Sound of Silence (Attn: Trent)

[Jenn]

Zeen

Life had become frighteningly simple for the tall Amadician; he ate when he was told to, he slept when he was told to, he held still when the dressing and bandages across his back needed to be changed – as he was told to. He even allowed them to bathe him as if he was a babe, as he was told to. All as he was told to. His dignity tried to reassert itself every now and again, but it failed to go far as it was still next to impossible for him to lift his arms over his head. The last time he had tried, he had reopened half of the partially healed marks across his back.

Zeen refused to be Healed, and clung to that stubbornly even as he was berated for being a stubborn, foolish boy. He was no boy though he kept being called such. The women with the ageless faces, Aes Sedai! his mind shouted at him, treated him with the same kind of curiosity mingled with mild neglect, as if he was a stray dog in need of care and a home. He exasperated them. It amused him a little to do so, he could not lie.

So long as they did not send him back to the Fortress of Light, they could fuss and ignore him in equal turns all they wished. He could even tolerate the idea of male channelers... these Asha'man, so long as they let him stay here. Zeen kept to himself mostly, spoke only when he was asked a direct question, using as few words as possible. He much rather preferred silence, grey eyes watching everything and everyone warily.

He grimaced faintly, shifting against the bench he sat on as he eased his back gingerly against the wall. The Infirmary was quiet today. He had become somewhat of a favourite of the Yellows. He used that term correctly...? Zeen frowned, running a hand absently through unruly brown hair, grimacing again as the motion tugged at the mess of forming scars and scabs between his shoulders. Yellow was how some of the women referred to themselves. Sometimes there were pretty girls in white dresses, a few with stripes of colour at the cuffs and hems. Other times, there were boys in coats with the occasional sword pin breaking up the unrelieved black. He wasn't entirely sure what it all meant yet, but he was almost positive that the sword pin and the banded colours indicated some kind of position or rank.

As if summoned by thought, grey eyes caught sight of one of the black-coated males, the sword pin visible only as a metallic glint from this distance. He looked vaguely familiar and it was with a shock of trepidation that Zeen realized the black-coated individual was speaking with an ageless faced woman and that they were speaking of him, as both of them turned at the same moment to stare at him. The tall Amadician sighed inwardly. He was not in the mood for company or conversation, but he prepared himself for the arrival of both.

OOC: Zero apologies for the title - I'm terrible at coming up with them.

[Trent]

The various sections of the Infirmary were becoming more and more familiar and routine to Ayden as he made his rounds. Since becoming a Dedicated, and having more control over his learning and free time, he had begun volunteering here and taking classes in natural healing as well as the Healing weaves themselves. He knew he had Healed once before, it was the first time he'd ever channeled actually, but the Talent had yet to manifest again in his entire time training at the Tower. He was beginning to grow frustrated with it, despite his mentor's urging to be patient with himself and his progress. Sure, his ability to use the Power itself in general was getting better, but he was stalled in this area and it bugged him.

When he made it to the area with some of the long-term patients, he disposed of the used supplies he'd been carrying in the correct bin and washed his hands before entering. He tried to quash the nervous feeling in his stomach as he walked in. He saw Satele Sedai standing in the main section where she could oversee all the patient areas. She was a Yellow who he assumed was in charge of this ward for this shift. He greeted her with a respectful bow. "Hello, Aes Sedai. I'll be assisting in checking up on the patents' supplies in this area, is there anything I should know?"

Satele inclined her head ever so slightly to acknowledge Ayden in return. She was a kind woman, but she was very much Aes Sedai. "Everything is mostly the same as it was yesterday, Dedicated. His bandages need changed though, he refused this morning. Maybe you'll have better luck." She gestured towards one of the patient areas, the first on his rounds. In it sat, though on the bench in his area and not the bed, the source of Ayden's nervous stomach-wrenching. It had appeared the day the man had first been brought in, when Ayden had assisted on his initial treatment.

Staring back at him, with his impossible-to-read, grey eyes, was one of the most attractive men Ayden had ever laid eyes on. Even wrapped in bandages, the man was something else. It didn't hurt that his back injuries, that the man refused to allow Healing for, kept him perpetually shirtless. Ayden was also nervous because the man was so closed off and brooding that he'd barely spoken a word to him. He hadn't even told anyone his name yet. He had no idea why the Aes Sedai would think he'd have better luck with him.

Ayden made his way over, leaving Satele to her watchful monitoring, and he collected fresh bandages and salve from a nearby cabinet. The man watched him all the way in, Ayden tried to remain objective, professional, and definitely not stare at the man's muscled, exposed body. He would be treating lots of men like this as a Yellow and as a healer, he would need to get used to it. Easier said than done.

