Exill dragged the patient to the surgery room with the help of the man’s brother. The hurt man had been loading a cart when the spooked horse ran over his foot, crushing it to pieces. The poor man was huffing and screaming in agony as blood spurted from his boots.
Exill was having second thoughts about his career choice.
Time had worn away the shock of his first amputation and he had thought himself desensitized from field dressing monsters in the Labyrinth, hacking off their wings with practiced ease. The truth was that he was panicking. His hand unconsciously reached out to Luna to grasp hers to form a party. Thoughts of Verill crossed his mind, a steady presence at his greatest time of need.
Luna was surprised. She felt Exill’s panic subside into regretful resolve, which helped steady her as well. She quickly prepared all of the tools as Exill disinfected the scalpel.
“You will feel a slight sting, then all your pain should disappear. Please tell me when you feel the paralysis start to wear off.” Exill channelled mana into the blade and made a small cut near the ankle, beginning to peel the boot away once the paralysis set in. The patient sighed in relief as the pain subsided, still gripping the chair arms with white knuckled fists.
‘Ah… this looks bad’ he grimaced.
Exill had cut the boot off to find both the toes and metatarsals thoroughly crushed. He knew just enough about the human anatomy to be competently dangerous, mostly to the patient’s detriment.
‘I know the heel is made of many bones… would it be better to cut away just the damaged section or amputate everything below the ankle?’ The scalpel visibly trembled, poised over the bleeding foot. It was easier to think, now that the patient was no longer screaming and thrashing, so a plan to save as much of the foot slowly took shape.
“I’ll try and save as much as I can. Please don’t move or look down. Speak up if you start to feel pain.”
Exill cut around the damaged flesh and used pliers to extract the crushed digits from the healthy portion. He was pleased to find the cauterising enchantment working as designed with minimal use of Mana. Luna handed him sutures made of silk.
“I’m sorry Luna but can you hold the two pieces together? My hands are too slippery.”
She grimaced while holding the two flaps of flesh against each other, their mental connection lending strength that was greater than the sum of its parts. Exill finished stitching the heel together and let out a sigh of relief.
“If you could apply some light healing to reinforce the stitches, that would be great. Could you please take over from here?” he requested.
Luna wordlessly took over, applying the salve and bandages. A sense of utter exhaustion filtered through their mental connection, causing her to look up concernedly at the Witchdoctor who was sitting on a stool, wiping at his trembling bloodstained hands.
“Please apply this salve twice a day and keep the wound clean. Come back if the swelling doesn’t subside or you experience fevers. May the Will assist you in a quick recovery.” She quickly sent the patient off.
***
Nana returned to the clinic shortly after the patient had left, balancing a pan of mixed berry pie. She had been looking forward to teasing the two youngsters after giving them a brief reprieve. A trail of blood leading up to the front door caught her by surprise and she quickly rushed in, dropping the pan on the counter.
The clinic was strangely quiet, and she peeked around the surgery room doorway and gasped in surprise. Her little Luna was crouched in front of Exill, wiping away the blood on his hands with a tender expression on her face.
Savta lingered for a moment and watched the pair whispering together, before walking to her treatment room, dimly lit from the boarded-up windows. The incredible weight of her age made itself felt as she lowered herself gingerly onto the stool.
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‘So this is what it feels like…’
Her little angel had dealt with a medical emergency without any assistance from her. Even during the break-in last night, Luna had sought out the Witchdoctor first instead of her grandmother. It made Savta feel she was no longer needed, and it felt both liberating and desolate at the same time.
Later that evening, everyone gathered around the table for dinner.
“… and then I handed them two portions of bliss root and scheduled a check-up for next week.” Luna excitedly recounted the story of the medical marvel she had witnessed, the dessert hanging precariously on her spoon.
“That is great dear. It sounds like you two did a great job.” Savta’s voice was like a sail on a breezeless day.
