closed for @firedreamt (for knuckle mor <3) setting: guest chambers for the tully, days after the harvest festival
aila grew stir crazy as the days dragged on. the news of any sickness is hard to swallow but there are mny among the ill who aila worried for in particular, aybüke, lady helvis and lady arryn, makoa's sister as well. while not particularly religious, they would pray if it'd help. may the gods old and new protect the bedridden nobles, may each of them survive and have a full recovery. but prayers did not work that way, did they? if sheer will could keep someone alive (though their grandsire may be that exception for their iron will had them far older than most in the realm), then her aunt would have been spared. perhaps her birth parents would have to. if you could simply beat the stranger in a game of sheer determination.
it'd been days with no improvement and they understood the need for precaution but there was nothing aila hated more than being useless, powerless, forced to sit idle when something, anything can be done. uncle mor had mentioned in passing of wanting to aid the sick, keep them company at the very least. but aila could see the toll on the older tully. their aunt's death had been devastating to the family, their cousin and uncle most of all. but of course, it would not be proper discussion and life went on. though there are days, aila swears it seems that their uncle is stuck in the grief. it's not something she can understand, not really. too young when she lost her parents, too inexperienced to know that type of love, too afraid and too sheltered to witness her aunt's deterioration. that is a nightmare exclusive to others.
the proper thing would be to take a page out of aunt saby's book. but when has aila ever done the proper thing?
"i don't know how... but i'd like to help too. if you teach me or showed me how, i'd like to do something." anything. aila fiddles with the edge of her sleeve, summoning the courage to ask the harder question. "... are you alright, uncle mor? i know it can be..." they don't know though, not really. hope to never know.
"you don't seem to be taking care of yourself." they finally blurt. "and i feel you should probably care for yourself as well in order to help others."















