Forever Caged [Complete]

Chapter 18: Rest


Arna started talking first. "Well, I was out running an errand, and went to stop by Rendell's and I found Reyvn all beat up. The statues in his garden attacked me, and that's how I got like this. They probably got him too." It was a bold-faced lie, but he didn't want the doctor knowing, even though he himself didn't know.

Ravis nodded. "Rendell? Where was he at?"

Arna shrugged. "Probably out hunting. I didn't find him and I didn't wanna wait."

Ravis was satisfied with this answer, and started dabbing at Reyvn's cuts with cotton balls. "I still doubt that you're supposed to be here, so I'll have to take payment out of your hides," he said flatly. 

Reyvn listened to Arna lie, and was glad Ravis didn't ask him for his side of the story. When the doctor didn't bombard them with questions, he relaxed a little. He finished drying off his hair, and let the towel rest on his shoulders. He glanced up, confused. "What do you mean?" He was already thinking Ravis intended to have them pay with their bodies, and suddenly liked the man a lot less. Gods, was every grown man a bloody rapist?

Ravis dabbed some more alcohol soaked cotton balls on Reyvn. "I mean I'm going to be using you as assistants around here. It's the rainy season and a lot of people get sick. I happen to know that your master is out, so he won't mind you staying for a bit."

Arna lit up. "Really?"

Ravis chuckled. "You'd make a good doctor if you'd pick up a book every now and again."

Reyvn sighed in relief, then winced when Ravis dabbed a little too hard in one of his cuts. He jerked away, then frowned and settled back down to let Ravis continue cleaning him. Ok, great, personal assistants. That wasn't bad. He still didn't trust the doctor, and thought of what to do to keep him from blabbing. "Thank you," he said quietly to Ravis.

Ravis finished Reyvn up and wrapped him in gauze. Then he went to work on Arna. "You two must be hungry. Now that you're all cleaned up, make yourselves at home. Arna, you know where the guest room is." He went to head to the kitchen. "Do you want something heavy or light?"

Arna piped up. "I want something chunky!"

Reyvn nodded his agreement. "Stew would be nice." His voice was a little distant, returning to the quietness it usually held. He watched the redhead next to him. Just how did he manage to keep smiling?

Arna grabbed Reyvn's wrist and dragged him to the guest room. There was a large bed pushed up against the wall with a sofa facing it. They both had nightstands with three drawers next to them, and a closet door on the far wall stood open. "You get the bed tonight," Arna said. "The gauze monster needs space to heal."

Reyvn let Arna drag him into the guest room, and quietly shut the door behind them. He inspected the room as Arna spoke, and was pleased with it. "Gauze monster?" A small smile crept across his face. He remembered thinking the same thing of himself the last time he was wrapped in bandages. He chuckled softly, his shoulders shuddering.

Arna noticed Reyvn's shoulders moving strangely. "Are you ok?" he asked. He sat down on the sofa, leaned back and sprawled his legs. "Sit before you tire yourself out," he said. He let out a sigh and let the smile slip from his face.

Reyvn stilled, then went to join Arna on the sofa. He didn't lean back, the cuts on his back still stinging. He was silent, thoughts racing through his head. What would happen if Rendell found them here? Could he possibly trust Ravis? Would Lady Khala contact Lesara for them? He slumped forward and sunk his head into his hands. Dammit, why couldn't Lesara have just let him stay at his house?

Arna took one of Reyvn's hands. "Hey, what's wrong? Please talk to me, you're making me worry." He bent down to try and look at Reyvn's face. "Are you going to be alright? Want me to get you anything?"

Reyvn gazed up at Arna through the mess of damp hair shrouding his face, and sat back up slowly. He brushed some of the hair from his eyes. "Arna, why didn't you run when I asked you to?" He'd gotten an answer earlier, but it just hadn't been satisfying.

Arna was startled by the question. He turned his gaze to avoid looking at Reyvn and said, "I didn't want to leave you alone in case anything bad happened."

"My entire life is something bad happening," Reyvn retorted angrily. He made a face, then tried to calm down. "...Sorry. But why are you so worried about me? No one else has ever been."

Arna's face went red. "I don't know, I just do. I felt really bad about not being able to tell you everything about Rendell cus I was too big of a coward, and now look at you. Normally I wouldn't give a flying rat's ass!" Arna sighed and kept his face turned away.

