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shardclan · 7 years

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Much of Haematica’s tasks these days were about inspection, where she might have once done the upkeep herself. Copernicus handled the cleaning of the supplies, and she hadn’t been dissatisfied with his work in eons. He had learned quickly that a doctor’s tools had to be more than clean. They had to be pristine. They had to be antiseptic.

On this morning, after receiving her clearance, he handed her a box. “From Estevao,” he explained. “He said you would definitely be interested in this.”

Haematica pursed her lips. In her opinion, Estevao was less than a poor man’s dandy. A poor man was still capable of some modicum of tact. Were it not for his honest work at generating a trade operation on that lonely cliff near Mirrorlight Bay, she would have immediately disregarded the delivery.

She was quite glad she didn’t.

Gloves. Beautiful thick gloves made of latex, the one indisputably excellent thing about the nature flight. Haematica, like most plaguelings, grew up without it. If you couldn’t survive infection, there was no hope for you anyway. But in a clan where she was the surgeon responsible for cutting them open and forcibly fixing or removing what ailed them, it was worth its weight in gold. Outside the Scarred Wasteland, healing was allowed to take time, to take resources, and none could be so precious as a clean pair of latex gloves.

“Send a message back,” she said calmly, slipping her hands inside them and flexing. “They’re too thick. I could weed nettles with these and not feel anything. That’s no good for surgery. If he can halve this, it’ll do, and the Medical Sector will pay handsomely for them.” As an afterthought, she added: “And make them in pink.”

“I’ll bear it in mind, but it won’t reach him for awhile. He’s in with Phasmatis.”

Haematica removed the gloves and crossed her arms. “Phasmatis is still learning how to control her power. And she’s still just a beginner at anatomy. I hope you’re not telling me she is actually practicing on a live patient right now.”

Copernicus automatically stood a bit straighter. “No ma'am! But the nature of the injury is… Coagulum thought it was best if Phasmatis attended until you arrived. Unofficial pre-diagnosis, no correction.”

“A practice diagnosis for Phasmatis? What exactly is the nature of the injury? Did one of the children get a greenstick fracture?”

“It’s probably better if you go see for yourself. I think you’ll understand why Coagulum made the call if you do.”

He wasn’t wrong, and Haematica had to cover her mouth as soon as she saw. Estevao was clearly sedated but he was still awake, so she couldn’t risk laughing. She recognized all too well what she was seeing.

Phasmatis was sitting on a stool beside him with a thick tome–Haematica’s own book of bones which she allowed the girl to use for study. Her posture was prim and her runes glowed faintly from within the folds of her off-white gown. It made her look like a strange, studious ghost to Haematica’s eyes. White was such a strange choice for a hospital; but then again the girl wasn’t practiced enough to get into the truly bloody bits yet.

“Your report,” said Haematica, once she was sure she was calm.

“Yes…” Phasmatis answered slowly. “Multiple dislocations… Left and right inferior radioulnar, Grade 1 acromioclavicular dislocation… Trauma to the iliac crests evidenced by bruises but the bones are alright. Evidence of unusual trauma to the patella, but of low severity.”

“Just the shoulders and wrists?” Phasmatis looked up at her, and Haematica walked over and very gently rolled Estevao’s ankles and gently felt around his knees. “Amazing.”

“Miss? Do you know something about this?”

“Oh absolutely. It’s been a long time since Bruma put someone in the Ragdoller.” She slid her fingers under the backsides of his knees, ignoring the delirious giggle it earned from the drugged patient. “Amazing. Usually she dislocates the wrists, shoulders, and either the knees or the ankles. If she’s dealing with a truly dangerous dragon she’ll even strike the hips. Dual posterior dislocation, it’s as impressive as it is a hideous sight.”

“It seems inappropriate to be amazed, if I may say. Dislocation is dangerous and permanently lowers the integrity of the joint.”

“So it does.” She gazed curiously down at the vaguely aware patient. “It makes me wonder what exactly he did.”

Phasmatis raised her chin and frowned imperiously. “Does that matter?”

“To his treatment? No. But Bruma is a cool temper and this man is at the head of an industry producing latex that we will certainly be using. I would like to know just what he was doing that would rile her up to this degree before I enter a business deal with him.” She patted Phasmatis’ shoulder fondly. “But your dedication to the patient’s treatment regardless of their character is noted. Fetch Copernicus and have him give a local anesthesia, I’ll be in to get the joints back in, you’ll shadow.”

“Yes, miss.”

Haematica took her leave, gliding down the hall to her personal study. A chalkboard hung beside the doorway. Typically it was empty this early in the morning, but today there was a thin white scribble on it.

Bog - M, Sha. 14e. Unknown donor.

She cracked the door. A thin haze rolled out around her feet as the cool air seeped out. The body was there on the cold metal table, grey and motionless. Though she was delighted, Haematica sighed. Receiving shadowborn cadavers was never a simple affair out here. Too often, it was someone trying to dispose of a body and curry her favor at the same time. It was insulting, frankly. She wasn’t some butcher they could dump their bodies on. She was a woman of science, but also of compassion.

Sure, she would at least identify the cause of death, maybe poke around a little more than she had to, but she wasn’t going to dissect any old donated body. Her conscience would never rest unless she was sure the family was alright with it. Gods, she’d have to call Carnelian again… Or maybe Camellia would be faster, since she was actually present. Being able to just ask the body who it was and where it came from would simplify things immensely.

