He could not explain it, no matter how many times he was asked. All he knew is that one day, his daughter did not wake up. She lay in bed, peacefully asleep, as if she had just fallen into restful slumber. For years, he took care of his sleeping beauty as she continued to grow. Each meal was soupy broth that easily poured into her mouth and down her throat. Bathes were routinely done by the village woman who helped with the chore, her hair kept trimmed. Yet, still she lay, unwaking as the world passed her by.

Every night, he would light a candle and place it in her window, sit by her on the bed and read to her. He would then kiss her good night and quietly leave for his own room where he would weep for her as he begged the gods to return his baby girl. It did not matter that she was not of his blood, Melissa Jade became his the day he found her broken and abused. He changed her future in that instant, and she changed his. How he would give anything to see her smile and hear her stories once more!

However, the fates did not deign to give in to his wishes. Instead, he woke up with the world violently shaking. His first thought was "Earthquake", the second "Melissa!". Instantly, he was out of bed and dashing down the hall to his daughter's room. He lifted her still form and turned, rushing to get them out of the house. It was not in question whether or not he was too slow. Melissa Jade was tossed to partial safety as the roof collapsed on him, ending his life on the spot. He did not suffer for longer than a few seconds. His daughter, however, was partially buried under their roof.

The earthquake had the city in a panic. Many homes and businesses were damaged, some destroyed. Luckily, the worst destruction the clinic had taken was knocked over furniture and equipment. The patients and staff were unharmed. However, it made the nurses and doctors incredibly busy once all was calm. They set to work, joining the authorities with searching amongst the damage for any casualties. Saeldor guided his own team of doctors and nurses, searching one part of the city while the other teams searched the rest. They were on the outskirts, working their way to the edge. So far, his team alone found a total of 24 injured civilians, and 5 deaths. Some didn’t have the kind of injuries that would keep them down, as they brushed it off and focused on the destruction. But the most severe were immediately taken to the clinic to be cared for.

Saeldor was examining a young girl who’d been found under the rubble of what once was her bedroom. She was no older than 6 years of age, with golden brown locks adorably curled and held in little twin tails. It was by some miracle she survived, with no injuries beyond a broken arm. Her skin was badly scraped and bruised. Tears stained her rosy cheeks while he kept her little limb still, preparing to put a splint on to prevent movement while she’s taken to the clinic. “Where’s Sammy?” She sniffled quietly. He almost didn’t catch it. Saeldor’s spring green eyes rose to the young girl’s flushed face. “Darling,” her mother replied instead, who was standing next to the girl. She had only a couple of bruises, yet another miracle. “I’m sure Sammy is alright. We will find him. But right now I need you to be a brave girl and be still, alright?” She knelt down before her daughter and offered her a loving, motherly smile, wiping the girl’s tears away with her thumb. The girl’s eyes shone with sadness, but she sniffled again, and nodded slowly.

“Who is Sammy?” Saeldor asked. Her mother looked at him, her smile turning a little sorrowful, “Sammy is her cat.” His brow raised. Turning back to the child, he asked, “What does Sammy look like?”

“He’s orange, and he’s got really big green eyes,” she answered as her eyes met his. He smiled softly as he finished wrapping her arm. “Perhaps I can look for him,” he offered. He knew how much children adored their little furry friends. He had seen enough young patients to know that those who lost their animal companions are not so easily healed. Children are pure, but it also makes them stubborn. Because they miss their pets so much, some have even refused to eat so their bodies could grow strong and heal. And, even if it is not a physical problem, Saeldor hated seeing others suffer.

The girl’s eyes lit up, “Really?” Saeldor nodded, then looked to her mother who appeared slightly concerned. “Surely you are too busy to bother with a cat,” she said steadily. “Nonsense. Your daughter is missing her friend. I can make time to help her find him.” He then stood and waved over one of his nurses. “In the meantime, my nurses will bring you to the clinic and take great care of you,” he looked back down at the girl. “I doubt Sammy would want you to neglect your injuries.” The girl hopped up from her seat, nearly causing her mother to fret over her broken arm. “‘Kay!” The girl said cheerily, then followed her mother and the nurse. Saeldor chuckled lightly to himself as he watched them walk away. Currently, he had no time to search for the girl’s cat, but he meant to keep his promise. Once the worst is taken care of, he will make time to search the area for Sammy. He doubted the poor thing was still alive… however, he was willing to try. Without any proof, there was always a chance the kitty survived. If it meant it would make her smile, he would find her friend.

