ways_infirmary | (no subject)

Gus watches nervously as Ben fiddles around with gloves and quite frankly, frightening-looking medical instruments.

"Is it really that bad?" he asks, in his scared voice.

"I will know after I have a better look." He slips on a surgical mask too, since he will be looking very close... and being over a small table with wheels, of the right height for Gus to rest his hand on. "Okay, lets take a closer look." He unwraps the man's hand and uses a small light to examine the wound.

"Oh, god, that's horrible." Gus feels like he's going to be sick. At least he never had the pleasure of seeing any of his previous injuries this up-close and personal.

Alanna had been tucked into a corner booth, cleaning her sword to kill time, when the waitrat tracked her down.

The sword never made it back in its sheath.

"What happened?" she demands, even as she pushes open the infirmary door with her shoulder.

"Guy got his hand stabbed. Over a game of cards?" Ben half-shrugs, letting Gus take over the telling of the story, since he did not see it happen.

Step one, clean the wound again. Step two, local anesthetic and antiseptic.

Gus hisses sharply at the contact, and it takes all of his will power not to pull his hand away.

"Two of them," he explains. "We were just playing blackjack, and they accused me of cheating. Next thing I know, my hand's tacked to the table!"

Something similar happened at the Dancing Dove when she was fourteen; at the end of the night, the two thieves had been drunk and singing a bawdy tavern song together.

This is not the Dancing Dove.

First, she sheathes the sword and points at the injured hand. "I can fix that, if you wish." Beat. "Did they introduce themselves before they stabbed you?"

"They might have," Gus says stiffly, looking back and forth between Alanna and Ben. "Small talk, mostly."

Well, Ben will not really complain for not having to stitch the hand closed. It is Gus' call, his hand...

Gus just wants his hand to stop bleeding. "Do whatever it is that you gotta, because this really fucking hurts," he says finally.

Alanna stares at them both for a moment, then gives a quick, firm nod and crosses the remaining distance to Gus. Her short, callused fingers curl gently around his wrist.

A look at Ben: Will you mind?

"Do you recall their names?" she asks with more patience than she's feeling.

Gus shakes his head lightly. "No," he says finally. "It was something...different."

Also, they scared the hell out of him, and he'd rather lay low than cause any more problems.

Ben pulls down the mask, stretching and getting up. "Go ahead, easier for him than spending two weeks nursing his hand."

Another nod, and Alanna closes her eyes to concentrate. The healing spell is second nature, so once the bright purple light flows from her fingers and begins to spread over the injury, she asks her next question.

"Can you describe them?"

Gus should be feeling much better by now, as her Gift numbs the pain and starts healing the damage from the inside out.

Gus looks at his hand, a more than a little surprised.

"Uhhh," he starts, more interested in what just happened. "One was... tall? The other kinda... not? Both completely nuts."

"Unfortunately that could apply to more than a few people," she says wryly. "Any distinguishing characteristics? Do you think you'd recognize them if you saw them again?"

A bead of sweat works its way down her temple, and she gives her head an irritable shake.

Gus is getting quite nervous right now. "I might," he says. "Listen, it was just a spat. No...real damage done, apparently, right?"

She gives his hand, then him, a pointed look.

Funny, he's acting like he's the one who might get in trouble. In her experience, that usually means the person has done something to warrant the nerves.

She ends the spell with a "So mote it be" and releases his hand. It's not completely healed and might still scar, but both the pain and the wound are significantly reduced.

"Would you feel differently if I hadn't been able to numb it?" Then, not giving him a chance to answer, "If you want to press charges, as I think you should, point them out to the security officer on duty should you see them again. Explain that they are due cell time for stabbing you. My name is Alanna, and I'll leave word with the others. Anytime you want to pass along more information, you can leave me a note with Bar."

Straightening, she sends Ben a smile.

Edited 2009-03-31 03:24 (UTC)

Gus nods. He's been in this position before. Business cards and detectives, and "give us a call."

He's still hesitant to trust authority figures after that.

"Right," he says slowly. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."