#stys

AO3 link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12398115/chapters/28760696

Title: Stranger to Your Soul Chapter: 3/? Summary: Lucy writes and edits Refuge’s weekly paper, and has done since she turned up in town with only a vague idea of how she got there. Mr. Burnsides lives outside of town, and nobody knows much about him. Lucy is absolutely determined to find out more. Unfortunately, she’s been kind of an ass in the trying, and needs to apologize.

"I have never in my life met someone so rude!" Lucy exclaimed as she bursted into the Davy Lamp and sat at the bar in a movement that, if it were someone else, could be described as throwing herself into her seat.

Ren, to her credit, barely batted an eyelash.  "Who, hun?"

"Mr. Burnsides," Lucy drawled, venom dripping from the words in a way she'd learned from the locals.  (Ren, especially, was very good at that.)  "I brought him his groceries and was going to ask him a few questions and he all but pushed me off his property!"

"Mmm," Ren hummed, setting a drink in front of Lucy.  A sip revealed it to be sarsparilla, with maybe a small dash of tequila for flavor.  "Well," she said, "you did sort of impose yourself in his life kinda… insistently."  She leaned on the bar, meeting Lucy's eyes.  "Maybe he'd rather have a friend than a biographer."

"He—" Lucy started to argue before she'd even processed Ren's words, but they sank in quickly.  She hadn't intended to make him feel more like a product than a person, but… "Well… I suppose I can be a bit… forward," she said slowly.  Then she groaned and dropped her head to the bar.  

"There it is," Ren said, a faint hint of laughter in her voice.

"I was so obnoxious!" Lucy cried into the worn wood.

"Drink your sarsparilla," Ren told her.  When Lucy sat up with a sigh and complied, she continued.  "You focused more on the story than the person.  Fair enough, but he probably feels a little like that's all he's good for, with you."

"I'm a horrible person," came the wailing response.  

What is a stye? What do they look like? Are they contagious? How do you get rid of them? As a professional makeup artist it's very important you know the answers to these questions. It's only a matter of time until you have a person in your chair with one. Or you get one yourself.

Stye on outer lid

"What is a sty?" A stye develops when an oil gland at the edge of and eyelid becomes infected.   "What does it look like?" It looks like a pimple on the eyelid either on the inside or outside of the lid. "What are the symptoms?" The first signs are swelling, redness and pain. The area will feel tender as well. Then a small pimple will develop in the affected area. Often there will be a yellow "tip" at the center. This is pus that has risen to the top. "What causes a Stye?" A stye results from an infection of the oil glands of the eyelid that help to lubricate the eyeball. The infection occurs after these glands have become clogged. A stye can come from an infected hair follicle at the base of an eyelash. The bacterium staphylococcus aureus that is frequently found on the skin is responsible for 90%-95% of cases of styes. 

Stye on inner lid

What is the treatment for a stye?  Most styes will go away on their own but applying a warm compress or warm washcloth to the affected area for 10-15 minutes, four to six times a day can speed the healing of a stye.  Do not squeeze or press the stye. It can spread or worsen the infection. If the stye persists for more than several days or you get multiple styes that persist you should see your doctor who will determine if  it needs to be drained or if you need antibiotic ointments or other treatment. Styes are usually harmless but if they persist or seem to worsen a doctor should be contacted.  Are Styes Contagious? Yes. It is very important to disgard any makeup that has come in contact with a stye. Sterilize your brushes and makeup tools (like eyelash curlers) thoroughly or discard them. Make sure the sterilizing product kills bacteria. Styes can transfer from one eye to another so do not use the same brush or powder puff on both eyes. A good idea is to use a q-tip, cotton ball or tissue that can be thrown out.  It is best not to apply makeup on a stye but if it is unavoidable, be gentle and use disposable application techniques and tools. Some Information obtained from http://Medicine.net and http://AllaboutVision.com