Day 4 | Morning | The Infirmary

[Laila Bridger]

Fuck. This.

She started looking.

Oh, she did her best to be quiet about it, but... well.

The infirmary wasn't that big.

[Kiran Alsahar]

"I have developed a therapy since Duke Atreides mandated research into the barra fern and ailar. You will receive related instruction and medication. However, the root cause of dependency is the changes in neural architecture and requires mental re-conditioning, so it depends on the individual. My wife Wanna is a Bene Gesserit. I have seen their techniques being effective in this regard." He perhaps knew more than he let on. Or maybe not. "In your case, I cannot ascertain the strain you have been exposed to. It puts limits on what effects can be expected from my current therapy, but this is an ongoing research."

Kiran considered what he said as well as they could in the moment and nodded.

Fuck. This.

She started looking.

Oh, she did her best to be quiet about it, but... well.

The infirmary wasn't that big.

"Laila," they croaked. "You got a second?"

[Laila Bridger]

"Laila," they croaked. "You got a second?"

At the familiar- especially with the rasping- voice, Laila looked over sharply, her expression shifting from agitated near-frenzy to patent relief, before settling back into milder concern.

She did her best to keep her voice low- but she also made a beeline for the Muadh, settling into a sort of crouch beside their bed... and trying not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"Hey, stranger! What's the word? Gonna take Duncan whale-watching this afternoon?"

[Kiran Alsahar]

At the familiar- especially with the rasping- voice, Laila looked over sharply, her expression shifting from agitated near-frenzy to patent relief, before settling back into milder concern.

She did her best to keep her voice low- but she also made a beeline for the Muadh, settling into a sort of crouch beside their bed... and trying not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"Hey, stranger! What's the word? Gonna take Duncan whale-watching this afternoon?"

Kiran laughed at that, then coughed. "Well, depends on how I'm feeling by then, but definitely in my future plans. For now, though, apparently I need to rewire my brain and Bene Gesserit stuff can help. You know what I mean, right?"

[Laila Bridger]

Kiran laughed at that, then coughed. "Well, depends on how I'm feeling by then, but definitely in my future plans. For now, though, apparently I need to rewire my brain and Bene Gesserit stuff can help. You know what I mean, right?"

"A bit..."

Laila frowned. Somehow, she felt like she sort of understood the Bene Gesserit better than she had before.

"I think your brain's better than mine, being honest. But yeah, they've got some tricks that aren'tjust tricks. What can I do to help?"

[Kiran Alsahar]

"A bit..."

Laila frowned. Somehow, she felt like she sort of understood the Bene Gesserit better than she had before.

"I think your brain's better than mine, being honest. But yeah, they've got some tricks that aren'tjust tricks. What can Ido to help?"

Kiran grit their teeth and pushed themselves into a sitting position, holding out their hand. "It's not exactly a ceremonial occasion, but I think it would help to acknowledge what we know through repetition."

[Laila Bridger]

Kiran grit their teeth and pushed themselves into a sitting position, holding out their hand. "It's not exactly a ceremonial occasion, but I think it would help to acknowledge what we know through repetition."

"Okay, but there's something I'd like to ask you."

She took their hand, and gave it a squeeze.

"But later."

[Kiran Alsahar]

Kiran smiled through the pain. "Ask."

[Laila Bridger]

Kiran smiled through the pain. "Ask."

Laila blinked, flushed, and then cleared her throat.

"My family- my parents, my siblings... they died on Ecaz in the war. I was... could I... would you call me your sister?"

[Kiran Alsahar]

Kiran pulled Laila down, into a careful hug. "Only if you call me your sibling, too. I always wanted a sister."

[Laila Bridger]

Kiran pulled Laila down, into a careful hug. "Only if you call me your sibling, too. I always wanted a sister."

Laila shed a couple of tears then, and returned the hug... carefully.

"Deal."

[Kiran Alsahar]

Laila shed a couple of tears then, and returned the hug... carefully.

"Deal."

It seemed like the moment. Kiran pulled back and looked up at her, murmuring softly and sincerely, "I am a Bene Gesserit. I exist only to serve. I stand in the sacred human presence. As I do now, so should you stand some day. I pray to your presence that this be so. Let the future remain uncertain for that is the canvas to receive our desires. Thus the human condition faces its perpetual tabula rasa. We possess no more than this moment where we dedicate ourselves continuously to the sacred presence we share and create."

[Laila Bridger]

It seemed like the moment. Kiran pulled back and looked up at her, murmuring softly and sincerely, "I am a Bene Gesserit. I exist only to serve. I stand in the sacred human presence. As I do now, so should you stand some day. I pray to your presence that this be so. Let the future remain uncertain for that is the canvas to receive our desires. Thus the human condition faces its perpetual tabula rasa. We possess no more than this moment where we dedicate ourselves continuously to the sacred presence we share and create."

And somehow, she knew the oath too.

Laila matched her sibling word for word, her eyes a bit wide as the credo came out.

When they finished, she was staring.

"I know that oath. How the hell do I know it?"

[Kiran Alsahar]

And somehow, she knew the oath too.

Laila matched her sibling word for word, her eyes a bit wide as the credo came out.

When they finished, she was staring.

"I know that oath. How the hell do I know it?"

