[Injury Ward] Silly Mistake (Lixue)

[Ana Sol Starris]

Injury Ward Spring 81st, 512AV (Continuation from Listen Closely) "Petcher, petcher, petching, petchingpetchingpetchingpetching" Ana cuss and swore under her breath repeatedly, holding her bleeding hand as she scurried to the Injury Ward. Why, of all the silly mistakes she had to make and it was to get bit by a petching horse! Agh! The small woman grumbled as she came up to the place, entering and looking around. She had never felt uncomfortable around doctors, especially when she had seen them for most of her childhood. Constantly, she was sick and for unknown reasons, none any could explain reasonably, the small woman as a child back then just had a horrible immune system. What a wonder it had been, as well as a suprise when Ana had made it past the life expectancy set for her by the doctors. Even her parents had somehow believed she would have died soon and thus kept her locked inside the house as often as they could, maybe it was this lack of freedom that made her illness's grow? Maybe it was just coincidence when she ran away to Sunberth that her health sicknesswise had brightened up massively. Too many possibilities to contemplate right now though, she seemed to hiss as her hand throbbed in pain. Standing, she fidgeted about on her feet somewhat anxiously. Lost as to what to do, she saw patients around as well as doctors and assistants.. Where was Kalila? Shouldn't she be here also? Ana sighed, her cheek twitching as she held such a dark glare on her face. Maybe it was this appearence of ill intent that kept the doctors away, or she was being too quiet for them to notice.. Either way, there she stood. There of course were others and some seemed to be more severe then what she had to deal with so she waited. Patient for a treatment, Ana wouldn't let a measly bite get the better of her.. Whatever had driven her to the Injury Ward in the first place? Just because Jakobi had said so? This.. This pain could be dealt with easily. After all she had broken ribs once.. This was nothing but it still stung like a petcher. Horse BiteHand Wound: Horse Bite (10 Days for full healing, no scarring) P.s. Sorry for the small post, tis just a starter.

[Lixue]

The Medical Ward was moderately busy. Patients ambled from the door to beds and vice versa. Assistants scrambled to do the bidding of otherwise occupied doctors. Fevers ran rampant. The supply area was running out of blankets! The herbalist Lixue had made friends with was in constant demand. Those who were not racing to do a task were assigned chores; soaking bandages, cleaning blankets and boiling water were only a few examples. A type of uneasy understanding had taken place between the staff. One at a time, they would fetch lunch to replenish their tired systems. If a healer left while another was gone, she or he had two choices: work overtime or deal with the difficult patients. More often than not, working overtime did not just depend on the meal times, but how inspired a doctor was. Lixue was very motivated by her patients. She sought to help, to heal, and to inspire others. Since arriving in The Spires from Avanthal, she had barely a moment to herself. Ly, her once best friend but now husband, rarely saw Lixue unless she was stumbling in to bed. Even then, she sometimes slept in the ward, caring for patients all night. More than five pounds had been dropped since arriving. When Lixue was busy, or under stress, she would forget to eat unless someone reminded her. It was not that she was "dieting" but more because the patient was the first priority. Everything else was pushed to the side, for later. And with such a busy place… "...you help her!" a woman giggled, voice hushed. One of the doctors. "No way. Look at how angry she is. I've had enough difficult ones today! I deserve a break," another replied, sounding disgusted by even the prospect of handling a problematic patient. "You can take my lunch break, if you do?" the doctor offered, trying to negotiate and doing poorly. Lixue recognized the voices. The first was a doctor, Jal'na. A gossiper and a flirt. Lixue had also caught her trying to slack off on the job. The woman was not on Lixue's favorite's list. The other voice was an assistant who had already been in place before Lixue even thought about traveling, Hasn.. He came off as annoyed with simple, expected, behaviors like crying. Also not on Lixue's favorite list. The two were crowded together, whispering and chuckling with a mean edge to the tone of their voices. Following their line of sight, Lixue noticed a blonde lady standing in the doorway, holding her hand and glowering. This was the target of their twisted senses of humor? A girl who looked in pain and angered by even the thought of it? Disappointed flooded Lixue. Taking the disappoint and twisting it like a bandage, Lixue forced herself to sound frosty. "Excuse me," the pair jumped, heads whipping around to face her. "There are patients with wounds that will not stop bleeding. Others who have yet to even wake up. Some are terrified. Even more need stitches. The doctors are in constant need of help. Boiling water always needs to be fetched. Yet you are here. Doing what, standing in a circle joking at someone you should be helping?" The doctor and assistant shot each other guilty glares. "Last time I checked, your job was not to laugh. Return to your duties. Do not rush. Both of you will be working overtime tonight." Anger flickered over their faces, mouths open to object. Lixue simply raised a dark eyebrow, green eyes challenging them to protest. Finally, with a click, their jaws clamped shut. Both trudged off, muttering under their breath. Wasting no time, dispute already washed from her mind, Lixue made her way toward the individual looking out of place in the doorway. Her wooden cane was silent. Pink lips twisted into a friendly smile, green eyes sparkled, and Lixue greeted the woman cheerily, "Hi there! I am Doctor Lixue. I see you are in need of medical help. If you will just follow me…" The cot she chose was close to the door. From there, Lixue could watch Doctor Jal'na and Hasn. "What happened?"

