Changing Trainers

The air was warm when Sirus and Terrano stepped out into the late afternoon sun to assist in Triage. He did his best to do the Guided Imagery as Sirus had taught him. He was getting better at it. It was coming easier and he didn't have to think so hard to get the process to flow a little smoother. He had hoped that when Iris left the Intensive Wing that she would have gone to rest. But as he started toward the next person Sirus pointed out, he caught sight of Iris' dark braid. Why wasn't she resting? He took a step toward her then stepped back. It wasn't his place to dictate what she did and did not do. Still, he wanted to know how she had wounded her shoulder.

Terrano turned and finished approaching the person Sirus had pointed out to him. He knelt beside them. He guided them to a safe place. Sirus watched with his arms folded. As he finished, Sirus smiled and nodded. Then he pointed toward the bleachers. Terrano turned to see Iris walking up to the bleachers by herself. He debated whether or not he should approach her again. But he knew if he didn't, he wouldn't know if she would give him answers to his questions or not. He stood and made his way out of the area and up to where Iris lay on the ground in front of the bleachers.

"Iris?" he asked when he neared.

She didn't move. Didn't respond.

Terrano knelt beside her. "Iris."

Again she didn't respond.

He shifted her cloak back to look at her shoulder. She jerked and started to seize. Terrano panicked. He had no experience with seizures. When he turned to find Sirus or one of the other healers, he was grateful to see Headmaster Perditio coming up the hill. He ran to him.

"Headmaster, Iris needs help. She started seizing and I don't…."

Headmaster Perditio picked up his pace before Terrano could finish. He knelt beside Iris and set his fingers against her temples. Her body jerked a little more then stilled. She rolled her to her side, coughed, and vomited. She coughed a little more then spit to clear her mouth. Terrano moved a little closer.

"Iris, are you…?"

She hopped to her feet and stalked off.

The posture she held while she walked away kept Terrano from following. Headmaster Perditio stood and folded his arms. He did not seem surprised or bothered by Iris' reaction.

"She's upset, isn't she?" Terrano asked quietly, when Iris reached the top of the crater.

"Yes. She just needs a moment to calm down."

"May I ask what causes the seizures?"

Headmaster Perditio turned toward Terrano a little bit. "Another's help."

"I don't understand, Headmaster. Her seizing calmed with your help."

He smiled knowingly. "Here she comes."

Terrano turned to see Iris approaching them once more. Her expression was much calmer than he expected it to be.

"Iris, I'm…." He stopped when she held up her hand.

"I forgive you, Terrano." Then she turned to Headmaster Perditio. "Thank you, Headmaster. I did not expect you to keep watch over me this whole time."

"I would not be Headmaster if I did not have my healers' best selves in mind."

Iris bowed her head in acknowledgment.

"Which is why I would like you to teach Terrano the calming technique and become his trainer for the remainder of the techniques."

"As you request," she replied with the minimalist pause.

Headmaster Perditio turned and walked back into the compound.

Iris had not ceased to watch him leave, her expression unreadable. Once Headmaster Perditio was out of sight, Iris sat on the lowest bench.

"Iris, if you would rather not train me, I…."

She shook her head. "You will learn better now that I will no longer be a distraction."

Terrano hesitantly sat beside her. "I… How's your shoulder?"

"Healing."

"May I look at it?"

Iris nodded then pushed her cloak and tunic top out of the way so he could inspect it.

Terrano moved to her other side to inspect her shoulder. He carefully removed the bandaging. She had a hole in her shoulder. The edges looked a little burned, but it was packed well with Witch Hazel and Comfrey. "It looks like a gunshot wound," he said, tipping his head to try and see more of it.

"That's exactly what it is," Iris replied.

"But, how…? When…?"

Iris turned her blue and green eyes toward him. "You know when."

He stared at her.

"Are you done? Or does it need something?" she asked.

"I… I'm done." He covered the wound back up and made sure the binding was back in place. He pulled the shoulder of her tunic and cloak back up to cover her shoulder.

"How confident are you with Guided Imagery?"

"I think I have it down."

"Show me."

Terrano hesitated.

"Are you looking for an engraved invitation?"

"No, I…. I'm not used to being put on the spot like that."

"What is Triage, if not being put on the spot?"

"That's different."

Iris scoffed.

"What?" Terrano asked.

"You can't rely on the trainer to point out who to help next. You need to be able to look at someone and assess their needs. Know and utilize whatever modality they require. If you cannot do this, you might as well go back to Oaktrail Village." Iris stood and headed for the compound.

