View source for Celina's First Healer Lesson(Long Patrol Log)


Salamandastron: Infirmary

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

This is the infirmary for the long patrol.  This room is one of the most

well lit rooms in the whole of Salamandastron, with several candles placed

strategically along the shelves and cupboards.  Many wooden beds line the

walls of this room, each outfitted with impeccably clean white linen

sheets.  This unfortunately limits the walking space in this room.  Where

there are not beds there are shelves and cabinets that hold a variety of

different medical equipment, mostly needles and bandages.  A single stone

sink is firmly lodged into one of the counters.  The sink is not fancy, in

fact it is quite awkward. It is a necessity, nonetheless.  An open closet

is in the corner of the room, storing a surplus of compact cots, in the

unusual case of mass injuries. The room usually has several nurse hares in

it, roaming around tending to various injuries.

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                  Visible Exits:

[Out] to Level One                     [Herb] Room

"A /what?/" "A new healah, sah." "Y've got t' be jokin' me. First day back an' I'm trainin' a new set'a paws?" "She's just been promoted, sah, and th' majah said we've got to train with th' very best." "...he would say that. Alrigh', gimme th' file." "G'day, sah." The brief exchange takes place inside the infirmary, where, after a private exits, Sergeant Dagda Fintan remains. The file in question, the life and times of one Celina, lies on the table so that he can flip through the pages while one arm is suspended in a sling. Frosty blue eyes scan the lines of tight script, occasionally turning a sheet.

Celina makes her way inside the infirmary. She has been in here before for a couple lessons beforehand. She has on her new uniform and stands quietly off to the side till she is spoken to. She was asked to come straight here and she did, it's true she has been late, a couple times as a recruit for training but only a couple times out of many other times she was on time or even early.

Dagda flips the file closed emphatically, spinning on his heel to face the new arrival. Serious eyes, still ringed with darkness from exhaustion, study the private's uniform for a few seconds as he stands there in silence. "...well?" He finally asks, abruptly. "C'n I help y' with somethin', or are y' just gonna stand there?"

Celina blinks slightly and then speaks, and wanting to get this right as higher ranks are called sir right, "Well Sah,..I was here for a healing lesson." Short and simple and she leaves it at that for now.

Heading into the infirmary early this morning is Ava. Her hair looks a bit damp having just climbed out of the baths after her run and workout. Dressed in a crisp uniform, she picks up the clipboards on the wall and starts to look through the patient files as she limps from bed to bed. Her ears perk upwards at the sound of Dagda's voice and she heads over to investigate.

"Jus' a lesson, huh?" Dagda knows all this, of course; they don't just send privates in unawares on their first day. But Celina doesn't know that. "First lesson is verbal. Y' need t' undahstand certain infahmation before y' evah touch a wound. Healin' is serious business. Patrollers live or die based on what you /know,/" he taps on his temple with his functional paw, "an' what you /do./" The paw bangs down firmly on the tabletop. As Ava approaches, the buck glances over and nods in her direction. "Jus' ask Corporal Ava. Ask her how many Patrollahs die because their healah made a mistake."

Celina ears droop, but she slowly straightens them back up as she will not show worry, she can't. She nods slowly "I..I understand sah, healers save lives and I know some cases are more serious than others..." She looks over at Ava as the other hare walks closer to them.

Glancing to Dagda, then back to Celina, Ava says, "/Never/ touch a wound until you are a hundred percent confident what the issue is, and that you have the training and skill-set to resolve it. If you do not know, then you ask before you touch. The Sarge is correct, a lot of patrollers have lost their lives over the years because someone is too eager to help instead of understand what went wrong. Are you the healer recruit that just got promoted? This your first day?"

"We save lives, but y' c'n end 'em too if y' stop thinkin'. No mattah how many times y' perform even th' routine tasks, y' c'n nevah switch y' head off an' run on instinct. /Always/ think about what y' doin', an' what th' patient's tellin' you, eithah words, smells, or what y' see." Information overload. Dag shuts up for now to let Ava ask the personal questions.

Celina listens and tries to take all this in, she answers Ava's question "My first day, just got Private rank today in fact." She then ask a question, to her it seems a very important one, "Wot if...you and them are the only ones somewhere, but they can't tell ya wot happen....then wot? Ya...I would still want to help them best I could"

"Good question, if we are assuming that you were there when the injury was present, then you should know what you are up against and can treat it. If you were not there, then you start with the basics. Vitals. Is he breathing? Is there a pulse? Is there blood and where is it coming from? Temperature of the body. Can you shift them to a more comfortable position to inspect the wound without causing more harm? Those are the questions you ask yourself within the first thirty seconds. From there, you start to form a mental decision tree.". Ava says as she ambles to the book shelf and reaches out to take out an old book that has seen some time and wear. "You start with this. First three chapters tonight and report back to me in the morning. You and I will go through this entire book together. It will take us three weeks if you are sharp, four if you're dull."

