A 'Professional' Healer

Writers: Bree, Joy
Date Posted: 7th November 2005

Characters: Arcon, Abrei
Description: Arcon has an accident and is fixed up by a _woman_.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 14 of Turn 3

Abrei

Arcon made sure to keep pressure on the cloth he was holding to his finger as he walked into the infirmary. He'd been slicing tubers in the kitchens when a moment of inattention had caused the knife he was using to slip and slice his index finger rather badly. The woman he'd been assisting had tsked over the accident, had given him a cloth to stem the bleeding and had sent him to the infirmary.

There was a woman at a desk just inside the door, and she looked up at his entrance. "Looks like you've had a bit of an accident."

"Yes ma'am. Cutting up tubers is more dangerous than it looks." He held his hand out and pulled the now bloody cloth back to reveal the cut, which was still oozing blood liberally.

A part of his mind rebelled at the idea of a woman healer, but it was easily shoved aside. After all, his mother, and later his stepmother, had bandaged all his cuts and scrapes back home. This woman was strange to him only in that she was a 'professional' healer.

Abrei took a look at the cut and nodded. "It certainly seems to be. Hold that cloth back on your finger for a few more moments and follow me. It looks like we might need a stitch or two." She stood and led him back to one of the cots on the far side of the infirmary, pulling the curtain around halfway to give him a bit of privacy.

"Stitches?" Arcon didn't like the idea of _that_ at all, and suddenly all his misgivings over having a woman healer work on him surged forward with a vengence.

Catching sight of his expression, Abrei frowned. She pointed to the bed and took a step back. "Yes, candidate. Stitches. Do you have a problem with that?" It was clear from her tone that she expected the answer to be no, and her orders to be followed. Swiftly.

Moving to the bed, Arcon answered, "No ma'am, not really." He sat down and held his hand up. "It's just a cut though, wouldn't a bandage do just fine?"
The idea of being sewn on made his stomach twist uncomfortably, and he just couldn't make himself comfortable with the thought of a woman doing it.

Abrei sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you see the knots on my shoulder?"

He did and knew they marked her as a healer of Master rank. That didn't make him like the idea any better though. "Yes ma'am, er...Master Healer."

"When you've put in the twenty or more turns of study it takes to achieve the rank of master healer, then you can tell me how to treat a wound." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Understood?"

"Understood," he answered quietly, feeling quite a bit like when he was five and had been scolded for pushing one of his younger sisters into a mud puddle.

Abrei's stern face eased as she pulled over a stool and a low table that held the supplies she needed. "Now, let me have a look at this cut."

Arcon held out his hand and removed the cloth again. The cut was still bleeding, so he posititioned the cloth under his hand, to catch any drips.

She cleaned the cut gently, pursing her lips as she tried to decide if stitches were necessary. The bleeding was slowing down, letting her see that it wasn't quite as bad as she'd first thought. "Well, you might just escape this without stitches after all, which I'm sure you'll find to be a great relief."

It was and he let loose a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
He smiled tentatively at the healer woman. "Thank you."

Abrei returned the smile. "That's better, my boy. I know my job and I won't be putting any unnecessary holes in you. However, I'm going to wrap this tightly and I expect you to keep it dry, clean and elevated for the rest of the afternoon. I'll get you excused from any chores you have this afternoon that would force you to disobey my orders."

"Yes ma'am." Arcon decided he liked the Master Healer. Oddly, she reminded him a bit of his father, and he had to stifle a laugh at the thought.

She wrapped his finger quick and efficiently once she'd taken care of the pain. "It's a mild mixture of numbweed, but if the pain gets too bad you can come back here and we'll take care of it. You'll need to have it checked daily in any case... I don't need to see it. One of the junior journeymen will take care of you. If you have any questions, though, you're always welcome to knock my office door and ask me." Abrei smiled at him as she fastened the bandage. "I think you'll find that I'm almost always here."

"Yes ma'am." He stood from the bed and took the medicine she gave him.
"Thank you for your help."

Last updated on the November 7th 2005

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A 'Professional' Healer