16 - Knight Lancer S

[radiantwingedone]

Who: Duke, Zelda's household, and Angelina
When: The 3rd
Where: Random Alley, Angelina's House, then Zelda's house.
What: Duke was a kidnap victim! Time to get found.
Status: Closed.

[ Duke wasn't sure where he was, but that really, really didn't matter that much. They were still around, somewhere, waiting. They weren't happy that he remained silent, but Duke didn't care. He refused to make noise louder than the pained notes that made it through his breathing. He won't be bait. He wouldn't let them use him to lure his friends close, he wouldn't...

Even if everything felt like nothing would work, and breathing was a bit of a chore, he wouldn't make a sound. Even if it meant the fires turned to dull, cold aches because there was nothing left to burn.


Of course, the glow leaking off of him would probably attract people, nevermind that he looked different than he normally did. ]

Comments

[ladyinscarlet]

[She gives him a strict gaze, then looks at Zelda and sighs.]

We cannot just leave you here. I believe that Lady Zelda would stay here, even if I accepted to go. As she said, you need to get indoors and your wounds properly tended so they will heal. [She remembers he told her something about healing on his own.] You are too weak to do it all by yourself.

[zelda_hylia]

[Zelda glances up at Angelina gratefully for verbalizing what she was already thinking. She doesn't want to threaten Duke with "I will stay out here if you don't cooperate", but she will if she has to.]

She is right. I am not going anywhere. Let me wheel you back to the house, all right?

[radiantwingedone]

[ Sorry Angelina, while that look was likely most impressive, Duke is trying to cocoon himself in that blanket and misses it.

And she's right. He can't heal himself right now. Simply trying to focus to be able to do so brings more pain, and none of the magic he tried to gather.

Trying right now only gets another whimper-like noise. ]

Should go. [ Although it sounds more like a token protest. He's stopped moving in his ball of blanket. ]

[ladyinscarlet]

[She looks at Zelda, since Duke doesn't seem to say anything else than that they should leave.]

My Lady, will you be able to take care of him? I am a doctor, so if you need me for anything, I'll stay until he is out of danger.

[zelda_hylia]

I do have some training, but I would appreciate it if you would help me get him settled, Miss Angelina. The other victims that survived were drugged, and his mana is quite unstable. I'm not sure if I should heal him magically or not.

[Regardless, she'll start pushing that rolling bed right back out of the forest.]

[ladyinscarlet]

Yes, of course. Do not be concerned, I shall assist you in whatever way I can. I brought some supplies from the clinic as well. At this moment it is best to keep Duke's condition from being known by many. In case his attackers come back.

[She follows Zelda.]

[zelda_hylia]

[Please don't say that where Duke can hear you!]

That would be preferable. I have wards on my house, so no one enters without me knowing about it. It should be fine.

[Being in surprisingly good shape for a princess, Zelda breaks into a light jog once they hit the pavement instead of the forest ground. She's going slowly enough that she won't jostle Duke terribly, but she wants to get him indoors as quickly as possible.]

[ladyinscarlet]

[Oops.]

That sounds good. [Not that she knows anything about wards. She just follows Zelda, maybe not quite as fit as the princess.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ He heard you.

And this may be some whine-like noises, and he would try to inch for the edge of the bed, but... Zelda, this is moving too fast for him to think its a good idea to get off.

... Lucky, for now. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[That is pretty much exactly her plan - get Duke inside before he has a chance to change his mind. She heads to Ordo 2, though, not Ordo 3. Not that it particularly matters since they're connected. There's a den that's been converted into a very basic medical facility/bedroom on the first floor in there, so she doesn't have to worry about getting Duke up any stairs.

That and she won't have to wake up everyone else. Zelda doesn't bother moving him from the rolling bed to the stationary one for now.]

How much experience do you have with people that have been drugged? The survivors of all of these attacks have had hallucinations.

[ladyinscarlet]

[And she arrives with Zelda to Ordo. She is quite impressed, by the facility. It might be very basic, but she's still a XIXth Century physician.]

You are well prepared for patients... As for your question, I do have some experience with drugs. However, the most important and hard part would be to determine what kind of drug was given to him, to figure out the right treatment.

