Room 328 [Copacabana Palace, afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

Ben was back at the window, staring out at the ocean and trying to find some calm. He and Ender had called Karla over, and while Ben trusted her absolutely when it came to healing (he wouldn't have had her help with Ender otherwise) and he wasn't afraid of pain, he kind of...worried about her reaction when she saw exactly what the Sith Lord had inflicted on him.

Thus the truncated meditation exercise. Not because he was nervous. At all. Really.

Ben was an expert liar, after all, and had been an expert at lying to himself for years.

[OOC: For the boy and the girl! Warnings for talk of being tortured Troy Denning-ed.]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

So closely connected to Ben as she was, she could sense of snarl of pain and everything else as it seeped into his psychic scent. Ender's was still removed from her, so all she was faintly aware of was his movement in the background.

Instead, all of her concentration was focused on Healing Ben's new wounds; weaving the energies into the warmth of firm, unmarked skin, repairing the cuts, sealing them away before any bacteria could find its way in and threaten. His skin wanted to scar again, the fastest way to heal. Her half-whispered song counseled patience and waiting, allowing for it to create new, unblemished skin, like that which covered the squares between the cuts.


It was not a fast procedure, no. Nor was it painless and Karla was obeying Ben's request and not taking any of the pain onto herself. It was slow, tedious, methodical; much like weaving together slippery cords that wanted to escape if she so much as blinked away, and were so inert it took all her strength and concentration to move.

But slowly, agonizingly slowly, the lines on his face began to fade away, leaving only smears of blood to show where they'd been.

[momslilassassin]

Ben took a deep, shuddering breath and reached for a towel. "Ender?" he murmured. "You okay?"

Because of course he'd be checking in on someone else first.

[endsthegame]

The tea had long since been made; any brief onset of panic had long since been beaten back. Ender just took a cup of the stuff and offered it to Karla, his eyes going from her to Ben's face.

"I'm not the one who just got sliced up," he said succinctly. "How about you?"

Not that he didn't care about Karla's well-being, too, but mentioning that would too easily distract Ben again. Instead, she'd get that tea.

[glacial_queen]

Karla waved the tea off to the side; she still had to finish up his face, easing the Healing to a smooth finish, wrapping some additional energy around the cuts to make sure they fade without even a bruise.

She was panting slightly when she was done and her forehead shone with sweat. But she was smiling.

His face. Just his face. So much more to do. But...doable. Thank the Darkness, doable.

[momslilassassin]

"I'll be fine," Ben said, reaching out to squeeze Ender's hand before leaning over to kiss Karla's cheek. "Thank you," he murmured.

[endsthegame]

Ender had put the tea down carefully, somewhere where Karla would notice it but it wouldn't be in the way.

He squeezed Ben's hand back, more than skeptical about that, but not about to go into it in front of Karla. "Thank you," he echoed, looking towards the girl in question.

[glacial_queen]

"You're welcome," she told them both, sharing a small smile. "But, we're not done yet, right? I'm game to keep going if you are."

And then, "Oh! Tea!"

[momslilassassin]

"Maybe a small break?" Ben suggested. "Then you can do some more."

He thought it'd be easier to get as much done as he could bear as quickly as possible instead of waiting .

[endsthegame]

"I submit to whatever the two of you decide on," Ender said. He turned around and headed back to the desk to grab a second cup of tea for Ben. "But it does seem easiest. In a manner of speaking."

[glacial_queen]

"Let me finish my tea," Karla said, "and then I'll get back to work."

The tea did feel nice on her throat. She wasn't hoarse yet, not even irritated, but the soothing herbs were nice.

"You both should have some, too," she added. "And I'll be leaving more behind when I go. You're loosing blood and that'll help make you get it back faster."

She dimpled at Ender. "Make sure he eats a lot, okay?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "Not eating has not generally been one of my problems," he proclaimed.

[endsthegame]

"All I have to do is unleash him on a buffet and stand back," Ender agreed. He took the final cup for himself. "It's very convenient."

[glacial_queen]

"Make sure he hits the buffet six or seven times a day instead of only five," Karla teased. "That might be enough." She grew momentarily serious, adding, "The Healing is drawing on your energy, too, so you really will be extra hungry over the next few days. Eat. And give yourself a break, too. Sleep as much as you want and stop working out when you get tired. It shouldn't affect you too much, much I know how well you know your body and your limits, so I don't want you surprised or pushing yourself because you can't do that last lap or you're winded during the last few minutes of a spar or something."

Yes, Ben. She knew you.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's cheeks went a little pink. "Well, Tony and I are hitting one of those all you can eat meat places tonight...I think there'll be enough food there."

And he'd remember about the workouts.

[endsthegame]

"Well, you have the Healer's orders," Ender said. "I guess that means I can't mock you for wanting to sleep late this week, either. Please don't abuse it."

He took a sip of his tea, quirking a smile that was mostly artificial, if fueled with genuine amusement.

[glacial_queen]

Ooooh. All you can eat meat. Karla might have to find that place for herself some time, too.

"I know that's exactly what Ben's been waiting for," Karla said with a solemn nod. "The opportunity to slack off and sleep in. He just needed the perfect excuse."

[momslilassassin]

Ben blushed a bit, remembering the last week. "I'm a bit behind on sleep as it is..."

[endsthegame]

If Ender went at all faintly red, he wasn't going to say anything to call attention to it. "Then sleep in," Ender ordered, "Or face our wrath."

Ender. Wrath. Yep.

[glacial_queen]

How often they went in the same sentence!

"Well then," Karla said, finishing her tea. "I'm prescribing a bed rest for you. Nothing too much, not to interfere with your vacation, but you will spend a decent amount of time sleeping."

Would demanding eight hours be too much? Hmmm. So tempting.

[momslilassassin]

How about six mostly in a row? "Yes, ma'am," he said teasingly, sipping from his mug.

The joviality was mostly a front, but if he let his emotions take over, there wouldn't be a chance to get the rest of the scars removed due to him being curled into a little ball hiding under the covers.

He was sure that the two people in the room with him understood that.

[endsthegame]

Ender took a sip of tea himself, blowing across his cup to cool it a little. "Don't think I won't report it to her if you don't," he said lightly, not particularly unwilling to help Ben keep up the jovial facade right now.

[glacial_queen]

"He will, too," Karla said, oh-so-solemnly. "And if he has to, don't be surprised if you wake up the next morning with every article of clothing you own tied in knots."

That's right, Ben. Knots. Tremble.

She set her teacup aside next to the pot and looked at him. "Almost ready to continue?"

[momslilassassin]

A slight flicker of fear, quickly suppressed, flashed in his eyes, but he put down his cup and nodded.

"Ready when you are."

[endsthegame]

Ender set his tea aside, and crossed the room, reaching for Ben's hand to give it a quick squeeze. He'd noticed, of course, but he didn't want to linger on it for too long and make Ben lose his composure.

Then he stepped aside again.

[glacial_queen]

Karla reached for his other hand, and did not let go. "It might be easier with contact," she said.

Totally the reason. Totally.

And, with another squeeze of her hand and a second web, she began again, starting with the scars on his neck and chest. The smell of blood was getting thicker in the room now, but Karla only let herself concentrate on the fact that it was necessary to make Ben better.