Role

Chapter 19

Journal, Page 12: The Healer In Training
Some time has passed again since the last time I'd written in my journal.
The longer I live on this path, the harder it is for me to see items of
significance in my life. The good I do has become more than merely a way
to live my life. It's simply become a part of my life. But, of the things
I've done, one thing that stands out in particular is having the Captain
ask me to learn about first aid from the priests I do now. So, likely
this page is merely going to be a list of my notes.

The Priests I've spoken to thus far have been Ipyme, Deaer, and
Amatrysti. Ipyme being a Paladin, Deaer and Amatrysti being professional
Healers.

What I'd learned from Ipyme was more from a soldiers standpoint, which in
its' own right is very important. Many times in the field, you face a
variety of creatures, beasts, and people. Each has found their own way of
inflicting lasting harm. One of the difficulties in performing first aid
is that it typically must be done on the field. Conditions are usually
far from ideal. Simple wounds must be cleaned and dressed, bones must be
set, and bleeding staunched. The difficulties therein being that first
aid is easier when one knows exactly what inflicted the wound.

Amatrysti and Deaer touched on the field being a far from ideal place to
dress wounds. Oftentimes clean, fresh water is not available, nor can you
heat it to properly disinfect wounds. First aid is a medical necessity to
prolong the life of the injured and suffering, but it is a basic one.
Infected wounds can lead to a complicated healing later on. Improperly
set bones will not heal properly and can inhibit movement, and bleeding
wounds if left untreated may cause death later when the bleeding
internalizes from the wound being sealed.

In addition, shrapnel left behind by the instruments dealing the harm can
cause lasting problems as well. A piece of knife if left in the muscle
can shred the muscle from the inside with even minor exertion. Worse,
were shrapnel to be located in the upper torso and left there,
overexertion could cause it to tear a path to either the heart or lungs,
causing significant problems if not a quick death. Were it to puncture
the liver or any organs in the abdominal area, death would be
significantly slower and more painful, especially were the internal
wounds to become infected.

Regardless the medical attention required, one must always be observant
of the problems others are dealing with. One must use near all of their
senses to determine the cause of the problem and deal with it not only
quickly, but safely as well.

This knowledge, coupled with what I'd learned in the Academy of anatomy
during my studies as a Necromancer may indeed help further my training as
a Priest of the Light.