h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

< Don't know where I'm supposed to be now... >

*Wanders through, checking for signs of disease.*

*one can hear the sounds of coughing and wheezing from a half-burned three-story building*

Hello? Is someone in there?

*Sends an orb of light in first to light her way.*

*a few small children emerge from the shadows*

*in fact, there's more than a few, there are quite a lot*

*this is the home for war orphans*

Oh dear...

*Kneels down so she's on their level now.*

It's all right... I'm a friend...

[Boy] Our headmistress is sick. She's in there *points to door off of lobby*

All right...

*Wonders whether she should move them to the Guild Hall as she stands and enters the room.*

*there are two beds in the neatly-appointed bedchamber/office*

*in a large old bed is a small old woman wheezing*

*on a nearby cot is a thirty-ish woman coughing and writing instructions she hands to one of the children*



*the young woman looks up*

[Woman] *cough* Excuse me if I don't... Please, help the children fix their supper. The grocer should have delivered the packages to the...*cough*
*she lies back down*

It's OK.

*Kneels next to the cot.*

Get some rest, I'll get the children supper.

*Takes her wrist, and feels for a pulse while checking her temperature.*

What's the matter?

[Woman] I am the nurse here. The headmistress and I went throught the city collecting the lost children. I must have picked something up from the bodies in the street. *cough*

*Clattering boots are heard through the ramshackle streets as Katriana runs through. Children dressed in rags and sucking thumbs peer out at her whilst women and men glare with bitterness after her. She slows as she sees the terrible situation, stopping and spinning on the spot seeing the disease and suffering. She forgets about the briefcase tucked under her arm for a minute*

*A small child approaches and Katriana smiles. He looks tired and sick. Katriana's hands itch to do something about it and she kneels down and faces him*

Hello, what's your name? Do you want me to help you feel better? I can you know and it won't hurt you I promise.

You need medical attention, and chances are, so do they.

I'm going to call a few people, and they'll take us to the Guild Healing Hall. There, you can get some rest and recuperate, and they can be fed and housed properly. This building isn't going to hold for long.

*Broadcasts a mind message.*

~~If anyone can hear me, I've run into a small problem in the slums- actually, a lot of small problems. We need food, shelter, and medical attention for approximately 75 small children and a very ill nurse. Please send help!~~

*Katriana straightens before the boy can answer. She had heard...something but she wasn't sure what. It was more of a feeling. Tucking the briefcase under her cloak once more she sets off resolutely through the mess, trying to figure out what direction the mental twitch came from.

Eventually she locates the orphange and gives it a good stare before ducking inside and finding Lumien*

I presume it was you who said...whatever it was you said. What on earth was it and...what's going on here!?

*lowers her voice*
Lumien that woman has all the signs of wasting TB, even I can tell from here.

*Motions for Kat to be quiet.*

~~Sweetheart, we've got to work on your bedside manner.~~

Kat, get all of the children together, and take them to the Guild Healing Hall. I've sent for help, someone will hopefully be arriving soon. The other healers there should be prepared for these kids to come in. They need food and medical attention...

*Puts her hand on the woman's forehead.*

And so do those that care for them.