//------------------------------// // Triage // Story: The Final Push // by PropMaster //------------------------------// “You’ll be alright, Grass Seed. The healers are here.” Red Roam slid another wad of fresh bandages over the wound, keeping the pressure on Grass Seed’s bleeding gut. Around the area, the calm voices of the healers began to make their presence known as they assisted the wounded. “Severe lacerations, here. Get me some potions, we need to get these cleaned and closed.” “Bring more bandages, we need to get this joint immobilized before we try to move him.” “This one is pretty bad, she’ll need to be moved carefully to not cause further injury.” There was no shouting, just efficiency and economy of movement. The healers didn’t fumble, never shied away from the brutal injuries they faced. Red Roam shot a tight-lipped smile to a white-maned pegasus stallion wearing the white tabard of the healers as he approached. “Grass Seed here’s been stabbed in the gut. I can’t seem t’ get the bleedin’ to stop.” The pegasus knelt down next to Red Roam, moving his hooves away from the wound. He lifted the bandages and frowned at the hole in Grass Seed’s belly, leaning in close and sniffing it carefully. “He might have more severe internal damage that we can’t see. We’ll need to get him back to the hospital tents, the unicorns there will be able to properly assess him. Help me get this bandage secured around his middle and get him to a stretcher.” “Yup,” murmured Roam, sitting back and helping to lift the moaning Grass Seed as the doctor wrapped a bandage around his midsection tightly, securing a folded bundle of clean cloth against the wound and finally tightening the whole setup to maintain pressure on the wound. Grass Seed groaned, panting slightly as Roam gently moved him into position on a stretcher offered by another pony. “Help me lift.” Roam nodded, getting Grass Seed’s lower legs and hips. “One, two, three.” They carefully lifted Grass Seed onto the stretcher. Roam smirked at the shaking Grass Seed. “You’ll be all right, Seedy.” “T-Thanks, Roam,” whispered Grass Seed. Roam’s eyes lifted to the pony that’d helped him move Grass Seed, only to pause, his mouth dropping open. Amber smiled at Roam. “Hey there.” “A-Amber!” Red Roam lunged forward, wrapping his hooves around the golden-coated mare in a fierce hug. Amber laughed, returning the hug. “Yeah, y’ big lug, I missed you too.” Roam laughed, his shoulders shaking, before holding her out at arm’s length, smiling at her. “You look prettier than… somethin’.” Amber snorted. “That’s the best y’ got for your wife?” “Nope.” Lunging forward, he caught her muzzle in his front hooves, lifting her chin up gently to meet his lips as he kissed her passionately. They stood like that for several seconds, before Amber pulled away, giggling. “All right, that’s better.” “What’re you doin’ out here, Amber? And why’re you wearing a healer’s tabard?” asked Roam, noticing the white garment.   “I was promoted. Showed ‘above average proficiency in basic battlefield triage. I’m the point pony for this group,” Amber said, gesturing to the rest of the medical ponies as they worked. “Ah,” Roam intoned, his ears flicking back slightly. “Don’t you ‘ah’ me, mister. I’ll be fine. Matter of fact, I’ve got a job to do,” Amber said, trotting towards another healer that was gesturing to her. “Amber, this one is still alive…” murmured the earth pony healer, a young mare. Amber stepped around the pony, looking down at his charge: a gryphon. The large gryphon was bleeding from multiple wounds, and his chestplate was caved inward, two horseshoe marks showing on the metal in an obscenely cartoonish manner. Amber winced, moving in close to listen at the Gryphon’s bloody beak. The soft whistle of shallow breath greeted her sensitive ears, and she leaned away. “Still alive. Get that armor off, let’s assess.” The mare shook her head. “I can’t, the metal’s too badly damaged.” “He’s bleeding under there. We need to stop that, or he’ll die.” Roam stepped closer, looking over the Gryphon. The mangled claw, the dented chestplate… Roam frowned, reaching forward to grip near the Gryphon’s neck. “Roam, what are you—!” With a grunt, Roam snapped the leather straps securing the chestplate’s front, and with a swift tug pulled the damaged armor aside. The oozing wound on the gryphon’s shoulder was curving and deep, and Roam stared at it for a moment before stepping away. Amber lifted the Gryphon’s limp shoulder, wincing at the savage stab wound, and grabbed bandages and a potion from her saddlebags. The potion was poured over the damaged area, bubbling and hissing, and then the bandage was pressed hard in place, staunching the flow of blood. The earth pony mare assisting Amber saw to the other injuries with calm efficiency, ignoring smaller cuts in favor of more serious injuries. Bandages were applied liberally, covering more serious wounds, and the mangled right talons were carefully splinted. “He tried t’ kill me,” murmured Roam softly. Amber froze for a moment, slowly turning to look at Roam. Roam’s face was impassive, simply staring at the gryphon. She frowned slightly, before turning back to the gryphon, studying the sharply curved beak, the blood-spattered white feathers of his crest, and then went back to work, securing bandages in place. Finally, she pulled a long leather strap out from her bags. With care, she tucked the gryphon’s wings into a folded position, and wrapped the strap around his chest and wings, tightening the strap into place to hold in the wings. “They tend to open their wings up if they wake up and feel threatened. This keeps them secure and prevents them from hurting themselves,” Amber said, not looking at Roam. Roam nodded. “Smart. Who thought that up?” “I did. Like any critter, they tend to get…” Amber trailed off, searching for a word. “Ornery?” ventured Roam. Amber nodded. “Yeah. Gotta be careful. They’d lash out, so I figured securing their wings before they woke up made sense.” “Attagirl,” Roam said, leaning down to kiss his mare between her ears, before turning away to search for Glorious Dawn.