[Ana Sol Starris]

Standing there, waiting, Ana was beginning to feel her energy drain. If there was something she needed, it was work to do, a job to keep her awake. Like she could sleep anyways, with doubt Ana blinked slowly and tried to pay attention to her surroundings. Sighing and frowning at the crawling, buzzing feeling behind her eyeballs, rest was wanted but unattainable at the moment. Glancing at the different occupants, the patients, doctors to and fro it was when a certain woman began to scold two others that Ana seemed to perk up. Conflict, as long as it wasn't her in specific that had to deal with it and instead could watch events unfurl before her eyes, then trouble was interesting to watch, as well as cause. The woman with the canes words were firm and absolute, authoritative, Ana guessed she was a head honcho here in some way because the two doctors.. Or assistants.. Ana didn't know, they had hurried off to begin working with other patients. Slow to turn the gears in her mind, Ana thought nothing as to why they were standing around or why they didn't come up to her. Snippets of clues of what the woman had told them, Ana tried to piece together. Apparently they had been making fun of someone who needed help, and were slacking off, she glanced around herself as the woman with the cane made her way over to Ana bearing cheer with her smile and voice. There appeared to be no one waiting around her-..Halting that thought, the gears clicked loudly. She was the one being made fun of at. Feeling a twitch come around, she let her hand fall to her side and was about to say something then thought better of it as she followed Doctor Lixue to a cot. Looking to it, then the Doctor, Ana was almost confused.. She didn't need to sit down, did she? Sitting would be detrimental to her ability to stay awake and those beds looked awfully.. Soft. The hard beds in the Longhouses could have actually attributed to her sleeplessness lately. Warily, Ana held her hand up shyly, the bite was bleeding lightly but not threateningly, dark areas formulated where she had been bitten, light all around where she could hold a sword "erm...h-horse bite.. Nothing much.. Was just told to get it checked out.." Flecks of smudged dirt covered her hands as well. This was so miniscule, why was she even here? Doctors didn't scare her, not at all, but the audacity to be taking up ones time when a problem was tiny. Ana appeared to be nervous, as well as irritated, pain shot through and up her hand as she tried to clench it in anger. Letting the attempt go, she let it hang there in the air for the Doctor to assess.

[Lixue]

