Chapter 20: Saving a Life
Suri stumbled to a halt, panting as she carefully adjusting Kaito's position. Running was a precarious action, as Kaito nearly fell off at least twice. She knew she had to have been putting him in a lot of pain, but she decided pain was better than death. She stumbled, quickly losing energy, toward the village that was now looming high above them. She shoved the now stubborn wheel over a thick root, relieved to finally have him on a relatively even dirt road. She was growing more terrified with each passing second that Kaito was losing too much blood. His hand that Haru had pegged a throwing knife through had been wrapped, but the clean white padding was now drenched in his blood. She didn't even want to look at the gaping wound in his torso, for she knew that it was in far worse condition. She shook her head, determinedly pushing the examination table on, now on the main street of the village. Suri paused, startled into immobility as a tall woman rounded a corner, glancing up when she noticed Suri standing there. She stared for a long moment, her mouth dropping open. Not knowing what to do, Suri waited for the woman to react, cringing when the woman took a step back. "Please," Suri begged, her heart slamming against her chest. "Please, I don't mean to scare you, I need help. Please, he's-" the woman's scream cut her off. The woman stumbled back, scrabbling back the way she'd come just as a tall, bulky man skidded to a halt in time to catch her arm.
"What's wrong, Karen, are you-" he stopped, staring wide eyed at the injured woman shaking mere feet away. He dropped the woman's arm, his eyes scanning her and what looked like a dead body. "Who are you? You're one of those uncivilized forest kids, aren't you?" he demanded, allowing the woman to resume her escape.
"Please," Suri begged again, ignoring the rude allegations. "Please, my friend needs help, he's dying." she ignored the tears as the spilled free at finally admitting out loud his condition. "Please, I know you don't trust me. Throw me in prison, I don't care, just please help him. Your medical skills exceed ours, you're the only way to keep him alive. Please." she could barely understand herself. The man stared at her, taken aback for a long moment before he seemed to come to his senses.
"You're that girl that saved that child, aren't you?" he questioned, taking a slow, hesitant step forward. Confused, it took Suri a long moment to remember the young child she had dragged away from the skirmish. She nodded, swallowing hard. "What's your name?"
"Suri," she stammered, "And Kaito." she added, nodding to the man on the bed. "Please. Please, just help him." she continued, her voice broken and defeated as he stepped forward to look over the status of the pale bloodied body.
"Geez, what on earth happened? Come with me. I'll do what I can, but others may not agree to help him." he said, turning and leading her further into the village. Stunned for a moment, Suri scrabbled to push the cart forward, catching up. Tense, she swiped her arm across her eyes to wipe away the tears, but each time she wiped them away they were immediately replaced. With the dawn approaching, she wasn't entirely surprised to the many eyes that stared at her as she followed wordlessly behind what seemed like the one man willing to help. This was his only chance. They had to help.
After about ten minutes, the man turned to her, sweeping his arms in the direction of a large stone ramp. She stared up at the tall building, her heart rate picking up again as she wondered if he was really leading her to a prison. She glanced nervously to the man. "What is this place?" she asked, her voice small and weak.
"The infirmary. Where our sick and injured are assisted. Go on then." he said in a soothing tone. Suri nodded, carefully pushing the art that was quickly growing heavier to her tiring arms up the bumpy ramp. The man held a heavy door open, allowing her to push Kaito into the building. She stared around at the entryway. The floor had been smoothed out, chairs littered everywhere. Behind a large wooden desk sat a stocky blonde woman surrounded in heavy piled of paper. Her expression of shock and alarm was quickly wiped away and replaced by a smile.
"Mr. Aletory, it's wonderful to see you." she greeted in a cheery, high pitched voice. She glanced at Suri, before her eyes fell to Kaito. She visibly paled, immediately standing and running around her desk to lean over him. She placed her fingers against his neck, taking a moment to count under her breath. "He's very far..." she stammered, glancing down at the still bleeding wound. "Name, age and date of birth?" she questioned, glancing up to Suri.
"Kaito, he's twenty. And...I-I don't know." she stammered, stepping away as the woman moved quickly to scrabble down something on a paper.
"Wait here, please." she turned and quickly ran down a hall and out of site. Suri stared for a long moment, stunned and confused. She turned her gaze to the man beside her.
"She's getting a doctor, don't worry." he replied, smiling reassuringly. Suri swallowed hard and gave a small nod. A few seconds later, the woman came back into view, three tall men following quickly behind. Immediately, they darted forward and ordering one another around as one of them began to pull the bed carrying Kaito away. Suri stepped forward to follow, but the woman stepped in front of her.
"I'm sorry, you can't go with him. Let them do their work. They'll keep you updated on any changes." the woman said sternly but not unkindly. Staring after him, Suri gave a small nod, her fingers immediately moving to twist his ring around her finger.
"Nurse, I'll pay for whatever he needs." Mr. Aletory spoke, earning a shocked stare from the woman. He waved off the protest she attempted to give. "And I would like a doctor to check on her as well." he continued, glancing at Suri. At this, she turned to him.
