I refuse to let it happen again…
"Quick! I need two pints of A- blood!"
"Code Blue! Code Blue! I'm starting chest compressions!"
"Damn it! There's too many people!"
I won't let people die on me again…
"His vitals are dropping! Keep applying pressure until the blood arrives!"
"We need more nurses on the floor!"
"Where's the fucking doctor?!"
I won't let that failure resurface ever again…
Mary takes a deep breath to calm herself. Shaking off the memories, she opens her eyes and strengthens her resolve.
"Let's get these rusty nursing skills into action!" she shouts to herself.
Unsure of where to start, Mary decides to begin with the patient closest to the front and work her way back so that she can start cleaning the clinic. Once she is next to the first patient, she sits next to him and scans his body.
"No visible wounds, but that could all change once I can get his clothes off," she reports while wiping the stench tear from her eye. She reaches for the man's bony arm when another screen pops up as soon as it's in her grasp.
[New Skill Unlocked]
[Field Medic Instinct]
[Automatically diagnoses injuries by touch]
[Sees glowing overlays of:]
[- Fractures]
[- Internal bleeding]
[- Mana poisoning]
[Would you like to activate it?]
[Yes or No]
"Another cheat code?" Mary scoffs before activating her new skill. "This would have been really helpful three years ago."
Looking back down at the man, she finds a glowing pool of blood in the man's lungs due to a broken rib that punctured it.
"I don't know how, mister, but you seem to be protected by an angel because you should have died long ago from hemothorax," Mary comments as she stretches out her arms over the man's body. "Let's see… I have holy magic since I'm technically a saintess, so I just have to imagine healing the broken bone, closing the punctured lung, and then suctioning out the blood from his lungs."
Closing her eyes, Mary remembers an operating room case she had when a motorcyclist crashed into a car and broke his ribs, puncturing his lungs. She then recalls what the doctors did to repair the man's body.
"Heal," she whispers under her breath.
A bright glow shines over the man for a few seconds. The sight is almost too heavenly to describe. Tiny orbs of light emanate from the man and randomly burst like bubbles as if the damage is being removed and then destroyed but in an elegant way.
After a few seconds, the glow dissipates, and Mary opens her eyes to find the man looking more at ease. His breathing has normalized. His color has returned to his skin. He still appears famished, but with several rounds of properly timed meals, he should return back to normal.
Tired, Mary takes a long breath before hearing the man groan. She looks down at him as he tries to open his eyes.
"Where am I?" he asks as he adjusts to the dim lighting. He turns his head and then finds Mary at his side. "Are you the angel that takes me away?"
"Pfft! No, no, I'm not," she giggles as she adjusts the way she sits to face the man better. "I'm just someone who likes to help people. My name is Mary, but you might hear some people call me 'Saintess'."
The man tries to sit up, but his weak composition doesn't give him much strength. "Erick," he grunts while grabbing Mary's offered hand. "Thank you for healing me. I don't have much to give, but I do intend to repay your graciousness. I feel like a whole new man thanks to you."
"You don't have to give me anything," Mary waves off with a small smile. "As long as you're healthy and happy, that's all that matters."
"I can see why they call you a saintess," Erick chuckles. However, amidst his laughter, he begins fervently coughing.
"You shouldn't be talking so much," Mary advises after filling a cup with her water magic. "You were basically dead before I healed you. You need to take it easy."
Finishing the cup of water, Erick gazes into the empty cup. "Is it wrong to want to be hopeful right now?" he asks, almost ready to hear a negative answer.
"No," Mary simply answers. "Being hopeful and optimistic during a time like this is what keeps a person going. Without it, you get stuck in the mindset that nothing will ever get better."
Erick sighs as he drops his head. "I really haven't done anything for this town. I'm one terrible mayor," he dejectedly scoffs.
"Wait… you're the mayor? The one that Marc has been working with?"
"When I can find the energy to talk that is," he replies, scratching the back of his head. "I haven't been able to do much the past few days, so I had given Marc a temporary mayor role."
"That's a huge amount of trust in someone you don't know!" Mary exclaims.
"Marc is from this town, though," he relays with a light laugh. "He was born here in the midst of its highlight. By the time he turned fifteen and became an adventurer, the town began its downfall since the mines were starting to run dry."
Looking at the cup with fondness, Erick smiles to himself. "I practically helped his mother raise that child because he just couldn't sit still long enough at home. He was always finding himself in some sort of trouble."
