Collector of Oddities - A Stormlight Archive FanFiction

(15) Brightness

[Zez]

"What do you mean you won't help us? We have a friend who badly needs medical attention! Real medical attention! I am a Brightlady and I am asking for your he—!" Zez banged again on the wooden door with her freehand. She had found the only surgeon in town, but it was still rather late into the night...

"You heard me the first time, your Highness!" A ragged voice, who she had guessed to be the surgeon, grumbled from the other side. He sarcastically said her title—a sign of exactly the type of person she was dealing with. "Friends of the Brightnesssss are no friends of mine. Go away!"

Zez sputtered back, never having to expect such resistance from a medic when one was so drastically needed. Tears still ran down her face and her lip quivered as the cold started to plaster the sadness to her face. "Please, you must help us! He will die if you don't do anything! He's a soldier of Highprince Amaram's army! It would be a good duty for you to aid us—!"

"Oh?" The muttering behind the door stopped. "Hiighhhhprince Amaram, ayyeeeee? Not helping." And the voice burst out into laughter.

She had never wanted more than to give up; than to melt into the snow and be carried off by the next highstorm. But... if she gave up, Qork could die because of her weakness... Soldiers don't show weakness, even though Jal began crying, that wasn't a sign of weakness. It was a sign of sorrow for his fallen friend! Yeah! Zez thought, stepping back up to the door. But you're no soldier, what would you know?

The Stormwarden's scribe silenced the voice and knocked on the door once more, this time with a strong vigor that made the metal handle rattle in the door-frame. "I ask you once more to come and help my friend. You will be rightfully paid for your skill and time. Please, there is nothing more we can do but ask."

There is a moment of silence other than the wind whipping against the side of her face.

The lock on the door unshackles with a scrape and the door opens a few feet. Looking back at her from the room beyond was a man in his middle ages, but his face was scarred and torn, which was the same for his bruised hand. When he brought his other shoulder out from behind the doorway, Zez found that he only had the one. There was nothing beyond the elbow of his right hand.

"Lady," he began, his voice a low rumble like that of a rolling thundercloud.

Zez opened her mouth to object to the derogatory name and the medic started closing the door again. "No! Please! I- sorry..."

He nodded and opened the door up fully. "I'm happy to help, no charge needed. A medic should never work with the money at the end in mind. Now, where is he? I'll need your help carrying some things."

"O-of course, anything you need to be carried!" Zez replied, pulling up the sleeves of her dress, but still wearing her glove on her safehand. "But—why not help me before?"

"Because," he smiled and looked at her in the eyes. "never really been a fan of getting pushed this way and that by Lighteyes. If someone needs my help, it shouldn't be on the basis of Brightness or Highlord. But time is of the essence, so get that bag there and the other in the corner! Let's go!"

-

-

"Jal! Jal! Doctor's here!" Zez called down the hall, leading the doctor to where they last had Qork. She rushed up to the room and slipped through the doorway, setting the medic's bags down on the table.

Jal and Temo had cleaned up most of the blood from the soldier's wounds and moved him up onto one of the beds for comfort.

Temo sat off at the desk in the corner, inspecting the silver dagger with a pair of forceps he must have found in Jal's things. Jal himself sat in a chair beside Qork's bed sweating and crying which just mixed into one at his chin.

The doctor stepped into the room and immediately fell into a practiced, skilled, and almost tactical rhythm with his tools and supplies. He didn't ask many questions, didn't say much of anything. He simply read the situation and fell into gears without more than a glance at Qork's state.

"I'm going to need that toxin breakdown whenever you can get it." The doctor had said, referencing Temo off in the corner.

"Yessir!" Temo responded in sync. He was Squad Seven's most skilled when it came to poisons and toxins, or so it had seemed back with the Breakback powder that had... killed...

Zez, once again, felt herself become of less use as each of the people in the room did their job. She watched, exhausted, standing by to help if she was needed.

Heral and Xe returned nearly an hour later, and Heral once again gave her an order, based on her own wish to be given command. "Zez. Please, go and sleep. You look like you might pass out."

And she did just that. She crossed the hall to their other checked out room and passed out almost instantly. She just hoped Qork would be alright...

He would? Right, Almighty?

"Would that be something that would make you happy? Please, Zezilia, smile again..."