Prospect Hill Clinic – Haven (Odyssey)

[Jon Stapley]

“Don’t worry, it’s not infected. The itching was just because you weren’t changing your bandages often enough.”

The young farmhand visibly relaxed, shoulders sagging with relief. Ashe smiled despite herself as she stood up and moved to the cabinet to fetch some fresh gauze.

“But that doesn’t mean you get to be lazy,” she continued over her shoulder, “Burns are very nasty for infection and frankly you’re lucky nothing serious happened. Jax, I’ve told you this before: you need to change your dressing every day. That’s every day, not every other day, or every day that you remember. Every day. If you can’t do it, ask Marta, and if she’s busy come right down here and I’ll do it for you.”

Jax nodded guiltily as she approached him with a strip of gauze and began wrapping his arm.

“Right, doc, I mean, yeah, I’ll do it, right enough,” he said, in that peculiar rustic lilt of the farming community due West of Prospect Hill. Ashe smiled again and winked encouragingly.

“Attaboy,” she said. She took her time finishing his dressing while he sat in a comfortable daydreaming silence, only turning to look at her once she finished and stepped back.

“That it?” he asked, flexing his fingers experimentally.

“That’s it,” Ashe replied. Sensing his urge to get back to his parents, she jerked her head towards the door. “Go on, get on with you. But take it easy and keep it clean. That means don’t you dare even think about helping your Daddy out with the pigs again, not while you’re still supposed to be resting. I’ll know if you do.”

Jax nodded again, beaming.

“I won’t, I swear. Thanks, Doctor Branford.”

Ashe nodded and waved as he left the clinic, shutting the door behind him. She smiled again as she pulled her tobacco pouch out from underneath the surgical equipment and began rolling herself a cigarette.

She liked the Haven folk, despite herself. Liked them enough to feel guilty every time they called her by the false name she had given them. They were by all accounts friendly, accommodating and honest, and she’d fit right in once she’d found a town as badly in need of a doctor as Prospect Hill. Her years on the Border had taken their best shot at eroding her Core accent but she had never quite been able to shake that distinct Sihnon twang that always marked her out as an outsider. On other planets it had instantly made people wary. Some were mistrustful, some downright hostile. Here, they accepted her. That was a rare thing.

She finished assembling the cigarette, licked the paper to seal it and lit it with a match struck off the table. She spent a few moments in solitary contemplation, watching the smoke curl its leisurely way up towards the ceiling.

That was when the explosions started in the clearing.

Within seconds Ashe was on her feet and out of the door, casting around wildly to see what was happening. She instantly took in the plumes of smoke and flashes of cannon fire and felt her heart sink in her chest. Alliance? Pirates? Could be either. Difficult to tell. The townsfolk seemed to be preparing for the worst, she noticed the owners of the general store beginning to head inside, no doubt in preparation to lock their doors and bunker down.

She had lingered here too long.

She was tempted immediately to cut and run. Grab her gear, get out the back door and be off the planet before anyone missed her. But she knew she couldn’t. Whatever these invading forces wanted, it clearly wasn’t in the best interests of the folk at Prospect Hill. If they moved into town, doubtless things would escalate. There would be injuries. Possibly even deaths.

Where injuries go, a doctor follows.

Cursing inwardly, she dashed back into the clinic and began clearing space, tables, beds, wherever she could conceivably fit an injured person, she saw that there was room for them. She washed the meagre tools again, even though they were kept meticulously clean. She ran into the back room which doubled as her bedroom and retrieved her travel bag from under the bed. Opening the bag, she extracted the dismantled silver rifle she carried everywhere with her and began expertly reassembling it.

If it was pirates, she’d need to be prepared. If Alliance... well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.

She snapped the last piece of the rifle in place. She delved into her bag for the box of bullets and quickly loaded it, one, two, three, four, five. She wasn’t a great shot, but she wasn’t terrible, and having the thing at her side was certainly a comfort.

She walked back into the central clinic area, rifle slung over her shoulder. The gunfire had subsided, but she could still see smoke out of the window. If anyone was coming, they’d be here soon. However this was going to play out, she'd be ready.

She pulled up one of the knackered old chairs, sat down uneasily and wondered whether Jax had made it home okay.


OOC: Hello there everyone! Fantastic to be here

[Mischa Brendel]

OOC: Very nice first post, Jon. Welcome! Or rather: welcome back!



-Mischa tpo August

[Jason Andersen]

OOC: Indeed, excellent post!

