Inkbunny

IB Gear Latest Popular Members Search
 
Welcome to Inkbunny...
Allowed ratings
To view member-only content, create an account. ( Hide )
Noraxia Character Sheet
« older newer »
Across the Distance
two_healers.txt
Keywords male 1264794, female 1151371, anthro 244258, feral 102806, squirrel 32841, dragoness 13772, badger 7734, healing 294, rural 88, gheval 55
Two Healers


Kalina had been pregnant for nearly two months when the symptoms began. First, she refused her morning grain—unusual but not alarming. Then she started spending more time lying down, her breathing slightly labored. By the third day, Jukrit was genuinely worried.

"She's eating less than half her normal amount," he told Noraxia, checking his notes. "And look at her abdomen—it's more distended than it should be at this stage."

"Could it be normal for a gheval carrying multiple foals?" Noraxia asked.

"Maybe. But I don't know enough about gheval pregnancy to be certain." He stroked Kalina's neck, feeling the tension in her muscles. "I've written to Marta, but it will take days to get a response."

Chenar was beside himself with worry. The tiny male refused to leave Kalina's side, chittering anxiously and grooming her constantly. When Jukrit examined her, Chenar watched every movement with suspicious eyes, ready to intervene if he thought his mate was in distress.

"At least someone's taking their parental duties seriously," Noraxia said with a slight smile.

That afternoon, a visitor arrived—a badger driving a well-appointed wagon with "Master Healer Thornwick" painted on the side in elaborate script. The badger himself was immaculately groomed, his healer's kit polished leather, his demeanor radiating professional confidence.

"I'm looking for Healer Jukrit," he announced. "I've heard interesting things about a squirrel practicing medicine in these parts."

"I'm Jukrit." He wiped dirt from his hands—he'd been in the garden gathering herbs. "How can I help you?"

"Help me? No, no. I'm here to assess your practice." Thornwick dismounted with a flourish. "I'm conducting a survey of rural healers for the Regional Medical Guild. Standards must be maintained, you understand."

Jukrit's ears flattened slightly. "I wasn't aware the guild had authority in Riverside."

"The guild has authority wherever healing is practiced, young squirrel." Thornwick looked around the homestead with barely concealed disdain. "Though I see you're quite... rustic here."

Noraxia emerged from the house, and Thornwick's eyes widened at the sight of the dragon.

"A shapeshifter. Fascinating. I've written several papers on draconic physiology." He pulled out a notebook. "Would you consent to an examination? For research purposes?"

"No," Noraxia said flatly.

"Pity." Thornwick turned back to Jukrit. "Now, shall we begin the assessment? I'll need to review your credentials, examine your practice space, observe your methods—"

"I'm in the middle of treating a patient," Jukrit interrupted. "A pregnant gheval with concerning symptoms. Perhaps you could help? If standards are what concern you, surely collaborative care would be appropriate."

Thornwick's expression suggested this was beneath him, but professional pride won out. "Very well. Show me the patient."

In the barn, Thornwick examined Kalina with practiced efficiency. He checked her breathing, palpated her abdomen, observed her behavior. Chenar hissed at him throughout, which Thornwick ignored with the air of someone used to difficult animal patients.

"Hmm. Excessive distension for two months gestation. Labored breathing. Reduced appetite." Thornwick consulted a small book he carried. "Classic presentation of gheval pregnancy toxemia. Quite serious. She'll need immediate intervention."

"Toxemia?" Jukrit's stomach dropped. "Are you certain?"

"I've seen it dozens of times. The condition develops when a gheval is carrying too many foals for her body to properly support. The toxins build up, causing organ strain." Thornwick closed his book with an authoritative snap. "Treatment requires bloodletting to remove the toxins, followed by a restrictive diet and complete bed rest."

"Bloodletting?" Jukrit's healer instincts rebelled against the idea. "That seems extreme. She's already weak—"

"Which is precisely why we must act quickly. Untreated toxemia is fatal." Thornwick was already preparing his instruments. "The bloodletting will weaken her temporarily, yes, but it's necessary to save her life."

Jukrit looked at Kalina, at Chenar chittering anxiously on her back, at Noraxia standing in the doorway. Everything about this felt wrong, but Thornwick spoke with such certainty, such confidence born of experience and formal training.

"How much blood?" Jukrit asked.

"Two pints to start. Possibly more if the toxemia is advanced." Thornwick set out his lancets. "We'll need to restrain her—this is painful, and she'll resist."

"Wait." Jukrit held up a hand. "Give me a day. Let me try my methods first."

