay much more attention after that, especially as the girl - Tara - started to wiggle her fingers to prove that her arm wasn't broken. It took him all of a few moments to realize that this was his cousin; albeit a distant one, but a relative nonetheless. C'olt tried to keep surprise from showing on his face, but his eyes gave him away. "Tara? Could it be my own cousin Tara has been Searched and is a Candidate?" He tried to peer into her eyes, searching them, then he slowly stood back and a grin came to his lips. "Faranth, it is you. It's me, Colthan! Well, C'olt now that I Impressed not long ago. I haven't seen you in, well, turns! How are you? How is everyone back home at..." He had to think for a moment. "Green Valley Hold?" C'olt then realized he was forgetting his bedside manners, and blushing returned to his work, removing the yarrow leaves and now applying a salve made from witch hazel.

The Healer worked quickly as was his usual custom, but made sure to wrap the wound in clean dressing before securing it. Nodding, C'olt took a step back and looked at his cousin. "You should be fine now, just be sure to come back in a few days and see me so I can change the dressing. Now then, before I turn you loose...would it bother you to spend some quality time with a family member?"

[Jammi]

Tara's eyes lit with a painful grin as she nodded, "Searched not really, but yes I am a Candidate. Mama sent me here after.... well after things changed at home. It's good to see you again, C'olt. Mama said I had family here, but she couldn't remember who. We've got such a large one ya know," She said with a wiry grin as he finished dressing her wounds. A small nod came as he reminded her that she would have to have it all check again in a few days. "Normal stuff. I can change it myself if ya get too busy cousin. I wouldn't mind spending time with ya either, but mind I'm not as hale as I usual am."

A quizzical look came to her eyes as she tilted her head and asked, "My question is why didn't you check up on me sooner. Surely someone sent word I was coming. Or did Mama forget again?" Shaking her short hair in clear amusement at her mother's forgetful mind she added hastily, "Let me guess. You never got the note. No wonder Ma didn't ask about you in any of her letters."

[Kendrall]

C'olt perched himself on the stool next to his cousin, and playfully punched her in the shoulder. "Not as hale as usual? We'll have to work on that, I suppose. But it's good to see you too. As for why I didn't check up on you sooner, no, I never got any note that you were coming. How is Aunt Mara anyway?" Although Tara's mother, Mara, was actually his mother's own cousin, C'olt had always referred to the farmer's wife as his aunt. "What about Uncle Trey and the others? Aaran? Reyma? Fiara?" C'olt had always had an affinity for Fiara, often teasing the girl by tugging on her braids when they were younger. That same affection was likewise felt for Tara, but it was more of a sibilng-type relation to him. Realizing he was probably peppering his cousin with too many questions as usual, he settled for a sheepish grin on his face to allow the apprentice beasthealer to catch up.

Only then would he explain his side of the story, how he had fared since his days as a Candidate. "You probably remembered how much of a tease I was while growing up. I hate to say it, but..." he grinned. "I haven't grown out of that phase at all. Although I'll be the first to admit it's gotten me into more trouble than I can count." C'olt shook his head ruefully. "Spending my time at the Craft Complex, chasing the pretty girls, winding up under the furs with a few of them...it's nothing short of a miracle that I didn't father any children during my studies." The Healer blushed at a certain thought, and he knew his cousin would quiz him until she got a straight answer. Clearing his throat, he continued. "But all that changed when I was Searched. I got lucky, you see; I was still in quarantine when I was allowed to Stand at the Hatching. But you'll never believe what I Impressed to." Practically leaping off the stool, C'olt landed neatly on his two feet and reached a hand over to help his cousin. "Come on. I'll introduce you to my pride and joy. Then I'll introduce you to two of my closest friends, Kia and Lyrensa. Just, uh...just don't say anything when you see them." He winced as those very words escaped his mouth, and he knew it would only add to Tara's inquisitiveness.