Upon learning that Bernadette had taken Kevlan up to Shankill Station to
meet his father, Tamber grows nervous about his young friend's condition...
and remorseful that he had abandoned Kevlan because of the argument with
Bernadette. As soon as he discovers that the two Singers have returned
planetside, Tamber comes by their suite to apologize to Berni... and much
to his relief, she accepts, claiming that the recent stress has clearly worn
down on all of them - not to mention her growing need to return to the Ranges.
But neither of them dare to mention _that_ in front of Kevlan... who,
after his meeting with his father, seems possessed of a growing languor of
both body and mind. Bernadette finally, tiredly, leaves Kevlan in Tamber's
company while stumbling off to the bathing chamber for a hot bath... and
Tamber finds himself having to deal with the suite's next visitor.

----------
You hear a soft chime and an electronic voice announces that Nathan is in White 
  Quadrant and is knocking on the door to this suite.
(To respond: '+answer Out=<message>')

To White Quadrant, Tamber , after a pause, calls back reservedly, "Come... "

Nathan steps in from the hall.
Nathan has arrived.
Nathan pokes his head in. "May I come in?"

Kevlan looks up timidly from where he's sitting on the couch on one side of the 
  room. Tamber, standing nearby, smiles, looking suddenly surprised and 
  relieved as he strides over.

Nathan smiles shyly. "Hello..."

Tamber glances over his shoulder at the suddenly wide-eyed Kevlan, and further, 
  into the bathing room, the door of which is closed. But he turns back to the 
  medic with a ready smile. "Welcome."

Nathan smiles as well. "I'm not... at a bad time or anything?"

Kevlan sits up a little, his big blue eyes looking rather fawnlike, while 
  Tamber's smile wavers a bit. "Your timing is impeccable," the Sorter replies. 
  "I had come to speak with Bernadette, and she has retired to the bathing room 
  for a while."

Tamber, unusually, seems a bit sheepish, but his relief is palpable as he 
  glances to Kevlan and says encouragingly, "Dear boy, would you like to 
  welcome our visitor as well?"

Nathan smiles with a trace of his old humor. "Careful with them big words 
  Tamber. 'Impeccable' means 'never been kissed', or don't you know that?"

Kevlan nods a little, and mumbledrawls to Nathan, "'lo... " His voice is very 
  quiet, much more quiet than usual.

Nathan crouches down near where Kevlan is sitting. "Hiya, Kev. How're you 
  feeling?"

Tamber smiles a bit, and mutters something that probably has to do with 
  kissing, but it's pitched too low to hear. Tamber wipes the long-suffering 
  look from his face before either the medic or the Singer look back at him.

Kevlan for a moment looks as if he's not quite certain whether he wants to 
  relax, or blush. Nathan is a known and trusted entity - safe - but on the 
  other hand, he seems embarrassed about something, and he lowers his eyes even 
  as he mutters timidly, "Ah-Ah-Ah saw mah paw... "

Tamber clarifies for Nathan, "Bernadette and Kevlan have just come back from 
  Shankill. Kevlan's father is on the moonbase."

Nathan looks up at the Sorter. "Really? Did the meeting help?"

Tamber looks somewhat wistfully at Kevlan, whose gaze is still lowered, and 
  says quietly, "I have not yet gotten either Bernadette or Kevlan to inform me 
  of such."

Kevlan blushes, mumbling something that might be, after dropping all the extra 
  syllables through which he stammers, "Din' wan' Pa t' see me like this... "

Nathan looks extraordinarily ucomfortable. "Like what?"

Tamber looks like he would really like to sigh sadly at the moment, but 
  valiantly keeps himself from doing so.

Kevlan mutters abashedly, "'Mawreck."

Nathan sits down next to the Singer, draping one arm across the Divine 
  Shoulders and not even noticing it... much. "It's not your fault you're a 
  wreck, Kev..."

Tamber blinks at the medic, then promptly subsides, settling his slender frame 
  on the edge of the couch and listening gravely.

Kevlan starts shaking, but he doesn't push Nathan away; nor does he try to 
  move. He coughs a little, hoarsely, sounding as if on the edge of tears.

Tamber says softly, "You see, Galahad? Here is another who believes as we have 
  been telling you."

Nathan hugs a little tighter. "It's OK, Kev. Let it out. You're with friends 
  here... you can recover here safely. It was not your fault."

Kevlan finally gasps out huskily, trying to curl in on himself, "W-w-w-was."

Nathan states firmly. "Was not. I'm more stubborn than you are, and I can say 
  'Was Not' a lot more times. Shall we try?"

