Road to Recovery

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname watched anxiously as Raist stood shakily on his own. She was ready to catch him should he look like he was going to fall, but thankfully, he didn't. He hesitated, and she wondered why-it was his idea, after all. He spoke, and a lightbulb went off in her mind. Of course he wouldn't want to lead me-he doesn't know the place well enough! He probably didn't remember much from the night before, so it was doubtful he would know much of the grotto. She nodded and moved to his side, smiling at him. She pressed her shoulder gently against his and began walking very slowly. She suddenly became aware of how close he was. She could smell him intensely from here-actually, he was all she could smell. Her nose had always been more sensitive than others, and when dealing with a scent so close-up, it was hard to smell anything else. She didn't know why, but she felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. She fought it down without success, so just turned her face away.

[Rynn]

Raist smiled back at Maname as she moved up next to him and started to lead him onward at a slow pace. He saw her look away and didn't say anything for several seconds before speaking again, "So how long have you been with Hitoban and her pack? And do you think we could head towards the water entrance of the grotto so I can get a drink?" While he waited for her reply he thought of all the reasons that she would possibly have to look away from him, and he scoffed mentally at himself, but of course there would be a lot of reasons any normal wolf wouldn't look at him. He was far from normal, sure his fur color and eye color were that of a normal wolves, but he was a lot skinnier and frail looking than most other wolves, and on top of that there was his weird hourglass-shaped pupils. There was nothing worth looking at on him, no wolf would even meet his gaze and keep the gaze for very long without looking away, afraid of the difference his eyes held from everyone elses. Sometimes he thought that being unique was a blessing, but in his case, it would always be a curse...he would always be too different to truely fit in anywhere..

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname listened to his question with open ears, glad of the distraction-she used it to clear the blush from her cheeks so she could look at him again. She turned to the left, heading toward the main part of the grotto. It would be a while yet until they got to the pool. Maname looked at Raist, looking into his odd eyes. She couldn't help but stare just a bit-they were odd eyes after all, but not in a bad way. They were unique, and unique was a thing Maname was extremely used to by now. They were enticing, and she couldn't hide the smile they brought to her face. She blushed again, however, and had to look away.

"I would say I've been around about...two and a half years, maybe? You lose track of time around here sometimes. I tend to go by how old the pups are lately. I was around about a year and a half before they were born." She smiled thinking about the pups. They were such wonders to have around the place-brought a touch of youth she hadn't ever seen. They soon arrived at the pool, and Maname waited patiently while Raist took a drink.

[Rynn]

Raist kept walking next to Maname, showing no sign of tiredness or pain so far, and he kept watched her out of his peripheral vision as she turned and looked back at him for a bit before turning away again but not before Raist caught the glimpse of the blush again and her smile. Was it possible that she could actually like him? He pondered this as they walked, but of course as usual he doubted that anyone could like him, and wasn't sure if he even knew how to like someone back. He hadn't been close to anyone since his parents, and they had died a long time ago. Sure Gibari, his adoptive father he had been close to but he didn't actually like/love him, quite frankly he now hated him with every fiber of his being. And with not staying in places for too long he never got attached to anyone, nor did anyone ever get attached to him for the fact that they were always trying to throw him out or kill him. He snapped out of his thoughts as she started speaking, he nodded, "So you've gotten to know the others here pretty well. Guess I'll get around to meeting them and get to know the rest of them one of these days...if I stay around that long..." He mentally kicked himself as he bent his head to drink from pool, he hadn't ment to say that so blutly, he actually wasn't all that sure on if he would even leave, cause what were the chances that he would find another pack that would accept him as easily as this one? not that many he knew, he felt like he belonged here but he had also swore to one day kill Gibari...and if he didn't know where he was at he could possibly be killed before he could get to him. He shook his head to clear the thoughts and he licked some of the water off his maw before turning to Maname with a apologitic look in his eyes showing that he hadn't really ment to say it like he knew he was leaving, "Where to now?" he asked in his usual soft tone.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

As she sat and listened to what Raist was saying, it really sunk in. If he stays around that long...? So he meant to leave in the end. She found she was becoming irrationally angry. After all this pack has done for him, he wants to just leave? She hid her anger well, as usual, and just seemed amiable. She waited in silence while he drank the sweet water, and when he looked at her she tried not to look back. But she was drawn to his face, and looked anyway. He looked scolded-apologetic even-when he asked where they were going next. What is he sorry about? That he's going to leave? It only did a bit to subside her anger, but she smiled through her amiable mask and shrugged. "There's not much to see. There's just this big room, the nursery, and my wing. I suppose we could go peek into the nursery, though there isn't anyone in there right now. Normally the alpha and betas' pups are kept in their nursery-this one is for everyone elses' pups, but no one but Dawn has had any yet." She smiled and nudged him gently around the pool and toward the nursery, which was in the back of the grotto, to the left of the Healers' wing.

