Healing New and Old Wounds <Ba Sing Se, EK>

[atalanta]

Mesheiko's eyelids flickered open, and as soon as he felt awake, he felt more alive than he ever had in his life. The pain was so incredibly intense that it made him feel life coursing through his veins, a pounding reminder that he was not dead. Despite the pain, he tried to rise, but cried out from the agony of it. There was a terrible burning sensation somewhere on his side, while his head throbbed as if someone was swinging a massive hammer inside of it. Meanwhile, he ached nearly everywhere else, except for a large spot around his ankle. In that spot he felt no pain at all. In fact, he realized, that he felt absolutely nothing in that area. That rather frightened him. Mesheiko tried to ignore the pain in the rest of his body as he rose to try to make himself feel pain in his right ankle. As his hand reached for it, he did not come in contact with skin or blood, but rather a rough cloth. A bandage!

Slowly, it came back to him. The memory of the battle, and how the Fire Nation had come so close to taking Bai Seng Sei, and how he and Banshee had been the first to discover them. And in that memory he found the reason for this incredible pain. He must have been wounded, and pretty badly at that.

Sitting up, Mesheiko felt a little dizzy but was able to look around and observe his surroundings. The first thing he saw was incredibly clean, nice, white walls. Cabinets adorned nearly every free space. Meanwhile, there was an all too familiar smell hanging in the air. It wasn't at all pleasant: rotting and healing flesh, medicines, and the smell of the latrines all mingled together to form a rather foul stench. It was a smell often associated with the infirmaries. As he continued to look around, he noticed he was on a cot. He noticed numbers of other men on cots. And suddenly, Mesheiko realized, he was in the infirmary. And for that he was glad. He didn't want his wounds to got untreated.

A handsome, familiar face appeared not far from his own, and upon his first words, Mesheiko realized Cheng had paid him a visit. "It's good to see you're awake and alive, Mesheiko. I would've rushed over the second I heard you, but I couldn't figure out who was screaming. It's one of the biggest and best infirmaries in camp." said Cheng, taking a seat at the end of Mesheiko's cot. Mesheiko gave a small nod, for he did not have the strength for much more. "But, hey, lie back down. Honestly, Mesheiko, you become a hero and all of the sudden you think you're invincible." Cheng said, chuckling. Mesheiko rested back onto his cot, but looked quizzically at Cheng. "Hero?" he said, his voice rather raspy still. "Mesheiko, don't you know?" Cheng said, looking rather dumbfounded that Mesheiko himself didn't know of his sudden status.

"You sounded the alarm to the Fire Nation attack. Or, I suppose, Banshee sounded the alarm." said the other soldier, invoking laughter from Mesheiko. "But, from what I heard, you charged straight into the Fire Nation's ranks. Man, the rumors going around about it are wild. Some of the guys around here are saying you practically carved a path through the Fire Nation." Cheng said. Mesheiko's eyes were trained upon Cheng, and he was completely engrossed as if the hero of this story wasn't actually himself.

"But there's one fact that remains constant. You killed the Fire Nation commander." Mesheiko's eyes grew wide at this. "Mesheiko, you saved Bai Seng Sei, the Earth Kingdom, and the free world. You're a total hero." Cheng said, playfully but carefully patting Mesheiko on the shoulder. "If I'm such a hero, why do am I feeling all this pain?" Mesheiko said. He was hanging onto Cheng's every word, because every word Cheng spoke to him, he began to remember what had happened a little more clearly.

"Oh, yeah, that. Well, the doctors said you took quite a beating. Kun Tu said when he got to you, you were falling right off Banshee. Kun Tu and I got you out of there. Hung Yong cleared a nice, wide path for us." Cheng said with a grin. "What about Banshee? Is he alright?" questioned Mesheiko anxiously. He'd developed quite a bond with the ostrich-horse, and it would be more of a blow than all of his wounds to lose Banshee. "Banshee made it back. He's got a few burns, and is a little shaken up, but he's alive and kicking. Emphasis on the kicking." Cheng said jokingly. Mesheiko grinned, glad to have Cheng with him. "And what about my wounds?"

