Blood loss and riding double?
Hello detailers! I need some help figuring out if an idea for a scene is... well, plausible, at least. If not completely possible.
Setting is a fictional world with approximately classical roman empire level of technology - no magic. The scene takes place in a remote desert area with no access to doctors, etc. The characters are a small man in his late forties and his teenaged son and daughter, all of whom are used to living in the area and in good physical condition.
The three characters are in a fight, and the dad is wounded (deep gash from a sword). Also, one of their horses is killed. He and daughter ride double as they escape. A while later - length of time is unspecified - the dad is too weak to stand because of blood loss and acting irrationally. They make it to their destination, and after a suitable recovery time Dad gets better.
So here's my questions:
1. How much blood does he lose? I'm thinking about a liter - would that produce the symptoms I'm looking for? It's important because this is a comic, I need to know how drippy we're going to get.
2. How long would it take to recover completely, assuming he had plenty of rest, water, and food? How long until he could at least resume basic activities?
3. Is it reasonable to have two people on one horse over rough terrain? They're both pretty small, and would be riding with a saddle and stirrups. No stirrups! That'd be an anachronism ;) This is a fairly long trip, several days at least.
Search terms: hypovolemic shock, bleeding, blood loss symptoms, trauma injury, horse endurance
Thanks in advance for any help!
Setting is a fictional world with approximately classical roman empire level of technology - no magic. The scene takes place in a remote desert area with no access to doctors, etc. The characters are a small man in his late forties and his teenaged son and daughter, all of whom are used to living in the area and in good physical condition.
The three characters are in a fight, and the dad is wounded (deep gash from a sword). Also, one of their horses is killed. He and daughter ride double as they escape. A while later - length of time is unspecified - the dad is too weak to stand because of blood loss and acting irrationally. They make it to their destination, and after a suitable recovery time Dad gets better.
So here's my questions:
1. How much blood does he lose? I'm thinking about a liter - would that produce the symptoms I'm looking for? It's important because this is a comic, I need to know how drippy we're going to get.
2. How long would it take to recover completely, assuming he had plenty of rest, water, and food? How long until he could at least resume basic activities?
3. Is it reasonable to have two people on one horse over rough terrain? They're both pretty small, and would be riding with a saddle and stirrups. No stirrups! That'd be an anachronism ;) This is a fairly long trip, several days at least.
Search terms: hypovolemic shock, bleeding, blood loss symptoms, trauma injury, horse endurance
Thanks in advance for any help!