[Job Thread] The Teachers

by **Ruby Majalenka** on May 31st, 2013, 1:02 pm

[22nd Spring 513]

"So see, aside from knowledge of healing, this you should know. And remember." said a senior doctor in the Whitevine Healing Center while eating his lunch in the cafe. His assistant, a young Konti in a green tunic, sat across the table, impassively listening while sipping her tea on intervals. "Upon treating patients, you must be respectful, without personal intentions, and strive for the subject's wellbeing.

"Yes, doctor. My mother even made me swore an oath to her in regard of that !" the Konti replied with a smile. Noticing the interested glint on her senior's eyes, she started to recite the oath fluently, somewhat mechanical.

"I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment the following.
To hold dear that who have taught me this art and care for him and his family as I would to my own, out of undying gratitude and professional respect.
To apply any measures for the benefit of the sick according to my capability and judgment, and do neither harm nor injustice.
To neither prescribe lethal drugs nor suggest to do so, and in the same manner give no abortive remedy.
To not use the knife and to withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in the particular skills of surgery.
Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.
What may come into my knowledge in the course or outside treatment regarding the life of men, I will keep to myself holding such things shameful to be spoken about.
If I obey this and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot."

The doctor laughed. "In light of the fact that your mother traverse the whole continent, I take it she's member of the Opal Order ?"

"No, but she does things similar to them. I guess she's too whimsical to adhere to the Order's obligations, maybe ?"

"Hm, funny." the doctor replied, between his mouthfuls of food. "But do you understand the gravity of the oath ? The importance of your patients, Ruby ?"

"Well, sort of..." The Konti smiled sheepishly, too proud to openly admit lack of knowledge.

The doctor went silent for a while, looking down at his food all the time before bringing his eyes to meet Ruby's again. "There must be a few patients in the lobby, go treat one and report back to me."

"But I'm simply a doctor's assistant, I'm not allowed to do so !"

"Then you'll just have to announce your position." the doctor smiled, and beckoned her away.

'Wouldn't they just refuse treatment from an unqualified staff as me ? What's doc thinking ?' Ruby pondered as she stumbled down the hallway to the lobby.

by **Ruby Majalenka** on June 11th, 2013, 6:05 am

The first four patients she met share the same trait :

Their eyes lit with relief, thinking their wait was finally over, but upon hearing that Ruby was not a full-fledged doctor, their change in expression could only be described as a tortoise crawling back into its shell after sensing the possibility of danger. Every word they spoke, the tone it carried, and the hostile body languages were directed to sending her away in the coldest way possible still accepted by common norms.

Ruby was shocked. Even though she admitted that people would be hesitant in being treated solely by an assistant-doctor, she had not expected this bad of an attitude that a resentment started growing inside her. After it came the justifying optimism. It's their lives we're talking about here, and doesn't a cornered beast snarls and bites the hardest ? Perhaps that was what they saw me as, a smiling humanoid beast bent on injecting them with chemicals and watching them writhe around on the floor, foaming on the mouth with blood tears streaming down their cheeks, she mused.

Still, she preferred the first four patients than the fifth, an old dwarven male human with a broad, muscular build. Had his face been ridden with beard, he could be easily mistaken as a dwarf. At first he smiled and nodded dumbly to everything Ruby said, but after he was taken to a treatment room just down the corridor, his behaviour worsened in the safety of privacy.

"You're not a full-fledged doctor, right ? That's what young'uns are like nowadays. Getting softer and softer, why if you love your children, you'll let them see the world ! I bet your mother pampered you, I know she did ! And what's with the issues nowadays, the cold war between nations ? After all's been said and done, more things get said than done. Back in my days, we'd simply duke it out on the battlefield and let our strengths answer for ourselves !"

The man was diagnosed with a light cold. At the insult towards her mother, Ruby was tempted to slightly decrease the herbal medicine prescribed to prolong the man's sickness, but her oath kept biting back at her. She did nothing to the medicine and settled for a cold, hostile farewell instead.