"Well," Cheng began with almost a regretful look on his face,"from what I've heard from the doctors, you're pretty bad, but you could be worse. The worst of it, they said, was that nasty bruise on the back of your head, the burn around your stomach, and that bad slice on your ankle." Realization again dawned on Mesheiko. The burn he remembered receiving, the sword cutting clean through the flesh on his ankle, and he supposed a Fire Nation soldier clubbed him in the back of the head, which would explain why Kun Tu found him unconscious. But the ankle wound still alarmed him.

"Cheng," Mesheiko started out, a worried expression on his face, "I remember getting the ankle wound, but I can't feel anything when I move it." Cheng's face fell, and he hurriedly said, "I'll get a doctor." Cheng then leaped up and dashed away, running off to an unknown spot in this enormous infirmary. Mesheiko sighed, knowing that something had to be terribly wrong for Cheng of all people to be alarmed as he was.

[midori]

Midori quickly walked though the hallways of the infirmary, desperately trying to ignore the moans and awful smells that filled it. Her gaze was firmly fixed in front of her; she could not even glance at one of the patients. Part of her was still frantically worried about Mesheiko – all the ways that war threatened him, all the ways that he could be hurt, or worse… Being in the huge infirmary only increased the worry ten-fold; all the horrible wounds and conditions only gave her imagination a bigger buffet of possible injuries to mix up for her friend. Plus, just being surrounded in the atmosphere of death unnerved her, filled her with restless energy. So many things were completely out of her control… and yet she yearned to help. But she was so small, just one of a million or so people who inhabited the entire world.

Unfortunately, Midori’s restless and fidgety state only caused every one of her senses to become sharper. It felt like she could smell, see, and hear everything around her. The sour smell of ointments and medicines, the men resting in their coats – some completely unmoving, some moaning, thrusting in their bed in agony – the quiet chatter of a few soldiers and nurses.... all of these jumped out at her more than they would have usually.

At one point as Midori was pursuing her long, desperate stride through the hall, a small group of nurses jumped out right in front of her from another room, causing the young woman to skid to an abrupt stop behind them. The small encounter managed to spook Midori enough to cause her heart to jump from her chest and begin to beat frantically. However, the most agonizing part was that the nurses crowded the whole width of the hallway, so that Midori couldn’t pass them. And they were walking tediously slow and every word they spoke was crystal clear. And the nurses were very chatty tonight.

“… It’s amazing isn’t it? Cut a path right through the firebenders, I hear.”
“M-hm. Killed the general, saved the whole city. Bad injuries though.”
“Yeah. I saw him when they brought him in. He’s so young too! Can’t be anymore than twenty. Cute.”
“I know! Strong face… great curly hair. Shame I’m married.”

Midori’s heart had failed to calm. In fact, it was beating more furiously now. Why was she so on edge? Why did the conservation intrigue her so? Why was she now hanging on every word? The answer was obvious, of course. The situation only made her imagination spark again. It was easy to believe it was him. The face, hair… his. But it was just her imagination. Right?

“Cute and a hero. Practically saved the whole world. Maybe I’ll drift over that way…”
“Ha! Quit trying, Amaya. That boy probably has dating far from his mind.”
“That boy has a name.”
“I bet you don’t even know his name.”
“Of course I do! It’s Mes... Mas… Masuyo?”
“Idiot. At least learn his name before you start making a move. It’s Mesheiko.”

Midori literally stopped in her tracks and stood gaping in the middle of the hallway. Her heart beat with more gusto, and, for a moment, Midori found it hard to breathe. No, no, no, no, no…. It could not be Mesheiko. Impossible. But… that was what the nurse had said… and the description fit that name. It had to be him. Why did it have to be him?

Bad injuries was what the nurse had said. Bad.

“Excuse me…?” Midori ventured. The group of ladies turned to face her with polite, but questioning expressions. “I’m sorry, but I’m looking for Mesheiko…” Her voice cracked. “Do you know where he is?”


Midori sprinted back the way she had come, her glances now frantic. She searched for a familiar face... hoping she wouldn’t find it, but knowing she would….

Suddenly, she saw him. His back was turned to her, but at one point she caught a glimpse of his profile… and it was him.

Quickly, Midori closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to calm down. Mesheiko was here. Alive. Things would be okay. He was being taken care of. The ladies had said nothing about his injuries being life-threatening. He would be okay.