"Your methods?" Thornwick's tone was condescending. "Young squirrel, I've been practicing medicine for thirty years. I've studied at the best institutions. Your... herb garden and intuition are admirable, but this requires real medical intervention."

"One day," Jukrit repeated firmly. "If she's not improving by tomorrow, we'll consider your treatment."

Thornwick sighed dramatically. "On your head be it. But when she worsens, don't say I didn't warn you." He packed up his instruments. "I'll be staying at the inn in town. Send for me when you're ready to proceed with proper treatment."

After he left, Noraxia joined Jukrit in the barn. "You don't trust his diagnosis."

"I don't know. Maybe he's right—he has far more experience than I do. But something feels off." Jukrit pulled out every text he had on animal pregnancy. "The symptoms match toxemia, but not perfectly. Her eyes are clear, her coat is healthy. If it were true toxemia, I'd expect more systemic signs."

He spent hours researching, cross-referencing symptoms, while Chenar maintained his vigil over Kalina. The tiny gheval had stopped eating entirely, too worried about his mate to think of himself.

"Chenar, you need to eat," Jukrit urged, offering food. But the small male just chirped sadly and returned to grooming Kalina.

That evening, Kex stopped by with fresh fish. "Heard you had a visitor. Fancy looking badger, very full of himself."

"He diagnosed Kalina with pregnancy toxemia. Wants to do bloodletting."

Kex winced. "That sounds medieval. What do you think?"

"I think..." Jukrit paused, organizing his thoughts. "I think she's uncomfortable and showing concerning symptoms. But I don't think removing blood from an already weakened animal is the answer." He looked at his friend. "What would you do if someone told you the river you'd fished for years was fished wrong? That everything you knew was invalid because they had formal training?"

"I'd probably tell them where to stick their formal training," Kex said with a slight smile. "But I'd also consider if they might be right. Balance, you know?"

That night, Jukrit barely slept. He checked on Kalina every few hours, monitoring her breathing, her comfort level, looking for any change. Around midnight, he noticed something.

Kalina was lying in an awkward position, favoring her left side. When he gently examined her abdomen, she flinched when he pressed on the lower right area.

"Noraxia," he called softly. "Look at this."

He showed her where Kalina reacted to pressure. "That's not toxemia. That's localized discomfort. Something specific is wrong, not systemic poisoning."

"What could cause that?"

"In a pregnant female carrying multiple young..." He thought carefully. "Foal positioning. If one of them is positioned awkwardly, pressing on her organs or restricting blood flow..." He pulled out his notes from Marta about gheval pregnancy. "She said they can carry three to five foals, maybe more. What if they're not distributed evenly? What if they're all crowded to one side?"

"Can you check?"

"Not easily. But I can try something else." He prepared a mixture of herbs—ginger for nausea, willow bark for pain, and a muscle relaxant his teacher had taught him about. "If I can help her relax, her body might redistribute the foals naturally. It's what happens in horses sometimes when foals shift position."

He administered the treatment, then spent an hour massaging Kalina's abdomen gently, encouraging movement. Chenar watched suspiciously at first, then seemed to understand Jukrit was helping. The tiny gheval even tried to assist, pressing his small paws against Kalina's side.

After about two hours, Kalina suddenly shifted position. She stood up, walked in a circle, then lay down again—this time evenly on both sides. She released a long, rumbling sigh.

"I think it worked," Noraxia whispered.

By morning, the change was dramatic. Kalina was eating again—not her full appetite, but significantly more than before. Her breathing was easier. She stood without difficulty and even ventured outside to graze.

Chenar finally ate as well, his worry easing now that his mate was improving.

Thornwick arrived mid-morning, his expression already prepared for "I told you so."

"Well?" he demanded. "Has she worsened? Shall we proceed with the bloodletting?"

"She's improved," Jukrit said.

"Improved? Impossible. Toxemia doesn't simply—" He stopped, seeing Kalina grazing peacefully in the meadow. "That's... unusual."

"It wasn't toxemia. It was foal positioning causing localized pressure and discomfort. I used massage and herbs to help her body adjust."

Thornwick examined Kalina thoroughly, clearly surprised by the improvement. "Hmm. Yes, I see. The distension is more evenly distributed now. Breathing is clear." He made notes. "Interesting."

"So not toxemia?"

"Perhaps not. Or perhaps an early-stage case that resolved spontaneously." Thornwick wouldn't quite admit he'd been wrong. "Either way, your... unconventional methods seem to have been effective. This time."