Reyvn's eyes widened and he moved back a little. "I think...what happened would have happened, regardless of whether you told me. At least you told me enough that I knew to be cautious towards him." He slid his hand from Arna's, turning away himself. "My own stupidity threw us into this mess..." He shook his head. "Can Ravis be trusted not to tell Rendell?"

Arna turned back with that smile on his face again. "Oh yeah. He won't say nothin'. He's the kind of doctor who doesn't ask a lot of questions and will treat anyone regardless of what's going on. He says I'll make a good doctor someday." He looked up at the ceiling, daydreaming about when he would become a doctor. "I come here sometimes to watch him work so I know what I'm doing when it's my turn."

Reyvn watched the redhead next to him. He understood then, that the smile Arna wore was a mask. His protection from the horrors around him. He didn't want to be the one to break that thin shield. He turned his gaze back to the floor, silent again for a time as he thought. "How long would it take for Lesara to return if he was contacted tonight?"

Arna shrugged. "You're not going back. After we're done here, and the water goes down, we are headed straight home. The hell with Rendell."

Reyvn nodded. He remembered his book was still at Rendell's, and desperately wanted to retrieve it...But it wasn't worth the risk. Nor were his clothes. "If I'm recovered tomorrow, I can fly us out of here and we won't need to wait for the water. We can't afford to wait." He whispered the last words, mostly to himself.

Arna patted Reyvn's head. "Look at you, you're a mess! You're lucky to recover in a month! Besides, it's going to take more than a night to pay Ravis off." He leaned away from Reyvn a little and then pulled the boy on him. "Better get comfy."

Reyvn let himself be pulled onto Arna, and tried to relax. He gazed up at the taller boy, some of the orange fading from his eyes. "Arna, we can't stay here very long. Rendell will find us if we don't get out of here soon, and..." He turned his face away. "Who knows what he'll do to us...?"

"Relax. Ravis may only be huma, but he won't die. And Rendell would get beaten with needles if Ravis found out his hard work had been ruined." He smiled at Reyvn. "Rendell has no power here."

Reyvn didn't believe what Arna was saying, but chose not to argue. He was tired, and sore, and his head was starting to throb. His stomach rumbled at him, and he made a small noise. "I wonder if Ravis is done yet?"

Arna looked at the door. "That's a good question. Hey Ravis, are you done? Want any help?" he hollered.

Ravis yelled back, "I'll tell you when I'm done, and if I wanted your help I would have asked!"

Arna looked back at Reyvn. "Nope, not done yet."

Reyvn tensed up, startled by Arna's sudden noise. He put a hand to his head and groaned. "Not so loud, please."

"Oh, sorry," Arna whispered. He began playing with Reyvn's hair, and ended up getting lost in thought. "Hey," he asked Reyvn. "Was your old master an ass too?"

Reyvn relaxed against Arna's chest, enjoying the feeling of his hair being played with. His eyes fluttered closed until Arna spoke up again. "Yes. I told you earlier, you haven't seen crazy until you've met Koumori. Although...Rendell is pretty bad."

Arna began braiding the strand he was playing with. "That makes me feel kind of lucky. You should be happy too, we're practically in the clear now." The smell of meat cooking wafted through the air and made Arna's head go a little fuzzy and his stomach roar. "Mmmm that smells good."

Reyvn smelled it too, and his stomach grumbled along with Arna's. "It does. I hope he doesn't take much longer." He sighed, closing his eyes again. Practically safe wasn't good enough. He wanted out of here as soon as possible, regardless of what Arna said.

Arna looked at Reyvn. The boy was very pretty, and he couldn't get his head around why people would want to hurt him. But he did make Arna feel a little weird... He was going to say something when Ravis hollered at them.

"Dinner's ready!" 

Reyvn tensed and sat up quickly, staring at the door. He eased up when he realized it was just Ravis. He stood and headed for the door. "Great, I'm starved."

Arna followed close behind him, and squealed with glee when he saw the huge pot of stew on the table.

Ravis was setting out bowls and loaves of bread. "Alright, boys," he said as everyone sat down. "I'm figuring that it's going to take about two days for you two to pay me off. Reyvn, you can handle the small things, like cleaning utensils and what have you. Arna's less injured so he can help me with the patients."

Arna helped himself to the thick and rich stew. "I like how you cook a lot better than Cherry," he said, almost as if he didn't hear. "She never puts in enough meat."