[Rynn]

Raist knew he had probably hurt her feelings but he had never been good at saying sorry. The more he thought about leaveing the more he realized that he didn't want to leave this pack, not only because he knew his chances for finding another pack that will accept him were slim and none, but because he felt he owed this pack that much if not more than that, and Gibari would come back to finish what he started sooner or later. He let them walk towards the nursery in silence for a bit before speaking again, "Maname...I think....I'm going to stay here...with the pack, I feel like I owe you all that much for takin me in and patiently dealing with my....illness....and for accepting me for my..differences." He glanced towards her for a few seconds before looking away and continueing, "Besides even if I left here I'm not going to find another pack like this one...All the other packs would see me as too different and outcast me and I'll be right back where I started..." He chuckled and then coughed softly.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

The silence seemed electric-most likely in part for her slight anger, but there was something else. A kind of anxious, nervous energy about it as well. She had always been good at sensing things, and this day was no exception. When he went to speak, she could hear the caution in his words. He was trying to make up for his faux pas, and she appreciated the effort. She listened patiently, which turned into amusement. He stole the thoughts from my head! Though what he was saying was no laughing matter-on the contrary, it made her giddy, despite her normal calm nature-she found she was fighting to keep the laughter inside. Good thing no trace of it leaked out, or he might have thought she was laughing at his declaration that he would stay. She was indeed very glad he was going to stay, but a part of her had hoped for a different reason for his staying. She looked into his eyes, searching to make sure he'd said all he had been thinking. She couldn't tell, not through his eyes.

"No, there really is no other pack like this one. We are unique in our ability to deal with the fantastical." She smiled pleasantly, still searching his eyes for answers.

[Rynn]

Raist chuckled softly as Maname agreed with him on the fact that there wasn't another pack out there like this one, he could spend the rest of his life searching, but he would never find a pack that would accept him as quickly as this. And besides he felt close to these wolves, like he had known them a lot longer than he actually had, and one wolf in particular he felt even closer to than any of the others. He just didn't know how to express it or tell her how he felt...It was hard to do for someone who had never felt close to anyone in his life. And another question was could another wolf even love someone as weak and frail as him....to be a burden to the one he loved...Mates were supposed to protect each other but with his illness that would be hard to do on most occasions but he pushed that thought aside, he would fight anyone that got close to the one he loved sick or no. His mixed emotions flashed across his eyes for several seconds until he realized that Maname was looking at his eyes as if trying to read something from them, so he put a clamp on his emotions and looked away fighting a blush on his face. "Maname...I...uh....you don't mind me stayin here do you? With the pack?" He knew the question sounded silly, and he had wanted to say something else but his courage failed him. And besides he had to know what her thoughts were, he had a feeling that she liked him but he didn't know if it was the love kinda like or the love outta pity kinda like. He continued to walk with her waiting for an answer but soon paused in mid-stride upon having a small shooting pain in his side, he held still for a few seconds before taking a few more cautious steps before a white hot stabbing pain went up his side and stopped right in the middle of his chest and he doubled over with his eyes clenched shut in pain. Another fit? No, this was hurting a hell of a lot more than his normal fits, and he wasn't coughing, he always coughed during his fits, though he always felt alot of pain when he had his coughing fits, so maybe he would start coughing soon and it would be over. He took a few deep but raspy sounding breaths willing the pain away. "Give me a second...I'll be fine in a....few seconds...." he said softly.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname watched the parade of emotions as they went through Raist's eyes. She tried to read them, but they were so mixed it was hard to make any sense of them. Then suddenly, they just stopped-gone completely-and she blinked, surprised. He looked away, and she thought she saw the hint of pink in his cheeks-but she could have been wrong. Finally he spoke, and she didn't really know how to respond. Of course she wanted him to stay, but she didn't want to put herself on the line like that and just outright answer. She started formulating her words as they walked, and just as she was about to respond, he stopped, cringing. Her healer instincts took over, and she watched him as he carefully took a few steps, then stopped and collapsed. She lunged sprang into action, first looking to see what could be wrong. He didn't appear to be having a fit, so it might have been a problem with an infection, or there might be a very trace amount of purple herb left in his system. If this was the case, there were things they could do, but it wasn't toxic any longer, and the best thing was just to wait it out. It would, however, explain the intense pain he was feeling.

As he sat on the floor, she couldn't help but smile inwardly. She had spent a lot of the morning creating something she hadn't realized she needed until yesterday. She tried to calm him by getting close to his ear and whispering, "Don't panic-I'll be right back" I took off toward the supply room and grabbed the sled I'd made. I pulled it back to where Raist was and guided him to it. It was a sheet of bark with a bed on top and a vine to pull it with. Once he was safely on the bed, I pulled it easily back to his room and sat down. "Where's the pain?" If it was in the pit of his stomach, it was probably the purple herb.