Kevlan - seizing at a memory of this man's prior soothings of a damaged corner 
  of his mind, perhaps - lifts an anguished gaze. As if by way of explanation, 
  he blurts, "'Sall g-g-g-gone, Ah-Ah-Ah cain't sang, shouldn't anyhow, a-ain't 
  no good... "

Thoughts of your claims pass through your head every once in awhile.
Non-singers around you see: Kevlan seems to be elsewhere occasionally.

Tamber blinks, and with a visible effort, keeps himself silent - he's had this 
  argument with the boy many times in the last few weeks. Perhaps it will help 
  to have a fresh voice trying to convince the Singer otherwise. Or so he 
  hopes....

Nathan takes a deep breath, looking hopping mad. "And what precisely do you 
  mean by "shouldn't sing anyhow"?"

Kevlan shudders more visibly now, starting to look panicked, and absolutely 
  heartbroken. "Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah... "

Nathan's eyes flick to Tamber, unsure -- has the medic pushed too far?

Tamber's green eyes have darkened, hardened. But not because of Nathan; he 
  simply nods, very slightly, trying to signify his trust.

Nathan's eyes switch back to Kevlan. He awaits an answer.

Kevlan blanches, his mouth working wordlessly. Still trembling, he stammers, 
  "Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah screwed up... "

Nathan raises an eyebrow. "If every Singer who's ever screwed up stopped 
  singing, Heptite Guild would be out of business, Kevlan. Sadly, not every 
  Singer is as good as you -- in both senses of the word."

Kevlan's arms curl reflexively around his middle. His mouth continues to move, 
  but nothing emerges from it, as if his throat has closed up. He shakes his 
  head vehemently, though, eyes damp.

Nathan licks his lips and stays silent for a little while, giving Kevlan some 
  time to calm down.

Tamber says softly, insistently, "Kevlan, dear boy, hear him. Bernadette and 
  Jerrik and I all trust him, and we all believe the same."

Kevlan turns scarlet-cheeked, his mouth snapping shut as if he's abashed at his 
  feeble efforts to utter noise. He tries to curl up small again.

Tamber leans closer, and orders Kevlan firmly, "Kevlan, look at us."

Nathan holds his breath, waiting for Tamber's words to work.

Kevlan peers up, not quite fully, from under the disheveled bangs that have 
  nearly overgrown his eyes.

Nathan lets out the held breath. "Kevlan. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault."

Kevlan cries, suddenly, hoarsely, "C-cain't git it back!" Whatever 'it' is, he 
  apparently believes it an immense loss, for his eyes are still immensely 
  sorrowful.

Nathan leans forward. "Can't get what back, Kev?"

Tamber flicks Nathan a look, and nods to him, just a bit. Yes...

Kevlan reaches awkwardly, with a shaking hand, to his throat.

You force yourself to listen and sigh, all of the resonance is gone from your 
  body.
Non-singers around you see: You get the feeling that something is slightly 
  wrong as you gaze upon the worried face of Kevlan.

Tamber murmurs to Kevlan, "Yes, dear boy... you can tell him. He helped you 
  before, do you remember?"

Nathan blinks in total incomrehension, then jumps, frantically feeling for his 
  medikit and the scanner contained therein.

Kevlan looks mournfully at Tamber for a moment, then shyly back to Nathan... 
  then shies back at the medic's sudden movement.

Tamber starts himself, and asks mildly, "My dear doctor, what...?"

Nathan actually blushes. "Ummm. Never mind... I had misinterpreted something 
  Kev said. Kev... what *did* you lose?"

Kevlan says tinily, "Cain't sang n-no moah."

Nathan takes a deep breath and gently asks, "Do you know why?"

Kevlan tries to lower his gaze again, but Tamber nudges him gently. Kevlan 
  swallows hard, and seems as if he might start shivering again, as he mumbles, 
  "'S-sall gone inna dark. Q-quiet... an-an' dark... "

Nathan closes his eyes briefly and makes a small sound. Something like "Oof." 
  He opens his eyes, but his gaze is down on the floor, not meeting Kevlan's 
  eyes at all. He pulls his scanner slowly out of the medikit. "You mind if I 
  use this?"

Kevlan shakes his head timidly, in the way of a child who's just been asked if 
  he doesn't mind if a grownup does something.

Tamber murmurs, "He was due for another scan, at any rate."

Nathan slowly runs his medical scanner over Kevlan's body.  You hear a slight 
  hum and lights on the small, black gadget flicker.
Two beeps sound, and a red light stabilizes, indicating a medical condition for 
  Kevlan...

