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 Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 5:29 pm
Megrez hobbled into the Oasis, blood spattered all over her fuku, both bodice and pants. She had received numerous flesh wounds all over her body, though the most severe one was on her left leg, resulting in a limp. She leaned against the wall of the waiting room, trying not to make too much of a spectacle of herself and failing (being covered in blood kind of inherently made her draw attention to herself). "Someone," she said through heavy breaths. "Help." Her tone was mostly flat; any distress that was in her voice came from how she was breathing. Showing up to the hospital with wounds was kind of old hat for her at this point, but that wound on her leg was worse than her usual... it worried her a bit. She watched every entryway into the waiting room, checking to see who would come to treat her today.
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:20 pm
Having someone stumble into the med tent covered in blood was a sure-fire way to get attention in a fast way. A pair of 'orderlies' rushed to the young woman and soon bustled her into one of the cots that served as beds for patients, fussing at her to power down so they could get at the wounds properly. Soon one had rushed off and when he came back, a young woman was with him, about mid-twenties, her thick, dark hair in a braid down her back. She was already pulling on gloves when she got to the bed and she set to with a will, directing her partners on what to do and get for her.
"Its okay sweety, we've got you. You can power down now, I need to get the clothes off you so I can see where you're hurt. We need to stop the bleeding." Orah pressed a hand to the eternal senshi's shoulder as she spoke, her voice at its most soothing, nursely tone. Situations like this were certainly not outside of Orah's experience, not when most of her patients were senshi and knights who did battle almost daily. These injuries were almost common place, though by no means less concerning for all of that.
"Can you tell me what happened?" The young woman said as she inspected the various wounds with gentle fingers.
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:19 pm
Megrez sputtered a little bit when she was rushed into a cot; she had to be careful because of her leg. That and for some reason she wasn't expecting such a fast response. Per the orderlies' urging, she powered down into Luca with some grumbling. She didn't like being unpowered for too long. However, when she saw who was brought in to treat her, she couldn't help but smile. "Orah," she said warmly. "I'm glad you came. It's nice to see you." The inquiry as to what happened made her grumble a little. "I had a run-in with a General. It was a tough fight, but I think I got him good. One less person capable of recruiting for the Negaverse, now."
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 8:23 pm
With the help of the orderly, Orah soon has Megrez stripped down enough to give her access to the wounds and she inspected them with a critical eye and gentle hands. Gauze and disinfectant was put to good use and thankfully, most of the cuts and scrapes were superficial, needing only cleaning and bandaging.
The leg wound, however, was another matter. It was deep, and nasty... Thankfully, Orah had gotten over her initial queasiness over horrible injuries years ago... manipulating this one was no more trouble now than any other duty she performed. What was more troubling, actually, was hearing Megrez talk about the general she had faced and knowing the implication that said general was now dead. Full lips thinned as the nurse cleaned the leg wound and got out the thread and needle for stitches, keeping her focus on her work rather than picturing some man left for dead.
This war was horrible for those of the faction who didn't believe death to be the solution to everything. They were so desperate, backed into a corner and half starved... there was no luxury left to debate morality. This was a big reason why Orah immersed herself in the hospital, rather than join the front lines fighting. Here, she could deal with the aftermath and concern herself with bringing life, rather than dealing death she may or may not agree with.
"Were you alone? Out on a mission?" The young woman asked. "Did anyone else get hurt?" She'd come in alone... if there had been someone else, they'd be in here too, right?
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:36 pm
Luca couldn't help but wince through most of the disinfecting and bandaging. When Orah got to her leg, she had to grit her teeth to keep from making seriously uncomfortable noises. Orah was good at distracting her, though, and she was able to make some simple replies even as the stitching needle went through her skin (a feeling she was used to but still hated). "No. It was a chance meeting. He moved first." While the general hadn't exactly gotten the drop on her, he had definitely gone for the first strike. With a heavy sigh, Luca looked at the orderlies and then to Orah. "Orah, do you think... you could send those guys off for a bit? I don't want all these people seeing me like this." 'All these people' was something of an exaggeration, given that there were only two of them, but she didn't care. She wanted things to get quieter now. She doubted she would be able to sleep, but it would be wonderful if she could.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:42 am
Not for the first time, Orah wished things were easier... better. Growing up, she never thought her world would change so radically, never pictured she'd end up where she was now. For so long, she thought she'd spend all of her life behind the counter of a florist shop, making pretty things to bring smiles to faces. A husband and children had factored in there, in a vague sort of sense... Now, the young nurse didn't think any further than tomorrow, and tomorrow was filled with more of this.
