Written in the Scars [Completed]

[Kit Heron]

Stepping out of the confines of the place he now called home - though for how long, he did not know - Kit made his first solo outing into the city of Fellsguard since he had arrived.

It was still a shock to be around so many people all at once. As a child, he had been on an isolated farm, and when his master had taken him away, he had spent the next six years in a house miles away from a village, which itself was small and sleepy. To see so many people going to and fro, and all sorts of folk, Elves, Humans, Fae, all mixing - it was so strange to him. But he was fascinated as well as he was nervous. He wanted to see everything the legendary city had to offer, especially the Lighthouses he had read about in his studies.

But not today. Today he had to get help.

"I beg your pardon, he said, to an old woman hobbling along with a walking stick. [speech]"I'm trying to find-"[/speech]

"Piss off!" She snapped at him, and continued on her way.

Kit's eyes followed her, surprised. People were certainly different here than in the village! And it didn't stop with her, as everyone he tried to talk to either ignored him or just ordered him to go away. All he had was a name, and he couldn't even get someone's attention long enough to ask for help on finding it. At one point, a pair of guards had come marching down the street he was on, but there was no way he was going to approach them! What if they had some way of detecting magic? He'd rather walk the entire city than risk that!

"You lost, kid?"

Kit looked up to see a broad shouldered man with a bald head, a thick neck, and arms that looked like they could break stone. His imposing stature was offset by a kind looking face though. The young mage considering 'seeing' for a moment - just in case this man was some kind of mage hunter or even just a murderer - but decided against it. Artemis had warned him of him using his magic in the East Hall, but he supposed it would be prudent to not try it in the middle of a crowded street. "Yes, sir. I am. I am trying to find a place called ..." He glanced down at the scrawled note he had gotten from one of the visitors to the Hall. "The Grace of Cecilia's Healer's Hall. Do you know where I might find it?"

The man smiled and nodded. "I do, and it's not too far. Just a little north of the South District."

Kit nodded. "That's .. thank you. I shall go and, well find it then."

The large man let out a chuckle. "You have no idea where that is either, do you?

The young mage gave a small laugh. "I'm afraid not."

"You're in luck, lad. I'm headed that way myself. Follow me."

*

After the man - who had introduced himself as 'Marv' - left him, giving him a pat on the back which hurt like crazy, but which Kit managed to smile through somehow, the mage looked up at the building and took a deep breath. "It has to be done." He said to himself, earning him a curious look from a passing woman.

So in he went.

*

Moving into the hall, he made his way over to a desk where a woman in her middle years stood, writing something. She had blond hair and a kind face, which made Kit feel a little better, even if his nervousness was growing by the second. "Good morning, miss." He said politely. "I wondered if I might see a healer?"

He could have gone to Dáire about this, rather than sneaking off after getting the location of this place from some random person. But he didn't want them to know why he needed to be here. He didn't want anyone to know, but he knew he needed help.

"If it's convenient, of course." He added.

[Calem Sabathe]

Though there'd been a sickness passing through recently, Elvera was actually surprised with how quiet things had become for once. It would probably be only a lull for the day, at max, but it gave some of her junior staff time to go re-stock supplies. She hoped the negotiations with House Enlann had gone well. "They'd better have." she grumbled to herself, rubbing her face with her palm. Recently the leaders seemed to have been getting a bit more stingy with supplies, and it was making Elvera's work personally a nightmare.

But she didn't have too long to worry about it, before she heard someone talking to her. She raised her head from her palm, to look down at who was talking to her. And with such a polite young voice too! Considering the day she'd had, it felt nice to have someone actually treat her with a bit of respect. Poor kid looked pretty nervous though. Elvera wondered for a brief moment if he'd fall over if she so much as blew on him. She was gonna have to put on the kid gloves with this one - who knew what he'd been through. "Good afternoon, sir!" Elvera said, breaking out her beaming smile. "Please, don't be worried! Of course it's convenient for you to see a doctor! That's what we're here for after all!"

She turned down to the papers on her desk. There were a few of the doctors that weren't busy right now, and any of them could have helped the young man. But deep down she had a feeling that he might be a little more relaxed if he talked to a doctor that was closer to his own age. "Let's see...ah, Doctor Sabathe should be available for you to talk to!" Elvera nodded, turning back to him. "Don't worry - he's young, but he's a real sweetheart. He'll take care of you, no problem! So if you just walk down that hall, take a seat there, and I'll make sure he comes out with you, OK?" Elvera stepped out from behind the desk and led him down towards the hall, looking over her shoulder at him a few times, just to make sure he didn't bound off like a frightened deer.