Calmed somewhat, Midori drifted over to the area where Mesheiko was, stopping when she was directly behind him. Tilting her head at him, Midori put one hand on her hip and sighed.

“Had to be a hero, didn’t you.”

[atalanta]

Mesheiko had nearly fallen asleep when a sudden noise disturbed him. Grumpily, he sunk further under the sheet, but it doing so, spotted a large group of nurses chatting noisily. He was sure they weren't purposely trying to disturb their patients, but they had all the same. Mesheiko felt too exhausted to do anything, but yet too energized to try to fall asleep, so he decided to listen in on the nurses' conversation.

As he let their words ring in his hears, Mesheiko blushed and nearly wanted to turn his hearing off, but still he listened. What praises they were saying about him! Cheng was right. But, personally, Mesheiko didn't think himself a hero. After all, all he had really done was his job. It was a soldier's duty to fight the enemy to the best of his ability and defend their land. He had just done his job well. Mesheiko wondered if Banshee was getting the same sort of attention he was, especially since Banshee was the one to sound the alarm. Mesheiko attempted to chuckle (though it came out as more of a rasping cough) at the thought of Banshee living in the lap of luxury. He could just imagine Banshee rolling in the attention he would be receiving. Although, Cheng had said Banshee was a little shaken.

Again, Mesheiko decided to try and sleep. Sleep was really the only way he could escape this terrible pain. When he would lie on a side a bruise would throb if he lied on it, and on the other if lied on it, the burn would shoot its tendrils of pain coursing throughout his body. If he were to lay on his back, he would feel the various bruises dotting his back, neck, and head protesting their compressed state. Sleep truly was the only way he could escape this pain. The thought occured to him once if he should fall asleep he might never wake up, but the thought of resting with no pain was much too tempting.

But once again, he could simply not have the pleasure of resting peacefully. This time he heard a scurry and a shuffle behind him, and turned briefly to see the cause. All he saw was feminine form and a white shirt, and didn't bother to turn fully. He simply didn't have the strength. Rising from his cot alone was tiring, and then his conversation with Cheng had stolen much of his strength. But the uttering of words behind him aroused his attention. He was certain the woman behind him was simply an admiring nurse, but the words made him think differently.

The voice sound familiar, too familiar for Mesheiko to simply ignore. No, it couldn't be. Midori had surely traveled back to her home by now. Surely she hadn't wandered right into the midst of a camp thousands of soldiers large. But he couldn't help but be curious. It sounded distinctly like her voice, and the words sounded like something she would say. So, Mesheiko forced himself up with his hands, grimacing a little to the pain, to rise up and see if it was truly his friend.

And there was Midori, standing right in front of him.

"M-Midori," Mesheiko began in a shaky and raspy voice, his strength still being rather drained, "I-I'm sorry."

[midori]

Watching Mesheiko struggle so hard to even sit up and face her direction was almost too painful for Midori to watch. Even from the gossip she had overheard, the news of his battered state, Midori had not comprehended that his pain would be so immense. For some reason or another, she had imagined him rather the same as when she had left him – steady, strong, and doggedly determined. And now, seeing him totally exhausted and filled with discomfort, watching him struggle to string together a short sentence, discovering how weak he really was… it had to be nearly as agonizing as experiencing Mesheiko’s actual physical pain.

Her tone immediately switched from exasperated to apologetic.

“No; I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have disturbed you.” Midori replied, shaking her head once. “Lay back down. You look awful.”

She drifted closer to the cot, resting her hand on one of the corner posts. Her eyes held in them the sincerest of concern, but the corners of her mouth were curled into a tiny, soft smile.

“And I mean that in the nicest possible way.”

[atalanta]

Mesheiko chuckled lightly enough to not provoke his wounds, but yet audibly enough to let Midori know that he was indeed pleased with her presence and jokes. But in another way, he didn't want her to be here. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with her, but rather he didn't want her to see him like this, so incredibly wounded and weakened that he could hardly move. Mesheiko didn't want Midori to be so overwhelmed by the war. As far as he knew, Mesheiko was the first to really let her know about the war, and for that he was somewhat ashamed. Midori's life would have been so much more peaceful if he hadn't entered it.

