by Sarish » Thu Sep 28, 2017 10:53 am
Sarish watched, equal parts amused and concerned, as James barely acknowledged the bow and pushed off of the pillar, doing a lot more stumbling and staggering than walking. He mumbled two somethings that the monk could not discern, eyes staring at nothing as he pitched forward, hands grabbing at the young master's shoulder as he slumped. Sarish froze for a moment, startled, before grasping at James' relaxed form, barely holding him up due to their awkward position. He braced himself quickly, adjusting his posture to accommodate the Canadian's weight. Oh my. I suppose it was better that he was able to climb the stairs on his own; I'm not sure I would have been able to carry him the whole way. The monk reflected. He was not at all weak, quite the contrary, actually, but with James' muscle mass and the fact that the Nepalese man was shorter that him, not to mention the unpredictability of his back, it would have been difficult.
Sarish awkwardly shifted his weight while attempting to hold up James, managing to get one of the man's arms over his head. He widened his stance before hauling the unconscious man up into a standard fireman's carry, taking a moment to find his center of balance before shimmying back to the door of the monastery and, very carefully, using one hand to pull the door open and slip inside. The monk switched footwear once more, sweat beading on his forehead as he focused on not dropping James and maneuvering normally. As he stepped into the hallway, he was quickly met with many pairs of curious eyes staring at him and his cargo. Dinner is over. Sarish thought uselessly as he stared back at the apprentices, many of them the same age or older than he, who were gazing at him with expression ranging anywhere from confusion to derision.
"Shouldn't you all be in your rooms?" He asked, watching most of them snap to attention, like they forgot where they were and who he was, and went on their way. He would usually stay longer and attempt to exchange a few kind words with the apprentices, but his back was already beginning to strain in protest, so he didn't complain when the hallway mostly cleared. A few lingered to watch him stride to the empty visitor's room, clustering together to whisper at his back. He paid them no mind.
The monk slid open the door to the mostly empty room, stepped in, and slid the door closed again. He strode rapidly to the center of the room where the futon laid and kneeled slowly, a small gasp escaping his lips as his back seized painfully, making him freeze. Sarish took a moment to rest, breathing measuredly as he adjusted his grip on James, who he had almost dropped. Slowly, carefully the young master knelt all the way down, reaching with one hand to pull the covers back from the futon before patiently-moving at a snails pace-letting James slip easily from his shoulders and onto the futon. He then arranged the man until he was in a normal position on his back, and then pulled the covers over the unconscious Canadian.
Now what? Sarish wondered in a sort of stupor as he gazed down at James, trying to figure out what to do in this strange situation. He placed one hand to James' forehead and one to his own to check his temperature, but it seemed relatively normal. The monk let his hands fall back to his side, suddenly finding that he was feeling quite mentally drained. He rubbed a hand over the back of his scalp, exasperated. Well. This has certainly been an interesting day, hasn't it? His mind supplied helpfully. He watched the dimming afternoon light dance over James for a moment more before hesitantly pushing himself up from the floor, his back twinging painfully. His gaze latched onto the Canadian once more. He is stronger than he knows, in every aspect. If he decides to stay, I have no doubt that he will make progress easily. He'd probably only stay for a couple of months. For some reason, that thought ruled over Sarish's thoughts, upsetting him. Startled at his reaction, he swiftly turned and walked to the door, slipping out of the room and closing the door behind him.
Knowing full well that he should probably report to the Head Master about their new visitor, Sarish ignored his obligations and instead went back outside, back down the steps of the monastery, and back to the maple tree. He sat at the base of it, his protesting back leaning against the trunk while still in what he had found to be the most comfortable upright position when he was having pain, and sighed, closing his eyes in a lazy meditation as the sun dipped lower over the mountains and the moon rose higher in the chilly night sky.
Why hello there.
I'm absolute trash and that's basically all you need to know about me.