sixthiterationlogs | when lightning strikes

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when lightning strikes

WHO: Sansa
WHERE: Outside the Stark house, then inside
WHEN: February 8th
OPEN TO: Anyone
WARNINGS: will update if needed but part of the lightning plot where Sansa gets hit
STATUS: OPEN

[When it happens....]

Sansa knew that she should have been careful. She had felt it the moment she stepped out of her house and felt the charge in the air. She could feel the electricity brushing against her, causing the hair on her arms and the back of her neck to rise a little as she shivered in response. She told herself that she would be okay, though. There had already been a loss that she felt like an ache in the center of her chest and she wanted to be sure that other people she cared about were safe.

Still, she was worried about Akira and so she turned to make sure her dog was still inside. Murmuring a quick apology, she motioned for her puppy to stay as she shut the door and made sure it was firmly closed. She heard and felt the thump when Akira jumped against the door with a bark of complaint but Sansa didn't stop. Even though it bothered her, she ignored the barking that followed as she turned to dash down the steps of her house.

She only made it a few steps away when the insistent barking in the house behind her made her stop and turn with a frown. She was used to Akira complaining if she ever left her behind but this barking was high pitched and almost frantic.

Then it happened in a matter of seconds.

First, it was a sharp almost acidic smell that assaulted her senses right as she saw a flash of brilliant blue and white energy out fo the corner of her eye. Then it was an explosion followed by agonizing pain that started from her hip and shot outwards through the rest of her body. She didn't even feel it as she hit the ground, every muscle in her body suddenly seizing and locking up, trapping the scream in her throat just before the blessed darkness claimed her.

When she came to a few moments later, all she knew was pain. A strange numbing pain despite the fact that she felt like everything was burning. Mostly in her right leg and hip but still all over as well. She was also aware of the strange fluttery sensation in her chest that made it hard to breathe as she started sucking in deep lungfuls of air despite the fact that it hurt to do so. She wasn't aware of the way her left hand was twitching on the ground at her side or that she was silently crying as she laid there on the ground, the smell of electricity and ozone still in the air.

[ Sansa's jacket is fine but the bottom half of her shirt and right soft of her pants will be wrecked. She has some burns along her right hip and down into her thigh. Underneath the burns, the blood vessels have burst a little and will create some interesting scars later on. Her dog is inside the house, barking frantically.]

*-*-*-*-*

[A few hours later...for anyone who wants to see her after.]

Sansa's whole body was aching like she had ran for miles despite the fact that she had never made it that far from her home. Laying on her bed now, she tried to ignore the way that her left hand would twitch every now and then like the muscles were suddenly seizing before relaxing. Her hip and leg were burning still but she was doing her best not to acknowledge or show how much it hurt.

She must have been brooding pretty hard because she felt the bed shift as Akira crawled a little closer on her tummy and strained to lick at the fingers that had been twitching just a moment before. The puppy had been dutiful in staying at her side since she had been returned to her room to rest.

Sighing, she closed her eyes as she tipped her head back against the pillows and fought down the irritable urge to scream.

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As always, the mutant was keeping busy and that particular day, Logan was walking the dirt road that went from his house, through town and past a few more houses before heading into some more trees. Why? No reason really. He just wanted to do some more investigating.

But he never cleared the last houses on that road. In fact, his attention was completely drawn when he noticed the bright flash of lightning and the unmistakable movement of someone dropping.

Logan sprinted over and slide down to one knee. "Hey!" he sounded, moving her face from the side gently and up so he could a) check if the woman was breathing and b) check her pulse to make sure she was still even alive. That's when he noticed her clothing and her hip. She definitely needed medical attention.

He understood full well what happened and as soon as those moments passed and Sansa blinked her eyes open, Logan made sure she saw him.

"Can you hear me?"

Sansa had no idea who the man was but a tiny little sobbing noise sounded from the back of her throat when he moved into her line of sight. She could feel him pressing his fingers against her neck where he would feel her heart rate going rather quickly and unevenly.

She heard the question and her lips parted to answer him but her throat was burning so bad that she could only make a strange little noise that didn't sound like an actual word.

