Private Do No Harm

[Kiptooth Rowanheart]

Evening shades were beginning to creep upon the Harbour and those ships docked in the bay, umber and ruddy orange giving way to the soft purples of twilight. Early stars, tiny pinpoints in the half-light, caught the tips of darkening waves which lapped steadily against the BlackShip’s sturdy hull.

This would be the first evening for the new crew aboard after a day of learning the layout, of signing articles and checking duty rosters before supper and socialising with new crewmates: a busy day, and for a pawful of beasts still not over. Having already met Corda and learned from her the sheer variety of talent aboard, Kiptooth had posted summons to those with expertise in the art of healing to meet down in the large infirmary. No doubt they would be here soon, before food was served. He did not intend to keep them long, but the marten was not a hurried type.

As he lit another candle and pocketed the box of matches, Kiptooth paused to stretch and sighed. The grunt was twofold: he’d been on his paws all day, and yet there was distinct satisfaction in having access to a fresh space. Experience long taught him of how cramped and messy a surgeon’s worksplace could become, particularly during the heat of combat when smoke and blood and all manner of mess would become the norm. Here and now the sight of scrubbed timbers and no single occupied cot was to be treasured, for he knew it would not last.

Still, already he had grown fond of such an expansive workplace (awkward high shelves aside), rare at sea, and felt buoyed with enthusiasm for the voyage in a way he hadn’t felt for years. It would be good to be out on a deck again. As he waited for the newcomers to arrive the marten contented himself with flipping through the pages of an old book he had been gifted by a beast from seasons long past by the name of Lin, ears pricked for the sound of approaching pawsteps.

@Corda LaConte / Cordan LeConte @Friedrich Nähenerv @LightSeeker (and any other medically-trained characters should they pop up!)

 

[LightSeeker]

Elara arrived at the infirmary just before the first bell for supper. She had spent the afternoon as promised, reviewing the layout of the BlackShip, mapping access points to the lower decks, and inspecting the ventilation in the crew berths. Now, she approached the infirmary with measured steps, her satchel slung over one shoulder, her coat slightly damp from the sea-humidity rising through the lower decks.

The room was well-lit—candles burning steadily in iron sconces, a central lantern casting a warm pool of light over a long table. The space was larger than she’d expected: rows of cots stood empty, neatly spaced; cabinets lined one wall, labeled in faded ink; shelves reached toward the ceiling, though several were askew or too high to reach without a stool. And there, seated on a low bench beside a stack of medical logs, was Dr. Kiptooth. “Surgeon’s Mate Elara Mosswhisker,” she said, voice calm, clear. “Reporting as summoned. I’ve reviewed the Ministry directive and am prepared to support triage, intake, and preventive care under your supervision. If you have protocols in place, I’ll follow them. If not, I can draft initial hygiene and wound-management guidelines for your approval before formal implementation.”

 

[Corda LaConte / Cordan LeConte]

Corda kept getting lost in the BlackShip. It didn't help that Cordan kept coming out whenever some bit of excitement woke him from his slumber, leaving Corda to wake up in an entirely different part of the ship and figure out her surroundings all over again. By the time evening came around, she already felt exhausted. Not the best state in which to begin a night of training.

She tried to compose herself before entering the infirmary for the second time that day, smoothing down her skirts and pulling on her white cloth gloves. When she entered, she saw that the hedgehog she'd spotted up on deck earlier that day, one who had been talking about her medical experience, was already present. Corda gave a curtsy to both her and the Doctor, clearing her throat. "Nurse's Assistant reporting, sir," she murmured, her voice low.

 

[Friedrich Nähenerv]

Friedrich was just done with examining Griblo. To the possible surprise of the ferret, it was thorough, maybe needlessly, but professional. Now he was walking into the infirmary for the first time today. Wearing his blood-red outfit that was someplace between a suit and physician's coat, Friedrich stepped in, still using his warhammer as a walking cane. He had no need for one really, but he both enjoyed the style and like to have a weapon at paw. Spotting the Hedgehog and hearing as she got the same position as him would make him go hammer were it not for the fact he now understood the game on this ship. In fact, she could potentially be the most important part of it.