"I don't need help," Suri argued. "My healers will attend to me later. You've already done more than enough for me. You don't know me. I'm already in debt to you, don't-"
"I never said I expected or even wanted anything in return." he said, sternly cutting her off. He turned a hard glare to the nurse, who nodded curtly and began to lead Suri by the arm down a hall across the room, opposite of where they had taken Kaito. The woman led her to a tall, heavy door and tapped softly on it. A male voice beckoned them in from the other side. The woman smiled reassuringly at Suri before pushing the door open and leading Suri inside.
"Dr. Alec, this is a patient from the forest. Mr. Aletory has kindly insisted she receive whatever help she needs. Do you have time to examine her, or do you have other patients expected?" the man looked up, surprised, as the nurse introduced Suri. He nodded, smiling easily as his eyes fell to Suri.
"I can. Thank you, Jane, you can return to your desk." the doctor was surprisingly young, with thick black hair just barely long enough to touch his ears. He stood as the door thudded closed, clearing his throat. "You're not going to attack me, are you?" he laughed, his bright blue eyes confirmed his playful tone. "I don't believe all that drivel about your people. Don't worry, I won't stereotype you unless you give me cause. I'm Dr. Alexander Moric. But I prefer Dr. Alec. You are...?" he pressed, securing his hands behind his back.
"I'm Suri." she said quickly, nervous for a reason she couldn't place. He smiled, nodding.
"How old are you, Suri? Don't worry, I'm just here to make sure you're healthy. And to help your injuries." he added, gesturing for her to take a seat on a long padded table.
"I'm eighteen. I really don't think you need to do this, I can get help at home. Suri protested, obediently climbing onto the table that came just above her waist. Sitting on the uncomfortable surface, she looked up at the tall man, interlocking her fingers on her lap.
"Yes, but I was told to do what I could for you now. Besides, you are not at home. It'd be a great inconvenience to go all the way home when I could help you now." He lectured, picking up a long flat piece of wood. Suri stared at him, utterly confused when he held it up. "Stick out your tongue for me." He smiled. Suri stared, but complied, opening her mouth a little. She nearly pulled away when he pressed the rough wood on her tongue, causing her jaw to open more. He leaned in close, his eyes scanning her throat. "Good. You can close your moth now." He said as he pulled away, dropping the stick in a small bin beside the table. He continued asking her to do small, simple tasks. Suri hadn't any idea what he was looking for. Their healing was much faster, it didn't need any of these silly movements. "Your leg is very tense, did you pull a muscle?" his question pulled her out of her own mind.
"No. It was injured by lightning." She said carefully, not knowing he understood about her home. He stared at her, looking disbelieving for a long moment.
"There haven't been any storms recently, and certainly none with lightning. Your trees would certainly have burned down." He reasoned, now staring at her as if he were concerned for her mental health.
"You wouldn't understand. Your people refused our ways and claimed we were defiling nature. Magic isn't a bad art. We don't defile it, we learn from it. I'm not surprised your village denies its existence," Suri growled, looking away. She found herself staring down at the ring on her finger, wondering what they were doing to Kaito. She suddenly feared they wouldn't be able to do anything for him. If this was what they did for her, they couldn't possibly be doing anything to help him.
"All right, Suri. Apart from a few scratches, and that leg, you're just fine. I'll fix up that gash on your shoulder. Wait here a moment." He smiled as he stood and left her alone. He returned a few minutes later carrying a small tray of supplies. He took a seat beside her, dabbing a small cloth in what looked like water. "This may sting a little," he apologized, carefully dabbing the wet cloth onto the harsh sword cut into her shoulder. Pain laced into her arm, causing her to cry out and jerk away. She stared at him, wide eyed, glancing at the wound on her shoulder. He looked alarmed, placing the cloth back down. "It's just alcohol, it stings a little, but it's to help you. I don't want your arm getting infected. It'll hurt for a second, but it'll fade. I'm sorry, I didn't know you weren't ready." He apologized, reaching for her arm calmingly. Hesitantly, Suri allowed herself to inch closer. She figured it must be like the mixture the healers use when they can't heal a wound completely. But theirs never stung like that. She tensed as she allowed him to take her arm again. Raising the cloth, he looked at her expectantly.
"I'm ready," Suri mumbled, cringing this time as the cloth dabbed softly into the wound. She screwed her eyes shut, refusing to cry out. Cuts and wounds were a sharp pain that dulled if she could push it to the back of her mind like she was used to doing. This was different. This, she could feel dig into the wound. It felt like it were siring her blood in her arm. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he finally put the slightly bloodied cloth down. His hand moved to pick up a small vial of another clear liquid. Suri stared at it skeptically.
"This won't hurt. It's just to numb the wound, it might actually feel good." He explained, pouring the contents of the vial onto a new cloth before picking it up. "It'll make your arm feel strange, but don't worry. It'll fade over time." He added, carefully pressing the icy cold cloth to her shoulder. Suri allowed her arm to relax, only to find that she couldn't tell if she was relaxed or not. Confused, she looked at the cloth on her arm, watching as he pulled it away. He began tapping softly on her arm. Suri's eyes grew wide as she watched his fingers tap repeatedly on her arm, but she couldn't feel anything. "Can you feel this?" he asked, looking up from his work.
