[The Infirmary] Helping People Back To Their Feet (Satevis)

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

OOCThe injury Minerva suffers in this thread is planned out to be worked into a plot with Satevis, which should span somewhere around two weeks. Satevis will be using his Ethaefal ability to accelerate the healing of the wound. The way I understand it (hopefully I have this right), the ability can accelerate time on a small area, such as this foot wound, and can be used once per day. A broken foot normally takes between 3-6 weeks (20-40 days) to heal. Therefore daily use of the Ethaefal ability would cut it in half to approximately 10-20 days. So based on this, I'm planning to note in Minerva's timeline that she is injured from the thread's start date of 70th Spring, until around 90th Spring. After the 90th, she'll be "sore, but functional" for a bit longer into the summer. Moderators, if I've gotten any of these details wrong, or you think this timeline for the healing needs adjustment, just let me know and I'll make any needed changes. 70th Day of Spring, 512 AV "Come on, back 'er up 'ere," Minerva said, waving to the wagon driver. He tugged on the horse's reins to guide it to back up, slowly guiding the wagon back towards the warehouse. Jacques's crew had been doing repairs down at the docks this week, and they had some supplies to load up and bring back to Jacques's storage warehouse. "Easy... easy..." Minerva said, waving the wagon back a little closer. She heard a sound behind her, and turned her head to look. "Oy, watch out!" she shouted, just before she was knocked forward by one of her coworkers colliding with her from behind. "AHHHHHHH!" she screamed. She was pressed face-first into the wagon, and her foot was in agony. Her vision blurred with pain, and her head was spinning so much she had to clean to the side of the wagon to keep from falling over. Tears streamed down her face, and she couldn't focus on all the voices of her panicked coworkers around her. This was not the way she'd wanted to end the workday. ... Some time later, she was lying in a bed in the University Infirmary, arms crossed stubbornly as she argued with her boss. The broken bone had been set by medical students, which she wasn't very happy about. Now her foot was elevated, bound, and unusable. "But I can still work!" she yelled at Jacques. "Look, bossman, jus' set me up on a bench or somethin', an' lemme do some carvin'. I don't need my foot what fer carvin'!" Jacques shook his head. "Three days, minimum," he said. "Then, IF the doctors say it's all right, we can set you up on crutches and find a way for you to work sitting down. But I'm not having an injured worker down at the work site where you could get hurt even more." "But!" she protested. "No buts, Miss Zipporah," Jacques told her. "Rest up. The doctors say you'll be a good month or more on the mend. Be thankful you won't be unable to work that entire time." He turned and walked away, ignoring Minerva's further protests and shouts. She just wished she had something she could throw at him...

[Satevis]

The aging of the wounds was complete. Satevis sighed and leaned back in his chair, pushing his lavender gray hair out of his eyes as he smiled at the little boy. The boy sat in the hospital bed, staring down at his injured arm with wide eyes. His mother sat on the bed beside him, her hands on her son's shoulders as she gave the healers behind him a worried look. "How does it feel?" Satevis asked.

The boy frowned, as if seriously considering the question. "Not much different," he said. "It still hurts."

"That's because they've only been aged one day," the Ethaefal man explained. "It's still going to take them a few days to heal. But the healers tell me you're being very brave, and that you're doing much better. I'll see you again tomorrow night, alright?"

The boy gave Satevis a nod, glowing with pride at being praised. "Thank you," said his mother, nodding at him as he stood up. Satevis smiled at her, telling her that it was no trouble at all as he left the room. Once the door had closed behind him, he leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath.

The infirmary was bustling. The storm, and its aftermath, had brought an influx of injured and sick into the building. Even now that the worst was over, there were still people who were injured in the process of rebuilding, or people like that young boy, who had been playing where he shouldn't and had fallen on a pile of sharp-edged debris. He had come in at first to do his part to help, but once the Infirmary had found out that there was an Ethaefal studying in the University, they had latched onto him. He could only age wounds one day, which seemed like a useless ability, but those days added up. With regular application, injuries that took two weeks to heal would only take one, and injuries that took a month to heal would only take half as long. Faster healing meant beds freed up faster, which meant more people could be treated. It was simple mathematics.

He came willingly every night, wanting to do his part to help the people after the terrible storm. But between his nightly visits to the infirmary, his assistantship with Professor Cyril, and his own classes, he was starting to feel a little stretched. Still, his own discomfort was nothing. People needed him, and he wanted to be useful to them. Besides, a little weariness made for a nice change. Being constantly tireless and ageless at night took the merit out of things. He didn't feel like he was working hard when he was still feeling fresh.

"Is that everyone?" he asked the nurse as she left the room.

She smiled at him. "It should be," she said. "Thank you for your help again, Satevis. We feel bad, taking you away from Professor Cyril."