Down the hall, she heard the familiar whistling of Aether. When she spoke it was with the typical fae monotone but her whistling had a distinctively happy lilting to it this morning. Aether was a dentist. She operated out of Promenade Medical Bay because tooth removal was a form of surgery, but most of her work these days was maintaining hatchling dental health. If she was whistling so cheerfully, it meant someone hadn’t cared for a bad tooth and she was preparing to take it for her collection.

Aether was skittish, but probably could have fit in easily among plague dragons for her love of collecting teeth.

Haematica didn’t bother her, turning instead to go look in on the Queen’s room. It was empty, save for Coagulum, who greeted her with a nonchalant “Mornin’ Hae.”

“Good morning. Has Telos run off again?”

“Mm, yeah.” The mirror scratched lazily at her stomach. “Her blood’s back up to snuff, and she’s been getting antsy and irritable being in bed these past few days. Tungsten came and got her.”

“An official discharge then.”

“Tungsten didn’t say. Just said that ‘Doing nothing for a long time can also be stressful for someone who’s gotten used to a certain level of activity’ and took her out.” She snickered. “I could tell ‘er Majesty was feeling punchy.”

“Punchy...” Haematica muttered, more tasting the word than asking for a meaning. Coagulum was full of colorful words like that.

“Aggressive. She trained a bunch with Perilous, but when the last time she got to give anyone a good haymaker? She was getting pent up, it’s better this way.”

Haematica tapped a foot thoughtfully. “I’ll expect you to find Miss Tungsten and get proper discharge paperwork done. Just because she’s the queen is no reason to not keep a proper record.” She ignored the lazy sigh. Coagulum liked to cut corners where she thought she could get away with it, but she was dependable. Generally. “And speaking of people feeling punchy, what happened to our Nature Liaison?”

Coagulum’s face curdled into malicious glee. “Have you see him? He got the Ragdoller!”

“I noticed. I’m asking if you know why.”

“Gossip on the street is that it all went down at the Sundial Brewery. Arcanus and Carnelian were having a round, Estevao came in, and you know how that insufferable little prick is. I’ve no doubt he thought he was being cute, but he made a suggestion about easing the queen’s stress to Arcanus that was a little too forward. Arcanus almost drew on ‘im!”

Haematica laid a tired hand over her face. “Gods, how much of a fool can a single dragon be?”

“Right, right? So Carnelian keeps Arcanus cool, cause they’re on good terms now it seems like; and Arcanus is the Queen’s Knight, he can’t be getting in bar fights, even if it’s for the queen’s honor. But Carnelian’s no such clean record and he’s all prepared to get nasty about it.” She slapped merrily at her knee. “I can only imagine what Estevao’s condition would’ve been if Carnelian’d had at him.”

“Did Bruma actually stop Carnelian?”

“Ah, well, yes and no. Remember Cloud and ‘Milla have their little nocturne girl at home with them.”

“Aine, of course. So Bruma would have intervened as their bouncer to end the situation before it got rowdy.”

“Just so,” Coagulum answered, though she couldn’t hide another snicker. “Well, and because Bruma’s a chivalrous kind of lady. She can’t stand hearing anybody, let alone some outland brown-noser, make those kinda nasty comments.”

“Just how nasty was this comment? The man is an idiot who doesn’t realize he grates on others, but he seems otherwise sincere about wanting little to no trouble.”

“Mmm, suffice to say he his suggestion failed to treat the Queen with the respect that the widow of an exalt is due.” Crass as she was, Coagulum wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure plenty move on, find new mates and such but Telos is… Our queen is loyal, dammit. To us and to Fragment; even if he’s not on this plane anymore. And Arcanus is a man of morals. Neither of them deserve the implication that he should be ashamed to let her grieve so long ‘uncomforted’. That shit-eater’s got no business thinking he can say that! In a crowded bar–!”

“Volume,” Haematica said sternly but reflexively.

“Sorry. It just... It ain’t right is all…”

It didn’t escape Haematica’s memory that Coagulum had not always been among Telos’ supporters. Early on, her blunt tongue had been one of many to say that other dragons were more fit. That Telos was too young, too inexperienced, too much of an outsider. And yet now here was the same dragon, agitated that some nobody had come into the clan and suggested–albeit ignorantly–something that tread on the queen’s sincere grief.

“Weren’t you suggesting something similar just last week?”

Coagulum blushed furiously. “That wasn’t about Telos!” A sharp glare from Haematica corrected her, and she said again, more quietly: “That’s wasn’t about Telos! And even if it were, it wasn’t a suggestion that someone should get in bed with her and...and soothe her. That’s a disgusting thing to say about anyone, much less a damned widow. It was only a suggestion that some of the more stressed members of the clan who are shy of the Bramble District be educated on masturbation. It’s a physiologically proven and valid method of reducing stress hormones in the blood and you know it.”

Haematica covered her mouth to hide a grin, and Coagulum knew instantly she’d been teased. Of course Haematica knew already. She just took advantage because it was a sensitive topic.

“You’re a demon, Hae.”

“You’re mistaking me for Asura,” she said humbly.

Estevao probably didn’t know just how far down his own throat he put his foot. Those trails of gold tears on Telos’ cheeks were not some invitation or request to be comforted. To her and to the entire clan, they were representative of things unforgotten, things still missed and pain still felt even though the eons had passed and life went on. They were not something that could be wiped away so easily.

“I had him anesthetized maybe 15 minutes ago,” Haematica said with a smile too wide and too bright. “Shall we go give our patient a lesson on the appropriate way to talk about our Queen?”

Coagulum smirked. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

#Flight Rising #C: Haematica #Aphaster Stories

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