"It won't help me any. It doesn't matter. It hurts no matter what position I'm in." said Mesheiko lightly, resting his forearms on the cot to support the rest of his weight."What, as opposed to you mean that in the meanest possible way?"

Mesheiko's head turned swiftly to detect the sound of more shuffling of feet. "Mesheiko!" came the out of breath voice of a man. Cheng abruptly stopped at Mesheiko's cot, letting one hand rest his hand on the cot and the other on his legs. "Are you still up? Are you trying to tire yourself out to the point of death or something?" Mesheiko smiled and shook his head, glad for Cheng's humorous concern. Cheng's attention then turned to the girl across the cot, and suddenly a mischievious light flickered in his eyes. "Mesheiko, who's your lovely lady friend here?" said Cheng.

"Cheng," said Mesheiko raspily, rolling his eyes as Cheng's antics, "this is Midori."

[midori]

“Hello, Cheng.” Midori greeted, her voice faintly tinted with laughter. Her lips curled up in a widening smile, while her weight shifted more firmly onto the cot and her posture slumped and relaxed. Instantly, Midori took a liking to this fellow visitor, with his cheerful, handsome face and light, contagious charm. Plus, he made Mesheiko smile, and as far as Midori was concerned, any friend of Mesheiko’s was a friend of hers.

“Hardly lovely.” Midori commented lightly, making a brief glance toward her filthy fingernails. “I’ve been traveling in the woods much too long to be considered that. Look at this… dirt lines.” With this, she loosened the bandages that wrapped her arms at sleeve length, exposing a clear line of fairly-toned skin that sharply contrasted with the exposed flesh that was coated with a thin layer of dust and dirt. However, instead of fretting about her dirty condition, Midori smiled at the two boys like this was the funniest thing in the world.

[atalanta]

Mesheiko laughed as lightly as he could to prevent any pain. No, it was true, Midori wasn't quite the clean, proper lady. But he personally respected a woman who was willng to get a little dirty and walk into infirmaries than a woman who was willing to meet the prim and delicate standards so often set for women. Mesheiko removed his elbows from the cot to rest back on it. Lying down was a painful position, but it took so much energy to get into any position.

"You're talking about dirt lines? Why, here there's no lines. We're so covered with it there's no lines to show!" Cheng said, again invoking Mesheiko to laugh. "Cheng, stop making me laugh. It hurts to laugh." Mesheiko said, resting a hand on his side but away from the wound as if by if having his hand there, it would cure the pain. "Sorry, man. But we all can't forget the time you were so coated in dirt Banshee didn't even recognize you and started kicking and screeching. The-" Cheng told.

"The entire camp heard it. I know, Cheng. I was there." Mesheiko said exasperatedly. Cheng progressed on, basically ignoring Mesheiko's comment aside from a grin, looking at Midori. "But dirt lines or dirt lines, you'd still be lovely. Or at least, Mesheiko thinks so." Mesheiko's eyes widened, and he turned his head to face Cheng. He glared wide-eyed for a moment, when Cheng guiltily said "What? It's true. I've seen your journal." Mesheiko's glare became even wider and harsher, and his cheeks went red for a moment. Cheng, meanwhile, grinned rather mischieviously.

[midori]

Midori’s eyebrows rose in surprise, while her cheeks quickly became dusted with a light, rosy hue. Her gaze was aimed at Cheng, and it was puzzled. His grin was suggestive, but she and Mesheiko had never been anything but friends…

Well, they had been very good friends, perhaps. Bonded together into a sibling-like relationship while in the mist of a short, but emotionally tiring adventure. They had gone through a meeting, a birth, a fire, and search, a goodbye… all together. All that in a few days’ time was sure to bring any two beings closer. But not necessarily in true love.

Surely Mesheiko could think of her as ‘lovely’ without having any really deep affection for her. It was just an opinion. She could just as easily call Mesheiko handsome. Yes, her concern for Mesheiko ran deep. Yes, she admired him for his bravery and strength, for his kindness, his steadiness, his loyalty, and, yes, even for his determination and stubbornness (even though a mixture of these had brought him to the infirmary), but it didn’t necessarily mean she had any feelings like that either. Right?

