Practicing Hands

Writers: Suzee, Yvonne
Date Posted: 22nd May 2024

Characters: Reyela, Y'gel
Description: Reyela and Brandith practice their Craft-- with some oversight.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 17 of Turn 11

Y'gel

Thread was in the sky, but Reyela and Brandith hadn't yet graduated. Brandith crouched on the ground near Aughashyth, her eyes whirling with a complex mix of hatred, anticipation and pride as her weyrling rider scurried after the Weyrdragonhealer.

Reyela held a basket with basic supplies, including bandages, numbweed, needles and thread, redwort and oil. Part of her was excited to actually _help_ but she also dreaded it: to be a dragonhealer meant that a dragon had to be hurt, first.

}:Incoming green:{ Aughasth announced and launched into the air.

Y'gel looked up to see her falling and Aug's deft catch. Moments later the green was on the ground panting in pain and her rider was crying. "It's going to be ok Saveth," she said as she cradled her arm.

"Looks like a clean break," Y'gel said to the rider. "Stay here with your lifemate. The healers are coming to take care of you.

He turned to Reyela, "Can Brandith tell where Saveth is injured? Where does she hurt?"

Reyela closed her eyes as Brandith leapt forward, her eyes already whirling with concern as she reached out to Saveth. **Where do you hurt?**

A moment later Reyela said, "Ribs and base of the wing, left side, just behind the saddle. Brandith says that Savith was hit with a wing."

Y'gel smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's good. So what I'd like you to do is triage the injuries to any dragons who come in. Aug will catch any falling dragons other than Bronze or Gold by himself. He'll call for help with anything larger but we want Brandith to stay on the ground with you. Got that?"

Triage?! Her eyes widened. "Of course. I'm on it." The responsibility was both terrifying and exhilarating. What if she got it wrong?

}:We will help,:{ Brandith said firmly.

Reyela felt a wave of love and confidence roll over her. She smiled up at Brandith. Even though her dragon was still a baby, it shocked her how much of a rock she was. Already she couldn't imagine life without her.

}:Another dragon.:{ Brandith turned her snout skyward and tensed as if she wanted to leap from the ground. This time it was a blue dragon circling toward them.

Reyela turned to Y'gel. "We've got this one. I'll let you know as soon as we know what's going on."

Y'gel turned away with a small smile and began his examination of the dragon in front of him. With the help of a journeyman they bandaged the cracked rib. The examination of the base of the wing revealed only a sprain. They spread numbweed on the injuries and sent her to rest in a wallow in the infirmary.

"What did you find," he called as he walked over to the blue.

"Minor Threadscore to the left hindquarters and tail," Reyela called back. "Brandith is keeping Edogeth company while we wait."

"Alright, have you listened to the wounds yet or applied numbweed?" He knew that when a threadscore came in without any visible thread they needed to listen for the telltale crackle of thread out of sight. That had to be dealt with immediately if found.

"The scoring is free of Thread but I haven't touched him." Reyela came around Saveth's bulk to join Y'gel. "Do you want me to start or to continue to be on call for triage?"

"I want you still primarily on Triage, but we can do both. So let's help that rider apply redwort and then numbweed."

He walked toward the injured blue. "Let's apply the redwart to help clean it up and check if there are any areas that require stitching." Y'gel nodded to P'mel who was a seasoned rider and was already applying redwart to his lifemate's flank.

Reyela nodded, but as she reached for the redwort both Aughashyth and Brandith suddenly looked skyward. }:Piropeth is injured,:{ Brandith said, just as she looked up to see another green dragon come from /between/. Piropeth was half-black with char, and when she flapped her wings one was clearly not working right. Reyela looked to Y'gel for instruction.

Aughashyth didn't wait for instruction but launched into the air with a mighty leap and even a small jump /between/. He was suddenly beneath the falling green. }:I have you:{ he said as the pair landed on his back. He crooned to the little green as he gently brought them safely into the entrance of the infirmary then tucked his wing and tilted sideways to let them slide gently off his back.

