Post by Cossette nó Balm on Jan 2, 2010 23:49:24 GMT -5
I wiped the sweat from my brow as two adepts walked into our already over crowded sick bay with another patient. I walked over to see what his status was. At first I thought that he had died, his pallor was gray and his hair had no shine to it at all.
"Someone dropped him off by the door, no idea who it is," one of the adepts said. I leaned my head in toward his mouth, making sure he would breath on the side of my face only and not directly into my nose or mouth. He indeed had a faint breath. It was good to know that the adepts were not so amateur to bring me a dead person.
I pointed toward a back corner where those who had little hope were placed. With so many patients and so few adepts we had to pick and choose who got the most care. He would not be ignored, but he would be tended to when there was time. He would at least be covered, warm, and not alone. He was lucky that we had recently lost three patients. The house was only providing limited charity services and two of those three had been unknown persons like him.
The plague had been in full force for a month now, but it felt like a lifetime. We all worked endlessly and monitored each other closely for signs that we had caught it ourselves. A special room had been set aside for sick Balm adepts and they received their own special care. We needed all the hands we could get. So far the house had been lucky, we had only lost two adepts. I attributed it to the fact that many of us paid more attention to our health than the general population. You take notice when you deal with the sick all the time.
Though I was only 15 I had somehow gained the job of managing this room. It was a difficult job but I relished it, it kept my mind in the present. My nightmares had slowed down a lot, from my childhood, but they had not completely stopped until the plague hit Terre d'Ange full force. Long days and fatigue had seen them gone. I felt more ready to take on the ill now than I had a month ago.
I heard my name and quickly walked over to where I heard it come from. Jared, a adept only a couple of years older than me, was crouched down by a Skaldi man who had arrived only a few days ago. I had him placed by those I didn't expect to make it.
"I think he's taken a turn for the better," he said.
I looked closely at the man. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was deep and regular. I lifted one of his eyelids. His eye was not dilated anymore than what one would expect of a healthy person.
I nodded to Jared and looked around for a empty bed so that the Skaldi could get some better care. There was none available, but there were a few empty spots on the floor. I pointed to one and said, "drag him over there, good job on noticing." I saw Jared blush when I said this and let a rare smile break. Apparently he had been watching the man for more than one reason. It was good to see that our adepts could still think of pleasure in a time like this.
My relief showed up and let me know that food was available. I thanked her and left the depressing room. I went through the ritual of the cleansing room, where I was scrubbed with water hot enough to turn my skin red, and then on to the dinning room. I left my mask in the cleansing room to be washed and I took another one, which I wouldn't put on until I returned to duty. I am sure another reason we had so few sick is that we took every precaution the Dowayne and the Second could think of.
The meal was a herb tea served with bread, cheese, and meat. We rarely ate anything that wasn't cooked or fermented. I missed fresh fruits, but the dowayne was scared they would harbor whatever was causing this plague.
I sat down in the first empty seat. Not much was said during these first breaks. Not many had news worth saying. I had ate half my meal when a hurried and excited body walked through the door. I saw one of my friends grab her meal, seeing me she came right over and sat across from me.
"Have you heard?" she asked, "they were able to send five people home today because they had all recovered so well. That is more than we have ever had. I bet it means things are going to start looking up!"
I smiled at her broadly, I was not as optimistic as she was, but I could put on a accepting face. "I hope that you are right," I told her with all honesty. "I am looking forward to returning back to our normal classes." I had been given more classes on the arts of Naamah just before the plague hit. I would be 16 in less than a year and would have learn how to do more than set bones and heal sick.
"Me too!" she exclaimed before she quickly ate her meal and ran off to spread her news. I followed her suit, quickly finishing my meal, but instead returned to my post. I was living in the now and right now there was a room full of people who needed their illness managed. It was my job to make sure that no one was forgotten and I took the job very seriously.
"Someone dropped him off by the door, no idea who it is," one of the adepts said. I leaned my head in toward his mouth, making sure he would breath on the side of my face only and not directly into my nose or mouth. He indeed had a faint breath. It was good to know that the adepts were not so amateur to bring me a dead person.
I pointed toward a back corner where those who had little hope were placed. With so many patients and so few adepts we had to pick and choose who got the most care. He would not be ignored, but he would be tended to when there was time. He would at least be covered, warm, and not alone. He was lucky that we had recently lost three patients. The house was only providing limited charity services and two of those three had been unknown persons like him.
The plague had been in full force for a month now, but it felt like a lifetime. We all worked endlessly and monitored each other closely for signs that we had caught it ourselves. A special room had been set aside for sick Balm adepts and they received their own special care. We needed all the hands we could get. So far the house had been lucky, we had only lost two adepts. I attributed it to the fact that many of us paid more attention to our health than the general population. You take notice when you deal with the sick all the time.
Though I was only 15 I had somehow gained the job of managing this room. It was a difficult job but I relished it, it kept my mind in the present. My nightmares had slowed down a lot, from my childhood, but they had not completely stopped until the plague hit Terre d'Ange full force. Long days and fatigue had seen them gone. I felt more ready to take on the ill now than I had a month ago.
I heard my name and quickly walked over to where I heard it come from. Jared, a adept only a couple of years older than me, was crouched down by a Skaldi man who had arrived only a few days ago. I had him placed by those I didn't expect to make it.
"I think he's taken a turn for the better," he said.
I looked closely at the man. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was deep and regular. I lifted one of his eyelids. His eye was not dilated anymore than what one would expect of a healthy person.
I nodded to Jared and looked around for a empty bed so that the Skaldi could get some better care. There was none available, but there were a few empty spots on the floor. I pointed to one and said, "drag him over there, good job on noticing." I saw Jared blush when I said this and let a rare smile break. Apparently he had been watching the man for more than one reason. It was good to see that our adepts could still think of pleasure in a time like this.
My relief showed up and let me know that food was available. I thanked her and left the depressing room. I went through the ritual of the cleansing room, where I was scrubbed with water hot enough to turn my skin red, and then on to the dinning room. I left my mask in the cleansing room to be washed and I took another one, which I wouldn't put on until I returned to duty. I am sure another reason we had so few sick is that we took every precaution the Dowayne and the Second could think of.
The meal was a herb tea served with bread, cheese, and meat. We rarely ate anything that wasn't cooked or fermented. I missed fresh fruits, but the dowayne was scared they would harbor whatever was causing this plague.
I sat down in the first empty seat. Not much was said during these first breaks. Not many had news worth saying. I had ate half my meal when a hurried and excited body walked through the door. I saw one of my friends grab her meal, seeing me she came right over and sat across from me.
"Have you heard?" she asked, "they were able to send five people home today because they had all recovered so well. That is more than we have ever had. I bet it means things are going to start looking up!"
I smiled at her broadly, I was not as optimistic as she was, but I could put on a accepting face. "I hope that you are right," I told her with all honesty. "I am looking forward to returning back to our normal classes." I had been given more classes on the arts of Naamah just before the plague hit. I would be 16 in less than a year and would have learn how to do more than set bones and heal sick.
"Me too!" she exclaimed before she quickly ate her meal and ran off to spread her news. I followed her suit, quickly finishing my meal, but instead returned to my post. I was living in the now and right now there was a room full of people who needed their illness managed. It was my job to make sure that no one was forgotten and I took the job very seriously.