Emergency: Lonely Wanderer

Tuesday, April 25, 1922
Around 7:30 PM
Near the edge of the forest

"I'm telling you, I saw him somewhere around here."

Rae led the charge, the tip of her wand lit as she marched her way across the grounds. She'd been out there for a walk with her half-kneazle after dinner, wanting to clear her head after all the studying she'd done. It was a necessary reprieve before heading to her shift over at the wing. Three weeks – three weeks was all they had left before they were consumed by the OWLs – and NEWTs for the older students – and the girl's brain was fit to burst.

Never did she imagine she would've come across what she had, but the moment she did, Rae had doubled back to the castle to grab any volunteers who weren't already busy with important duties at that moment. The Slytherin had managed to collect for herself a small group, enough to get the job done, she thought.

On the walk over, she told them everything she knew, which wasn't much in all honesty. The girl had barely gotten a proper glimpse of the young centaur and his wounds before spinning on her heels with a plan already forming.

To say it was unusual to have centaurs anywhere near the grounds would've been an understatement. One that small? He must've been lost. The child had appeared dazed and disoriented, but it was the gashes that had caused her concern. He may have gotten separated from his herd. Human or centaur, it wouldn't have sat right with her to offer no aid at all. How would they look, volunteers of the wing who promised to help all those injured and in need, to shoo him back into the forest where he might hurt himself worse before ever running into his herd?

Rae shone her light in all directions, trying to catch even a small glimpse of the staggering being. With injuries like his, surely he couldn't have gotten too far.

"Did someone check to make sure we've brought along enough supplies?" She'd insisted as much when she barrelled into the hospital wing like a mini hurricane.

"Bandages, potions, disinfectants..." she rattled off the list distractedly as dark eyes continued to comb the area.

Ah, there he was.

"Careful, everyone." They didn't need to have any more injuries for the night. She had to confess—not out loud—that she'd never swept the area to ensure there weren't others around that might take offence to their help.

A small detail. The poor darling was their priority.

---

OOC: Welcome to this term's emergency drill! These are meant to be opportunities for your students to display their healing skills, practicality and knowledge of medicine in real-life situations. They won't be working with dummies or illusions. Each drill will endeavour to incorporate real beings in need of care in one form or another. While these, OOC, are considered drills, IC they will simply be moments of happenstance, and it will be assumed that your student was either in the right place at the right time or received a call to lend aid. In this case, if you choose to post, it will be assumed that your character was already in the wing when Rae burst in asking for help or that she ran into you along the way back. Those are the conditions that would lead to your character being here. There won't be any "set instructions" necessarily, but this emergency will be moved along similar to any other 'plot' thread. Your character's actions will have consequences. Please keep in mind the list of healing spells as well as your character's individual capabilities. Magic is also not the only means of healing, as potions and herbs can also be employed as well as manual methods. The choice is all up to you. They're here to work as a team and play off each other, maybe even make the healer proud <3

The pain was unbearable. It seared its way through his veins, consuming every inch of him until his body had become a livewire of agony and distress.

Where was he? He didn't know.

It had all happened so quickly. The herd had been travelling together, heading to the stone tables where they would carefully consider the constellations and the herd's choices for the coming moon. It was his first time going with them. At 10, they finally thought him old enough and capable enough of contribution. But something had gone wrong. They had run into a small group of poachers and had engaged them.

In the fray, he'd gotten cut off and had been chased.

Bright lights. Shouting. A dull ache in his hind legs, then back as adrenaline propelled him forward. Warm liquid coated his hind legs. It even matted sections of his tail. That same liquid poured itself down his back, creating an uncomfortably cool sensation against the wind as his hooves hammered their way over fallen trees and along winding paths. After awhile, he could no longer hear the shouts, neither those of his herd or of the poachers who'd refused to leave the forest without a fight.