Reyvn dug in, the full force of his hunger hitting him. He'd only eaten the strawberry since dinner with Rendell the previous night, and his stomach was roaring something fierce. He didn't forget his manners though, and just nodded in agreement to both Rendell and Arna, with a small "Mm," as he did so. Two days...That wasn't too bad. Hopefully they could leave by then without incident.

Ravis nodded. "Good. My gods you two act starved." He attempted at small talk, and was ignored by Arna. He turned to Reyvn. "So, tomorrow morning, I'll teach you how to sanitize equipment. We'll start bright and early. I had a rush today and I expect tomorrow to be worse."

Reyvn swallowed. He glanced at Ravis. "All right." He still didn't trust the doctor, but what else could be done?

Arna finished his stew and leaned back. "Ohh man, I'm gonna pop."

Ravis smiled and cleared away the dishes. "I'll take that as a compliment. Now, you two should bathe. Keep those cuts clean as possible. Arna, you know your way around."

Arna stood up and dragged Reyvn behind him. "This way!" he said.

Reyvn would've liked a little bit more, but once again let Arna lead him away. He gave Ravis a quick, parting "Thank you," before disappearing around the corner with the redhead. He looked to Arna, and sighed. "Could you please stop pulling me everywhere?"

Arna let Reyvn go. "Sorry... I just don't like being around him too long." He opened the door to the bathroom and walked in, fumbling around for the light switch. "He is a good doctor, but I just don't like how being around him feels." Arna thought about it a minute. "But he does cook good and he makes you eat big breakfasts." He poked Reyvn in the tummy again. "You might gain some weight here," he joked.

Reyvn winced, putting a hand to his stomach. The cuts Rendell had done were mostly healed now thanks to the magick, but they still stung. "It's all right. I don't like being around him either." When the light came on, Reyvn went to the tub and fiddled with the taps, turning on the hot water. He was still for a moment, then asked, "What do we do about clothes?"

Arna shrugged. "Well, I have some stuff here, since I'm always coming by for Cherry. My stuff might fit you." Arna started to pull away his bandages, wincing. "If they don't, I wouldn't worry. I can always go back to Rendell's. Clarice likes me, so she might give me your case."

Reyvn spun to face Arna. "No, you can't go back. He'll hurt you. Lesara can get it when he comes back, right now it's not worth it."

Arna jumped back in surprise. "...Alright." He figured it best to listen. He'd worried Reyvn a lot up till now, and felt partially responsible for all of Reyvn's wounds. "Um... do you want help?"

Reyvn settled back, relieved Arna would finally do as he asked. He looked at the fresh bandages on his body, then said, "Please?" He started unwinding the ones around his waist, glad they weren't sticking to his body yet.

Arna began unwinding the rest of Reyvn's bandages. "You can take the bath first. I just want to wash my hair." He got to a piece of gauze that snagged and cursed under his breath. "Fuck. Lemme go get some scissors."

Reyvn winced when Arna pulled on a stuck part of the bandage, but didn't say anything. He watched the redhead leave the bathroom, and frowned. He didn't want to be left alone, but it was all right if it was just for a few seconds. He watched the rippling water of the bathtub as it filled, and trailed his fingers through the surface. He leaned closer suddenly, thinking he saw purple sparks.

His face scrunched a bit as he concentrated, and an image started to form. The ripples made it blurry, but he thought he could see black curls flowing in the wind, attached to the head of a...rather handsome man. He had red wings edged in fire, not all too different from Reyvn's own. The man's eyes caught his again, like the time at Lesara's pond, but this time Reyvn didn't jump back. "Who are you?" he whispered at the image. He thought he saw the man grin as the image faded. He frowned, sitting back. What the hell was all this?

Arna returned holding scissors. "What was that? Thought I heard you talking." He went to cut the snagged bit off Reyvn's bandages.

Reyvn turned his head to see Arna behind him with the scissors. He tensed, wings raising a bit. "Just...thinking out loud." He wasn't sure if he could tell Arna yet. He peeled off the last of his bandages, then stood. "I think...I'm going to need some help washing my back. I can't really see where the cuts are, and I don't want to make it worse. Would you mind...?"

Arna turned a little pink and was glad his freckles could hide some of it. "Uh, sure. Get in the bath." He picked up a soft wash cloth and found the soap. "Lemme know if I'm being too rough."

