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Post by Su Tanrui on Sept 9, 2006 19:29:14 GMT -5
Tanrui had watched the proceedings with a raised eyebrow. He was a very easygoing man, but the one thing that did get on his nerves was people being raucus in his infirmary. The circumstances were... not excusing, but at least they exited with due haste.
"I see," he replied, and quickly put on another cheerful smile. "Tomorrow? Provided your friends allow you at least eight hours of sleep before then, yes."
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Post by Zhong Xue on Sept 9, 2006 20:13:54 GMT -5
"Oh, good..." Xue sighed. "Got to get right back to work tomorrow and all... maybe I can talk to General Sze first thing in the morning since I didn't get a chance to explain, and there's practicing to deal with..." He paused. "Y'know, I'm not really all that tired, I can go now!"
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Post by Su Tanrui on Sept 9, 2006 23:06:46 GMT -5
Tanrui sighed faintly, his smile remaining just the same. Some people had a way of being very stubborn about medical things, especially the young ones.
"On the contrary," the surgeon said as he laid a very firm hand on the young man's shoulder. His smile had taken on a slightly weary edge. "I gather you've had quite a strenuous day. I would be very concerned if you were to, say, reopen the wound, or get an infection that caused the cut to swell and block your airway--" all of this was accompanied with a very matter-of-fact air, as if he was explaining how to cook a stir-fry "--either of which could happen if I were to let you run off before you had time to rest and heal. Therefore, you're not leaving this tent until you are fully rested."
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Post by Zhong Xue on Sept 9, 2006 23:16:14 GMT -5
"... that would be bad," Xue said weakly, managing a small laugh as he looked nervously at Tanrui. "B-But... eight hours? I don't want to be laid out with such a superficial injury before we even go to war..."
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Post by Su Tanrui on Sept 9, 2006 23:40:18 GMT -5
The surgeon did nothing but continue to smile. He patted Xue's shoulder once, rather heavily, before turning and walking to where his bedroll was laid out, taking a seat and opening a book.
"Seeing as you were just chasing after a spy in the middle of the night," Tanrui said as the faintest hint of a smirk twitched at the corner of his smile, "it's clear that someone needs to make sure you're well-rested for battle."
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Post by Zhong Xue on Sept 9, 2006 23:51:20 GMT -5
"I'm well-rested..." Nevermind that his eyes kept slipping closed when he wasn't paying attention. He felt the adrenaline seeping out of his body, and wondered idly if Tanrui had slipped something into his water, though the idea was ridiculous.
But the medic was right. Now that his muscles were beginning to relax, it was starting to throb a bit.
"... if you don't mind... might I have some analgesic after all?"
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Post by Su Tanrui on Sept 10, 2006 0:15:49 GMT -5
He turned a few pages in his book quickly, as if looking for something specific. With a vaguely satisfied smile, he looked back over at Xue when the soldier asked for the painkiller. "Of course."
He stood and poured another cup of water, into which he began to mix several herbs and powders of varying colors and consistencies from the array of jars and packets and strangely-shaped containers. A few moments of stirring turned the water a dark, thin shade of olive green. The surgeon brought this mixture over to Xue and held it out for him to take.
"Drink as much of it as you can," he instructed. "It's rather bitter."
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Post by Zhong Xue on Sept 10, 2006 0:27:06 GMT -5
Not wanting to humiliate himself yet again, Xue gulped down the entire contents of the cup, barely managing not to gag. He did, however, pull a spectacular face, which Tanrui laughed at, causing him to flush slightly.
As he watched Tanrui clean up for a few minutes, replacing the sheet on the ground now stained with his blood. Xue noted that, disgusting though it was, the stuff worked pretty well. He could barely feel the pain anymore... actually, he didn't feel much of anything besides the softness of the blankets, and the way their warmth contrasted so sharply with the cold air...
I could sleep for an hour or two, he thought, closing his eyes. And get right back to... His brain couldn't even muster the coherency to finish the thought, and he finally gave in.
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Post by Su Tanrui on Sept 10, 2006 0:45:53 GMT -5
Tanrui took the pair of cups and set them towards the edge of the floor space once Xue had downed the medicine. Once the bloody sheet was taken care of, he put back the jars and containers he'd opened to make the draught. Eyeing the labels, he organized them carefully, and the satisfied smile he wore intensified when he picked up the last jar. He hadn't mentioned to Xue that he'd also put a light sedative into the mixture, but really - it wouldn't do for the young man to go traipsing around like he hadn't just been stabbed in the throat.
Sitting down once again on his bedroll in the rear of the tent, Tanrui opened a book and began to read, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light that dawn would soon begin to augment.
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