Licking Our Wounds || Aftermath to Howl

This was the second time in as many months Ashley had been pulled off her floor to help with a catastrophic emergency. Any plant and potion related injuries that weren’t going to kill someone this very minute were being put on hold in favor of the victims currently flooding in. Normally that might have irritated Ashley just the tiniest bit. She loved her specialty. But the second she heard the word werewolf, none of that mattered anymore. Werewolf attacks were something far too personal since Uncle Graham had been turned. Ashley had already been on edge wondering if he would be okay tonight, especially after the number he had done on himself the last full moon. But now there were other people who were about to become just like him. Assuming, of course, they survived. And that thought managed to break the heart most people didn’t even know Ashley Avery possessed.

While most people flooded downstairs into the chaos, Ashley ran for a supply closet. She grabbed up a sterilized pillowcase and began stuffing as many vials of powdered silver and dittany as she could fit in it. Hopefully it would be enough. Just in case, she grabbed a healer-in-training and told them to get to an apothecary. If they had to break a window to get the owner awake, then so be it. But they were not to show their face here without more silver and dittany or Ashley would personally skin them alive.

She took the stairs two at a time as she ran down toward the ground floor. Merlin, the place was a mess. There were already victims flooding in, their injuries ranging from minor bruises to destroyed organs that even magic probably couldn’t fix in time. Healers were running through the room yelling at one another. Victims were screaming and crying. It was a little overwhelming, to be honest. But part of being ambitious was the ability to focus. Ashley swallowed hard, and suddenly the whole room seemed to shift into crystal clarity. She caught sight of Draco Malfoy to one side of the room with Lydia. Merlin’s pants, was that Lydia’s sister? Ashley quickly forced down the pang of empathy. She didn’t have time to be emotional. Work to do. “Malfoy!” she yelled, her voice rising above the noise. When the blonde healer turned her way, she pulled a vial of out of the pillowcase and tossed it through the air toward him. He’d been quite a talented seeker back in the day. There was no doubt in Ashley’s mind he would catch the precious vial.

With that done, Ashley grabbed another harried healer-in-training and shoved the pillowcase of vials into their hands. “Hand those out to the other healers. Worst injuries first. Go!” She gave the poor girl a shove to get her moving. Ashley might be a specialist, but she still knew a thing or two about werewolf bites and scratches. She would be of far more use trying to heal wounds than passing out supplies. And at times like this, proper allocation of resources could mean the difference between life and death. Ashley herself had kept one of the vials, and she waded through the human sea toward the nearest patient not being tended to. “Where are you hurt?”

Lydia took a step back as he took over and tried to keep her hands steady. She was going to have to do what she could to help and needed to calm herself down first. It was a difficult task, however, as she stared at her scared and crying sister. She listened to Draco Malfoy 's instructions without arguement, something that was fairly unusual for her, and sat in the chair nearest to the bed. She accepted the cloth and began wiping the blood off her forehead, hoping it wouldn't need stitches or anything. She glanced up as someone called Malfoy's name and caught sight of Ashley Avery tossing a vial at him. It must have been the dittany and silver, the medical side of her brain reasoned. She didn't spare her another glance as she turned her attention back to her sister. She wouldn't leave her side until she knew Madi was ok. 

Lydia jumped forward and grabbed Madison's hand. "It's alright, sweet heart. It's going to be ok..." She assured her, although she didn't believe it herself. She looked to Draco, begging him with her eyes to do whatever he could but he was focused on the wound. "She's tough. She can handle it." She said, forcing a smile at her sister. Madison whimpered and squeezed Lydia's hand tight. She pursed her lips, preparing for the pain.

Working, working. Draco's mind held nothing but the task in front of him as he carefully cleaned and assessed the wound. It would scar, of course - all werewolf wounds did. But the scratch looked promising, as long as he could keep it from succumbing to infection. Lydia, after taking care of herself, jumped up and grabbed her sister's hand, and Draco looked between the two sisters once for confirmation before he poured the mixture into the wound and passed his wand over in a careful, smooth movement.

The girl jerked and hissed, but Draco continued to pour, carefully alternating between holding the edges of the wound (and sighing inwardly as his shirt cuff gathered blood at its edge) and the wand motions required to help seal the wound together. When he was reasonably certain that wound was immersed in the dittany/silver mix, Draco tucked his wand in his pocket and reached for another vial. "What does the pain feel like?" he asked calmly, dabbing at the edges with a fresh cloth. "The sensation. Burning? Prickling?"

Lydia watched as her sister cried in pain and felt tears fall down her own cheeks. She was trying to be strong for Madison, to show her that she would be fine by keeping it together but it was tough. She'd never seen her baby sister in so much and although she was used to blood and patients with terrible injuries, it made her sick to see it on a loved one. She watched everything Draco did regardless, refusing to look away so she could be sure he was doing things right. She trusted him though, knowing he was a brilliant healer. She would never admitt it to him but if there was anyone she trusted to help her sister, it would be him.

"You'll be fine." She assured Madison as she asked, worry in her voice. She had not been bitten. Things could be much worse. She would heal from this and they could put it behind her like a terrible memory. She reached up and brushed the dirty hair out of Madi's face. "Don't worry. We'll make sure of it, you'll be fine. Malfoy knows what he's doing." She promised, her cheeks turning pink at the admission. Ok, maybe he deserved a little recognition. She turned to look back at the injury, scowling at the scar it would leave behind. Madison would never be able to wear a cami without the ugly reminder of what she'd been through. She swore she would do what she could to not allow Madi to be ashamed of her scar.