(Untitled)

[gabriel_tam]

The room is fairly nice, all things considered. There are several chairs, a porta-cot set up discreetly against one wall for visitors that for one reason or another are reluctant to leave, and it's clear that whoever designed this particular private room in the first place intended to make it seem as warm and welcoming as possible

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[night_hibiscus]

"You're not well," she says, gently. "Will you let me try to help you? Not the cuts, because you're right, you need them. And not your lungs, because the damage is done."

"Can I try to heal the taint it left?"

[gabriel_tam]

There's a long silence, and then:

"My son brought you here."

Gabriel opens his eyes and looks at Yuna.

"He trusts you. And so I will, too."

[night_hibiscus]

She smiles; it's an old one, on a young face.

He's Simon's father, and she likes Simon, and trusts him. But more than that, he's suffering, and she has her duty.

She views him through the staff again, and then nods; casts Esuna. A prism-shape around him flashes with red and blue light, fire and ice weaving together to purify and flush out any abnormalities.

She views him again, and shakes her head, then casts again, sweeping her staff more forcefully through the air. But that's not the way.

She's not going to back down. It's amazing how easy it is to reach out to Ixion's dream, Ixion's raging thunderous heart, here in a building (a world!) of machina. She offers a silent prayer of thanks for Moiraine and Lucy as she focuses that crackling intensity not on summoning the unicorn but on the spell.

And then her prayer is not silent, as she calls out to the Creator as she understands it, in the way she was first taught to cast Esuna:

"Light shine strong--woe be gone!"The fire flashes around him, but it does not consume anything

[gabriel_tam]

At first he struggles against it, coughing and wincing in agony -- he can't help but do so, as the rush of heat-cold-heat pours through him, over him, reminding him horribly of drowning and choking on his own blood while he burned from the inside out.

But as she tries again, and again, finally crying aloud, Gabriel feels some deep shadow within him dissipate, pulled up and out and away.

His face still hurts, as does his body; he still can't take a single truly deep breath-- but despite that, he feels lighter, somehow.

Gabriel Tam stares at her, in shock that turns to slowly-dawning wonder.

[night_hibiscus]

She smiles faintly. "Is it better?"

[gabriel_tam]

"It... is."

He can't bow formally, but he makes a small motion in that direction all the same, ignoring any pain that it causes.

"Xièxie nĭ."

[simon_doctor]

On those words the door opens again, just enough for Simon to slip back into the room and close it behind him.

He looks from his father to Yuna -- "Did you ...?" -- and back again.

[night_hibiscus]

She can feel exhaustion tugging on her skirt-hems, now that the moment is past, and she subtly lets more of her weight hang on the staff.

That's one of the things a staff is good for, after all.

She nods to him. "It should be all right, now. You still have the remedy I gave you?" she adds, half a question.

To Gabriel: "If you feel that, darkness returning, I think you should have some of it."

[simon_doctor]

It's all but gone out of his head, but --

"I still have it, yes. It's back on the ship."

To his father: "I'll bring it, next time I come."

[gabriel_tam]

"All right."

Gabriel settles wearily back against the pillows, giving Yuna a thoughtful glance.

"I'd like to talk with you again sometime, miss. Perhaps back at Milliways? I'm sure the trip here must be inconvenient for you, to say the least."

[night_hibiscus]

"It wasn't that difficult," she says; the smile comes easily. "Simon just brought me. But--I'd like that, yes. When you're feeling better."