Post by wordy on Aug 11, 2009 11:37:22 GMT 10
Title: Try A Little Tenderness
Rating: G
Prompt: Healing #5
Summary: Neal and Alanna, the fiery duo, in action. ;D
“No, you’re doing it wrong.”
Neal clenched his fists and tried taking a deep breath. When they had told him working with the Lioness would be difficult, he hadn’t thought that he’d be sick of her by the third day.
Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop and Olau was surprisingly patient when teaching him. He’d heard rumours of her legendary temper, and was a bit disgruntled when she refused to get angry about anything. For the past day, they had been knee-deep in mud in this titchy little village about a mile from the Swoop. Neal’s knight mistress was still the picture of knightly virtue; calm and patient, while his own temper was slipping by the minute.
“Fine,” he replied with gritted teeth, “What am I doing wrong?”
She stood up and walked away, toward another corner of the room. The sick and injured moved aside to make a path for her. Neal had no choice but to follow.
Alanna stopped in front of a little girl who wore a dirty grey shift. Neal could see that the there was something wrong with the child’s ankle, and it was mottled with bruises.
The Lioness looked at him. “Well, go on,” she said.
Neal crouched down by the girl, reaching for her ankle as he gathered his Gift. Before his hand had even touched her skin, his knight mistress’s clipped voice came from above.
“Wrong.”
He could feel a headache coming on. The little girl merely looked at him.
“What,” he asked, trying to control his temper, “What am I doing wrong?”
Alanna pushed by him and crouched down in front of the girl. She didn’t touch her or reach for her ankle, but whispered quietly to her. Neal tried to edge closer and hear what was being said, but Alanna’s back blocked him out. He hardly looked away for a second, but when he turned back, the little girl was hopping onto Alanna’s lap, and he could make out the bright violet Gift collecting at his knight mistress’s fingertips.
Not half an hour later, Alanna was finally finished. She moved the now drowsy child from her lap and back into her corner, careful not to bump her ankle.
Neal folded his arms.
“That,” Alanna said, “Is how it’s done.”
He followed her as she mad her way back across the room, seeking out another patient.
“But, what did you do?” he asked her, “Why was I wrong?”
She turned to him with a frown. He took a step back. The Lioness’s temper must be truly terrifying if a frown could turn his bones to water, he thought.
“You have to make an effort—“
“I was making an effort!”
She held up a hand, silencing him. “You have to care. Talk to your patient. Ask them about themselves, and ask them what’s wrong. Treat them like people.”
“But I thought—“
“That you were treating them like people? Please, Neal, you hardly even looked at them! If I let you loose around here, sure, people would get healed, but they wouldn’t thank you for it! They’d think you were just doing your job, and that you resented it.”
Neal thought about what she said. Had he really been doing that? He would have turned into one of those healers, and he wouldn’t even have noticed.
Alanna was looking at him, waiting for a reply.
“Fine,” he sighed, “Show me again.”
Rating: G
Prompt: Healing #5
Summary: Neal and Alanna, the fiery duo, in action. ;D
“No, you’re doing it wrong.”
Neal clenched his fists and tried taking a deep breath. When they had told him working with the Lioness would be difficult, he hadn’t thought that he’d be sick of her by the third day.
Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop and Olau was surprisingly patient when teaching him. He’d heard rumours of her legendary temper, and was a bit disgruntled when she refused to get angry about anything. For the past day, they had been knee-deep in mud in this titchy little village about a mile from the Swoop. Neal’s knight mistress was still the picture of knightly virtue; calm and patient, while his own temper was slipping by the minute.
“Fine,” he replied with gritted teeth, “What am I doing wrong?”
She stood up and walked away, toward another corner of the room. The sick and injured moved aside to make a path for her. Neal had no choice but to follow.
Alanna stopped in front of a little girl who wore a dirty grey shift. Neal could see that the there was something wrong with the child’s ankle, and it was mottled with bruises.
The Lioness looked at him. “Well, go on,” she said.
Neal crouched down by the girl, reaching for her ankle as he gathered his Gift. Before his hand had even touched her skin, his knight mistress’s clipped voice came from above.
“Wrong.”
He could feel a headache coming on. The little girl merely looked at him.
“What,” he asked, trying to control his temper, “What am I doing wrong?”
Alanna pushed by him and crouched down in front of the girl. She didn’t touch her or reach for her ankle, but whispered quietly to her. Neal tried to edge closer and hear what was being said, but Alanna’s back blocked him out. He hardly looked away for a second, but when he turned back, the little girl was hopping onto Alanna’s lap, and he could make out the bright violet Gift collecting at his knight mistress’s fingertips.
Not half an hour later, Alanna was finally finished. She moved the now drowsy child from her lap and back into her corner, careful not to bump her ankle.
Neal folded his arms.
“That,” Alanna said, “Is how it’s done.”
He followed her as she mad her way back across the room, seeking out another patient.
“But, what did you do?” he asked her, “Why was I wrong?”
She turned to him with a frown. He took a step back. The Lioness’s temper must be truly terrifying if a frown could turn his bones to water, he thought.
“You have to make an effort—“
“I was making an effort!”
She held up a hand, silencing him. “You have to care. Talk to your patient. Ask them about themselves, and ask them what’s wrong. Treat them like people.”
“But I thought—“
“That you were treating them like people? Please, Neal, you hardly even looked at them! If I let you loose around here, sure, people would get healed, but they wouldn’t thank you for it! They’d think you were just doing your job, and that you resented it.”
Neal thought about what she said. Had he really been doing that? He would have turned into one of those healers, and he wouldn’t even have noticed.
Alanna was looking at him, waiting for a reply.
“Fine,” he sighed, “Show me again.”
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!