"Master Thornwick," Jukrit said carefully, "you have knowledge I don't. Years of training and experience I can't match. But I know my patients. I know this land, these animals, this community. Both types of knowledge have value."

Thornwick was quiet for a moment. Then: "You remind me of myself at your age. Idealistic. Certain that intuition and heart mattered as much as textbook learning." His expression softened slightly. "I spent years in the finest schools. Learned from the best minds in medicine. And you know what? I forgot what you apparently still know—that patients aren't diagnoses in a textbook. They're individuals."

"I'd like to learn from you," Jukrit said honestly. "If you're willing to teach. Not to replace what I do, but to enhance it. More knowledge can only help."

"And perhaps," Thornwick said slowly, "I could learn from you as well. Rural medicine presents challenges we never face in cities. Practical applications of theory." He looked around the homestead. "This size-mismatched breeding, for instance—I've never seen one attempted. The pregnancy itself is a unique case study."

Over the next few days, an unlikely partnership formed. Thornwick stayed at the inn but visited daily, teaching Jukrit more advanced diagnostic techniques while learning about Jukrit's herbal preparations and intuitive approach. They didn't always agree—Thornwick still favored more aggressive interventions, while Jukrit preferred gentler methods—but they found middle ground.

"You're not as hopeless as I first thought," Thornwick admitted on his final day. "Rough around the edges, certainly. No formal credentials. But you have the instincts of a natural healer. And these—" he gestured to Jukrit's herbs "—these actually work, which I wouldn't have believed without seeing it."

"And you're not as rigid as I feared," Jukrit replied. "Your diagnostic knowledge is impressive. You saw things I might have missed if we'd faced a different condition."

"We make a good team. The traditionalist and the intuitive." Thornwick packed his wagon. "I'll be passing through again in a few months. Perhaps we could continue these discussions?"

"I'd like that."

As Thornwick departed, Noraxia joined Jukrit on the porch. "You handled that well. He could have been a disaster, but you turned him into an ally."

"He taught me things. I taught him things. That's how it should work." Jukrit watched Kalina in the meadow, now moving comfortably, her pregnancy progressing healthily. "I was afraid of him at first. His confidence, his credentials—it made me doubt myself."

"But you trusted your instincts anyway."

"Eventually. After almost letting him convince me to do something I knew was wrong." He shook his head. "That was the real lesson. Not the medical knowledge, though that was valuable. The lesson was trusting myself while still being open to learning."

In the barn that evening, Chenar had resumed his normal behavior—playful, affectionate, devoted to Kalina but no longer anxiously hovering. The crisis had passed, and life returned to its rhythm.

"Three more months until the foals come," Jukrit said, making notes in his journal. "We'll need to prepare for the birth. Multiple foals from a size-mismatched breeding—that's going to be complicated."

"But we'll figure it out," Noraxia said confidently. "We always do. And now you have Thornwick as a resource if we need it."

"True. Though I hope we don't need bloodletting."

"Agreed."

As spring deepened into early summer, Kalina's pregnancy progressed without further complications. Her appetite returned fully. She moved easily despite the growing weight. And Chenar remained devoted, adjusting his behavior as his mate's needs changed.

Jukrit found himself thinking often about his encounter with Thornwick. The older healer had challenged him, questioned his methods, made him doubt. But in the end, both of them had grown from the experience.

Sometimes the best teachers were the ones who pushed you, even if it was uncomfortable. And sometimes the best learning came from defending what you knew while staying open to what you didn't.

In a few months, they'd face the challenge of delivering multiple foals. But for now, Kalina was healthy, the community was thriving, and Jukrit had gained both knowledge and confidence.

Two healers had met—one with formal training and years of experience, one with intuition and deep connection to his patients. Neither was wrong. Neither was completely right.

