[Flashback] Teamwork (Solo)

[Oluse]

511 Summer, 50

Oluse had been working at the clinic for some time, but still hadn't be allowed to practice on his own. It was all the same to him really, as much as he knew he could learn from first hand experience, he had to admit every day he learned something new from the healer he followed for the day. This day he was working with Treina, one of his favorite teachers, and colleges. Many of the healers at the clinic looked down on Oluse for his age, and relative inexperience. Not to mention his lack of a Rak'keli mark, but nobody spoke of that. Even some that really liked him regarded him more a younger brother that was ignorant than a true physician. Not Treina, however. She was stern, and pushed Oluse hard with little thanks, but Oluse could feel that she trusted him to perform as well as anybody else there. He in a way, though their relationship wasn't as personal as some other at the clinic, he felt they had a certain intimacy between them, in a business fashion.

"How is the leg today?" She asked without greeting as she entered one of the large and comfy Clinic patient rooms. Oluse often joked to himself that the rooms were nicer than his own, perhaps he could just get sick and he could upgrade and have no commute to work. Jokes aside, even the gravest injuries seemed kinder in those rooms, something about the aura of the place. Oluse gave a kind smile to the man laying in the bed, he was a Winterflame man that had gotten in an accident less than a week earlier. Though Oluse hadn't gotten the details of the accident he knew that the man had injured his knee very badly, and today marked the second day of his physical rehabilitation. Oluse hadn't been on duty the day before, so this would be his first practice at the job. This made Oluse a little uncomfortable, he was used to the more demanding tasks of medicine, but he felt with such a great guide as Treina he would do just fine.

[Oluse]

"Oh, it's as broken as it was yesterday." He joked in Vani, but couldn't manage a laugh about the subject. Then he offered a wink of a greeting and a smile to Oluse, "Hello there, Oluse, how are you today?"

Oluse had spoken to him once or twice in passing, and fetched him food and drink the day before last, and had agreed well enough with one another. Oluse give a cheerful nod, and grinned at the personal greeting. "Hello there Greshan." He spoke in his still shaky Vani, the language he had dedicated himself to learning, and using with all of his Vantha patients.

He thought about asking if anybody had come to visit him but Treina cut him off. She knew there was much to do that day and wasn't going to waist any time with pleasantries. "Looks like we are going to be working on it a little bit more today. Should only take about ten minutes." Greshan gave a sarcastic expression, that would proceed a sarcastic statement, except Treina continued. "Go ahead and pull your blanket back and we will get started."

He gave a short laugh as getting cut off, "Yes, Ma'am!" He said with a smile and pulled the blanket aside. Oluse gave him a reassuring smile and moved closer, trying carefully to avoid getting in Treina's way. She got upset when anything got int he way of efficiency, but Oluse could learn much from just watching her. She truly had gifted and gentle hands.

[Oluse]

"So did your wife come visit you yesterday?" Oluse asked as Treina slowly pressed her warm hands down onto the man leg. She looked closely at the knee, and pulled a cream mixture out from a satchel she carried with her. Oluse wondered what could be in it, as she grabbed some out, holding it a moment to warm it then slowly started rubbing it with care into the skin all around his knee.

"Oh, yes, her and my daughter. They bakes me some muffins, oh they were delicious. I can't wait till I can get home, and back to work." The man's eyes shifted hue slightly and Oluse watched with interest, wondering what it meant.

"Are you worried being out of work so long?" He asked, thinking perhaps finances were a problem. Many of his Vantha patients would only express emotional or physical pain of asked directly. Oluse could never quite understand why, coming from Denval were complain was always in high supply. But, he could accept it.

"Oh, nothing for you to worry about. They said I could be back home in just a few days, and back to work in under a week." This made Oluse smile. "It was kind of you to ask though, boy." Oluse looked to the side and nodded still feigning a casual smile. He was really getting tired of his patients calling him a boy.

[Oluse]

He occupied his mind against as Treina finished rubbing the mixture in. "Now that should feel cool, and a bit like it's tingling. Go ahead and flatten you foot out, and press it against my hand. If you feel any pressure in your knee don't push any more. You just want a sore stretching sensation." He then put her palm down by the end of his leg. He did as instructed, taking a moment to work through the "sore" it and into the "stretch" bit. She hold for a few moment then said, "Good, not go ahead and stretch like that, without my hands, and raise your leg up just a hands width, please." He did so, and Oluse watched the man's expression, and looked over his knee. He was amazed how much pain the man was in from such small movements. He wondered how this could be exercising for a man that a season earlier could likely run a marathon.

"Ok, good." She said, and slipped her hand gently under the back of his knee before he set it down. "Now, relax, and tell me if anything begins to hurt." She slowly began to raise the knee up.

"Wait," He hands came to a quick and effortless halt to the word before he could get the next ones out, "It hurt before you started." He laughed and looked to Oluse. She warranted the jest no mind and continued on. Oluse gave the man a kind smile, however.

[Oluse]

"Oooh, that is a little painful." He nodded and without looking to Oluse commanded him.

"Oluse hold his knee here please." Oluse without objection moved forward and did as instructed, as she busied her hands around the muscles surrounding the knee. Oluse understood for the most part what she was doing. She had located the muscles surrounding the injury and had proceeded to massage gently at them, trying to coax them to relax. Oluse already knew this wasn't to be done directly after the acquisition of an injury, but never had he gotten to see this done on a leg before. The man's leg was heavy, but he held it resolutely with as steady of hands as he could as he watched the women work. His eyes glanced up at the man's face from time to time, and though he seemed to be in pain, he also seemed relieved in a way. Calm, and relaxed. The hue of his eyes mimicked this with a deep rich hue.

The massages and stretches continued on for nearly exactly ten minutes before she finally lay his leg to rest, and put the leg back over. She then looked to Oluse, as if he should say something. Oluse shook his head, and look around, "Um, yes? I don't have any questions?" He guessed at what she meant with her look. She simply sighed, stood and walked toward the door.

[Oluse]

Oluse looked confused after her. After she disappeared he sighed and look to his patient who looked just as confused as him, though significantly more relaxed. "How do you feel?"

He smiled and responded, "It hurts, but a good kind. You should probably go look after your partner there. I'll be fine here."

Oluses nodded a confused air surrounding his head. Oh, how he despised working with people. As valuable as the knowledge he learned was. He gathered himself up and exited the room. Later, when he had time for a break, he gathered up a book for the man to read, it was a simple cook book. Oluse knew it wasn't very interesting, but there were no story books to be found in the clinic's bookshelf, and figured a medical encyclopedia wouldn't do. He then brought the man the book along with his lunch for the day, and spend a few extra minutes talking to him about muffins, and even got to eat one of the ones his wife and daughter made before getting back to work. All in all it was a good day, if confusing in parts.

[Liar]

EXPERIENCE AWARD I'm helping out Cheshire while she's away. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me. :) Oluse Skill Points Medicine 2 Investigation 1 Rhetoric 1 Lore Therapeutic Conversation The Limits of a Healing Bone Notes Investigation for discerning the extent of the patient’s pain, rhetoric for giving instructions. Good job, yet again. :)