Still slightly flushed, Midori stole a quick glance toward Mesheiko, trying to read his expression. As his face was turned away from her, this was difficult, but Midori did think she saw a redness in his cheeks…

Midori’s puzzled expression melted into a shy smile, and she managed a soft chuckle.

“Maybe he does. But we’re nothing but friends if that’s what you’re implying.”

[atalanta]

Fortunately for Mesheiko, Midori was handling it rather maturely. He caught out of the corner of his eye some nurses giggling and pointing to he and Midori, and one or two others walking off with a disappointed expression on his face. Cheng had been right. Mesheiko had gone almost overnight from ordinary soldier to extraordinary hero. The sudden attention was nice, but he could do without Cheng's matchmaking skills.

"What she said." said Mesheiko in what was now his normal voice (exhausted and quiet). He closed his eyes for a moment, wondering if this all was simply some extended dream that he would soon wake up from. In some ways, he desperately wanted to wake up and find himself in Cheng's, Hung Yong's, and Kun Tu's company in the tent, fully intact and pain free. On the other hand, he did rather enjoy the attention he was receiving.

Cheng rolled his eyes at Mesheiko. How blind his friend could be at times. Mesheiko, of course, didn't have Cheng's own charm, but now he didn't need it. The man was a practically a magnet for women now. Hung Yong and Kun Tu would most certainly be rolling their eyes at this when they heard. "That's a shame," said Cheng. He leaned over the posts of Mesheiko's cot, and whispered into Midori's ear (partly to keep it private, but mainly to taunt Mesheiko), "But if you really want something more than friends with Mesheiko, you'd better make a move soon, because if you don't, you can bet that some other girl will." Cheng went back into his position behind Mesheiko, and Mesheiko raised an eyebrow at him.

As if almost on cue, Hung Yong and Kun Tu popped up on either side of Cheng. The elder Earthbender, Hung Yong, took on a grave look at Mesheiko and his wounds. This very much alarmed Mesheiko, and he stared almost fearfully at Hung Yong. Hung Yong, almost as if using an unspoken language, nodded slightly at Mesheiko. He then looked up to see Midori. "Why, hello! You must be a friend of Mesheiko's. I am Hung Yong. It is an honor to meet you." Hung Yong greeted pleasantly. There was a pause, and then a drawn out moment of silence. Cheng then elbowed Kun Tu in the ribs, which earned him a glare from Kun Tu. "I'm Kun Tu. It's lovely to meet a friend of Mesheiko's." Kun Tu politely greeted her.

"He's definitely going to need them." muttered Cheng, and Mesheiko eyes then shot open and drifted to Cheng with a puzzled look.

[midori]

Midori’s eyebrow rose at Cheng as he whispered into her ear, curious. Did she and Mesheiko really play off each other in a way that gave off that kind of impression, or did the fact that a young woman was visiting Mesheiko just encourage him to start matchmaking? Midori wondered over this for a few short moments before her thoughts drifted back to the chattering nurses she had encountered eariler. At first she found all the admiration they were giving Mesheiko quite amusing, but after thinking about it more seriously, having the thought of Mesheiko actually with a girl brought to her as a serious possibility... it made her feel... weird. But her ponderings were cut short as another pair joined the little group of Mesheiko’s admirers.

Midori smiled sweetly at the two of them, wanting to make a very good first impression with Mesheiko’s other friends. From quick observation, all of them looked like very respectable men. Though, Midori expected no less from any one of Mesheiko’s companions.

“It’s wonderful to meet you as well.” Midori replied to the two of them with a polite nod. Her gaze then flickered to Cheng once again, her pleasant expression quickly becoming tinted with worry at the grim tone to his words. It was then that she remembered Mesheiko’s wounds, and the concern she had felt before again bubbled to the surface.

“Is something wrong?” Midori asked, glancing worriedly at Mesheiko before switching her attention back to Cheng.

[atalanta]

Cheng looked to Midori just as she raised her eyebrow at his comment. Women could be so strange. Honestly, most girls would leap at the opportunity of simply standing by a war hero, and Midori knew him personally! Strange indeed. Hung Yong and Kun Tu both simply nodded, though Hung Yong, of course, had more a smile. Cheng simply couldn't resist the opportunity, and nodded his head in a vigorous and mocking fashion. Kun Tu caught sight of this and glared sharply at the younger soldier, but of course, Cheng simply grinned mischieviously at him. "Honestly, Cheng, when are you going to grow up?" Kun Tu said exasperatedly, and rolled his eyes. "Riddle me this, Kun Tu. When are you going to learn to have some fun?"

