"The Doctor Is In" is a Season 4 series of thread written March 21, 2015. It leads into "It Will Heal" and takes place before and concurrently with "Scars Deeper than the Surface."
Summary[]
Full Text[]
Hunter Lindholm: "Next!" Hunter called out as he swabbed the rest of the blood off the young man’s arm. When the attacks started, he and Maya were immediately whisked off towards the entrance through some sort of magic portal and escaped any injury. He couldn’t say the same for the other rebels though, and he had spent the past hour tending the wounded. They kept piling in the makeshift tent, and they were running out of supplies.
Someone started crying, and he sighed, trying to block it out and bandaging this half cat’s arm. Someone died again. As far as he could tell, he was the only capable healer at the moment, and he was trying his best to keep his cool. He was never trained to be a doctor for war.
The body count kept slowly rising.
Goat: “Thank the gods a doctor!” Goat, one of the older guards, said, hurrying over. He bent over panting, a finger hanging loosely from his hand. “The chief sir, Akkey sir, her back is terribly wounded. Blunt patched it up enough to stabilize her but it needs professional attention, please, come this way!”
Hunter Lindholm: He dropped the bottle of salve he was trying to open, “No…” he breathed. Maya didn’t seem to notice, she was still preoccupied with another patient.
"Take me to her," his jaw clenched.
Goat: Goat took him to where Stonegit and the Haddocks were beginning to pack up. They would have to start traveling soon or the winter night would surely kill them. Akkey was resting on a tattered blanket, Blunt, who was still tending to her stood up upon seeing Hunter. “Oh thank god,” he said.
Hunter Lindholm: Hunter caught his breath when he saw Akkey. She was probably in the worst state out of all the rebels. Blunt had patched her back up effectively, but it wouldn’t last long. To add, she had numerous wounds all over her arms and face.
"This is really bad," he took out the bandages and needle, "I need to close up the wounds, and my magic will speed it up. But she lost a lot of blood. she’s going to die if she doesn’t replenish it soon."
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: “I have some healing abilities,” Stonegit said, walking over. “They basic, but should at least close up her smaller wounds and allow her to get some blood back.”
Hunter Lindholm: He grit his teeth. It wasn’t looking too good, “Right. Take care of as much as you can, I need to close up this horrid one first. Help me,” They turned her over and took the crude patch off, exposing the gaping wound that crossed her back from her right shoulder to her left hip. For a moment he stared at it, ugly and red, and he choked. Akkey, what have you been doing…
He took out the sutures and started closing it up. They didn’t have time to find blood for her, nor the equipment. She’ll lose more than she could gain. He could only hope to stop the bleeding before she goes into shock, and depend on her own system and intense care.
"Update on the rest of her wounds?"
Blunt Donz: “Nasty but non life threatening,” Blunt said, he dug in his pocket, pulling out a small cloth bag and handing it him. “Here, I have these for medicinal reasons, it should numb her pain.”
Hunter Lindholm: “Okay, take care of that.” he said, in a tone so serious that they couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. He didn’t have the energy to be. He sewed in the last suture, and Stonegit seemed to have closed the last of her smaller wounds. They stopped the bleeding, but she still looked deathly pale.
He snapped his fingers, and it sparked a little. “Everyone step back.” He placed a thumb each on her forehead and heart, and whispered, “Elohim, essaim, elohim, essaim.” The was a quick surge of light, and Akkey gasped once before her breathing regulated. Hunter sighed and closed his eyes. I hope that works.
“Right, take her to some place warm immediately, wrap her up in blankets and force something down her throat. Gruel, wine, anything!” he wanted so badly to stay by her side, but there were more patients that need attending, and the tent was nowhere near “warm”. He looked around, “Is there anyone else who needs help? You, sir…?” he nodded towards Stonegit, eyeing his arm.
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit waved his hand. “This will heal before the weeks done. It’s just a nasty bruise. Attend to Warren and some of the others, I am fine.”