Reyvn peeled his soggy pants off, and hung them to drip-dry on the towel bar. He slid into to the water carefully, then leaned forward to turn off the tap. He reached for another washcloth, but since Arna had the soap he had to wait a bit. "Go ahead."

Arna got his washcloth sudsy and handed Reyvn the soap, then began to trace along the skin between Reyvn's cuts. "Eesh, this won't be easy. I think this one might need stitches."

Reyvn flinched, feeling the soap leak into his wounds. It stung like nothing else, but he sucked it up and concentrated on cleaning the rest of his battered body. "I hope he has more trouble moving than I do," he grumbled to himself.

Arna started rinsing off Reyvn's back. "Hope who has more trouble? Are we expecting someone?"

Reyvn sucked in a breath at the hot water running down his back. He let it out slowly, knowing if he forced his muscles to relax the pain wouldn't be so bad. "Rendell," he said through clenched teeth. "I managed to hurt him pretty bad, so I hope he's suffering."

Arna couldn't help but snigger. "You mean worse than this? I don't know, he got you in a bad way. There, back's all done."

Reyvn sighed, and slumped forward. "I don't know, but I got all of his joints." He washed the rest of his body off, then reached for the shampoo and conditioner and poured some of both into one hand before throwing his head forward. The long, black hair spilled in front of him, and he rubbed his hands through it thoroughly.

Arna watched Reyvn wash his hair, admiring how his neck curved into his shoulders and down into long, delicate arms- He shook his head. What was he thinking? "Yeah, sounds like he'd be out a while."

Reyvn pulled the plug on the tub so the dingy, soapy water could drain and Arna would have a fresh bath. He turned the tap back on, and ducked his head under it to rinse off. "Good."

Arna caught himself staring at Reyvn's ass, and turned his face away. "Uh... I can bathe myself if that's ok. My clothes are hanging in the closet."

Reyvn finished with his hair, and wrung some of the excess water out before he stood up. He let his hair drape over one shoulder, and he carefully stepped out of the tub. "Sure. Want me to grab them for you?" he asked before pulling a fresh towel out of the linen closet.

Arna nodded. "Please? You can help yourself to anything that looks like it'll fit." Arna stripped and dropped his pants on the floor, then sat in the tub. The water made his skin burn. "Ahh! That stings!"

Reyvn patted himself dry and wrapped the towel around his waist. He gave Arna a sympathetic look. "If you relax, it hurts less. Are you sure you don't want some help?"

"Can't relax, this stings too much," Arna said through gritted teeth. "Do I have anything on my back? It's been numb a while, so I can't tell."

Reyvn walked back over to Arna, inspecting his back. "You have some scrapes, but it doesn't look as bad as the stab wounds to your front." He sat on his knees by the side of the bathtub, suddenly concerned. "I think I'll stay with you."

Arna's cheeks puffed out. "Alright," he said. He took the shampoo and dumped a glob on his head, then lathered himself up. "Hey check this." He used the suds to shape his hair into a mohawk.

Reyvn arched a brow at Arna's actions, then gave him a small grin. "You look silly." He picked up one of the washcloths, got it soapy, and started to reach for Arna's back. "Do you mind?"

Arna was certain his face was red hot. He dunked his head to rinse the suds, and flipped it back up. "Go ahead I guess," he told Reyvn. "Don't waste too much time here, you need your cuts wrapped back up." He thought it was a good excuse.

Reyvn carefully washed the skin around Arna's scrapes, gently massaging here and there. "I'll be fine."

Arna shivered under Reyvn's light touches. He hadn't been handled this gently in a long time, and the sudden thoughts he was having confused him. He wanted to turn around... no, no, stop thinking that! Arna smacked his forehead in the hopes that it would drive the thoughts away. "I'm almost done here. Ewww, was I that dirty?" 

Reyvn tilted his head at Arna's actions. He gave the other boy a funny look, and finished up. He rinsed the washcloth under the tap before pulling the plug on the drain again. "Apparently so. Is something bothering you?" He stood up, and went to retrieve another towel from the closet.

"N-no... I'm fine. Just kind of achy," Arna quickly stammered out. Gods, he felt like a fool. He'd been with the boy for not even a week yet and already he was starting to feel... 'Stop that, Arna!' he thought to himself. He took the towel from Reyvn. "I'm ready for a good long sleep. The fridge is fair game here if you get hungry during the night."