Swallowing hurt a little as she closed her eyes and tried to will her voice to work. "H-hurts."

Too caught up, Logan hadn't even realised that the woman looked a lot like Jean. But when he stopped and focused on her face after she spoke, there was no mistaking it. The resemblance was almost uncanny.

"Yeah, I bet it does." he said, deciding what to do. He glanced over his shoulder and then up at the two houses at the end of the row. One of them had to be her house. Did he take the chance on wasting time knocking on both doors?

Logan glanced back down at her. "And it's probably going to hurt a little more. I'm going to pick you up and take you to the hospital."

Even as he said it, he was already sliding a hand under the back of her knees; the other arm under her shoulders. Pausing he looked into her eyes, readying her for the pain upon him lifting her up.

Sansa closed her eyes as he took a moment to figure out what to do. There was a lot of frantic barking from one of the houses but that was no guarantee it was her home. For her, it was hard to even think clearly let alone tell him where she lived.

She could barely focus on his words until she felt him sliding his arms under her and she realized that he intended to move her. Her eyes were open again in a flash as she looked at him with a wide-eyed, almost scared gaze. She didn't tell him to stop, though. He would be able to see her clenching her jaw as she steeled herself against the pain that would come again and, sure enough, she bit back a loud whimper of pain when he lifted her.

Logan hasn't so heartless not to feel the guilt of causing more pain for the young woman and he did his best to do it slowly and without any extra movement that wasn't necessary. But he couldn't just leave her there. Or, wait for someone else to come by with a stretcher, however dated that would be. He'd been in enough wars to see those things evolve.

Now came the walk up the road to the clinic.

"Doing okay there?" Logan asked. He'd ask for her name once she got talking a bit more.

"F-fine." There was a fine sheen of sweat clinging to her features as she bit down on her bottom lip in an attempt to block out some of the pain. He was trying so hard not to hurt her that she didn't want to let him know that every step he took was almost pure agony because there was no way to keep from jostling her hip. Plus the rest of her felt so strange like there was a fluttering in her chest and she couldn't catch her breath.

It was the barking of that dog that signaled something was very much not right. They all of them had taken to their respective wolves in their own ways, but Sansa had been the best at proper training. She had precisely the right balance of gentle firmness none of the rest of them ever quite seemed to master. Lady had been unfailingly polite, and while Akira was still learning, she seemed to be headed in the same direction.

The barking was loud, unrelenting, and almost pained, and when it didn't stop after a moment, Robb came hurrying around the house from where he'd been chopping firewood with a borrowed ax.

"Sansa!" he cried, and sprinted the remainder of the distance, skidding to a halt and dropping to his knees in the dirt.

He reached for her, hesitantly at first and then with more confidence, curving a hand against her flushed cheek, his fingers trembling with fear.

"Sansa, can you hear me?"

The pain made it hard to focus or even know how much time had passed before she heard someone calling her name. It sounded strange and far away until she was aware of Robb leaning over her and touching her cheek.

Swallowing thickly against the lump in her throat, she wanted to reach out and hold onto him but her muscles still felt too tight to move. It took some effort but she managed to whimper. "It..hurts. Lightning..."

Then she whimpered again, closing her eyes again as she managed to move and the burns on her hip ached in response.

"I have you," Robb quickly replied, and slipped careful hands beneath her legs and shoulders. The best thing he could think to do was to get her out of the cold, to bundle her up in bed, and perhaps to find a healer. That she was speaking at all was a blessing.

"I'm going to pick you up now, Sansa," he quietly said. "It may hurt, and I'm truly sorry for that, but I've got to get you inside before I can help, all right?"

Even though every part of her seemed to ache, she could barely feel his hands and arms sliding underneath her body as he braced himself to lift her up from the ground. Still, she tensed under his warning that it would hurt when it happened because she could already feel the pain in hip intensifying.

Not that she was really prepared for when he did life her, the scream bubbling up and nearly escaping her until she bit it back. It melted into a whimpering noise as she turned her head towards his shoulders, her eyes clenched shut as she thought might actually pass out again.

