“Are you an angel?” Nocta wondered hazily.

No. Angels were typically assholes and pricks like that Orion fucker. Unlike those assholes, I’m actually a good person.

“You lost a lot of blood. See if Lazarus can give you something for that,” I ordered, standing up.

“Percy! I need you over here,” Lazarus called. I glanced up, darting over, “You can heal the taint of death, can’t you?”

I stared at the necrosis covering someones wound, “Yes, I can—” I coughed, “I can—“

My entire body shuddered, tears falling from my eyes and throat feeling torn up. I stopped trying to speak, coughing as I healed the person.

Dizziness came over me, and I healed my body. I didn’t have anything to use to regenerate my blood, though.

“C-can you heal bloodloss?” I wondered breathily, swallowing thickly as my body shook with another onslaught of coughs.

Lazarus shook his head, “No.”

“F-fuck,” I managed, the world spinning around me. I found myself on my hands and knees again. Lazarus was there, but I shoved him off, “H-heal others. I’ll keep going after I—.”

I didn’t finish my sentence, physically shoving Lazarus. He made a noise of complaint, but finally turned to heal the others. Students were constantly in and out of the medical bay, Lazarus carrying a golden potion around as well.

I used my magic to generate water. I needed calories. Using my healing magic, I diffused the water into my system. It massively thinned my blood, and I didn’t stop feeling lightheaded.

A cane caught my attention.

“You don’t need this,” I said to Nocta, out of breath. I took Nocta’s cane. He was on his back, staring blankly up at the sky as he breathed.

It was a bit short for me, but it was better than nothing. Taking an already bloody bandage off the ground, I used the cloth to cover my mouth as I coughed.

I wouldn’t be able to fight the skeletons anymore, but I could heal others. I staggered up to Silas, who was missing a leg.

A belt was wrapped around the stump. I fell to my knees, coughing as I dragged his unattached leg toward him.

Panting, unable to get enough air to my brain due to how thin my blood was, I healed Silas. Where did my magical vial go?

Silas shifted, removing the belt on his leg as I continued healing him. The necrosis was fought off.

Silas spoke, his voice sounding weird and echo-y, “Fiona will kill herself healing those you injure. Retract your troops and admit defeat.”

I struggled to stand up, gasping and coughing as I collapsed. I dragged myself up, though, grabbing Nocta’s cane and trying to push myself up again.

The world spun, all of my effort put into standing. The cane helped, but I found myself falling again.

“S-Silas, b-bring the-the ones with necrosis…” I gasped out, staring at the man.

His black hair blurred into his face, entire existence just being a blob of color.

I hadn’t fully healed him, just doing what Lazarus couldn’t. Lazarus was at Silas’s side, healing a long gash in his chest.

“This isn’t Silas,” Lazarus replied, “Kyle, do as she asked. Bring the injured with black on their wounds to her.”

Soon two blobs appeared. I reached out.

“Wrong person,” A guy said.

“Here,” A chick said.

My hand reached out. Someone took it, and I healed them. Soon the blobs shifted away. My life was remaining collapsed, coughing and throwing up blood.

For what felt like hours, I continued healing whoever was dragged up to me. I couldn’t see, anymore, just healing anyone who held my hand.

I’m tired. I couldn’t stop, though. It’s my fault they’re all hurt. I should have just given myself up to Valentine. These people didn’t deserve to die just to prevent me from being tortured and raped in a basement for the rest of my life.

“M-Magic potion,” I asked weakly after the last hand left.

I couldn’t hear anything, though. My sight and hearing were gone. I remained laying there, my eyes opened. I felt the air brush against my eyes as I blinked.

The ground was rough. It was odd. I couldn’t taste anything, either.

“I can’t… hear or see…” I said, unsure if I was talking. Unsure if anyone was around, “Is anyone there?”

A hand appeared momentarily on my back. I didn’t try healing it, just relieved someone was there. Thank god I’m not alone.

“O-oh. I’m glad. M-more people need healing, right? Are there any more mana regen potions?”

The hand just patted me on the back, not trying to give an answer so much as give comfort.

Being lifted up was much worse when no sense except the sense of touch was working.

I struggled, crying out. The arms attempting to pick me up quickly vanished. I was put onto a plank of wood after a long moment.

I didn’t mind being carried like that, the feeling of the wood much better than whoever tried lifting me. Based on the fact that it wasn’t magic or a skeleton lifting me, I was certain I was being carried by the Academy’s side, and not by Valentine.

What a relief.

“Is everyone okay? If anyone has critical injuries I can still heal them,” I spoke to the void, having a bit of troubles speaking due to the blood I was still coughing up, “I just need a mana potion, since I’m out of magic right now. Since I can’t see or hear I can’t restore limbs, but I can make sure the wounds are closed so I can once I… If I regain my sight and hearing.”

