[Flame]

Today was just a regular Thursday at the hospital. In fact, it was relatively quiet, considering it was early afternoon on a work day, and the lunch hour rush had just ended. Normally at this time, the halls would be bustling with life as doctors, nurses, patients, gurneys, and equipment fought against time to get to their destinations before the clock ran out. Today, however, there was only a thin, steady trickle of incoming patients, and the usual sense of urgency seemed considerably more controlled, as if moving to a less frantic tempo than normal. It was a chilly winter day outside, and the weather seemed undecided as to whether it ought to be sunny or cloudy, so it would change periodically, almost as if on a whim. The wind tugged playfully at the hats, newspapers, and scarves of those wandering the streets of the city and eventually drove them to seek shelter from the frigid gusts.

Back inside the medical facility, a small flurry of flustered activity made its way down a tiled hall towards the ICU, and judging by the agitated aura surrounding the small group of people, they were rolling in a new patient for immediate treatment. Hovering over the small group of nurses was a tall, blonde-haired woman with the air of a harried hawk as she half-jogged alongside to keep up, her expression anxious, focused solely on the person who currently occupied the gurney which was being rolled at a breakneck pace (but controlled, nonetheless, thanks to practice) down the hall. Clearly, the nurses’ attempts to get her to wait in the waiting room had been fruitless, since she had been adamant about staying with her companion, so they had no choice but to let her tag along. The patient was almost completely obscured from view under the swath of blankets in which she was enveloped, but what little of her face that could be seen seemed bleached of all warmth, tinted with an unnaturally blue pallor. Her eyes were closed, and the dark hair which framed her pale face was wet and bedraggled.

“Come on, Auri, stay with me.” The blonde woman’s voice was clearly agitated as she eyed her friend worriedly, clearly more concerned with her than where they were going. She hardly noticed when the entire group skidded to a near-halt to abruptly change direction, darting into the ICU. “Don’t you dare give up on me now, we’re almost there.” The bundle stirred slightly, and her companion opened her eyes blearily, blinking up at her. “Gala, I’m fine. Everything’s going to be alright.” The young woman’s voice was slightly hoarse, but her lips twitched slightly in her best attempt at a reassuring smile, although her muscles felt heavy and resisted her. Despite the cold which pervaded her body, she felt oddly warm and wanted nothing more than to simply drift off into the welcoming embrace of sleep, but she knew that if she did, she might not wake up again.

“Yeah, tell me that when you’re not on the verge of turning into a human popsicle,” Galatea mumbled, her brow furrowed in a troubled line. “Did you really have to go jumping in? That had to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Despite her cold-induced lethargy, Auri still managed to turn a solemn look on her concerned friend. “And would you have left that child to freeze to death instead? I was just doing what any decent person would have done.” To this, the woman had no reply, but instead, simply pursed her lips, biting back the other troubled words which bubbled to the surface. The two of them had been chatting on a bench on the dock when a mother with three children had come along. As she was tending to the baby in her arms, one of her little boys had reached a little too far to try and pet one of the passing ducks, only to take a tumble into the frigid water. Of course, Auri being Auri had immediately jumped in without a second thought for her own safety to pull the child out, and long story short, it had wound up with her being here (the little boy having already been tended to first) being wheeled to the ICU.

The group came to a sudden halt, and all of the nurses seem to scatter in a million different directions, each with his or her task to tend to to help stabilize their patient. Galatea, not having anything else to help with, simple settled for keeping her friend company while they waited for the doctor to arrive, forcing the nurses to work around her as she hovered at Auri’s bedside. Auri was a trooper, and she would pull through. She had to. She was her best friend, and Gala had no idea what she would do if something were to happen to her. But everything would be alright, just as she said. Right?


{This makes me feel so bad for Auri. XD But hey, we'll set her to rights in no time, right? ;3}

[Jessari]

It was an oddly slow day, one Skye was grateful for in more ways than one. The previous days had been filled with patients who had had car accidents due to snowy roads, or the unfortunates who'd slipped down a set of icy steps. Today, however, the temperature had hit just enough above freezing for the icy buildup to thaw. Those who were willing to venture the still-chilly wind were able to do so on sturdy ground.

Taking advantage of the scarcity of patients, Skye had made his rounds, then settled into a cold, plastic chair in the corner of the break room. He stretched out, his feet on the chair across from him, and settled in to watch a few minutes of American football that played on a small TV that hung from the ceiling. It wasn't long before he lost interest. He'd moved here from Scotland over a year ago, and he still hadn't been able to catch on to the odd sport that had nothing in common with the game of the same name played in his own country. Sighing, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, attempting to catch a quick cat-nap. He didn't even have time to start.