“Doctor Saeldor!” A feminine voice called out, quite troubled. He turned to see a woman coming towards him, her face the very depiction of fear and worry.

The shake that rattled the land sent Nina scrambling. Normally found as a weaver, a tailor and seamstress, Nina was no longer young, nor was she elderly. She was still nimble in her middle years, her three fingers deftly working stitches into the fabric that was her canvas. Everyone was scrambling, screaming while the land vibrated violently under their feet. Objects went flying, jars broke, contents spewed and splashed in every which direction. Nina was no different, however, as she grabbed as many young children as she could and spread her mothy wings to carry them above the dangers of falling debris.

When the shakes settled down into nothingness, Nina finally touched down and released the children. People were crawling from their holes, poking their heads out to view the initial destruction, the eerie calm after a storm. Cries of pain were beginning to be sounded as children cried, and fear began to fill Nina’s soul. Houses were crumbled, walls fallen, things a mess. If the damage was this extensive here, what about Melissa and Jack? The moth flew as fast as she could out of the village and over the trees that covered the not-so-straight path to their cottage. What she found made her heart sink.

“Jack!” She screamed as she began to pull rocks away from the pile of rubble that was once a beautiful house. “Melissa!” More rubble was moved, only causing something to dislodge and possibly made matters worse as dirt plummed up. Something inside had fallen. Nina knew help was needed if they were to be possibly found, hopefully alive. Once more, she took flight until she was back in the village, running from nurse to nurse as they were beginning to perform emergency triage. “Doctor Saeldor, where is he?” They pointed farther down the way until she could see him send a child off to the clinic.

“Doctor Saeldor!” Nina stopped right before him, doubling over so she could catch her breath. When she finally stood, still gasping for air, she was in need of all the help she could get. “Jack… Melissa… Live outside… the city…. Their house… collapsed… Need… help!” she managed to gasp at him. A volunteer brought Nina a glass of water, which she downed gratefully. “Melissa has been bedridden lately, so I know Jack hasn’t left his home. I just know they’re in there!”

The woman, he learned, was one of the humanoid insects native to Onnen. Her hair was short, with large, black eyes and fur on all four of her arms and beneath her knees to her ankles. Her wings and coloring reminded him of a moth. This one, however, was fretful. Even in her ebony, beady eyes, he saw fright. She called him by name, even though he didn’t recognize her face. Perhaps she’d heard of him from another? “Calm yourself,” he said when she stopped before him and leaned forward to catch her breath. It was clear she had traveled a ways, and fast. There must be some emergency, otherwise she wouldn’t have been in such a rush to find a doctor, and seem so concerned. “What is it?” He inquired when she finally caught her breath. She stood up straight and gasped, speaking with pauses between each word.

She paused when one of his nurses came and offered her some fresh water. But it was brief before she continued. His brow furrowed with concern. If someone was bedridden during the earthquake, there was no doubt they could be severely harmed. And this Jack she spoke of, sounding like the caretaker, could be there as well. That is, if they didn’t split at the first sign of danger. He had seen such things so many times, when the ill, elderly, and disabled were abandoned because they were viewed as dead weight. “Where are they?” He asked. And when she pointed further out of the city, he turned to his nurses and team of doctors and called, “Any of you who aren’t currently tending to the injured, come with me!”

The insect woman then guided him further out, away from the town. But along the way, the damage caused by the earthquake continued. By the time they arrived, all of them were out of breath from the rush. The house was completely destroyed, reduced to nothing but rubble. He gazed upon it with horror, briefly frozen. Then, he reminded himself of the emergency at hand. “Start searching!” He ordered. Saeldor carefully stepped amongst the fallen stone, looking over the ground for anything of interest. He decided to start where he assumed was once the kitchen.

It wasn’t until he moved further towards the center of the house that someone shouted, “We found someone!” It was one of his male nurses who’d been searching only a few yards away. Other nurses rushed to his aid, holding wooden beams up while a man was pulled from underneath. They carried him away, only setting him upon the ground once they were out of the rubble. Saeldor left them to do their job, while he continued his.

He tossed some stone aside and lifted a beam with a quiet grunt to glance underneath. His eyes widened when he spotted a hand protruding from beneath more rubble. “There’s someone here as well!” He announced. It only took moments for fellow nurses to join him. They took hold of the wood in his place, allowing him to reach beneath and uncover the person. It was a young girl. Her hair was dark and long, with feline ears atop her head like those of a wild cat. Her face appeared surprisingly peaceful, as if she were only resting and not a victim of an earthquake. He quickly reached for her neck to check for a pulse. It was a relief when he felt the light pumping against his fingers. “She’s alive,” he said to the other. Ever so carefully, he took her into his arms and lifted her from the ground. “I must take her to the clinic. Ashila,” he glanced over to his main nurse, who was searching nearby. At the sound of her name, her snake-like eyes met his, and she rose to her feet. “Come with me,” he added. She rushed to his aid, her long, green hair swaying mesmerizingly.