Ayden met his eyes briefly as he entered, as he gestured to the bed. "Hello, I'm Ayden. I'm here to change your bandages and to check on your progress, would you lie on your stomach on the bed, please?"

[Jenn]

Zeen

The corners of metallic grey eyes tightened imperceptibility as the black-coated man approached, Zeen finding it difficult to keep from pressing back further against the wall. The mess between his shoulders blared at him in response, the ensuing rush of agony knocking the breath out of him. Abruptly, the world blurred, and the Amadician felt a rush of disgust at himself for being so senseless. His jaw flexed, long fingers clawing at the underside of the bench he sat on. A pained growl threatened to force its way of of his throat. It was only through years of enduring his father's Light inflicted “justice” that he managed to keep his face from twisting, keep the sound from escaping. And it was only through sheer will alone that he kept the rush of startled tears from falling.

Broad shoulders remained tensed, the injured man allowing himself to draw in a deep soundless breath as the other turned to gather fresh bandages and what Zeen guessed was salve from a nearby cabinet. His back began to ache in preparation for what was inevitably going to happen. Briefly, he entertained the notion of refusing to cooperate again. Just as quickly as the thought had come, he dismissed it. If he did that, then he would truly be the foolish boy that these Aes Sedai insisted he was.

He glanced up as the other man entered into the area that had been designated as Zeen's, light blue eyes briefly meeting grey before a slight gesture was made towards the narrow bed. “Hello, I'm Ayden,” the black-coated man said softly. “I'm here to change your bandages and to check on your progress, would you lie on your stomach on the bed, please?”

Zeen wanted to laugh. Progress. Every time they peeled the old bandages from him, he wanted to howl. He sighed mutely and did not bother to hide the grimace that flickered over his face, nostrils flaring slightly as he shoved himself to his feet as quickly as he could. He stared blankly ahead, throat moving up sharply, then down as he waited for the sickening lurch of nausea to pass. He pretended not to see the expression on Ayden's face, the tall Amadician shuffling to the bed, hesitation noticeable as he had to take several long moments to prepare himself.

Again, he felt his jaw flex, the breath hissing out between clenched teeth. His body protested and groaned at him as he eased himself onto the Infirmary cot, laying down on his stomach as he had been told to, his feet hanging off the end. Grey eyes squeezed shut and it was with no small relief that he let his cheek rest against the cool, if hard, pillow. He waved aside Ayden's concern, suddenly irritated at himself and his show of weakness.

“Do not trouble yourself on my account,” Zeen said curtly, his voice somewhat ragged as his arms looped together underneath the thin mattress. He hated what came next. “Do what you came here to do.”

He couldn't see the other man, but the grey-eyed man felt the exact moment Ayden touched the bandages. Hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. “What's your name?”

The Amadician appreciated the attempt to distract him, even if it did not work. “Zeen.”

[Trent]

It never ceased to amaze Ayden the ability of the male ego to try to suffer through pain without showing anything. As if having your back torn to literal shreds was something you should just be able to blink away. Ayden rolled his eyes while he knew Ayden couldn't see. Men. He walked over to the bed, eyes taking in the bandages. Some of them were red, showing the bleeding they had absorbed, but some were more pink than the past few days, which was a good sign.

"What I came here to do is to "trouble" myself at your account. This is an infirmary after all, or had that missed your notice?" He put a good amount of a playful tone into his voice so as to let him know he was trying to lighten the mood. Ayden noticed the man's hands clenching, preparing for the sometimes painful process. "What's your name?" Ayden asked as he always did, partly to distract, and partly so he'd finally have a name to match the stunning face.

"Zeen," came the simple reply. Ayden almost dropped his supplies in shock. He'd finally given him an answer. A smile crossed Ayden's lips without him realizing it as he prepared the salve on the bandages. He wanted to try something new this time, something he'd practiced once on himself and that should help ease the pain of removing the bandages. "Try to be still for me, I'll try to be quick and as painless as possible."

He took a deep breath and seized saidin, and wove a thin strip of Water. While it was his weakest element, he didn't need a strong strand of it. He passed the thin strip like a scalpel just under the bandages, between them and the skin. This should dampen them and release a lot of the tension with which bandages often stick to wounds, causing pain on their removal. If Ayden was correct, it should greatly reduce the pain involved. He waited to see the reaction from Zeen as he took the bandages off with this method.

[Jenn]

Zeen

"Try to be still for me, I'll try to be quick and as painless as possible."

Zeen was not entirely sure how to respond to the teasing tone from earlier, merely grunting in acknowledgment at the request that he stay as still as possible. His cheek pressed down against the hard pillow, a soundless breath easing out of his body.

