(no subject)

[thewidewideworld]

{ooc: Millitimed to the morning after this, and unbeknown to him; this.}

Sinric comes down the stairs with care, limping and leaning heavily on the rail. He looks awful – dark rings under his reddened eyes and a rough bruise across his cheek. His right ankle is heavily bandaged and shows red and swollen above the bandages.

He makes it to the bottom of the stairs but slowly, stopping to rest on the bottom step, looking around. He needs to find Ragnar. He must find Ragnar.

{ooc: open to everyone but he's looking especially for Ragnar. All other conversations happen before he finds Ragnar.}

{Warnings for the first OOC: it leads to a second between Hannibal and Sinric and a whole lot of confused sex and feelings. Follow at your own risk.}

Comments

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar is huddled uncomfortably in a chair near the fireplace, one long leg hanging over the upholstered arm, and his head thrown back. He's snoring loudly.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric hobbles over to the couch and lowers himself to his knees at Ragnar's feet. "My lord Ragnar." He keeps his eyes low in a posture so submissive it's heartbreaking.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar startles awake with a strangled snore and looks around.

"Athelstan...?"

Pause.

"Sinric!"

He looks down at Sinric with huge relief.

[thewidewideworld]

"My lord Ragnar." Sinric's voice is soft and broken. "I have come to beg your forgiveness for my failure." The bruise only highlights how bloodless and pale his face is.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Failure?" Ragnar says, looking down into Sinric's face. "Who has beaten you? Did they take Athelstan? Sinric!"

He reaches out to gently stroke Sinric's cheek.

[thewidewideworld]

"I swore to you I would watch over Athelstan and I have failed. I have failed you both." Tears stream down his cheeks, still not looking up. "He woke with a fever, raving with it. The doctor was not there and I could find no-one so I ran for help."

"In my haste I fell, my ankle wrenched. In my weakness I fell again." He hiccups a broken little sob. "When I reached the bar it was too late, he had gone, gone back to the terrible people who hurt him."

He falls to his hands, face almost to the floor. "I have failed you and I deserve whatever punishment you see fit."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"It's not your fault, Sinric!" Ragnar says. "If anybody, it's that wimpy doctor's fault."

He slides out of the chair to try and take Sinric in his arms. "You don't deserve any punishment -- I'm glad to see you're safe, and not killed or hurt by some enemy who took Athelstan!"

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric little out a little gasp when Ragnar takes hold of him, braced stiffly for the blow he feels he deserves.

It is a moment before he can accept the embrace properly, tears running fast and hot. "He is gone, Ragnar. He is gone because I was too weak to care for him. Forgive me."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"He's gone," Ragnar says. "Our Athelstan! My -- I love him so much, and he went back to..."

Ragnar stops speaking, choked by tears as well. He holds Sinric in his arms and hides his face in the golden hair.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric clings to Ragnar now, both sobbing as streams of tears splash down his face.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"He wasn't ready to go," Ragnar manages. "He promised he'd wait..."

He came back as fast as he could, with news from Diaval about the kids.

[thewidewideworld]

"The fever was on him. He called me by names I didn't know. I begged him to stay in bed and wait till I could find help but I was too long, too late."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"The fever...?"

Ragnar pulls Sinric close, unable to speak.

Athelstan went back while addled with fever -- he might even be dead already!

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy has been keeping an eye out for Sinric to make sure he's okay.

But he's so twitched that Sinric is going to be as mad at him as Athelstan, that he finds himself rooted to the spot at the bar trying to work out what to say.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric spots him and limps over, looking broken and worn down. He lowers himself to his knees before Guppy, needing to steady himself on the bar. "Sir, I must report to you my failure. I was set the task of looking after Athelstan and I was proved unworthy."

[guppy_sandhu]

"It wasn't your fault." Guppy says, unfreezing and gently crouching next to him. "Sinric, neither of us were there because neither of us could have watched him every minute. That's why we have the infirmary waitrats. The one who was meant to be watching when we left fell behind one of the machines, so he wasn't able to raise the alarm. It was an accident."

[thewidewideworld]

"Is he alright? Forgive me, I should have seen he had fallen, I'm sorry." He whispers, add it to his litany of sins. "Athelstan was burning with fever and raving. I was so afraid for him I ran for help but reach it too late."

[guppy_sandhu]

"That's not your fault either, the infirmary waitrats work in pairs and they ought to have noticed among themselves." Guppy says. "Please get up, you look in pain."

"It's also my fault if I didn't show you the emergency button on the wall near the door." he adds.

[thewidewideworld]

He rises with some effort, his ankle aching. "I swore an oath to Earl Ragnar and I have failed." He turns away, his cheek red and mottled.

[guppy_sandhu]

"He's mad at me, not you..." Guppy begins, then stops.

"Did he do that?" he asks, nodding at the mark on Sinric's cheek.

[thewidewideworld]

His hand comes up to cover his marked cheek. "Oh no, this was my own doing. I tripped on the stair seeking help and fell badly. I turned my ankle and in my weakness, was too long returning to Athelstan's side."

He lowers his eyes. "But it would be his due if he sees fit to beat me."

[guppy_sandhu]

"No it wouldn't." Guppy says. "Even if he can at home, he can't here and you must tell someone if he does."

He sighs. "Will you let me help you?"

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric keeps his eyes low, clearly not moved by Guppy's protestations. If Ragnar beats him, Sinric will take it, without complaint, as his due for his failure. Not that Ragnar would but in Sinric's mind, he would have the right.

"I have been seen to by a healer." His ankle is well bandaged and supported. "It has always been my natural to bruise easily. It looks worse that it is and no less than I deserve for my carelessness."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Did they give you any painkillers?"

[thewidewideworld]

He shakes his head. "I need none. The hurt is not so bad." he's lying but he doesn't feel he deserves comfort. Not after how Athelstan suffered and must still be suffering.