You Are a Tool (73 CE)

[Knight]

Then, suddenly, it's over. His foe, some stupid name like 'Gaius' or something, opened his guard just a little too much, and Owyn leapt through it. Three heartbeats, and the man was on his back, gasping for breath, most of his throat torn out and an eye missing. Standing over him, you didn't really feel the pain at first. Owyn's shoulder was broken, or stretched, or torn. He could feel blood running down his leg from where the bastard had dug his gladius into his thigh - hence why he was limping - and most of his left arm was bruised and cut up.

Didn't really matter. He wasn't going to die. This fucker was.

The command came. Thumbs up. Get it over with.

An hour later, they had his lorica hamata off, and he was sat upon some high table in the hospitium. They'd gone to fetch some bloody medicus, a new one. He'd likely reset his shoulder, then stitch up his leg, then send him on his way. Owyn wasn't a pretty sight, dusty and bloody - they'd not even washed him off with water yet. His hair was cut short, his chin freshly shaved. All that lay across his back was the dark grey tunic.

He was in pain, now, but fuck you - he was used to it. Everytime he so much as twitched his right arm, lances of agony coursed through him. His leg was filthy, covered in gore. He had...part of the man's eye, under his fingernail. He couldn't move his right arm, so Owyn just sat there, trying to pick it out with his teeth.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

The first day at the ludus was wild. Theo had been a medicus for twenty-five years on the front lines, and had seen many injuries and treated many people, but gladiators... that was a whole different breed. A whole different thing. Less rush, for sure, and fewer patients to deal with on a give day. But also, gladiators had their pride and their expectations, and... they were commodities. Expensive people. Theo did not only have to make sure they survived. He also had to make sure they could fight again, and they that they were satisifed with the results. It was a job that paid a decent salary - but it was also a whole new world for the recently retired military healer.

Wiping his hands on a clean cloth, Theo entered the room where his next patient awaited. The man had just won a match, from what he heard, it had been one hell of a fight. 

"Marius?" he ventured; he had barely been told more than just a name. He flashed the man a friendly smile, his Greek accent still obvious after so many years in the legions. "My name is Theodorus. You can call me Theo. Let's have a look at your injuries, shall we?"

@Knight

[Knight]

Roman, so obey. If they tell you to hop on one fucking leg and dance a tune, best do it. Healer, a medicus, so he'd likely just stitch him up and fuck off. Good. Owyn couldn't...couldn't bear the silence. Sure, he caused it, because mostly he just glared and played the role of 'big scary foreigner' to the hilt, but it wasn't his fault he had en- yes. Yes, it was his fault. It was entirely and completely his fault.

Now, an overview of his injuries, bearing in mind dear Owyn was busy desperately trying to suppress his agony. He had a single 9 inch laceration, about an inch deep, into his right quadricep, and his left shoulder had been dislocated with three broken fingers on his right hand. Standard stuff for a decent scrap, and Owyn was used to it. He was big, even for a Briton, and when Theodorus entered, he had simply nodded and grunted.

...

But fuck it, he seemed like a decent sort for a Roman. For the first time, Owyn answered. "Ma...Marius. Yes. Shoulder. Leg. Fingers." He managed to grunt, through manfully gritted teeth.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"Marius. Right. Looks like it was quite the fight. Did you win?" Theo asked lightly as he lit another lantern for better light. Sunlight was still streaming in through the windows, but seeing better didn't hurt. Theo looked over the injuries he mentioned: the shoulder was definitely at an odd angle, so were the fingers, with dark bruises blooming over them. The cut on the leg was still oozing blood through the cloth they covered it with.

"Alright. Anything else? You're not leaking blood somewhere, are you? Feel all your limbs just fine? Did you get hit on the head?"

@Knight

[Knight]

A grin, ever so slight, more of a smirk than anything else.
"I won." He stated, a hint of pride seeping in. It was what he lived for. Everything inbetween the bouts was just...a means to an end. It was just waiting. This? All of it was just pain until he got to kill something or he died.

"Everything works. No hit to the head. No other injuries. Bit of a brawl." He shrugged, and his arm coursed with pain once more. He tongued his bottom lip - nothing there.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Of course he won. He seemed proud of it, too. Theo was new to the world of gladiators, but he recognized a proud warrior when he saw one. He assessed the injuries; it was a good sign that he had not been clonked on the head, and he could feel all his limbs just fine. He was not going to be grateful for the latter in a few moments, however.

"Very well then" he nodded, running his hands lightly over the injured arm. It was not a healthy color, even under the bruises around the shoulder. "I will need to pop your arm back into place first. This will probably not be pleasant. Do you want to drink some wine?"

@Knight

[Knight]

Marius knew what came next. It was pain like someone smashing your shoulder to pieces, and he usually could tough it out, but fuck, he couldn't be bothered today. He nodded for the wine, and when presented, took a long gulp of the stuff. Fucking Romans, but they could make wine.

"I've had it done a few times. Quick and sudden, that's the trick." Already, he was starting to warm to this one. He had the kind of face he recognised from the halls - clever, whimsical, hilarious. "Just don't tell me when you do it."

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Theo had unwatered wine put aside for times like this. Only barbarians drank unwatered wine... barbarians and injured people, and Marcus right now was both. He pilled a cup and handed it over, making sure Marcus could hold it well enough to drain its contents.

"I've had it done a few times. Quick and sudden, that's the trick. Just don't tell me when you do it."

"Wisdom comes with experience" Theo smirked, examining the shoulder to make sure he was going to apply leverage in the right place. "I'm going to have to take a look first..." he added, before he made a sudden movement, jolting the shoulder back into place. It made a displeasing popping sound, but it was studdenly in a much healthier angle. "There."

@Knight

[Knight]

You don't really get used to pain. You find ways to handle it, you find ways to force yourself to. For Owyn, he turned his mind and dug into the pain in his mind's eyes. He focused on it, rolled over it in his head, and that helped him not to scream.

The medicus did it properly. Short, sharp, surprising, and you got their attention away from it. Owyn had been looking away when the shoulder moved back into place with the Roman's practised care. The agony immediately began to fade, and the Briton moved his fingers and his wrist. His icy blue eyes came up and pinned him with the wolf-like stare.
"Theodorus. Well done." It wasn't a congratulation, it was a statement of fact. Remember the name, because good healers are rare as gemstones, and this was a fine sign. He glanced down at the laceration to his leg, and huffed, a bit curious as to how the medicus would tend to that.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Now that the shoulder was back in place, Theo could turn his attention to the cut on Marius' leg. He'd have time to bandage everything once the bleeding had stopped. The gladiator handled the setting of his shoulder with bravery, and gave Theo a look of approval. Satisfied patients were always the good ones.

Theo undid the haphazard bandage on the leg, checking the cut that was still leaking blood.

"I will have to stitch this up" he noted immediately "And I am going to have to clean it first. But I think it will heal without an issue, gods willing." It was always important for gladiators to know they would be able to fight again. The cut had not gone so deep as to leave permanent damage to the muscles. "More wine?... Tell me about something while I work."

@Knight