Their temporary settlement, a gorge that stood dry for years, wasn't so bad. The sun-bleached cliffs surrounding the area were manned by tents from either side by their militia as guard post. Patches of shrubbery ranging from dark, light to pale plunge into the slanted valley where the Survivalist set up camp. The people were anxious, missing the safety of their walls, but James and Vernon urged everyone to maintain their usual routines as much as they could. That the situation was only temporary until they went back home victorious.
Cristine moved the diaphragm of her stethoscope over her patient's back. "Breathe in deeply for me, please," she requested and intently listened to the breathing sounds and after some silent, passing seconds removed the end of the stethoscope's aside. She glanced at Hailey and instructed her how she could do a simple diagnosis. "The way someone breaths through their lungs can quickly help you determine what's wrong," she explained.
"It sounds like wheezing?" Hailey's brows scrunched up, carefully describe the sound before looking at Cristine for confirmation.
"That's right. Luckily, it's just a case of bronchitis; a cold to the chest," Cristine clarified and took looked back from her sister to the elderly man, "you need to drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest Mr. Rogers. Try to avoid smoke and fumes from the campfires. I'll give you some cold medicines for relief."
After setting up the infirmary together with some of the guys, that same morning Hailey surprised Cristine with wanting to work under her tutelage. Hailey didn't want to just cook and clean anymore. With heat burning through her cheeks and the flames in her blue eyes, Hailey brought her appeal to her sister. So with their father and even Dolores', permission, Hailey officially became Cristine's novice. Her new assistant was diligent and attentive and even wrote the terms she didn't understand down. While still confused, Hailey didn't take her new duty as a joke or slacked off just because they were sisters.
Smiling at Hailey organizing the medicine cabinet, Cristine looked at the infirmary's other volunteer; Alicia. The girl was busy cleaning a nasty cut from one of the ranchers. Cristine would reserve her judgement for Madison's children given that they didn't give her that wariness when in their presence. The young teen even conversed with her and the people that visited them about menial things. Surprisingly, Alicia had the right, natural and soothing tune to calm someone down. The two would definitely lessen the occupancy of the infirmary in the long run when things would get bad; which Cristine was sure it would. Also, it seemed Hailey found a camaraderie in the youngest Clark member; which wasn't odd given that the two were so close in age.
"Alright ladies, I'll be doing up some check-ups." Cristine rose from the low stool and walked to the corner of the tent. She picked one of the backpacks with medical gear and swung it over her shoulder. Cristine's routine was pretty simple, do check-ups around camp for the more fragile ones in their camp. It was important to maintain some kind system that this was only temporary and alleviate people's anxiousness that family and friends were back at the Ranch to fight for their lives. This was just a part of the whole picture, but it was the most Cristine she felt she could do.
"Can Alicia and I come?" Hailey asked.
Cristine looked between the two. Alicia didn't say much, but Cristine didn't see the harm in them watching and learning. It would help in the long-run. After taking a moment to consider the question Cristine shrugged.
-
Alicia tried not to gawk at Cristine's first patient. The woman tiny and slender in her pastel colored sundress, carefully stroke the roundness of her protruding belly. A stout man stood in the corner of the RV. His harsh brown eyes hawked Cristine's every movement as she inspected his wife. From browsing through the medical bag, to touching his wife's and putting on a pensive expression from the answers provided to her, the muscles on his face were taut. Maybe it was her imagination, but Alicia detected traces of resentment from the tense man, for what she didn't know.
A quiet, scratchy hum left his wife's lips, "little one's been kicking my butt lately. She's dying to come out."
"I noticed." Cristine smiled tightly, almost nervous of the piercing eyes from that particular corner. "How have you been feeling Kathy?"
The woman's light, wavy hair continued to fall over her large stomach. Her flushed face scrunched together and spread her finger over the protrusion that proved she had a second living baby inside of her. Her back ached, carrying all the weight and then some. Glancing at her husband, who suddenly stood straighter from his position her voice softened. "I'm fine," there was some hesitance in her sentence but after reminding herself this child would come into this world, apocalypse or not, her voice hardened. "I'm overdue. I delivered my lil' Cam by C-section. I'll probably have to have our baby girl the same way." Stroking her hands back and forth over the roundness of her stomach, she asked the crucial question her and her husband had been asking themselves these past days, "Jack and I were wondering if you have experience performing the procedure?"
