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At the Foundry: Next Morning

(Day 10)

It was much colder and lighter when Vivien felt a hand shaking her awake by her shoulder.

Vivien started for a moment and cried out softly. She had not meant to go to sleep, but to stay awake and watch over the children, but as she had not been to sleep the night before, it had stolen upon her unbidden.

She recovered herself quickly and looked up to see who had woken her.

It was a woman, her red hair just distinguishable in the early morning light. She looked worn, pale in the light. And her expression was grim.

"I need some assistance. Come," she told Vivien as she stood straight. "The children are safe. The fire is out," she added.

"I'm glad of it, but it doesn't really... follow..." Vivien yawned, covering her mouth, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Just a moment..." She rose and woke Dora.

"I have to go with this lady. Can you and the other older children take care of the babies until Mrs Mavring comes back?"

Dora mumbled incoherently in her sleep as she hugged one of the children tighter to her.

Vivien turned back to the redhaired woman and smiled. "I'm at your service, then, Miss...?"

"Gallfrey. Doctor Gallfrey," the woman said as she led the way from the room.

"Um, I... the children... sleeping..." Vivien mumbled, glancing back at her charges with serious misgivings.

There was too much of an air of command about Doctor Gallfrey, however, and Vivien was trundled up in her wake.

The tall woman led them to the waterway, where several makeshift tents had been raised. The area was quiet, with people talking in hushed tones around the wounded.

"Here." Dr. Gallfrey led Vivian around a makeshift lean to facing away from the others. Lying down on a blanket was a middle aged woman, the side of her face and body burned and blood down her right side. "I need assistance, and it's better a woman help me with her."

Vivien was jolted completely awake by this sight. Her eyes were very wide. "Wh... why?" she asked, keeping close at hand so that she could do whatever it was she was supposed to do.

The Doctor knelt down next to the unconscious woman. "We need to try and stabilize her before we can take her to the hospital."

"And I'd rather a woman was here to help in case she wakes up." The Doctor gave Vivian a firm look. "Especially since I need to work on her. Sit there," she said, pointing to the other side of the woman. "What's your name?" she asked as she started to examine the injured woman's shoulder wound.

"My name is Vivien Greywood," the girl replied, and it seemed that by saying that she grew a bit more calm, controlled. She knelt on the other side of the woman. "And I meant, why did you want a woman?"

"In case I have to cut her clothing away," the doctor answered as she leaned down to start inspecting the wounded shoulder. "It's traumatic enough to wake up with a injury. Better there is someone here to calm her if she does wake up."

Vivien nodded. "Of course." Absently she began to fix her hair, work the sleep from her eyes and straighten her wrinkled dress. Her attention remained fixed on Dr. Gallfrey and the woman.

After a moment she said, "Are you... by any chance... related to Madame Gallfrey of the Women's College?"

The red haired woman glanced up at Vivian. "My mother is on the other side of the water way," she answered as a response. "And yes, she is Madam Gallfrey of the Woman's College. Why? Are you a student there?"

"No," said Vivien. "I met your mother on one of my first days in Aquila. She told me a lot of things. I recognized the name." She smiled wanly. "I don't know too many people here yet, so I thought I'd ask."

The woman lying down moaned slightly as the doctor started to peel back the fabric on the shoulder. "I approve of people who ask about things they do not know," the doctor said. "I disapprove of people who pretend to more than they know or have done."

"All right," said Vivien, obviously trying to work out if the second sentence had been some sort of warning. She edged a bit closer to the injured woman, in case she suddenly regained consciousness.

The injured woman was still as the doctor for several moments carefully examined, felt and carefully lifted the bloodied shoulder. Finally she nodded to herself, looked up at Vivian. "Get ready," was all the doctor said as she grasped the unconscious woman's upper arm, lifting it.

And then the doctor suddenly yanked the arm, twisting it as she pulled up and outward with surprising strength.

The injured woman suddenly convulsed with a half scream, her eyes snapping open as her torso bowed up next to Vivian.

"Shhh," said Vivien gently, leaning her face closer so that the woman could see her calm face. She reached out, touching the woman on the uninjured side of her face and tried to ease her back down to the ground. "It's all right. It's all right. The doctor is taking good care of you. It's all right."

She continued to murmur these words over and over until the woman calmed.

