Chapter 44: Infirmary
The soft glow of morning light filtered through the window of the Guild Hall; the rays visible due to the numerous particles of dust that floated in the air. I was enjoying the serene view as I sat on a chair with the cub curled up next to my leg, yawning all the while. She didn't sleep a wink. In fact, neither did I.
I stayed awake for most of the night in an effort to get her to sleep. My body looked too lifeless during a sleep cycle and whenever she saw it when she awoke during the night, the wolf cub would begin to howl and whimper. So much so that it was disturbing the other guests along with the innkeeper. He had given me an earful afterwards about the noise complains. I apologized profusely since he was kind enough to bypass the usual rules about animals for me and gave him a bit of extra coin for his troubles. It couldn't be helped. The wolf cub was already separated from her father and I was the only friendly face for her here. The empty doll look I had when I slept bothered her that badly.
I remember Tessa gave me a bit of shit about the way I looked when I slept. Like a mannequin, when I would go to sleep leaning back against a tree, I would sometimes tip over into a compromising position. I imagine it would look hilarious watching me fall flat onto my face with my ass in the air and STILL not wake up until first light arrived.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Aaric finally strode in. He gestured a greeting as he caught sight of us and moved closer, a look of disappointment covering his face.
"Aaric, good for you to be here," I responded.
"Mm." The elf muttered, "Unfortunately I can't say the same for Mateo. He forgot he had some personal business to attend to this morning before he could join us."
The clang of cutlery rang out from the room behind the counter, "Is that Mateo reneging on his offer already!?" Guildmaster Rhodes' voice boomed out as she appeared holding two bowls in her hands.
"He did say he would only take an hour or two," Aaric replied.
Rhodes arrives to our table with a small tray in both her hands "Hmph, well, I can't pay you but I can feed you two at least." the Guildmaster says as she sets two bowls of porridge and wooden cutlery at our table, "Mateo will have to get his own breakfast."
As she left and returned with food for the cub I decided to voice out something I've been meaning to ask, "Hey, Guildmaster... do they need any more help treating the bandit victims?"
"Hoh? Well, the local healer already treated the victims. No one there is at risk of dying from blood loss." she paused for a moment to think before something popped into her head, "Oh! She did say she was having trouble curing patients with infected wounds and her magic wasn't having any effect at all."
"Would she mind if I took a look at it?" I asked as I began eating. I've become pretty proficient at consuming meals though at a cost of looking even more bizarre while doing so. Rhodes and Aaric were trying their best not to shy away from the strange sight.
"I don't think so. As long as you don't do anything before asking her first." she replied, "Are you skilled at healing magic, Arlan?"
"I'm not. But I do have some knowledge that could help her." With the abundance of healing magic available, the practice and study of medicine was primitive at best. Why learn to suture when a spell can close a wound immediately? But if you needed complex medical treatment, you needed to find someone capable to do so. And in this world they were few. Dedication can only take you so far when your own magical limits prohibit you.
"I'll leave it to you then when you finish your meal. When Mateo comes by, I'll send him over to the shelter to meet with you." the Guildmaster says with a smile, "Not enough people in this world willing to help folks out for nothing."
I shake my head, "I might not be able to do anything. But it's better than just waiting for Mateo." I turn over to Aaric, "Do you have any plans while we wait?"
"Actually, I wanted to ask if I could join you. I have business with one of the merchants we rescued there." the elf replied.
I nodded in confirmation as we began to eat. The wolf pup yipped below the table, clearly enjoying the scraps Rhodes put together for her. I don't know how much I could do for the victims we saved but if even a bit of my medical knowledge could be put to good use, it was worth a shot. Of course, I'd be lying if a piece of me wanted to be back in patient care. Even if it was just for a moment, I craved for a taste of my old life.
A few minutes passed and we finished our breakfast. Heading towards the door with the wolf cub secured in my arms, we said our goodbyes to Rhodes and walked towards the town gate where the makeshift infirmary was located. As we walked, I couldn't help but notice the small pouch that Aaric held affectionately in his hand.
"Wondering what this is?" he says has he raised the pouch in front of him. I couldn't exactly hide my gaze. The cameras I have for eyes don't have the same mobility as the real thing. My pivoted head is an obvious giveaway, "Don't worry. I'll show you when we get there. It's just... embarrassing to reveal it out here."
