In Good Health

"In Good Health" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread started on [IRL DATE] and finished on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
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==Full Text==
Hel's mysterious disappearance was still a perplexing element to the rebels as the day dragged on. But the knowledge that Central was in a state of utter collapse, and quickly being put under Rebellion rule kept it from weighing too heavily on the minds of the masses. There was nothing more to be done at the homebase, aside from go about life as normal. Those at the frontline and the reinforcements from the wilderwest mainland would have to handle the rest.
At the close of his evening work, Darien had just left the research office, when a gangly looking man in a coat and hood far to large for him shuffled over with an outstretched hand. "Spare coin?"
@central-is-growing
Jan 1, 2021
"Ah..." Darien patted his own worn coat in bewilderment. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't have any on me..." It was true; he was given strictly what he was needed straight from the Chief, and was discouraged from interacting from citizens as a whole. "Can I direct you to Chief Grey for assistance?"
Jan 1, 2021
"Ah man..." the young man shuffled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Getting by hasn't been good tonight. But you'd get me in contact with the chief herself? That's good of you man. You're not bad. Didn't figure you'd help me out like that..."
Jan 1, 2021
Darien lifted his shoulders sheepishly and tipped his head to the center of the island, closer to where Grey would likely be at the current hour. "The Chief is more kind; even if she can't directly help, she can usually offer at least a few nights of food and shelter. Have you been on Haligan long?"
Jan 1, 2021
The man shook his head. His underlying muscle movements a little off. "Been here a while. Not that much of it was in the sun. "
The fabric of his coat shifted.
"Anyways...it was long enough to know about you."
Something metal and rounded off pressed into the side of Darien's knee, and there was the crack of ignited zippleback gas, as a lead slug was thrown from the barrel.
Jan 1, 2021
[medium gore tw]
The surrounding area immediately lit up with screams and flurries of movement as everyone immediately started in an instinctual direction, unsure of where the single earsplitting noise came from. Darien’s spectacles broke across the flagstones as he was already hitting the ground hard, fingers clawed into the stone as he made a choked, strangled sound between gritted teeth. Scarlet stained the street in a short, bloody streak starting from his leg, which was covered by his coat for now, but the man could feel tatters of his own screaming, searing flesh against the cold ground.
Darien’s shock twisted into immediate resignation. An old memory immediately burned through his mind, and the scar that ran up his neck and face immediately lit up with the cold blade that had torn through it from before, nearly slicing the main vein in his neck, centimeters from certain death. The emotions he’d felt then were no different than what he felt now. He pushed himself to his elbows, as a scared, stunned crowd started to cautiously either form a ring around him, trying to see if they would be able to hold the perpetrator back, or run in the other direction for help. Most of them were smart enough to be able to start putting the pieces together, though. “Keep that shit off our streets!” one of them barked, moving aggressively towards the cloaked man.
“Let him go,” Darien panted, still loud enough to be heard by the onlookers. He was struggling not to pass out, with his face nearly touching the ground, but he was going through is own mind to pinch off some of the larger pain receptors, which at the very least let him see straight. “Get someone in charge here...”
Jan 1, 2021
With a flurry of movement, the figure took off to allow himself to vanish into the crowd. A moment later, his coat and weapon were found abandoned on the street. Doubtless he had a worn a disguise under it, as to make for a quick costume change.
Jan 1, 2021
The Brotherhood was quick to follow, but the crowd was thick and the attacker nimble. By the time they caught up with them all that was left was the cloak and the weapon. The female rabbit Half-breed growled as she picked them both up. She turned to her two compatriots. "Secure the island. No one gets in or out. I don't care what it takes." She looked over the hand cannon and growled once more. "And bring me Dixie, wherever he's hiding." The three split up to carry out their duties, each one boiling with rage.
Jan 2, 2021
Brandt had returned to Haligan Island earlier that evening to keep an eye on things until Grey returned once things were settled with the Rebellion. Juro had given him a portal to come through to get back to the island, and it was amazing how quickly he came back through that portal. After greeting his three kids and promising that Grey would return later, he immediately got back to work as Grey’s second-in-command. However...it only figures that something would happen as soon as he returned.
He heard a loud bang and screams outside his home, and after telling Sven, Dagny, and Kari to stay in the house, he ran out and met up with Ingrid and the council.
“It’s the High Central mage,” one of the council members said. “His leg is injured!”
“How?” Brandt said as he ran onto the scene only to find Darien on the ground surrounded by villagers. He saw the damage and tried his best not to pass out at the sight. He grabbed Darien and pulled him up seeing that he was barely conscious. “Ingrid, we need help!”
“We have to get him to my hut,” Ingrid said quickly as she got down on her knees with her son-in-law. “Let’s get him on the stretcher and bring him back.”
