TRIAGE ZONE - TENT A
The tent pulsed with magic orbs, their glow bouncing off rune-linen and bloodiwd bandages. "Split incoming cases into three areas" Laura commanded. " One- wounded and stable , Two - unstable cases needing immediate attention, Three - patients showing signs of infection or possibly can lead to outbreak. These cases are ones we can do something about. But keep in mind we are not God and have limitation to what and what cannot be achieved. Collect the tags - green, yellow, red and black tags with you. Keep it moving - along with other volunteer's.
A young heeler -Min - fumbled with tags, "I-I-"
"Min" she said, calm but firm. " You're tagging. No hesitation - First look : ABCDE : Airway, Breathing, Circulation , Disability , Eposure and Environment - Okay . Lets save some lives.
" Yes ma'am! "
" Terrifying when you snap into command mode" Elyra muttered beside her. " Kinda smartass huh "
"Shut up Elyra lets work"
" Yes Commander !"
" Terrifying indeed" Cyril said who stepped into check on them " She's turning into me"
"I thought you just left and fyi you couldn't lift your own ssatchel ifit begged you" Elyra smirked as she walked away.
" True" Cyril admitted cheerfully. " But I make up for it with wisdom and wit".
Prof Cyril quitely observed Laura move through the patients- her hands steady, a dislocated shoulder , a fractured forearm , a toddler with fever, elderly with laceration over head. She handled each case with calm precision as if the chaos around her bent her to pace. " I guess I dont need to be here "
The storm had passed, but the camp hummed with tension. Somewhere nearby a child screaming in his sleep, while an adult screaming to pain no age was spared of the terrors - physical or emotional.
Daniel returned, soaked, carrying a limp child in his arms, his forehead beaded with sweat. " He was buried in a sunken house" he said out loud. Laura immediately recognised the voice thit time, looke up.
"Clung to me like like a shadow. Hasn't spoken yet and something feels off" he continued soflty as he noticed Laura in view-the boy, no older than four, was painted in dirt. Dried blood crusted his temple. He buried himself deeper into Daniel's coat as she approached. " Sweetheart" she said gently. " Can I take a look at you ?" The boy whimpered, his grip tigtening on Daniel.
Laura's eyes met his. " I'll need your help, lets start off by taking of clothes to asses -lets move over there ". Without a word, Daniel followed her and sat beside the cot , the boy still clinging to him. His stare reeked of skepticism as though unsure whether to trust her net move. But what truly caught him off guard was how professional she had become - a real contrast from woman he had first met.
She worked in silence, cleaning wounds, whispering warmth into trembling limbs. Her hands moved with mechanical precision, yet there was something almost graceful about it - like a well rehearsed choreography . As she worked a faint glow pulsated from her palms, seeping gently into flesh and wound began to be approimated. Then she saw it : A crescent shaped birthmark on his shoulder. Her heart skipped "Elyra"
" Yeah " she responded " That mother we treated an hour ago - the one with dislocated shoulder. This boy matches her description, the one she thought he'd been swept away"
Elyra leaned in " Her name ..... yes, Leah. Let's bring her in now, dont get your hopes high okay Laura" At that moment , the boy began to shake -then let out a piercing weil, crying out between sobs "MOM" . The sound tore through the tent, raw and gut wrenching. Daniel , who had stood cold and stiff until then shifted slightly - a flicker of warmth passing over his face as he consoled the poor child.
Moments later, Leah burst in behind a volunteer. The cry she let out was pure, shattering joy.
Mother and son collided into sobs. Her husband joined, arms wrapping around them. Reunited. Laura stepped away, blinking fast. " Damn, it tear glands" she whispered under her breath. "If I open the waterworks now, he's going to flip". Her hands trembled - whether from adrenaline or everything she had bottled up since morning, she wasn't sure.
Daniel stepped forward and a little stiffly, placed a calloused palm on her head - just as he'd done to the injured child moments ago. " I don't take back what I said earlier " he muttered , eyes not meeting hers. " But if you can save lives while crying ..... you're tolerable ". Laura blinked up at him, utterly thrown. " Was that suppoded to be a compliment or an insult?" In her head, she added: or are you trying to crush my skull in frustration? Because that's also plausible. " Just a fact" Daniel replied evenly, " You did eactly what you were meant to do". He walkes away toward the field, spine straight unreadable.
Elyra, who had been close enough to witness the whole scene, prowled over with her arms crossed and a familiar glint in her eyes. " Did he really have to say it like that?" she muttered. " Honestly, trying to have a conversation with that man is a health risk. You'd have a stroke - I'd end up in prison.
Laura let out a breath between exhaustion and laughter. "Let's just get back to work " she said rubbing her temples. "I'm clearly not qualified to decipher to a creature like him".
Floating orbs hovered mid-air like watchful stars, their golden flames casting warm pools of light across the field. Shadows streched long beneath them, flickering with every passing footstep that echoed through the valley. It was midnight-but the valley was lit like day. The once-desolate grounds now buzzed with activity. The crowd thickened, filled with survivors huddled close, lending hands, stiching , passing warmth orbs. Reinforcements had arrived - from distant provinces and borderlands - taking over much of the relief work. At the heart of the bustle, a new caravan arrived - marked by the silver phoenix of the Center Medical Guild: a medical team, their uniforms crisps, their eyes alert. They moved with practiced urgency, dispersing into the crowd with quiet authority.
One of them, a tall man with copper-streaked hair, approached Laura as she knelt beside another victim, whispering soft reassurances. " Lady Laura" he said gently, his voice calm as riverstone. " The Guild is here to take over the field ward. I will see to the rest. You and team may now rest. Prof Cyril spoke highly of you, So thank you - Academy help has been monumental as first responders"
Perched upon the windswept cliffs of Zelora , Aetherion Academy is the realm's most revered institution - a sanctuary of learning , medicine , scientific , magical , administerative , legal and combat forged in the ashes of a fractured world. Founded by a rare alliance of royal visionaries, noble scholars and commoners who had earned their place through brilliance and bravery, a beacon of hope and discipline.
Laura looked up, part of her ached to stay - to do more, to not walk away but another part of her relieved. The guild had come prepared with experts and tools far beyond what her team could summon. She nodded once, slowly and rose. Her knees ached , her arms heavy, streaked with soot clothes stained with blood. Still, her voice was steady as she briefed him - patient by patient , wound by wound. She walked him through what had been done, what had been tried and what still needed tending. Only when the last word left her lips did she step back - releasing her hold on ward, and perhaps , a part of the burden she'd been carrying alone.