The Undecided

[The Skarzs]

  Abbot Gerard sat up stiff in his chair, and Elijah's folded paws gripped tight visibly.
  "You're certain?" asked Gerard.
  "You wanna look for yerself?" asked Darrin, looking at some Redwallers who were staring at him, wondering what was going on. "It's not something I'd make up."
  Gerad looked to Elijah. "What should we do?"
  "Word will get around quickly, but we don't want a panic," said the otter, standing up. "Let me make sure all the gates are locked, and get some able-bodied beasts up on the walls. Father Abbot, give me a moment before you tell everyone." With that, Elijah strode out of Cavern Hole and outside the building.
  Darrin watched the otter, then turned to the abbot. "I'm . . . sorry."
  "Don't just stand there and be miserable, then!" said Gerard sharply. "Go help!"

[Cornflower MM]

Rowan pulled something in a jar out of the cabinet and sniffed it. She sneezed and put it back. "Where did she put it?!" She grumbled to herself, still digging in the cabinet. "What? Raleigh? Nah, she wouldn't. She's very honourable. Why do you keep asking about her, anyway?" Rowan asked distractedly. "Aha! Here's the valerian."

[Ashleg]

"Hic--well, she's Raleigh...Y'know. Erm..." Twisty coughed into his coat sleeve.
"Honorable and pretty, then."

[Cornflower MM]

Rowan headed back over to Twisty, "Ah, I see." A knowing glint twinkled in her eye. "You like a pretty face, do you? Now, this is valerian. It's usually used as a sleep aid, but I want you to spread this salve over your paw. It should serve to relax the muscles." She set the jar down, and went back to the cabinet. "Let's see, what else could we do?"

[Ashleg]

"It smells funny," Twisty remarked, dabbing a claw in.
He eyed Rowan suspiciously as he rubbed the mixture over his paw.
"Y'know, I don't see how this'll help...especially with Hacklaw out there. But you don't seem scared! Ha, that's what they say about Woodlanders, stupidly brave..."

[Cornflower MM]

"Yeah valerian smells terrible, but it washes off. Mostly." Rowan commented, giving up her search in the cabinet. "I don't think we'll need to heat your paw, though, unless you want to." She shrugged at Twisty's last statement, "Well, your paw is something you want to fix, right? Worrying and stressing over Hacklaw won't help that. And besides, he won't get through the Abbey walls."

[Dannflower Reguba]

       "Better to be a fool with a heart than a genius with no friends." Raleigh had just barely heard Twisty's last couple of statements. It had taken her quite some time to figure out Twisty's location, and only because somebeast had told her that Rowan had come in with a rush, and left in like manner with food for two. The infirmary sister had sought out another assistant before making her way up. She was surprised to find out that Rowan was, indeed, working on the rat's paw, but that was certainly convenient. "Good morning Rowan, bit of a late start  again today? And trying to work me out of a job I see," she said with a cheeky half smile, "I heard you haven't had breakfast yet, if you would be so kind as to tell what you've found out then you can go ahead and take a break." Raleigh gave the other squirrel a sympathetic look, knowing all too well how frustrating some of these vermin could be. It was only now that she realized that Twisty's glove was off, giving her a first actual glimpse at the problem, "Oh dear, that's quite the injury you've got there!"

OOC: I apologize as I realize I'll be slowing you guys down (and you're doing so well too), but I feel that a rather significant portion of time has passed.

[Ashleg]

Twisty's heart thumped into his head.
"Move--hic--outta the way, Rowan, she'll take it from 'ere!" the rat squealed, pupils contracting as he locked eyes on Raleigh.
Hacklaw (and, unfortunately, Rowan) were both long gone from his mind. Right now...this was all that mattered.
Twisty fell to babbling and trying to hide his crooked paw under his coat.
"It's not that bad, really, not an injury, I've 'ad it since I was jus' a tiny thing. That squirrel there, she's jus' startin' off! I'm sure you could take it from here...right? Right? Can--will you?"

[The Skarzs]

  Darrin ran out of the abbey building and mounted the walls, where Elijah and some other younger creatures stood, with some real, and makeshift, weapons. The ferret could see some of them visibly shaking as they watched the horde get closer.
  It was definitely Hacklaw; his bulk stood out in front of the rest of the group. Darrin cursed the stoat's stubbornness.
  "What're you planning," he muttered. "This place could stand a siege for seasons."

[Cornflower MM]

Rowan's tail puffed up in indignation. Of course Twisty didn't want her, lowly old Rowan, to work on his paw when Perfect Raleigh could. "Why, Raleigh, I've got all the food I need right here. I did stay up rather late washing all those bandages and sheets, though, thank you so much for waking me up or helping with the work." She smiled sweetly at the squirrel, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"The nerves in his paw are about half dead - From disuse, I'd say. I'm confident he could gain near full use of his paw with exercise therapy. I got out the valerian salve and had him smear it on his paw. I don't think heat treatment necessary to start loosening the muscles. Now, since Twisty oh-so-obviously prefers you treat him, I'll be on my way." Rowan turned, swishing her tail angrily and picking up the still-heaping tray. She had never really had a chance to help someone on her own - She'd always been the assistant. There were occasions she'd helped with treatment, of course, but there'd always been some other beast to get all the credit. (Rowan firmly insisted that splinters and the like did not count.) My one chance to prove myself as capable as Raleigh. But no, she's got to barge in. Rowan thought resentfully, marching towards the door.

