[closed] by daisies and twilights

[sheloves]

Who: The Master Harry Saxon, Ril, Six, Eleven
What: Late tea becomes dinner with wholly unintended side effects.
When: Evening, 343  
Where: Sky's Prize
Rating: H for horrible and inadvertent poisoning. We'll go with R for 'Ril will never drink again.' Drugs aren't cool, stay in school.  [CW] For really bad things that happen when bodies decide that alcohol is stupidly toxic.   

There was a note on the fridge addressed to Six (because she was certain he'd want to know) that said she was out to a late tea, really dinner, with Harry Saxon, and that she ought to be back at some point that evening. Her penmanship was tiny, neat, and precise, but she signed her name with a flourish in bright red ink. It had been completely spur of the moment--too late for lunch, too late, really, even for tea. But she'd needed air (as if there wasn't any at home) and the walk would do her well. Her celery green dress swirled around her ankles and she tugged her long jacket with its richly decorated trim around her a little more. It was cool enough that a jacket was a wise choice in the evening. At the last moment, she'd gone and snagged herself a colorful scarf. Ril's got the hang of her shoes, which were not as tall as the other pair she'd picked up, at least, and doesn't miss a beat as she heads toward Sky's Prize.

It's company and she does enjoy the time spent, even if she can't seem to get a handle on her tastebuds. Eventually, things would have to stop tasting like ash. Eventually. It has to do with Eth, she knew that, but for now, she left it be as she leaned against the wall next to the door and glanced up at the clouds rolling in.

Comments

[goesagainst_thegrain]

This time he has to put a hand to his mouth to stop the laughter from bursting out. She just looks so... funny. "For not being a fish, you're certainly doing a decent impersonation of one." He managed to rein in his amusement to something a bit less after a moment, and pointed at her. "But you're to drink that, not inhale it. While I may yet kiss you tonight, I hardly want them to be kisses of life." Having to give Ril CPR would put a bit of a damper on his whole evening.

He scratched Brax under the chin, gently; the kitten tilted his head up, apparently enjoying it. "As for turn of phrase... I think I'd best wait until you're a bit less silly to explain that one to you."

[sheloves]

She abruptly stopped blowing bubbles, her eyebrows arched. And then blew one more, just because she could. Fine, fine, her expression mock put-upon, but she drank nearly all of it in a go ad then had to wait. Kisses, really, that was the only thing that actually registered. And there. There, there, done, no more water, though, now she felt as if she ought to be a fish.

Fish faces. He hadn't said a word about those, so, she was just going to make faces at him until Brax had enough of Six's attention (and lap) or Six took it from her. There might have been a 'feesh, feesh hum to go along with the face as she peered at him through the glass. And 'feesh' turned into cheerfully complex mathematics as she gnawed at the underlying mathematics that, essentially might allow for a stable coexistence of multiple planes of reality and divergent timelines. Obviously, it worked in Asgard, but she'd been puzzling over the why for ages yet. The theory turned in balancing the weight of an empty glass--hers--on a small surface.

She got this. Best party trick.

With the utmost care, still humming, Ril slowly put her fishy water glass on the tip of her nose, trying not to giggle, and for a good twenty seconds balanced it perfectly. And she was still making fish faces.

[goesagainst_thegrain]

His eyebrows rose a bit as she took him a bit more literally than he'd really expected. Well. As long as she didn't get sick from drinking that too fast... at least it was in her, where it should do her some good.

...he had been about to dump Brax on the floor and put her to bed, but she seems happy enough with the glass and... well, this hasn't stopped being funny, so he'll let her continue. Until, that is, she decides to get cute with the glass.

It looks surprisingly balanced, actually, but he's still not interested in cleaning up glass fragments and possibly blood because Ril decided she was a seal. He gently plucks it off her nose, Brax protesting the sudden move with both voice and claws (both of which he ignores). "Perhaps I'd best take that... you're getting a little too inventive, and you're far too well-coordinated for someone as inebriated as you are. You should feel pleased by that, I suppose, good coordination while you're not all there mentally could possibly come in handy one day."

Shooing his cat off his lap, he puts the glass down on a table and then turns back to Ril. "Let's get you to bed, and then we'll talk about what else you want to do, mmm?" Kissing was still a possibility, of course, but he wanted to get her ready in case she fell asleep on him.

[sheloves]

"Pilot," she murmured, her frown only brief as he took the glass away. "Lozza training. Mmmn." Ril peered up at him for what seemed like ages and pursed her lips. "I think," she said and took her time for a moment actually thinking, "that either I am very, very short or you have gotten entirely too tall."

