Leonidas pulled out a small curved needle and thread, a small pair of scissors, and a salve to place over Hypatia’s wound on her shoulder before bandaging the wound.

“Oh, I think I made a mistake in looking,” she said, wincing as she turned away.

“Not a fan of needles?” he asked her.

“No, not really.”

“For what it’s worth, I’ve never liked them myself.”

She turned to Leonidas, perplexed. “But you work with them.”

“I got to where my mind doesn’t freeze when I see or use them. But it doesn’t mean we write letters to each other. Now hold still.”

He looked at the wound, cocking up an eyebrow and humming.

“What is it?” Hypatia asked him.

“Just considering what type of a suture to use.”

“Should I ask?”

“Oh, it nothing terrible,” Leonidas said, nodding to himself as he grabbed the needle and threaded it carefully. “Some styles are better suited to larger wounds, others work for smaller cuts. Some are reserved for when you need to reattach the skin to the flesh itself.”

“Sort of like different stitching patterns?”

“Precisely!”

Hypatia sunk her chin into her neck. “I didn’t know it was that … thorough.”

“Has to be so we can treat the wound. Also, to make sure the suture doesn’t strangle the skin and flesh.”

“That can happen?” she asked nervously.

“It’s a possibility. One reason why we like to check the wound often.”

“Can I schedule an appointment for tomorrow?”

“Already on my itinerary.”

As he began stitching the wound shut, there was a frantic banging on the door. Leonidas, keeping his eyes on his task, said, “Kveldulf, could you get that please?”

Kveldulf called out on the other side. “Already on it, Doc.” Leonidas and Hypatia heard a woman burst through the doorway.

“I think it’s Lady Selene,” Leonidas said to Hypatia as he finished tying a knot.

“This isn’t going to be pretty,” Hypatia said aloud.

“What do you –”

“How dare you bring her into one of your blasted escapades!” they heard Selene bellow from the other side.

“Back the fuck off or I’ll bash your fucking teeth in!” Jeanne roared back.

“Don’t speak to me like that you uncultured rat!”

“Show you what a rat can do when I rip your throat out!”

Leonidas pressed his lips together as he heard Jeanne and Selene began screaming at each other. He looked up at Hypatia, “I’ll be right back.” He gingerly placed his tools on the table next to them before making his way to the door. He opened it enough to poke his head out before screaming, “This is a fucking medical clinic, not a fucking May Day festival! Either take it outside or shut the fuck up! And if you can’t shut the fuck up on your own, I’ll sew your fucking lips shut!” He followed this with a reserved, “Thank you,” before returning back to Hypatia.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Where did that come from?” she asked weakly.

He finished the last suture and began applying the salve. “Oh, that was just a wonderful leftover during my time in the Outlands. Whether it was a battle, a party or some other situation, people loved to make a scene when you’re trying to keep someone from dying. And after a while you tend to get tired of idiocy.”

“Wait, even in battles?”

“Oh yeah, you’d have people have full on arguments about battle tactics and the like when the medical personnel were trying to keep someone’s guts from falling out onto the floor.”

“How did you make friends there?”

“Very rarely,” he replied, “And enough to count on one hand.”

“I’m starting to understand why.”

Leonidas finished with the salve and bandages. “You’re good to go,” he said to her. “And I may get some distance between Selene and Jeanne until things simmer down.”

Hypatia nodded, getting to her feet and entering the surgery room. Inside, everyone looked at her and Leonidas with a wide-eyed gaze. Hypatia went over to Selene, taking her hand and said, “Come, I think I use could a drink for my nerves.”

“I am in agreement,” Selene said, trying to avoid making eye contact with Leonidas as they left.

Leonidas turned to Jeanne, who had pressed a bloodied bandage over a wound on her left arm. “Come on,” he said, nudging his head toward the examination room.

As she entered the room Cid put his hand on Leonidas’s shoulder. “I want us to head for the fortress tomorrow, and plan our next move. And I’m having Maeryn stay here with you two just to have some extra protection.”

Leonidas nodded. “I’ll break out some things so she’ll have a bed to sleep on.”

“Good, and I want to speak with Jeanne once you’re done, alone.”

“Of course,” Leonidas said, looking back to the examination room. “I can’t tell how she’s handling all this.”

“I don’t know. But given who sent these men, I can imagine she’s not in a good place.”

Leonidas let out a heavy sigh. “There should be some mead and a few other things to drink.”

“I’ll get some for everyone else,” Cid said as he went up the staircase.

Leonidas went inside the examination room. Jeanne was sitting at the table with her head hung low. He could see tears dropping to the floor. Grabbing a bandage he sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her side. “I wish there was something I could say to make this whole thing better, Jeanne.”

Jeanne looked up, tears streaming down her face. “I just want them to leave me alone,” she said, shaking her head. “Gods I even left the damn kingdom, sailed an ocean to put myself between me and them. And they won’t stop hounding me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” she said dimly. “Part of me wants to run and hide and never be seen or heard of again. The other half wants to finally face these bastards and put an end to this once and for all. And I can’t even start to think of what I’m going to do.”

“Why don’t I take care of this wound, let yourself just process everything, and we can come back to this after some food and drink.”

“I’m not hungry, or thirsty for that matter.”

“Even for mead?”

“Even for mead.”

“Well, we maybe we can come back to that later. But I should get started on this papercut of yours,” Leonidas said as he began cleaning the wound.

As he began stitching the slash closed she asked, her eyes looking away, “What would you do?”

“Hmm,” he hummed looking up briefly as he began finishing the last series of stitches.

“If you were in this situation, would you go back?”

“I honestly don’t know. But I’d like to think I would.”

“I just,” Jeanne paused putting her free hand on her forehead. “I know if I go back, I’ll just be one person going up against those already exempted from their own laws. I don’t even know if the village I grew up in wouldn’t try to kill me on sight. Or if they’d sell me out of the damned bounty. I just feel so helpless right now, and I hate not knowing what to do. But I couldn’t just let them get away with what they did to Sabine. I can still remember hearing my mother screaming as they brought her body back for burial. How my father stopped smiling, or laughing, or showing any signs of mirth. And how those filths laughed at it. They laughed her. And when found one of their own, butchered like an animal for the slaughter, they stopped laughing, too. But I don’t know if I can face them alone this time.”

“Not this time,” they heard Cid say as he entered the room. He grabbed a chair, placing it in front and Jeanne and sat down. “Jeanne, I never thought much of having a family. The thought never truly was one I cared much for. But since I’ve know you, you’ve become the daughter I never had. And what these bastards did, wasn’t coming after a comrade, or even a friend. They came after family. My family, our family. And I do not take kindly to that. So, when your wounds and Hypatia’s are healed enough for travel, we show these dogs what a war looks like. And a cruel and sharp lesson that status is not invulnerable. For our family, for you, and for Sabine.”

“Thank you,” Jeanne said as she began to shake, fighting to steady her breath.

Cid placed both hands on her shoulders. “This is no longer a fight you need to fight alone anymore. Know that. Now I should let the good doctor finish his work, and after that you should get some rest. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”