Mint and Honey

[KieranSoares]

Seamus looked to Yasmine and Alex with a raised eyebrow, but followed Jeanine as she took his hand and sat down. "Somethin' wrong?" He asked quietly, focusing on Alex.

"Nothing serious at the moment, I don't think. But it requires some immediate action." Alex sat forward to face Seamus fully. "Jeanine came to me with a complaint of some chest pains. And finding out that heart problems run in her family, I've narrowed it down a bit..." Alex explained all he could about the irregular heartbeat, the risks, symptoms of the condition worsening, and the changes that would help keep Jeanine healthy. Seamus looked on, expressionless as he absorbed the fact that his wife had a condition that could threaten her life if they were too careless.

"And, we had a talk about children in the future. It's a risk, but it can be done if it's done right. Regular check-ins, avoidance of stress, and careful planning. I can explain more in detail as we go. I have worked with mothers with similar conditions and not had any serious problems, and being that Jeanine is in a good place with plenty of support, I think she has as good a chance as anyone. But before we get into all that, I'm going to put together some medicines for her to try to see if I can soothe the issue she's having now. It's likely from being a bit overworked along with some dietary issues. All I need from you, Seamus, is to help her make any changes and help keep stress down."

Seamus' gaze dropped to the floor, anxiously considering everything. It wasn't too serious, he knew, but he couldn't help the immense worry and fear for the future that hit him all at once. "I, uh... I don' know what t'say."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I’m sorry I kept this from you.” Jeanine said softly, squeezing his hand tightly as she looked towards her suddenly lost husband. “It doesn’t change any of our plans, Seamus. It just means we have to go about things in a different way.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah... yeah, I know. Jus' kinda... processin' fer a minute..." Seamus felt a little guilty, knowing it was Jeanine's issue to suffer with and he felt he had no place to feel so struck by it. Looking to Alex, he asked, "What can we do righ' now?"

"I think I'll leave you two to talk about it and digest for tonight. I'll stop by tomorrow with some written materials and the first round of medicine." Alex rose then. "Relax, Seamus. And be thankful that your wife isn't as stubborn as the rest of this family, she didn't wait for something to go horribly wrong to get help."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I didn’t want you to worry.” Jeanine murmured softly in her native tongue, leaning her head against Seamus’s strong shoulder as Alex stood to leave.

Seamus had learned the language when he worked for his uncle at his vineyards during his time of self discovery. It was a way that Jeanine and he communicated when they didn’t want anyone eavesdropping. She had been surprised at their wedding when he recited his entire series of vows just for her in French. It proved that he was ready to leave behind his past life of fighting and emotional angst to give her the husband that she needed.

“This doesn’t change anything.” Jeanine said softly, looking up at him with her dark green eyes. “We can still do all of the things we planned.”

One of Jeanine's biggest fears was that Seamus might go back to his old habits, fighting ruthlessly with anyone he felt like and drinking a night away. She was proud of the work that her husband had put into bettering himself, but that thought was always in the back of her mind. She hoped that this news about her health wouldn't trigger him to do away with everything.

 

[KieranSoares]

Seamus let out a long sigh, pulling Jeanine into his lap just to hold her for a long moment. "I'm sorry, love... It's jus' hard t'accept tha' I can't help you... There's a lot o' things I can protect you from, but no' this..." While Seamus had become something of a pacifist, he had always made it very clear that he'd protect his family and his wife at all costs. Most of the time, that meant throwing people out of the bar who got a bit too interested in Jeanine, or breaking up fights by force when they might pose a threat to Jeanine, Ria, and Gerald. And being a good fighter from years of experience, Seamus prided himself on being able to take care of himself and his kin in a scrap. He'd also become a better speaker, more communicative and even eloquent when needed. He could talk people down when they got angry, or talk them up when they were depressed. He had a good reasoning skill, and all of it served him well now that he kept his anger in check. But no amount of raw power, skill, talking, or understanding would help him protect Jeanine from disease, and it weighed heavily on him as his mind raced with all the things they'd have to look out for, the risks, and Jeanine's overall mortality.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I know your promises to protect me no matter what.” Jeanine said softly as Seamus scooped her into his arms. “I should have told you about my issues when we first met. I just thought that this would never be an issue. I’ve felt fine until just recently.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's alrigh'," Seamus leaned back against the small sofa. "We'll work it out..." He let out a long sigh. "With as little stress as possible. Nothin' bad's happenin' righ' now, jus' some warning signs, right? Nothin' t'be scared of... No reason t'get upset 'r anxious..." He seemed to be talking more to himself, a habit he'd developed as he'd begun to control his anger. His logical mind would reason with his angry heart until he reached some peaceful conclusion or coping strategy.

 

[heartofcourage]

Jeanine let him talk himself out his anger and doubt for the moment. She knew he had to do it himself or else he would brood about it for days. She simply rested her blonde head against his shoulder, holding her husband tightly.

“Gabriel is dropping off the children in the morning before he leaves with Morgaine for Inverlochly. We need to get the rooms set up for them.” Jeanine murmured softly, trying to get Seamus’s mind off of the bad news and focused on his love of his nieces and nephews.