"All right," Reyvn responded quietly. He didn't quite believe Arna, but shrugged it off. "I'll see you in a little bit then." He turned and left the bathroom. He headed to the guest room, and started rummaging through the closet. He pulled out a pair of long shorts he was sure would fit and tugged those on after letting the towel drop to the floor. He was afraid of putting a shirt on, sure it would make his cuts sting. He'd need to go see Ravis again first.

Ravis was in the living room, sampling something Lady Khala had given him. He saw Reyvn come in. "What's the matter?"

Reyvn gave the doctor a questioning look, not recognizing what he was up to. "We...both need some fresh bandages."

Ravis nodded and picked up a roll of gauze. "Sit. Where's Arna?" He began dabbing at Reyvn with more alcohol cotton balls.

Reyvn did as Ravis asked, and tried to sit still. He squirmed a little bit, wishing the man would ease up some with all the alcohol. "He's -ow!- still in the bathroom, I think."

"Alright. Get him over here when I'm done with you." He tried to wrap this up quick. He could feel the effects of whatever the Lady had given him already.

Reyvn watched Ravis' hands, and nodded. Uncertain of whether or not it was a good idea, he asked quietly, "Doctor Ravis? ...You won't tell Rendell we're here, will you?"

Ravis looked up, confused. "I don't see why I would. He has no reason to know. Why do you ask?"

Reyvn sighed in relief. "Because I'm afraid if he finds us, we...won't be able to escape his anger."

Ravis tucked in the end of the last piece of gauze on Reyvn. "Why? Did you get blood on his precious statues?"

Reyvn made a face. Rendell cared about his statues that much? Blech. "No, but I imagine he won't be happy that I'm gone." He quickly stood. "Thanks again...for letting us stay here." He turned and swiftly made his way back to the bedroom, hoping Arna was done.

Arna was sitting on the couch, trying to organize his thoughts while wrapping himself up. "What's up?" he asked as Reyvn entered. "Doc do a good job?"

Reyvn relaxed when he saw the redhead on the sofa. "Yes, he did. He wants you to go to him to get bandaged up too."

Arna shook his head. "He knows I can do it myself. How do I look?" He knew he wasn't nearly as neat, but he thought it was decent... not really. "Fine, I'll go talk to him. You get ready for bed." Arna left to have the doctor fix up his handiwork.

Reyvn gave Arna a half-smile, not wanting to say anything bad. He let him slip past through the door, and went to crawl into bed. He was pleased to find it was nice and soft, but also a little firm. He pulled back the blankets and slid under them, carefully laying down on his side.

Arna came back, his bandages nice and neat, and looked at Reyvn. "Hey," He whispered. You awake?"

Reyvn lifted his head. "Yes," he responded quietly. "You feel ok?"

"Yeah. Just checkin’ to see if you were ok." He wanted to crawl in bed with the boy and snuggle him, but he thought it was a bad idea. 'Because of his cuts,' he told himself. He went over and flopped on the couch, rolling over so his back faced the room.

Reyvn frowned, wishing for once he wouldn't sleep in an empty bed. He trusted Arna, and liked his company. He wouldn't push it though. He slid the blankets up to his waist, and shut his eyes. "Good night, then."

Outside, the storm raged on, and Arna huddled up in a ball. "I hate thunder, I hate thunder, I hate thunder," he kept whispering to himself. A loud CRACKABOOM! shook the house, and Arna shrieked. He flew under the covers next to Reyvn and shouted, "Move over!"

Reyvn shuddered, the thunder rattling his body as well. He nearly jumped when Arna dove into the bed, and sighed. He obliged, and laid back down before sliding his long, soft fingers around one of Arna's hands. "It's just thunder," he said calmly.

Arna's body was shaking, but stilled the moment Reyvn touched him. His fear dispersed, and he understood what he felt towards the boy laying next to him. "I know... I just don't like the noise." He liked the way Reyvn's soft skin felt, and grimaced at his own callused hands.

"Then think of something you do like," Reyvn said softly, words somewhat slurred. He could feel himself starting to drift off.

All Arna could think about was that soft hand in his. "Yeah..." It really did relax him, but he didn't want to feel this way. He knew what the boy had suffered, and didn't want to add to it. 'Oh what the hell,' he thought. He rolled over and gingerly placed an arm around Reyvn.