The sound she made shot right through him, as acute as any blade, his teeth gritting as if pained when he lifted her as gently as he knew how.

"I'm sorry, darling," he said, a half-choked whisper against her hair as he cradled her back against himself. "It will be over soon."

Speed seemed more critical than care once he had her in his arms, and while he kept his steps circumspect as he carried her up the front steps and to her bedroom, they were also as swift as he dared, the body in his arms was jostled more than he wanted until he could, at last, lay Sansa upon her bed.

"Can you tell me where it hurts the most?" he asked, feeling immediately out of his depth. He needed a healer, that much was certain.

Sansa knew that he was doing his best not to hurt her but such things were unavoidable at this point. Still, she tried not to hurt him by attempting to hide how much it hurt with every step he took. Tried to hurt the sharp stabbing pain that went through her when they moved up the steps to her room.

By the time he set her down, she was sure that her teeth had nearly gone through her bottom lip from her biting down so hard to keep back the cries. She had failed somewhat as she couldn't stop the random muffled whimper from escaping her but the paleness of her features and the sweat clinging to her forehead was a good clue as to how much it had hurt.

"My hip." She managed on a soft gasp as she relaxed on the bed, her lashes fluttering up as she opened her eyes to look at him. If he lifted her jacket, he would see the tattered clothes and burned skin underneath. Along with the start of some interesting scarring.

Now that he was able to pause, to become aware of more than his sister's pain, Robb could smell the aftermath of the strike -- Smoldering wool and cotton, and beneath it the sickly-sweetness of burnt flesh. When he lifted the edge of Sansa's coat, he was careful to school his features so that she couldn't see his distress -- He was simply glad she was alive, but he could only think that the wound and resulting scarring would upset her. She always took such particular care with her appearance.

"You have a burn, but it isn't bad," he said, shifting his careful gaze to her face. "Will you be all right while I fetch someone who can help? Unfortunately, they never taught me anything truly useful, just how to swing a sword," he added, trying a faint, strained smile.

Her lips tightened further into a hard line when he lifted the edge of the jacket to study the wound underneath. There were parts where the material would need to be peeled away from the burn but she couldn't think about that right now. At the moment the pain was so intense that she couldn't imagine it getting worse even though she suspected it could. She was doing her best to bite back the scream that felt like it lived at the back of her throat, threatening to break free if she moved wrong.

Curling her hands to press her nails into her palm, she started to nod until he told her that he was going to leave. Then she was grabbing at his arm, her eyes wide with a hint of fear. "No! No, you can't go outside! It might hit you too!"

Startled, Robb's gaze jerked from the hand clamped over his arm to Sansa's terrified face. He hardly knew what to say to calm her, but when he reached to gather her in his arms, the motion was aborted, pulled back with the reminder that he'd only be adding to her physical pain by touching her.

"No," he tried, voice low as he softly shook his head and reached to curve a hand against her face instead. "I'll be all right. It won't hit me. I'll run all the way there and back, it won't be a moment."

It was easy enough to see that she had caught him off-guard and she swallowed thickly, forcing her hand away from his arm at the same time he reached out to hug her until he remembered how much it might hurt her. She almost decided that it wouldn't matter but she didn't want to upset him by inadvertently crying out in pain and so she settled back without initiating a hug.

"Okay." She swallowed thickly, leaning into his hand before nodding ever so slightly. "Just, please, be quick."

"Sansa?" Margaery peered into her friend's room, bearing a small bowl of berries in her hands. The news of what happened to Sansa had left Margaery petrified. This sudden storm was like nothing she had ever seen before. While she had witnessed the damage it had done, she hadn't seen what could happen to others when struck by lightening.

She took a seat on the edge of the bed, looking over the girl with open concern. "What has the physician said? Will your injuries heal?" At the moment, she bore a number of wounds and looked simply miserable.

"How do you feel?"

"Margaery." Sansa's voice was still a little hoarse but she sounded relieved to see her friend stepping into her room. The distraction was needed as much as anything but she was genuinely happy to see the other woman.