Was what I said audible? Was it too quiet? Too loud? Was I speaking at all?

There wasn’t a response.

The only thing I could feel was the wood under me shaking and shifting with movement, and the gentle breeze of air.

I swallowed, chest shaking with coughing I couldn’t hear. My throat hurt, and tears were falling down my eyes.

“… Is everyone okay?” I asked.

There was no response.

A slow sort of misery filled me. Were people hurt because of me? My eyebrows scrunched together, a frown on my face.

Did people die because of me?

“Is everyone alive, at least?”

The silence was long and haunting. Before I could get too far into my thoughts, a hand grabbed mine.

It squeezed twice, then once. Twice, then once.

“S-squeeze twice for yes, once for no,” I said hopefully.

Twice. The feeling of the person’s hand in mine was all I had. I held it as tightly as I could, fingers trembling.

“Is everyone alive?”

Twice.

“Is… Is it over?”

Twice.

“Did we win?”

Once.

“Did we lose?”

Once.

I swallowed. We didn’t win or lose… what did that mean?

“Did we retreat?”

Once.

“Did… did he?”

Twice.

Relief filled me, “So everyone’s alive and Valentine’s gone for now?”

Twice.

“Will everyone remain alive without my help?”

Twice.

I sighed out shakily, “Thank god.”

My eyes closed, and I slept. Sometimes I was woken up by my own coughing. When I first woke up, I thought the hand had left me. Was I alone? The thought terrified me.

I’m scared.

The hand squeezed mine after a moment. I relaxed, able to fall back asleep.

Eventually I woke up. I was on an infirmary bed. I could tell because of how it felt, the bed itself comfortable. The blankets were cheap and scratchy but thick in a way I really liked.

“Can I—Oh, I can,” I said. I reached up, with the hand not holding whoever was at my bedside, “Still can’t see, though.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

A child’s laugh reached my ears, “Morning, Fiona.”

I swallowed, sitting up and glancing around at the void, “Thanks for answering me.”

“You betcha,” Nocta said from my right.

I glanced over. After a long moment I hummed. Damn. Looking over did nothing.

“Is anyone else in the infirmary? My magic’s recovered enough—“

“You’re not healing anyone in that state!” Nocta disagreed heavily, sounding disapproving.

I hummed again, “Right. I should heal myself f—kaugh,” I found myself coughing again, shoulders shaking.

To my surprise, I could still see the magic circle. I moved it around, staring at it.

“Huh. Magic isn’t seen with the eyes?”

“Oh! No wonder you’re able to repeat spells after seeing them once,” Nocta exclaimed, “You can see magic, too, eh?”

“… Oooh. That… that makes sense,” I agreed after a moment, focusing to heal myself, “I wondered why no one questioned why the spells I created looked like a toddler drew them.”

My hand tightened around his. My healing wasn’t doing anything. The professor’s hand tightened around mine in return. It was very comforting.

Nocta laughed, “Yup. Most people can’t see the magic formulas that go into creating spells.”

Did I not know enough about eyes? They worked by receiving light signals in the back of the retinas, the retinas expanding or contracting to let in light. The blood vessels needed to be closed until they got where they needed to, no loose blood could be in my eyes… The back of the eyes were like a mirror, receiving the sensors?

I stared at the healing circle, sending magic to my eyes. I dropped the magic circle, reaching up. Cloth covered my eyes.

My free hand clawed at the cloth, my hand releasing Nocta’s to join the efforts.

Bright. Ow.

I closed my eyes, hands coming up to cover them. Tears fell. I didn’t see anything except bright white light. Thank fuck.

“Oh. I can see, but it hurts. So what’s the situation, professor?” I asked, turning to where Nocta was.

My eyes remained closed tightly, the red through my eyelids hurting. My hands covered my eyes again.

Nocta hummed, joyful tone gone, “Well, no one died.”

A vague sense of relief filled me. Everything was fine. I was safe.

“That’s fine, I can heal anyone who got seriously hurt. I am one hundred percent confident in my ability to heal all ailments except death.”

I was more than safe, even. I could relax.

Nocta chuckled mirthlessly, “We defended the Academy to prevent you from dying, ya know.”

I sighed, trying out seeing again. More pain made my eyes water. I covered my eyes again, groaning.

“Did seeing hurt you this badly?”

“Nope!” Nocta answered cheerfully, “It was quite a painless experience.”

I groaned again, removing my hands.

Lucky asshole, why was I the only one punished for becoming blind? I guess he had to deal with it longer. I’d happily accept the pain for faster recovery.