Bed meant clothes were to come off and that was to be done carefully since she didn't want anything damaged. But it also meant she was meticulous, even as completely tanked as she was, and folded each article, placing it beside her, just-so.

"Do," she said, coming back around to his sentence. "What do I do when I want to do-- Do, do, do. I do not never want to not-- Wait. No. I do want to kiss you because I can't not. It's a thing. That you do. When you." She waved her shirt around absently, solemn as could be. "The kissing thing. And--"

Ril paused, trying to remember what she was going to say but the room was racing itself again and the shirt refused to fold and she thought, maybe, her fingers were shaking just a bit. He was right to take the glass away. Her words,when they came out again, were small things, and she abandoned her folding to hold onto the bed.

"I would like to be safe, now."

[goesagainst_thegrain]

Brax decided that they were worth ignoring if they were going to be rude, so he jumped onto the bed, stalked to the head of it, and settled on one of the pillows. Woe betide anyone who tried to evict him from his new abode.

The Doctor took each article of clothing as she finished folding it and put them on the same table. No sense spoiling the job, if she was going to be so exact about it... "They did a good job training you, then." He chuckled a little at her babbling. "Yes, well, let's get you sorted, and then I'll be more than happy to oblige."

It took a moment for the change in her tone and demeanor to sink in, it was so abrupt. He dropped whatever piece of clothing he happened to be holding so he could slide one hand under her elbow and then behind her back, and the other under her, picking her up like you might do a child, with her face buried in his shoulder and her weight balanced on his hip. "Here we go, easy does it..." He carefully laid her down with her head against the pillow, pulling the blankets out from beneath her as he did.

[sheloves]

Contact always helped and she wasn't sure if she ought to be startled that she seemed so very much disconnected from her body. It was a frightening thing to feel the world tilt, but then she was tucked against him for a moment and all was right. Discombobulated, that was the right word. The slide of the blankets being drawn back felt foreign in her ears, as did the pillow now beneath her head, but she reminded herself that it was probably just the effect of the alcohol.

She could sleep and then it'd be fine, though, if she were honest, the oddly high pitched ringing in her ears wasn't remotely pleasant. It made Six sound tinny at the edges of his words. Ril let out a breath and relaxed, her voice an unintelligible murmur semi-directed at him before she was still for a long moment as she careened into sleep. It lasted a good thirty-five seconds before her unfocused eyes reopened.

Kisses. She'd forgotten them. Her cool fingers reached out to find Six as if she'd lost him.

[goesagainst_thegrain]

The Doctor didn't spend long away from her, once he'd gotten her to bed; he was definitely worried about how she was reacting, amusing tricks with water glasses aside. He only took long enough to take off his coat, throwing it over the back of a chair, and kick off his shoes, and then he was getting into the bed next to her, clothing and all. She wanted to be safe, so he'd make her feel safe, the only way he knew how... pulling the blankets up, he reached to capture her hands and then slid his arms around her from there, so he could pull her close and tuck her up against his chest. "There we are, then. Safe as anything now." He gently tapped her on the nose, before stroking his fingers along her temple. "I'll keep you safe, for as long as you need me to."

[sheloves]

"What's longer," she murmured, her eyes closing as unconsciousness tried to drag her down again, "...lon--" Ril half fell asleep, then started as she fought her way back up again to finish. "Than forever? Want that."

She let out a breath against his jaw.

"Longer. I want..." Her voice trailed off as her fingers touched his hair and then dropped against his neck as she dozed.

[goesagainst_thegrain]

She was so... breakable. So fragile and delicate. He watched her sleep for a little while, unwilling to let her go... but once he was sure she was asleep, he carefully pulled out of her embrace so he could roll over and find the book he'd been reading. No sleep for him tonight... he could do without, even in this body. Might as well spend the time catching up on his reading.

Bunching the pillow up into a backrest, to the sleepy complaints of Brax, he made himself comfortable, dropped a kiss on Ril's forehead, and opened the book. With her head in his lap, the covers securely pulled up, and his hand resting on her shoulder, he'd know the moment she showed any signs of distress.

[sheloves]

There were no dreams until she walked through Antedis on fire, moving through familiar streets, through her parents' home, searching for life when there was nothing left. Outside, the sky was gold and red with hoppers raining down in bits and pieces, like broken comets. She shifted in Six's lap as if trying to wake so she didn't have to see it, because she knew what was coming next.