"Here you are, love. You just sit here for a moment..." Elvera smiled, before walking into the doctor's surgery.

For his own part, Calem had been watering the plants in his operating room as per usual. There were a few flowers growing in flowerpots near the sink, and seeing as it wouldn't be too busy a day he was trying to make sure all of them got some sunlight. "Ah, Miss Elvera! I don't usually see you in here?" Calem asked as the receptionist entered the operating room. "Are things alright?"

"Things are fine, Doctor Sabathe, but...just wanted to give you a little warning. There's a young man outside who wants to see a healer. He's not really describing why but..." Elvera frowned slightly. "There's a strange faraway look in his eyes and he looks a bit frightened. I can't be sure, but I think he may have suffered some kind of abuse. He only looks a little younger than you, so I figured a face closer to his age would relax him a little more."

Calem nodded. "Thank you for warning me, Elvera, I'll be sure to be careful." A situation like this required a very delicate touch. By default, there were other members of House Enlann that were more typically skilled in the arts of mental health, more so than Calem was, but the young man had come here. Whether he'd come here out of necessity or because this was probably one of the easier hospitals to find, Calem wasn't sure, but he would do his best to help. Elvera walked out the door, and Calem took in a deep breath, preparing himself for what could be a difficult task. Then he opened up the door to face the young man in the hall. It was somewhat easy to notice him, considering there was only one person in the hall right now and his eyes gave him away to a degree. "Excuse me, young sir, please come this way. My name is Doctor Calem Sabathe, I'll be helping you here." Calem gestured in towards the chair in his operating room. "Please, take a seat." Calem closed the door behind them both, taking a seat opposite the young man.

"Before we start, please be assured that, whatever it is you have to say, your words do not go beyond this room. This isn't just empty platitudes, House Enlann makes very certain that patients are given respect and privacy - breaching it is one of the most serious offences a doctor can commit. Not that I would do so even if it wasn't, of course." Calem paused. Perhaps a bit too much? Hopefully not, but he was more used to treating physical ails. "Now, please take your time. When you're ready, tell me what ails you." With that, Calem simply sat, looking at the young man and preparing to listen, taking out a small notebook from his cloak in order to make notes.

[Kit Heron]

Kit followed the woman, smiling politely as she led him, talking to him all the while. She was warm, sincere and sounded very caring. It was nice.

He took a seat, careful not to let his back rest against the wall. It hurt enough with just his clothes touching it! But it wasn't long until the door opened and the doctor appeared. Kit gave him a warm smile and stood. The doctor seemed very young, but his manner was warm and professional, which eased Kit's nerves a little.

Tentatively, he took a seat. When Doctor Sabathe reassured him that what he said was in full confidence, it continued to make Kit feel better. However, he could not lose the tension that was built up in him so easily. There was no choice though; he had to be here. "Well, Doctor ... I ... thank you for seeing me, by the way." He scratched at his temple, absently. Something he always did when he was nervous. "I have a ... cut, on my back. I think it has become infected, and because it's on my back, I can't clean it properly. I will ..."
He took a long breath. There was no point in dragging this out, or else he might just run for it! "I'll show you."

Standing up, Kit removed his thick coat, then began unbuttoning a woollen shirt. The young lad winced as he moved his arms to take it off. Already, there were small marks on both sides of his chest and stomach, some light red, some looking like old wounds. With a long, worried sigh, he turned around.

Kit's back seemed to have no patch of clear skin on almost all of his back. Instead it was a mass of scars. Just from looking, one could see that some were old, healed now, some had healed well, some had left jagged scars hinting at past infections. Some of them were new, red or pink. One, however, stood out. A long, slender scar that arched down from his left shoulder to his right waistline was livid red, swollen, and the skin in certain places sported blisters, two of which were open and oozing small amounts of fluid.

The young mage hung his head with his eyes closed tight. He had never shown anyone these before, and he would not show anyone at the Hall, ever careful to change out of sight, or use the baths at times when no one else did.

"Can you help me?" He asked, quietly.

[Calem Sabathe]

Calem listened carefully. The young man didn't say much, simply fidgeting in his chair for a bit, offering some thanks as Calem attempted to keep him calm. But he didn't really speak much, only mentioning a potentially infected wound on his back. Granted, something like that would make him uncomfortable, but any doctor paying even the remotest bit of attention would know there was something more to it.

Calem had prepared to see something bad, but as the young man took off his shirt Calem couldn't help but let out a quiet but sharp intake of breath. The young man's back was criss-crossed with scars. 'What kind of monster could have done this to such a young boy?' Calem closed his eyes, took in another breath. 'No. Right now you're a doctor. But this kind of abuse is horrifying!' he thought to himself. But if he just asked about it straight to him right now, there was the risk of scaring the boy off. So first things first - deal with what you can. "Yes. I can help you. Please lie down on your stomach on the table there." he said.

