Disclaimer: Same as last time! Thanks to Ms. Lackey for her wonderful
ideas!
Notes: I'm TRYING to make this chapter long . . .or at least, longer than the last one. Reviews please! Merci ~ Guava
Chapter Five-Healer Berwick
Rianne woke up in her dormitory bed, behind schedule as usual. However, the sun was shining brightly through the window and the sky was a pure blue, and her spirits felt lifted. Until she remembered Herald Mira. She sank back onto the bed; her formerly high spirits sinking ever lower. But despite her grief, she knew that it would not benefit her to be late to lessons. . .she had done that far too many times. She heaved a great sigh as she dressed in her Healer Trainee's robes, cleaned up, and gathered her books.
Rianne trudged despondently along the corridors, her head hanging low. She wasn't sure if she could face an entire day of lessons with this weight on her mind. She also feared that, if she seemed to be tired or unhappy during class, Healer Berwick would take her to task. Again. So Rianne put on a deceptively happy face and walked into class.
She took her place in the back of the room, noticing that the rest of the class was already there. Rianne mentally slapped herself; she knew that the Healer was about to reprimand her again. She closed her eyes, waiting for the stinging words to come out of his mouth. Several seconds passed, and then several more. Rianne opened her eyes apprehensively, and glanced at her teacher. She was astonished to see that he was sitting at his desk and staring off into space, with an undecipherable look in his eyes. This was very unusual. The Healer normally paced to and fro in front of the class, delivering his lecture as soon as the class began. Rianne looked curiously at him for a while, and then transferred her gaze to her fellow Trainees. They were staring at Healer Berwick with the same confused expression she had just been wearing.
One brave (or perhaps he was foolish) fellow spoke up from his seat. "Anything you'd like to share with the class, Healer Berwick?"
Rianne gaped at this . . .sure that the impudent boy would receive a tongue-lashing. Berwick looked up and started, as if he was completely unaware that he was, in fact, supposed to be teaching a class, and that the class was assembled before him. He cleared his throat hurriedly, and fumbled among his belongings for his lesson plan.
An hour later, Rianne gathered her books up again. She stumbled and dropped them all, and spent several minutes collecting them again. Consequently, she was the last one out of the classroom. She prepared to hurry past her teacher's desk, when she stopped in awe. Healer Berwick was sobbing silently into his arms.
Rianne paused, uncertain whether or not she should ignore this sign of weakness in her normally in-control teacher. But her feelings got the better of her, and she put her books down again and moved around the desk. Rianne patted him uncertainly on the shoulder.
"Healer Berwick? Would you like to talk about it?" she asked nervously.
Berwick looked up in surprise, and Rianne was astonished to see him give her a sad little smile through his tears.
He nodded and said, "If you don't mind." Rianne shook her head.
"Well," he said, "it's about Herald Mira. The one who . . ." he choked upon his next word. Rianne patted him comfortingly on the shoulder.
"Healer . . .I miss her too. She was my friend as well."
Berwick jerked his head up to look at her. She nodded, and he grinned at her.
"She was a wonderful person," he said. "I don't know what to do without her."
"I know. Remember her, and remember her being happy. I seem to recall that she was always happy. . .remember that. I think it will boost your spirits a little. That's what I've been trying to do. . .and I think it's really helped. Give it a try . . .ok?"
Berwick nodded gratefully, and his tears seemed to dissipate a little bit. He waved Rianne out the door, and she left him blowing his nose into a cloth. She headed to the Mess Hall, her head full of confused thoughts . . .she had no idea that Berwick was attached to Mira. Well, she sensed that she had made a new friend with the Healer. . .and she was glad.
Notes: I'm TRYING to make this chapter long . . .or at least, longer than the last one. Reviews please! Merci ~ Guava
Chapter Five-Healer Berwick
Rianne woke up in her dormitory bed, behind schedule as usual. However, the sun was shining brightly through the window and the sky was a pure blue, and her spirits felt lifted. Until she remembered Herald Mira. She sank back onto the bed; her formerly high spirits sinking ever lower. But despite her grief, she knew that it would not benefit her to be late to lessons. . .she had done that far too many times. She heaved a great sigh as she dressed in her Healer Trainee's robes, cleaned up, and gathered her books.
Rianne trudged despondently along the corridors, her head hanging low. She wasn't sure if she could face an entire day of lessons with this weight on her mind. She also feared that, if she seemed to be tired or unhappy during class, Healer Berwick would take her to task. Again. So Rianne put on a deceptively happy face and walked into class.
She took her place in the back of the room, noticing that the rest of the class was already there. Rianne mentally slapped herself; she knew that the Healer was about to reprimand her again. She closed her eyes, waiting for the stinging words to come out of his mouth. Several seconds passed, and then several more. Rianne opened her eyes apprehensively, and glanced at her teacher. She was astonished to see that he was sitting at his desk and staring off into space, with an undecipherable look in his eyes. This was very unusual. The Healer normally paced to and fro in front of the class, delivering his lecture as soon as the class began. Rianne looked curiously at him for a while, and then transferred her gaze to her fellow Trainees. They were staring at Healer Berwick with the same confused expression she had just been wearing.
One brave (or perhaps he was foolish) fellow spoke up from his seat. "Anything you'd like to share with the class, Healer Berwick?"
Rianne gaped at this . . .sure that the impudent boy would receive a tongue-lashing. Berwick looked up and started, as if he was completely unaware that he was, in fact, supposed to be teaching a class, and that the class was assembled before him. He cleared his throat hurriedly, and fumbled among his belongings for his lesson plan.
An hour later, Rianne gathered her books up again. She stumbled and dropped them all, and spent several minutes collecting them again. Consequently, she was the last one out of the classroom. She prepared to hurry past her teacher's desk, when she stopped in awe. Healer Berwick was sobbing silently into his arms.
Rianne paused, uncertain whether or not she should ignore this sign of weakness in her normally in-control teacher. But her feelings got the better of her, and she put her books down again and moved around the desk. Rianne patted him uncertainly on the shoulder.
"Healer Berwick? Would you like to talk about it?" she asked nervously.
Berwick looked up in surprise, and Rianne was astonished to see him give her a sad little smile through his tears.
He nodded and said, "If you don't mind." Rianne shook her head.
"Well," he said, "it's about Herald Mira. The one who . . ." he choked upon his next word. Rianne patted him comfortingly on the shoulder.
"Healer . . .I miss her too. She was my friend as well."
Berwick jerked his head up to look at her. She nodded, and he grinned at her.
"She was a wonderful person," he said. "I don't know what to do without her."
"I know. Remember her, and remember her being happy. I seem to recall that she was always happy. . .remember that. I think it will boost your spirits a little. That's what I've been trying to do. . .and I think it's really helped. Give it a try . . .ok?"
Berwick nodded gratefully, and his tears seemed to dissipate a little bit. He waved Rianne out the door, and she left him blowing his nose into a cloth. She headed to the Mess Hall, her head full of confused thoughts . . .she had no idea that Berwick was attached to Mira. Well, she sensed that she had made a new friend with the Healer. . .and she was glad.
