chikaidestroyer | ∞ 53: Those in the dark [action/accidental sound]

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∞ 53: Those in the dark [action/accidental sound]

[A bedraggled figure slowly drags himself towards the edge of the village, swaying dangerously every few steps and having to stop to recover. Spatters of blood mar the normally white portions of his coat and darken the deep gray sections. Bloody strips of material hang loosely around his neck in place of his scarf, pulled loose after nearly suffocating on too tightly-wrapped bandages.

On Albert's forehead is a mark, dark against his pale skin. He finally kneels after swaying just a little too much, nearly collapsing as his head aches.

His journal drops from somewhere above, and the hooting of a small owl can be heard.]

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[It takes a little longer than he's used to, but Albert manages to part the coat. It's only then that he tries to push himself up to remove the coat. His black shirt is sliced up at the collar, revealing more of his blood over his chest.]

[Raine's not too pleased to see that.]

I knew there had to be more to it than that... all right, here. Just wait a moment, when you finish with your coat -- I'm going to get some towels and warm water. [And other healing supplies.]

[He doesn't nod, but he manages a glance in Raine's direction in acknowledgment. While Raine gathers supplies, he will finish with his coat and, for lack of anywhere else to put it, push it off the bed and onto the floor.]

[She gathers the supplies as quickly and quietly as she can manage; water for cleaning and water for rinsing; a few towels, a small cup of water for Albert to drink and healing supplies are all brought in at intervals. She moves the coat to the back of a chair so she doesn't trip over it.]

All right. Let me see, now. [She gestures towards his chest once all is set up.]

[There isn't much else Albert can do but drop his hands to his sides so Raine can get a better look at what she is dealing with. There are the telltale signs of incisions having been made along his throat and between his collarbones. The healing has caused the wounds to heal a little, but surgical stitching can be seen-- done over more than once, as if the wounds had reopened and had to be fixed once, twice, thrice.

Clearly someone didn't like the amount of lip Albert had been giving earlier.]

[Raine takes a close look at the stitching. The location, the preciseness of the incisions... she winces, herself, moistens her lips, and sighs.]

That... would explain the not speaking.

[She steadies her tone.] Please take off your shirt, Albert.

[He's already taken off his coat, Raine. Is he going to have to remove everything to satisfy you? He gingerly works with the shirt, wincing as it sticks to his skin in a few places. It begins awkward when he has to work his shirt over his wings, but soon enough the shirt is also on the floor.]

Thank you.

[Not removing it would defeat the purpose of trying to get him cleaned up, wouldn't it? Once it's out of the way, she can gingerly make use of the towels and water. Carefully and gently washing away the extra blood until she can concentrate on the wounds themselves.]

[A guttural sound escapes Albert as he lies on his back, a reaction to the wounds being washed over. One eye shuts tightly as he coughs violently, aggravating the surgical wounds further. He struggles to stop the painful coughing, but has enough sense to claw at the sheets so he doesn't reach for his throat.]

[Damn. Raine drops the towel entirely as soon as he reacts negatively, surprised for a moment until she gathers a spell to help soothe the coughs]

What have they... -- Recover!

[Albert nearly chokes on a gasp before settling down again, his breathing high-pitched and reedy in comparison to the earlier almost-groan. He's pale and a mess, hands curled into the sheets as if waiting for another bout of coughing. The strategist gestures, closing his eyes briefly. "I'll be okay. Really."]

[She waits for him to settle, watching him carefully before she speaks again. That breathing... she prepares to cast again.] You ... it's likely you won't be able to eat normally like this, you know. If it's causing this much of a reaction from simply touching the outside...

Here... First aid.

[The healing helps, and Albert wearily forces his eyes open again. Stay awake. Have to stay awake. He nods at Raine's observation; the very idea of eating in this state sounds agonizing.]

[Everything would have to be in a very soft or liquid state for a while. He can't just not eat, after all. But then the question remains on how badly things are inside. How long would it take to heal. Would it heal properly? The questions buzz in her head as she reaches for the towel again, rinses it, and looks back at him.]

Here... let me wash your hands.

[It takes a moment to coax his hands into releasing the bedsheets, but he raises his hands and rests them on his chest. It's disgusting to see so much blood on his own hands, and his expression shows as much. It's been a long time since he's dealt with this much blood.]

[It's a lot of blood to clean, so it understandably takes time. She reaches for one, gently washing away the blood, as well as checking for signs of any other possible hidden wounds.

You should stay in bed for a few days, at least... this is a lot of blood-loss, and you'll need to get your strength up.

[No other wounds, Raine. The throat just bleeds a lot when it's been cut open repeatedly. He nods again, lying very still as Raine continues her work. No arguments.]

[One hand is cleaned, and eventually, so is the other. Raine sets the bloodied cloths aside. Good thing they can always get new towels at the store. The rest of the blood on his chest is wiped as well, and she looks back towards his neck and throat. It takes her a moment before she's able to ask, gently--]

Are you... ready to try again?

[He arches a brow at the question, then gestures almost impatiently. He doesn't mean to be callous or ungrateful, but he knows it's necessary to do all of this.]

... Understood.

[Well, of course it's necessary, but she wanted to be certain that he was stable enough to continue. Since the expression fairly indicates that he is, she nods, but first goes to remove the remaining strips of Malnosso-wrapped bandage before beginning the cleaning attempt again.]

[Oh Raine, forgive your grumpy housemate. You can always blame the presence of the little owl that can somehow fly through closed windows. Albert tenses as the tender, damaged skin is cleaned, but he doesn't fall into another coughing fit.]

[She continues to clean the area as gently as possible. There are many questions -- how recent was the last stitching in regards to his release, among other things -- but getting it sanitized is the priority. And bandaged once more, but not to the point of near suffocation. Again, she casts a healing spell, to help keep his body at ease as she works.]

First aid.

[She reaches for the bandages.]

[He closes his eyes as the healing spell washes over him again. Raine is almost done, he tells himself. You can sleep after she's finished. He takes a deeper breath, which rattles in his throat.]

I'm going to use a salve, Albert. This might feel a little cold.

[Leaving the bandages next to him, she takes out a cream salve. Raine knows she's going to have to apply this carefully around the area; she's concerned the sensation may lead to another reaction, despite the stabilizing spells.]

[His breaths come faster and more uneven as the salve is applied. He winces visibly, but manages to keep down his attempts at moans and groans. As long as he doesn't try to speak, he won't rupture something. Instead, he tilts his head back against his pillow more, which serves to pull taut the cuts in his neck.]

∞ 53: Those in the dark [action/accidental sound]

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