“Yes, Doctor,” she responded. Saeldor continued, “I will need your help with the examination. This woman could be the one I was told has been bedridden. If so, then there is likely more to her condition than what can be caused by a natural disaster.” Ashila nodded. Luckily, some nurses had brought along a few stretchers. He carried her away from the house, onto solid ground, and gently lay her down on one of the stretchers. Then, with Ashila’s help, they carried her away.

The moment the good doctor's fingers touched her neck, in search of the tale-tell sign of life, Melissa lightly scrunched her face. It was as if some twist in a dream had disturbed her peaceful rest. Her eyes fluttered as she was lifted from the corpse of what was once her home, lips parted as she tried to moan but no sound came forth. Blurred faces swam in her vision as her rescuer carefully walked over the stones, but by the time she was laid onto a stretcher, Melissa had fallen into unconsciousness once more, followed by a strong scent of soap.

When the doctor and nurse got her to the clinic to examine her, they found various levels of trauma across her body where she was cut and scraped, bruises forming on her pale skin which covered most of her flesh. The darkest bruise was across her lower back, but the worst injury was actually a gash across the side of her head. It exposed her skull, requiring stitches to close up before they bandaged her head. While they were concerned about the damage to her back, the lack of any muscle mass on her legs suggested it had been a long time since she had even used them.

After her injuries were bandaged, they shuffled her into a room to address the countless other victims. It wasn't until things were finally quieting down, half the patients discharged that Melissa finally began to stir once more. The white walls were not the cherry blossoms of her room, the sheets too rough and thin under her fingers. Someone was in the room with her. "Where am I?" she asked, but the person did not turn around to respond. "What happened?" she attempted again. Melissa glanced around the room and tried to sit up for a better view, wincing at the pain blossoming across her body with the movement. "Papa? Where's Papa?" This time, the person finally reacted, hurrying over to guide her back down with hush tones.

"Where's my papa?" Melissa screamed as the woman turned to leave the room, tears beginning to stream down her face. Why were they ignoring her questions? She forced herself into a sitting position, screaming at the door until someone finally came in. He was tall with blonde hair and spring grass eyes. The familiar scent of soap that came off of him caught her off guard as he approached her with a smile. When he was in reach, Melissa reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "Please, everyone's ignoring me. I need to know where my papa is. What happened and where am I? Why am I being ignored? Why won't anyone talk to me?"

The woman was rushed to the emergency room. Even if they could not see life threatening injuries, Saeldor was wise enough not to cross out the possibility of internal damage. Ashila aided him with the examination. Once they were confident that the patient was indeed in no real danger, they focused on the gash upon her head, and each place her skin was broken and bleeding. Saeldor had been curious as well as to why she had been bedridden, but without her answering his questions, he didn’t know where to start looking. By the end she was covered in bandages with stitches in her dark hair. Then, she was given a room and left to rest.

Hours went by. His nurses kept watch over the girl while he focused on the earthquake and his other patients with more urgent needs. When the rest of his team returned, they reported that no more bodies could be found at the house. There had only been the two. However, the man was not so lucky. They determined his death was instantaneous when the roof collapsed. It pained him to hear the news, and dread quickly wormed its way in his heart. He may have been the woman’s caretaker, a friend, or even a family member. Whoever he was, if he did not abandon her, he must have cared. Chances were she cared for him just as well.

When one of his nurses told him his patient was finally awake, he decided to visit her. Questions needed to be answered. He needed to find out what was going on so he could help her in any way that he could. If there was more to this patient, he must know what. And, he wanted to give her the news about her caretaker’s passing. Over and over again he’s had to do this, to family and friends. He was used to it, but it never got easier. He didn’t want her to hear it from a nurse who could care less about how she feels, and hearing it from rumors was the worst. She needed to hear it from him, someone who would comfort her if she would allow it.

He made his way to her room and slipped in, offering her a gentle smile as his eyes lay upon her. Indeed, she was awake. He started towards the chair next to her bed, but the moment he was within reach, he was stopped when she grabbed hold of his sleeve. He looked down into her fretful eyes. It was the first time he got to see their deep, warm color. She parted her lips, and tried to speak. But, she had no voice. His brow furrowed slightly. What mute person would attempt to speak? The answer was simple: they wouldn’t, for they would already know attempting would be futile. If she was not accustomed to having no voice, then perhaps it was a recent development, or injury.

