Chapter 3

Chapter 3: An Injured Soldier (1)

It was the middle of the day, the sunlight that slipped through the cracks of the tree leaves casted their rays on Shen.

It has been a day since he cured Dao Dei Village and he was also just a day away from the next village. 

Grumbl…!

As he was walking down the narrow path, his stomach rumbled demanding food.

"Well, it's about time anyways that I rest," Shen walked a little bit ahead near the river and set camp there. He fished some tasty lunch from the river using his trusty fishing pole and grilled them with firewood he gathered nearby.

As he was resting, he saw something from a distance. A log of some sort being carried by the river currents.

He was about to take away his attention from it, thinking it was just an unusually shaped log when he suddenly saw a glint from it.

"Wait… woods don't reflect light." Only metals and other shiny objects and substances reflect light. That's when the doctor realized that the drifting wood was no log but a person in armor.

"Holy guacamole!" He immediately ran towards the direction of the drifting man and used his waterbending to rescue the unfortunate soul. 

The river currents which were previously carrying the body towards danger now did the opposite under the bending of the Doctor.

The wave split and instead of pushing forward pushed sideward instead bringing the man to the river shore and into safety.

Shen knelt by the unconscious man, his hands steady as he inspected the soldier's body. 

The armor was battered and the soldier's face was pale, a clear sign that he had lost a dangerous amount of blood. His shoulder had been slashed deeply with the wound still raw and exposed.

He worked quickly, stripping away the heavy armor. The leather straps peeled off, revealing the gaping cut beneath. 

Blood had soaked through the fabric, and the soldier's breathing was and labored and shallow. He didn't have much time.

"Hold on," Shen muttered, already moving into action.

He knelt beside the river, cupping his hands, and slowly began bending the water upwards. It swirled between his fingers, gathering and purifying as he pulled it from the river. 

He brought the water to the soldier's wound, letting it hover just above the torn skin. 

With a deep breath, he shifted into the technique he had learned over years of trial and error. 

Healing water wasn't just about closing a wound—it was about understanding the body beneath. The water, now glowing faintly with a soft blue hue, seeped into the gash, gently probing the tissue, the muscle, the vessels torn apart by the blade.

The first step was always the same: cleanse. He focused on the bacteria, the small pathogens that would inevitably cause infection if left unchecked. The water glowed brighter as it worked its way through, killing the microscopic enemies. 

Shen manipulated the flow with precise movements, washing away the debris and the blood clotting where it shouldn't be.

The soldier groaned softly, his body twitching as the water worked through his wound.

Next came the blood loss. His hands moved over the soldier's chest, and he pressed his fingers to the veins around the wound. Using a precise application of bloodbending—he directed the blood flow, slowing the hemorrhaging just enough to give him more time. 

Bloodbending for healing wasn't like the brutal force used in battle; it was careful, delicate work. He couldn't afford a mistake.

With the blood flow stabilized, Shen returned to the wound itself. The torn tissue needed mending. He brought more water to the surface of the skin, feeling it weave into the wound, knitting flesh together at a cellular level. 

He could feel the layers of muscle, tendon, and skin aligning beneath his touch, the water acting as the perfect medium for the body to rebuild itself.

His hands moved in rhythmic patterns, almost like a dance. The water followed, bending to his will as it carefully stitched the soldier's body back together, leaving behind only a faint scar.

Finally, Shen placed his palms over the soldier's chest and forehead. His breathing steadied, and he channeled a gentle flow of energy through the water, guiding the man's body into deeper rest. 

His heart rate slowed, his breathing evened out, and his pale complexion began to regain some of its color.

When the wound was fully closed, Shen took a step back, wiping sweat from his brow. He had done all he could for now.

 The bleeding had stopped, the infection was cleared, and the worst of the damage had been mended. The soldier would need rest, but he would live.

Shen leaned against a nearby tree, watching the man's chest rise and fall in peaceful rhythm. He had been lucky. 

If Shen hadn't been nearby, the river would've taken him, or the wound would've claimed him long before anyone could help. 

"Rest now," Shen said quietly. The man didn't stir, still deep in the healing trance Shen had induced. It would be hours before he woke, but when he did, his body would be ready to begin the process of real recovery.

The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows along the riverbank. 

He placed the soldier on a clean cloth to lay over and remained besides him. Just in case some unforeseen injury or implications popped up, he would wait until the man recovers.