Instead, he found himself in silence, stumbling out to an open space with a large structure in the background. His vision blurred too much for him to make sense of his location and he was growing light-headed as the world began to spin. He spun in several directions, desperate to catch his bearings while his body entered open revolt against him.

Two more steps was all the young centaur could muster before all four legs buckled and he found himself crumpled in the grass.

He remained there for some time before the lights appeared.

More poachers?

His heart raced inside his chest, erratic beats stirring the frenzy in his mind. He had to run. He had to get away. The light hit him, illuminating his bleeding frame with it's open wounds while blinding him to the rest of the world. He struggled to rise, needing several attempts as the sound of footsteps (the students) drew closer. Blades of grass rustled with the disruption, signalling his impending doom.

Finally, he pushed to his feet, but the moment he did, they buckled again. It sent him back to the ground with a pained but strangled cry.

The centaur child did not want to die, but feared he no longer had a choice.

Working in the Hospital Wing brought with it a whole host of problems.

1. Tilly liked plants
   
2. Tilly didn’t like dealing with sick or injured people
   
3. Sick and injured people came into the hospital wing all the time
   
4. Sick and injured people were, in fact, not plants.
   
5. Re-read 2 - 4 to see the problem.
   

Finding Tilly elbow deep in dirt was pretty typically for any day ending in Y, so it was no shock that when Rae came in talking about someone injured and needing help, Tilly was available. She just didn’t want to be.

Was she capable of healing the sick and injured. Yes, to some degree. She was still learning, but in her 5 years in the wing she had begrudgingly learned a lot. That being said, she would rather lock the greenhouse door and hide behind the large elderberry bush.

Alas, no such luck.

"Did someone check to make sure we've brought along enough supplies?"

Tilly patted the canvas bag slung on her hip. Filled to the brim with the standard medical field supplies. “Yeah, I have the kit. I checked it before leaving. It's good to go.” She also had her small bag with a selection of herbal medicine. More holistic, less magic. The kit was with her always.

"Bandages, potions, disinfectants..." she nodded, “Yep, including all the typical healing potions and a few lesser used ones since we don’t know their specific physiology. I also have some herbal options.”

They kept moving, Rae’s wand shining a light on the area. Tilly’s eyes were looking, as well but didn’t see anything until Rae moved towards a specific spot. "Careful, everyone."

Well holy shit. In the back of her head, Tilly had hoped she was just kidding. Apparently not…

The centaur tried to rise from the ground. Covered in his own blood, looking weak and battered. As he went to take a step, he crumpled to the ground once more.

While centaurs were human in some respects, they were still wickedly smart magical beasts, and could be very dangerous, but he needed help, and fast.

Approaching, Tilly gave the young creature a wide berth, arms out in some international sign of ‘hey, I’m here to help, don’t kill me.’

“It’s ok, please, don’t try and stand. We’re here to help. Just lay still, I’m going to try and clean some of these wounds ok?” Tilly took in the gashes that litter his body. There was so much blood.

Reason number 6 for liking plants more. No Blood.

“Tergeo Sanitas.” she said, focusing on the cuts and gashes that looked the dirtiest and deepest.

She didn't want to be the one to say it, but she was glad the centaur crumpled when he tried to stand. It was obvious that the creature...er...being...was injured, and even more obvious that he was in need of help. If he had even a little more strength in him, their evening would quickly devolve into chasing a reluctant patient across the school grounds. The optics of such a thing...weren't great, and she didn't think she wanted to spend the next hour explaining to either Healer Grantham or a suddenly emerging herd of centaurs what she and the other volunteers thought they were doing.

He was in, more or less, capable hands and really needed to let them work. Thankfully, he didn't have a choice. She'd worry about whether this constituted kidnapping or detainment after he was right as rain.

Knowing how many mistakes could be made in the dark, Rae conjured a few torches in the ground, providing the necessary light to illuminate their little healing area. It was safe to say that they would not be taking him inside. Hopefully she was in time to prevent Tilly casting in near darkness. If nothing else, it would make it easier for the Gryffindor to see those wounds she was trying to clean.

