abraxaslogs | [ CLOSED ] death is no man, death is no wraith

[ Several weeks pass before Geralt finally seeks out Nadine. He'd wanted to...wait. To see if the pains were mere ghosts that would soon fade.

They do not. Denying it any longer edges into bullshitting himself. Though he does feel better than that first night—steadier, more himself—his leg in particular remains bothersome when he rides for too long, trains too hard, sleeps too awkwardly. More healing is not the answer. Between Triss, the dryads, Yennefer—he knows all the magic in the world has been expended to fix him.

It isn't a cure he's after. Just relief. And Nadine will have it, if no one else.

The door to her clinic is open. Geralt steps inside, letting it shut quietly behind him. He seldom comes for much other than to restock before he rides out, but this time, he looks for her inside. ]

Edited 2023-10-10 05:37 (UTC)

Hey!

[Nadine turns from her work - pounding some leaves into a pulp - when Geralt comes in, offering him a welcoming smile. She knows, of course, from what Jaskier's told her that another one of those...memory dreams had happened. But it's none of her business and she hasn't mentioned anything. Nor did Jaskier say much in regards to Geralt, and she hadn't pushed. Her concern, of course, had been Jaskier.

So that's hardly on her mind when he enters Salves & Stitches.]

What can I do for you?

[He doesn't come by socially, not unless he has something to drop off to her and chats for a few minutes in the process. He gets what he needs and he goes, half the time it's Brother Cadfael putting together his bag.]

[ Geralt has, honestly, spoken very little of what happened to anyone. Julie knows the most. Sam. Otherwise, he's kept it to himself.

He steps further inside the room. A brief hesitation fills the air. Where does he start? No Witcher has ever needed what he does. They do not earn deep aches and pains. Wounds of that nature would simply leave them fucking dead.

It's been a constant frustration since that night. ]

I need something for...regular pains. [ She's given him a few potions to keep him going in an emergency, but this is. Different. It's not about staying on his feet for a few hours until he can stitch himself up. ] That won't interfere with my work.

Oh. Okay.

[That's something of a surprise, but Nadine tries not to let it show on her face. Pain management had never been a concern of Geralt's.]

Well, what level of pain are you looking to manage? On a scale of one to ten, where one's a little bit uncomfortable and ten is can't even walk it hurts so bad.

[Closer to one, she'd guess, considering Geralt walked in here under his own power. But then again, he's much tougher than most. And there's his unique constitution to take into account. She's sure she can give him something that will help, though.

Without rendering him sleepy or sluggish.]

[ That's probably meant to be a straightforward question, but Geralt finds himself pausing. He leans his shoulder against the wall, arms crossed. ]

It comes and goes. When I ride too long or train too hard, I'm—unsteady. Slower.

[ She's right; he isn't human, and his healing process was not exactly standard. A mixture of dryad techniques, dozens of herbs, his own natural ability, Yennefer's magic. The wound is mended. It just feels like something was left behind—like a crack in a vase.

Truthfully, if he spent his days lounging about the house, he'd be fine aside from morning stiffness. The occasional sharp twinge he can put up with until it fades. But that's not who he is. He cannot do what he needs to do if he isn't able to ride his usual distance, if every fight takes him twice as long to recover from. That's a risk he refuses to take—and the main reason he's here. The pain doesn't matter. Its consequences do. ]

[Nadine is already considering possibilities. She knows him, and knows he doesn't like anything that's going to effect him too much mentally. Which, luckily, is achievable with low level pain issues.]

Okay, that sounds like something on the low end, between one and five.

[Geralt's answer wasn't as helpful as if it had been a pain scale number, but that's fine. It's a good starting point. And she has a more basic scale for him to use. After rummaging in her desk, she pulls out the smiley face pain scale.]

I know this looks ridiculous, but it's actually really helpful for me to figure out what to give you. Are you more in the green here, or the yellow to yellow orange?

[Which simplified face are you, Geralt?]

[ Ranking pain is simply not a concept he grew up with. The only question he faced was, Can you stand?, and if the answer was yes, that was sufficient. He never treated himself for pain. It was only ever about survival—bandaging his wounds so he didn't bleed out.

His eyebrow lifts, amused. She's right. It does look absurd. He answers nonetheless, pointing—as predicted—somewhere mid-green. He's making an effort to be honest, but the fact is, his perception of pain is skewed and his tolerance is unnaturally high. ]

I'm expecting another sweet roll afterwards.

[ He's teasing, but. He does remember the one she offered him in Nott. ]

No sweet rolls today, but if you play your cards right, there might be a butter cheese biscuit in it for you.

[Nadine is already going to the shelves with their many, many bottles and jars and vials and flasks. Relatively low pain, but enough that Geralt feels it. Let's call it severe discomfort. And he's got his special system, it doesn't react to everything. With some time and a few experiments, she can probably tailor something for him.

But for now, she'll just see what she has that could work.]

Okay, another question. What kind of discomfort is it? Muscle, nerve, joint...?

[All of the above? She'd guess joints, from what he'd described, but with Geralt it can be a little tricky.]