Reyvn's eyes fluttered open and closed as he fought to stay awake just a little longer. He felt Arna's arm wrap around him, and it felt nice. He curled a little closer to the redhead, and let himself doze off.

The heat coming from Reyvn's body made Arna groggy. He didn't want to sleep yet though, he wanted to enjoy Reyvn in his arms a while longer. But he had been worn out, and he could feel himself drifting off. Before sleep had gotten the better of him, he bent his head down and gently kissed Reyvn's soft lips. Satisfied, he dozed off into a deep sleep.

---

Ravis was clattering away in the kitchen. The sun had just barely risen, and yet he had already made over a dozen muffins, an entire pig's worth of bacon, eggs, french toast, and had set a gallon of syrup on the table. Whatever the Lady gave him last night when she dropped off the boys' medicines really made him hungry.

Reyvn woke up at the smell of food wafting into the bedroom, and tried to sit up. He found he was obstructed by Arna's embrace, and also that his back was stiff. He winced, then held himself up on one arm as he used the other to gently shake Arna. "Hey, wake up."

Arna grumbled and rolled over. He sniffed at the air, and sat up, chipper as a bird. "I smell food!" He knew he was hitting that awkward stage where one could eat like a horse and still be scrawny, and he loved it. "Come, comrade! We dine!"

Reyvn's face twisted in confusion, one brow almost reaching his hairline. He shifted and pushed himself up, hissing quietly as his cuts stretched and protested at the movements. He slid out of bed, and followed Arna into the kitchen. He nearly stumbled back, seeing the massive amount of food spread on the table. What was with everyone and these gargantuan meals?

Ravis was already sitting at the table, newspaper in hand and sipping a cup of coffee. "Good morning boys. Reyvn, are you alright? You look a bit pale." Arna sat down and loaded his plate with huge piles of everything. "I love being a teenage gardener!" he said as he stuffed a muffin in his mouth.

"I'm fine," Reyvn told Ravis as he took a seat. He put as much on his plate as he figured was safe at breakfast, then decided an extra muffin couldn't hurt. He ate quietly, savoring the taste of the meal. "You really do cook better than Cherry."

Ravis grinned. "Thank you. Woman never did want lessons, but women get offended too easily. Hurry up and eat, my office opens in an hour." Arna reached for the jug of syrup and drowned everything on his plate in it.

Reyvn paced himself, knowing what would happen if he scarfed it down. He waited for Arna to set the syrup back down, then picked it up and drizzled it on his french toast. He soon was munching on his second muffin, but couldn't tell what fruit was in it.

Ravis ate just as quickly and just as much as Arna, but with the grace and poise that came to his profession. When he was done, he picked up his dishes. "Arna, you know what to do. Reyvn, when you're done eating, come with me." He pulled his lab coat off a peg and slipped in it. "Ho-kay!" Arna said around a mouthful of food.

Reyvn gulped down the last of his muffin, then cleaned up his own dishes as well. He looked and Arna when he was done rinsing them. "Did you sleep ok last night? I know the storm was pretty bad."

Arna picked up his plate and blushed a little. "Yeah. What you said really helped. You're smart, you should become a doctor once you're done with your servitude."

Reyvn gave a small smile. "What? No, I don't think I could handle it." He leaned his hip against the edge of the sink. "Besides, I think I'd do better as a librarian or a researcher or something." -If I ever do get out of slavery,- he added mentally. He glanced in the direction Ravis left, thinking. "Guess I should go."

"Ok," Arna said. He trotted off to the waiting room to take care of his duties for the day. Meanwhile, Ravis was in the back room next to a big machine. "There you are. Are you feeling alright?" he asked as Reyvn came in.

Reyvn let his eyes wander over the strange contraption, trying to figure out what it was for. "A little stiff, and the cuts still sting, but it's better." He came closer, still staring at the machine. "What is that for?"

Ravis patted the machine. "This is the sterilizer." He opened it up using a lever, and placed a series of knives and other things in it before pulling the lever again. "Come here. You press this button here, and hold it for thirty seconds. Never, ever put needles in here, they get thrown away."

Reyvn watched and listened closely to what Ravis did and said, memorizing it all. He nodded in acknowledgment. He already knew why used needles weren't kept, so didn't ask. "Ok, what else do I need to do?"

Ravis shrugged. "Just sanitize things when Arna brings them in. I can take care of everything else myself. Ah, first patient."