IC:
It didn't take long. A few minutes passed, and then a mule driven by a beautiful woman pulled up outside the clinic. In the mule were two men thoroughly covered in mud, and a dog. From the way the men were seated, they had people laying down beside them in the mule.

---

Naraea pulled the mule up outside the clinic.

[James M]

One of the men in the mule got up and boy was he big, and covered in mud, his hair looked like snakes with wads on mud caked in them,Then he could be seen picking up one of the two laying in the mule and was heading for the door
Ronon did not care about the mud all over his lean muscular body, right now it was get Ayla then August into the clinic

" Hey X get the door I'm coming through !! "

Ronon bursts into the clinic and causes a stir, He spots the doctor , A nice looking young lady, Ronon softens his tone

" Hey doc, where can I lay her, She fell out of a mule doing about 30 on a dirt road "

Ronon follows the doctors prompting and lays Ayla on a bed leaving traces of mud, then it was go and get August using the fireman's carry , Ronon places him on another bed , then he realizes that he was leaving mud everywhere

" UH sorry doc,Got caught in some quicksand, My partner here saved my butt , I'll scoot out of here "

Ronon goes outside and spots Naraea

" Naraea I think you should go inside and watch over the captain and Ayla, X and I need a bath "

Ronon Dex ( leaving tracks )

[Jon Stapley]

Ashe could only stare as the huge, mud-caked man with dreadlocks burst into the clinic. He laid a young woman down on one of the beds, shouting about thirty mules or something, Ashe had found it a little hard to follow. As he disappeared again as quickly as he had come, Ashe had only time to glance at the girl he had left behind. It looked as though she'd be fine, just had a few nasty scrapes that needed cleaning out. Ashe couldn't help but notice the odd way she kept her hands held behind her back, however before she could ask about it the large man burst in again, carrying someone else. Ashe's face turned pale.

"Ai ya," she breathed, staring as the newcomer was laid down on the bed. Gunshot, in a nasty place too. He wanted to have gotten to doctor about ten minutes ago. She felt that sick feeling rise in her stomach again and took a few breaths to suppress it. There would be time to panic later.

"Excuse me, miss," she said to the young woman, without looking at her, "You're going to need to be looked at before I can let you go, but right now I need you to do something. My name is Doctor Tallis and you're going to have to help me save this man's life. There's a sink in the other room, I want you to start by washing your hands. Thoroughly, please."

She barely even registered that the stress and worry had caused her to let her real name slip. No time to worry. She'd deal with it later.

She leant down further, producing a small torch from her pocket and checking the gunshot victim's pupils.

"Can you hear me, sir?" she asked.

[Mischa Brendel]

As the mule stopped in front of the clinic, August again had to struggle against losing focus. He concentrated on the simple things: they were in a town, he was being carried inside a building. It was a simple but somewhat effective technique to stay conscious. And there was still that voice inside his mind telling him that it was very important that he stay conscious.

Although he managed to keep his mind focused somewhat, his vision had more trouble in doing so. He barely registered being carried inside and it took him a few seconds - or so he thought - to realize that there was someone standing over him. A woman's voice. She was talking to him. What was she saying? He had heard the words, but had trouble processing them. Then, as if being shaken just before you fall to sleep, August's mind pulled him back to the now. "Yes... Yes, I can hear you." He was aware that he was sweating, even though he felt cold. It wouldn't be long now before he'd go into shock. Was the woman standing over him a doctor? Focus he said to himself. Keep your mind focused. Don't let it wander. He took a deep breath and focused on the woman's - a young woman - face.



-August Solitaire

[Misty Taylor]

The gorram doc must’ve lost her mind. Ayla thought as the woman spoke to her about helping the captain. Surely she wasn’t asking her to help, she was a patient herself! Although, she would if she could, but there wasn’t a things she could do for Captain Solitaire with her hands still cuffed behind her back. Which in itself was might uncomfortable in the position she was in. She groaned, feeling like she had been used for a punching bag, and looked over at the captain. He seemed to have a nasty gunshot wound in his shoulder. Ayla whimpered silently as the movement caused her shoulder to slid back into place, leaving a faintly throbbing of soreness behind.

“Ain’t no gorram way for me to help, doc.” She said softly attempting not to make her head hurt worse from being loud. Ayla would probably have a black eye for days from the blow she had gotten from Buddy. She would definitely be helping, though, if not for the cuffs…and fact that she had done something to her ankle when she jumped from the mule.

Ayla heard August‘s voice and since she knew he wouldn’t sugar coat anything, she asked “Cap'n…where’s Olaf?” No one had answered when she asked in the mule. And he had promised to come after her so she wanted to know where he was.

