Archive-Name: berni-worry.txt

[Original author, Bernadette. This scene should be assumed to occur
a day or two after Bernadette's encounters with Michael and Alexandra,
and before she goes up to Shankill Station to meet her brother, Andros.]

Berni sits quietly in a corner of the room, watching Tamber work with
Kevlan as unobtrusively as possible.

She's not much help to either of them, presently, so she figures she'll
just stay out of it. Her eyes remain focused on Kevlan, for the most part,
a worried frown on her face.

'He's not progressing quick enough,' she frets inwardly to herself. The
pull of crystal is impossible to deny in her blood, but it's not too bad
yet. She still has a few weeks before she'll absolutely HAVE to go and cut.
And if she's feeling the pull, Kevlan must be, too...even despite his
near-Milekey transition.

She chews absently on one ragged fingernail, as she watches Tamber trying
to coax Kevlan to talk more...make his own decisions...walk. He keeps
looking over her way, too...with that lost puppy look that tugs at her
heart so.

There's no way she could get him out into the ranges without damaging
him...not after his reaction to the thought of even listening to her sing,
not to mention his conviction that he _can't_ sing anymore. She's just
going to have to wait and hope for the best.

'If worse comes to worst, I can cut enough to drive my resonance way up and
let him get some relief from the crystal itch in my resonance...' she
thinks. He's been standing quite nicely now...he doesn't seem to lean so
heavily on Tamber anymore, although he's by no means as sturdy on his feet
as he should be. Her frown deepens. She really doesn't want to drive her
resonance up if she can help it...just...relieve the itch some.

She's frustrated, too. She thought Alex had hit upon something...and she
hates being wrong...hates even more to admit that someone else was right.
She sighs. Of course she should never have doubted Michael...after all,
he's had experience with it. She certainly hasn't.

Berni draws her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around her legs,
glancing at Kevlan and Tamber again. The two are standing close together,
Tamber's head bowed towards Kevlan's; the Sorter seems to be discussing
something quietly with the taller Singer, Kevlan's eyes transfixed on
Tamber's face. She looks away and loses herself in thought once more,
trying to figure out what can be done to help speed Kevlan's recovery.

"..., my dear?" Bernadette snaps her head up as she realizes she's being
spoken to, and blinks a little in surprise to find Kevlan standing...
unassisted...before her, looking down at her with a shy, worried expression
on his face. She glances to the sorter, and Tamber repeats "I said, don't
you think he's doing wonderfully, my dear?" He has a proud smile on his
face as he stands just a few paces behind Kevlan should the Singer need
help. But his smile doesn't completely mask the underlying concern in the
Sorter's eyes.

Bernadette returns her gaze to Kevlan and smiles broadly, holding her hands
out towards him. "You are indeed, my love." She says quietly. Kevlan
reaches out and grasps her hands...on the first try, she notes with
pleasure...and, with a little assistance from the smaller Singer, lowers
himself onto the beanbag chair beside her, where he promptly curls against
her shoulder, shivering.