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.”

 

[Corda LaConte / Cordan LeConte]

Corda winced as the hare physician entered the infirmary, though she still gave him a deferential curtsey. The harsh contempt he'd shown her on the deck that morning still stung like a lashing, and the thought of earning further rebukes from him made her want to cry. Instead she listened to the head surgeon explain the purpose of the gathering and its more relaxed nature.

"Yes Doctor Kiptooth," she murmured, keeping her gaze down. "I'll follow all your guidance and direction, sir." She felt herself bracing for more harshness from Doctor Nahenerv, an old habit from her days of tiptoeing around her father's violent temper.

 

[Friedrich Nähenerv]

Friedrich sharply nodded at the hedgehog nurse and her greeting. She was showing that she knew her place and to the rabbit, it was enough to respect her. Besides, getting her support was important in his current plan and as such, he had no hostility in his response. "Vell. Ms. Mosswhisker, I vill gladly share vith you mein experience."

Then the old Marten spoke. His casualness and professionalism bode well and Friedrich could see that at least, even if this was a target of his current plans, he wouldn't have an issue with Dr. Kiptooth. He stepped forward and offered his right paw to him for a shake. "Kiptooth." The rabbit stated with emphasis. Showing that he will treat the Doctor as an equal. "I heard of your skills before among ze other civilian practitioners. I do not doubt zhere is aplenty experience to share between ze naval und land branch of Imperium Forces." He spoke with conviction, before letting go of his paw. "I can give you a good grasp on my methods. I have done ze primary examination of one of ze beasts already so you can see my meticulousness isn't just a word."

After pulling from his bag a notebook the rabbit had pulled a stack of lose paper sheets from it and set them on the nearby sufrace. It was twenty-two pages about every single inch of Griblo's existence. He however now turned to the other nurse, Corda. One that dared to disrespect him on the ship earlier. She was showing proper deference now and seemed afraid. Good. Friedrich inside was happy with her suffering, but on the outside, he could only show some contemplation. "Vell. Ms. Vixen. Since this is a social affair, Ich am Friedrich Nähenerv. Vat ist your name?"

 

[LightSeeker]

Elara listened as Friedrich spoke, his tone measured, his gestures precise. When he addressed her directly and affirmed his willingness to share experience, she gave a small, neutral nod. “Thank you,” she said simply. No embellishment. No deference beyond professional courtesy.
Then, quietly, she stepped forward toward the table where the papers had been laid out. “If you’ve already completed an intake exam,” she said, “I’ll cross-reference it with my own observations once I begin crew assessments. Standard protocol would include vital signs, injury history, chronic conditions, and baseline hygiene factors.” She paused, then added, “If your method includes additional metrics, I’d appreciate clarification on how those are documented and whether they’re used for medical planning or administrative tracking.” Then, realizing Kiptooth was in the room and the one in charge, she looked up at him. "If that is okay with you, Doctor." Her tone was apologetic, as if she were slightly worried she had overstepped.

 

[Kiptooth Rowanheart]

Tempting though it was to give Corda some reassurance, Kiptooth did not feel it appropriate to single out her lack of confidence in the presence of these two able medics. It would be no overnight process, but already old paternal instincts were firing up and keen to see her develop an identity of her own within the infirmary, particularly when she seemed so very attached to her sibling.

“Learning from one another’s exactly what I like to hear,” Kiptooth said. “As I’m sure you’re all aware, medicine is unpredictable and ever-changing: all of us can stand to learn a thing or two and the more minds we have in one place the better-placed we are to serve the ship.”

Friedrich offered his paw and Kiptooth shook it at once, pleased in some quiet way to hear that his work had been disseminated. Lecturing at Length could be a rather insular process, as could sharing papers amongst peers in academic circles. The marten inclined his head politely. “The more knowledge shared the better,” he agreed, “well met and I look forward to-”

Oh. The rabbit really hadn’t been exaggerating, and for a moment he blinked as the stack of papers were set down. The old marten’s brows raised, claws flicking the top sheet over as he scanned the detailed report whilst Elara spoke. In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but to wonder just what these meticulous beasts would have made of the old days on the Hide where procedure and protocol had been minimal at best until Julia’s consistency and the advances of time had kept matters in better check. “No harm done, miss,” he replied to the hedgehog with a kindly smile, “you sound just as thorough, and that can’t hurt on a ship this size.”

With Friedrich conversing with Corda he was keen to get to know her, albeit whilst keeping an ear pricked for any discomfort in the vixen’s tone. He dropped his own voice to a low murmur as he scanned the pages, giving them a light tap as he looked to Elara. “So, what do you make of this report yourself? Have you conducted many assessments this detailed?”