Calem threw out a sheet among the table, leaving a pillow at the end of it for the young man to sit down on. "The wound has indeed become infected. It's..." Calem hesitated. "It will take some time to heal - the infection is bad. But I can clean it out and start the healing process." Calem put on his spectacles and looked at the wound. How long had it been since it was clean? Even basic treatment by any caring amateur would have helped deal with it. There were a few pus-filled blisters, and even Calem could see the dirt within the wound. He walked over to his cupboard, taking out a small bottle of clear liquid. "Here we are..." Calem showed the bottle to Kit. "I'll have to apply this to the wound first. It's a liquid for killing the germs inside the wound, a kind of powerful alcohol. But I must warn you - this is going to sting harshly for a few seconds. You'll want to brace yourself before we start."

It was an art that Calem had practiced many times, allowing him to apply the dosage quickly, though Calem had rarely had to use this on a wound quite so big. Calem uncorked the bottle and a pungent smell filled the air. "Are you ready? Three, two, one..." Calem quickly dashed the medical alcohol across the wound.

[Kit Heron]

Kit suppressed a deep sigh as the small gasp from the doctor made him feel horribly conscious. What must this healer be thinking, right now? He felt so vulnerable, since Calem was the first person to ever see these scars ... except for his old master, of course. He tried to push that image out of his mind.

When Doctor Sabathe instructed him, kindly, to lie down, Kit nodded. He said nothing, as he arranged himself on his stomach, his hands holding the sides of the table. At the warning of the "sting", he gripped the table and closed his eyes. "I'm ready." He said, quietly. He didn't feel ready, but he knew pain. He had lived with pain for many years. How bad could it be compared to the switch?

And then he found out.

"Are you ready? Three, two, one..."

When the alcohol touched the already painful wound, agony surged through his body. First he bit his lip, and then unable to keep it in any longer, he let out a loud, pained cry.

As he did, the bottles, books, furniture in the doctor's office suddenly began to shake. Trembling as the young mage's emotions opened the door to his abilities, and unconsciously the telekinetic energy spilled out. It lasted a few seconds, then everything settled as the pain lessened slightly, and Kit's Mind Magic slipped back behind the door in his head.

Kit lay gasping on the table. The metallic taste of blood was in his mouth, and his back felt like it was burning. He did not look up, as the horrible realisation that he had just used magic in front of a citizen of Fellsguard, even though he had not been able to control the outburst. "I'm sorry." He whispered, as tears filled his eyes. Fear gripped him. Would the doctor run for the guard? Would he face the dreaded Inquisition? Had he come to the city only to be locked in a cell, or worse? I'm so sorry." His voice cracked as he spoke.

What would happen to him now?

[Calem Sabathe]

There'd been plenty that Calem had been expecting - this stuff burned and would make most men weep - but he hadn't expected a sudden magical burst that knocked him down onto his backside. The alcohol bottle in Calem's hand spun out before crashing by the backdoor table, spilling the strong-smelling liquid in the air. The pot-plants Calem had put on the desk shook and were knocked over. By the grace of Ixaziel the pots didn't shatter, but the dirt spilled over the desk.

It was an impossible to explain event, but one that anyone with any knowledge in the arts could have understood with crystal clarity. Magic. While he wasn't sure exactly what kind of magic it was, the fact it was magic was dangerous enough.

He could hear a slight sniffling from the table. Was this why the scars were lashed across his back...? Something to do with the fact that he was a magic. Calem dashed to the desk, pulling out another cloth, and handing it to the young man in tears on the table. "Hey, hey. It's alright, it'll be alright." Calem spoke softly, trying to sooth the terrified young man. The magic backlash looked like it had terrified him more than anything else. And Calem knew well enough how that felt.

The door suddenly swung open, Elvera bursting in to the room. "Ny'tha's teeth, what was that?!" She looked around. "What happened to your--"

Calem slowly stood up. "Miss Elvera. Everything's under control." Elvera looked at the young doctor - it was rare he spoke so seriously. "I can take care of this. Please apologise to anyone else affected for me and we'll continue business as usual. We'll discuss the situation later."

"But that was--"

"Miss Elvera." Calem looked straight into her eyes and his voice was stern. "I will take personal responsibility for dealing with the situation. If for some reason someone does ask, it was an unfortunate backlash from a member of House Nyshasa undergoing treatment and there was a bad reaction to some medicine." Granted, that excuse wouldn't hold up under scrutiny, but it would at least satisfy anyone here who asked given the rumours about the house, and it was close enough to the truth. "Besides, House Enlann will want trouble even less than we do."