Though he was trying desperately not to show it, Mesheiko was in a state of panic. The little signs Cheng and Hung Yong given him were not promising. Hung Yong's look? Cheng's muttering? Cheng hardly ever muttered. He was loud in nearly everything he did, and Mesheiko could think of a vast collection of times he had been reprimanded for it. Mesheiko glanced to Cheng inquisitively. He wanted answers. "It should be noth-" Mesheiko began. "Sure, Midori, everything's perfectly alright. There's no war going, and Mesheiko totally isn't in a critic-" Cheng sarcastically interrupted, but he too was cut off.

"Cheng." Hung Yong said sternly. Hung Yong was very much like a young grandfather (which, in truth, he was); gentle and pleasant sometimes, but stern and firm when the situation called for it. He then turned away from Cheng to face Midori, and looked her square in the eyes, though not in a threatening fashion. "It should be nothing." Hung Yong assured her. "Hopeful-" Cheng muttered, but again he was interrupted.

A rather young nurse walked timidly into the group near the end of Mesheiko's cot, and seeing he was awake, she looked at him and said. "The surgeon needs to see you, sir." she said quietly, almost as if she didn't want to say it. Cheng and Kun Tu immediately looked to each other with wide eyes. Mesheiko looked at her in shock for just a split second, then relaxed and sighed. He knew it would probably happen, though he was hoping it wouldn't. Hung Young, meanwhile looked on rather serenely and said, "Which surgeon?"

"Dr. Bao." the nurse stated. Kun Tu and Cheng maintained their wide eyes, and began to whisper to one another. Mesheiko took a deep breath. "Midori," Mesheiko began with even less energy than before. "You should probably leave." Hung Yong finished for him.

[midori]

“I am not leaving.” Midori stated firmly, her stare hard and determined at first Hung Yong and then Mesheiko. How could they even request it? Was it even half-way fair for the three soldiers to remain with Mesheiko while she was pushed away? She wasn’t weak if that's what they thought; she could take anything the surgeon threw at her. And Midori was certainly not leaving Mesheiko now. Not when he needed so much support. Not when she wanted to be there to give it to him. Surely everyone could have figured that out. “It’s not like I can be blinded from reality forever; I might as well hear what you do, when you do.”

Silently, the young woman took a knee and leaned down next to her friend, so the edge of his cot was about to her chin level. She was doing the very best she could to stay cool and composed, but her eyes still glistened with worry as she briefly observed his face. This was it. The moment she had been dreading since Mesheiko first mentioned his plans about returning to the battle front. What might the surgeon have to say?

“Don’t worry, Mesheiko. I promise I won’t freak out or burst into tears or anything. It's my job to make sure you're okay.” Midori said softly with a slight, sad smile. Gently, Midori reached up and cupped her hand around one of his and gave it a soft, reassuring squeeze before releasing it. “I want to be here.”

[atalanta]

Mesheiko hove an exasperated sigh. He should have known that Midori would refuse to leave. The surgeons were known to tell nothing but the truth about their patients, but that was what worried him. If Midori stayed, she would have to face his harsh reality, whereas if she left he could tell her later and at least make it sound hopeful. As she bent to take his hand, Mesheiko knew there was no turning back. She wasn't going to leave, and the surgeon was going to come. They would have to face this together.

"Out of the way, out of the way!" came a shout above the quiet noise of the infirmary. Mesheiko spotted a large group of nurses, and then they suddenly parted. A short, elderly man walked through the path. He looked similar to the other doctors; thick brown pants, constantly hauling tools, some sort of overcoat. Only his coat was a light green, but it was flecked with red in many spots. Despite all his dealings with blood, including seeing much of his own or another's when bandages were changed, this still made Mesheiko want to rush to the nearest pan and vomit.