Now that piqued my curiosity, "It can't be that bad, can it?"
He coughed nervously for a second before continuing, "No no, it's just very personal for me. A trinket I made last night for one of the elders we saved. Another elf from Weiss like me."
Our conversation continued as we reached the gate. Off to the side we found the small building they used as the temporary shelter. The only entrance was a large wooden gate to allow freight to easily enter. With a gentle push, we open it as to not disturb the people inside. Morning light streamed in as the faces of the wounded turned to face us.
"Can I help you, gentlemen and... golem?" One of the nurses, a young woman and a local volunteer judging by her normal attire, stood up from her position helping one of the victims and approached us with a hint of caution. I can't blame her. This is a sick bay and these people need undisturbed rest.
I quietly spoke up first, "We came to see if you needed any help. I only cast [Light Heal] but I do have extensive knowledge in patient care." I'm no doctor but I'm as good as any certified nurse back on Earth. The difference was doing it while bullets were flying at me.
She shook her head, "The healers we had yesterday have already attended to them. We could use some help changing dressings and linen though-" Suddenly her eyes widened as if she saw a ghost, "Hold on... aren't you that golem the town's been yammering on about!? The one that took on that bandit army single-handedly!?"
Her sudden shouting drew the other volunteers to collectively shush her and she quickly clasped her hands over her mouth as her face turned beet red.
A moment passed as she regained her composure before she began to speak again, "As I was saying... we could use help lifting and moving the injured while we change linens and dressings. If that sounds alright with you both, you're more than welcome to assist us."
I nodded, "Easy enough. We'll be happy to help." The cub yips in agreement as well as I set her on top of my head to free up my hands.
"Ah. Before I forget..." Aaric began, "I made something for one of the survivors. An elderly elf man. It's a sort of charm. If you don't mind, I'd like to give it to him." He finishes speaking and shows the small bag to the nurse for her to inspect.
"It shouldn't be a bother. Go on then." she replies, agreeing to his request.
"I shouldn't be too long, Arlan. Go on. I'll help once I'm done." he says to me looking around the room. He spots who he's looking for with an audible "Ah" before springing towards the bedridden elder.
Leaving him to his own devices for now, I join up with the nurse, who I learned was also the town Seer's apprentice, and began helping her with her duties. This world's magic was incredible, specifically the healing. Sure things like fireballs and shooting lightning is quite remarkable too but after the novelty is gone, I realized it's could be just as easy to kill someone with a gun or a bomb. Magic just makes everything more flashy.
But healing magic... if only we could get this on Earth. Back at the fortress all we could do was stabilize the survivors with our own amateur healing spells. They were still not fit to be ambulatory. But here? Even with this town's access to what they called paltry healing, they're in much better shape than before. All in one night. Now they just need rest. Well, almost...
We moved on to the next patient. In front of us was one of the men I carried back here. Both of his legs were amputated and wrapped in yellow stained cloth dressings. Despite his newfound hardship, he still held a smile on his face.
"Golem! Glad to see you. You even brought that pup too." he says behind a cheerful facade, "You'll forgive me if I don't stand to greet my savior, won't you? My legs are still in a bit of pain."
"Sir, it's best conserve all that energy you have and focus on healing your body. Those wounds you have can't be treated by our healers." the apprentice says curtly.
The man lays back in his cot and groans "Aye, well, I'm already dreading the cost to buy a Regeneration Elixir from Weiss. Hiring an escort to my sister's wedding in Haldin would have been cheaper. So just let me have this, will you?"
Since I wasn't needed for now, my attention was more focused on Aaric. He was kneeling next to cot that an old elf was resting on. In his hands was a wooden bracelet. With my sight, I could see the intricate design carved into it's sides. The words "Recovery" and "Family" were inscribed, written in Old Elvish, translated with the help of my data banks.
"Ouch! Don't rip it off so fast, woman!" the yelling man brought my attention to the duties at hand. His left leg was now exposed to the warm, early summer air. I could see the pus begin to ooze from his sickly green wounds. It was clearly infected and unable to heal even with magic.
"It will only hurt more if I do it slower." the apprentice replies bluntly, "And I have more injured to help after this."
"You don't have anyone who can cleanse diseases?" I asked.
