[63] [action]

[silversnowfall]

[Enjoying your hot day, Luceti?

Nephry isn't. Nephry isn't enjoying much of anything really. They've left her just a few feet away from the fountain this afternoon. She's barely even conscious, let alone coherent enough to try alerting someone that she's back. And really, she's not doing well in the heat.

At least, in such a well-traveled place, it probably won't be too long before someone finds her.]

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[distressedude]

[Ion had just been on his way home from the library when he sees Nephry laying on the ground and has to double-take. His heart skips a beat as he drops the books he'd been carrying and quickly kneels down by her side.]

Nephry? Nephry, are you all right? Can you hear me?

[silversnowfall]

[Now, now, be kind to your library books.

Nephry can hear him. It's a battle she's losing to try to get her eyes to stay open, and to talk to him.]

[distressedude]

[Nephry's safety is far more important than a couple of books. Nephry's lack of a response is concerning; what did the Malnosso do to her? She doesn't look injured... it could just be the drugs in her system. Either way, he couldn't just leave her on the ground.]

[He goes to reach for his journal and sends a very quick message before setting it aside and trying to help Nephry into a sitting position.] Nephry? Just hold on a little bit longer, all right?

[its-rose-damnit.livejournal.com]

[It's very quickly that Dist gets the alert. He's been checking his journal more frequently in hopes of hearing from Nephry, but Ion's message rang out loud and clear. Thankfully, he was close by at the smithy, gathering materials, but he's long since abandoned that to rush to the aid of his friend.

Dist arrived flustered, and worried to his wits end. Why did she always return injured, or with something wrong with her?! Those two-bit bastards...he'd never forgive them if the damage would be irreparable!]

Fon Master--Nephry! [He kneels by her side, immediately checking for signs of injury. She looked all right, but her heart rate was through the roof, and her temperature was well above average.]

[silversnowfall]

[she looks unhurt because she is, essentially. Perhaps they do it because, unlike most of the other residents of Luceti, she lives a pretty ordinary life outside of it.

She can't respond to him, either, though she wants to. Ion helping her to sit up a little hasn't changed much either. At least she's doing better at keeping her eyes open, even if they're so sunken that she looks even worse]

[distressedude]

Dist, thank goodness. [He's grateful he showed up so quickly; Ion knows he wouldn't have been able to help Nephry on his own. Not when she looked as weak as she did right now. He turns back to her.]

Nephry? Do you think you can stand with a little help? We need to get you to the clinic...

[its-rose-damnit.livejournal.com]

Wait a moment, Fon Master.

[Dist removes a clean handkerchief from his person and drops it into the water of the fountain, taking it and wringing it out. He'll finally place the damp and cool cloth on Nephry's forehead, in an attempt to lower her body temperature.]

The clinic's facilities are not near good enough for this. Nehry's suffering from severe heat exhaustion and dehydration... We need to get her into the shade immediately, and when she's stable, she's to be taken to the battledome's medical facilities as soon as possible.

[He begin to remove a bit of Nephry's excess clothing, just to get some of that extra weight off her and keep her from heating up further. In normal circumstances, Dist would freak out over doing such a thing, or even thinking it, but his conscience is on hold at the moment. Nephry's health takes priority.]

[distressedude]

The battledome? [That was a bit farther, but... if it would be better for Nephry, they could do it.]

All right. Will you need help lifting her? [Since obviously Dist is the one doing it here. Thankfully there were a few trees nearby with plenty of shade under them; moving her there shouldn't prove difficult.]

[its-rose-damnit.livejournal.com]

That won't be necessary.

[Dist isn't a weakling, contrast to popular belief. He has carried Nephry before, and she was actually relatively light compared to the heavy metals and parts he usually had to carry and piece together to make his fonbots. Far lighter.

Dist scoops Nephry up, mumbling a quiet apology for jostling her - if he did, and takes her into the shade. She should drink something, to rehydrate herself. As he sets her down on the much cooler grass, Dist looks up to Ion.]

Do you think you could find something cool for her to drink, Fon Master? Cool, not cold, otherwise it'll do more harm than good.

[silversnowfall]

[She hardly notices being picked up and moved. The cool water on her forehead does feel good, and being in the shade means she no longer feels the need to squint against the sun.

But, just as she really can't talk or move around, the chances of her being with it enough to drink something are very small.]

[distressedude]

[Ion follows as Dist carries her into the shade, looking for any possible reaction or sign that was she all right. His eyes don't leave her for a moment, even when Dist speaks to him. He glances back at Dist and nods before hurrying off to find something. It was a good thing they were in the plaza...]

[In minutes, he's back with a bottle of water, chilled only from being stored in a shady place rather than refrigerated, so it wouldn't be too cold. He holds it out for Dist, not even trying to mask his concern right now.]

[its-rose-damnit.livejournal.com]

[All the while Ion was gone, Dist had been taking Nephry's pulse and mentally making notes of what that was, along with her temperature. He's in full work mode, and everything he knew and relearned about human biology and medicine was at the forefront of his mind. Perhaps that was why he barely acknowledged Ion when he returned, and snatched up the bottle without a word. Pleasantries would have to come later.

He carefully propped Nephry up into his arms, one arm around her shoulders, and tried to get her attention. He could always just soak her with the water if she didn't drink, but he did was her to take in something of what he had. He dripped a bit of the water on her lips, trying to encourage her to begin drinking, or at least open her mouth.]

[silversnowfall]

[She can't.