As Ava produces the weathered book, Dagda mutters something about having a new copy made. The buck's injured arm still hangs limply in the sling around his neck, but his other one seems fine, and he's rummaging around on the shelf as well. He comes up with a notebook, which he paces over to Celina. "Y'll want t' copy th' main points inta here so y' don't have t' flip through th' whole thing every time y' f'get somethin'. Othah than that, y'll be in th' infirm four days a week t' observe, an' once y've finished th' book with Ava, y'll start helpin'. Alrigh'?"

Celina nods as she listens, and she takes the notepad and the book, the book she is extra careful with as if it could fall apart at a moment’s notice. "Alright..I will study and overserve and be very very careful with the book."

"Well, the book stays here." Ava says with a grin. "We are going to study it together here in the infirmary. But I expect you to take notes and I will quiz you along the way. There is certain topics that you need to know backwards and forward until you can quote it in your sleep.". She places the tomb on her desk, then heads over to Dagda. "How is the shoulder holding up? I am sure you are prescribing yourself your own drugs?”

Relinquishing the notebook, Dagda takes a few steps back to lean against the counter, chest stubbornly held high despite his apparent fatigue. "Yeh, its doin' alrigh'. Could probably use th' dressin's changed. I don't tie knots one-pawed."

Celina nods "I understand. And I am guessing these lessons as well as watching others do healing will sort of go together or after reading and going over a chapter I then watch others in the infirm, as he had said to...see how to do something correctly" And she is ok with taking notes and will most likely read the chapters a couple times just to make sure she didn't miss anything.

"Yes, you will be watching and assisting me in the infirmary as we go through the lessons. I will have to pause at times to help the wounded or sick, so having some real time experience will help you appreciate what it is that we do. It will also help you change your mind to become a runner the first time you see one of us come in missing a limb gushing enough blood to fill a wading pool.". Ava says as she ambles to the cabinets to take out some fresh bandaging and ointment, then heads to Dagda to carefully tend to him. "First lesson, knowing how to change a bandage. You have to inspect the wound for infection. If it starts to scab, you are probably going in the right direction. Any yellow or green puss is not a good sign and you need to treat it immediately. He would know if something was wrong though, he would be in a lot more pain."

While Ava is talking, Dag gingerly holds his arm out away from his chest enough to work his free paw in and undo his tunic buttons, waiting for her help to get his arm out of the sling itself. A wince grows into a grimace as his shoulder moves with the movements, still painful after the week that's passed, especially as he works his way out of the tunic to expose the bandage. Why he insists on wearing the full tunic, no one knows. Probably stubbornness. "Alrigh', time t' unwrap."

Celina frowns, "Missing a...limb?" She still listens and will watch as Ava checks Dagda and changes the bandage, she pays very close attention as she can ask other questions later. For now she still wants to be a healer.

"Yeah, missing a limb. You see that we do carry swords and axes, right? So does the enemy. My husband is missing a leg. Alpine is missing an eye. Tam is missing a hand.". Ava says as she starts to unwrap the bandage, slowly, so that Celina can watch how she moves and how she manages the wound. She instructs along the way as she goes. "The ointment is to help the healing process along and to give some temporary numbness as well. You don't want to put too much on or it will seep through the bandage and you will waste it. Just enough to lightly cover the wound. You want to re-bandage snug, but not so tight that you are hurting the poor lad."

"M' first stabbin'," Dagda notes to Celina, nodding sideways at his shoulder with a sort of grim grin. "Earlier along y'd want t' stuff some herbs an' tha' sorta thing up in there as well, but as healed up as it is now there's no point in it. Most'a th' damage is too deep f' that now."

Celina nods as she watches, and speaks "Yes I know enemies have weapons also....but how do you save someone who has a limb gone? Is it rare to save someone or depends on whats missing?" Hey she wants to learn.

"I'll take this one," Dag mutters to Ava, letting her concentrate on the bandaging.

Celina will listen to Dagda and also still watch Ava as both are important. She will also remember to take notes on even this afterwards as she will be able to remember it long enough to write in down and then she can re-read what she wrote down from this lesson..or lessons?

"Bleedin' is a big deal," Dagda starts. There a lot of big deals, apparently. "It's one'a th' first things y'll check for an' deal with, right aftah /breathin'./" His good arm gesticulates as he speaks, ears perked up. Teaching is fun, even if he complains about it. "Y' gotta stop th' bleedin' first. We try t' do it with gauze an' other cloths first. If y' can't get it stopped, tie it off, generally, but anythin' below y' tie could be lost, so... yeh. Only if y' can't get it stopped."