I squinted at the room until my retinas did their job, adjusting. Blinking a lot, I stared at the blurry everything.

Fuck. I didn’t need glasses now, did I?

After a long moment, I was able to see again. Every bed in the infirmary was taken, no one attending to anyone. Several people in white robes taking up some of the beds explained where all the attendants were.

Blinking a few more times, I stood up, stretching. My existence cracked. I groaned out pleasurably.

“Aaggh,” I said, glad to be standing, “How long was I out?”

“Three hours, just about,” Nocta said.

I hummed, nodding. Yeah, that’s usually how long I slept. Sounds about right. Cool.

“Great. How much magic do I have?” I wondered aloud, “Whatever, I’ll—“ Thwack! “Ow!”

I held my head, giving Nocta a hurt look, “Abuse! What was that for?”

“You just used well over ten times the magic your body could handle. Use any more and you’ll die.”

“I’m fine,” I disagreed, pouting.

The kid was glaring at me, though. I sighed, raising my hands.

“Fine, fine! I’ll not use magic.”

Wandering to the various cabinets and closets, I found various potions and the like. Ignoring them all, I grabbed the bandages.

“You have magic, though, right?”

“I saw what happened when you healed others using theirs,” Nocta refused.

I shook my head, “If there’s any missing limbs, could you put them on ice?”

“Sorry, I don’t know the element.”

I hummed, “You good at basic math and-or water magic?”

“Ya. Be a bit weird if I weren’t,” Nocta agreed.

“Cool!”

I explained the basics of water and how it worked to Nocta, getting into the general concept of atoms, telling him that each individual atom was as still as it could be.

Soon, frost was emanating from Nocta’s cane. He cackled, grinning sharply. What a guy. Really seemed to enjoy life. Hopefully I get to enjoy life that much, one day. When I wasn’t always fucking dying, like Jesus fucking Christ man.

“So you want me to freeze their parts?”

… Maybe he seemed a bit too happy about that.

“The-the ones that are not attached, yes. It will prevent the limbs I need to reattach when I regain magic from decaying or rotting,” I agreed hesitantly.

Some of the people in the medical cots and infirmary beds were asleep, but most were awake and had been watching our interaction.

I glanced around.

There were about fifty infirmary beds with ten feet of space between them and ten between the edge beds and the ends of the room, about twenty-five lining each wall. In between the infirmary beds were two cots with hardly enough space between them to walk.

All of them were full, some people who weren’t too injured leaning against the wall or laying on the floor behind the cots.

Some of the nightstands had been pushed together, with people laying down.

That’s a lot of people.

I wandered to the front of the room on the opposite wall of my bed.

I called out, “My bed is free, if anyone wishes to lay down. Bit bloody.”

Someone without a leg yelled out, calling dibs. He carried his detached leg with him as a friend of his helped him move off the wall.

Going to the first person, a person in a cot, I spoke, “Where are you injured and what is the injury?”

“Magic exhaustion. I’m fine,” The student said.

I moved to the next person, asking the same question.

“Shoulder and leg. I-I’m good at math, if you want to teach me how to heal?” The chick said, “I-I saw you teach Indigo a new element… is it possible?”

Wow. What a great idea! Oh that would make everything so much better. Teaching people about circles and body science was a lot easier than torturing myself and wrapping their wounds using half-remembered first aid lessons I took that one time.

I looked at her.

Her leg was very clearly broken, bone sticking through her skin. Her shoulder looked weird, and I figured it was dislocated. I hummed, reaching out.

Well she wouldn’t be able to learn with the pain of a dislocated shoulder, so…

“This will hurt like a bitch,” I said.

She screamed out, sobbing. After she stopped sobbing, she laid on the cot, gasping for air. Her eyes were focused on the ceiling.

“Anyway, sure. Is there—“ I looked around, finding what I was looking for, “There is! Okay! Quick lesson!” I called out as I grabbed a blackboard that could be wheeled around, “Everyone who has magic and is good at math, even if you aren’t here to be a mage, look over here! I will draw both a magic circle and an equation! While I do so, you need to listen to my words about how the human body works.”

I drew the magical circle Valentine had shown me as I spoke, drawing another circle to explain my math, drawing a line between the magic circle and the math. My explanations started off basic, explaining the various organs and bodily systems, then got a bit more complex, explaining what I knew about blood, skin, and nerves, as well as the brain.

About two hours later, I finished yelling out my explanation.

“Keep all of that in mind while you think of this magical circle, and do the equation I just taught you all,” I called out, “Heal yourselves if you can. I use this information to reattach limbs and the like, so you’re now as good at healing as I am. Make sure you thaw and warm the limb before you reattach it or you’ll lose it to frostbite! If you aren’t confident, just wait for me to reach you and I will explain in detail how to heal your specific wound, as well as walk you through the process!”