Satevis shook his head. "Don't feel bad," he said. "You're working a lot harder than I am. I'm just sorry that this is the most I can do."

"Have a good night," she said.

"You as well," he said, smiling. He was actually looking forward to heading back to his dorm room for a change. A warm bath, a cup of tea, and then reading in bed seemed like an evening well-spent. He had just reached the corner when the sound of shouting met his ears. Satevis frowned, turning his head. A harried looking medical student was walking towards him, an expression on his face that he knew well by now.

He sighed inwardly, but put a small smile on his face as he faced the man. So much for his evening.

"Were you about to leave?" asked the student.

"I was, but I can take one more," said Satevis. He took note of the look on the man's face. He probably had more patients that needed attending. "No need to direct me. I'll follow the--" Another shout of protest. Satevis winced. "...voices..." he finished.

The man gave him a hurried nod, rushing off down the hallway. Satevis sighed and ran a hand through his hair, avoiding his horns as he walked up to the room in question. He knocked twice, out of politeness, and then slowly opened it. "Excuse me," he said, stepping into the room.

He looked around. The patient in question was a young, red-haired human woman who looked to be in her twenties. She had her leg propped up, and Satevis had learned enough by now to guess that it was probably a broken foot. She was arguing with someone, presumably her employer. He frowned, studying her. She looked familiar. He wondered if she studied at the University. Even if she did, it was unlikely that she would recognize him, considering the University conducted most of its affairs during the day.

The Satevis now looked completely different from the way he looked then. Now, he stood at around six feet and eight inches, his skin a pale opalescent white that reminded observers of moonlight. His eyes were a deep violet color, and his hair was lavender gray. His horns were white, sweeping back around his head from his temples in a shape that was reminiscent of the circlets that Benshira men wore over their head coverings. His features were unnaturally handsome, a trait shared by all Etheafal in their earthbound celestial forms. Only his accent linked the creature now to the quiet Benshira scholar. Although he spoke Common, someone well-traveled could easily place that his native language was Shiber.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"Come on, pleeeeeeeeease?" Minerva said, clinging to James' hand. "Tock..." he replied, unable to look her in the eye. Minerva knew she could be downright adorable when she really wanted to be. She tugged him closer, taking his other hand in hers. "Please, mate? Please?" she asked, turning her big brown eyes up on him. "I's gonna go crazy in 'ere, I am! Ya know I can't 'andle sittin' 'round all day and night... come on!" She tugged on his hands, whimpering. She could tell he was cracking... he was shuffling his feet, and looking around anywhere but her eyes. Just one look, and she knew she'd have him. She tugged harder on his hands to pull him closer towards her, but ended up pulling a little too hard, and he almost fell on her. He yelped, bracing his hands on either side of her as he fell forward onto the bed. Their faces ended up quite close to each other, and Minerva's eyes went wide. That wasn't quite what she'd meant to do, but... it was... nice... The intruder at the door spoiled the moment. Just after Jacques had left, and Minerva thought her and James might be alone for a moment, someone else came in. Great. James leaned back from the awkward and compromising position, clearing his throat. The sandy haired young man cleared his throat, eying the stranger a bit curiously. Minerva looked him over too, though for her it was more of a scientific wonder. Ethaefal weren't common around here, so she'd never met one before. She eyed the horns in particular, wondering how hard it would be to carve a pair like that on a statue. "I'll bring that stuff down tomorrow morning," James said, turning to leave. "Tonight," Minerva insisted. James opened his mouth to protest, but Minerva crossed her arms and gave him the look. He sighed and nodded. "Fine, tonight," he said. "I'll be back in a little bit." He gave Satevis a friendly nod as he left the room, shutting the door behind him. Minerva was now alone with this stranger, but that didn't bother her. "Oy, 'owzer mate?" she asked, giving him a wave. "Ya a doctor or somethin'? I wouldn't mind some more o' 'at tea 'ey got 'ere. I dunno what y'all put in 'er, but she gives me a nice buzz, she does!" She shifted a bit in the bed, wincing as a jolt of pain shot up her leg.

[Satevis]

Satevis blinked at the awkward position in front of him, his eyes wide. There was a man bent compromisingly over the woman's bed. And they were--well, they appeared to be about to--

...Oh, my.

A warm feeling began to spread over Satevis's face and his eyes widened slightly as he attempted to calm it, but it was too late. An embarrassed flush spread over his pale cheeks, warmth spreading across his face. The thing about being as pale as he was in this form was that any amount of color showed drastically. A blush didn't just show, it practically glowed and Satevis's face was almost luminescent.

It appeared as though Minerva had in one instant found his weakness. Although Satevis could be cool-headed and logical in almost any respect, the idea of romance, and the public expressions of it, left him flustered, embarrassed, and completely flummoxed. What was he supposed to do? Should he stay? Should he leave? Should he call security?

