Nadine

17. Sudden Stop

Gunner runs over and helps Tre pull the carriage people out. and they get Elkie moved to my row.

"START TRANSPORTING IF YOUR NOT BUSY!"

I start with the next patient. He's full of rocks and has no legs or pants. This is awkward. I reach in and check his heart. It's fine. Neck is fine. I need to get these rocks out and he can go for a blood drip. I start pulling intestine out and rocks. Dipak kneels down beside me. I pull out a large chunk of intestine wrapped around a rock and hand it to him. He takes it and drops it off to the side of him. "He feels clear now. I'll open him back up at the hospital. GREEN CARD! What do you need Dipak?"

"You are amazing. I will personally get you drunk next time."

I laugh and move to the next in the row. His chest is open with ribs pointed out. "Wow he hit hard." I reach in and check the heart. It's not even there. "Dipak, this isn't right."

"What?"

"Let me see your sword." He hands it to me and I nearly drop it. "Why is it so heavy?"

He smirks. "I carry heavy things, princess."

I shake my head. "You're going to have to do this."

"Yea I hear that a lot." He takes the sword back.

"You are horrible." I laugh. "I need a cut from his belly button to his throat. Be careful there are no ribs. You should cut right through."

He follows my directions and gets the guy open. "I don't know what I'm seeing. The heart is completely dislodged from its normal spot and moved over." I reach down and feel it. "It feels good it's just been moved."

Dipak puts his sword away. "What's that mean?"

"I have no idea. I'm going to have to put him together back at the office and see in a day if he will live. I've never seen anything like this. This man hit the ground very hard. And somehow his neck and back aren't broken. This doesn't make sense Dipak. It's like all the force came from inside."

"Do we know him?"

"I don't."

"I'll keep him under guard until you can figure out what happened. Work on everyone else first." He puts his hand on my lower back and leads me away. I can't help but to think that's weird. Then he starts yelling at some guards. That's not weird.

My next patient is Dr. Cruor. I stare at him for a minute before I start.

His arms and legs are gone. Head is intact. Neck is broken but feels like it will be able to heal. I can feel the tears on my face. "Dipak. Come here please." He comes right over. "I need this one cut too."

He kneels down beside me and puts his hand on my back. "He needs you to be strong princess."

"I'm trying."

"Go get a cup of blood and relax for a second. I will get him open. You need to calm yourself and your emotions." He grabs my hand and holds it up. I am shaking so bad. "Drink a cup and calm down princess."

"Ok." I go over to the blood station. "Tre block me again so I can change gloves please."

"What's wrong princess?"

"Dr. Cruor is next. Dipak is cutting him open now."

I get the gloves on and try to pour some blood. I'm shaking it all over.

Tre grabs it and pours it for me. "Look at me." He pulls my chin up so my eyes meet his. "You got this. Everyone here believes in you. Relax and take a drink." I do what he says. "You ok now?"

"I feel better. Thank you again."

He puts his arm around me and pulls me close. Then he whispers in my ear. "You are an amazing woman and I am lucky to have you as my chosen."

I smile. "I would kiss you but I'm sure I have goo on my face and it might make you sick to see."

He laughs. "Probably not. I'd probably get turned on again."

I can't help it, I start laughing so hard.

He stands there with this goofy smile. "Go back princess. You're ready."

I go back to Dipak and the doctor is cut open. I reach in and start feeling around. I find the heart and it doesn't feel damaged. I pull some wood chunks out that he got stabbed with and that's it. "I'll check him again back at the medical area. GREEN CARD."

Next is Elkie. She's a green card too. Just shock.

The next one doesn't have any puncture wounds and is pretty intact. I touch his stomach and something isn't right. I can't feel anything at all. It feels like liquid. "Dipak 1 more please."

"I'm going to put in an order for a medical sword that is super light for you princess."

I laugh and he comes over with his sword that needs cleaned. Tre comes over too. He puts the sword in at the belly button and starts to cut up. Liquid intestines start pouring out. The more he cuts, the more stuff pours out. "It's all liquid. Never seen this before." I pull his chest apart and put my hand in the goo. "His heart has been turned to liquid too. He's a black card."

"That is caused by a sudden stop princess." Dipak wipes his sword off on the grass.

I go for the next patient and there aren't any more.

"That's it princess." Tre smiles at me. "You did it."

I check out my dress. I am covered from head to toe in dirt and blood and goo and I don't know what else. "Do you think anyone would care if I bathed before I go to the medical area?"

Dipak laughs and pulls out a clean veil from his pocket. "I grabbed it last night. We had problems keeping that one on you. I grabbed it just in case we lost the first one. Let's go behind the cart, you can change gloves and get that nasty thing off your head. And then yea, you need to go bathe before you do anything else."

I laugh and start to cry.

"Why are you crying?" They both ask at the same time.

"I don't know."

Dipak looks at Tre. "Women."

"Come on princess. Let's get you a little cleaned up and then we can help you back." Tre puts his hand on my back and they both come behind the cart with me.

I am sobbing by the time we get there. "I need massive buckets of water thrown on me right now."

Dipak laughs. "Yes you do and I'm sorry but we only have 1." He grabs a rag off the cart and drops it in the bucket. "Pull the gloves and veil off her Tre." I feel them get taken off. Then Dipak takes the rag and starts washing my face and neck. "Well that's better at least." He throws the clean veil on my head and Tre starts washing my hands. He is being so gentle. "You're going to have to scrub man. Relax, you won't break her." They get my hands clean and dry and give me some clean gloves to put on.

"Thank you both."

"Anytime princess."

"My pleasure princess."

The patients are gone. Most everyone is gone except for about 5 guards. We check the area with the guards making sure we have all our supplies and then send the guards back with everything.

"Let's go get you those buckets of water now princess." Tre puts his arm around me and and starts leading me back.

Dipak laughs. "Yes and then you get to go to work after you get clean."

We all laugh then.

"Can you guys help with the medical area for a bit? I want to let all the girls get cleaned up and Elkie was still unconscious last I saw her and there's probably a few people I will have to open back up."

Dipak nods "Yes. We'll get cleaned up and go up there. I'll have the servants bring food for everyone."

"Thank you."

We barely get in the door at my house.

"STOP!" My mom jumps off the couch. "Turn around."

Me, Dipak, and Tre all turn around. Now they are standing in front of me.

"Servants get all of those clothes off of her." Dipak and Tre both tense up. "Don't even let her in here with that on. Princess the bath is already ready for you. Go there when that dress comes off."

"Yes mom."

Dipak grabs Tre by the back of the neck. "Time to go. Leaving ma'am." They both leave without looking back.

1 soak, 2 baths and 1 hair wash later. I am finally able to get dressed and go to the medical area.