Chapter 22: It's not her fault
While Daniel was sleeping, Varielle was talking. And talking. And talking. After about twelve hours Doctor Virrenna finally barged in.
"This is beyond enough," he said. "Right now I'm using my medical veto. You will not pester this young lady for a minimum of three days; we have tests to run and she needs sleep very very badly. Varielle, how much sleep have you had in the last ten days? Not counting a healing trance."
She had to stop and work it out. "About two hours a night, average."
"See? Right. You vultures, scarper. Go on. Beat it. Shoo. Depart. Now!" It was like watching birds scatter before a lumbering ground animal.
"Thank you very much," Varielle said.
"They've got no bloody right to keep you standing that long. You should have been in a hospital bed hours ago. Come on, scram! We'll get you down for a nap while we do the blood-work. We've already started on your friend."
"Oh, no, who translated?"
"He's managing."
"I'd better talk to him."
"Didn't you just hear me? I said you need to sleep."
"I should explain things to him first."
"No way."
"Yes, I… oh, dear."
"What's wrong? He's cooperating…"
"And looks as miserable as a drowned kitten. Excuse me." She walked intently over to Daniel, sitting forlornly on a hospital bed. "Did my brother leave you alone here?"
"He had duties."
"When the Admiral tells you to get someone settled, that's a duty. I'll talk to him later. Are you alright?"
"I'm not sure what they want," he admitted.
Varielle looked at the waiting doctor expectantly. The doctor explained.
"They need a urine sample," Varielle said.
"What on Earth for?"
"I'm almost afraid to ask." She swapped languages. "What do you use the urine sample for?"
"To, ah, check for drugs…"
"You think he's high?"
"No! To look for chemicals, to analyse…"
"Is it anything you can't get from the blood samples?"
"No, but…"
"Then don't. He's essentially an ambassador to a foreign power. Don't make him piss in a cup, alright? Anything else? No. Good. Scarper." The doctor scarpered.
Doctor Virrenna shook his head. "That doesn't get you off the hook, you know."
"I know. When do the Jedi get here?"
"In six hours, but…"
"Then I'll be up in five. And don't you dare sedate me. I've got to be there to greet them. And here," she scrawled a message on a datapad as fast as she could. "Please make sure the Admiral gets this," she said to one of the guards. "Preferably within the hour."
"Right."
"Now, will someone tell me who told you to jump like crickets when I say jump?" She said, hands on her hips. "Normally I get about as much authority as a week-dead haddock."
Looks were exchanged. No one said anything.
"Maybe it's your good looks," Virrenna said and it was clear he was joking.
"Virrenna…"
"Look, it's…" The doctor sighed. "You were a Paduin before, just a student, an apprentice. Now you're the only survivor of our best team. Everyone's jumpy."
"What, they think it was my fault?"
"No… well, yes. Some of them. But…"
Varielle turned away. "Forget I asked." She lay down on the bed, facing the wall, and was dead to the world in an instant.
"It wasn't her fault," Daniel said softly. "She lost her father. Don't ever tell her that it was her fault."
While Daniel was sleeping, Varielle was talking. And talking. And talking. After about twelve hours Doctor Virrenna finally barged in.
"This is beyond enough," he said. "Right now I'm using my medical veto. You will not pester this young lady for a minimum of three days; we have tests to run and she needs sleep very very badly. Varielle, how much sleep have you had in the last ten days? Not counting a healing trance."
She had to stop and work it out. "About two hours a night, average."
"See? Right. You vultures, scarper. Go on. Beat it. Shoo. Depart. Now!" It was like watching birds scatter before a lumbering ground animal.
"Thank you very much," Varielle said.
"They've got no bloody right to keep you standing that long. You should have been in a hospital bed hours ago. Come on, scram! We'll get you down for a nap while we do the blood-work. We've already started on your friend."
"Oh, no, who translated?"
"He's managing."
"I'd better talk to him."
"Didn't you just hear me? I said you need to sleep."
"I should explain things to him first."
"No way."
"Yes, I… oh, dear."
"What's wrong? He's cooperating…"
"And looks as miserable as a drowned kitten. Excuse me." She walked intently over to Daniel, sitting forlornly on a hospital bed. "Did my brother leave you alone here?"
"He had duties."
"When the Admiral tells you to get someone settled, that's a duty. I'll talk to him later. Are you alright?"
"I'm not sure what they want," he admitted.
Varielle looked at the waiting doctor expectantly. The doctor explained.
"They need a urine sample," Varielle said.
"What on Earth for?"
"I'm almost afraid to ask." She swapped languages. "What do you use the urine sample for?"
"To, ah, check for drugs…"
"You think he's high?"
"No! To look for chemicals, to analyse…"
"Is it anything you can't get from the blood samples?"
"No, but…"
"Then don't. He's essentially an ambassador to a foreign power. Don't make him piss in a cup, alright? Anything else? No. Good. Scarper." The doctor scarpered.
Doctor Virrenna shook his head. "That doesn't get you off the hook, you know."
"I know. When do the Jedi get here?"
"In six hours, but…"
"Then I'll be up in five. And don't you dare sedate me. I've got to be there to greet them. And here," she scrawled a message on a datapad as fast as she could. "Please make sure the Admiral gets this," she said to one of the guards. "Preferably within the hour."
"Right."
"Now, will someone tell me who told you to jump like crickets when I say jump?" She said, hands on her hips. "Normally I get about as much authority as a week-dead haddock."
Looks were exchanged. No one said anything.
"Maybe it's your good looks," Virrenna said and it was clear he was joking.
"Virrenna…"
"Look, it's…" The doctor sighed. "You were a Paduin before, just a student, an apprentice. Now you're the only survivor of our best team. Everyone's jumpy."
"What, they think it was my fault?"
"No… well, yes. Some of them. But…"
Varielle turned away. "Forget I asked." She lay down on the bed, facing the wall, and was dead to the world in an instant.
"It wasn't her fault," Daniel said softly. "She lost her father. Don't ever tell her that it was her fault."