Cristine didn't show that she was surprised by the reasonable question, but her heart dropped. The checkups were always awkward, given that Cristine put down their turned terminally ill son. Back when no one knew that everyone was infected and resurrected. Cameron was the community's youngest and second victim and didn't deserve it and ever since Martha's death Cristine did Kathy's checkups. "Martha isn't here with me anymore, but she taught me well." Her answer was neither haughty or timid and Cristine could only tell them the truth. Leaning forward she stared the expecting parents dead in the eyes. "When she's ready to come out, I promise that I'll deliver your baby into this world."
"You did fine back there sis." A smile graced Cristine's lips once the three exited the terse and awkward RV. The reassuring looks and encouraging words lessened the pressure in her body. "And like you said, you'll deliver their baby."
"I can't blame them for worrying." Cristine pulled up her shoulders that felt heavy.
"Worry? Her husband looked like he wanted to kill you." Alicia's bluntness surprised even herself, exhaling she tried to shake the tension from her body. "Sorry, I just couldn't help but notice he didn't really want you near his wife. He kept glaring at you as if you-"
"Killed someone they loved?" Cristine interjected with a cynical smile and clarified with no hard feelings. "I guess in a way I did. Cameron was their son. He was sick and with the world coming to an end, so did propper access to the right medicine for his illness." Cristine exhaled shakily and stared at nothing in particular while chewing the inside of her lips. "I don't blame them for being angry. The same person who put down their child is the one who has to deliver their child. Not to mention, an amateur who needs to perform a risky operation that'll threaten the lives of both mother and daughter." In a self-depreciating tone, Cristine put up a wan smile, Alicia remained silent, but the pity in her eyes was clear.
"Well, you're all they have," Alicia said, her tone sharper and steady. "Besides, it's not as if you can't practice the actual procedure."
"Practice?" Hailey's brows knitted together in confusion and even Cristine had a slightly puzzled spark inside her dark eyes.
Pursing her lips, Alicia gestured at the wasteland, voice abrupt, "med students practice with corpses. You have a pick of the litter now. I can't think of a better way to prepare yourself than that."
Hailey was awestruck by her friend's ingenious proposal. But Alicia had a point. Cristine had the most medical experience in their camp right now, she needed to do everything of everything. The time of medical specialists was over. Wanting to help share these burdens her sister always carried by herself, Hailey piped too, agreeing with Alicia, "and you'll have at least two assistants to help you."
Browsing through the cleared infected the militia cleared this morning, Cristine specifically looked at the female bodies only. There was something perverse as she skimmed through the freshness of them before guessing the age category for a fair subject to practice on. Even with the mask covering her nose and mouth, the rot permeating from decayed corpses made her eyes water. The unforgiving sun only amplified that and Cristine did not look forward to cutting into the innards of a rotten corpse.
Jake watched his friend linger at the far end of the lined bodies before peeking a glance at Alicia at Cristine's heels. The two were conversing and discussing whether any of the corpses were the right cut for practice. The pregnant Kathy was one of their most vulnerable members of the community. Having just lust her son not that long ago, the woman was close to give birth to her second child. A baby who would then become the most vulnerable and youngest member of Broke Jaw Ranch in the midst of a war.
"Complicated obstacles call for resourceful solutions." Jake glanced at Blake who stepped in line next to him, both watch Alicia and Cristine crouch to examine a body they deemed appropriate. "Got to hand it to your girlfriend; she's pretty inventive," he pointed out, looking on, ever vigilant, with his rifle cradled up against his chest.
"Alicia was a volunteer nurse before this. I'm glad she wants to help." Jake put on a wan smile, eyes squinting together from the way his face pulled contorted. "I'm glad she's able to ease the burden for Cristine and the others. We need some hope in all this."
"Hope we can join the others pretty soon and finish of Walker and his Nation." Blake tapped his fingers on the warm steel of his assault rifle. All of this looked unfair all of a sudden. Unfair their community and people had to take such drastic measures and hide from a war like refugees. Unfair they were out here in the wasteland with their fighters back home, waiting for news of their victory. Blake would have loved to be one of the people to fight for the cause, but he had his purpose here, people to protect. His gaze lingered on Cristine who finally waved her hand for assistance with the corpse they picked.
A bit of a throwback to background characters in my first book ;)
Thoughts?