...The last was probably too extreme. He pushed that thought away, trying to get back to some semblance of logical thinking.

He cleared his throat, coughing into his fist as he quickly calmed himself back down, the blush fading from his face.

"Ahem," he said. "I was...er...sent in here to see the patient. I hope I'm not...interrupting."

Aaaand...they were staring at him now, weren't they? Well, at least that he knew how to handle. He shifted uncomfortably, wishing that there was some sort of spell he could use to get the last traces of color off of his face. Satevis nodded politely at the man as he left, awkwardly wishing him a good evening. Once the door shut behind him, the Ethaefal exhaled, shaking his head and turning towards the woman. He raised an eyebrow at her accent.

...Well, he supposed he didn't have room to complain.

"I'm not a doctor," he said, turning his body towards her fully. "Just a volunteer. I'm here to take a look at your foot." Satevis paused. The earlier incident had completely chased his usual spiel out of his head. He cleared his throat again. "Ahem, that is to say...as an Ethaefal, I have the ability to age things by one day, once a day. I've been using this ability to continually age people's injuries, allowing them to heal twice as fast."

There, that was better.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Minerva grinned at the man's reaction. It was quite amusing. Sure, she could have been embarrassed at the position she'd just been caught in, but she was no prude. Of course, she'd probably be blushing up a storm in front of James himself, but once he left, it was just her and the awkward stranger. It almost made her laugh. "Naw," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand, "ain't interruptin' nothin'. If'n ya were, it'd be our fault what fer not lockin' the door, aye?" she laughed. "Come on in." She listened to his explanation with little interest, at least at first. She'd already been seen by doctors. It wasn't like he could do anything more than they could. She was about to protest that she didn't need another person to look at her foot, when she heard the beautiful words at the end. Twice as fast. "OY!" she shouted, clapping her hands together and grinning wide. "Yeah yeah yeah! Oy, I 'eard 'bout 'at, I did. 'Ealz 'er up, right quick mate! Go 'ead, I ain't got all night..." She didn't know much about the Ethaefal. She just remembered vague stories about them accelerating healing, but she didn't know the first thing about the actual mechanics. For the moment, though, she had visions of being back on her feet tomorrow. "Oy, I can't tell ya 'ow 'appy I is what fer ta see ya, mate! 'Ey's been sayin' I'll be in 'ere more'n a month, 'ey 'as! Ya got any idea 'ow crazy 'at is? A bloomin' month! I said, 'I can't be in 'ere a month, I's got work ta do.' An' 'ey tried ta tell me my work could wait!" She threw up her arms, shaking her head at the craziness of it. She couldn't wait for James to get back now. If she was going to be all healed up (or so she thought), then she'd be able to hop right back in the saddle without delay.

[Satevis]

Satevis stared at her as she started talking. She was certainly excitable. He supposed there was something to the stereotype about redheads after all. Still, she was oddly excited for someone who had been told that he was going to move her injury ahead a single day in time. Was she that excited to get back to work? "Well, you certainly won't be staying here for a month, at least. It should be more like two weeks," he said quietly as he stepped forward, facing her broken foot.

Satevis placed one hand on either side of her foot, hovering just a few inches above the injured area and not actually touching it. He closed his eyes, focusing. At first, he had been unsure whether or not he could extend his abilities to larger things such as feet or hands, but over the weeks, he had gained more and more practice, and was becoming more comfortable with the tasks. He exhaled, letting the power flow from him.

Unlike his Reimancy, there was no flash of light, no accompanying sound to signal that the effect had taken place. But it was there. It was difficult to describe, but he felt it within himself, the movement of one day in a single instant. It made the scholar and the wizard in him wonder for a minute, as he did multiple times, what great effects this ability could have if it could be used on a larger scale. But he always put those thoughts away before they could grow too intense. There was no need for him to desire such power.

"Well...that's done," he said, stepping back. He turned towards the girl. "It won't feel much different now, but I'll be back tomorrow night to repeat the process," he said. He had dealt with a broken foot before over the course of his volunteer work, so he had a general idea of how long the injury took to heal. "You should note signs of healing in a few days, depending on your body's natural processes. If that's all, I'll send for more tea on the way out." He sincerely hoped that the tea didn't contain painkillers. He knew that it was possible to overdose on those things.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Two weeks? The words drained most of her excitement. She slumped in the bed, grumbling under her breath. Well, it was better than a month, but she still didn't want to be bed bound for that long. When the strange man placed his hands near her foot, she tensed, then winced in pain as the tension shot jabs of agony through her foot. She was deathly ticklish, and just having the man's hands that close to her foot made her tense about being touched. She waited for the magic to start... Then... nothing. "Oy, 'at's it?" she asked in disappointment. "It still 'urts!" She pouted at the man, wondering if he was pulling one over on her. Like how a parent would kiss a child's wound to make them think it was better. She crossed her arms, scowling at her foot. Some 'miracle magic', she thought. "So whatcha, just a 'prentice o' somethin'?" she asked. Surely he had to be, since a real healer would have had her foot good as new by now. Magic should be able to fix things in an instant, shouldn't it? But then, she thought about the magic she herself was experienced with. There was nothing instant about anything. But those were building stuff magics. She knew it would take her weeks (at the least) to build and animate a replacement foot. Hopefully this healing magic was more efficient. Otherwise she might just consider cutting her foot off and making a nice golem foot in its place...