Hunter Lindholm: Hunter stared at him for a few seconds, and nodded as an afterthought, “Alright.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted more rebels stumbling around and crying in pain. He approached Stonegit, Blunt and Goat, brows knotted, “Thank you… for helping me. She’s very important to my wife. Please… take care of her. We can’t lose her… not again.” He clasped Stonegit’s shoulder. Senara. Stonegit’s arm tingled for a very quick moment. Then Hunter nodded towards Blunt and Goat, before approaching the other rebels.
Grey Bergman: Grey was almost done tending to Warren’s wounds when she heard someone approaching. She looked up and noticed Hunter, Maya’s husband, approaching them. “Hunter, good to see you again,” she said. “How are the patients?”
Hunter Lindholm: “Hey,” he crouched down and rubbed a hand over his eyes, his fingers bloodstained, “Not too great, people are dying left and right, I can’t keep up, I’m doing the best I can’t. I mean… I just came from treating Akkey, I don’t even know what the heck she was doing. How on earth did she manage to get her back sliced open like that?”
Grey Bergman: "Well, I can tell you one thing," Grey said. "She saved a lot of lives today, one of them being my best friend Warren here. I’m almost done treating Warren. Is there anything I can do to help?" She didn’t realize that Hunter…a doctor…was able to see the scratches on both her arms.
Hunter Lindholm: “Hmm, maybe she could have at least taken care of her own, too.” he huffed and stood. “Sure, but both of you look like you still need patching up. You have cuts all over you and your friend’s breathing there looks really ragged. Broken ribs?”
Grey Bergman: "Yeah, I’ve been bandaging her ribs," she said, "and I’ve been considering if I should give her herbs for the pain. Other than that, I’m not sure if there’s any more I can do. And…for me, I guess I didn’t notice the cuts," she finally looked at her arms and saw cuts all over her arms possibly from when she, Haddock, and Stonegit were trapped in the fortress.
Hunter Lindholm: Hunter crouched back down and placed two fingers on either side of the girl’s ribs, “Excuse me, little lady.” Ligner. She visibly relaxed as she found it easier to breathe. “That should hold you for a while. Come back to me when it gets more difficult again.”
“All of you rebels are the same,” he turned to Grey next, “’Oh, I didn’t notice.’ ‘It’s nothing, I’m fine.’ ‘Nothing big, I just rushed head on into the most dangerous part of the battle and almost died.’ Really.” He passed a hand down each of her arms.Claudus. They all stopped bleeding and started clotting, although they still stung.
Grey Bergman: Grey stared wide-eyed at Warren as she was able to breathe easier now with just Hunter’s touch. Then Hunter moved to her, and suddenly, her cuts stopped bleeding. “Wow,” she said examining her arms, “h-how did you do that? That was amazing!”
Hunter Lindholm: “Magic,” he grinned, sitting back on his haunches to rest a bit, “Dad taught me. It’s what I do for a living now.”
Grey Bergman: "Wow!" she said. "My mother has only taught me some basic first aid. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this before. Thank you!"
Hunter Lindholm: He smiled and nodded, “Well… gotta get back to work.” He stood and looked around, “Anyone else in danger of dying? I should get back to the first aid tent soon.”
Grey Bergman: As soon as Hunter asked that question, Grey took a quick look over her shoulder at King Haddock standing nearby with his family. She remembered how out of it he was when they were trapped in the fortress with Stonegit. She noticed how he looked to Hunter as he spoke and then turned back to his wife. Yup…he wasn’t going to talk to Hunter about his head injury. Time for the Lady to take matters into her own hands. She stood up and turned to Hunter.
“Actually, Hunter,” she said, “I’m thinking you should probably take a look at His Majesty. I was trapped in the fortress with him, and he told me he hit his head and couldn’t see very well.”
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: About the same time, Mera was insisting, “Alrighty Sire Stubborn Skull, I don’t care if other rebels have injuries ‘worse than yours’. You’re the king and need to be in good condition. Make sure you’re okay. Or I’ll injure you more so you HAVE to see the healer!”
Haddock pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. “Mera, I am not neglecting myself.”
“How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Mera.”