Elvera looked at the doctor. He was usually so quiet and wishy-washy - when had he learned to get so serious? Nonetheless, she nodded and shut the door.

Calem took a deep breath and looked back at Kit, smiling and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Listen to me. Like I said, nothing goes beyond this hospital, and I will personally make sure of that." he walked over to the cupboard and poured a glass of cold water. "Here. Have some water, calm your nerves a little." He handed the glass to the young man with a smile. "Magic is not a dangerous thing in and of itself, but in how the wielder aims to use it." he said, before looking back up at the closed door - making sure it was closed - and then lowering his voice to a whisper. "Trust me, I know."

Calem stood up, turning back to prepare another towel. "As long as you can avoid another backlash like that, we shouldn't have any further problems." Calem resumed speaking normally. "And that was the worst of it we've gotten through. I will have to make sure to clean out any dirt - this may still hurt a little, but it'll be nothing compared to the alcohol."

[Kit Heron]

Kit pushed himself up to a sitting position as the doctor, while seeming extremely surprised at what had happened, didn't look angry or fearful ... Could it be that he was sympathetic to magic users? Did he know of other mages or such? Or was he simply a very good doctor who genuinely respected confidentiality. "Thank you." He said, taking the offered cloth and rubbed his eyes.

The young mage tensed as the woman who had led him here burst into the room. His heart thudded in his chest as she asked what had happened, but Calem was smoothing things over, before finally being quite firm. It seemed to surprise the woman.

When the door closed, Kit took a breath and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "I didn't even know I was doing it. I actually don't really know how to do ... what I can do. Not properly." He explained, before tilting his head. "You mentioned House Nyshasa ... do you know of them? I am to be tutored by a Professor there that might be able to help me. A Fae, if you can believe it!" He gave a short laugh, and looked down at his hands. "If I have caused any problems, I apologise."

But the doctor didn't seem to be intent on dismissing him just yet, and explained how he would further help with Kit's wound. "You're not ... upset? About your office? And that I'm a mage? I know just being what I am is illegal in this city. I don't want to put you in a difficult situation."

He rubbed his temple. "And I broke the first rule from Professor LaNore: Only use magic in specific areas under supervision. I'll have to tell her, of course. Maybe she can help me keep it contained." He realised he had probably said too much. "I blabber when I'm nervous." He gave a shy smile, while his eyes looked around at the tipped bottles, and the strong smell of the alcohol based medicine.

It was frustrating that he could barely lift a tiny object a foot in the air while using techniques explained by a hundred books, but as soon as someone had (with the best intentions) hurt him badly enough, it had erupted out of him as simple as breathing.

[Calem Sabathe]

"It's quite alright." Calem nodded. "And please don't worry about Miss Elvera. She can be a bit of a mother hen around here sometimes, but she's very reliable. Sometimes I imagine this hospital would fall apart without her, honestly!"

Calem nodded as he started gently dabbing the warm, damp towel across the wound. "Is that so? I'm sure you've been told, but yes, you'll have to be careful in this city. But I think there's more in the city than many people want to admit. But yes, not knowing your abilities is a problem." However, on hearing that the young man had found a tutor, Calem felt remarkably relieved. "Oh, that's good! I don't have much knowledge of House Nyshasa, truth be told - I know one or two people of the house, but they still seem to command a remarkable mystery. I'm sure they won't mind me borrowing a bit of it." he chuckled. "But I assure you, you haven't caused problems, young sir."

Before too long, the wound was as clean as Calem believed he could make it. "Right, that should just about do that part. Now we just need to bandage the wound." As Calem started bandaging the wound, the young man was still utterly nervous. 'What terrible things happened to you for this…?' Calem wondered. Still, he didn't show that worry as he spoke calmly. "I assure you, it is no problem. Buildings can be repaired. I'd rather save lives than buildings. And I don't particularly care that you're a mage, though I'd keep it a little more quiet if I were you - alas, there are many who aren't so sypmathetic. Of course, I'm sure whoever is teaching you will have already told you of that…"

However, just as Calem had finished the bandaging, the young man told him just who exactly was teaching him, and Calem stopped in mid-movement. "You… you know Miss Vanessa…?" Calem's voice went quiet, and his face began to flush bright red. "Y-yes, yes, I've… I've had the privilege of meeting the professor before." he tried to put his voice back to normal, but his voice suddenly seemed to lose the earlier professional confidence. "She's…yes, if she's your tutor, y-you'll be absolutely fine, in very good hands." he stammered, looking away from the young man as the blush covered his face. "She's… she's got incredible hands, incredible hips, a stunning set of--talents! Talents, yes. Many talents. In teaching. About the world. She's very good at teaching people things they never knew before…"

