ABERLEEN ARC: Castle Aberleen

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"I need a tub of steaming water, and a towel," Diana told the maid.

Gusion and Aamon watched as the maid immediately bustled off. Diana sat beside Sitri on the bed, gently running her hands along Sitri's back in soothing motions. "Deep breaths," she murmured to the little girl. "Take deep breaths through your nose and out through your mouth. Gusion, can you please make sure the maid hurries?"

"Sure," Gusion said as he rushed out the door.

"You mentioned she had...asthma?" Aamon asked as he watched Diana gently rub Sitri's back. The little girl coughed and gasped, her wheezing growing even more pronounced.

"In my world, we call this asthma," Diana explained, glancing up at him. "It basically happens when her airways become inflamed because of triggers. It could be stress, pollens...Anything can trigger it. This is how most patients would present. Their airways become too tight for air to pass through properly."

Aamon watched as Diana murmured comforting words to Sitri, who did her best to follow Diana's instructions. "If we were in my world, I would let her breathe medications that could open her airways," Diana went on. "You mentioned a healer?"

"Yes, there is normally a healer present wherever Sitri goes," Aamon explained.

Diana shook her head. "It can't be helped," she said. "It would take too long to fetch them, probably. She needs relief now."

At that moment, Gusion entered with the maid. She was carrying a steaming tub of water in her hands, while Gusion held several towels in his. Diana instructed the maid to carefully set the tub on the bed before Sitri.

"Sitri, darling," Diana murmured gently. "I need you to lean over this tub, okay? You're going to feel a bit warm because of the steam, but I need you to take deep breaths of it. Can you do that for me?"

Sitri nodded and did as Diana instructed. "I'm going to cover your head with a towel to concentrate the steam," she murmured, taking a towel from Gusion.

"O...okay," Sitri wheezed.

"Try to conserve your breaths, Sitri," Diana said. Sitri bowed her head over the tub and Diana covered her with a towel. "Deep breaths. That's it, you're doing a very good job."

Gusion couldn't help but fidget with a dagger as he watched Diana murmuring encouraging words to Sitri. He would normally consider himself a strong young man, but in the face of Sitri's illness, he often felt helpless. It was usually Aamon who kept his cool during these situations, calmly calling for a healer to attend to their sister.

He glanced towards his brother. Aamon was paying rapt attention to Diana, watching closely as she started to rub soothing circles around Sitri's back. "Sitri," Diana murmured. "I'm going to tap your back for a bit, okay? To help you breathe better."

Sitri nodded from underneath the towel. Gusion watched as Diana cupped her hand and made firm tapping motions along Sitri's back. "You two should sit down," Diana said, turning to Gusion and Aamon.

Aamon stared at her. He had never seen her so decisive, so confident and sure of herself than in that moment. Then again, he reminded himself, Diana was a doctor in her world. "Not necessary," Aamon replied.

Gusion approached the bed and sat on the floor, leaning against one of the bed's posts. Diana turned back to Sitri, still making tapping motions against her back. "Feeling a bit better?" Diana murmured.

Sitri gave a small nod of her head. "The steam helps to relax her airways, and loosen whatever secretions accumulated," Diana told Aamon. "We normally have medication for this in my world, so this will have to do for now while we wait for the healer."

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