The heat became unbearable as she watched warheads punch through the clouds and earth before detonating. Ril felt the ground shudder and then rise in a wall of rock, sand, and pieces of scrubby plants, shrapnel, and anything in its path. There was nowhere to run, there was never anywhere to run.

She curled herself against Six as if he were the only cool point left, and knew he was there as she tried to wake herself again. All she managed was a frustrated sigh and the slightest shift as she tried to push the covers away. Her skin was hot to the touch and steadily getting hotter as her body tried to neutralize the foreign toxin that had been soaking through her for hours. Her cheeks were flushed, standing out in sharply, as she tried unsuccessfully to move.

[goesagainst_thegrain]

Her first movement went unnoticed, beyond a quick check to make sure she was still sleeping--dreaming, no doubt. The Doctor just hoped it was of something good instead of a nightmare... half his attention on his book, he stroked his fingers along her hair, hoping to soothe her.

It didn't seem to work... she grew more restless rather than less, but it wasn't until she sighed that he actually started paying closer attention to her. Her cheeks were hot, and her cheeks the rosy pink of high fever; he swore softly as he slammed the book shut and dropped it carelessly to the floor, uncaring of the noise he made. "Ril? Come on, wake up..." He caressed her face, trying to get through to her; when that didn't work immediately, he gently shifted her off him, and hurried back to the bathroom. Maybe if he could bring down the fever a bit, her body would be able to fight whatever it was... cool water and cloths, that's what he needed.

[sheloves]

By the time he got back, the fever was noticeably higher, and she had shifted uneasily into the space he'd left behind, but she didn't wake. She could hear sounds - water, movement, the way her breath had gone ragged. Much too hot.

She pushed the covers away with a soft grumble, though it did little good, and tried to find a comfortable place to settle. Everything seemed to be on fire in her dream, everything and it was engulfing her.

[goesagainst_thegrain]

He couldn't handle this by himself. Her fever was far too high... he needed a healer. His thoughts immediately went to his oldest self. Eleven was a healer, and a good one as far as he knew. It was doubtful he'd be able to find anyone else at this hour of night.

Moving quickly, he dunked the cloths in the water, hastily wringing them out and laying one over her forehead. The other he used to briskly wipe down her arms and chest, hoping that this would help keep her stable while he had to leave her.

He had to force himself to leave her side; he couldn't do anything there, but he really hated the idea of leaving her alone, even for a moment. Once he was away, however, he quickly broke into a run. He wanted to be back by her side as soon as possible. Where would Eleven be...? He'd try his room first, then the workshop, then all the other rooms until he found him, and then everywhere else he could think of.

[comeonthensexy]

At the moment, Eleven was caught up in the workshop with a project. It was important, because it was for Clara. It wasn't what had sparked his interest first, but the more things he had to do the better, and so he had started. He still needed to make sure she was out long enough before he could get on the actual prize.

Right this second, he was digging around in the piles of stuff around the room. Maybe he should clean up the place...

[goesagainst_thegrain]

Going to Eleven's room yielded nothing, but thankfully the second stop had the result he needed. Ignoring the mess, he ran in, grabbed Eleven's arm, and started trying to tug him out of the room. This will totally work.

"Come on! Leave that, whatever it is can wait until later, it can't possibly be important."

Ok that came out a bit wrong, but he's panicking just a little. Or maybe more than a little... either way, he wants Eleven moving with a minimum of talking, though this probably isn't the best way to go about achieving that goal.

[comeonthensexy]

Eleven would have been much more adamant about not getting dragged off just like that, and would have argued that it was important, if Six didn't seem that panicked. He wasn't in a hurry, but he wasn't really struggling. Slowly but surely he was being tugged out of the room.

"You know, it would help if you actually told me what's got you in such a hurry. What are you on about`"

[goesagainst_thegrain]

Six glares over his shoulder. Less talking, more moving... but maybe he has a point there. As long as Eleven isn't digging in his heels, Six is remaining calm enough to make sense, at least. "Ril is... sick, I think. She has an extremely high fever, and she wasn't responding when I tried to wake her."

If that isn't enough to get Eleven in gear, Six might just throw him over a shoulder and carry him up the stairs. This is an emergency, man! React properly!

[comeonthensexy]

He threw his free hand up into the air.

"Well, why didn't you say that?"

Now he could start walking by himself. In fact, if Six didn't pick up the pace, he'd pass him and while Eleven had a fairly good guess where Ril was, it wasn't as though he knew for certain.