"Doctor Carrigan to ICU. Doctor Carrigan to ICU."

When the call came over the speakers, his head snapped up, and before the words had completely sunk in to his mind, his body had already begun to react to the all-too-familiar call. He navigated the halls that lead to the ICU, catching the eye of the nurse that ran to the desk as she called out the room number.

"Talk to me," he said as he entered the room, his normally soft voice firm and purposeful as he headed straight for the bed that held his current patient. His pale green eyes lit upon what could possibly have been one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, if he overlooked the frightening blue tint that had crept across her cheeks and the purple that darkened her lips. His mind, as it always did in times like this, tucked the information away to be mulled over at a later time. Her beauty wasn't important now. Her health was what had him concerned.

"The patient jumped in a lake," the nurse reported.

Skye arched a dark eyebrow, concerned curiosity in his eyes. "Suicide attempt?"

The nurse shook her head. "No, she did it to save a little boy who'd fallen in. Doctor Amarov is treating him in the next room over." Before he could process this information, she leaned forwards and whispered, "Her friend refuses to leave. She's not supposed to be in here."

Skye shot a glance at Galatea, who hadn't budged from Auri's bedside, noting the worried look on her face as she stared at her friend. He stood, moving to stand beside her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. It was something he'd never dare do had he not had a patient to care for. "Ach, lass," he said, his Scottish accent lacing each word, "if you're that concerned aboot your friend, ye can stay." His voice grew firm, although his eyes remained soft. "But ye must stay out of my way. If you stand by the door, ye can see ev'rythin, and I can tend my patient without tripping over you. Away wi' you now."

As if expecting her to obey without argument, he turned away from her and addressed the nurse. "Start the IV. Warm the saline to 40 degrees Celcius." As she scurried away to do as he asked, he reached down to take the patient's hand. Her skin was chilled, but considering what she'd been through, he wasn't surprised. "Now, love, t'was a fine, brave thing ye did. Gi' me your name, so I can tell the papers when they come callin'." His voice was calm, as it always was during working hours, and with the last, a light teasing tone was present. He needed to get her talking, not only to keep her awake, but also to judge her mental state. Severe hypothermia often resulted in confusion, and drawing her into conversation would allow him to keep track of how badly she'd been affected by her little swim.

As the nurse swabbed the skin at the crook of the patient's arm, she shook her head. It was amazing how comfortable Skye seemed around all of his patients, male or female, and just as amazing how that person disappeared once the danger was over. It was like he was two different people in one.

[Flame]

Galatea continued to fret as she stood guard over her friend, hardly noticing the nurses as they bustled around her, preparing this and tending to that. Where was the doctor, and why wasn’t he or she here yet? Didn’t they know that they had a patient in desperate need of care? Auri still looked as pale and chilled as ever, and it was all she could do not to drift off, with Galatea providing nervous, worried support from close at hand. Despite her current condition, the bedraggled young woman wanted nothing more than to comfort her distraught friend, to let her know that everything would be alright. However, regardless of her frail efforts, she refused to be consoled, and seemed about ready to be whipped into a proper frenzy of anxiety.

Galatea started when she felt the unexpected sensation of a hand on her shoulder, her head snapping around as she finally tore her gaze from her friend, lighting on the man who she presumed must be the doctor, if his dress and demeanor said anything. Her critical, calculating gaze took in everything about the man who was supposed to be tending to Auri as it swept over him, as if judging his ability to minister to her based on his appearance alone. However, as he spoke, his voice calm and reasonable, she seemed to find no reason not to trust him, although her lips pursed into a thin line at the mention of leaving Auri’s bedside, even for a few minutes. Nevertheless, she did as she was told, knowing that it was for the good of her friend, pacing over to the door to stand tensely, her gaze following everything that went on in the room.

Although both her body and mind felt sluggish and opposed any movement she willed it to do, Auri still sensed when Galatea left to be replaced by someone else who she didn’t know. She felt a warm hand envelop hers and she glanced up blearily to see a dark-haired, handsome face peering back down at her. For a moment, she found herself thinking that if this were the afterlife, it might not be so bad after all…However, the doctor’s voice roused her attention once again and her gaze seemed to focus on his, fighting off the cobwebs of drowsiness which threatened to envelop her.