Lixue smiled softly. Neither laughing at nor complacently. Green eyes were gentle and understanding. Lixue believed Ana to be wary of doctors. After all, the girl had stuttered at a simple question and her eyes skittered from place to place in a hurry. The offered bed was not taken and Lixue wondered why, but asked no questions. "We will not bite. Besides, most of us here only eat plants!" Lixue teased lightly. Her voice still held traces of her Vantha background, making the words blend together as if they were a lullaby. Reaching out, Lixue tenderly cupped Ana's sore hand, careful to not touch the bruising. Competent eyes raced over the flesh. A soft finger traced over the wound, hand tightening in case Ana tried to pull back. The skin had not been broken. "Nothing major, but whoever told you to get it checked out was correct. No harm in making sure everything was alright." Glancing around, Lixue called out, "Assistant! Fetch Lalaya and her herbs, a bowl of warm water, and a small roll of bandages." Her knee was becoming sore from standing for so long, so Lixue took a seat on the cot across from the one Ana was offered. Absentmindedly, fingers massaged the appendage. Ana's hand was released. "Please, take a seat. I would feel better if my patients were comfortable." The thought appeared in a second and burst from Lixue's mouth without warning, "Where do you hail from? You do not seem to be of the Spires naturally." No, the woman did not seem to fit the region at all. Her hair was light colored and her skin neither pale nor tan. Her eyes did not change color and no highlights refined her hair. The clothes she wore spoke of no mark from Morwen. A light pink blush stained Lixue's cheeks. "I do apologize. That was uncalled for. Curiosity, you know?" As if in a trade off, Lixue began, "North of here, a city made of ice stands proud. A race called the Vantha walk freely around, lightly clothed in the city of winter. A goddess, Morwen, watches over her children, marks them so they can survive. Living in homes called 'Holds', the people weave stories on a daily basis. A boring work day can become the next great adventure. With each mood, the colors decorating their eyes change. I am of this descent, though only half. Early this season, when the great storm descended, the city, my home, was changed forever. The snow and the ice melted. Morwen, my queen, her home was melting despite valiant efforts. Many lives were lost and the city was left in chaos. Even worse, eyes were stuck in their current mood. Some were enraged, others were happy, and etcetera." In the horrible turning of events, Lixue had lost her own brother. Ly had never seen his father again. Lixue's family was torn apart by the moods and the mourning. As if fleeing from her own demons, Lixue had left Avanthal with her new husband.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Ana didn't reply to the comment on how doctors did not bite, she knew they didn't, but her aprehension at being in the ward now was an almost, inexplicably guilty feeling. Wasn't she taking up valuable time? Others certainly needed more help than she did.. But if someone didn't come and make sure her hand was okay, who would? It was her commonly used sword hand, despite the fact she could use both left and right eqaully, ambidextrously, but her right hand had been more used for the sword. Both for pick pocketing, and perhaps writing for the left more so than the right, sometimes it all switched up, but! Ah! Where was she getting at? This was completely silly, why didn't she just send the silly girl away? Her hand only felt a tad.. Tingly, that was all! Ana began to fidget ever so lightly under the touch of the doctors hand, aprehension giving way into nervousness, her eyes flickered to the exit in hopes of a escape but.. No, she had to remain here, otherwise it would have been a complete waste of time scampering here like a measly little girl. Sighing, she glanced at the bed and didn't entirely trust herself, eyes drooped, then widened, she had to stay awake. Sleeping wasn't an option right now! Ana continued to berate herself to remain strong in front of the doctor, edgily, she took a seat on the cot and stared in the calm green eyes with her own amber, honeyed ones. "I'd prefer standing, but if you insist.. Okay.." She agreed slowly, watching her carefully, her hands, to the cane next to the green eyes again. "Sunberth," Ana quickly said, face tightening, first in fear then in suspicion "its in the Sylira region south of here." Would this doctor think any differently of her if she knew she had come from the anarchist city? Probably, if she knew, or even heard of the city then chances were the doctor would possibly wrinkle her nose up at Ana. If not? Well, Ana wasn't sure about that part.. Everything about the small thief spoke of paranoia, from watching Lixue to the assistants, then back to Lixue as she told her about her own home. Could Ana tell her about Zeltiva? No, no, that would be far too much information. Vantha, vantha.. The word repeated itself in her mind, where had she heard that before? It was familliar to her, but she'd no idea how, it was far too long ago when she could have possibly heard the word, or the idea. Watching intently, quietly, listeningly, it was any wonder that the small thief had stayed awake during such an interlude of brief history. It was sad towards the end, it made Ana cringe somewhat, she hated sad stories but that was life she guessed "..I'm sorry to hear that..Sunberth was pretty battered as well by a storm as well," she let out a half arsed chuckle, one filled with perhaps more sarcasm than humor "food became hard to come by, buildings all demolished," she shook her head, bringing her unbitten hand to her temple and rubbing. Memories of the temple of the unknown flooded her mind before disapearing selectively once more, "got trapped in the temple for a bit, t'was somewhat frightening.. Though I've always been good in the dark, was an adventure I guess.."

[Lixue]