A few council members brought a stretcher and gently moved Darien to it before picking it up and moving to the healer’s hut. 
Jan 2, 2021
Darien sat up partway as soon as he was able, and he grabbed Ingrid's arm like a vice as she went in to begin working on it. "Don't bother," he said, hoarse and ragged. "Take it off. Leave it." It sounded less like an order and more like a plea. Like begging.
Jan 2, 2021
“I’m the healer, not you, Darien,” Ingrid said as she placed a hand on the mage’s shoulder. “I’ll need to assess the damage before we decide to take it off.”
Both she and Brandt eyed the damaged leg as they carried him to her hut, and it was not a pretty sight. It was a good thing Grey wasn’t there at the moment because she would want to try to save Darien’s leg. He would have to talk to her as soon as she returned, and he thanked the Gods that the kids were still at the house. 
“Darien, who did this to you?” Brandt asked. “What happened?”
Darien fell back again and shook his head, face screwed up in agony. “Don’t know,” he breathed. “Didn’t see his face. Had a firearm. Don’t let him…hurt anyone else.”
Jan 2, 2021
“Don’t worry,” Brandt said. “I’ve sent some guards out. This guy will be brought in, I promise.”
The Chief’s husband and mother brought the former mage into the healer’s hut and rested him on the table. The candlelight of the hut allowed Ingrid to further assess the damage of Darien’s leg, and it was not a pretty sight. 
“Can we save the leg, Ingrid?” Brandt asked as he looked it. 
“The damage is far too extensive,” Ingrid replied as she looked up at her son-in-law. “We…really…will have to take it off if we want to save him.”
Jan 2, 2021
“Do it,” the old High Central man growled. The weight of the island’s predicted perception of the incident was heavy on his shoulders. 
Jan 2, 2021
Ingrid nodded as she quickly grabbed a piece of leather and a canteen of wine. She uncorked the wine and handed it to Darien as she looked to her son-in-law. 
“You’ll need to hold him down,” Ingrid said. “If he moves too much, it will make things worse.” She turned back to the mage. “Drink this…it will numb the pain. Quickly.”
Jan 2, 2021
He briefly considered refusing it, but realized that this would be to cause less damage with such an intrusive procedure. He made to take it, but his hands were shaking badly enough that Ingrid essentially had to hold the canteen for him. The alcohol burned the back of his throat as it went down too quickly, but he coughed through it and prepared to brace himself, trying to breathe slow and steady.
Jan 2, 2021
Ingrid quickly took the canteen away and placed it on the table. “Bite on this,” she said as she placed a piece of leather in Darien’s mouth. “Brandt, hold him down, now.” 
Brandt nodded and did as his mother-in-law asked as he grabbed Darien’s shoulders holding them down as hard as he could to prevent Darien from moving. 
Ingrid grabbed a saw and held it over the fire. She had done this before for men in Haligan Island when they fought in battle…or if they had frostbite…or if they had an accident, and it didn’t make it any easier. As soon as the saw glowed orange from the heat, she brought it back over to Darien. “Okay…here we go,” Ingrid said.
Then…she brought the saw down on Darien’s thigh.
Jan 3, 2021
The people still thronging outside the healer’s hut grimaced at the pained noises that commenced afterwards–some of them had been in very similar positions, though usually it wasn’t as extreme as the entire leg. All the while, they talked and gossiped. Some congratulated the perpetrator for doing what they weren’t brave enough to do, some were worried for the sake of Haligan’s peace, and by principle, some were upset that such violence had been a resort to go to in the first place. The general agreement seemed to be that, while Darien probably deserved what had happened, assuming that it was in revenge for his massive list of past wrongs, it was a bit of a shock and an upset to the people as a whole to see it happen in front of them.
It was certainly more pain than Darien had been in for as long as he’d been alive, and his fingers were extremely tight vices in Brandt’s arm through the entire procedure. But the acceptance of the event never faded in his mind. What was happening was happening.
Jan 3, 2021
“It’s finished,” Ingrid finally said as she finished wrapping the cloth around the remains of Darien’s leg. “I’ll keep you here for the night to keep an eye on it, but…there will be some pain for a while as it heals. I’m..truly sorry, Darien.”
Jan 6, 2021
“Occupational hazard,” he rasped, unable to completely rest as his muscles would randomly clench and spasm in waves of pain and tension. He was clammy with sweat, and shaking, but he still managed to look Ingrid in the eye, trying to communicate his gratitude to her. “Please, make…make sure Haligan is safe.”
Jan 6, 2021
“I can promise you that we will,” Brandt said nodding gently patting Darien on the shoulder. He raised an eyebrow. “My wife would have my head if I didn’t.”
Ingrid chuckled. “You better go do that and check on Sven, Dagny, and Kari,” Ingrid said. “I can stay here with Darien.”
Brandt nodded before turning to walk out of the hut.