"Probably whatever we saw in the ailar. It still connects us to ourselves and the world, even with how Marek twisted it," they mused, shaking their head. "It's our oath now. Right now, it just... felt like I could understand it better." They smiled and nodded over to where Laila had been before. "I'm not the only one you need to see right now, though, right? Go on, we can talk later."

[Laila Bridger]

"Probably whatever we saw in the ailar. It still connects us to ourselves and the world, even with how Marek twisted it," they mused, shaking their head. "It's our oath now. Right now, it just... felt like I could understand it better." They smiled and nodded over to where Laila had been before. "I'm not the only one you need to see right now, though, right? Go on, we can talk later."

Laila hugged Kiran again.

"Any time. Anything I can do, you let me know."

She paused, biting her lip.

"I just hope..."

I just hope he's alive and he hasn'... changed his mind, or...

"... I hope we can all get together in a bit. Be nice to... just relax."

She smiled, nodded, and took her leave of her new family member.

[Kannon]

Yueh had moved to attend to Xard Vim who had just awakened too so he most likely didn't hear the momentous conversation. Duncan was already absent from the infirmary, as was Paul and Razar, whom the sweep teams had retrieved from the battlefield in the valley. As Ambrose had witnessed, their condition hadn't proved serious enough to keep them away from their immediate obligations longer.

[Laila Bridger]

"Laila?"

There.

There he was.

Laila covered her mouth with her hand when she saw how badly he'd been shot up, but her mind was also racing with the good news.

He was alive, he didn't seem to have any head trauma, and he was getting the full Suk Doctor treatment.

He's ALIVE, ALIVEALIVEALIVEALIVE

She moved over to his bedside, not quite sure how to deal with the different cascade of emotions she was feeling now.

She settled for taking one of his hands in hers as she grabbed a seat beside him.

[Hadrian Martikova]

At some point Hadrian drifted away once more.

In his dream he found himself at home. His office in the barn more specifically. Where during the dormant season he'd make plans, draw up maps, and graph out the years expectations. Then starting in spring it would transition to a repository for receipts, statements, balance sheets, what have you.

And given the current state of his desk, it was safe to say that they were well into sewing season. But why was he inside? He shook his head and turned back to the table. 'Oh,' he thought, 'that's right. This was that time.'

His father stormed into the room. "I told you to plant the new strain on the hill you little fool!" The elder Martikova yelled.

"I took it into consideration." Hadrian had said with slight regard.

"When I speak you do not consider, you act! The air is better, the water drainage-"

"-is non-existent..." Hadrian cut him off, "...it's a hazard, the soil is too rocky. I'm going to engineer a solution for it, but it won't be ready until next season. In the meantime I found a better place over here." He pointed on the map.

His father looked at him incredulously. "A hazard? No, for years we planted there. Then the vine stopped producing and we decided to give the soil rest. But it has since had ample time to recover."

"Dad... it is a miracle there hasn't already been-"

His mind flashed back to blood and mud. A hill collapsing in the distance as he limps back towards his brother. Lydia's perch now ablaze with rocket fire.

"-... uhhh, already..." his train of thought evaporated like smoke, and he struggled to even recall the shape of it. "I... what was I saying? It retains..."

"Retains?" His father asked.

"I..." His mind flashed a few more times back to the jungle. "...too much, uhh, water. It needs, better... ummm."

His father stared. "Yes...?"

He shook his head in a vain attempt to reorganize his thoughts. "I..." He moved to straighten his mustache but recoiled at the state of his hands. Looking at them he found them stained with blood. He frantically wiped them on his pants. "Uhhh, I... look, I think we should..."

His father sighed, seemingly unaffected by the blood. "You see son? That's your problem. You think you know better than everyone else! And what did that get you, huh?"

The question infuriated Hadrian. "I've kept this family out of debt old man! And where have you been? Hmmm? Piddling away our finances on stupid shit!" He gave up trying to wipe away the blood. "Do you have any idea what I've had to do keep us above water? I-"

His mind flashed back to a vision of fortifications and mercenaries. Himself standing above them, shotgun in hand, barrel smoking after a recent discharge. Beneath him a man gurgles as blood fills his lungs. His chest is torn open and his eyes gradually start to dim. But there's no time to think about that. Hadrian levels his shotgun at the next person...

"Hadrian!" His father demanded from the other end of the barrel, "What are you doing?!"

"I... I'm not... I wasn't..." the gun fired and he screamed.

She settled for taking one of his hands in hers as she grabbed a seat beside him.

He gasped as he came to again. His eyes shooting open fully this time. Body trembling, shallow breathing, and eyes darting around the room he eventually found her. And once he did he began to calm. A small smile forming as his gaze softened.

"Hey..."

He managed, his voice barely audible.

[Laila Bridger]

He gasped as he came to again. His eyes shooting open fully this time. Body trembling, shallow breathing, and eyes darting around the room he eventually found her. And once he did he began to calm. A small smile forming as his gaze softened.

"Hey..."

When he gasped, she sat upright, alert, ready to scream at Yueh if he'd taken any sort of turn...

But no.

No.

She had the odd sensation of smiling while her eyes welled up with tears.

"Hey, you."

She gave his hand a squeeze.

"We seem to end up in the nicest places together, don't we?"

[Cuyler Gray]

Slowly, Cuyler sat up and took a real look around her. Her breathing was ragged and painful still, a mixture of the poison and bruised ribs. She should go back to sleep. But, she hadn't really limited herself to things she should do over the past few days.