The Pearls - RUYI

Chapter 4 - Something to Prove

Ruyi was hit by the smell of illness, blood and death when she entered the hospital wing. She was escorted by a reluctant palace servant, who at first disbelieved her purpose for being at the palace. He was young, no older than Enlai, but he walked with a slight limp. Ruyi guessed he wasn't conscripted because of it. As she following along behind him, she noticed the maids passing by, staring openly, before breaking out into whispers. She ignored them and straightened her back. She was there to do a job. And to keep an eye on Enlai.

Inside the infirmary, injured soldiers lay upon small cots. The air was humid and thick with the sounds of coughing and groans of pain.

An elderly man, her father's age, looked up as she entered, and with a quirked eyebrow, walked towards her. He wore a luxurious black robe, which indicated his high ranking. Ruyi guessed he might be the head doctor. "And you are?" He asked.

"My name is Ruyi. I'm here to apply for a position as an army medic," she said as confidently as she could, despite the curious and disbelieving faces around her. She certainly was an incongruous sight. The only woman in the room. One of the youngest as well. But she stood tall and held her ground against the man's severe look.

"I see. I am Bolin, the head medic at the palace. I am known to be quite an open-minded man, but I certainly cannot force any of these soldiers to accept you as their doctor," he reasoned, gesturing to the cots around them.

Ruyi inwardly agreed. She had already anticipated that this might be a problem. But she kept her head high and strode to the nearest injured solder. His arm was patched, but still bleeding heavily. She knew that he needed stitches. "Hello," she began, "Let me fix this for you." But the soldier flinched away from her and glared slightly. "I don't want no woman touching my injuries! She'll only make it worse. I'll wait for a real doctor."

Ruyi stepped back, cheeks flushing. But she couldn't give up. She looked around the hospital desperately. All the men had their eyes on her, wary. Bolin looked on rather sympathetically but made no move to help her. This was her fight. And if she was going to become a successful medic she would have to prove herself to these men.

"I'll take her," a husky voice croaked eventually. She pinpointed the voice instantly, as the man to whom it belonged was dressed the most grandly. He was clutching his side painfully and had a sickly pallor. "You must be a prince," Ruyi said, and immediately winced at her lack of propriety. "Your highness," she amended. He cracked a faint smile and gestured for her to come closer.

"That would be correct. I'm the Emperor's youngest brother, Jin. Bolin has done everything he can to remedy my stab wound, but it seems that I've taken a turn for the worst. Do you think you can save me?" The young prince was light-hearted, but Ruyi could sense his underlying fear. He knew he was dying, and so did the doctors. She was their last hope, even if they didn't know it yet.

She inspected his wound, a bleeding, most probably infected mess, and knew she had to at least try. That this might be her only chance. "Of course I can save you," she replied and began to work. At these words, she felt the room go silent. The man before her was royalty. A mistake would cost her her life. The men around her knew what was at stake, and despite their lack of faith in her ability, they grew impressed by her courage.

Ruyi worked for hours, under Bolin's close watch. He asked her questions as she worked, gauging her experience and skills. She explained how she and her father had worked together as their village's doctors. She had encountered many drunken bar fights and cleaned up her fair share of wounds. Her father had passed down a medicinal drink that she would use to help Jin break fever and avoid infection. As she brewed it, Bolin wrote down the ingredients on a piece of parchment. He watched her with curiosity and a sense of growing respect, noticing her nimble fingers and intense focus. 

Jin was a calm and trusting patient. He didn't complain when she cleaned and stitched the wound. She gave him the herbal drink. "It's hot, be careful," she said, blowing into the steaming hot ceramic cup. "It also tastes horrible, so here's your warning." 

Jin's face scrunched up in disgust as he downed the drink. "God, that's awful," he said, making Ruyi smile for the first time she had arrived there. She knew Jin would make it. 

He fell asleep in his cot, exhausted from his surgery. She was sweating now, her hair a mess, and her legs ached from standing for so long. Bolin handed her a wet cloth to wipe her bloody hands, and she took it gratefully. He watched her with a mixed expression of admiration and mild surprise. "I was very impressed by you, Ruyi. You have a natural talent for this. And your fingers are thin and dexterous, unlike many of my men. I called for our General to assess you. He has the final decision, after all."

At the mention of the famed General Lang, Ruyi's cheeks heated immediately, and she felt her heart begin to pump rapidly. She had heard many stories about the intimidating man, who was known to be fair, but stern. Many girls in her village fawned over the princes, but she also knew many who longed to meet the handsome general, who was a fierce warrior, her Emperor's greatest asset.

Now, having been alerted by Bolin, she felt his strong presence behind her. His shadow was cast over her, indicating his incredible height. She willed her feet to turn herself around but somehow found herself planted to the ground with nervousness.

"You are brave, Miss Ruyi, to come here. But I must admit you have proven yourself."