Saeldor moved closer to the edge of the bed, eyes locking with hers. “Do you feel any discomfort or pain in your throat?” He asked softly. She shook her head and mouthed a single word, one that was easy to read: no. Saeldor reached out and gentle pressed his fingers against her throat. He rubbed carefully, with enough pressure to feel any damage close to the surface if there was any. When he couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary, he pulled back with a quizzical look. If there was damage, then it was deeper within. He would need to examine her differently. With a soft smile, he summoned an empty journal and something to write with. “You may use these if you must,” he offered as he handed them to her. They needed some way to communicate until he can find the cause of her muteness.

Why was he frowning at her? “Please… Tell me!” Instead of getting the answers she wanted, the doctor moved closer and asked a question in return. His hands reached out and probed her neck, which she extended by lifting her chin rather unconsciously. The expression on his face was quizzical, causing her to frown at him. “Why are you examining my neck?” she asked. Melissa watched as he summoned a journal and pencil, handing them to her. His words were slow to be absorbed as she tried to figure out why he was handing her writing utensils. When it finally hit her, her amber pools lifted up to him in stark terror. She can’t speak?!?

Shakily, her hands lifted to take the journal and coal pencil as she felt like she couldn’t catch her breath, her mouth instantly dry and her heart pounding. When did that happen? What was going on? Why didn’t her papa tell her about it? She was breathing too quickly, too deeply, swaying slightly as tears began to well in her eyes. The doctor put his hand on her shoulder and instructed her to purse her lips as if she was to blow out a candle. Inhale through the nose, exhale through her lips. She wasn’t allowed to force her exhaled breath, just allow it to slowly leave her system as she worked on controlling her breathing. It took some time, but she finally calmed her breathing enough to start writing.

But where to start? The coal pencil hovered over the first blank page. “Where’s papa? What happened? Where am I?” Her first major questions filled the first line with rather neat handwriting, yet she frowned at her own hand. Why did it feel as if she hadn’t done anything in years? “My head hurts. My back aches. I’m scared.” The doctor asked about her throat, however. So she started a new line. “Why can’t I talk? What’s wrong with me?” Melissa looked over the page, then carefully put, at the top of the page, “My name is Melissa Jade Kaplan.”

He could see the moment everything went downhill, the moment she realized something was terribly wrong. Her trembling hands were the first alarming sign as she took the journal and pencil. Her breathing became unstable, tears swelling in her eyes. It was a reaction he had seen many times before. She was panicking. Perhaps he should have been more gentle with his approach. His hand swiftly went to her shoulder. “Take a deep breath,” he said as he made eye contact. Saeldor showed her what to do by breathing in deeply, then releasing it slowly, calmly through pursed lips. “Just breathe,” he added with a softer tone. She did as she was told. He did it with her until she was finally calmed down.

Then, she took up the journal, and pressed the pencil tip against the page. Saeldor turned to sit upon the edge of the bed, keeping himself at a respectful distance from his patient. Normally he would sit in the chair, but being within reach was often a comfort to some of his patients. His green eyes watched her hand drag the pencil across the paper, leaving elegant curves and lines as she wrote. It was so satisfying to see her do it so beautifully. She started with many questions, then proceeded with her concerns. His smile became saddened, almost fading. Now was not a good time to inquire about what had happened to her. First, he needed to explain her situation, and help her get through the emotional stress. They could discuss other matters whether she is ready.

She started a new line with more questions. And then, she wrote something at the very top. When her hand stopped moving, his eyes rose to meet hers. “I am Saeldor Arbane, and I am your doctor. This is a clinic,” he started. “There was an earthquake that damaged a portion of the town… Your house collapsed.” He gave a pause so he wouldn’t be giving too much shocking, upsetting information too fast. She needed a moment to process for what was to come. “I found you buried beneath the remains. Your head was injured and needed stitches, while a lot of weight had been applied to your back. This is the cause of your headache and the pain in your back. I can give you an herbal concoction to help ease the pain, if you would like.” He glanced down at his hand as it fidgeted with the hem of his other glove, giving her yet another moment before continuing, “I don’t know why you are unable to speak. It’s possible the collapse caused internal trauma, but I can’t know for certain without close examination.”