For now however came time for introductions. there was another beast here, a vixen that claimed to be Nurse's assistant. Friedrich opted to acknowledge the two femmes with a nod just after he signified his arrival with a thud of his hammer's butt to the deck below. "Doktor Kiptooth." The rabbit saluted. "Friedrich Nähenerv, ze Surgeon...'s mate. Reporting for ze duty. Hope zat my expertise from ze Revolution und battle fields vill be of use to ze ship. I vish to hear vat sind deine procedures." he asked sternly, looking down at the other mammals in the room but not intimidatingly. Not yet at least as he instead opted to see if he will be treated as an equal. After all, he believed he was at least as competent as this old Marten was.

 

[LightSeeker]

She did not react to the thud of the warhammer against the deck. Did not flinch at his imposing stature or the crimson coat that marked him as something between a surgeon and a soldier. She had already assessed him earlier—his tone, his bearing, his need for control—and she would not allow herself to be unsettled now. Still, the hedgehog was wise enough to understand when a little humility was needed, so that Friedrich wouldn't get any ideas. She extended a paw toward Friedrich, her face neutral where she would have given a small smile. "I'm glad to see another Surgeon's mate on board, Mr. Nahenerv. I look forward to learning a lot from you." It was both a silent offer and an acknowledgment that she was still new and learning, and maybe Friedrich would teach her something. She was still an apprentice, after all.

 

[Kiptooth Rowanheart]

Now this was a motley crew of medics, and it took no small amount of skill for Kiptooth to maintain a neutral expression as both hedgehog and rabbit arrived to make their introductions alongside Corda. Woodlander integration had come late in his life, older as he was, and whilst personal prejudice was not much on his mind it was nevertheless a surprise to see such creatures wilfully signing aboard the BlackShip. After all we’ve done, you’d willingly work alongside us? It was as pleasant a reality to see in practice as it was a concerning query on the efficiency of the Imperium’s propaganda department.

Perhaps his surprise had, however, come early. The elderly jack nodded politely to Elara when she introduced herself, noting her a beast clearly confident on her craft whilst she made her queries. Corda was hot on her heels, receiving a smile, followed last by the rabbit of considerable stature and an air of…well, something he felt far more often observed amongst those labelled vermin. His own described experience was commendable: though life at sea often required the more slow-going arts of minor injury and sickness, trauma surgery was always a necessary requirement in the heat of conflict.

Between them the three covered a broad spectrum of attitude and aptitude: good. As far as the marten was concerned there was no ceiling to experience, and with such a diverse team there would be more than enough opportunity to learn from one another in the coming weeks. All that was left to be seen was how they got along, which was soon enough evidenced in their initial interactions. He made no outward comment either way, though made mental note.

Folding his arms behind his back, Kiptooth inclined his head politely to the small assembly. “Good evening and well met, the three of you. Presuming there are no others coming, I suppose I’ll start now. As you’ve been told I’m Kiptooth: you can address me as Doctor if you wish, but I do not need titles as long as there’s respect in our infirmary. For procedures and protocols I’ll give you the reading tonight, but considering the time and that it’s some beast’s first days aboard a ship I’ve no mind to rush and will give you all a thorough introduction to all the minutiae in the morning. Personally I’m not a beast to stand on ceremony so I don’t expect everything strict and tight-laced in here, but I do expect professionalism in the work: from what I’ve heard of the three of you already, I don’t see that being a problem.”

Kiptooth’s nose twitched, grey-blue eyes shining. “Tonight’s intended to be a more…social affair. At least insofar as getting to know one another, our strengths and weaknesses, for the coming weeks of working together. This is a big ship – I’m sure you’ve noticed the crew numbers – and the four of us are going to be responsible for seeing the lot of them safe and healthy until we dock again. Needless to say it’s important that we work in harmony.”