"No," Suri answered, testing moving her arm. She found she could move it, but she couldn't feel it move. He nodded approvingly, placing that cloth with the other used one. Carefully he picked up a thin needle, a thick, strong wire like string trailing off of the end. "What are you doing?" she asked, moving away as he brought the needle close to her wound.
"I'm sewing the wound closed. It's called stitching. You need a couple, this wound won't close well on its own. It won't hurt. That's what the cold stuff did. Don't worry, you'll see." He soothed, carefully inserting the thin needle through her skin. She watched, disgusted as he slowly pulled the needle along, sewing across the gash to the other side. Folding it back over, he repeated the motion until he had reached the opposite side of the wound that he had started from. Slowly, his free hand pinched her skin, slowly allowing him to tighten the string in her arm. She watched, wrinkling her nose as he slowly pulled her skin together until all she could see was a thin line of blood and the thread crisscrossing repeatedly over it. Carefully, he tied the string, making sure it would hold her skin together until is healed properly. Picking up a third rag, he dabbed it in a small bowl of yet another clear liquid and held it up to her arm.
"What's that?" Suri questioned, still half staring at the odd work he'd done.
"This is just water. I'm just clearing away the blood." He smiled, carefully working around the reddened, irritated skin to clean the smeared blood. When her skin was clear, he put the wet cloth on his small pile of soiled cloth. "All right. The rest are just small cuts. Your arm will take about a week or so to heal. Don't stress the stitches, and try not to lift too heavy. You're free to go back out into the lobby, Mr. Aletory will probably be waiting for you." Dr. Alec stood, extending a hand to help her up. Jumping back to the floor, she dipped her head low and walked slowly from the room. Staring at her arm, she walked slowly down the hall and back into the main entryway. Walking slowly up to the man who'd led her there, she dipped her head softly as he looked up from his seat.
"Thank you. I never actually said it, but thank you for helping me," she said in a quiet voice, carefully taking a seat beside him.
"I was told that your friend is a strong fighter." He smiled in way of responding to her gratitude. "His doctor explained that he lost a great deal of blood, and was close to dying from blood loss alone. But he does need surgery. He's in it now. He is alive, no matter how miraculous. If the surgery goes well, he is expected to live." He placed a calming hand on her shoulder as her body slumped back against her chair. "You don't have to thank me for this, I'm glad I had a hand in saving a life. Besides, I have far greater deeds to repay to your people. Far surpassing the worth of this simple assistance. Anyway, ill you be all right if I leave you here for a little while? I have some errands to run. I'll be back before too long." He stood as he spoke, turning to smile at her before walking briskly to the doors and out or sight. Left alone, Suri pulled her knees to her chest, and tried to avoid looking at anyone who walked past giving her an odd look. She knew she had to look horrible to them: weapons and foliage all over her, she was dangerous to them. She looked up, startled, when she felt a slight tug on her shirt. She looked up to find a young girl staring up at her. Her raven hair a mess, as if she had just woken up, but her brown eyes were bright and awake as she smiled broadly at the strange forest girl.
"You look funny," the girl greeted, staring at Suri's sword strapped tightly to her waist. "Why are you here? Forest people are supposed to stay in the trees." The girl looked genuinely confused, as if she were taught that it were physically impossible for her to leave the forest.
"I'm here for a friend. Don't worry, I'll leave as soon as he's all right." Suri answered dully, looking around for the parent the child wandered off from. "You should go back to your parents. You'll get in trouble for talking to me." The girl looked dejected, pouting as she folded her arms, but didn't move away.
"No!" she squeaked loudly, her attention catching quickly to the stitches in the strange woman's arm. "What happened to your arm?" before Suri could answer, a loud, panicked shriek came from across the room.
"Alecia, get away right now!" Suri watched, not at all surprised as a tall woman ran over and grabbed the young girl tightly by the arm and dragged her away, as if expecting Suri to draw her sword at any moment.
"Excuse me," a voice caught her attention before she could process what had happened. Looking up, she scrambled to her feet, looking expectantly at one of the doctors that had taken Kaito away. He smiled apologetically, watching the overprotective mother fawn over her child. "The townspeople are taught to fear you. I'm sorry, most of them can't separate rumor from truth. Ignore them, they just don't know anything different. Kaito's surgery is going well, but it'll take anywhere between three to five hours. Judging by the time you got here, and the amount of injuries he had, I'd assume you haven't slept. Come with me please." He ordered, turning abruptly and walking away before Suri had any time to protest. Following behind him, she watched as he carefully opened another heavy wooden door. Stepping aside, he gestured her inside. Inside was a long white mattress on a cold metal table, with a thin white blanket and flat pillow the only things provided. "You can get some rest in here. Someone will come wake you if anything goes wrong, or if there are any changes you need to know of." The man spoke kindly as he began to softly close the door, leaving her alone in the cold, blank room. Regardless of how much she wanted to deny it, weariness was quickly becoming a predominant demand on her body. Climbing onto the uncomfortable mattress, she pulled the thin blanket over herself and let exhaustion take over.