Not forgetting that he was still teaching he reached first for the all important wingsail. At the squeal of discomfort. He said "I need to see the damage to your sail" he said. "I'm sorry it will hurt." Then he turned and shouted to all the helpers in the cavern "All hands, numbweed. Stat!"

Reyela left Y'gel and, mindful of what he'd told her, hurried to where Piropeth huddled beside Aughashyth. Healers were already hurrying over to check her rider so Reyela turned her attention to the dragon. Piropeth was panting-- but although her breath was fast and light, she was breathing. **Brandith?**

}:She says she hurts, and is worried for her rider,:{ the little green said. }:I think her wings and back.:{

Reyela circled the dragon, reaching up to touch Piropeth lightly on the nose as she passed. "I'm here to help," she murmured, just as there was a cry of pain from her rider. Piropeth stiffened. "Healers are here, he'll be fine. I'm here to take care of you." She said it with more assurance than she felt.

Brandith cozied up to Piropeth on the other side as Reyela started to assess the green's wing nearest to Aughashyth. It.. wasn't good. Minorly Threadscored wingsail, oozing ichor. And a long, deep Threadscore near where her rider had sat, bleeding green across her pale hide. Reyela ducked under the wing and went to listen at the Threadscore as Y'gel had instructed.

It crackled.

Reyela's indrawn breath was her only outward concession. "Y'gel? I need help!"

"What is it," he started as he got to her but then he heard it. "Seawater," he yelled and the apprentices on duty ran over. He moved along the scored flank listening until he found the precise location. "Here," he pointed and used an instrument to widen the wound slightly. One of the apprentices poured the bucket over the green's hide. "More," he directed and another bucket was tossed to drown the Thread. He paused and listened... no more crackling. He reached in with tongs and pulled out pieces of the drowned silvery Thread to drop into yet another bucket.

"Seawater isn't as quick as flame, but it's just as thorough. Now we check for Ichoring," he said and looked into the wound. There was some but not enough to cause concern that a major vessel had been severed. "Not too bad," he said. "She'll need stitches. Have you done that before?"

Reyela nodded. Last Threadfall she'd stitched up a blue dragon's tail as a test to see how she'd do. Thankfully her turns of Beastcrafting had served her well and she'd shown she was capable. This Thread Score on Piropeth's side was much larger, much deeper, and much worse. "I can do this one and leave the wing for you."

"You're going to need two to three stitches inside before you close up the wound. Lots of Redwart and Numbweed, and call if you need help."

He turned to the damaged wingsail and the rather large split that had been assembled to support the wing. They covered the frame with soft cloth and laid out the wing on it as best they could. He reached in and straightened out pieces of the sail so they lay flat on the cloth and abutted their neighbors. He was particularly careful with the parts close to the body for they would knit together and heal if he could just make certain all the pieces were there. The applied redwart and removed all debris slathered it with numbweed and repeated that over the wing until they had the whole thing pieced together. Luckily only a small portion of the wingsail was effected and when he set the bones in the two first fingers it seemed to alleviate most of the pain.

The rush of injuries seemed to quiet and then subside as they reached the end of 'fall. "Anyone need me?"

"Could you please check on Piropeth?" Reyela asked. Her hands were stained red with redwort, but she'd wiped away most of the ichor from stitching.

"Of course," he turned and hurried back toward the green. First he made certain the supports for the wing had be finished, then he turned toward where the wound had been. He smiled at Reyela. "Very nice," he nodded. "No icoring and the stitches are neat and careful. How much numbweed did you put on?"

"About half a bucket." Enough so that Piropeth didn't complain too much, at least.

"Alright," he nodded with a smile. "Go report her status to her rider. She'll remain here while her wing reknits so she's going to be out of service for at least two months."

Reyela beamed at him before hurrying off to find Piropeth's partner. **We did good!** she told Brandith.

The green dragonet was already glowing with pride and exhaustion. }:We saved Piropeth!:{ She looked up at Aughashith with whirling, happily iridescent eyes. }:Next time we are going to fly Thread _and_ save all the hurt dragons!:{

Y'gel grinned as he watched her run off.

}: We will save them all:{ Aughashith replied.

Last updated on the May 24th 2024

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Practicing Hands