The apprentice sighs, "Our town Seer... But even this was beyond her skills in healing. We sent out a missive to Haldin this morning asking for a skilled healer but it will take more than a month for someone to come out here. All we can hope for now is the medicine we have will treat it naturally."
The only downside to a world of magic like this is their own knowledge of basic medicine was limited. Why research advanced medicine and treatment when wounds and diseases could be healed in an instant? But now you're limited to how many skilled healers are available and not everyone can be that. You can study all you want but you're held back by your own capabilities. It's unfortunate.
Is there anything I could possibly do? I mean, I could check my database to see if there's some crazy potent herb or something. Maybe find this world's equivalent to penicillin? That would still take time and too much effort. And I don't even know how to even process it. I can't just give him a mushroom and have him eat it. They already have a stockpile of medicine that works just fine. Time is the factor right now...
...Wait a moment. "Burn debridement." I said quietly.
"Sir! Please lie still and- sorry, did you say something, Sir Golem? Burn what?" the apprentice says halfheartedly.
My mind was swirling with ideas, "Burn debridement. It's an aggressive treatment for something like this. But it doesn't have to be. Not with healing magic." I would be using an hot object to burn out infected tissue to allow healthy tissue to grow. Normally this would be done for recurring skin infections like a chronic cyst but only if antibiotics can't permanently cure it.
They both looked at me with an odd expression. I'm sure they didn't know what I was talking about.
"If you allow me to, I'll burn out the infected tissue with a superheated object while healing you at the same time. With the infection removed, my healing spells should be more than enough to close up those open wounds." The wounds were numerous but without the infection keeping them open, they were nothing more than minor injuries.
The apprentice however, shook her head, "I don't think we should do this. We should at least consult the Seer before we-"
"I'll do it," the man said, interrupting her, "If it means getting out of here faster, I'm more than happy to agree."
The apprentice didn't want to relent though, "Sir, I think it's best if we ask the Seer first before we do. I'm sure Sir Golem doesn't mean to harm you but I've never heard of a treatment like this before!"
"Excuse me for speaking ill of the place, but I'd rather leave this forsaken place as fast a possible. I've had my fill of mountains." he replies curtly, "I'll take my chances on a golem who can take on an army of bandits, if you don't mind."
"This treatment is still aggressive for something like this. If if starts to go south, I'll stop immediately," I assure her. She only has the best of intentions for the people under her care. I don't want to undermine her more than I have already.
The apprentice gives me a hard look before she relents, "Fine... do you need any tools? You said you needed to heat up an object, yes?"
I shake my blocky head, "No need. I have this." Lifting up my hand I extend a single digit up in the air.
"[Ignite]." With that cast, my index finger begins to glow a hot red. If I can cast [Ignite] on an object, why not my own finger? It's not like I can feel pain... or touch... BUT [HUNGER]...
"Sir Golem? Is everything alright?" her voice brings me back to reality. I must have zoned out for a second.
"Oh.. right. Sorry just feeling a bit melancholy. Don't worry about it." I gave an embarrassed cough for effect. My lack of certain senses have started to weigh more on my mind as of late.
As I began to kneel in front of the man, Aaric had just moved back to rejoin me, "Well, I'm all finished with my business. Arlan? What are you doing?"
Taking a grip on his leg with my left hand I begin explaining the procedure, "These wounds aren't healing because of the infection. I'm going to burn out the infected tissue with my finger I've heating with [Ignite] while I cast [Light Healing] continuously. Without anesthetics, I can't just burn it out first. It would be too painful for him to endure."
The faces around me displayed shock. Aaric's expression however only dropped, "...So you can <Dual Cast> as well. I really shouldn't be surprised at this point."
I chuckled a little from nostalgia, "You know, I knew someone who said exactly the same thing to me before." I turned back to the patient, "You ready?"
He nodded, albeit nervously. Even he wasn't sure how this was going to turn out.
With those words spoken, for the first time in what felt like forever, I got to work. To a passion I thought I might not experience again. Patient care.
And I felt alive.
**Author's note- I had this chapter stewing for god knows how long. It was half written when I had stopped and I couldn't figure out how to proceed. I'm ok with how it turned out. It's just a bit hard because this part of the arc is kind of a slog for me to write. I can't promise when the next chapter will get released. But it will. Hell, it might just be tomorrow. Maybe.
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