"I can see that clearly," Mary giggles. Looking around at the gloomy room, Mary becomes more and more determined to heal everyone. "This town must have been a lively one in its prime."
Erick nods as he too looks around the room. "I have always dreamed that it will go back to how it was before I leave this world."
"Don't you worry about that!" Mary assures, standing up from her spot. "I'll get everyone back up and running in no time! In the meantime, you get some rest. You're gonna need it for dinner."
Taking her advice, Erick lays back down.
Mary makes her way to the next person and repeats the process. One by one, the patients are healed and given a cup of water.
"This is taking a lot more energy than I thought," Mary complains to herself as she nears the end. "I would have thought that with all of the overpowering cheats the God of Creation gave me, unlimited mana would have been one of them. I guess I just have an ungodly amount but not an infinite amount."
"Momma! We're back!" Jacob announces as he pushes the door open. "Wow! Everyone is moving!"
"Jacob," Mary calls with her arms open. The boy launches himself into her arms and snuggles into her chest. "Did you behave with the others?"
Nodding his head, Jacob gazes up at his mother with excited eyes. "I got to help Orissa pick fruit while Marc and Razel were finding animals."
"That's good to hear."
"Momma… are you okay?" Jacob asks as he touches Mary's face. "You look tired."
"I'm okay," she answers, tusseling her son's hair.
"No way…" Marc says from the doorway. The thud from his fall to his knees reverberates throughout the room. "No way! Mary! You really did it!"
"I just have one more person, and that should be everyone," Mary announces as she sets Jacob to her side and faces the woman.
As she reaches out over the woman, Mary's head goes blank for a second, and she finds herself falling backwards. Catching her from behind, Orissa lifts her back up. "You're running out of mana," she points out while supporting Mary. "You should rest."
"But she's my last one," Mary replies weakly. "Everyone has to be there for dinner."
Knowing that she probably shouldn't fight it, Orissa hugs Mary from behind. "At the very least, you should ask for help when you need it," she says as she begins transferring her mana into Mary. "It's definitely not much, but it should help."
Feeling the surge of mana flowing into her, Mary accepts it and stretches her arm back out over the woman. "Heal," she says. With the last of her mana, Mary heals the woman before passing out in Orissa's arms.
"You did a great job," Orissa compliments with tears in her eyes as she rests her head atop Mary's. "Our very own saintess has arrived."
Razel approaches the duo and kneels down next to them. "Let's bring her to the mayor's house. She should be able to rest there."
Orissa smiles at Razel with tears still rolling. She lifts Mary off of her chest and passes her to Razel who picks her up and carries her off. A sudden silence consumes the room as Razel walks past everyone with Mary in his arms. Everyone stops moving and quietly bows their head.
"Make sure she's comfortable," Erick tells Razel before he slips through the door.
"That was already the plan," Razel whispers as to not wake Mary.
Once the giant tank disappears from the doorway, everyone resumes talking with each other. Children run around. Men are helping the women sit up. However, one person doesn't move as he stares at the last woman that Mary healed.
He quietly watches… waiting…
"Slowly," Orissa tells the woman as she helps her up.
"Mom," he whispers with widened eyes.
The woman sits up and looks over at the light that comes from the door. She spots the man kneeling with his hands on his knees. His face filled with joy and relief. "Marc?"
"Mom!" he shouts as he dashes through the room to hug her. "Mom! You're awake!"
"Mhm," she mumbles from her son's bear hug.
Realizing that he's smushing his mom, Marc quickly releases her. "I'm sorry! You just got healed up! How are you feeling?"
"I feel great," she comments after looking over herself. "Just a bit hungry."
"Food! That's right!" Marc jumps up which startles both Orissa and his mother. "Just you wait, Mom! My team and I hunted the best the forest can provide! We are gonna have the best dinner you've ever eaten!"
"I guess that means you're gonna need my help," Marc's mother responds with a small smile.
"You're forbidden from moving," Marc commands with his arms crossed. "You need to rest."
"And who do you think you are to tell me what to do," his mother scolds with a mischievous grin.
"I.. well.. You're…" Marc stumbles over his words which causes his mother to burst into laughter.
"I won't move around too much, but I'll give tasting advice. Will that work with you?" his mother compromises.
With a frantic nod, Marc gleefully smiles. "Let's repay our saintess with the best dinner ever!"