[Jason Andersen]

Freya jumped out of the mule along with Ronon when he scooped up August. The canine stayed with the big man stride for stride, and when August was laid down on the bed, she took a sniff of the doctor and could sense this wasn't someone who was going to hurt August. Somehow, instinctively, Freya knew she would help August. So Freya lay down on the floor near the bed and kept her vigil until Olaf told her differently.

~GM~

[James M]

Ronon paced outside the clinic still loaded with mud, frustration was on his muddy face, he glares into the front window then over at a neighboring building which had a hose attached to the side , wait it was a bath house of all places , he looks at X, then strides over to the building , he stops at the front door, then steps in to the front desk, it appeared that they had boarded up the place in preparation for a storm

" Anybody here, I can use a bath or at least your hose ? "

Ronon waited glancing back in the direction of the clinic and the muddy mule

Ronon Dex

[Mischa Brendel]

Ayla heard August‘s voice and since she knew he wouldn’t sugar coat anything, she asked “Cap'n…where’s Olaf?” No one had answered when she asked in the mule. And he had promised to come after her so she wanted to know where he was.

Again it took August a while to register who had said what to whom, even though he heard it all fine. After a few seconds he turned his head towards Ayla - or at least where he thought he had heard Ayla - and answered: "I think he was on that ship we saw taking off."

August turned his head back, staring at the ceiling. Like Ayla, he was still cuffed.



-August Solitaire

[Jon Stapley]

Ashe glanced at Ayla and her expression softened. Clearly the poor girl was much worse off than she had initially thought.

"I'm sorry," she said, "But saying that we're undermanned is something of an understatement. Just sit tight for now. Though if you're up to it, it'll help if you can give me as many details as possible about what happened to the pair of you."

"And you," she said to August, "It'd be best if you try not to talk, Captain. You've lost a fair amount of blood already." She pulled open August's shirt and began to assess the best course of action.

(OOC: GM, what's the damage?)

[Jason Andersen]

Ashe could easily see that August had a rather nasty bullet wound in his shoulder. Only an entry hole was present - the bullet hadn't passed through and was still lodged in his shoulder. His shirt was soaked with blood, and he was very pale. He had lost a large amount of blood, and it was amazing the man was still conscious. If he didn't get some blood back into him, and quickly, he faced death from bleeding out.

Other than that, he had some minor abrasions from his fall to the ground, but nothing even remotely as serious as the bullet wound.

~GM~

[Jason Andersen]

" Anybody here, I can use a bath or at least your hose ? "

No answer came from the building.

~GM~

[Jon Stapley]

Ashe's face gave nothing away as she inspected August's condition. She leant close down towards him, enunciating clearly and keeping her voice perfectly calm and reassuring.

"Captain, I'm going to have to put you under soon, so I can get the bullet out of your shoulder. Before I do, I'm afraid I need you to answer a few things for me. Nothing to worry about, just routine. Do you know your blood type?"

- Ashe Tallis

[KrystalB]

Naraea parked the mule and helped those who needed it inside. All this was just too much and she wanted a long gorram nap. She slumped down into a seat in the waiting room while everything was taken care of.

[Mischa Brendel]

Ashe's face gave nothing away as she inspected August's condition. She leant close down towards him, enunciating clearly and keeping her voice perfectly calm and reassuring.

"Captain, I'm going to have to put you under soon, so I can get the bullet out of your shoulder. Before I do, I'm afraid I need you to answer a few things for me. Nothing to worry about, just routine. Do you know your blood type?"

- Ashe Tallis

As the doctor mentioned putting him under, he looked at her sternly for a moment. But he realized that he was in no position to make demands. Besides, if she didn't put him under, the loss of blood would do the trick in another couple of minutes.

"Blood type O negative", he answered to her question.



-August Solitaire

[Jon Stapley]

She smiled warmly at him as she prepared the right amount of anaesthesia to take the Captain out of it.

"That's excellent," she said, as she flicked the syringe, "We have plenty in storage, both synthetic and the real stuff. So, soon as I get this bit of metal out of you, we can gas you up and have you ready to go before you can spit."

This was sort of a lie - no-one was getting anywhere near the artificial stuff outside of a Core Hospital. There was real blood in storage in the clinic but she had neglected to take inventory this week and wasn't exactly sure if there was any of August's type left. But the Captain needed reassurance at that moment and she was the only person there equipped to provide it. She had by this point noticed the cuffs on his and Ayla's wrists and figured they'd had something of a stressful time. No sense aggravating them further, under any circumstances

"I'll see you on the other side," she smiled as she delicately swabbed the area for injection and, with a decisive jab of the needle, sent August on his way to slumberland.

