milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Max is curled up in a booth, sipping coffee and flipping idly through a book. This is not unusual. The skirt and sweater she is wearing are. Everyone needs a bit of a change sometimes.

Come bother the X5. She won't bite.

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Max smiles sympathetically. She'd been tempted to hole up in her room for a week after finding out that gods were real here, and what they could do.

"Generally a good idea..."

Nynaeve laughs.

It doesn't last long, not at all, but it's there.

"I have often found it so. Which is one among many causes of irritation."

"It does get a bit wearing, after a while," Max agrees.

"Can you leave?"

Nynaeve hesitates a bit before asking this question.

"I--I cannot quite imagine it, myself. Being trapped here, I mean."

Not being trapped in general. That, unfortunately, has happened before.

Max nods slightly. "Now. I couldn't, when I first arrived here."

It's never easy. A prison, no matter how comfortable it might be, always becomes unbearable after a time.

Nynaeve's expression tightens.

"I am sorry for that. Capture is never pleasant."

"Ah, well, considering the situation..." She traces an old watermark on the table with her fingertips, staring off into space for a moment. "I was dying, at the time. Dead, actually, if you want to be technically correct, though only for a few minutes. And unconscious for a long time afterwords. When I was able to leave, I awakened."

She smiles faintly. "I hated being trapped at the time, but afterwards, I was grateful for having been here."

Nynaeve looks startled.

"They Heal death, here? I--had not expected that."

"No. Well, not that I know of." She smiles faintly. "In my world, there are ways of reviving someone who is technically dead, so long as they weren't too badly damaged, and haven't been dead for very long."

Nynaeve when speaking of healing is like unto a dog with a bone.

"How difficult are they to replicate?"

"Well, the more advanced techniques require the proper equipment - you'd either need to have a similar level of technology to my world, or find a way to achieve the same effects using another source." She grins slightly. "The simpler techniques are...well, simple. Which also makes them less useful in more extreme cases, of course."

"Hmm. Another source? Would saidar count, I wonder?"

That sounds a lot less like a question than it might otherwise be.

She smiles, just a fraction.

"Simple has its place, after all. There are times when herbs and poultices are more useful than straight Healing."

Max has no idea. In fact, she has no idea what saidar is. So she says nothing on that.

"Oh, I'm not knocking simple. It's generally a good starting point, even if you are going to go complicated."

"Wise."

She might mutter 'I could wish others were so adaptable'.

Bloody Aes Sedai.

"You might be amazed at how many people have trouble grasping that."

There is a faint pause.

"Is--would the infirmary be a good place to learn such techniques?"

"People tend to get used to the more complex ways of doing things, especially the ones that seem easier at first glance." She smiles wryly. "And not to learn from their mistakes when it comes to that, either."

There's a moment's thought before she nods. "Probably, yes. The doctors there - most of them would likely be able to teach you."

Nynaeve does not flush. Really.

"Well. Eventually they catch on."

There is a slight pause.

"I'll look for them, then. One has blue fur, yes?"

"Yes." Her lips twitch slightly in amusement, though not at Nynaeve, really. "Dr. McCoy tends to stand out in a crowd, though he's decent company."

Nynaeve's voice is dry, but her expression is almost relaxed.

"I'll keep that in mind, too."

Max is quiet for a moment, before saying thoughtfully, "You know, if you're going to be around for a while, or at all frequently, they could probably use some help in the infirmary..."

Because the recent influx of patients is a little scary.

"I am almost always willing to aid in healing."

She nods once.

"I'll certainly be looking for them. Or perhaps I'll merely stop by. I've seen the entrance."

"I'd imagine there's usually someone in there, though..." She hesitates for a moment, looking almost embarassed. "I tend to avoid the place myself, when at all possible."

"Many healthy people do the same."

Nynaeve's tone is brisk, though her expression is not entirely cool.

She laughs at that. Only a little, but still. "I imagine they might..."

She glances towards the back door, and stands. "I should go...have to do my rounds."

Nynaeve nods again, almost smiling.

"I--thank you for your time, again. Good evening to you, Max."

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