Kevlan is still rather pale, though his pallor is far less noticeable now. His 
  eyes remain a tad unfocused, but they do seem to be much better, his left eye 
  having regained the ability to stay focused with the right. His clothing 
  still virtually drapes from his thin frame, though he is not nearly so gaunt 
  as he was a few weeks ago; there is more substance to his frame and he seems 
  far less a walking skeleton than he had. His usual expression, though, 
  suggests that there is still much amiss with him; he is still frequently 
  distractable, and his countenance is often that of a confused, bereft child.

Nathan frowns at the readout, and his gaze flickers up to meet Tamber's before 
  fixing back on the screen.

Tamber's elegant eyebrows lift, just a bit.

Nathan tilts his head to one side. "Tamber... may I speak to you later, 
  perchance?"

Tamber nods smoothly. "Most assuredly."

Kevlan looks awkwardly down, unprotesting as Nathan examines him.

Nathan nods, looking relieved. "Thanks..." He turns to Kevlan, wrinkling his 
  nose and falling back into doctor-mode... mostly because he does not know 
  what else to do. "You're mending nicely, Kev."

Kevlan nods earnestly, as if placidly accepting this verdict, though there is a 
  slight troubled flicker about his eyes.

Nathan leans forward and pats Kevlan's hand. "Are you going to be all right if 
  I take Tamber away for a second?"

Kevlan blinks, and swallows hard, looking wide-eyedly up to the Sorter. Tamber 
  quickly assures him, "Dear boy, Bernadette is in the next room, and she'll be 
  right out when her bath is done. I promise."
Kevlan shivers a little, but slowly nods.

Nathan smiles. "We won't go far, either -- we won't even go out of the room. 
  Just on the other end."

Sinking down to curl around one of the pillows on the couch, Kevlan slowly nods 
  again, and gazes forlornly in the direction of the bathing chamber as Tamber 
  smoothly rises, and ambles off across the wide suite.

Nathan follows Tamber, dropping his voice so Kevlan can't hear. "Okay. First of 
  all, I am transferring to Shenzen's department... I want Kevlan to see me as 
  soon as the paperwork is done."

Tamber nods briskly. "I have no qualms with that, and I daresay Bernadette 
  shall not, either. We do not know how to break the boy out of this."
Tamber adds lowly, glancing across the room at the corner where Kevlan's gitar 
  is propped, "He has not so much as glanced at that instrument in days, you 
  know."

Nathan shrugs, looking sadly at Kevlan's gitar. "I don't know how to help him 
  either... I am going to do my damnedest to try, though..."

Tamber nods quietly, again looking palpably relieved - but also expectant. "Do 
  go on," he prompts.

Nathan nods. "Second thing. I don't like the looks of his scan, not at all. His 
  energy readings are dangerously low."

Tamber frowns slightly, carefully angling his face towards the door in case 
  Kevlan's absent gaze should wander his way. "Bernadette and I have noticed 
  his listlessness," he remarks.
Tamber says "... and he does not look... right, when my lenses are down."

Nathan nods. "I am not quite sure what's causing it, but I have a suspicion 
  that's virtually a certainty. How long since he's been in the Ranges?"

Tamber frowns a little more. "Not since he helped Bernadette cut the yellow and 
  white." He adds significantly, "Months ago."

Nathan nods. "Exactly. And if we wait until he's better, it could be months 
  more. He's not in the red yet... but he's getting there."

Tamber holds in a sigh, visibly, glancing back at the crestfallen Singer. He 
  murmurs, "I... have been loathe to bring up the idea to him. Each time 
  anything to do with his profession is mentioned, he closes up, or claims he 
  is 'no good'."

Nathan tugs angrily at his beard. "If I go yell at the tuners and requisition a 
  carton or two of crystal, you think you can sneak it into here? That may 
  help some..."

Tamber blinks, taken aback. "I... do not know. We will need to ask Berni... "

Nathan nods. "Yes... do ask her? Please?"

Tamber smiles weakly. "I... believe I have restored myself to her good graces. 
  I will speak with her."

Nathan nods slowly, his gaze lingering on Kevlan's form. "I... I do not believe 
  I can do any more good here, Tamber. Not now, anyway. I think I had better 
  head out."

Tamber, not unaware of how the medic's gaze lingers, nevertheless just smiles a 
  little. He clasps your shoulder, briefly, and murmurs, "Thank you for coming. 
  He needs you."

Nathan sighs. "And don't I know it... Goodbye, Tamber." He raises his voice 
  slightly. "See you later, Kev..."

Kevlan glances around shyly, and plaintively nods, before lowering his head to 
  the arm of the couch.

Tamber inclines his head in a little half-bow, and says gravely, "Farewell, 
  friend."

Nathan nods again to Tamber and heads out the door.
Nathan steps out into the hallway.
Nathan has left.