"What happened? Did Harry get out all right?" the woman asked desperately even as she grimaced in pain.

"If you promise to lie still and let the doctor take care of you, I'll find out," Vivien said quietly.

The burned woman nodded anxiously. "Please... I was pulling him out," she gasped.

Vivien shot a quick look at Doctor Gallfrey. Her eyes were wide, her brows raised.

"Go. I think she will be all right," Dr. Gallfrey answered. "And if it helps her to calm down, all the better."

Vivien nodded. "What's his full name, ma'am?" she asked. "Harry...?"

"Rogers..." the woman said, wincing as the doctor started to work on her side. "My brother..." she told Vivian, tears welling in her eyes.

"I'll be right back," Vivien promised, rising gracefully and moving across the yard to the next of the shelters. At each area where wounded were being treated she asked if anyone knew where to find a Harry Rogers.

Vivien moved from around the different clusters of people, all quiet in the cold early morning light except for a few crying or in pain.

She had to talk to several people before she finally got some word. "'E was bad, miss," a tired older man told her. He was sitting near the water on a bench, his face covered with grime and soot. "I think they took him away on one of those carriages. To the doctors."

She thanked the man and moved onward toward one of the surgical setups elsewhere on the lawn.

Vivien soon found out that Dr. Greywood and Dr. Gallfrey were two of only a few doctors there at the foundry, though there was other staff from the clinics and the hospital. All those that were strong enough had been taken away to either the city hospital or the University hospital. Those that hadn't been strong enough were being given what pain relief there was and helped as best they could be.

It appeared that sometime in the night Harry Rogers had been taken away to one of the hospitals.

Armed with this new information, Vivien returned to the injured woman, at a strange sort of hopping run, skirts held higher than would be considered ladylike.

A moment later she rediscovered the lean to where she left the doctor and the woman.

Dr. Gallfrey looked up as Vivien came around, as did the woman. "What news?" the injured lady gasped.

"He's been taken to the hospital," Vivien said in a soothing voice. "He'll be very well cared for there."

Dr. Gallfrey gave Vivian a more measuring look as she worked on the woman's side.

"Vivien? How are you with the sight of blood?" she asked.

"I don't know... I've never seen much," the dark-haired girl said. "Will we have to find out?"

Her expression was calm now, as if the physical act of running across the field had somehow settled her spirits.

"Margie here," Gallfrey nodded at the woman who was now crying quietly, apparently in relief. "Well... she has a tear in her side and she needs surgery. I'd normally tie a bandage around her ribs to keep pressure on it." The doctor looked down at her hands, frowned worriedly.

"But she has some broken ribs. She needs someone to keep pressure on the wound while she's taken to the hospital. I could do it, but I'm needed here."

Dr. Gallfrey looked at Vivien with worried eyes. "Could you go with her to the hospital and stay with her until she gets into surgery? Keep pressure on the wound so she doesn't bleed to death?"

At the word 'death' a wild look came back into Vivien's eyes, but she kept her expression smooth and calm. Nodding, she said, "How do we get her across to the hospital?"

"They've been bringing the carriages around to behind the Foundry, via the long way," Dr. Gallfrey told her. "We'll get help moving Margie to the carriages, then you'll have to go along with her and keep pressure to keep the wound from hemoraging... from bleeding."

"If you would please get two men to help us move her, we can get her sent on to Surgery."

"All right," Vivien replied quietly. She smiled reassuringly at Margie, then set off again, in search of one of the places she had been to before - the one with the most men with the least difficult jobs to do. She found if she concentrated on what she was doing - one thing, then the next thing, it was easier not to be overwhelmed, or fearful over what might happen next.

Two men were found and brought a stretcher around to where Dr. Gallfrey was. Between the men, and Dr. Gallfrey, they carefully moved Margie onto the fabric. She hissed in pain at the transfer, even as the doctor kept a thick folded cloth pressed against Margie's side. Then, slowly they made their way to the carriages behind the smoldering structure.

Margie was placed into a carriage, and Dr. Gallfrey motioned for Vivien to enter the carriage. "All right... here is where you need to keep pressure on. Not to much, or you'll hurt her. But not too little either. If you start to see too much blood, start pressing harder, understood?" Dr. Gallfrey asked Vivien as she guided the young woman's hand to hold the compress.