For a moment the young doctor went silent, lost in his thoughts. Suddenly remembering where exactly he was, he seemed to shoot up straight, spinning back around to face the young man. "A-A-Anyway…! That should, I mean, the worst of your cuts should heal up. Make sure you…" Calem took a deep breath, trying to get back at least some degree of professionalism. "Yes. Make sure you have someone replace the bandages once they get dirty. At most they should last a week, but you may need to replace them sooner, if they should get dirty. Anyone should be able to replace them, but you're welcome to come back for assistance should you need to. And if you wish for someone to talk to about… other concerns in confidence, my hospital room is always open for you should you wish, Master…?"

It suddenly occurred to him that throughout all of this, the young man had never actually mentioned his name.

[Kit Heron]

Kit gave a smile as Calem reassured him. "Thank you, doctor. I mean it, too. It's scary to think that I might slip up in front of the wrong person and just... vanish, or whatever they do to magic-users in this city."

He winced a little at the dabbing, but it wasn't painful. mainly sore. He also agreed with Calem's sentiment on House Nyshasa. "I don't know much about the Noble Houses that command this city, but I think you're right about that. It's very mysterious. And thankfully, at least one of them are a little more sympathetic about magi - ouch!" He flinched for a moment, then relaxed. "Sorry, that's a bit sore."

When the bandage was put in place, he felt a little more comfortable. And it would be good to have a barrier between the wound and his shirt. Being unable to wash it, and not wanting to ask anyone else to do so, had been the reason it had become infected in the first place. But he glanced at the doctor with a surprised look on his face when Calem mentioned Vanessa. He would certainly agree she was a talented person, but his brows raised when the stuttering doctor mentioned her hips! He didn't have to have to use empathic or telepathic magic to know there was something there. Was this man attracted to Kit's tutor? "Yes, she is remarkable." He said, cocking his head. "Do you know her well? Was it through a performance she gave you?" He was meaning the songs or maybe a puppet show. He had no idea what actually the nature of their relationship was.

He glanced around awkwardly as the doctor lost focus for a moment. What was the man thinking? If only he did have more control over his powers. "I apologise for prying. It's none of my business, of course." He said, quickly.

The doctor came back and his professional manner seemed to jump over the strange moment a second before. With his instructions, Kit sighed. "There is no one who can change my dressings. I can't show people what you have seen. It's ... it's hideous." Kit's heart sank. "Is there any way I could do it by myself?" It had taken all he had just to show a healer; someone duty bound not to speak about what he had seen. To think of asking anyone in the Hall to help him and thus see the hideous display was more than he could bear. "And people would treat me differently. I don't want that. I don't them to feel sorry for me, or to have them whispering about me. I just want to be ... like everyone else, I suppose."

[Calem Sabathe]

For such a nervous young man, he really did have quite a lot to talk about. Then again, Calem understood that. Once upon a time, he'd been the same. Working as a doctor had certainly helped - anyone was eager to be friendly if they thought you could help them - but even now he was still sometimes quite nervous. Especially where a certain fae professor was concerned, he was beginning to realise. "Um, y-yes! It was a...a very good performance. I hope that I can see her...see it again, sometime." What was it about that woman that always sent him into such a hopeless stupor? Calem shook his head, trying to calm his senses.

At least this time Calem was able to direct the conversation back to healing the young man, which was a more important thing to deal with right now. "Well...it's not so much that it would be impossible for you to do yourself, simply that it would be very difficult to wrap the bandages around your own back, and if done incorrectly you could risk re-opening the wound. Unfortunately, you would need at least one other person you can trust to help re-bandage you. You can certainly ask for me if you choose to return here and I'll be happy to see to you again. If you talk to Miss Elvera, I'm sure we can organise for you to revisit in another couple of weeks."

But as Kit lamented, Calem nodded. "I understand. I can't tell you what to do or what not to do, just make my recommendations. Just remember that it is a sign of strength, not weakness, to ask for help when it is needed. Even Ixaziel could not have created the entire world by themselves." Calem nodded, standing back up. "But for now, I've done everything I can to help you for now. For now, try not to put stress on your body if you can avoid it. I need to talk to Miss Elvera about a few things, so I'll come out with you. You can choose what to do, but I would recommend making another appointment." Calem walked over to the door, but as he was about to open it, turned back to the young man. "But before we leave, is there anything else you wish to talk about?"