[Rynn]

Raist closed his eyes as another shooting pain laced its way up his side and stopped right in the middle of his chest. He heard Maname speak in his ear telling him not to panic and then left. He heard her approache again and opened one eye to see her dragging a sled. He let her guide him onto the sled and remained curled into a slight ball, his breathing had gone from deep ragged breaths to short pants cause the pain was now spreading down his ribs causing him to shorten his breath because of the pain it brought him. When she asked what was hurting he opened his eyes, "Mostly....my chest....but...its starting to spread down my sides..." he winced as another shooting pain wracked his body.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

His chest? Thank the heavens! That meant it wasn't the 99 percent fatal purple herb working its deadly magic in his stomach. That meant there was a chance he would live. She now just had to figure out what exactly was wrong with him and how to fix it. It wasn't a heart attack, or it wouldn't be working its way down his sides. Could it be his curse? She had no idea how to treat that. She leaned in and asked him, just to see if he could help her at all.

"Is it your curse? Could you tell me if there's something I can do to help? I cannot help you unless I know what is wrong with you." Somehow, at the thought of Raist dying, emotions rose up in Maname's chest. She found tears at her eyes, blurring her vision. She blinked them back, wanting her full focus to do her job.

[Rynn]

Another sharp pain went through his body and he winced. Raist nodded at her question, "Yeah..Its part of my curse. Its Gibari...I think he may have went after Rin..." His eyes were kind of distant looking for several seconds as if he was seeing something another pain brought him back to reality, "hes cursed many wolves..and since he doesn't attack most of the ones hes cursed I forgot that this happens to me when he does.." He took a deep shaky breath as the pain started to dull slightly and glanced at Maname only to notice that she looked close to tears. Raist ground his teeth together and slowly stood ignoring the protests of his body and laid his head on her shoulder. "Its alright, I'll be fine. Gibari pulled another hit and run and left Rin injured, but he got injured as well which I'm pretty sure is why my curse reacted so violently..." He kept his head on her shoulder as he talked mostly to comfort her cause he knew how stressful it could be when you couldn't help someone, he'd been there done that, but he also partially stayed like that cause he was starting to get drowzy his body was telling him to sleep off the effects that the pain had caused but he didn't want to sleep. Not yet.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Part of Maname breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it was only his curse. But the rest of her reprimanded her for being relieved. Curses were serious business, and not to be confused with something better than immediate death. But, selfish as it was, she wanted to keep Raist around, though he was in pain. The realization struck her in the face, and she was appalled at herself. She had never thought anything like that about a patient, and it was very bad of her to do so. She watched as his groaning settled and the look of pain eased. She listened to the cause of his pain, only mildly concerned about Rin. She knew it was wrong, but all of her concern was focused on Raist and wouldn't turn to his sister. She was startled to find a rogue tear wiggle free and escape down her cheek, more out of relief than worry now. She blinked back more, hating how she must have looked. She looked away, trying not to show the fear she had harbored only seconds before.

That's why she was so surprised when she felt his head on her shoulder. She almost jumped, but her careful nature allowed her stability. He leaned on her, comforting her, and she felt oddly foolish. He was trying to comfort her, when it should have been the other way around. Still, she felt an odd pull, insisting she rest her own cheek against his. She tried to fight it, but lost in the end. She placed her cheek on his with a small smile, and felt his head begin to get heavier. He must have been exhausted, but he didn't move. She kept waiting for him to move, but he only stood there, leaning on her. Could he have already fallen asleep where he stands? No, he would have fallen. Much to a stranger inner protest, she raised her face from his and moved to help him back to his bed.

"You need to sleep. You must be exhausted."

[Rynn]

Raist smiled softly as he felt Maname place her cheek against his, He was content to stay like that but Maname did have a point when she said that he must be exausted. "Though I really hate to go back to sleep, since I feel it hasn't been that long since I woke up, but you are right, I am quite tired..." He let her guide him back to his bed where he laid down on his stomach with a small sigh, "I wish that my cure would go away and leave me to be a normal wolf for one day, one day and I would be content...But I'm thinking the only way to lift my curse is to kill Gibari..." He shook his head, "But enough dwelling on that, I guess I'll go back to sleep for a little while.." He tilted his head, "I think I do remember hearing Dawn yell down here saying there was some food up there if we were hungry. I don't know if your hungry or not but if you are it might be a good idea to head up there before the pups eat it all." He chuckled slightly before giving a huge yawn.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname sat comfortably in front of Raist, a strange, hollow feeling forming when she relinquished her hold on him. She fought back her feelings and tuned in to what he was saying. Dawn had mentioned food. But she wasn't hungry in the slightest. It seemed Daisuke was making good on his promise to take care of his sisters, because there had been fresh food waiting for her every morning for the past few weeks. If he kept it up, she was going to get pudgy. But she thought he might have been hinting at his own hunger, so she figured she would say something.

"If you're hungry, you need only say so. It's my job to look after you, and that includes feeding you." I gave a small smile at my joke and continued. "If you're hungry, just tell me and I'll fetch you some food." As much as she didn't want to leave his side (for multiple reasons, it seemed), she would do her duty before her own thoughts and feelings. If he was hungry, she would get him food. But she was much more content to stay with him until he fell asleep at least.