#rivervale_lodge

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The flu was rougher than it should have been, mixing with some nasty stuff. Kerri hates it. Just as she htought she was recovering it hammered her again.

Olgar has been a trooper, but his lack of sleep is showing.

Even her thoughts get interrupted by a coughing/sniffling fit.

A soft tap-tap-tap at the door, before it creeps open and Connor peers in.

Not enough to rouse a sleeping Kerri, perhaps, but if awake, she'll hear it.

" 'm in...." she croaks.

It's a sign HOW tired Olgar is that he doesn't quite stir.

"...but stay back," she adds.

He hesitates, then steps over to the bedside, eyes showing his concern. And pads right over to the head of the bed, skirting past a snoring Olgar, despite her warning. "Miss Kerri, you woke up. I thought you'd sleep for-EVER but they said not to wake you."

"Oh...Connor..." A groan. "Don' get close. You'll get sick."

"I brung you a snack." He insists. "And I'm not leaving 'til you eat it all up, like it was some turrible green things and I can't have my ice cream until it's gone." Offering out a small bowl with a sliced up fruit it in. Well, he tried to slice it up. It's a bit hacked - maybe he used the bread knife? And a small band-aid on one sticky finger.

Glamour flows from the bowl...well, the slices gleam.

Akin to spring magic and heather balm

"Honey, I'm not very hungry," she protests vaguely. But the glamour draws her, like sweet scent on a breeze. She reaches and takes a small piece of the fruit, and takes a careful bite.

"It's good though, right? Snow said you'd like it."

"This is from Snow?" She eats a bit more.

And the sniffles stop... she can breathe! The chills are gone.. the weakness washes out of her joints

Every ache departs.

"Oh, no. We stole it from a monster or was given it from a tree, maybe both." Chattering softly, his young voice almost soothing as he uses his "lilly voice", and gives her an update on what she's missed. She may not gather it all - or most of it, but it's like background music as he urges her gently to eat another piece, and another. "...and Dagmar made spaghetti, then Sallie May made lots of things. Tiffany tried to help out but Sallie May told her oh no no you don't need to help cook for now and sent her to patrols. And I met a nice lady even if she did kidnap me .... " chatter chatter, "But watch out for the soup can...." Ramble ramble... "and you HAVE to get better because Gerd is gone now. And I miss you."

She blinks, startled. "Oh. Oh...that's...." She tries moving, and taking a tentative deep breath>

"And I brought some nice cheese, too. It's green, but not FUZZY green. Tasty green."

In fact, she may have lost a bunion. somehow.

Olgar stirs "What smells like..." a pause a sniff "You okay?"

She eats the fruit with an appetite, and sits a bit up in the bed. "Oh, Connor, this is wonderful....I'm...wait...what do you mean Gerd is gone?"

He blinks a few times. "There's plenty of cheese, though. She can have some when she visits. I saved her some, so she'll know there's no hard feelings. And I have a job now, and can quest on my own, so I don't need her to stay and watch over me."

"Hey," she offers her husband a smile. "Connor brought miracle fruit."

"Connor you're not supposed to..." He stares and processes "He what what what?"

"Here, look, it's...." she points to the bowl, but she seems to have eaten it all. "Oh. Oops."

He wipes at his pants to try to clean sticky hands, then pulls his bandaid away. "Hey, look. My ow is gone, too. That WAS good fruit."

"That's amazing, Connor. Thank you so much. I think I can even give you a hug." She offers her arms out.

"Achoo" Olgar says

He happily gives her a hug, and then shoots an alarmed look at Olgar.

She squeezes the boy, then also gives Olgar a stern glance. "If that's a joke, it's not funny."

"I'm fine." Olgar says

"Iron constitution" He says

"Thanks, kid, we owe you"

He huffs. "That's good, because the Healing Tree ran away after I got mine. And I don't even know where to START looking."

He shakes a scolding finger at Olgar.

"It's like he's running for the job of Hearth" Olgar observes

"Well, I'm glad the healing tree was here where you could find it. And I think Connor does a fine job helping Hearth."

"I'd be a turrible Hearth, I don't even know where the Pork Chop tree grows."

She looks to Olgar. "What does he mean about Gerd being gone?"

He has not, by the way, released Kerri, and meanwhile has climbed into her lap. Luckily, being a troll, she has plenty of it.

"Gerd was going to move in with Vali but there were...complications."

Olgar says that cautious like

She easily welcomes him on her lap. After all that time sick, feeling not-sick is just SUCH a relief.

A frown. "Complications?"

He mumbles something, muffled in her shoulder.