[Writing Assignment] For the Good
"I'm sorry; there's nothing we can do for her."
Katric kept his eyes downcast, staring at the master's feet flatly. Periodically, he shot looks up at the patient's family, her parents and husband. They all wore the same shell-shocked expression, the one the journeyman healer knew well. The family huddled tighter together, glancing from Katric's master to him, as though he could overrule the older man. He only shook his head helplessly.
"There's nothing...?" asked the husband.
"I'm sorry," repeated the master. "We can treat her symptoms, but there's nothing we can do about the actual disease. It's... terminal."
Katric just stared now, watching the emotions play across their faces as this sank in. Shock, disbelief, horror, grief. He'd seen them all before. The Master offered them one last sad smile and turned to go, a hand sliding across Katric's arm to signal him. With one last look, the twenty-turn-old turns to follow.
"What will we tell the boys?"
Katric hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder one more time, at the family closing in to comfort each other. Then, he hurried after his master.
-=-
Night found him still in the infirmary, seated by the woman's bedside. Elbows on his knees, he bent over with his head down, alone. He'd volunteered for the night shift; the other two healers on duty had retreated to the back room to play dice, leaving him to mind the infirmary itself.
"It's for your own good--everybody's good, really," he whispered to himself. "It's... You don't know what it'll do to you. To them, having to just sit here, every day, and just... watch. And know, there's nothing you can do--nothing--while you just drag on, lingering. Months. Turns. It's not right. I can't let--"
He broke off, standing, and picked up the fellis he'd set on the nightstand. She never really got a chance to wake up--she was still half-asleep, too fuzzy to really struggle, and by the time she really realized what was happening it was done.
"Katric?"
The healer looked up, blinking. His master exited the back room and froze in the doorway, staring aghast at his journeyman still bent over their patient.
"Katric, what have you done?"
"I had to," the young man said solemnly. "No--wait. What are you--I had to! It was for the good of everybody! I had to!" His protests rose in volume, righteous indignation overtaking him as he tried in vain to plead his case.
Katric kept his eyes downcast, staring at the master's feet flatly. Periodically, he shot looks up at the patient's family, her parents and husband. They all wore the same shell-shocked expression, the one the journeyman healer knew well. The family huddled tighter together, glancing from Katric's master to him, as though he could overrule the older man. He only shook his head helplessly.
"There's nothing...?" asked the husband.
"I'm sorry," repeated the master. "We can treat her symptoms, but there's nothing we can do about the actual disease. It's... terminal."
Katric just stared now, watching the emotions play across their faces as this sank in. Shock, disbelief, horror, grief. He'd seen them all before. The Master offered them one last sad smile and turned to go, a hand sliding across Katric's arm to signal him. With one last look, the twenty-turn-old turns to follow.
"What will we tell the boys?"
Katric hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder one more time, at the family closing in to comfort each other. Then, he hurried after his master.
-=-
Night found him still in the infirmary, seated by the woman's bedside. Elbows on his knees, he bent over with his head down, alone. He'd volunteered for the night shift; the other two healers on duty had retreated to the back room to play dice, leaving him to mind the infirmary itself.
"It's for your own good--everybody's good, really," he whispered to himself. "It's... You don't know what it'll do to you. To them, having to just sit here, every day, and just... watch. And know, there's nothing you can do--nothing--while you just drag on, lingering. Months. Turns. It's not right. I can't let--"
He broke off, standing, and picked up the fellis he'd set on the nightstand. She never really got a chance to wake up--she was still half-asleep, too fuzzy to really struggle, and by the time she really realized what was happening it was done.
"Katric?"
The healer looked up, blinking. His master exited the back room and froze in the doorway, staring aghast at his journeyman still bent over their patient.
"Katric, what have you done?"
"I had to," the young man said solemnly. "No--wait. What are you--I had to! It was for the good of everybody! I had to!" His protests rose in volume, righteous indignation overtaking him as he tried in vain to plead his case.