Walking among the village after descending the hill where the ceremony was being held, Miguel heads to the infirmary where all the wounded from the previous battle remained. Closely followed by Fernández, who, after organizing the Guard, set out to follow the young strategist.
—So, do we have 8 permanently crippled members among the guard?—asked Miguel.
—Yes, young master. It happened mostly in the initial clash against the enemy's shield wall. They responded to the initial charge with javelins and arrows. Most of the wounds that caused those injuries were on the limbs or joints, such as shoulders and knees. Following that, several amputations had to be performed.—replied Fernández, providing the details that had been brought to him from the makeshift infirmary they had set up in one of the village houses.
Without saying anything else, the two kept walking along the main road, until they reached the house that served as the infirmary. The structure was built with thick oak logs and a thatched roof that had been repaired within the last decade.
As soon as he walked through the door after greeting the guards posted at the entrance, everyone inside the facility fell into the most profound and deafening silence. The air was permeated with a strong scent of bitter herbs, smoke, and dried blood. The wounded, lying on worn blankets on the packed dirt floor, looked at the young strategist with a mix of reverence and fear.
—Take it easy; there is no need to stop anything you are doing. I only came to greet the brave warriors of House Cortés.
And following this, while the ad-hoc nurses from the guard continued attending to the wounded with less fluid movements, Miguel approached one of the soldiers who had a completely bloodied bandage, and proceeded to ask him:
—Does it hurt, soldier?
—No, my lord, this is nothing.—replied the soldier, trying not to give away the fact that it actually hurt quite a bit.
—It looks like a deep cut.—said Miguel.
—A moment of carelessness on my part, sir.—the soldier managed to say.
—Good. If you will allow me, I would like to help you change the bandage.—said Miguel. —I can see that the wound is bleeding quite a bit.
—No, my lord! There is no need for you to get your hands dirty.—replied the soldier hastily, visibly nervous.
—My fault. I actually meant to say that it is an order.—said Miguel, already reaching into his small leather bag that served as a first-aid kit.
—Thank God, if He exists, for the evacuation drills of public buildings such as the courthouse.—thought Miguel.
The first thing he did was ask for some boiling water to be brought from the fires of the makeshift kitchens. He took his new, clean bandages out of the first-aid kit and submerged them in the boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Afterward, he took the detestable soap and washed his hands as best he could.
Then, he removed the soldier's blood-soaked bandage, placed it in a basket that served as a trash bin, and proceeded to clean the soldier's wound with the utmost care, using a cloth that had also been sterilized for the occasion.
—For lack of any strong antiseptic, this is the best we can do.—And after saying this, Miguel finished dressing the wound with the other bandage he had sterilized and dried as best as possible to wrap the wound.
—As soon as the other bandage dries, replace it with this one, which is still a little wet. Understood, soldier?
—Yes, my lord, thank you very much, my lord.—said the soldier with a bow forced by discomfort.
—Alright, everyone, one moment. I would like to use this space to thank you for your sacrifice in the service not only of House Cortés, but of the entire town of Pasto. I know some of you will have injuries that will not be easy to heal, and others may even have permanent injuries, such as the loss of an arm or even a leg. But I want you to know this: we are not going to abandon you. That era where the sacrifices of soldiers were worth absolutely nothing has ended by decree of House Cortés. All soldiers who have been permanently crippled will be entitled to compensation from the battle loot, and their relatives will have priority rights to the new jobs in the factories that will be built soon in our territory, as well as in the academies. And as a bonus, I must tell you that there will be something for everyone, both the wounded and the healthy.
—But... I must be very clear, gentlemen! There are other lords who feel envious of the potential of the people of Pasto, of my people and my father's. They feel jealous because they are inept and maladjusted individuals who cannot live content with their own land, and they are so wicked that anyone who threatens their minuscule status becomes a direct target for their threats. That is why we must resist, fight in order to ultimately win, emerge victorious, and ensure that no one dares to snatch away that which is ours: our families, our properties, our way of life. Are we in this together?!—asked Miguel, with a powerful voice that belied his somewhat youthful appearance.
—Yes, sir!—responded the attendees in unison.
—I can't hear you!—said Miguel.
—Sir, yes, sir!
—Perfect, I like it.—said Miguel, and thought: —Now that I remember, the fact of distributing the loot equitably greatly reduces the risk of breaking formation in the middle of combat to secure some money. Although having a well-disciplined and well-paid army will also help reduce that danger even further.
…
—On other matters, and now that I am personally presiding over the infirmary, I have realized that we must apply a series of reforms to how we treat those wounded in combat.
The place that operates as an infirmary must be clean, as well as its surroundings.
No animals of any kind are allowed inside the building or its vicinity.
All uninjured persons must be clean at the time of entering the infirmary.
All medical staff must wash their hands thoroughly for at least 5 full breaths before beginning to treat the wounded.
All bandages used must be clean and must have been disinfected for at least 5 minutes in boiling water, and may only be used after being dried, unless it is an emergency.
Any wound caused by a bladed weapon or projectile that remains embedded in a person's body may not be removed until the patient is taken to an infirmary.
If there is profuse bleeding, pressure must be applied with a clean bandage over the wound area and held until arriving at the infirmary.
Every soldier must carry a clean pocket, protected from dirt, designated for carrying clean bandages.
The water intended for the consumption of the wounded and the healers must be boiled beforehand and stored in covered containers to prevent cross-contamination.
Any patient presenting fever or signs of gangrene must be isolated immediately to prevent the infection from spreading to the rest of the occupants in the infirmary.
—Fernández, please write down for the unit and mission record what has just been said in this room. If possible, ensure the content is explained to all guard personnel.—said Miguel.
—At your command, young strategist.—said Fernández with a bow.
…
The murmur of the soldiers absorbing the new orders was abruptly interrupted by a metallic crash outside, followed by the voice of a man who seemed to know neither fear nor respect for the situation.
—Bring him out! I, Friar Arthur of Negroponte, demand the presence of Miguel Cortés before God.