The surgeon stopped abruptly at Mesheiko cot, and his eyes immediately went to Mesheiko, seeming to analyze each of his injuries. "It's your ankle I'm supposed to have a look at, right?" said Dr. Bao in a business-like tone, obviously portraying often he did this. "Right." Hung Yong confirmed. The surgeon's eyes immediately went to Hung Yong, and then his lips formed a grin. "Ah, Hung Yong. I don't think I've seen you on a cot in a while, fortunately." Dr. Bao said, then looking around to observe the group that had formed around Mesheiko. He hardly glanced and Kun Tu and Cheng, but as soon as he saw Midori his eyes went wide.

"Well, now, you don't look like a nurse." Dr. Bao looked to the other soldiers for confirmation, and even with all three of Mesheiko's tentmates pretending they had not heard, he assumed so anyway. Mesheiko wanted to groan. No wonder Hung Yong had been interested in which surgeon was coming for him. Dr. Bao was known widely throughout the camp for his brisk manner and intolerance of women in the hospital. "Dr., she's a good friend of mine. She's helped me through this." Mesheiko pleaded. True, Midori had only been here around an hour, but she had helped him through much, and the surgeon didn't know what "this" he was referring to.

"Mesheiko," looking to Hung Yong to confirm his name, "she could be your mother, and I'd still have to send her away." Mesheiko, at the word "mother", was filled with a flood of memories from his pre-soldier days. He hadn't known his mother, and now he struggled to remember when he had last seen his father and sisters. This led to an eruption of pain inside him that was just as intense as the pain his body felt, but he did his best to show no hint of it.

"I'm going to have to remove the bandages to look at this ankle. It's going to get a little messy, and I don't need anyone in the way." Mesheiko was indignant for what Dr. Bao had just said, but he did not openly protest it. The surgeon could very well save his life. Even Cheng sensed the tension in the air, and took Midori by the wrist and led her a little away from Mesheiko's cot. "Come on. Dr. Bao's a bit of a stick in the mud, so it's probably best to just leave. Besides, I'm sure Banshee would be glad for some company." Cheng said, hoping to smooth over what had just happened.

[midori]

Midori suppressed an intense cry of frustration as Cheng took her wrist and led her away from Mesheiko and that…. doctor! The young woman’s face contorted as she fought desperately with her inner anger… her fury! She had quite a few strong words for that man and had only held her tongue because of Cheng’s grasp and an extremely forceful appliance of self control. Quickly, Midori put as much distance between herself and the surgeon, afraid she might scream something she would later regret. She heard Cheng, but she might as well not have.

“How dare he, how dare he…!” Midori hissed, not stopping, but tearing through the hallways of the infirmary. She couldn’t help it, she had to fume. She had never felt so furious in her life, so violated! “How is it even halfway fair? Oh, sure… The men get to stay! What’s the difference? How am I going to get in the way more than them? If anything, I’d love to help, but no!” Her nails dug into her palm as her hands balled into fists. “Not even his mother! Can you believe him? Did you see how miserable Mesheiko looked?” Midori’s face softened at this and her rant quickly cooled into a desperate tone. “It’s not fair. It’s just not fair…”

Midori slowed and finally stopped, and crossed her arms, resting her back against the wall. She sighed. Cheng’s words came back to her and slowly she nodded.

“Yes. Actually. I’d love to see Banshee. Where is he?”


Cheng then led Midori to the stables, where Banshee was being cared for. Midori was really eager to see the ostrich-horse again, and she couldn’t help but break out in a grin at the thought of him and his distinctive screech. Cheng had said that Banshee was doing alright, but warned that he was a little traumatized. Midori nodded at this, though, she didn’t fully comprehend what it would mean for him.

Casually, the two strolled through the stable, glancing in random stalls, looking for a familiar face.

“Banshee!” Midori exclaimed happily when he came into view. However, she didn’t receive the desired hearty greeting. Instead, Banshee seemed to back up, like he was a little hesitant to get too close to her. “Aw... Come on now, Banshee…” Midori urged, leaning over the stall wall a bit. “Everything’s alright. You’re alright… Mesheiko’s in the infirmary right now, but he’ll be okay, so I’m the best human you’re gonna get.”

“What about me?”

“Oh, shut up, Cheng.”

