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Post by Lady Iseult of Ireland on Jun 15, 2012 18:30:37 GMT
"Is he? Silly, brave boy," She commented, but with no malice, "This is the last thing poor Sir Ector needs," she took a pause after what he said about Sir Alexander, "I do not know how I can help where your healer cannot... but I will take a look at him, of course I will, anything I can do to help." Iseult went on, nodding at the servant/ stewerd.
Lancelot nodded to Gawain and leaned down to pull one of Uther's arms over his shoulder, to take his weight and put his other hand on a place on the boys leg where it was not burnt in order to carry him, "Bed for a while for this one, I think."
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Post by Morgan le Fay on Jun 15, 2012 18:52:22 GMT
"Aye. Here, boy, come show us where to go."
Another of the boys came at Gawain's call and they started off through the courtyard. Meanwhile, the steward was leading Iseult through the castle already up to the bedchamber where Alexander lay with Arthur, Sir Ector and two women watching over him. One of the women was roughly of an age with Sir Ector and had to be the young man's mother, while the other was a tiny figure, silver-haired and wrinkled.
"Sir Ector, I brought Lady Iseult to come help," the man said.
Arthur lifted his head and turned to smile at Iseult, but Sir Ector and the ladies merely gave her a cursory nod each.
"Oh, Iseult, thank you! Poor Alexander is so ill."
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Post by Lady Iseult of Ireland on Jun 15, 2012 19:06:17 GMT
Isuelt did not exactly feel welcome, but she did not hold it against anyone there as they must all have been very worried for the man in the bed, "So I have heard, I will do what I can, but I cannot promise anything," She said, with a frown at Arthur and walked over to the bed slowly, looking at Sir Alexander to assess how he looked."
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Post by Morgan le Fay on Jun 15, 2012 19:24:41 GMT
Unfoirtuantely, although Iseult was able to perform some of the more basic healer's tasks, she was not experienced enough to make a diagnosis on her own. After a minute or so, the old woman said "Alexander was wounded in battle. It has festered. I have done all I can to aid him but I fear time will be the cure."
Time or death, said her tone.
"But Iseult has been speaking to Gaius, and he is the wisest man in the world after Merlin!" Arthur declared, his expression filled with hope.
Sir Alexander's parents looked likewise hopeful but not the old lady.
"I fear that magic is the only option now. Magic and prayer."
Arthur winced and drew Iseult to one side.
"Mistress Lucia is an old woman and and my foster mother says her wits are starting to fail her. She was old even when I was born. They humour her here, but I think she may be wrong. Gaius told me once that there is always something that can be done. Please at least take a look at the wound, Iseult."
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Post by Lady Iseult of Ireland on Jun 15, 2012 19:54:56 GMT
"I..." Iseult started, looking at Arthur, not sure what to say, she didn't want to second guess a much more experienced healer, but if Arthur was right then it may be necessary, "Gaius does know best..." She said softly, looking sideways at where Alexander was lying, "It will not hurt to have another look."
Iseult turned back to the bed to take a closer look at the wound more closely, to look at colour and the kind of pus that may be coming out of it, whether the area around it was hot or swollen or not.
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Post by Morgan le Fay on Jun 15, 2012 20:11:06 GMT
The wound was in Alexander's thigh, towards his hip, and was far worse than his brother's burns. The blood had congealed but pus seeped out. The wound was warm, approaching hot, and a bit swollen. Iseult could see the beginning of an infection setting in and she knew they would have to go else Alexander would either die or lose his leg.
"What do you think"? Arthur asked.
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Post by Lady Iseult of Ireland on Jun 15, 2012 21:06:22 GMT
"The wound is infected, but that was known," She turned to Mistress Lucia, "What have you tried in order to clear the wound?"
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Post by Morgan le Fay on Jun 15, 2012 21:42:51 GMT
"I have washed it out with wine," the woman said. "That is the usual procedure."
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Post by Lady Iseult of Ireland on Jun 15, 2012 22:03:44 GMT
"Have you thought about using vinegar, it is stronger than wine?" She suggested, a bit meekly, "Gaius told me it works well against infections. Or put leeches on the edges?" She suggested, "And make sure he eats plenty of garlic, that should help if the infection has got to his blood."
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Post by Morgan le Fay on Jun 15, 2012 22:37:33 GMT
The old lady exchanged glances with Sir Ector's wife.
"We haven't done those things," she said sullenly. "They won't help."
""We should try them, perhaps they will," Arthur insisted. "ANything that can be done should be done."
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Post by Lady Iseult of Ireland on Jun 15, 2012 22:42:55 GMT
"How do you know they won't help?" She said, with a slight from,feeling bad at talking back to the more experienced woman "And if you won't at least try a stronger alcohol, like fire water."
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Post by Morgan le Fay on Jun 16, 2012 0:05:49 GMT
"I have had fifty years of training," the old lady said. "How dare you question my methods, little girl."
Sir Ector looked at Iseult with dawning respect.
"It is worth a try. My dear, would you fetch fire water, please?"
His wife let go of her injured son's hand and went over to the cabinet.
Arthur leaned close to Iseult again and whispered "Gaius said they use maggot sometimes to eat at infected flesh. Do you think we should try that? It's a horrid thought but..."
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Post by Lady Iseult of Ireland on Jun 16, 2012 1:30:23 GMT
"I am sorry, Ma'am." Iseult said, stiffening at the reprimand, "But I was asked to come here and see what I thought, which is what I have said, I don't want to insult you, I just want to help Sir Alexander."
She looked to Arthur as he leant in and nodded at his suggestion, "It depends on how much infection is there, too much and cutting it off would be better before putting maggots on," She said, and looked away, "I am not really sure which would be best, whether there is enough to warrant cutting it off or not."
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Post by Morgan le Fay on Jun 16, 2012 12:12:40 GMT
"We don't want to risk hurting Alexander more than we must," Arthur said. "I'm no healer but I think we should try everything we possibly can before we cut anything off. No knight wants to be a cripple."
Sir Ector was trying to remonstrate with the old lady, who was now demanding to know why a foreigner was interfering with her business. Meanwhile, Sir Ector's wife was laying out firewater, clean cloths and other useful items.
"Don't mind Mistress Lucia," Arthur whispered. "She's always had a temper. Every time I went to her as a boy with injuries cause by falling out of a tree or some such, she'd swipe me around the head for carelessness."
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Post by Morgan le Fay on Jun 16, 2012 15:26:55 GMT
Meanwhile, Gawain entered the great hall.
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