[goesagainst_thegrain]

Six doesn't bother wasting time glaring again, he simply increases his speed. "You can lecture me on my etiquette later! Hurry up!"

And yes, he'll be leading Eleven to his room, if Eleven doesn't get there first. Ril should be right where he left her; he just hopes she hasn't gotten any worse.

[sheloves]

The bed looks wrong. The covers are shifted almost all the way off the bed, the pillow pushed into the bedside lamp, which has listed, teetering on the edge of falling over. There beneath the tangle of sheets and the bedspread, is Ril, a frighteningly still, pale curl of a body, her arm thrown toward the door. At the corner of her lips, there's a smear of bright red, and she's cold, much too cold to the touch. All that's visible is her hand, palm up, her fingers curled.

But she's alive, though at first touch, there's no pulse at all until there faintly, extraordinarily slow, barely a flutter like a wounded bird, there it is. As they move into the room, there's a slight rasp. A quiet thing, that stretches out like a question.

And then silence.

[comeonthensexy]

Worry twists Eleven's throat the moment he steps through the door and sees that. It's just wrong to see Ril in such a state, someone who's usually so vibrant with life. Of course, they day they met she hadn't been all that great off either, but there had still been energy in it all, even if the wrong energy.

This is far too still.

He's at her side in a few long strides, brushes hair from her face and leans down to listen for breathing, grabbing a hold of her wrist for the pulse. High fever, indeed! She seems like she's dying.

"Was she this bad when you left?" he asks and gently pulls up one of her eyelids. "What happened exactly?"

[goesagainst_thegrain]

"Oh no..." It comes out rather breathy, almost a moan of sound as he hurries over to her side, almost treading on Eleven's heels in his haste. His hands flutter over her, useless, as he tries to decide what he can do to help.

Answering Eleven's question would be a good way to start. "She... she was out, having dinner with the Master..." He grimaces at that. "I didn't know. She left a blasted note about where she'd be and who she was with, the most I could do was go meet her after--which I did. He'd managed to get her rather drunk, I think he was trying to get information out of her, but she seemed... fine, at first." Now she's not, obviously, and he's playing the evening over in his head, trying to find any clues that he'd missed earlier. There must have been something... "She had a fever when I--the Master must have done something."

It's not an unreasonable conclusion to jump to; maybe his old enemy hadn't even meant it to be this bad, but clearly whatever he'd given her was having a very deleterious effect on Ril.

[sheloves]

There's nothing for nearly full minute, then just the barest intake of breath, but her pulse reacts to Eleven's touch, like she knows he's there, that Six has brought him. She's slowing further, even though she's clinging to their voices, trying desperately not to slip into the cold. It's not working like it should, nothing is. It's not infection, it's not illness, and as he lifts her eyelid, it's frighteningly apparent that her pupil is fixed and dilated, not to mention bloodshot, while the other is constricted. At his touch and the slight movement of her head, a bead of blood rolls away from the corner of her lips.

There's a moment where it almost seems fine, where she takes a few breaths and it's almost normal. Until it's not. Ril can feel the surge right before everything scrambles into blinding light as she suddenly, violently, seizes.

This isn't remotely the right reaction. This isn't supposed to happen.

[comeonthensexy]

"The Master?" He sends a look of disbelief back at Six, and scrubs his hand over his face. "Why are they all so bloody friendly?" His friends. "Could be. But that seems stupid even for him." A shake of his head and he catches the blood with his thumb, drags it over Ril's lips to wipe it all off somewhat. "Doesn't matter. Something she ate or drank, that's enough."

Whatever it was, if it was something in it the Master had put there, or not... That's not important.

He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and puts one hand on her chest and one on her stomach. Honestly, he's never tried healing something like this and he doesn't know if it'll work, but if it's some kind of poisoning, he doesn't see why it wouldn't. And of course he'll at least try.

When she starts seizing, his jaw goes tense, but he doesn't stop. Can't. Far too dangerous.

[goesagainst_thegrain]

"It would hardly be the first time he did something so... so callus in the name of having an advantage over us!" Eleven can believe what he likes; in Six's mind, whatever the cause of this, the Master is firmly to blame for it.

But this probably isn't the best time to be arguing over it. There just isn't anything he can do to help--other than keeping his mouth shut, which he's doing as Eleven starts to concentrate. When she starts to seize, he bites his tongue and catches one of her hands. He's not trying to restrain her in any way, simply trying to give what comfort he can, even if she's not conscious enough to feel it.