It's not that she isn't trying. The shift between awareness and not, in her mind, makes her just cogent enough to know that there's water there, she could drink it if only she could gather the wherewithal to drink it.

She wants to she wants to she wants to. And she can't. Can't even express her frustration at being unable - the most she manages is one ragged breath, which turns into a short cough.]

[subethical.livejournal.com]

[Oh my. Finding your sister sprawled out in the middle of the plaza never bodes well. Even less so when said sister looks lethargic and barely conscious. Silently, he places a hand to Nephry's neck, trying to draw any conclusions about her state in the quickest manner possible. Her temperature was running high, and despite the heat, she didn't seem to be sweating much, her mouth looked dry. Dehydration, perhaps? Jade frowned slightly. To have Nephry returned in this state was entirely unacceptable.

But any lingering thoughts containing ridiculous notions of anger or retaliation could be put aside until a time when her health was no longer an immediate concern. Jade slipped a hand beneath her neck to support her head, the other beneath her shoulders to gently lift her into a sitting position.]

I assume you have no objections if I offer my assistance.

[silversnowfall]

[Jade. It's Jade. ...For a moment she thinks she must be imagining things. But there's no strength in her at all when he sits her up. She barely has the energy to open her eyes and try to look at him.

Objections? Hardly. She takes an almost-long-enough breath in an attempt to talk to him...and nothing happens.]

[subethical.livejournal.com]

[Jade's frown disappeared into a thin line, considering. Firstly, they had to get her out of the sun, and preferably get some water into her system. However, he wasn't certain to what extent or how urgently it was required, and somehow he doubted she would be able to tell him in her condition.]

I think we've spent enough time chatting, don't you? [Being the only eligible candidate around, Jade lifts her, fully intending to carry her off and straight into a clinic. However, he hesitates at the sight of the fountain. It wasn't exactly the cleanest of sources, but water was water, and there was certainly nothing in the water that could cause her any more harm.]

[silversnowfall]

[if the fountain weren't in the full sunlight, it might be a better choice. Jade is better off with the battledome clinic. They work fast and should be able to handle how serioud this is.

Because it is indeed serious. In a few minutes she's going to lose consciousness altogether. He's carrying her - he can probably feel her heart racing]

[subethical.livejournal.com]

[Indeed he can feel her heart racing, and having your body stuck in such at such a high temperature for a long period of time could be largely damaging. Throwing all musings aside, Jade makes a bee-line for the battledome's capable medical facility.

Still, it was quite a way to travel. It was irritating that they'd dropped her so far from it, considering her condition was the result of their meddling.]

[silversnowfall]

[Irritating and probably just as they planned. Sometimes it seems like they're not just testing their kidnap victims, but the people around who react to them.

When they arrive at the battledome's hospital, Nephry is well and truly unconscious and even Jade won't be allowed in the room once they start treating her. ...Of course, they'll ask him to describe what happened. If he identifies himself as her brother, he may be let in sooner than others would have, by virtue of being related.]

[subethical.livejournal.com]

[Jade gives them a quick and thorough explanation, however, there wasn't much for him to tell. She'd been kidnapped, and returned severely dehydrated to the plaza. What had happened to her in her absence was something Nephry would have to tell them herself, if she could even recall. He does, in fact, inform the staff that he is her brother, but only when asked. He wasn't intending on leaving until he was sure of her condition--Not that they would have been able to force him to leave, of course.

That said, Jade waits outside her room rather obediently, leaving her treatment to those with more expertise. But the longer he waited, the more agitated he became, although visibly his demeanor didn't change by much. To entertain himself, he familiarized himself with the clinic and it's equipment, or at least the parts he was allowed access to. While he was sitting around, he might as well file away any useful information for later, just in case this little incident chose to repeat itself.]

[silversnowfall]

[Even with the siblinghood, it will be an hour or two before they decide she's doing well enough that a visitor won't accidentally witness a catastrophe.

She's asleep when they do let him in, hooked up to monitors and fluids but looking better, anyway. If he asks, they'll tell him that she has been awake, briefly, but couldn't tell them anything useful about the kidnapping. ...So he may still be bored. But at least he has confirmation that they don't think anything else will happen to her.]

[subethical.livejournal.com]

[Bored, perhaps, but at least while inside the room he can observe her condition for himself, rather than having to sit and guess.

He positions himself in a chair set aside in the corner, where he crosses his legs and waits for a time. He wasn't going to wake her, rest was a necessity for a proper recovery, but sitting staring at a blank wall had him ill at ease.]

[silversnowfall]

[He can watch the monitors instead, if he wants. Not that they're doing anything exciting, either, but at least it's better than a wall. And as a bonus, they'll let him know when she starts to wake up.

...Which is about now. It isn't a slow transition in the least; her eyes open all at once and she doesn't appear to know where she is, or what might be going on.]

[subethical.livejournal.com]

Ah, good. She wakes. [It's said about as flippantly as if he was commenting on the weather, but at least he sounds cheerful enough. Alerting her to a familiar presence might relax her a little, or jerk her in focus long enough for her to get her barrings. He didn't want her panicking and pulling out all her drips and such, after all.]

Did you enjoy your nap? [As if anyone could truly enjoy it after what she'd been put through today...]

[silversnowfall]

Jade?

[that was the most cracked and quiet version of his name she has ever said. Even though the dehydration issue has been solved, she hadn't been able to drink any water. There's a desert living in her throat.

She was building up to just such a panic, though, and that voice stopped it cold. There's no being disoriented or worked up around her brother. It takes her some time to find him in the room, given he's not really near the bed and she's still trying to place herself.]