Soon many of the same magical circle appeared, people healing themselves. Some who were missing limbs didn’t try reattaching them, instead just wandering around to heal others.

I nodded as I kept going, reaching the first bed. It was an unconscious person in a white robe without any visible injuries, so I moved on. The next two cots and the next infirmary bed was sleeping healers without any obvious wounds.

I got to the cot after the healers.

“What and where’s your injuries?” I asked, adding something on, “If you have magic and wish to heal yourself, I can walk you through the process.”

“I-I have a gash in my back,” The person said, “A sword hit me. I have magic.”

The cot under them was soaked in blood, and their face was pale. The androgynous person had bandages wrapped all around their chest.

“Okay so to close a wound…” I spoke of what I knew of blood cells, blood vessels, and cuts in general, as well as explaining the math further and mentioning the size I would recommend them using, showing the person the size of a single inch so they had reference for my math system.

They healed themselves, eyes focused intently on the magical circle on the blackboard I was wheeling with me.

Soon they looked more relaxed, standing up, “I will heal others with gashes.”

“Thank you. Don’t deal with blackened wounds, that’s necrosis, dealing with it is different,” I mentioned.

“You already healed everyone with necrosis,” Nocta called as he walked up, staring at the magical spell for a long moment, “I’ll start working on the other side of students.”

“Okay, I appreciate your help,” I thanked.

He gave me a look as he did the spell. Did he want confirmation that it was right? I nodded, giving him two thumbs-ups. I walked to the next person.

“I’m out of magic,” The scrawny teen dismissed tiredly.

Nodding, I moved on, “Mana exhaustion, got it.”

I hadn’t noticed, but during my entire explanation, I had referred to uncast magic as mana.

Going around, some people left after they were healed. Most of the swordsmen stayed behind to further help others, their magic working as well as anyone else’s. After warning them not to overdo it, I kept going.

I was extra descriptive with each person who was missing a limb, telling them of more things, such as extra calories and stored fats that could be used to replace the stuff that was lost, also having to go into depth about childbirth and stem cells, also explaining what a Mitochondria was, and why I kept saying it was the powerhouse of the cell. That lead to me having to explain DNA, which was easier to do, because this world had DNA tests, though they weren’t called that.

Mercury was staring at me tiredly when I got to him. His entire face was pale, and he was missing both his legs and his arm.

I hesitated.

Guilt filled me. He got hurt for someone that wasn’t even his actual sister.

“I don’t have enough magic to heal myself,” Mercury dismissed, “Is it true that you aren’t…?”

I swallowed, shifting awkwardly. Then I shook my head, speaking softly, “Sorry. She killed herself in the magical ritual she did before the garden party. I didn’t become her willingly, and I don’t plan to-to ever return to your family. You can ask any professor that was in the strategy conference, I made a magical oath swearing I wasn’t a necromancer and didn’t want to be here.”

“I believe you,” Mercury said, just looking tired as he stared at me with emerald green eyes, “Pelias and I spoke of it already. I never thought you were…”

I hesitated, ducking my head, “Sorry. I’ll come back to you when someone with enough magic stops by.”

“My magic is almost fully recovered,” The man next to Mercury said.

I glanced over, seeing Pelias. I stared at him. I expected Pelias to glare at me after finding out, but he just looked heartbroken. That hurt so much more. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

“Right. Did you not feel comfortable healing yourself?” I asked, staring at the broken arm.

“You never explained bones,” Pelias agreed, expression cold but miserable.

He’d just found out he’d lost his sister, after all. That I was puppeteering her body.

“Sorry,” I apologized, voice still soft.

I explained what I knew of bones and their marrow, also mentioning that it wasn’t something I knew a whole lot about, and that he should get rechecked by one of the medics once they recover. I moved on, voice sounding just as quiet and miserable with the next person.

The sun was setting by the time everyone except three or four people with really severe wounds were healed.

Pelias was waiting by Mercury. I returned to go into as much detail as I could, even touching on the existence of atoms, explaining that he should focus on one limb at a time and on connecting the bones first, then the muscle and sinew, then the blood vessels, then the other stuff.

I wasn’t sure how an actual doctor from my world would go about healing these people. Everything I knew was just basic education I’d learned in grade school and some stuff I looked up on my own due to my fascination with it.

After Mercury was fully healed, he sat up. Pelias wrapped his arms around his brother.

Swallowing at the scene, I shifted. Sorry. Turning, I went to the last person.

It was Silas. He was reading a book with his free hand. His other arm was crushed beyond recognition, half his body looking the same.

“Jesus. What happened?” I asked, eyebrows raising.