Vivien nodded, pressing down on the compress. Her hands felt suddenly very cold, and her mouth was dry. No one's life had ever been in Vivien's hands, not even for an instant, and now it seemed literally to be the case.

"Dr. Gallfrey, I-" she began, then stopped, shaking her head. "I don't know what I want to say. You'd better go save more lives, I guess."

The doctor looked at Vivien for a moment, concerned.

"Don't faint," she finally said. "If you feel faint or believe you cannot continue, call to the driver. I'll make sure he is listening in case you have a problem."

"I won't faint," Vivien said, biting her lower lip. "Let's just... let's get her to the hospital." Her eyes rose to meet the doctor's green ones again. "But I don't think I'll be back again for a bit."

"I understand," Dr. Gallfrey said with some warmth. "Go home and get some rest, please."

Vivien nodded in thanks, a tired smile lighting her face for a moment.

"And thank you Vivien," the doctor said as she stepped out of the carriage. Then she closed the door, and Vivien could hear Dr. Gallfrey say "Go driver! To the hospital! And listen in case there's trouble inside!"

The carriage lurched forward and started off at a fast trot. It was Vivien, with Margie and another man on the other seat. He was unconscious, with crude bandages around his face and hands. Margie moaned slightly as the sudden start of motion took them.

It was a long trip to the hospital. The carriage had to make the road on the far side of the Foundry, and then up to the nearest bridge to cross the river that fed the mill wheels of the foundry. And then the trip into the city and the hospital.

Margie moaned when they hit bumps or the carriage jerked suddenly. But at least there was no more bleeding from the bandage on Margie's side.

Every time Margie moaned or flinched, a little shaft of ice ran through Vivien's heart and she worried about the pressure being too light or too hard. After the third time she gave up on shushing the poor woman and simply tried to endure the empathetic torture of not being able to alleviate another person's pain.

The carriage ride seemed to last forever. Before it was over Margie had lapsed into unconsciousness. But there was no bleeding, no more moans.

And then suddenly the carriage stopped and the door was thrown open. A tired young man peered at Vivien, looking at her dress and the blood. "Can you walk?" he asked, even as he glanced at the other two. "Or do you need help?" he asked looking back at Vivien and blinking.

"I'm all right," Vivien replied with a wan smile. "I'm not hurt. The blood belongs to this lady... we'll need to move her carefully... And the gentleman behind me isn't too well off either."

"I think he's dead," the young man said, peering at the form on the other seat. He pushed his sweaty brown hair back from his face. "Maybe not..."

At any other time the thought of spending that ride with a dead body would have made Vivien blanch, but she was too tired to think about it now.

"We have two in here that need immediate attention!" he yelled behind him. "Stretchers now!"

"Come on... out with you then!" he said, reaching in and grabbing Vivien's wrist, then waist and pulling her out of the carriage.

"Someone has to keep pressure on Margie's wound," Vivien protested lamely, a little too late. She couldn't help registering absently that the young man was both strong and forceful, because tired and stressed as she was, she was still Vivien Greywood.

"Right!" the young man said as he swung Vivien down and dropped her a little abruptly to the side of the door. "We've a bleeder here!" he called as he pulled Vivien away from the carriage, his arm still around her waist.

"You sure you're not hurt?" he asked her. "You look like you're in shock," he announced.

"I think I'm just tired," said Vivien. "I wouldn't mind sitting down for a minute."

"Then your wish is my command," the young man said, steering Vivien to a simple wooden bench outside the emergency entrance. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, illuminating the courtyard with a faint glow.

He half pushed her to sit down on the bench. "I prescribe you should sit here and recover yourself, until such time as you are ready to leave or I happen to return with some fare for you," he said with a quick smile. Then he turned and dashed toward the two stretchers at the carriage.

"All right," Vivien nodded, smiling again. She watched the young man rush around, feeling oddly as if she should still be working, and yet reveling in the feeling of not doing anything... Her muscles were so tense it hurt.

The young man left with the others moved the passengers of the carriage, Margie and the man, into the hospital double time.

The carriage then drove off back in the direction of the foundry.

And Vivien suddenly found herself quite alone in the hospital courtyard. The light was growing brighter in the sky in the east.

Vivien was too tired to mind being alone. She sat very still, enjoying the feeling of her tensed muscles relaxing, staring down at her ruined dress and not feeling any of the irritation she expected. A dress was such a little thing next to a life, after all... The blood that stained her creation was far more precious.

