Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter twelve of "Running Around." Solan makes his return after being absent from several chapters. I felt it was time to feature him again as he is an important character in this crossover. Stay tuned for chapter thirteen.

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Chapter 12: Solan's Care

The early afternoon beamed its rays on Passili. Some of them filtered through the inn, casting glows on the floors. Some wounded patients moved around in the main room. Others laid on on cots or sat propped against the walls. Their quiet murmurs and hums echoed throughout it. Groans came from several as if they were in a chorus line.

Solan knelt beside a young Passilian woman in a corner of the room near a small stool. She sat on the floor with her back against a splintered beam, cradling her right arm. A deep gash marred the upper part of it. He set a small bowl of water beside him. Its surface ripped slightly as he dipped a clean cloth into it. He ringed it out. He glanced at her, offering a gentle smile before proceeding to clean her wound.

The woman winced painfully. Solan began to hum a low, soothing tune. It was one he'd picked up from Gabrielle during their travels. The melody flowed soft and steady as if it were a stream winding through a forest. Each note carried a calm that seemed to settle over them both. He cleaned the wound carefully. He whispered inaudible words before looking at her.

"Does that feel better?" Solan asked very gently.

The woman exhaled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. She nodded, a small smile crossing her lips.

"It does. The stinging isn't as bad now," the woman admitted.

"Good," Solan said, chuckling softly. "Good."

Solan set the cloth aside and reached for a needle and thread from a small leather pouch beside him. He leaned closer to her arm, inspecting the gash. It was jagged in which it was likely from a blade that hadn't cut cleanly, but it wasn't too deep. He poked the needle through the bottom of the wound. He pulled it through. The woman tensed, her breath catching again, but he resumed his humming. He proceeded to stitch the wound.

"You're great at what you're doing," the woman said, her voice soft but steady.

"Thanks. I appreciate that," Solan said with a smile. "My adoptive father taught me a little bit about mending injuries, but my mother taught me the rest. She's the real expert."

Solan finished stitching the wound. He dragged his dagger from his boot and cut the thread. He laid it and the needle aside. He grabbed a bandage. He began wrapping it around her arm at a slow yet steady pace.

"Xena, right?" the woman said, tilting her head slightly. "She's an incredible healer or doctor if you want to call her that."

"She is," Solan admitted. "Mom does so much healing on the battlefield that it's incredible how she keeps it together. I think anyone else would have gone crazy in her position."

The woman sighed heavily. "It's hard, isn't it? Treating injuries like this. Especially if you've got an aversion to blood."

"It can be," Solan commented, sitting back on his heels. "I've seen people freeze up at the sight of it. Blood's messy, and it's everywhere in a place like this. However, you get used to it after a while, or at least you learn to push past it."

"I don't know how you do it," the woman said, looking around. "Seeing so much hurt, day after day. It'd wear me down."

"It wears on all of us, but Mom says you can't let it stop you," Solan said, his tone thoughtful. "If you do, no one gets helped. She's been through so much, seen so many battles. I think that's why she's so good at this. She knows what's at stake."

The woman nodded in agreement. "That is true."

Unbeknownst to Solan, Jason leaned against a wall while crossing his arms. He kept his eye on Solan and watched him wrap the bandage. He listened to his words, though they were not loud. He couldn't help but admire him. He wondered how long the boy had been tending to wounds. He observed him tying a knot in the bandage once he was finished wrapping.

"There. You're finished. How's it feel?" Solan asked in much warmth.

The woman moved her arm forward slowly. She did the same backward at the same pace. She looked at him, sighing very happily.

"Much better. Thank you, Solan," the woman said gratefully.

"You're welcome," Solan said, nodding at her. "Take it easy with that arm for a while, okay?"

The woman nodded, rising to her feet with a slight wince. She walked away while sighing in content. She disappeared into the crowd. Solan began gathering his supplies, tucking the needle and thread back into the pouch when Jason walked up to him. Solan looked up at him, his heart skipping a beat or two.

"That was a wonderful thing you did," Jason said in much admiration.

"I just gave her medical care," Solan insisted softly. "It's what we're all doing here."

"It wasn't just that. It was your voice, your smile," Jason pointed out in gentleness. "You brought her comfort. The body isn't the only thing that needs healing. The spirit does too, and you gave her that."

"Thanks," Solan responded in a grateful way. "I didn't really think about it that way. I just wanted her to feel better."

"You've got a gift for it," Jason said, settling onto the stool nearby. He stretched his legs out, resting his hands on his thighs. "How long have you been giving care to patients like this?"

"I haven't done it as long as Mom or Gabrielle," Solan replied, shifting to sit cross-legged on the floor. "My adoptive father taught me the basics, but Mom took it further when I came into her care after he passed away from an infection. She always been patching people up, and she started teaching how to mend injuries like she does. I was nervous at first because it was so different, but I got the hang of it. How about you? How long have you been at this?"

Jason exhaled, his gaze drifting to the ceiling. "A long time. Years, really. However, this is the first time I've done it in the middle of a civil war. It's different here. The stakes feel higher, the wounds more desperate."

"War changes everything," Solan admitted seriously. "Mom has nightmares sometimes. She dreams she's trying to save patients in the middle of a battle, but she can't. Her hands slip, or the wounds are too deep, and they die right in front of her. She wakes up shaking."

"I've had those too," Jason admitted, his voice breaking a little bit. "The ones where you're helpless, where no matter what you do, it's not enough. But we have to keep going. If we don't, everyone suffers."

Solan leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "That's what Mom says. She tells me you can't save everyone, but you have to try. I've seen her push through things that would break most people. She and Gabrielle both. They've taken me on so many adventures, and I've learned a lot from them."

Jason tilted his head, curiosity filling his eyes. Solan tried to hold back a smile, but he couldn't at all.

"Adventures? What kind?" Jason wondered.

"All kinds," Solan said with a soft chuckle. "We've traveled through forests and mountains, fought off bandits, helped villages rebuild after floods. One time, we were crossing a river when the bridge collapsed. Mom dove in to save a kid who'd fallen in, and Gabrielle and I pulled them both out with a rope. Another time, we stayed with a group of traders who taught me how to haggle. I wasn't very good at it, but it was fun."

"That sounds like quite a life. Now, you're going to be a big brother, right?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," Solan said, his smile widening. "I can't wait. Mom's pregnant, and it's going to be amazing. I've always wanted a younger sibling. I met my older brother, Belach, just yesterday. We share the same father, the great Borias. Mom was friends with him, our father, and his mother and took care of him sometimes back in her darker days. His mother was killed, and he was sold into slavery. I keep imagining what it'll be like to teach my little brother or sister things such as how to fish or climb trees. Gabrielle says I'll be a great big brother."

"You will be," Jason said confidently. "You've got a good heart, Solan. That's what makes you special. Not just the skills, but the way you care."

"Thanks," Solan said gratefully. "I just try to do what Mom and Gabrielle do. They're the ones who keep us all together."

Jason nodded, his eyes scanning the room. The inn's walls creaked faintly as the wind picked up. His gazed returned to Solan, who clasped his hands together and twirled his thumbs around.

"It's a tough world out there," Jason said. "But people like you, your mom, Gabrielle—they make it bearable. Keep that spirit of yours strong, Solan. It's rarer than you think."

"I will. You keep going too, Jason," Solan assured, looking up at him. "We've all got to stick together in this."

Jason smiled, rising from the stool. "Deal. Now, let's see if there's anyone else who needs us. The day's not over yet."

Solan nodded at him. "Okay."

Solan stood with a light grunt. He and Jason moved back to the center of the room. They started talking about the varying severity of injuries.