The Last Patient of the Day

Writers: Emma, Jane
Date Posted: 6th March 2007

Characters: Miranek, Quire, Seawell
Description: Miranek treats an apprentice with a broken arm.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 3, day 3 of Turn 4

Seawell found it hard to believe the boy wasn't crying; he was sure he
would have been if it had been him walking along the path to the main
hold buildings with his arm in a sling. The Hall's healer had given the
boy something for the pain - willowsalic, he was to tell the master
healer at the Hold - but said that it wouldn't do much. When he was
safely back at the Hall they would dose him up properly and let him sleep.

"You doing all right, Quire?"

"Yes, journeyman."

Which was about all anybody had got from him since the accident. The
tall, dark-eyed man gave a mental shrug. He couldn't order the boy to
cry and really it was easier if he didn't. He waved a hand to indicate
the boy should precede him through the open doors in into the huge
entrance hall of the Hold. "Over there, to the right of the stairs."

At the door of the infirmary he knocked briefly and then opened the
door, peering around what appeared to be a waiting room. An empty room,
which seemed to suggest they wouldn't be waiting long.

"Next," the Healer called out for what he hoped would be the last
patient of the day. "Please come in."

"Master Miranek, this is one of our junior apprentices," Seawell said as
he ushered the boy into the room. "He's broken his arm and the Hall
healer said to tell you he's been give willowsalic half a candlemark ago."

"I see Journeyman." He gestured to the lad to come closer. "Let me see
it lad. I'll try not to make it hurt any more than it must already." It
didn't look to be anything more than a simple fracture, but until he
actually examined the lad.

Quire moved forward, frowning at the thought of anybody else touching
his arm. There had been enough meddling with it already.

"It needs to heal straight," Seawell said, not wanting to tell the
master healer his job but not wanting to let the apprentice down by not
making that clear. "For his work."

"I know," he said softly as he began a gentle examination of the arm.
Everything felt as though it could be treated with a splint and
strapping. "How did you do this?"

"T-tripped."

"He threw out his arm and hit one of the legs on a power loom as he went
down."

"Is that what happened?" asked Miranek of the lad as he stood to get a
set of splints and bandages to bind it.

"Yes. Somebody -" the apprentice boy's frown got deeper if that was
possible, "- hadn't put the shuttle back where it belonged like we're
supposed to _always_ do."

"I see." The Healer worked rapidly to put the splint and bandaging in
place. "This is going to have to stay in place for at least a month.
You'll have to keep it dry, and come in and see us twice a sevenday to
get the bandages changed."

He turned his attention to the Journeyman, "I'll give you a note for the
Master Weaver, he'll have to take things easy for a while."

"That's no problem. We just want it to heal right." The Weaver Hall
had a responsibility to its apprentices - to the parents of the
apprentices for their sons' well-being - and Seawell knew how important
it was that something like a broken arm didn't affect young Quire's
future ability to earn a living for himself and any family he eventually
had.

"I'm sure there'll be some reading or some light duties that he can do."
Turning back to the lad, "When you come back to us, I'll have one of my
Journeymen show you some exercises for when the splints come off."

Quire nodded. "Will it still be hurting then?"

"It'll hurt for a little while, but that means it's healing. It's the
new bone forming."

"But it won't hurt forever, will it?"

"No, it may even be stronger than it was before."

"Oh," Quire said, pleased at something somebody was telling him for the
first time since his arm had been broken. He glanced at the journeyman.
"Perhaps you could tell everybody that," he suggested.

Seawell nodded. "I can and I will. Is he ready now? The healer at the
Hall said he would dose him for sleeping when I got him back."

"You two can go. Tell the Healer over there just to keep the dosage
very light."

"I'll tell him. Is there anything else?" the journeyman asked. Quire
had proved to be a tough youngster but was probably looking forward to
the promised afternoon in bed after the shock of his injury.

"Make sure the arm stays dry, and as clean as possible."

"We will." He nodded at the apprentice who dutifully said thank you to
the master healer. "And thanks from the Weaver Hall," Seawell said.

Last updated on the March 11th 2007

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The Last Patient of the Day