[zelda_hylia]

Unfortunately, it's been necessary often enough that I thought it prudent to set aside a room for it. Especially recently...

[Biting down on her lip, she takes a deep breath through her nose and addresses Duke again.]

Duke? We need to take a look, all right? May I move the blanket?

[radiantwingedone]

[ What Duke wants to do is make an escape, but right now the need to move that fear had been giving him is starting to fade into aches and pains and hurts and some tired too. He refuses to pay attention to the last one.

He doesn't give a real reply to her question, but curls tighter up under his blanket and... stops clinging to it like its a lifeline.

So maybe he's sulking and being a tiny bit difficult because he doesn't want to be here. Maybe. ]

[ladyinscarlet]

[She allows Zelda to move the blanket while she brings out her supplies. Poor Duke seems terrified of whatever happened to him, so she has no doubt that what Zelda said about the hallucinations is true.

Hoping Duke will not hear much, she whispers to Zelda.] They probably did drug him... I could give him some medicine to sleep, but I do not know if that is wise...

But the first thing now is to properly clean and bandage his wounds, so he will not bleed again.

[To Duke.] Duke? You are safe now, we will try to take care of you as best we can.

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke does not believe he is safe, and he shares that with a rough sound that might be a laugh.

And then he tucks up under that blanket so there's a bit of his head and his hair visible. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[Zelda takes that as a "yes", carefully moving the blanket to expose his arm. There's no need for him to be all exposed at once, they can drape him and look at one area at a time.]

What do you see, doctor?

[ladyinscarlet]

I believe that must have been painful for him. They must have injected him many times and very roughly. [Shakes her head.]

We should clean Duke's arm well, to prevent infection while his powers are weakened.

[zelda_hylia]

Of course.

[And out comes the iodine. Zelda's a bit old fashioned. She removes her silk gloves and replaces them with nitrile, starting the process of cleaning Duke's arm.]

This may sting a little, but we need to prevent an infection.

[radiantwingedone]

[ Zelda, remember that thin whine-like noise he makes that you really really don't like?

There it is. He's going to try to cover his face with his other arm, and the fingers on the currently-being-cleaned one spread and then go limp in reaction, but there was that little whine noise. It does sting, atop of every other hurt he's feeling. ]

[ladyinscarlet]

[Angelina watches as Zelda disinfects Duke's arm, and gets some gauze and bandages ready to wrap around his arm to keep the wounds from bleeding again.]

I think his shoulder was hurt too, Miss.

[zelda_hylia]

Of course. We'll need to wrap the bandages for that around his back, though, so let's do that in a little while. He gets cold easily, so we shouldn't uncover him too much at once.

[That and she fears if he feels totally exposed he'll want to run and hide even more than he already does. They'll get to his back and chest, but not until they've done everything else first so he'll be exposed for the minimum amount of time.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ That would be accurate. If they took away his ... somewhat lame attempt at shelter, he would definitely try to find another spot.

... Does he have to sit up for that. Duke doesn't really want to sit up... ]

[ladyinscarlet]

Yes, I understand. You lead, and I will assist you.

[So Angelina assists Zelda as best she can, considering Zelda knows Duke best.

But yes, when they get to the part where they have to work on his shoulder, she will support Duke sitting up.]

[zelda_hylia]

[All his limbs are treated in short order. Zelda is careful to cover them back up each time before moving on to the next one. Now all that's left his his torso.]

Duke, can you sit up for just a minute? We need to treat your torso. I promise, we'll do it as quickly as we can and then we'll let you rest.

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke wavers a little, slowly tucking himself more under that blanket. He ... doesn't want to. He wants to rest now, or at least hide now. Right? Maybe.

Maybe he wants them to go. But they won't go unless they finish trying to heal him, isn't that right? Is that what 'let you rest' means?

Yes, he wants them to go. So they won't get caught when the trap snaps into action.

It may take him a moment, because he is clearly trying to not use that shoulder, but he'll eventually get.. mostly upright. He's slouching, and studying his knees rather intently, but up. ]