 

[KieranSoares]

When Jeanine brought up Gabriel's children, it seemed to snap Seamus back to reality. "Yeah... yeah, I almos' forgot." He kissed her forehead, rising and setting her on her feet as if everything were normal. He knew to dwell wouldn't be good for either of them. "I'll get everything around," he murmured, heading up to the second level of their little home. Seamus had built it a little bigger than they needed, knowing they intended to have a family of their own. But til that time, he welcomed his siblings' and cousins' children often. Some remembered the years when he was always drunk or angry or both, but all knew the gentle giant he was now. And regardless of who he'd been, he'd never taken it out on his family. The only ones to suffer any of his wrath had done it willingly to wear him down and get his head straight, like Gabriel and Durban, or Boar and Leon, and of course Sam who'd had to arrest him a few times.

 

[heartofcourage]

Jeanine watched as Seamus stood and went to start getting things ready for the children to stay for a few days. She knew that he would do everything in his power to protect her and make sure that she was safe and healthy. If that meant picking up an extra load of her work or working even harder to make money, he would do it willingly. She simply had to sit back and rest, focusing on getting better.

As Yasmine walked out of the yard beside Alex, she paused and looked at him in the darkness of the evening. "You can come to my place. It's closer than going all the way to yours."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sounds like a date," Alex smiled gently to her, taking her hand as they walked. "You hardly had to wait up for me. But I'm glad you did." He kissed her cheek.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm worried about you, Alex." Yasmine said as he kissed her cheek and took her hand as they started walking towards the small house on the grounds of the keep that she had been given for her role as the head drake trainer. "Everything that is going on in your family right now is hard to process, even for me. Your mother is ill and your grandfather as well."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm just trying to take it as it comes," Alex answered calmly. Even if his worry showed, it didn't destroy his patience or calm demeanor. Very little could crack his logical mind outside very overwhelming and sudden, terrifying circumstances, as Yasmine had seen. It served him well as a doctor, able to cope with emergencies with a cool head and deal with upset, scared, or irate patients. It had served him in looking after her when she was terrified at the idea of needing surgery. And now it helped him to refrain from drowning in uncertainly and doubt, even if it meant a slow, melancholy decline.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You don't have to try and take anything upon yourself." Yasmine said softly. "You have me now. I can help support you when you think you don't have it in you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know, love. And I appreciate it. But I think I'm okay for the moment... I need to process, and see what all comes in from abroad to help." He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled to himself. "I feel like if I rattled off everything in my head right now, it'd come out in Italian and it'd all be botany."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, you'll just have to teach me Italian and botany so that I can understand." Yasmine said, firm in her conviction that she was going to be whatever Alex needed. "And I'll teach you more about drakes and Arabic. That way, you can properly talk to my uncle and my grandfather because I know that they'll be sending you letters to make sure that I'm properly taken care of. Jiddo caught wind that I was given my own home and he's already furnished it with all kinds of things from home. I don't know how he does it. I'm sure he has people watching from the shadows."

 

[KieranSoares]

"People in high places tend to have ears and eyes everywhere," Alex nodded. "Just look at Kate and Kell." He then chuckled to himself. "But on the subject of botany... I think you'd realize how boring I really am if I taught you any of that."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Have you bored me yet?" Yasmine asked, looking over at him as they passed through the first keep gate they came to on the road from Seamus and Jeanine's home. "I'm still here, still putting up with you, right?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Well, if I haven't bored you in the realm of conversation yet, you must either be a lifelong student like me, or a bit crazy," Alex teased gently. "I haven't decided which."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Probably both." She said softly as she took Alex's hand and they continued to her new home that had been given to her by the Ghis for her service to the drakes and her new position in the stables.

Her grandfather had decorated it from afar, giving it the flare from home that made her just the slightest bit homesick. She had no idea how he had done it. One day she had left to go to her duties and when she returned that evening, the entire house had been redecorated. As she opened the door for Alex, he could smell exotic incense burning and see lovely furnishing and drapes of silks in jeweled tones and gold. The walls were also lined with tapestries from Palmyra, scenes of her grandmother's garden that she loved so dearly.

 

[KieranSoares]

Alex paused in the tiny foyer, glancing around and taking in a deep breath. After moment, he asked softly, "Is it possible to be homesick for a place that wasn't home...?" With the time he'd spent there, dangerous as some of it was and with the difficult summer heat, he'd fallen for the unique beauty of that lively desert shore, where sand intermixed with lush greenery.

 

[heartofcourage]

“It seems as if jiddo and ammo are doing their best to entice me back.” Yasmine as as she removed her headscarf and placed it carefully aside. “Do you want something to drink?”

 

[KieranSoares]

Alex paused as she set her scarf aside, giving her a soft smile as he brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear that hadn't quite gotten braided in with the rest. "Maybe one glass of wine, if you have it."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Do you honestly think that Jiddo didn't send a mountain of wine with the rest of these things?" Yasmine asked him with a soft smile as he tucked a piece of her thick, jet black hair behind her ear. "Only the best for me. That's the motto that he lives by."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oh, so it's proper Syrian wine. I was thinking of asking my Uncle Seamus to get some at some point, but Ibrahim has you sorted." Alex set his things aside and followed her into the den.