“If you don’t answer my question, you’re getting all five of those fingers punching you in the face.”
“You’re not touching me while I’m holding Signy!” Haddock threw up his one free hand in exasperation. “I will see a healer later. I will let others be tended to first. That is not irresponsible.”
Then he heard Grey’s comment to Hunter, tried to turn away and pretend he had not heard, but saw the doctor approach out of the corner of his eye. Mera raised her eyebrows with a smug smirk on her face. Haddock glowered and then turned to Hunter.
Hunter Lindholm: “Hello, Sir.” he grinned down tiredly at the King before he crouched down to his level, “Fine old mess you have here. You look like one, too.”
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: “You can look at me later,” Haddock stated firmly. It was not meant to be a question, but a king’s order. “There are others far more injured than me.”
Grey Bergman: "Sir, I really don’t think that’s a good idea," Grey protested showing her concern for her superior. "You told me yourself you couldn’t see straight. We have to at least make sure it’s nothing permanent."
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Mera nodded succinctly and approvingly at Grey’s remark. She placed both hands on Haddock’s shoulder and said, quite simply, “Stay.”
Haddock grimaced. Looking at Hunter, he said, “Be fast. Mera, hold Signy.”
Hunter Lindholm: “Absolutely, your highness. Look at this?” he said. He put up a finger and moved it side to side. Haddock followed, but his response was slow and he swayed a little. He lost focus for a moment.
“Mm,” Hunter mused and closed his eyes, placing a hand on the side of the king’s head.Videre. “Well, you have a very slight concussion. I can alleviate the dizziness, but you need to rest.”
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: “There is no time for that currently. I will when I can and we are all safe in shelter. Thank you.”
Grey Bergman: "Sir, if I may, I find it very admirable of you to put the people first," Grey said stepping forward toward Haddock, "but you do need to rest. The only way you can be there for everyone is if you take care of yourself. I can oversee everything and make sure it’s all going smoothly until you’re better."
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: “Hey look. Every except the king has common sense.”
“Mera, quiet,” Haddock snorted. “Very well. Grey, we travel to the Grounded Dungeon. Once we are there, I will take a one day leave to rest.”
Grey Bergman: Grey raised an eyebrow when she heard King Haddock say he will only take one day off. Would that really be enough? She thought of trying to convince him to take a few more days off, but that would be pushing it. She sighed in relief.
"Good enough for me," she said. "I’ll start rounding everyone up. The sooner we get to the dungeon the sooner you can take a day leave."
Hunter Lindholm: Hunter rolled his eyes. The patients never listen to their doctors, no matter their societal status. “At least let me fix up your dizziness, albeit temporarily.”
He put up two fingers and pointed it towards Haddock’s forehead, barely touching it. The spell he needed was one of those spoken ones instead of thought. Or rather… sung. “Equili statera libra.” he droned.
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Haddock turned up and glared at him with an unhindered, deep fiery passion in his eyes. “Okay that isn’t helping,” he hissed. “Listen to me…NO MUSIC!!"
Hunter Lindholm: He opened his eyes, exasperated and concentration broken, “Then you’ll take twice as long to reach that dungeon because you can’t walk in a straight line. Just sit tight, Your Majesty. It’s only a short spell.” He started over.
Grey Bergman: "Uhh…yeah, Hunter," Grey suddenly said just as she was leaving trying her hardest not to laugh, "you never…sing in front of the King. Believe me. I learned that the hard way."
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: “I can’t even sing lullabies to the kids without him throwing a temper,” Mera taunted.
“Shut up. NONE of this is helping. Singing means magic, and I loathe any magic used on me for GOOD reason.” He glared up at Hunter, grit his teeth, and said a few words that were clearly more painful than the side of his head. He knew that, with Ragnarok coming ahead, he had to take risks he otherwise would not.
“Fine. Sing to me. But make it FAST.”
Hunter Lindholm: “Of course, sir.” he responded seriously, but everyone except Mera missed the glint in his eyes.