[Satevis]

Satevis sighed inwardly, turning towards the girl in front of him as she began a list of complaints. Weren't you listening to a word I said...? he thought, slightly annoyed. Satevis was a patient man, but he had been up and about all day, and he still had papers to grade for Professor Cyril, and a report to write for archaeology, not to mention the fact that he wanted to work on his glyphing. He forced himself to put those concerns aside for a moment longer, reminding himself that he would be fine with a few hours of sleep.

"My apologies," he said, his tone polite and neutral. Satevis was very good at hiding his own irritation, although if she was very perceptive, she might notice that some of the warmth had left his voice. "I know it's not a particularly flashy form of magic, but rest assured, it has taken effect. I've moved your injured foot forward in time by one day. I can only do this once a night, which is why I said you would heal twice as fast. So yes, it will still hurt for a few days. I'm sorry. I'm sure one of the nurses can give you something for the pain."

"This ability is unique to the Ethaefal, and to my knowledge, it does not improve with use. One day at a time is the best I can do. You'll just have to rest and let the healing take its natural course." He had a feeling that she would have some issues with that, judging from what he had observed of her personality. He wondered if there was something he could do to make it easier on her, and immediately scolded himself for the thought, because by Leth, he didn't need to be taking on any more work at this time of night. Before he could stop himself, though, the words had already left his mouth.

"Are you a student at the university?" he asked. "If you like, I could bring you things from your classes to keep you busy, so that you don't fall behind."

...Damn him. Damn him and his bleeding heart. He was never going to get out of this accursed hospital.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Minerva pouted at the man's explanation. Well, she guessed it wasn't his fault. If that was just how the Ethaefal worked... then that was that. She gave the man a sheepish grin and shrugged apologetically. Her grin widened a LOT when he offered to bring her some materials from class. "Oy! Aye, good show, mate!" she said, bouncing a bit in the bed. "Mighty kind o' ya ta offer, 'at is! 'Ere, jus' a couple small things is all..." She retrieved her pack from beside the bed and pulled out a quill and some paper. She started making a rather long list for the 'just a couple small things.' Before long she had a full list of the supplies she'd need, most of them from the University's gadgeteering lab - Four wooden poles, one inch thick by five feet long - Two wooden boards, one half inch thick by four inches wide by eight inches long - Eight 1.5 inch springs rated at twenty-five pounds per inch resistance - Four flex joints - Two round metal plates, two inch diameter each - One copper rod, one quarter inch thick by two feet long - Four leather straps, one inch wide by two feet long - A box of half inch screws She handed him the list and said, "Thanks, mate! You're the best!" She was excited now. She had a project in mind. Try ta keep me in bed, will 'ey... she thought. She'd show them...

[Satevis]

Satevis gave a resigned sigh as he noticed her reaction. He supposed he had time to go get a few small things. The infirmary was technically part of the university, and it wasn't as if he had anywhere really important to be. He could carry books and such easily. It wouldn't take him too long to go get them, and if it would keep her quiet and out of the medical staff's hair, then so much the better. He extended his hand, taking the list from her and looking over it.

His eyes widened. This was...

A few small things...huh...? he thought to himself, looking at the girl from above the sheet of paper. He studied the list again, reading each item closely. He guessed the gadgeteering lab might have most of the things she needed. He could slip most of them into his pack, but he would have to get creative about carrying the poles. He supposed it was a good thing that his Ethaefal form was rather tall.

A gadgeteer, is she? he thought to himself, lowering the list and looking at the woman. There were gadgeteers in his former homeland. They studied in the school named after his past life's distant ancestor, Malech. He looked over at her again, matching his concept of a gadgeteer to the red-haired girl in front of him. Strangely, he could picture it. He could picture it rather well.

"Very well," he said, nodding his head. "I'll get this to you as soon as I can." He folded the list and placed it in his pocket. Satevis turned to leave, but realized he hadn't introduced himself yet. "I am called Satevis, son of Leth," he said. "I am also a student at this University. May I know your name?"