"I'll heal." She answered, glancing down. "It will take a little while for the burns to go away but they said that it...could have been worse."

She took a seat on the edge of the bed, setting the fruit she brought to the side. Her face swam with concern and worry. It was difficult to imagine how it could be worse, but she forced back her fears to help reassure her friend.

"That is a comfort," she managed. "Thank the gods that you were not more severely hurt. The damage the lightening has caused in the village is frightening." She gently placed her hand over Sansa's. "Do you need anything?"

Sansa honestly didn't want to think about how it could have been worse but she knew that it was possible. She could have worse burns or injuries to her insides. She could even be dead now and her loved ones could be left grieving but she didn't want to think about that. Not after they had all been finally reunited with one another and had a chance for some sort of life together here.

"It is. I really do hope that it will stop soon." Turning her hand over, she curled her fingers around her friend's before shaking her head a little. She wanted something to numb the pain but she knew that was probably impossible. "Some company is enough for now. I'm tired but the pain makes it hard to rest right now."

Which meant a distraction would be handy right now.

She gave Sansa's hand a gentle squeeze. It hurt to see her friend in so much pain. After so much sorrow and torment in her life, she deserved better than this, though the weather of this land was temperamental at best. She had least come away with her life and her home. The news about Ren left Margaery concerned about who could be next.

"Have you taught Akira any new tricks?" Margaery asked, gently petting Sansa's puppy. Gilbert had remained behind and inside. She had no desire to put him or any of her animals at risk. "Shall I see her hunting in the woods any time soon?"

She would do her best to distract Sansa, even with small talk.

"We're working on it." Sansa was grateful for the distraction and clung to it as she looked down at Akira who was licking gently at Margaery's fingers whenever she could. "She has gotten good at listening to commands, especially when to sit or follow. She still likes to dart off sometimes but she's young. I have faith in her."

She closed her eyes briefly as she shifted slowly, trying to make herself a little more comfortable before she went on. "I've been learning to fight." She opened her eyes again and smiled tightly. "You should see it. I think you would be surprised."

"You have? Does your sister teach you?" There was little doubt in Margaery's mind that Arya was more than capable of being a fearsome opponent. "I should like to see that once you are recovered. Perhaps when you are, you could teach me as well? I only learned a little self defense." It wasn't enough in her eyes, not when the threats seemed to be growing.

"Do you fight with a weapon?" It was hard to imagine sweet Sansa wielding a blade. Perhaps a bow and arrow, but nothing greater than that.

"No." Sansa replies with a little shake of her head, wetting her lips. "I haven't told her yet because I...I don't know why I haven't told her yet. I haven't really told anyone besides Jon who only found out a few days ago."

Then she nods again. "I've been learning to fight with a staff. It's a curtain rod but it works."

"How did Jon find out?" She leans a bit closer, eager for a bit of gossip. It was something they had shared once before in Westeros, before they had parted ways and their lives had become darker. "How did he respond?"

She smiled, "You should tell your sister. I imagine that she would be able to help. Your sister is rather gifted."

"I told him about it," Sansa replies, smiling faintly. "He actually took it a lot better than I thought he was going to. I was worried he wouldn't approve of it because I might get hurt but he didn't. Actually, he wants to teach me how to use a bow."

Then she nods. "I know she is. I'm going to tell her too though I don't know if I want her to teach me. She might try to hit me more than actually teach me something."

"That's fortunate." Though she had little reason to believe that Jon would want to keep her from learning how to defend herself. It was the wisest course, given their surroundings and all that had happened to him. It was his best means of protecting her.

"I'm not so certain." The interactions with Arya had given her some measure of insight, though it was hard to truly predict what someone like Arya might do. "I think she would simply be glad to help you."

Raleigh didn't see the lightning strike but word travels fast in such a small place and as soon as he'd heard that Sansa had been injured, he makes his way over to the Stark house to see her. He'd bring flowers if there was anything blooming yet but considering the winter hadn't exactly left them yet, there was nothing growing.

Still, he needs to see her.

It's probably against some unspoken rule for him to be in her bedroom but Raleigh doesn't care. He settles on the edge of her bed and touches her face lightly, trying to rouse her.