Some topical anesthetic was applied around the wound to numb the skin for stitching, but it was never a pleasant experience. She tried her best to keep her touch as light as possible, working with careful fingers in a process she had done a hundred times over. The question from Megrez pulled up Orah's attention and she blinked for a moment before she glanced to the side.
"No problem, sweetie. I don't need them right now." She said. There wasn't much more for the men to do so they were more than happy to move off when she nodded at them. She could handle the last of this herself and there was plenty of things they could be doing instead. A little privacy would be nice, some calm as the girl recovered from what had obviously been a very tough fight.
"Is there... anything you want to talk about?" Orah said as she kept her eyes on her work. There had been something, some note, in Meg's voice that made her wonder.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 11:33 am
Luca exhaled heavily when the orderlies left, relieved to be able to express her true feelings without any unwanted ears hearing them. "I'm tired. I'm so tired... very, very tired," she said, letting her head sink into the pillow. "Every day now, I'm exhausted. If not on the outside, then on the inside. I can't explain it any other way. I just feel... tired." One hand clenched briefly, then unfurled. "I'm only 22. I'm too young to feel this tired. So why...?" That same hand reached for Orah's arm to grab it. "I need to tell you this, because I feel like you might understand. I've been thinking... when death comes for me, I won't resist it. I'll fight like hell while I'm alive, but when my time comes, I'll accept it." Hot tears blurred her vision, and she struggled to keep them in. "I'm starting to collapse."
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:51 pm
Neat black stitches appeared in the wake of Orah's careful hands and as she worked, she listened. It wasn't unusual to have patients ramble or cry out... people in pain tended to need to vent, especially those who brushed too near death and suddenly got a good look at their own mortality. Orah herself had faced that precipice many times... look out into the abyss and known it was waiting to embrace her. The first time had been years ago, back when she had just barely begun to fight this war.
The cries of 'tired' where universal, it seemed... everyone was tired, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually... but the ache in Meg's voice tugged at Orah's gentle heart. She tied off the last of the stitches before she wrapped the leg in bandages and gauze, her face serene and a little sad. When the eternal grabbed her arm, Orah lifted her eyes and reached to gently squeeze the hand on her arm.
"You're not alone, sweet heart." She said softly as she stepped closer to the head of the bed. "I understand how you feel... Did you know that I'm twenty three? I've stood in your shoes... I've faced that daunting feel of looking forward and seeing only endless, up-hill struggle. You're not alone, dear one."
Orah paused as she stepped back and retrieved her pen from her pocket. It was ever at hand for emergencies, even if she rarely transformed. She did so now, a murmured 'Ida Eternal Power, Make-up!' and a swirl of glowing petals that changed thread-bare scrubs to folds of rich purple and pristine white, small flowers hanging from her hips and tucked into her hair. Glow like henna coiled around her arm as the transcended stepped closer, reaching out to cup Megrez's face. Ida leaned in as she closed sad, dark eyes and pressed her symbol marked forehead to her patient's.
"Death comes for everyone, in the end. Sooner for some, a long time from now if you're lucky." She murmured softly, her concentration on the flow of energy inside of her, welling up unhindered from a place somewhere across the galaxy. Ida sent it out, let it flow down her arms and through her hands into the girl she held. Physical tiredness could be eased, but the rest... well. She did her best.
"We are people with a very special gift, and a heavy duty. I know how heavy it is. You're not alone, Megrez... I'm here. Your comrades are here. When it becomes too much, its okay to lean on the people around you. That's how I find my strength... and I will lend you that strength when you need it." She said softly, suiting words to actions as she gave Megrez some of her energy in a flow like sunlight on the skin, warmth that sank into the body.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:19 am
"Am I really not alone?" Luca murmured. She was surprised to see Orah reach for her henshin pen. She thought all her wounds had been stitched; what need would there be to power up? Nonetheless, she watched the senshi's every move, and she felt a keen jealousy of the glowing marks on her arm. If she had transcended as Megrez, then so many problems could be headed off at the pass, the most vital one being the possibility of force-corruption. Luca did not want to be anything but an Order senshi. She was born into Order and raised in it, and to have that torn from under her would be to lose all that had once brought her happiness. Luca did not object to Ida's closeness; it was a sort of loving, caring gesture that she had not felt in a very, very long time. "My friends... my friends are all gone. Dead or corrupted. I have so many pictures of them all on my phone, and I can't even look at them... it's too painful." Then she felt the warmth of Ida's energy seep into her, and somehow, it felt comfortable, like she could rest peacefully in it. A weary smile spread across her face. "Yes... you're here."