Any information you can give me is helpful.

[ That, he might actually take her up on.

While she rummages, Geralt waits patiently. His elixirs revolve around sharpening his senses or healing. He can offer a sample if she wants to study it—and Jaskier will know what plants and venoms help. Though he's hoping to avoid anything that will poison his system. For this, it's. More subtle.

He picks up one of her vials as she sets it down. There's a beat. He could describe it, but he settles on an even simpler, if not particularly delicate, explanation. ]

I broke my back. And my leg. The femur, it shattered. [ He hesitates. ] I healed. It's just—

[ Not the same, he supposes. He expects in time, it'll bother him less and less. Or so he wants to believe. For now, as far as his body is concerned, he's only been steady on his feet for a few weeks. And he hasn't got the ability to simply wait it out. ]

Edited 2023-10-15 06:13 (UTC)

...Geralt, you really need to learn what information to lead with.

[Nadine immediately abandons the current shelf she's at and goes for one of the glass cabinets instead. Bone pain is another beast altogether. That much? She knows he's tough, but even for someone like him...

It's no wonder he's feeling it.

She plucks outa few glass jars and drop them into the pockets of her aprons before turning back to him.]

Okay, come on, back room. You can't come in here and tell me you broke your back and not expect me to check you out.

[He needs to get used to having a doctor that treats him like any other patient.]

[ Truth be known, Geralt had not anticipated being thoroughly examined. He should have, seeing as it's Nadine, but his intention was to pluck whichever potion she had of suitable strength and proceed from there. ]

It wasn't broken here. [ He follows nonetheless with a little sigh. ] I retrained. I healed.

[ The fact that he's at her clinic to begin with implies not all is well, but—

He doesn't wish for her to worry, either, over something that's passed. For the most part. He can walk, he can fight, he can ride. They're things he spent a good portion of his time in Brokilon relearning and, in reality, the dryads' healing was little more than their ineffective waters and weeks of time—through no fault of theirs—but the point is, he's on his feet.

Which is far more than he imagined at the start. Though really, he barely thought of his needs then. His focus had been on Ciri. Only now has he found room to turn some attention towards himself. A year ago, he'd have not even thought to seek help in the first place. ]

[Matter of factly:]

If you were all healed with no problem, you wouldn't be here right now.

[Nadine flips the little sign on the backroom to indicate to the other staff that she's using her office for a consultation - a good catchall for all the various medical things she does back there.]

I just want to use my diagnostic magic on you to see where you're actually at and what we're dealing with. That way I can know exactly what to give you to help you the best. That is literally my job.

[Sometimes she thinks she deserves extra credit, for how stubborn a good portion of her fellow Summoned are when it comes to their own health. The number of times she's had to show up on someone's doorstep for a follow up...

At least Geralt does come in on the rare occasion he needs to.]

Anyway, bones and especially the back can be tricky. It's really easy to heal wrong, or not quite all the way, or in a way that leaves lasting pain. Your spine houses all the important nerves in your body, including the big central nest of them. Damage to the back can end up damaging those, and you might not even realize it.

[ Difficult to argue that.

It's the first time he's been back here; since she opened the clinic, Geralt hasn't suffered any great injury that necessitated treatment. (Mild case of abduction aside, which he spent in Nocwich.)

He hovers a little before settling on the nearest surface. ] Our bones seldom break.

[ A cracked rib here, a broken nose there—nothing like this. His kind were created to withstand heavy damage. They're not supposed to shatter the way he did, and though he now understands why, what he'd been up against, the memory still leaves a grim shadow in its wake.

But Nadine hasn't yet asked how it happened. So he doesn't volunteer. ]

My back repaired first. My leg required...more work.

[ If that information helps. His spine had been a cleaner break, perhaps. He isn't sure. They both bother him—one more than the other, depending on the day. ]

I know, you're made of tougher stuff than the rest of us. But there's a first time for everything, including a Witcher breaking some major bones.

[Nadine will just make her own assessments on diagnosing. It's obvious this isn't something Geralt has any experience with, and she understands. She knows a lot more about his physiology than she once did. But she can't be sure he's capable of accurately assessing his own damage and pain levels because of said physiology.]

Lucky for you, I have become an expert in weird physiologies and experimental pain relief. Just give me your hand and I can figure out what's going on in there.

[Such a handy ability to develop, and it's only gotten stronger since it first manifested. It may not be the equivalent of a battery of tests and x-rays, but it gives a pretty good idea of where to get started.]

Mm. [ Apparently.

He's content for Nadine to do what she wants. Geralt falls short when it comes to describing how he feels, but he's good at sitting still and letting a healer go about their business. At least for as long as he hasn't more pressing matters to attend to. Which, luckily for both of them, is currently the case.

He holds out his hand. He doesn't know what Nadine is searching for nor what she may find. Were it not for the scar on his thigh where the bone split the flesh, he'd have easily believed the pains were a phantom gift from the Singularity. The marks, though, are visible. Real.

