Aleksander Morozova Imagined

Healer part 1

Summary: A renowned first Army Healer, Althea Covaci, does her best to heal the injured soldiers of Ravka first and second alike. What happens when she happens upon an injured Darkling during a major battle. Will she risk exposing her secret to help him? Takes place about 300 years before the first shadow and bone book

A bang goes off next to Althea causing her to drop to the ground. When she looks to her left she sees a fjerdan soldier pointing a rifle at her from 10 meters away. Another bang and the soldier falls face-first into the muddy ground dead. Quickly Althea crawls over to the wounded soldier she was trying to reach before almost getting killed.  "Hey, my name is Althea. Can you hear me?" She asks, tapping on his collarbone. No response. She lifts his head back checking for breathing. To her relief, he is breathing. 

Althea diverts her eyes up and down his body looking for injuries. Thankfully the only one seemed to be a gash across his right thigh. Althea digs into her kit to find her scissors. Cutting away the fabric to reveal more of the gash. She washes the wound before running her hand over it. At that moment the soldier jolts awake. "Where am I? Who are you?" He asks. "My name is Althea Covaci, I'm a medic and you're still in battle. I need you to remain calm and still. I'm trying to heal you." 

"Why is it itchy?"

"it's the salve, now please stay still." 

"I've never had a slave itch so much." 

"Stay still and stop scratching you're almost done." 

"but it's itchy!" 

"Stop being a baby," Althea tells him as the last of the gash seals. A gunshot goes off as blood sprays her face. The soldier's brain has been blown out. Althea ducks down pressing her chest into the mud. Looking around she can't find the shooter. Securing her kit to her waist Althea crawls away from the corpse. Gun shells cut her arms as she continues to the next wounded soldier. He is laying on his back in the mud. His chest rapidly rising and falling, rifle still in hand. "Sir, My name is Althea I-" She is cut off by the soldier. "I knows who you are, Saints the whole first army ought to know whos you are. Yous got to be the best first army medic." 

"Well can you tell me what the problem is then?" 

"Shot in the stomach dearie." 

"Ok I'm going to help, will you let me?" 

"What kind of saints forsaken question is that?"

"Can you please just answer I am trying to help you," She says exasperated. 

"Yes." She quickly gets to work. Blood flooding onto her hands and arms. She cleans the cut before applying a pressure dressing. "That is all I can do here. You are going to have to make it back to the camp or I can try to get someone to collect you." 

"Medics don't reach you here dearie." 

"Then try not to get shot on your way back." An explosion goes off on her six causing a few bodies to fly. She's moving again. Mud and blood coating the front of her green first army uniform slowing her down. When she reaches the fallen soldier bile rises in her throat. The soldier was none other than the darkling. He is on his side a part of his kefta smolders. Taking a deep breath she approaches. "Um, Darkling? Are you alright?" She asks tentatively. "I just got blown up. I have never felt better," he responds sarcastically. She scrunched her nose, "I'm trying to help I don't need your sass." He makes a noise that Althea thinks is a huff but the wheezing makes it hard to tell. 

"Can you roll onto your back?" She asks looking around. 

"Is that any way to treat your general?" His voice is cold and calm. It puts Althea on edge- he just got blown up he should be more freaked out "you're not my general." This causes him to roll onto his back, grey eyes meeting hers before traveling up and down her uniform. "otkazat'sya," He practically sneers. "yes but that's not what matters," she replies voice even.