[atalanta]

Cheng walked leisurely behind Midori, not bothering to shush or try to calm her. Women got infuriated by Dr. Bao on a regular basis. It was nothing new, and it wasn't going to change, so it was best just to say nothing. Besides, Banshee could use the company. Cheng had taken up the duty of looking after the ostrich-horse after Mesheiko had been taken in, and it was all he could do to avoid getting kicked when he tried bring food in. He hadn't even attempted to clean out the stall.

"Hey, I wouldn't get too clos-" Cheng began, but then he saw Banshee's hesitancy. It was a step up from the normal frightened aggression he displayed. "Alright." he mumbled. After Midori's shushed him, Cheng grinned. "Well, Mesheiko sure landed himself a sassy one." he said, and leaned back against the opposite wall of the stable, his arms folded. He observed Banshee every moment, searching for any sign of aggression, and found none. It was obvious they knew each other well.

Mesheiko meanwhile, was growing more and more nervous by the second. If worst came to worst and he did have to have surgery, Mesheiko had heard rumors that anesthetic herbs were becoming a rarity, only used for the most serious and critical surgeries. Well, surely his new status would merit him anesthesia.

He tried hard not to think about it, but surgery kept preying on his mind. He knew in his condition, the answer was more often amputation. If so, how much would he lose? His foot? His entire leg? It was almost too much to think about. The surgeon tapped at the leg in various places, and normally he would grunt, the surgeon would be satisfied and tap another spot. This cycle was disrupted below his ankle, however. The surgeon tapped his foot and ankle just so gently not to make things worse, but enough that he should have felt it.

Mesheiko had his head resting against the back of the cot, and he was looking at the ceiling. "Why'd you stop, Dr.?" The surgeon looked to Hung Yong and Kun Tu, alarmed.
Then he began to undo the bandages, and at first, above his ankle, Mesheiko would hiss and grit his teeth, but below that, he felt absolutely nothing, and he desperately wanted to know why his foot was so numb. The surgeon turned away for a moment, and he raised his head up to look at the wound, and what he saw unnerved him.

The foot was a complete mess. It had been mangled terribly. The cuts had been cleaned, and bruises's swelling had reduced considerably, but it was still a terrible sight to behold. The surgeon turned back and chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. That's just flesh wounds. Nothing serious. The worst of it is at the back of your ankle, and if it wasn't for that, you'd be able to feel all that on the front, trust me." Mesheiko took a deep breath and laid his head back down. Mesheiko noticed Kun Tu had left, but Hung Yong stood there with nerves of steel even as Dr. Bao probed at his mangled foot.

Mesheiko estimated the exam to be about an hour and a half, though he never really kept track of time, just remember that it seemed to drag on forever without any information. Finally, Dr. Bao had formed a diagnosis. "Well, Mr. Mesheiko, consider yourself lucky. I'll leave that foot alone for now. Have the doctors keep doing what they're doing, and take this twice a day." He handed Mesheiko a bottle of crushed leaves. "It fights off infection. Make sure it doesn't get infected, because if it does, we'll probably be seeing each other again." The surgeon started to walk away, but Mesheiko spoke up. "Sir, will my foot always be numb?" The surgeon sighed, and turned back.

"I hoped the doctors would get to tell you this. Oh, by the way, make sure they get the herb and the diagnosis," he said to Hung Yong, but continued, "Mesheiko, all in all considered, you got through it alright. You're alive. However, your foot is numb because it's paralyzed." He paused for a moment to let it sink in. Mesheiko tried to keep calm. At least he still had the foot. "You may get mobility out of it one day if your luck persists, but as far as the near future, it'll just feel like you have a big weight to move around on that leg. You'll get used to it after a little while. Anyway, good luck and I hope not to see you again."

Mesheiko looked to Hung Yong with concern, and Hung Yong returned it with a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine, Mesheiko. Why, I've even got a few paralyzed fingers." He held up his left hand and flexed the mobile fingers, making it obvious which ones were paralyzed. Mesheiko's brow wrinkled in interest and confusion. "It never looked like it." he said. "Yes, luckily, I don't use my left hand often and I've adapted since then. You see, Mesheiko, even though it didn't feel like it at the time, I was lucky. I lost their mobility at the Dragon of the West's siege of Bai Seng Sei, but I could have lost something a lot more precious. Even though you don't realize it, you sacrificed your foot for something great, just like my fingers. We're lucky."