Previously by @Bearer of the Flame ...

Stormy heard a heavy thud, and her heart froze. It didnt sound like someone dropping something. She quietly left Tris' room and headed to the kitchen. What she saw made her scream. Nova was on the floor, a puddle of blood growing ever so slowly. Nova was quiet. The knife in his chest made Stormy shake. She knelt beside him and felt for a pulse. It was there. Barely. The door burst open and someone came in, starting to shout and scream, but Stormy didnt see who it was. She was trying so hard to remember her training. But everything was so muddled! "Go find one of the doctors at the hospital!" She instructed, grimacing when her gaze fell on the protruding blade. Nova groaned, wincing in his sleep. Stormy tried to stop the trembling in her hands. If Nova had any chance of survival, she had to be careful but quick. From what she could tell, the knife hadn't pierced his heart or lungs. She signed inwardly. That was the good news. But getting the blade out without causing anymore bleeding, that would be the challenge. She heard someone run into the room and looked up as Xavia knelt across from her, looking in shock at her guardian. Stormy drew a deep breath. "Xavia, we need to prepare for surgery if he is going to make it. We need hot water, clean sheets, and plenty of light." The doe nodded and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, staggering to her feet and going to prepare the water. Stormy rolled up her sleeves and set her jaw. The smell of blood was so strong. She almost felt nauseous. But she had to go through with this. A doctor would be coming, but Stormy would have to start the surgery herself. She whispered a prayer to the Maker before getting to her feet and looked around for some sheets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Picket was dashing down the well-trodden roads on his way to Nova's house, Tristan by his side. Weezie would be following him in a minute after gathering some items in a basket - bandages, the few random jars of medicine she had, and water.

After what seemed like ages, Picket and Tristan finally turned into the lane of Nova's house. The windows shone bright with flickering light - almost eerily, it seemed to Picket.

"Come on!" Tristan said, swinging open the door. He stopped short, swaying slightly like he had been shocked.

Frowning, Picket craned his neck to look between Tristan's shoulder and the door. He gasped. Stormy was on the ground, bending over the fallen, bloody form of Nova. Nova.

"W-what happened?" Picket asked, gently pushing aside Tristan. "What happened to him? And where's Tris? I heard she needed help?"

Stormy glanced up briefly, and nodded, her brows scrunched in worry and concentration. She swallowed. "Yes. She still needs help. But Nova will die if we don't take care of him first... please, though, if you can do anything, tend to Tris..." Stormy trailed off, prodding gingerly around the knife in Nova's chest with some medical tool.

Picket shook himself from his daze. "Alright. Weezie's going to be here in just a second. If you need anything just tell me. For the meantime, though, don't worry about Tris or us and just concentrate on that."

Stormy nodded, probably barely hearing him. Picket shot her a sympathetic look and laid a hand on Tristan's shoulder. "He'll be okay, son."

Then he hurried to find Tris. She was laying on a bed, eyes closed.

"Tris?"

She didn't move. Picket felt a rush of panic and scrambled to check her breathing. He relaxed slightly. She was still alive. Just then Weezie bust into the room.

"She's unconscious," Picket said as Weezie bent over her.

"Obviously," Weezie muttered, stuffing a pillow underneath Tris's legs, raising them above heart level. She applied something in a small jar to Tris's temples then dashed a bit of water on Tris's face.

Tris gasped and raised herself up slightly, stirring in the bed. Weezie quickly laid her back down as Tris's face twisted in pain.

"Tris, it's okay, you'll be okay, I promise," Weezie murmured in a soothing tone, "you've been hurt, though, and need to lie still. Now, I don't know much about medicine, and it appears they've already done most of what you need, but I'll help you as best as I can."

"My father," Tris whispered, closing her eyes again. "I tried to change him. But I couldn't." Tears leaked out from her eyes and she drew a painful breath, wincing. "I really though I could... but you were right."

Weezie laid a hand softly on Tris's stomach, wrapped in a bandage. Picket sensed a darkening of her mood, and suddenly understood. Rage welled in his heart and he clenched his jaw.

"Your father did this to you?"

Tris nodded once.

"You can't stay with him anymore, dear," Weezie said, her voice low. "You did what you could, but now the rest is up to him. You can't change other people for themselves - they have to be the ones to take responsibility. And after this, what he did to you... no. Don't go back to that darkness."

"Picket!" someone called from the other room. Picket patted Tris's hand then ran out to where Stormy was with Nova. Lallo and Cassin were now gathered around, doing various things for Stormy, and after sending a vaguely surprised look at Lallo, Picket bent down near Nova.

"Okay, good, you're here," Stormy said distractedly. "I need you to hold this tight and just be as still as possible while I remove the knife."

Picket nodded and pulled the sheet around Nova's stomach tightly. He grimly glanced at where Stormy was working. It looked to him like a bloody mess, but he felt confident in Stormy's abilities.

Stormy took a deep breath. "Okay. Here goes. The hardest part."

"You really needed to add that part?" Lallo muttered nervously, glancing over her should at Nova.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope this isn't too long! Whoever goes next, please make Stormy do the operation successfully and keep Nova alive!!!!!! (I just feel like it would have been too long for me to do that part...) Enjoy and bear the flame.