Afterwards she had the urge to return to the doctor, but her pride prevented that. I'll be damned if I return without learning something. Even insanity has its own meaning when followed by a wise context, surely there is something to be learned here, lest the doctor would not send me alone. But what is it ? Her eyes scanned the lobby and she decided to settle for one more patient.

A face stood out amidst the crowd. It belonged to a rat-faced mother with a crying pink-cheeked baby in her arms, a figure Ruby presumed to be the most hostile of all. She laughed at herself for seeking the worst possible options at times just for the thrill itself and approached the mother. Several steps apart, the mother sharply raised her face and glared at Ruby's eyes.

"Yes ?" she asked curtly, though the tone was that of "What do you want ?"

by **Ruby Majalenka** on June 11th, 2013, 7:13 am

"My name is Ruby Majalenka, a staff." she began bashfully. "How may I assist you ?"

The woman stared impassively before replying, her coarse voice piercing through even the baby's cry. "You're not a doctor, are you ?"

Ruby was irritated by the fact that she was too intimidated that she forgot to introduce herself properly. "I am an assistant doctor, though I've been given training and teachings, I admit I am not fully qualified, madam." she said apologetically in an attempt to persuade.

Strangely the woman's expression began to soften. Without Ruby's direction, she got up and headed down the corridor into a spare treatment room. Ruby was taken aback by the woman's boldness, but her professional obligation forced her to return to her full senses almost immediately. "He pulled my necklace and its string gave away. Before I could collect all the falling beads, he slipped one inside his nose." said the mother worriedly, carefully putting down her baby on the bed.

Judging by the bulge at the top of her nose, the bead had almost fallen to the pharynx. If that happened, it would block the baby's breathing passage and lead to dire consequences. She could insert a long, thin object to pull the bead out, but too risky. A memory dawned on her, something she read on her mother's notes when they still wandered together.

"Excuse me, madam. But may I kiss your baby ?"
"What ?"
"I-If not, I will show how it's done and you can do it yourself."
The woman stared on with furrowed brows, though she seemed to calm down. "...it's okay, go ahead. I have faith in you."

Again, Ruby was puzzled by the encouragement but decided there'd be plenty of time for that later. If she remembered right, the nose will push out any foreign objects when given the proper stimuli. After making sure the clear nostril was entirely covered by her mouth, the customary doubts began kicking in. Do I cover his mouth too ? How strong should I blow ? Is it a sudden, short one or a soft, continual one ?

She couldn't exactly remember, but after a forceful blow of wind into his nose, the baby sneezed and the bead shot out, covered in snot. The baby stopped crying and calmed down, his pain gone. Ruby felt a thick cold salty liquid flow into her mouth and preferred to spit it out immediately rather than finding out about its identity.

Immediately the mother took the baby back to her secure arms and comforted him. After a few moment, she thanked Ruby who was unconsciously smiling while filling out the required administration papers.

"You know, my cousin is a healer too. During her apprenticeship, she was rejected by many patients, whereas to advance you need experience, right ? I know when you propose to treat someone, it is only after rigorous practices extending years back. We're not test subjects that got poked around by a not knowledgeable student." she smiled, revealing an unhealthy set of teeth.

Ruby was so moved that she broke into a wide smile. Bidding goodbye in few words as possible to not show her speechlessness further, her mind was racing to an understanding, reality itself seemed distant and separate.

It was only after we were rejected by patients that we understood their importance, she reflected. They willingly gave their body as means of learning to educate the junior staffs, who would in time become the pillars that uphold the world's integrity, continuing their predecessors. She laughed to herself and nodded contently, the oath engraved in her mind no longer a simple set of words, but one with a deeper meaning, beauty, and gravity to it.

by **Noblesse** on July 9th, 2013, 2:53 am

Ruby Majalenka :

True nobility lies in being superior to your former self

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out. Heehee.

Solo [Job Thread] The Teachers