That just left the matter of her father, the one question he dreaded the most. It was quite possible the man that was found near her body was him, but he couldn’t just assume so. If he did, leaving her to believe her father was dead when he may not be could destroy her. Unnecessarily inflicting such pain on her was unacceptable. He forced himself to look back into her eyes, his expression soft and saddened. “As for your father… I cannot say for certain. But there was a man found nearby in your house. The collapse… killed him instantly. He didn’t suffer.”

Saeldor introduced himself as her doctor. She knew of the clinic that was in town near their home, but it has been forever since she was here that she forgot about it. Back then, they said that the damage to her spine was irreversible, that she would never walk again. If someone had been there the moment it happened or at some point on the first day, then maybe it would have been possible. As it was, Jake had scooped her up on one of his travels from Namiba, and thus was days away from proper attention. Melissa’s eyes grew wide with disbelief the moment he said her house collapsed during the earthquake. Her eyes searched his face for something, anything to suggest that it might not be true.

Apparently, there was no room for it to be false, as he himself found her in the rubble. He treated her injuries and offered her something to help with the pain. She noticed the way he was fidgeting, wanting to shake him silly, tell him to get on with it. Was he deliberately picking and choosing which to answer? Saeldor was stumped on the cause of her muteness, needing time for examination since it was something newly discovered. It made sense, but the way he prolonged the silence increased the foreboding dread that filled her heart which sank when his eyes met hers, that soft and sad expression falling across his face. Then the worst of what he had to say began to spill forth from his lips.

A man, in her house… Killed by the collapse. Her lip trembled as she shook her head slowly. There was absolutely no way that she heard him correctly. “Papa…” No, he said he couldn’t be certain. But there was no single person to ever came out for a visit except Nina on bath days. It had to be… “NO!!!” Melissa silently screamed as she doubled over on herself. There was a comforting hand on her back as she sobbed, falling into his embrace. She cried into his coat until she had no more tears to shed. Ever so slowly, she sat back up, drained. Melissa took the book and the pencil back, hovering it over the page.

“Thank you for telling me, doctor. Did you have anything else you wished to discuss?” He made some inquiries about her being bedridden and paralysis to which she shook her head as she began to write. “I don’t know what you’re talking about being bedridden. As for my paralysis, six years ago, kids were harassing me. I fell off a ledge and broke my back. That’s when Papa Jake found me and took me in. Doctors here said he brought me in too late for possible mobility.”

He watched her reaction with bated breath. It was never easy to tell someone that they may have lost a loved one. Many doctors say that it gets easier with time and experience. But it never did. Not for him. She shook her head a little with her lip quivering. His chest squeezed. She tried to speak, once again voiceless. He could practically see her heart breaking. Saeldor wasn’t sure if she knew the man, or even how she could know for certain that he was her father without seeing him for herself. But, perhaps she had some way of knowing that he wasn’t aware of. It only made his chest ache. She silently screamed and curled in on herself. He instantly reached out and gently put his hand upon her back for some comfort. But as her doctor, there was only so much he could do. It would be inappropriate for him to offer much else to a female patient.

However, what he had given her wasn’t enough. She leaned against him in an embrace, her sobs muffled by his overcoat. He was frozen, hands up as he was reluctant to hold her in return. But, who was he to deny her the comfort she sought? Yes, it was his duty to heal her, and his desire. By why only do it partially? Emotionally health was just as important as physical health. He believed he should heal each of his patients as much as possible. He was the kind of doctor that would find a lost kitten for his six year old patient to make her smile. The kind of doctor that would travel across lands just to reach someone who couldn’t reach him. And, he was the kind of doctor who would grant his grieving patient the comfort she desired.

Slowly, he deftly put his gloved hands upon her back. Normally family and friends of his patients would do this instead, but Melissa seemed to have no one there besides him. He would need to ask if she had any other relatives. They needed to know what’s happened to her and her father, and she needed someone to look after her. But, for now, he held her in silence, letting her tears fall, letting her decide when she was ready to speak.

After a while, she removed herself from him, and took up the journal. She thanked him, then asked what else he wished to discuss. He was careful when he mentioned her condition, why she had been bedridden. She didn’t know the answer to that, then proceeded to explain what had caused her paralysis. He cupped his chin with a lightly creased brow. Most of her injuries had already been addressed. But it was her paralysis and muteness he found most puzzling. One does not just wake without their voice. The earthquake must have been the cause. How, he wasn’t sure. Only tests could tell. And her paralysis… he wasn’t so convinced it was permanent. But of course, only tests could say.

“Do you have any friends or relatives I can contact?” He asked, looking back at her as he spoke softly. “Anyone who should know that you are here?”