"What about the calming technique Headmaster Perditio wants you to teach me?" he asked, getting her to stop.

She turned back to him. "What of it? You still haven't done as I asked." Then she walked away.

Terrano hurried after her. "The Guided Imagery? I need you to lay down if…."

"No, you don't."

"…Are you going to be like this the whole six months?"

"That depends on you, Terrano."

Iris opened a door which Terrano nearly ran into. She entered the laundry, not bothering to see if he followed or not. After a moment, he opened the door and stepped inside. Iris was already seated at a washboard scrubbing clothes clean with her right hand. Terrano set his hand over hers to stop her. She pulled her hand away and locked eyes with him.

"You shouldn't be doing this with your wounded shoulder," Terrano asked.

"You need to stop avoiding what I've asked you to do," she replied.

"If I do what you ask, will you get some rest?"

Iris motioned to the room. "What need do you see here, Terrano?"

"You have…."

"No. Look around. What needs to be done?"

Terrano glanced to either side of him. "There is a basket of cloths to be washed. A couple baskets of things that need mending."

"Grab a basket. I'll walk you through what to do." She grabbed the shirt that was in her bucket and ran it along the washboard once more.

He grabbed her wrist to stop her work. "Not until…."

Iris' palm slammed against his shoulder, knocking him back.

He gawked at her.

"That's twice you've ignored my instruction, Terrano. Now…, you can either grab a basket or go to your room." She turned back to the wash and lifted the shirt out of the bucket. She inspected it then resumed her scrubbing.

Terrano sat up slowly. The other healers in the room had turned in their direction when he had fallen, but had gone back to their tasks as if nothing were wrong. Iris ignored him. She wrung out the shirt, swished it in a second bucket to rinse, wrung it out again then stood to hang it up. She had essentially dismissed him, while leaving the door open for him to work—to learn another part of the many duties he was to help perform here. Terrano got off the floor and grabbed the other basket that needed washing and brought it closer to Iris.

She glanced in his direction. "Buckets and washboards are against the wall. You'll need to pump water into two buckets so they are half full. Add a scoop of soap shavings into the bucket with the washboard."

He nodded and did what she said.

"Scrub until all the dirt, grime, blood, etc is gone. Wring out the water. Rinse. Wring. Hang dry."

"I know how to wash clothes," Terrano said softly.

"I don't know that," she replied.

"You would have had you asked."

Iris rinsed her next piece of clothing then stood to hang it up.

They sat in silence washing several shirts and pants. Terrano pondered how to get on Iris' good side. Get to the point where he could get her to open up more about herself. Iris was almost done with the basket beside her when Terrano noticed that the circles under her eyes looked darker.

"Are you alright, Iris?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Terrano," she replied.

"Perhaps you should rest. I can…."

Iris shook her head.

He watched her a little longer. Other than the darkening circles under her eyes, there was nothing to indicate she was tired or in pain. Her expression remained the same flat, somewhat depressed, look she always had. Was there a way to use the guided imagery to reach what she was masking? Terrano washed another shirt as he thought about how he would use the technique with someone who did not outwardly appear to be suffering.

"Picture your left shoulder as a wide open field," he said softly. "In its center is a deep pit. Plant a tree in the pit. …Watch its roots grow. Grow into the walls of the pit. …Help the tree draw the walls of the pit closer. …Closer. Closer. …Keep drawing the earth closer to the tree until the pit disappears."

Iris took and released a deeper breath. "Sirus will be pleased to hear his time with you was not wasted," she said. She stood to hang up the last item of clothing from her basket.

"What about you?"

"Your timing stinks, but you have the technique down." She poured the used water down a drain in the floor. Then she made her way over to the corner where several baskets of mending sat waiting.

Did she never stop? Terrano finished his basket of clothes. He cleaned up his buckets then stepped over to where Iris sat.

"You can head to the dining area, Terrano," Iris said, not looking up from her sewing. "I will meet you in Triage in the morning."

"Come with me," he requested. "You can finish this later."

"I am not yet hungry."

"At least rest your shoulder."

"Why do you think I stopped washing?"

"Because there wasn't anything else to…."

Iris pointed across the room. At least three full baskets sat ready for washing.

"When did those show up?"

"Soon after you started washing your own basket."

"But after this basket you will get dinner," Terrano said, determined not to be derailed.

"I'll see you in the morning, Terrano," Iris replied.

He sighed. "Goodnight, Iris."

"Goodnight."