08-15-2012, 02:26 AM
He could see the hurt in her eyes, and he moved to support her. "Its not a bother. Go ahead and put your weight on me, I can take it." His trained nose could smell the infection as he helped her through the foyer and to the kitchen table. He eased her weight into a chair as he turned to the cupboards and shelves, rummaging through them. He set a kettle over the fire in the fireplace in the foyer, then returned to the woman, kneeling at her feet.
He lifted the infected foot gently, setting it on his knee so he could inspect the bottom of it. "How old is the injury? And remind me of your name so I don't have to keep calling you young lady. Not that you mind, I'd bet." He grinned crookedly at her. His laid back ways often won over nervous patients, his charming smile making him friends. Except Orin. Orin hated him and his family. Ah well, you couldn't win them all.
He didn't touch the wound itself, just touched the flesh around the injury. It was warm to the touch, as if she had a fever in her foot. His face remained warm and friendly as his eyes focused on her foot. He eased a pillow off the chair next to him, to rest her foot on it. A look at her pained foot, and a teasing joke about amputating was crossed off his list of witticisms for the day. She didn't look like she'd take a joke about cutting the foot off very well.
He returned with the now heated kettle, humming an Irish lullabye as he gathered a few herbs. Willow bark, a touch of candied ginger, some goldenseal, peppermint, clove, and chamomile. It would be sweet tea. He let it steep, then strained the tea before pushing the tea toward her. "Drink this. It has several things in it to fight the infection, and to ease the pain. Before you drink it, eat these poppy seeds. They are also a sedative as well as a pain reliever, so I can cleanse the foot of the infection."
As he spoke, he was pouring some sea salt into a bowl and adding the hot water. He slowly added some cool water until it was a comfortable temperature, then helped her put her foot into the bowl. "The salt will begin drawing the infection out, but I may have to drain the wound too. I'll look closer once the herbs have begun to take effect. Let me know when you start feeling drowsy."
He lifted the infected foot gently, setting it on his knee so he could inspect the bottom of it. "How old is the injury? And remind me of your name so I don't have to keep calling you young lady. Not that you mind, I'd bet." He grinned crookedly at her. His laid back ways often won over nervous patients, his charming smile making him friends. Except Orin. Orin hated him and his family. Ah well, you couldn't win them all.
He didn't touch the wound itself, just touched the flesh around the injury. It was warm to the touch, as if she had a fever in her foot. His face remained warm and friendly as his eyes focused on her foot. He eased a pillow off the chair next to him, to rest her foot on it. A look at her pained foot, and a teasing joke about amputating was crossed off his list of witticisms for the day. She didn't look like she'd take a joke about cutting the foot off very well.
He returned with the now heated kettle, humming an Irish lullabye as he gathered a few herbs. Willow bark, a touch of candied ginger, some goldenseal, peppermint, clove, and chamomile. It would be sweet tea. He let it steep, then strained the tea before pushing the tea toward her. "Drink this. It has several things in it to fight the infection, and to ease the pain. Before you drink it, eat these poppy seeds. They are also a sedative as well as a pain reliever, so I can cleanse the foot of the infection."
As he spoke, he was pouring some sea salt into a bowl and adding the hot water. He slowly added some cool water until it was a comfortable temperature, then helped her put her foot into the bowl. "The salt will begin drawing the infection out, but I may have to drain the wound too. I'll look closer once the herbs have begun to take effect. Let me know when you start feeling drowsy."