She took up her tools and, with practised care and precision, began to work on removing the bullet.

- Ashe Tallis

[Jason Andersen]

The procedure didn't take long - the bullet had cleanly entered his shoulder. Within a matter of minutes she was able to begin stitching. Luckily August would regain full use of his arm - in time. He was extremely lucky.

[James M]

Ronon re entered the clinic a little drier from his walk from the bath house, he finds Naraea resting in the waiting area, he takes a seat next to her, still dripping from those thick dreads, he wondered if they could spare a towel, He needed a change of clothes as well, but his mind was on August and Ayla
Ronon looked at the resting Naraea , she was cute, X picked a pretty young lady , Ronon could hear voices coming from the office where he had laid Ayla and August down

Ronon Dex ( drip drip drip )

[Mischa Brendel]

August was unaware of what was happening to him. Just before things went dark he had decided that the young doctor seemed very capable. Not that he would have any choice if she hadn't been capable, but it was a comforting thought as the anaesthetic took effect. Right now he was sleeping a dreamless sleep.



-August Solitaire

[Jon Stapley]

Ronon re entered the clinic a little drier from his walk from the bath house, he finds Naraea resting in the waiting area, he takes a seat next to her, still dripping from those thick dreads, he wondered if they could spare a towel, He needed a change of clothes as well, but his mind was on August and Ayla
Ronon looked at the resting Naraea , she was cute, X picked a pretty young lady , Ronon could hear voices coming from the office where he had laid Ayla and August down

Ronon Dex ( drip drip drip )

Ashe heard the noises coming from the small foyer and glanced at the reassuring presence of the rifle by her feet.

"Who's out there?" she called as she began patching up the hole in August's shoulder. "If you care at all about the lives of the two people I've got in here, I'd like to come inside and help me. If not, please go away."

- Ashe Tallis

[Bill Greene]

X sprayed himself off with the hose after Ronon. He made his way back to the clinic. He sat beside Naraea... exausted. "How's it going in there?" he asked Ronon.

X Davies

[KrystalB]

Naraea curled up close to X she was tried and felt safe with him. Pulling his arm around her she settled into his hold closing her eyes ready to a long nap. She did her job and now it was time for others ta work.

[James M]

Ronon re entered the clinic a little drier from his walk from the bath house, he finds Naraea resting in the waiting area, he takes a seat next to her, still dripping from those thick dreads, he wondered if they could spare a towel, He needed a change of clothes as well, but his mind was on August and Ayla
Ronon looked at the resting Naraea , she was cute, X picked a pretty young lady , Ronon could hear voices coming from the office where he had laid Ayla and August down

Ronon Dex ( drip drip drip )

Ashe heard the noises coming from the small foyer and glanced at the reassuring presence of the rifle by her feet.

"Who's out there?" she called as she began patching up the hole in August's shoulder. "If you care at all about the lives of the two people I've got in here, I'd like to come inside and help me. If not, please go away."

- Ashe Tallis

Ronon got up and spoke

" Ronon, let me tie my hair back and I'll be in to lend you a hand "

Ronon found a towel and tied the dreads back, then he stepped into the treatment room where he had laid the captain and Ayla earlier, He spots the sink and washes up, then he finds the rubber gloves in the box near the sink and pulls them on , he steps up close to the doctor who was working on August's shoulder

" Ok doc, tell me what to do, I have patched folks up before so blood don't scare me at all "

Ronon was thinking that with the fireworks the Alliance would come to investigate and that meant they had to get back to the ship in a hurry, Maybe they could move the clinic to the Odyssey, she had a well equipped med bay, she just needed a doctor to run it
Ronon follows the doctors prompts

Ronon Dex

[Jon Stapley]

Ashe was quite relieved when Ronon strode into the room and began scrubbing up with calm professionalism. A clear mind and a steady hand was precisely what they needed at that moment.

"Good to meet you Ronon, my name's Ashe," she said. She began taking charge of the situation, exuding the unique kind of authority that only came from holding a person's life in your hands.

"Alright, here's what I need you to do," she began, while she finished patching the hole in August's shoulder, "It sounds like you've got some lackeys out in the foyer so we need to get them on the task of finding a way to spring the restraints off of these two. The general store carry hacksaws and the like if you don't have any, they may not want to let you in so you'll have to convince them. Once you've done that, I'll need your help getting some blood back into this man. Any problems with any of that?"

-Ashe Tallis

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