Fall 13th, 516av, 13 Bells
Gemma sat cross-legged, facing her mother, who was in the same position. This was how their classes together were conducted. Her mother had just come back from another one of her trips and when her father had mentioned with pride how much Gemma was learning about herbalism, Sera, Gemma's mother, decided that Gemma had grown lax in her medical studies. Gemma didn't bother to point out that that was because her mom was never home. She knew the drill. In some way, she even knew that she could have studied medicine even in her mother's absence. Maybe one day she would.
"Today I will teach you how to stop a bleeding wound." She said, taking a knife from her pack and laying it with medical precision to the side. She then removed several implements and pointed out what each was, even though most of this was review. Her mother always said that the only way to be sure knowledge stayed in the mind was for it to be learned through the hands. Apparently that was what they would be working on today.
"This is clean cloth, to stop the bleeding. Apply this to the bleed and add pressure. The amount of pressure needed is determined by how much the patient is bleeding." She said.
"This is a leather thong, which will be used to make a tourniquet. Tourniquets are very dangerous and should only be used when the patient will die without it. To tighten the tourniquet, you must use a rod or stick. Today you can use my sheath knife." She continued. Gemma nodded along, not taking notes yet, but remembering everything for later when she would write everything down. Her mom, unlike her dad, wanted to feel that she had Gemma's full attention, which meant no distractions, not even notes. But she would then expect Gemma to have mastered everything she had been taught, thus the notes.
"A bandage to go over the cloth and to tie it in place." She said, pulling the item out and putting it to the side.
"These are the tools you will need. When a person is bleeding severely, you must first stop the bleeding. If there is any clothing or debris that can be quickly removed from the wound, do so, but don't waste time digging around and cleaning the wound. Infection will not have time to kill a body with no blood." She said.
Without another word, she unsheathed her knife and cut her arm. It was not super deep, but there was blood. Gemma lurched to stop her, but she was too late. The blade had already been sheathed.
"Save me." She said impassively. Already the blood was dripping between them, and Gemma shot to a crouch and dove toward her mother.
"Are you insane?" She asked, but her mom didn't bother to answer the question.
"If I were insane, would it affect your ability to heal?" Sera challenged.
"If you're going to cut yourself again it might!" Gemma said, but she was already grabbing the cloth and pressing it to the wound.
"Good. Cloth and pressure first. Then what?" She called, though Gemma was right there.
Gemma grabbed the bandages and wrapped one hand around the wrist and fabric, maintaining pressure while she wrapped the bandage tightly around the wound with her other hand.
"The wound is bound. Now what? What's next?" Sera said.
"I should get you to a doctor and report that you cut yourself and need to be watched." She said, half sarcastically.
"Good enough. Now what did you do wrong?" Her mother asked.
"Wrong? What do you mean? I did everything you said." Gemma complained.
"What did you miss?" Her mother asked again.
"I mean, bedside manner. I should have been comforting you." She looked around, thinking more. "I also should have removed the knife from your possession, tossed it away or at least stored it in my pack. Oh, and I should have raised your wound above your chest." She said.
"Yes, yes, these are small details. What was the big thing you missed?" She said.
Gemma was silent. "Well there was more I could have done. I could have-"
"You never used your gnosis mark. You never tried to heal me. You should always be healing what you can, even while you practice medicine and healing on a patient. You never know what edge that might give you to save a life." The words were not harsh, but Gemma felt scolded.
"I- You're right, mother, of course." She hung her head.
"Next time will be-?" Her mother started.
"Better." Gemma finished. "Next time will be better."
"Today I will teach you how to stop a bleeding wound." She said, taking a knife from her pack and laying it with medical precision to the side. She then removed several implements and pointed out what each was, even though most of this was review. Her mother always said that the only way to be sure knowledge stayed in the mind was for it to be learned through the hands. Apparently that was what they would be working on today.
"This is clean cloth, to stop the bleeding. Apply this to the bleed and add pressure. The amount of pressure needed is determined by how much the patient is bleeding." She said.
"This is a leather thong, which will be used to make a tourniquet. Tourniquets are very dangerous and should only be used when the patient will die without it. To tighten the tourniquet, you must use a rod or stick. Today you can use my sheath knife." She continued. Gemma nodded along, not taking notes yet, but remembering everything for later when she would write everything down. Her mom, unlike her dad, wanted to feel that she had Gemma's full attention, which meant no distractions, not even notes. But she would then expect Gemma to have mastered everything she had been taught, thus the notes.
"A bandage to go over the cloth and to tie it in place." She said, pulling the item out and putting it to the side.
"These are the tools you will need. When a person is bleeding severely, you must first stop the bleeding. If there is any clothing or debris that can be quickly removed from the wound, do so, but don't waste time digging around and cleaning the wound. Infection will not have time to kill a body with no blood." She said.
Without another word, she unsheathed her knife and cut her arm. It was not super deep, but there was blood. Gemma lurched to stop her, but she was too late. The blade had already been sheathed.
"Save me." She said impassively. Already the blood was dripping between them, and Gemma shot to a crouch and dove toward her mother.
"Are you insane?" She asked, but her mom didn't bother to answer the question.
"If I were insane, would it affect your ability to heal?" Sera challenged.
"If you're going to cut yourself again it might!" Gemma said, but she was already grabbing the cloth and pressing it to the wound.
"Good. Cloth and pressure first. Then what?" She called, though Gemma was right there.
Gemma grabbed the bandages and wrapped one hand around the wrist and fabric, maintaining pressure while she wrapped the bandage tightly around the wound with her other hand.
"The wound is bound. Now what? What's next?" Sera said.
"I should get you to a doctor and report that you cut yourself and need to be watched." She said, half sarcastically.
"Good enough. Now what did you do wrong?" Her mother asked.
"Wrong? What do you mean? I did everything you said." Gemma complained.
"What did you miss?" Her mother asked again.
"I mean, bedside manner. I should have been comforting you." She looked around, thinking more. "I also should have removed the knife from your possession, tossed it away or at least stored it in my pack. Oh, and I should have raised your wound above your chest." She said.
"Yes, yes, these are small details. What was the big thing you missed?" She said.
Gemma was silent. "Well there was more I could have done. I could have-"
"You never used your gnosis mark. You never tried to heal me. You should always be healing what you can, even while you practice medicine and healing on a patient. You never know what edge that might give you to save a life." The words were not harsh, but Gemma felt scolded.
"I- You're right, mother, of course." She hung her head.
"Next time will be-?" Her mother started.
"Better." Gemma finished. "Next time will be better."