“Equili statera libra.” he sang, tantalizingly slower than his previous drone. He repeated it twice, although it was unnecessary. One would have sufficed.
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: With every syllable Hunter sang, Haddock straightened his back further and gripped his fists tighter and tighter, arms shaking slightly with the strain, fingernails digging into skin. His face scrunched up and tightened to the point he was likely in physical pain holding that grimace in place. No, not likely in pain.Definitely in pain. A lot of pain.
When the singing finished, he heaved an enormous sigh of relief and slumped down from exhaustion.
“Feel better?” Mera smirked. “Or does he need that once every few hours to take proper effect, doctor?”
Grey Bergman: Grey’s smile fell as she watched the King tense during Hunter’s song. Looking back on what happened after Frosti attacked him, it was a stupid memory fun to laugh at, but now, when she saw Hunter in the same predicament she was in a few months ago, she noticed how it really seemed to strain Haddock. As soon as he slumped down, she immediately got down to her knees placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Hunter Lindholm: A burst of energy came from his fingertips with a pop and dissipated into the crown of the king’s head. In a second, his vision cleared and the world no longer spun.
Hunter stood, grinning at Mera, “Well, it would be wise. Especially since he declared he won’t be resting for a while. This is only a temporary solution, after all.”
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: “I will ask you if I need it,” Haddock snorted at Hunter. Mera just glanced over at her husband briefly and told the healer, “He’ll need it. It’s good for his regal courage.”
Haddock tried to shrug away his wife’s words and turned to Grey. “Perfectly fine,” he answered stiffly.
Grey Bergman: "Right," he raised his eyebrows, amused, "Well then, Your Majesties, Grey. I’ll be in the first aid tent. There are more rebels that need attending to. Please don’t hesitate to come by if you need asistance."
He turned and was about to head back when he hesitated. He came right up to Haddock and said in a low voice, “Sir, please take care of Akkey. I may have stabilized her for now, but she is not out of danger. Maya doesn’t know what happened; I don’t want her losing her sister again.” He smiled worriedly, suddenly looking absolutely fatigued, before marching away.
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Haddock nodded gravely. “I have more than enough interest to watch her closely,” he said.
Mera’s smirk fell.
Grey Bergman: Grey furrowed her eyebrows together as she watched Hunter. Did she…hear that right? She then quickly shook it off. Now wasn’t the time. She had to focus. She then turned back to King Haddock and Queen Mera.
"We should get moving soon," she said giving Haddock one last comforting squeeze on his shoulder before standing up. "I’ll start rounding everyone up. Maybe I can work with Hunter and Maya and figure out a way to transport the injured."
Treepelt: Tree slowly approached the line of people needing aid; she’d insisted she was all right but the others had seen the mangled mess on her forearm and told her to see somebody called Hunter. Akkey was particularly persistent on this, wounded and feverish as she might have been. She moved her hand covering the wound slightly and shuddered at the feeling of clotted blood sliding beneath her fingers. Yeah. She needed a healer.
Hunter Lindholm: Hunter ran out of the tent in a frenzy, following the old guard goat, his eyes wide with worry. He bumped into Tree and yelped, “Oh my go-! Sorry.” his eyes darted down on her arm, “Sorry about that. You need that checked. Maya! Take care of this lady here!” he called inside the tent, pushing Tree inside before rushing off to where Akkey was.
Treepelt: Maya?
Treepelt blinked as she was hurried inside and immediately caught sight of a woman in a chair, just finishing tying a sling around one of the men’s arms. He thanked her profusely and walked out, obviously in a hurry, and Tree took the chance to approach her, prying her hand off of her cut. “Um…hi…you’re Maya, right…?”
Maya Lindholm: “Hi! Yes, I am. Take a seat and let me look at th-” she glanced up and saw Tree’s face for the first time. Cat ears. Black and orange hair. Is it?
Treepelt: She carefully sat down, turning the name over in her mind. Isn’t she…Akkey’s sister? No, it can’t be, Maya’s dead. She died a long time ago. Tree shook her head and held out her arm, wincing as her muscles protested. “It’s not much, don’t spend too much time on me. I’ve done wors—I mean—had worse. I’ve had worse.” A small flush diffused her cheeks and she glanced away, shriveling with apprehension.