His eyes widened as he felt... something wet trailing along his back, the tall Amadician shuddering at the unexpected cold. He had not seen anything that would warrant the sensation being carried in the black-coated man's hands upon Ayden's arrival, but that did not mean much. Zeen readily admitted to himself that many things could have slipped his notice and - his thoughts seized and ground to a halt as he felt the distinct unpleasantness of... tugging... along the place between his shoulders. The bandages were coming off.

His brows drew together, nostrils flaring again. The level pain that he had grown accustomed to was curiously absent; it was still excruciating, but... strangely tolerable. Zeen found himself more discomfited by the fact that he was able to endure it without wanting to howl more than anything else. Is he using the Power on me? That... no... Ayden would not. Would he? The Aes Sedai had not. Zeen felt his terror and rage rising and quickly pushed his face into the pillow and closed his eyes. He retreated within himself, forcing his mind to go still.

He could not say how long he lay there, blank and unfocused. It was not until the overpowering scent of... something medicinal and pungent besides, that brought him back to the present. That salve was wretched smelling, but he could not deny that the numbing properties were sorely welcome.

“Whatever you did,” Zeen began hesitantly, unsure if he wanted to know exactly what it was that Ayden had done, but feeling as if he was obligated to say something on it. “It did help.”

[Trent]

Ayden

Ayden paused as he worked on finishing the bandage changing. Zeen had gone completely still and silent. He had to lean in close to make sure the man was still breathing. Letting out a relieved sigh that he was, he had continued to work. As he finished applying the salve and the new bandages, Zeen spoke. His response was clipped. Short. Ayden was fairly good at reading people and he had an inkling that Ayden’s ‘skirting’ around the request not to be Healed had not been welcome. He was surprised Zeen had anything to say about it at all other than yelling and perhaps violence. That said, though, his overall response was positive. Ayden still felt guilty though, because he knew of Zeen’s request to not have the Power touch him, and he’d tried skirting that with a technicality. “I’m sorry, Zeen. I know you didn’t want to actually be Healed by the Power, so I made the bandages wet so as to reduce the pain of them coming off.” He looked away, not wanting to risk eye contact in his guilt. “I shouldn’t have done that without your permission. I just hate seeing you in so much pain every day. I’ll just hurry and finish and leave you alone. I’ll understand if you would rather I not attend you again.”

[Jenn]

Zeen

Zeen had not been expecting the rush of words from the other man, much less the admission that Ayden had indeed used the Power on him. The Amadician's teeth ground together as he flexed his jaw, using the brief sensation of discomfort to force himself to relax. Water, instead of Healing. A technicality, to be sure, but as he listened to the guilt-ridden words tumble out of Ayden's mouth, Zeen let out a heavy soundless sigh.

"My pain and discomfort should not be of concern to anyone else, save myself," he said gruffly, his reluctance evident. "However, I... appreciate the sentiment. I would not have thought to wet the bandages first." He very carefully did not look at the other man, the urge to lash out warring with the understanding he attempted to give; any outward influence could tip him away from one towards the other and the grey-eyed man did not wish to lose control in such a confined space.

It was still difficult not to simply curse at the black-coated man for going against his wishes. Zeen grimaced at the effort it took to calm himself, the broad Amadician breathing steadily through his nose. What Ayden had said required some kind of further acknowledgment, but as he shifted his shoulders and back against the fresh wrappings and bindings, he was not certain if he was qualified to give a response that would suffice.

"I would not have given you permission, had you asked, but what is done is done. There is no point in lingering. As for whether or not I prefer that you attend me or not, I do not believe that is up to me." Zeen tried to soften his tone, realizing how irritable he sounded. "But if you do return, I will not fight you if you decide to wet the bandages again. If you are finished, may I stand again?"

[Trent]

Ayden

None of this was going as Ayden had hoped. He couldn’t think that every time he opened his mouth, he was making it worse. He started gathering his equipment and the bag of used bandages that he would take to be washed. “Yes, you may stand up again. I’m done with the bandages and the salve.”

He turned to leave and was almost to the edge of Zeen’s ‘room,’ such as it was. Something in his mind, stupidity probably, made him stop and set his things down before turning back to regard Zeen as the man sat up slowly. “Why would you assume your pain or discomfort wouldn’t be a concern to anyone else but you? I mean, you do know what an infirmary is? I don’t come here to change bandages because it’s the most fun thing to do.” His inner voice continued, Or even because you’re attractive beyond belief.

“The people here dedicate their lives to easing the suffering and pain of those around them. I hope to be one of them someday. I, personally, hate to see you… or anyone else,” he quickly added, “in this kind of pain. I wish you would let me try to heal you, but I won’t use the Power at all with you anymore, until you ask me to.”