She smiled faintly, her head leaned back against the back of the bench.

She must have dozed off on the bench, because in a slow gradual way she realized she was lying on something much softer than the bench. And warmer than the cold pre-dawn air.

And she felt something coarse brushing one of her hands.

Vivien's eyes flickered open. She yawned widely, her eyes closing and opening again as she glanced around herself, trying to discover where she was...

She opened her eyes to find the young man from before standing next to her, rag in hand, trying to carefully wipe her right hand off.

"Sorry.. sorry," he said with a half grin, half bashful smile. "I was just.. well... trying to clean you up," he told her, even as he continued to wipe her hand with the rag.

"No, that's all right," Vivien smiles, yawning and then belatedly covering her mouth with her free hand. "Thank you. I'm Vivien, by the way, if I didn't tell you before."

"Vivien... no, you didn't," he half grinned. "I think you were more in shock than anything else. I'm Drake by the way. It's nice to meet you, m'lady," he grinned as he continued to wipe her hand with a soapy cloth.

"And now I'm stiff," Vivien agreed, stretching with a grateful sigh. "Drake. Are you a doctor here?"

"No! I'm an intern. That's someone who's training to be a doctor, and has to do everything they tell you to do," he said jokingly.

He put the soapy rag down and started to clean Vivien's hand with a warm, clean one. "How did you end up holding that woman's bandage all the way here? I don't remember seeing you at university," he added, his brown eyes glancing up at Vivien's face as he continued.

"Oh, I don't go," Vivien said, leaning her head back a little and enjoying the feel of the warm cloth. "I'm Lady - um, Doctor Greywood's cousin. We heard about the fire when she was called for and came along to help - my brother and I. I suppose he's still there... Or maybe not. What time is it?"

Drake looked impressed. "Dr. Greywoods' cousin? She's famous," he said. "And it's nearly midday," he continued, frowning as he worked the cloth in under her nails. "The carriages have stopped coming from the foundry. It seems all those that could be helped have been sent here or to the university." There was something in his look that was more disapproving than might seem reasonable from his statement.

"Is something the matter?" Vivien asked.

Drake shook his head quickly. "No... nothing for a pretty lady like you to worry about," he answered lightly, forcing a smile as he met her eyes with his own brown ones.

"And I've brought you some food." He nodded to the small table next to the bed, a covered bowl on a small tray and a cup of something steaming. "You probably haven't eaten in a while I bet," he said with a half smile.

"Not in..." Vivien considered... the last time she'd eaten had been - biscotti with Harold? Really? "A while," she finished, smiling back. "Thank you."

Drake finished with Vivien's hand, drying it with a soft cloth. "It's no problem. You probably saved that woman's life by riding with her, and it's not much," he nodded to the food, "but it's wholesome."

He almost diffidently put her hand to rest on the blanket next to her. Then he reached over to lift the tray with the soup. "Sit up now, so you can eat," he grinned.

Vivien did as he asked, taking the food from him. "Thank you for taking such good care of me, Drake," she said. She took a bite of food. "So... What do you do for fun around here? When you're not working?"

"I have no fun," Drake grinned. "I am but a drone, slave to the mercy of my masters." He chuckled. "Actually me and my mates live near the Uni, over on the park side. We usually hang out at the Rusty Scalpel, when we're not otherwise busy."

"The Rusty Scalpel," Vivien replied. "Is that a university hangout?"

"For med students," Drake confirmed. "And those who aspire to medicine after leaving Uni." He grinned. "Medical humor is rather... stomach turning for those not used to it. We keep ourselves separate for as much the digestion of others as for our own amusement," he grinned.

Vivien laughed, but her laughter soon turned serious. "I suppose if you see things like that fire every day, you have to either joke about it or get angry... Joking's probably more healthy."

"Exactly," Drake said, pleased by Vivien's observation.

"Unfortunately, this fire is not ordinary. Many have died. Many more will. And... I must resume my duties as my lunch time is up," he said with a half smile.

He reached down, took Vivien's hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing the back of it. "Thank you for being such a helpful soul, kind lady," he said with a gallant air as he gave her hand back to her.

"Perhaps I will see you again someday? But not again today I'm afraid." he said with forced humor as he was obviously steeling himself to leave.

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