“Did everything go well at the office?” Exill looked at the old woman with concern, she appeared strangely deflated after her return from the Magistrates office.
“Yes, yes, they will investigate the theft and issue a full residence permit for you next week.” Nana sighed. Even Luna looked worried as she noticed her grandmother’s lack of energy.
“Are you alright Nana? Should I fetch you a hot water bottle and your favourite tea?”
“That would be nice dear, yes please.”
Once Luna had left her seat, Old Savta appeared to recover some semblance of herself and exerted the full force of her gaze on Exill.
“So… child, tell me what your intentions are with my granddaughter.”
“Intentions? Ma’am believe me, I do not intend to do anything to Luna. She is a sweet intelligent girl, but it goes no further than that.” Exill spluttered in surprise at the complete about-face.
“Is she not good enough for you?” Savta scrutinized the panicking boy with narrowing eyes. By this point Exill was struggling with himself, making incoherent noises. Thankfully he was saved by Luna’s timely return.
“Here you go Nana, I hope you feel better.” Luna leaned over Savta to give her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, tucking the hot water bottle under the knitted rug draped over her lap. The old woman appeared to savour the sweet moment before glancing at Exill, warning him with her eyes that the discussion wasn’t over.
Exill excused himself to clear the table. Standing in front of the sink, he sneaked a look at the Card to find [Witchdoctor] had remained at level 1.
‘What should I do with my training gloves and apron…’
The Blacksmith’s Gloves and apron had been taken off while operating on the patient. This was not ideal as it significantly cut the EXP gained. The months spent in the Labyrinth had taken their toll on both the gloves and the apron. By this point, they were literally held together by strands of leather.
He was accustomed to wearing the apron as a cape, or tucked under his clothes, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to reject the fashion-conscious elf-maiden. She kept asking if he wouldn’t like to switch to another apron, applying immense pressure through her judgement.
‘Should I tell her it was my parents dying wish that I wear this apron and gloves? Or that the Spirit blessed them perhaps?’ It was getting to the point that he was dreaming up elaborate backstories on why he had to wear it at all times.
‘No… now that I’ll be rolling in silver I can afford to upgrade to less obtrusive gear. A bracelet, necklace and earring would be perfect.’ His thoughts were distracted by a bump at his hips, and he looked around to see Luna swaying happily as she dried the dishes.
“Hey Luna, I’ll finally ditch that apron you hate so much if you can guide me to where they sell cheap enchanted items… and would it be alright to borrow 1,000 Denars?” He apprehensively asked the favour.
Her sapphire eyes went round in surprise, and she shot the sweetest smile at him while nodding. It was unexpected that he was willing to abandon the ratty apron that he loved so much. Having said that, it was exactly what she wanted. Luna didn’t have 1,000 denars on hand, but it could easily be borrowed from Nana.
The two finished cleaning the dishes and Exill politely excused himself to the attic to avoid further encounters with Old Savta. Checking he had gone up, Luna started massaging Nana’s shoulders.
“Nana… I would like to go shopping tomorrow, can I take some money out from the safe?”
Surprised at the unusual request, Savta opened one eye and tested the waters, “Anything for you dear, tell Nana what you need, and I will buy it for you.”
Luna hesitated and her massage slowed. “Um… it is actually something for Exill, I want to get him something.” She admitted haltingly.
Old Savta heard a pop as her blood pressure skyrocketed. ‘Good grief, that sly leech! How dare he treat my granddaughter like a money pouch!’ If left to his own devices, he would undoubtedly string Luna along while borrowing more and more money. Savta quietly fumed.
“Nana, are you still awake?” She leaned over to check if her grandmother had fallen asleep.
“No dear, I was just lost in thought… There is no need to borrow money from me child, I’ll tell him over breakfast that I can advance him some payment.” Savta glanced up at her and smiled reassuringly. After a while she continued, a dark promise in her eyes, “and please tell me if he ever talks of borrowing money from you again, my love.”