[Dannflower Reguba]

       "Oh dear, of all the possible times she could start acting up, it had to be now." Raleigh sighed inwardly, but was careful not to let it show. She'd already been caught off guard when Twisty started responding before she'd even finished her statement, and now Rowan was acting passive aggressive. Raleigh turned back to Rowan, with an earnestly caring expression, "Thank you for the information Rowan, if you need to go be sure to send somebeast else up. But if even half of what I suspect is going on under this rat's skin is correct, I would really appreciate your help when you're rested." She liked the other squirrel, Rowan was both handy and diligent in the Infirmary, though she was prone to something akin to a temperamental mood swing. She left the decision to her colleague with one last pleading glance before addressing the patient, "Not that bad? I'll have to check your head next, that paw looks like it has grown in wrong!.. But I'll need to see it to be sure, and I'm afraid that it's going to hurt. Think you can stick it out?"

[Ashleg]

Twisty smirked as he eagerly stuck his paw out.
Well, what was the worst Raleigh could do? Get him with the needle? He barely thought about it, for he couldn't--this rat was drunk on feeling.
"I can't believe Rowan's mad at ye," he mused aloud. "That's-hic-absurd!"

Stupid he and his earlier chugging of the strawberry fizz.

[Cornflower MM]

Rowan turned again, extremely tempted to throw a scone at Raleigh's head. "Need to go? You're kicking me out! Again!" Rowan almost stamped her foot, but caught herself. No one takes anybeast who stamps their paws seriously. Especially when they're being so patronizing! Rowan glared at Twisty, "If you don't know anything about the situation, it's better to your mouth shut. Now take a deep breath and hold it to get rid of those hiccups." She snapped at him.
She turned back to Raleigh, "You'd appreciate my help? If only you really meant that. You just want me to run around and fetch things and don't touch the patient, Rowan, you might mess something up! I know almost as much as you do about herbs, but no one takes me seriously because of you, Miss Perfect Raleigh who can do no wrong! Don't deny it, either, it's true. Well, find someone else to run and fetch and carry for you. I'm sick of it!" Rowan turned back around, still balancing her tray, and left, slamming the door behind her.

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Strange, from the little bit she knew of Twisty, being so quick to listen about something unpleasant didn't seem to fit. Then he did it, the rat opened his mouth and Raleigh closed her eyes in defeat as Rowan exploded. She was surprised with how personal her fellow sister's tirade was, and right in front of a patient and another infirmary helper! She let her eyes open again, sadly, just as the angry squirrel behind her made the accusation. Rowan's words were obviously being driven by a significant amount of pent up emotions, but they cut deep all the same, "If I was perfect, I wouldn't need help in the first place." She whirled around, grasping at anything she could think of to calm down who she thought of as a friend, "Row-BANG!..... an." Her ears drooped noticeably as her gaze locked on the still vibrating infirmary door.

       Raleigh's sigh was audible this time, shaking her head with the sound as she made her way to the patient. She washed her hands and nodded her thanks to the brother that had brought the washstand closer to the work space. Forcing herself to set aside her personal quandary for the moment, she addressed the problem at hand with the small bit of a smile that she could muster, "Alright Twisty, let's have a look and see if we can't figure out exactly what's going on in here." She ever so gently raised his wrist, getting a real good look at every aspect of the paw and arm in question, "I'm going to press in a touch now alright, let me know if it hurts or how it feels okay?" Raleigh pressed in softly from above on the hand, but didn't get close enough to the wrist to cause any pain. This pressure was to test the subject to see if he was honest, or was going to pull the standard dibbun crocodile tears tactic. She looked into Twisty's eyes to see how he would react facially. All former desires to question the rat about Hacklaw were long forgotten.

OOC: Gosh darn it you guys! It's sooo good! I can't keep up with y'all on frequency of post OR quality?! OH HOW I'VE MISSED THIS!

[Ashleg]

OOC-
Heh.
IC-
Twisty's fur was still prickling even after Rowan had made her leave.
He would never have imagined the squirrelmaid to be so tense, especially with Raleigh. Weren't the two squirrels supposed to be friends?
Was Rowan mad at him as well?
Whatever the case, the rat decided that he could care less about it. He squinted his eyes when Raleigh took her seat in front of him again and began inspecting his paw.

"Feels great," Twisty giggled, that crooked little grin of his curling on his snout.

Truth be told, he could feel nothing in his paw, although he was more than happy to hold eyes with the Sister.