Shiftless

4 - Byron

All the tension leaves immediately and I'm nearly skipping over to the two. I pick Kaya up in my hands and spin her around the air, "I'm so proud of you, Kaya! I knew you could do it!"

"Ahem," Hyen looks at me blandly, rudely interrupting my excitement of Kaya's achievements and her giggles.

I stare at them with my chin slightly jutted out.

Hyen's brown eyes are decidedly not amused at my mulish response. His tone is as placid as ever, "I would appreciate it if you managed to remember this is a place of recovery and to have a volume that represents that."

I tsk but I do bring Kaya back to the floor, "I'm sure a little joy will help everybody want to get better faster." At that I turn to look at the sniffling child in a bed about five feet from us, "Isn't that right, Lu-lu?"

He smiles and tries to nod but another delta is holding onto his chin as she rubs a paste over some spots on his skin on his face.

Hyen looks at the child with empathy but when he directs his gaze back to me it is back to being bland, "Be that as it may, what truly helps with healing is rest. Lu-lu is on their way to healing and soon he will be able to go back and play with his siblings but after his medicine is done being applied he will need a nap."

We all hear the small groan from the sick child. Before Hyen can continue their lecture, once again, Talano approaches and kneels at the foot of the sick child's bed. His smile is easy, "I've heard a lot about you, Lu-lu, you've been doing so well with the spotted sickness and we're all so proud of you here. Want to know why?"

Lu-lu looks at Kaylea and then back to Talano before shrugging.

Talano takes it in stride, "Because you've been so good at listening and even told your parents about the itchies before you could get your even younger siblings sick."

Lu-lu's tired eyes lift a little with his pride and he even smiles, puffing out his chest. His attempt is marred when he starts coughing and I feel for the poor child. In a couple more years this wouldn't be a worry for him because the changes after the wolf has come forward would make it so that his body could fight of the spotted sickness before it could truly infect him. It is why all of us are so nonplussed with touching him without any protective equipment, as long as we wash our hands after. Even now I want to ruffle his hair but Talano and Kaylea motion me away.

Taking small steps I make my way back to the door with Kaya in tow. She tugs on my shirt when my hand is on the handle. I lean closer to her and she stands on the tips of her toes to whisper into my ear, "Do you think Nyala would want to celebrate tonight?"

I can't help the grin as I pull her into a tight hug, pulling her squeaking body into a side hug that lifts her off of her feet. I whisper back conspiratorially, "Of course. If you aren't about to tell her of your achievement I was planning to. It's probably the only thing that will get her to leave Ersyu's side early."

As I put Kaya back on her feet she picks at her dress. I wait patiently even as she watches her foot making small circles on the floor, "Would it be okay if I asked Delta Talano to join us?"

Smiling softly I ruffle her hair gently, "If that is what you want. This will be for you so you should invite whoever would make you happy."

At the stress I put on that one word she looks up, all her shyness gone as she grins. However, she is still whispering, "It makes me happy to see you have friends... and Hyen said I would probably be working under Talano or Lyndy, I should get to know at least one of my teachers."

I mock gasping in outrage, "Kaya, I have plenty of friends. So much so that I have no idea what to do with myself."

Kaya giggles and pokes her tongue out, "Even your brothers say they can barely stand to see you everyday."