Celina nods as she pays close attention, "How...how does one not get..scared? Like if helping near where fighting is taking place? And I do know holing pressure to a wound is important, someone told me that once."

"Well, that's jus' y' courage an' y' confidence in th' beasts around you. /Every/ Long Pahtrol hare is a fightin' hare, an' that includes you." Dag winces as Ava pulls the knot tight.

Celina answers, "Yes sur...and I have been learning ta use a dagger and saber some, I....need a lot of practice with the bow and arrow, I...am very poor with that skill and almost hit my own footpaw with an arrow" She missed her footpaw just barely in fact.

"I still get scared, I just suck it up and force myself through the process. I go back to my training. Do A B and C. After I fix my patient, I can cry about it later.". Ava says as she gives Dagda a pat on the good shoulder once she finishes his new bandage. "I teach the archery classes, so if you want to not shoot yourself in the foot, I or Taye are good to ask."

"Is learning archery a good thing for a healer" Celina asks, "Or is it better to focus more on learning healing skills and not so much on the fighting lessons? How much fighting does a healer really need to know and why?"

"Can't stand th' things m'self," Dagda adds, chuckling to cover his discomfort as he starts struggling back into his blouse. It's just the one sleeve, really, but it's still a bit of a hassle to get into without shooting fire through his shoulder. "Ava's bally /scary/ with 'em. I stick t' these," he comments, patting the brace of throwing knives at his hip. "All Patrollahs need t' know how t' fight. Vermin don't care if y're a healah while y're wearin' that uniform." His fighting knives, substantially longer than the throwing set, lie on the countertop a short distance away. "Find a weapon or two y' like that y' c'n move fast with, an' that's th' ticket."

"I am terrible with a sword or a dagger, so we have our strengths. I am good with the bow because I spend every minute I am not in here down at the range. I would suggest for you first learn your trade as a healer, then really dedicate yourself to a weapon once you feel comfortable in your primary role.". Ava says as she scribbles some notes on Dagda's file, then heads over to her desk to settle own.

Celina takes mental note of this and uses the notepad she has herself and jolts down some notes to remember on things they have discussed, as well as how to re-bandage a wound, she underlines check for swelling and infection. Then she replies "I am unsure yet and most likely won't be the bow and arrow as my choice"

Dagda winks at Ava with a smug grin. Suck it, archery! "Whatevah lets y' move aroun' th' battlefield t' tend t' th' wounded an' get th' job done when y' need t' fight."

Ava flashes a grin back to Dagda. "The /benefit/ of a bow and arrow is that you do not have to personally stab someone. Some fighters enjoy the intimacy of a kill up close and personal. I would rather shoot you from afar. Less blood on my clothes and stress on my heart. I am a .. soldier, but I still have .. ah ... you know... some hesitation on the battle field." She rubs at her nose gently. "Though after last few days, I had no problem getting my paws dirty."

Celina is still listening and frowns as another question comes up "Wot if...someone dies but you did all you could to save em' and...it seems your suddenly hated or yelled at, when..when you tried your best and followed the A B and C method. Then wot?"

"Then they died," Dagda answers grimly, lifting his shoulder and letting it fall in a half-shrug. "Y' do y'r best, but it's gonna happen. That's th' Pahtrol. We all get that, here. Nobody should be yellin'."

"And if they are, it is only because they are in the moment emotionally and will probably apologize to you later." Ava says with a nod of her head as she scribbles on some paperwork. "I lost someone's husband once. I got screamed at for three hours. There was nothing I could do and she knew it, but she needed someone to yell at."

"I.....see. I still want to be a healer, “ Celina state, “I still want to do my best to help and save others and will pay close attention to my lessons and study very hard. I will also not attempt to deal with a wound unless I know the facts first"

"Well, I mean. 'Less y're th' only one who c'n do it. Don't just leave 'em bleedin' there." That'd be awkward, and maybe then someone really /would/ hate you. "But death is part'a what we do. Sometimes we're killin', sometimes we're savin', and sometimes we can't." Words of wisdom from Dagda.

Celina frowns "Why would one....leave someone to bleed and die that be wrong ." She would try her best to help the beast if she could.

"You ask a lot of questions that there is no good answer to."  Ava says as she opens the large tome  and starts to skim through the first few pages, making a few notes for her new student.

Celina sighs a little, well she will most likely learn some answers and maybe she won't but she is ready to at least try.


[[Category:Zinnia]]
[[Category:December_2015]]
[[Category:Long_Patrol_Salamandastron]]