Maya Lindholm: Maya sensed her discomfort and place a warm hand on her other arm. She smiled, “Relax. I can stitch you up to stop the bleeding, it’ll hurt a bit though” She started gathering the tools she needed, and glanced at the girl, sitting there quietly, “What’s your name?”
Treepelt: There was a quick pause as she bit the corner of her lip anxiously, wondering how far the hearsay of the Warden and her possession had gotten. “Treepelt,” she finally said.
Maya Lindholm: “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Treepelt,” she smiled gently, cleaning the wound of dirt and dripping blood. She started sewing it close, “Sorry, this will sting.”
“Could you tell me what happened? I was transported out of camp immediately through… some way.” she scrunched up her nose as she concentrated.
Treepelt: “I don’t even think I know what happened,” she responded. “There was some…big…monster sort of thing. I’m not sure, I wasn’t around for it.” She hissed between her teeth and tensed as the needle went through her skin. Tree gripped the chair with her other hand and her claws shot out and dug into the wood.
Maya Lindholm: Maya glanced up worriedly and tried to hurry and finish closing up the wound. This wasn’t her line of work, but they were badly in need of doctors and healers, so she had to help, “Oh, I see. That’s horrible.”
She cut the suture and tried to change the subject, hoping to distract her from the pain and possibly dig up more information, “So… tell me about yourself, Treepelt?”
Treepelt: Treepelt grimaced. “There’s…not much you’d want to hear. I was…with the King’s army for a while, I got caught…sent to the dungeon…if you heard about the Warden, that…that was me…sort of…been trying to deal with that and get rid of her ever since.”
She blinked. She’d been told Vox would be taken care of but she hadn’t seen him since she was hustled off to get help. “Vox…where’s Vox?”
Maya Lindholm: “Mm, I might have. It sounds horrible, I can’t imagine what it must have been like…” she responded sadly, pulling the last stitches together and wiping of the blood. She started wrapping it up with a bandage, “Vox?” The boy. “I don’t know. Could you describe him for me?”
Treepelt: “Vox…Vox is…”
Treepelt’s eyes glazed over slightly. The pain was making her a little lightheaded. “He’s tall…almost a full head taller than me…and…brown hair, brown eyes, he…almost always wears a hood…and he’s a really good kisser…”
Maya Lindholm: She grinned, amused, “Well… that’s a really good plus, eh?” Akkey did not tell me that.
She tied the last knot on her bandage and carefully led her to an empty chair in the middle of the tent, “Wait here.” She looked around and spotted Hunter on the other side. She rolled over to him and nudged him, whispering, “Hey, do you have anything to numb pain? I met Tree and had to stitch her up.”
Hunter turned to face her, eyes wide, “…and I met Vox. He hit his head pretty badly. And he keeps asking for her.”
She gawked and giggled, staring past him at the boy lying on the cot, “So has she. Well… isn’t this well timed.”
“Ha, they both need to rest first, though. Here,” he reached into his pocket and gave her the bag from Blunt. She looked inside and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t ask, just give her a few.”
She nodded and rolled back to where Tree sat, “Here, drink this.” she said, crushing the leaves into a cup filled with tea, “It’ll help with the pain.”
Treepelt: Treepelt obediently drank the tea, and she sighed and sat back as the throbbing in her arm began to fade slightly. “Thank you.” She blinked up at Maya, focusing on her. “Where’s…Vox? They said he was getting…fixed…? Fixed up?” Shaking her head, she tried to look around the tent. But she was just becoming aware of how exhausted she was; it’d been a trying day.
Maya Lindholm: “Yes, he is.” Maya nodded, gently pushing Tree’s shoulder’s back on the chair. “He’s fine. A little bumped, but fine. How’re you feeling so far?”
Treepelt: “Tired…” she murmured. “But…I gotta see ‘im…’m fine…I juss wanted to say…that I…”