Though frankly, she might find a spectrum of oddities within him. His physiology is not...wholly natural. ]

[All it takes is a touch. Nadine puts her own hand over Geralt's and concentrates. There's a moment of slight confusion, his system is different and it reads differently to her. Like reading a language she only half-knows, or trying to see the image in an old magic-eye painting. It takes more effort and a few minutes to translate it properly. But there...she can see where the breaks were.

Among other things.]

Geralt, you always put my skills to the test. Okay, I have a better idea of what's going on in there. And how to help.

[It's obvious that Geralt hadn't had an easy recovery. And probably hadn't stayed off his leg as long as he should have. Not surprising.

She takes a seat in her chair, pulling out a small leather bound journal for notes.]

Obviously all we can do at this point is manage discomfort and any stiffness you might have, I'm guessing there's some. And I know that a lot of traditional medicines don't tend to work for you. So I want to try something else, if you're open to it.

It's my charm.

[ He doesn't know what she gleaned, though he senses whatever she saw gave her pause. In the end, he decides not to ask. He's not sure she could explain—but he suspects the mutations register as a form of permanent damage.

He leans his weight on one hand. She's right. The stiffness bothers him more than discomfort. Discomfort, he can move through. Stiffness slows him down. ]

I trust you. [ If she thinks it'll work, he'll try it. She knows what he prefers by now—and mostly, it just needs to not dull his senses. ] I'll remain in Cadens for the next few weeks.

[ They'll have some time to experiment while he isn't going anywhere. ]

[That earns a chuckle.]

Okay. For one, I want to try you on my own blends. A low dose, I know you don't like anything that significantly alters your mental state. But I have some stuff that has a very minimal effect. And I want to combine that with something called physical therapy.

[Which has various other names here, but Nadine defaults to what she knows. It all amounts to the same thing.]

It uses guided, passive stretches and exercises combined with massage. And I really think it could help here.

[ She needn't name it for him to know what she's referring to; Jaskier grows the plants and Geralt has sniffed the leaves, though he's never cared to partake. The effects seem mild. If it fails, they can find an alternate concoction.

As for the other part—he raises an eyebrow. Mm. This is all making him feel...human, and it's not a welcome sensation. It's irritating to need something he normally shouldn't. ]

It should fit into my training. [ He'll make an effort, at least. ] Shall I tell Jaskier you ordered it when I make him rub my back?

[ He'll find someone in the city for anything he can't do himself. No shortage of them in Cadens. Jaskier will pay for it. ]

[Another chuckle from Nadine.]

Not that kind of massage. Medical massage. For your leg. But I can show Jaskier how to do it, if you'd be more comfortable with that. Or Julie.

[She's well aware it can sometimes be weird for your doctor to be your friend. Particularly when it comes to sensitive things like this. No offense would be taken if he'd prefer her not to handle that particular aspect of his care.]

It helps to drain any fluid build up around the break point, to relax the tissue around it and loosen any scarring that might have formed inside...It can really improve stiffness and tightness.

[ He'd been aiming to neither agree nor disagree with her proposal, but when she specifies, something like resignation crosses his face. ]

Is this really necessary?

[ It's not about Nadine; he would prefer her if he had to choose, if only because he and Nadine have always been close yet distant at the same time. She doesn't ask much after him, nor does he, unless it's an important matter. There are few intimate details she knows about him beyond what she's gleaned when he comes to her for healing.

He just doesn't interact with doctors or healers much other than in dire circumstances. Every once in a while, he'll retrieve a potion or get himself stitched up. But when it comes to looking after whatever injury he's racked up, he tends to do it alone. Active care is usually reserved for people who are not...him.

This is already significantly more fussing than he anticipated. ]

Edited 2023-10-27 22:13 (UTC)

Only if you want to get rid of that stiffness problem. But it's not going to get any better on its own, and any tonics or elixirs I could give you are just going to mask the feeling. They won't make it any better.

[Nadine understands that Geralt is not exactly someone who usually needs a doctor. She's treated him before, she's felt his system with her ability, she knows he doesn't generally require medical care like this.

But it's what's needed to actually fix the problem.]

I'm the healer here, Geralt, you've got to trust me on this stuff.

[ There's a silence before he answers. ] You'd have got on with the dryads.

[ Geralt does not explain his remark, but it seems to pass for agreement. He's not protesting, in any case, and deep down, he knows she's...right. Besides, it won't hurt to let her try what she wishes—and he would probably end up back here sooner or later.

He holds out his hand for the vial she means to give him. ] I'll return soon, then.

[ It'll be simpler to keep this between them. The fewer people concerning themselves over him, the better. ]

You know, Jaskier said something like that, too.

[Not that Nadine has much context, beyond they were powerful and dangerous women. Not a bad thing to be compared to.]

Try this at night, when you're done with the day. It takes half an hour or so to kick in. It's a low dose, but your system is...what it is and I have no idea what sort of tolerance or lack thereof you've got.

[He may need something stronger, or something weaker. It's all a little experimental, at first.]

Let me know how it works.

[ CLOSED ] death is no man, death is no wraith

— ◈ nadine.

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