"Do a thorough search to make sure we don't miss anything," she told her friend as she rounded on the small centaur, strategically positioning herself away from his hooves. Rae crouched by his head, carefully reaching a hand out to place atop his forehead. Bedside manner was just as important in healing. If you had a panicked patient, things were only ever infinitely harder.

"It's okay. Like Tilly said, we're here to make you better." And once they patched him up, he'd be free to go.

"I've got this for you," Rae continued, offering one of the vials she'd taken from the supplies that Matilda brought. "It's for the pain, but you'll have to drink it all, okay?" It was a standard pain draught, meant to help him through what was starting to look like some nasty cuts.

She kept her voice low and gentle, wanting to present herself in the least threatening manner that she could. Tensions between their respective...uh...species hadn't always been the best. There was no telling what his herd had taught him about wizardkind or how he might react when he saw their wands glowing.

"Maybe you can tell us what happened? Give us a better idea of how to help you?"

May as well make use of him being conscious. Anything could've caused those wounds, and depending on what had actually done it, they...might be needing a few more potions.

Baby steps. Triage was important.

"Don't--Don't come any closer!"

He kicked feebly with his back legs, instincts driving him to do whatever he could to get them away. They were on him. Not very big. Not likely adults, but wand bearers all the same.

The moment the light burst from the redhead's wand, a new panic gripped him. Suddenly, he was transported back to the forest with the flashing lights of several spells. The pain that had been dull now spiked with the memory, driving the young centaur into a more frantic state. The poachers had been everywhere, spells slinging with reckless abandon.

"Get away from me!" He writhed and flashed. "Stay back, don't--don't shoot!"

So many spells. Searing white lightening against his back.

No no no!

Already panicked from the spells being cast, he shoved away the vial the curly-haired one had offered. Again he tried to rise, understanding now that he would have to make a run for it. He couldn't hear reason beyond their wands. They were all he could focus on after everything he'd been made to endure.

This time, the adrenaline kept him upright for a short time where he recoiled from the gathered group, but the moment he turned to bolt, he fell again. The boy cried out in pain as he hit the grass and soon broke into sobs at the futility of his situation.

He couldn't run...

He couldn't get away...

He wanted his mother.

"Maybe you can tell us what happened? Give us a better idea of how to help you?" Rae tried to give the young centaur a pain potion, but he wasn’t having it.

"Don't--Don't come any closer!" The poor boy flailed and kicked out his legs, doing anything to get away. Tilly’s heart broke. He was terrified.

"Get away from me! Stay back, don't--don't shoot!" Oh no, Shoot? He thought they were trying to hurt him further. Tilly sheathed her wand and held her hands up in what she hoped was a soothing manor. ”Shhh, it’s ok. We’re here to help.” Tilly moved slowly, crouched low to the ground so that she didn’t appear threatening.

“No wands, see? No wands.” He was so upset, so distraught, she wasn’t sure he was hearing anything she said.

“Rae, I don’t think wands will work until he's calmed down. Maybe herbal?” Not taking her eyes off the injured boy, she brought her right hand to the tote she had slung over her shoulder. She felt the cool glass jar under her fingers and pulled out the salve she was looking for.

Opening the jar, she gave it a whiff: Herbal, clean, fresh. “See, no magic. This is Calendula to sooth and help prevent infection, Aloe Vera for the cuts, Yarrow to stop bleeding and Chamomile to help with tissue healing.” She was closer now, she could see the pain and fear in his face. She kept her voice low, trying to calm him down. “It’s going to be ok. Can you tell me your name? Mine’s Matilda. It’s really nice to meet you, just wish it was under different circumstances. Can I put this on one of your cuts? See if it helps with the pain?”

With the salve on her fingers, Tilly looked at a particularly bad cut that she really wanted to treat. Reaching out, she hoped he would let her apply the herbs, he needed help and he needed to trust them.