“Could you ask them to take a rain check on that? I can’t exactly say that I’m what you’d call a sight for sore eyes right now.” Her voice, although quiet and somewhat hoarse, held its usual gentle quality, colored with amusement in spite of her present condition. Even in the face of danger to her own health, she seemed coherent and characteristically lighthearted. She chuckled lightly, but stopped as she felt herself grow slightly lightheaded from the effort. “I’m Auri, by the way. Short for Auricomous.” She managed a small smile as she squeezed his hand lightly by way of greeting. “And who might my fine knight in shining armor be?”

[Jessari]

The woman's words were coherent enough, and Skye let out a mental sigh of relief. She wasn't out of danger yet, but it could be worse. As they spoke, he rested his index and middle fingers on her wrist, checking her pulse as he ticked of the seconds in his head. Although the steady smile remained on his face, his eyebrows twitched a little lower on his brow. He didn't like the clammy feel of her skin, and her heart was beating a pinch too slow for comfort.

Glancing up at the nurse, who had just finished securing the IV in Auri's arm with a bit of gauze and tape, he caught her eye. "Be a dear and fetch a blanket." The heated fluids would help greatly, literally warming her from the inside out, but he'd rather be safe than sorry. The sooner they got her body temperature back up to normal, the better.

Turning his attention back to the woman he now knew was named Auri, he smiled. "No knight, I'm afraid, Miss Auri, only me. My name's Dr. Carrigan, but my friends call me Skye. Now," he said, rising to his feet, "get some rest, if ye can. We'll have you on your feet in no time." He slid his hand out of hers, then rounded her bed to check the IV. He made a small adjustment, then turned as the nurse hurried into the room, a white blanket in her arms. She tucked it around Auri, making sure not to jostle the tube in her arm, then looked up at the doctor, who nodded at her.

Skye crossed the room to Auri, his voice lowered as he spoke to her. "Ye got your friend here just in time. She's got a slight case of hypothermia, but it could've been much worse. We'll keep an eye on her for a few days, but ye don't have anythin' to worry about. She'll be just fine."

[Flame]

Auri’s light gold eyes followed the soft-spoken doctor’s movements quietly and unprotestingly. She seemed to radiate a warm aura of trust despite the chill which still held her body in its clutches, although its hold on her was slowly but steadily slipping away under Skye’s careful and gentle ministrations. She could feel the warmth beginning to pervade her from the inside; an effect of the IV, no doubt. As the tinge of cold began to fade from her skin, she could feel herself growing more alert, yet at the same time, more drowsy, although this time, it was a different sort of exhaustion. That of a person who had just been through an ordeal, and needed nothing more than simply to sleep off the hardships of the day.

As Skye’s voice washed over her, her eyes fell upon his and held his gaze steadily as he spoke to her in soothing tones, his voice met by a small, grateful smile. “You’ll do,” she replied, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she regarded her ‘knight in shining armor’. “It’s a pleasure to be of your acquaintance, Dr. Carrigan.” Clearly, she didn’t want to impose upon any boundaries and assume herself as being his friend by addressing him on a first-name basis. After all, she had only met him but a few moments ago, although she felt that saving someone’s life gave them a special bond to you, one which needed no words to be understood. She merely conveyed it to him with another small, sincere smile before closing her eyes, allowing the nurse to tuck the blanket around her as she finally drifted off into the warm, blissful oblivion of sleep.

Despite the fact that Auri was now in considerably more comfort, it was clear that Galatea, who was still hovering like a hawk on the outskirts of the room, had not even come close to fretting herself out yet. However, she obeyed the doctor’s orders and remained out of the way, although it didn’t stop her from craning her neck painfully to try and keep track of her friend’s current condition. Finally, the doctor seemed satisfied that Auri was stable enough to be left to recuperate, and made his way over to her, and it took all she had not to swoop down on him and bombard him with questions. There were so many terrible scenarios running through the blonde woman’s head, her mind buzzing with unanswered questions, but the sheer magnitude of the things she wanted to know seemed to render her speechless for a moment, and when she finally found her voice again after mouthing wordlessly for a few seconds, only one question managed to find its way out. “You’re absolutely certain that she’ll be fine, doctor?” She seemed at her hopes’ end, but his assurance seemed to have alleviated her worry, if only marginally so. She wouldn’t rest easy until she was completely sure that Auri would be as good as new, and that was when she saw her on her feet with her own eyes.