Nearing the 8th bell
While he rested, she stood at the table, surveying the supplies she had there to work with, and trying to decide the best course of action to take next. She wiped out the mortar and pestle and took up a small piece of the turmeric root, placing it within. With a practiced hand she began to grind the root into a thin powder. She wasn’t going to stick with just one method in an attempt to cure his infection, but rather to spread out the healing herbs and let each help in turn. Turmeric, as the ginger she had used recently, also had a pain killing quality to aid in numbing the area so Dravite could rest more easily.
Carefully, and so as not to cause him additional discomfort, she removed the bandage and cleaned it with a bit of warm salt water; barely enough salt in the mixture to notice, but enough that it would aid in helping the water cleanse his wound. She furrowed her brow when she saw the dark and grainy tissue of his wound as it still worried her. There had to be some way to eradicate that from his body without causing so much pain to him. She studied it closer, without moving it, trying to gauge how deeply the rotting flesh went into the wound. It wasn't terribly deep, especially with her recent surgical remove of some of the bad tissue, but it was still of great concern.
With a small sigh, she began to apply the fresh turmeric powder to the wound and covered it with another clean bandage. Each time he moved while she worked, her hands stilled until he did, before she continued. She had just settled back into the chair next to the bed and gathered Dravite’s hand within her own, cradling it and letting her forehead rest gently upon it when Raven made his entrance. She turned her head and forced a smile when he asked how Dravite was. “He’s resting a little easier,” came her tired response.
His question of how she was remained unanswered as he drew her into that embrace and kissed her head. Raven was a kind man who reminded her often of her own father. Seeing him here now made her realize how much she missed and needed him. She sat once again, as Raven sat, and began explaining what she could to him and ended with, “Infections like this are always difficult to treat, but we’ll do our best,” she always used the term ‘we’ when referring to treating one of her patients as she never felt it was just her. While she had talked, she’d held Dravite’s hand in her own, letting her thumb caress the back of it in a small strokes.
Raven’s stories always captured her interests. The man could tell a story like no other she had met. The longer he talked, the more she began to realize that what he was saying was the answer she had been searching for. Maggots. They only eat dead or rotting flesh, never good flesh. If placed on a wound, such as Dravite’s, they would remove all the dead flesh and leave only the good, thus allowing the healing process to begin more quickly. Pearl must have looked shocked, or elated, she really didn’t know which, but whatever it was, it brought a grimace to Raven’s face and an apology from his lips. “No, no. Blessed Mother Semele!” she exclaimed. “Raven, you’ve done it!”
Pearl moved more quickly than she thought she could have in her current state; her fatigue all but forgotten as she gathered the man in a hug and kissed his cheek. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect,” she said before she kissed his cheek again.
Stepping to the door, she called for Star, who wasn’t too far away telling her tales of Dravite's heroism and explained to her that she needed her to go and gather a jar of maggots. Star blinked before her eyes went round in disbelief. “Go!” Pearl proclaimed. “And bring back more warm milk too!” Star didn’t argue, but left immediately to gather the items Pearl needed. Pearl made that squeak of a sound as she looked at Bayon. “Maggots!” she said, both hands rising into the air in victory and grinning before going back into the room fully.
When Pearl turned back to Raven, her guilt shown in her eyes. She had been so focused on caring for Dravite, that she had failed to ask about the rest of her family, in particular, Garrison, Kyanite and Belkaia. She wanted to ask about them now, but she didn’t want to speak of them and risk upsetting Dravite. “Please give them all, everyone, my love?” She wanted to assure him, to tell him to assure everyone else that she and Dravite would be home soon, but it was still too risky to proclaim that just yet.
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