 

[LightSeeker]

When he handed the report back with a tap and asked his question, she responded without hesitation, but also without haste. "I’ve conducted intake assessments under field conditions,” she said, “but never to this degree of personal detail. That level of depth,” she continued, “can be useful, if applied within ethical boundaries. If the purpose is to anticipate health risks, it has its merits." She glanced briefly at the stack of papers, then back to Kiptooth. “No, I haven’t written reports like that, to be clear."

 

[Corda LaConte / Cordan LeConte]

Corda shrank under Doctor Nähenerv's gaze, her heart already racing. There was something of contempt and disgust in those eyes that brought her immediately back to her childhood home, making her five years old again and terrified of every heavy creak of the floor under her father's footpaws. On a ship as old and weathered as the BlackShip, she'd been jumping at nearly every sound from the wooden craft's aged boards. "Corda LaConte, Doctor Nähenerv," she introduced herself, unable to meet his eyes nor suppress the quaver in her voice as her panic rose. Don't retreat. Don't let Cordan out. He'll only make things worse. It was hard; Cordan had always been there to fight her battles for her, and it was hard for her not to perceive this hare, on a primal level, as a terrifying threat.

"I-I look forward to learning through your example, sir," she managed to stammer out, her voice growing smaller as her gaze drifted to the safety of the floor. Be small. Don't be a threat. Don't be a target.

 

[Friedrich Nähenerv]

Friedrich looked at Corda that was very very much afraid in his presence. Rule through fear was not something he was after today, even if it brought him a lot of joy. Instead he opted to do one thing he rarely did. Stern assurance. "Do not be intimidated by my size. If you vish to learn, I vill be villing to teach you what I know."

The rabbit could hear the other two muttering behind his back, not exactly word-to-word as he didn't focus too much on it, but having ears of his size definitely helped knowing when somebeast was talking behind. Deciding that his business with Corda was finished, he turned sharply around and took a step over to the other two by the documents he had laid down.

"I am aware zis is a lot. I am used to vorking in ze field vith only assumptions or impromptu tools, but over ze years of running ze klinik, I've found zat holding details is fascinating und helps in case of emergency." He turned the pages to show the sixteenth one. "As you kann zee here, zis page is dedicated to kardiovascular system. Ze subject was appraised und ich could define vhere each of his veins and arteries are going. Based on my previous experiences, ones Ich kann provide documentation for, I could also deduct zeir size, throughput, define a good amount of potential veak points as vell as determine zat ze patient has slight case of varicose veins und lower zan optimal blood pressure."

Friedrich didn't bother waiting for the reaction, he just had continued. "Und yes Ms. Mosswhisker, zhose are all firmly for medical purposes. I kann konclude ze surgery or triage much faster if I hab access to such data. Much needed in any kombat or crisis situation und Ich vill not let inadequacy stain mein efficiency."

 

[Kiptooth Rowanheart]

Regarding the hedgehog quietly, Kiptooth noted her observations and nodded: an insightful and tactful answer indeed. Before he had the opportunity to explain his own thought process and the reasonings for his asking the rabbit intervened to defend the papers.

One ear flicked, both quietly impressed and curious to see what this confident fellow would make of his opinion. His academic heart sang indeed at the opportunity to discuss and record such fine details as these, pathology being his interest and more information always useful in such studies, but practicality was ever the devil to innovation. For now, he discounted imagining what should happen if Friedrich tried to impose such thorough observations on a beast like Tanya.

“Your detail is appreciated, Mr Nähenerv, and fascinating indeed,” the marten agreed, “though if field work feels impromptu, I fear you will be finding no small degree of that aboard a ship if we face combat or bad weather. With eight hundred-odd beasts on a ship such as this we couldn’t possibly keep storage for this much information, and finding such files in timely manner when battle starts would prove inefficient in itself. Still, having a decent intake wouldn’t hurt…”

Kiptooth rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment before looking back to the other beasts. “If you’d both like a task to begin with tomorrow, how about this: between you devise an intake of no more than three pages a beast, with the most essential information we need to help with assessing the day-to-day wellness of the crew. I’ll be splitting you into duty shifts to see to a watch of the crew each but in emergencies or overwhelming intake to the infirmary you’ll be working together. As we get underway, we’ll look into rounding out some emergency medicine logs to share critical observations we can all rely on in battle. I’ll split my shifts to be available whenever either of you are working, and as for you…” He gave Corda a small smile. “I think you should have a similar pattern so that you can get some learning from all beasts and still remain flexible for your other duties.” Here was neither time nor place to disclose her desire to be present around her brother. “Is this agreeable with you all?”