Why was the woman so scared? The Spires was a peaceful place, except for those that were banished. Judging from the way the lady's eyes never stayed in one place for long, it was doubtful the girl would trust Lixue easily. Lixue had to hide her worried frown. Was it because of where she hailed from? Sunberth… a city Lixue had not heard of. For a moment, Lixue felt sympathy for the city and their lack of housing and food. Then the feeling was ignored, pushed to the back of her mind, as Lalaya and the assistant arrived. Pulling the table closer, the assistant set the bowl down and the bandages next to it. The Jamoura woman was a light colored Jamoura. As with her race, no hair covered her face or front. Wise eyes were dark and friendly. Nearly seven feet in height, Lalaya appeared to be humongous. That did not mean she was not gentle and careful, however. Lixue had never heard of Lalaya losing her temper. Near the end of Spring, Lalaya had given birth to a child. A wonderful miracle; one Lixue and Ly were trying for. Lalaya had an extremely deep voice that never ceased to surprise Lixue. Rarely had she heard of women, much less actually heard them, with low voices. Sticking the tip of her finger into the water, Lixue tested it. Luke-warm. Glancing up with a smile, Lixue murmured, "Heat it just a little longer next time, Shishana." Nodding, the assistant hurried away. "Lalaya, my dear!" Moving to her feet, Lixue and the Jamoura exchanged basic hugs. "What do we have here?" Lalaya murmured, her deep voice cascading over the skin. Thankfully, the assistant had grabbed an extra rag as well. Taking this, Lixue dipped part of it into the water, drained it, and reached for the patient's hand. Carefully, she dragged the wet cloth around the bitten area in tiny circles. Gentle as to not cause the woman harm. Slowly, the bruise was shown. As she had seen earlier, the skin was not broken. The area was quickly turning a deep shade of purple surrounded by red, blue and green. It was easy to tell where the horse had bitten because the teeth marks were a darker shade of purple. Neither she nor Lalaya flinched at the sight. Placing the rag back, Lixue explained, "A horse bite. Minor; no skin broken. Harsh bruising. What do you think?" Holding the woman's hand, Lalaya studied it. "I have just the thing. If you will excuse me, I will have it mixed up momentarily." The Jamoura moved to leave, releasing Ana's appendage. Remembering how paranoid the girl had been, Lixue requested, "Will you bring the ingredients and necessary tools back here? I do not know of your mixture and would enjoy learning how to make it." Hesitating only a moment, Lalaya nodded. By having the salve made in front of Ana, Lixue hoped to absolve some of her fears. "Thank you." Lalaya walked away, through the maze of patients. Lixue and Ana were left alone. It seemed Lixue was happy in the silence, rearranging her tools on the table.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Ana watched the exchange between both small woman, and collossal Jamouran assistant. Bemused by the greeting, and the size differences, not counting the difference in race as well, it just looked as if said Jamoura could have picked Doctor Lixue up like a rag doll and thrown her about (but such a thing did not happen, of course! To say otherwise would have been silly.) Even when the Jamouran, Lala-ya, if Ana heard correctly, had spoken in such a low voice it amused her, was this male or female? The small thief had not been in the Spires long enough to be able to tell the immediate difference between Jamouran voices, and it was difficult to tell which gender they were at first sight, so it took Ana some time to figure out the gender; sometimes she never figured it out at all. She averted her eyes away from the large Jamoura to the ground, feeling her feet tingle with a need to move, and so she lightly swayed the foot back and forth in anticipation. Ana didn't flinch when Doctor Lixue took her hand, the bitten one, and tensed when she felt as if she could feel bits of pain shimmy their way up and through her skin at the light administrations, but it was just all apart of her head; Ana expected there to be some form of harsh pain, as it had been in before. "The looks nasty" Ana murmered, wincing and grimacing at the revealed bruises, internally scolding herself for being so stupid as to let a horse bite her on accident. That horse must have had some muscle power in its jaws for it to do exactly that to her hand, the thing, Ana wasn't even sure if she could call it a bruise since she hadn't seen such severe marking on her skin that it conjured a fear in her mind. Fear of broken bones, could it be broken for it to be that bad? Doctor Lixue's deduction seemed to state otherwise, Ana looked anxious at the woman, trying to keep her own blasthemous thoughts to herself. Her eyes wandered to Layla again, it (as Ana still couldn't tell whether this was a male or female) was beginning to leave with promises to have something mixed up, or something or other for her hand. Or for her stomach? What could possibly go on the skin that needed to be mixed up? Perhaps it was just a ruse to placate the small thief into thinking it was something harmless, they were in fact going to cut off her hand with something large and sharp, possibly a saw. Ana's breath caught in her throat as she paled at the thought, blinking once or twice to try and shake off the fear that crawled its way in. Holding her breath for a few moments, and then releasing it relieved that the 'mixture' would be made in front of her, as well as the tools would be brought forwards so she could see, so she relaxed by a smidge. If need be she could escape! The silence followed after, she held her poor hand up limply and could feel a strain in her elbow form from keeping it like that. Her eyes roamed the area, examining the light envirement, she could hear others moan and complain about ailments, she could tell there was busyness, but in all that she was getting quickly bored. Her foot tapped on the ground, slowly and quietly to compliment the seeming calmness around them, her movements still fidgetty and her attention seemed to dart all over the place when she heard something or something go by. She tensed up again, feeling a gnawing sensation in the back of her mind, her attention went back to Lixue, the waiting felt like a millenia to the small thief. Curiousity started to inch its way in, bit by bit, until she managed to work the courage up to ask "Whats she going to make?" Ana finally decided the Jamoura was a female, the name 'Layla' sounded far too feminine to be a male name. "I've.. Never actually seen medicine be made before.. if thats what it is.." the small thief concluded to the doctor, but then again she had implied there would be tools, which meant there was still a possibility of a saw being brought in "you're not gunna take my hand off, are you?" Ana's eyes flitted to her hand fearfully, and then back to Lixue, obviously the small thief had no experience with medicine, or anything of the sort.