"Hey. What can I do?"

Sansa is sleeping, skirting along the edge of true sleep, when she hears Raleigh's voice and feels his fingers against her face. At first, it confuses her because she knows that she can't be with him at his home. Not unless the whole horrible experience of being hit by lighting was just a really bad dream.

She knows better, though, because the pain still radiates from her hip down into her thigh. A haunting reminder that she had been struck by the same thing that killed a friend of hers.

Dragging herself back into consciousness, she looks sleepy, confused and then concerned when she realizes that he is actually there in her room. "Raleigh?"

Then, almost immediately, her eyes start to shimmer.

"Hey sweetheart," Raleigh says. Now that she's awake, he feels comfortable enough to reach for her hand and hold it in his, tangle their fingers up together. He'd been worried when he first heard she was struck but now, seeing her resting and patched up, that worry clears away a little.

"How are you feeling?"

She wants to tell him how scared she had been when she first came to and how she had thought that maybe she was dead with no hope to see her loved ones again. Having survived the strike is a miracle but she can't help being emotional after.

Still, she draws in a breath as she lets his touch calm and center her again. Then she manages a weak smile, looking at him again. "Tired and a little sore. As long as I don't move, it's...still painful."

"I'm sorry, you must have been worried when you heard."

"Yeah, Red, I was pretty worried," Raleigh says. He strokes her hair, strokes down her skin where it's unblemished and unwounded. He doesn't want to cause her any more pain than she already has and as much as he wants to gather her up in his arms, he knows that's going to be too painful for her.

"Do you think there's room for me in there? I don't want to move you around too much but I'd like to hold you for a little while."

Even in her tired and pained state, the corners of her mouth still twitch a little when she realizes that he has given her a nickname. Then she looks down at the spot beside her, knowing full well it's risky to allow him to lay down beside her but she doesn't care. She suspects her brothers wouldn't turn away any such offers of comfort from someone if they were in her place.

"There is a lot of room." She tells him, pulling back the light sheets. "I think I would feel a lot better if you laid with me for awhile."

"Good. I don't want you to be lonely," Raleigh says, sliding into bed next to her. It's a little risky but he's on good terms with Robb and he's not going to try anything when Sansa is injured anyway. He just wants to be a comfort to her.

"You know you can tell me if you need anything and I'll get it, right?"

Sansa glances towards the closed door before focusing on Raleigh again, barely aware of the fact that she is holding her breath while he settles in beside her. Once he is done, she relaxes when she finds the movement didn't hurt her as much as she thought it might.

"I just need you here." She tells him honestly. "I don't need anything else."

"I'm not going anywhere. Might be awkward if your brothers come in," he admits, "But I'm willing to fight that fight. You're worth it."

Raleigh reaches over and brushes her hair away from her cheek, trails his fingers down her soft skin.

"If they do, I will chase them off." Sansa knows it wouldn't be nearly as easy as she makes it sound but she does feel better having Raleigh there. So much so that she doesn't want to see him leave any time soon.

Then she blushes a little, leaning into his touch as she brings a hand to his arm. "You're worth it to me too."

"I don't think I could take both of them at the same time so, yeah, I would appreciate the help if they come in here looking for a fight," Raleigh says. He ruffles her hair a little, letting his fingers play in the soft, red strands. He loves Sansa's hair and he's never been so fascinated with just looking at a woman the way he is with her. She's beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman he's ever seen in his life.

"Does it help with the pain? Having me here with you? I hope it does."

"Don't forget Arya." Sansa smiles faintly, thinking of her sister and how the younger Stark could probably do just as much damage as their brothers. In fact, Sansa is sure that Arya could do a little bit more at times because one would never see her coming.

"It does." She promises with a little nod, brushing her fingers over his chest. "It helps block it out."

"Good. I don't want you to think about anything but you and me. You're going to get better, you're going to feel a lot better, and then we're going to be out fishing and walking Akira and everything we did before you got injured."

While he speaks, Raleigh gently strokes her hair and hopes that it's as comforting to her as it is to him.

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when lightning strikes

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