But together, they'd found balance. And in healing, as in life, balance was everything.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
page
1
page
2
page
3
page
4
page
5
page
6
page
7
page
8
page
9
page
10
page
11
page
12
page
13
page
14
page
15
page
16
page
17
page
18
page
19
page
20
page
21
page
22
page
23
page
24
page
25
page
26
page
27
page
28
page
29
page
30
page
31
page
32
page
33
page
34
page
35
page
36
page
37
page
38
page
39
page
40
page
41
page
42
page
43
page
44
page
45
page
46
page
47
page
48
page
49
page
50
page
51
page
52
page
53
page
54
page
55
page
56
page
57
page
58
page
59
page
60
page
61
page
62
page
63
page
64
page
65
page
66
page
67
page
68
page
69
page
70
page
71
page
72
page
73
page
74
page
75
page
76
page
77
page
78
page
79
page
80
page
81
page
82
page
83
page
84
page
85
page
86
page
87
page
88
page
89
page
90
page
91
page
92
page
93
page
94
page
95
page
96
page
97
page
98
page
99
page
100
page
101
page
102
page
103
page
104
page
105
page
106
page
107
page
108
page
109
page
110
page
111
page
112
page
113
page
114
page
115
page
116
page
117
page
118
page
119
page
120
page
121
page
122
page
123
page
124
page
125
page
126
page
127
page
128
page
129
page
130
page
131
page
132
page
133
page
134
page
135
page
136
page
137
page
138
page
139
page
140
page
141
page
142
page
143
page
144
page
145
page
146
page
147
page
148
page
149
page
150
page
151
page
152
page
153
page
154
page
155
page
156
page
157
page
158
page
159
page
160
page
161
page
162
page
163
page
164
page
165
page
166
page
167
page
168
page
169
page
170
page
171
page
172
page
173
page
174
page
175
page
176
page
177
page
178
page
179
page
180
page
181
page
182
page
183
page
184
page
185
page
186
page
187
page
188
page
189
page
190
page
191
page
192
page
193
page
194
page
195
page
196
page
197
page
198
page
199
page
200
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
next
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
previous
page
 
 
page
1
page
2
page
3
page
4
page
5
page
6
page
7
page
8
page
9
page
10
page
11
page
12
page
13
page
14
page
15
page
16
page
17
page
18
page
19
page
20
page
21
page
22
page
23
page
24
page
25
page
26
page
27
page
28
page
29
page
30
page
31
page
32
page
33
page
34
page
35
page
36
page
37
page
38
page
39
page
40
page
41
page
42
page
43
page
44
page
45
page
46
page
47
page
48
page
49
page
50
page
51
page
52
page
53
page
54
page
55
page
56
page
57
page
58
page
59
page
60
page
61
page
62
page
63
page
64
page
65
page
66
page
67
page
68
page
69
page
70
page
71
page
72
page
73
page
74
page
75
page
76
page
77
page
78
page
79
page
80
page
81
page
82
page
83
page
84
page
85
page
86
page
87
page
88
page
89
page
90
page
91
page
92
page
93
page
94
page
95
page
96
page
97
page
98
page
99
page
100
page
101
page
102
page
103
page
104
page
105
page
106
page
107
page
108
page
109
page
110
page
111
page
112
page
113
page
114
page
115
page
116
page
117
page
118
page
119
page
120
page
121
page
122
page
123
page
124
page
125
page
126
page
127
page
128
page
129
page
130
page
131
page
132
page
133
page
134
page
135
page
136
page
137
page
138
page
139
page
140
page
141
page
142
page
143
page
144
page
145
page
146
page
147
page
148
page
149
page
150
page
151
page
152
page
153
page
154
page
155
page
156
page
157
page
158
page
159
page
160
page
161
page
162
page
163
page
164
page
165
page
166
page
167
page
168
page
169
page
170
page
171
page
172
page
173
page
174
page
175
page
176
page
177
page
178
page
179
page
180
page
181
page
182
page
183
page
184
page
185
page
186
page
187
page
188
page
189
page
190
page
191
page
192
page
193
page
194
page
195
page
196
page
197
page
198
page
199
page
200
When Kalina develops alarming pregnancy symptoms two months after her breeding with Chenar, Jukrit's worry deepens with the arrival of Master Healer Thornwick, a formally trained badger conducting a "standards assessment" of rural healers. Thornwick diagnoses deadly pregnancy toxemia and insists on immediate bloodletting, but Jukrit's instincts tell him something different is wrong. Can a self-taught squirrel healer trust his intuition against decades of formal training, and what will happen to Kalina if he chooses wrong?
Keywords
male 1,264,794, female 1,151,371, anthro 244,258, feral 102,806, squirrel 32,841, dragoness 13,772, badger 7,734, healing 294, rural 88, gheval 55
Details
Type: Writing - Document
Published: 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Rating: General
MD5 Hash for Page 1... Show Find Identical Posts [?]
Stats
47 views
0 favorites
0 comments
BBCode Tags Show [?]
 
New Comment:
Move reply box to top ↑
Log in or create an account to comment.
 

Help

Information

Policy & Legal

Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

All artwork and other content is copyright its respective owners.

Powered by Harmony 'Gravitation' Release 80.

Content Server: Los Angeles Cache - provided by Inkbunny Donors. Background: Blank Gray.

The Inkbunny web application, artwork, name and logo are copyright and trademark of their respective owners.