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 5:29 pm
The transcended sighed softly as her energy drained from her, but it was both tiring and relieving at the same time. This sort of energy built up if she didn't release it, strained a body already hovering just this side of that line between exhaustion and still functioning. It feel good to give away that extra energy, especially to someone who needed the emotional boost.
"I know, sweetie." She said softly when Luca mentioned loosing her friends. Orah had been lucky, thus far, that most of the people she loved were still here with her, fighting beside her.... but there was still that big, gaping hole where the most precious should have been. "But... nothing lasts forever, remember. The pain will fade, if you give it time. Someday you'll be able to look at those pictures and remember the good things about them, and you'll be glad you saved them. Mean while... there are people all around you, Luca. This camp is full of people fighting beside you, standing against the darkness. All you have to do is reach out and you'll find people to fill your loneliness."
Pulling back when she had given all the energy she could, Ida pressed a gentle kiss to Luca's forehead before she released her entirely, resting a hand instead on her shoulder.
"You should sleep for a while. You'll feel better when you wake up and we can let you leave the med tent. For now though, all you should be worrying about is getting some rest... you're safe and I'll be in ear shot the whole time, ok?" She said with a gentle smile, releasing her henshin to become a normal woman again... tired and worn, but still standing straight despite the weight she carried.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:43 pm
"Nothing lasts forever..." Including us, Luca added mentally. She was exceptionally certain that she would not last forever in her current mental and perhaps even physical state. Some drastic change would have to be made soon. "But, Orah... I'm in the Mainstay. I do a lot of bloody work. People are scared of me. Not many people want to work with the screeching Black Bird..." Two tracks of tears leaked from her eyes as Ida kissed her forehead. How could this girl be so relentlessly gentle? The idea of getting some rest sounded amazing to Luca, even with her previous concerns. "Alright... I'll sleep now. I'm really tired, but... I don't feel like I'll have any bad dreams right now, for some reason." Ida's energy must have warded it off, she decided. "Orah... thank you. Thank you so much." That one source of tenderness and support made such a difference in Luca's heart.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 8:46 pm
The including us had been in Orah's mind as well, but some things didn't need to be said. They were similar, in their minds... Orah was continuously surprised that she was still alive, still fighting... she had been sure, once, that she only had a few years left before some Negaverse agent got lucky. But here she was, still striving, still fighting, and she'd keep doing it until the day she did die. There was no path left for her, the only variable was in how long that path was.
"There are a lot of people in the mainstay that people aren't afraid of. Just because you fight more than others doesn't make you something to be afraid of. Only how you chose to act... and that you can change. Once people get to know you, they'll see you're worth knowing." Orah said with a confident smile, pulling some gauze from the kit to wipe the tears away with. She pressed the gauze into Luca's hand in case she needed it again later and smoothed the orange hair back from the girl's face.
"You're welcome, sweet heart. Just rest now." She murmured as she shook out the blanket folded at the end of the cot and pulled it up over Luca's legs, settling it around her waist where she could reach it if she needed it. From there she set to cleaning up the instruments she'd used to do the patch up job, keeping her movements quiet.
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 6:07 pm
"Thank you," Luca said once again. She had one more thing to get off her chest, however. "Orah... if I could do something to get everyone off this planet... I would do it. If there was a way to get everyone off this planet without dealing with the Dark Mirrors, I would go for it. This planet isn’t ours anymore. If I could just take us all somewhere else, I would." It was a tiny fragment of defeatism, but it was a strong one. Faced with such overwhelming odds, Megrez had frequent thoughts (fantasies, really) of escaping to the stars somehow. She even had an idea of some bizarre sublimation plot where everyone had their souls force-returned to some compartment of the Space Cauldron and lived in some simulated world, but she didn't need to be told how ridiculous that was. Luca shuffled around in the blankets a bit and sighed. "See you," she said before closing her eyes and trying to doze off.
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