The Florence Nightingale effect

Still cradling Harper in her arms, Diana exited the alley with her sisters, Nubia along with a garrison of the palace army, who were on their way to find Alexa and Gary Thracy. The librarian had offered the man a bath at the palace bathhouse and both amazons rushed their way there in the hopes of finding them in time before something terrible had happened. Seeing Harper still distraught in her arms, Diana stopped and checked him over, fearing any injuries the monster had given him when she stole him away and **** the lasso of truth on him. Seeing his painful memories and how they were **** to the surface for the boy to relive was… What he had experienced was harrowing, made all the worse that the culprit who tortured him was one of her own sisters.

“I want my daddy…” The boy mewled over Diana’s shoulder. Hot tears running down his eyes as Wonder Woman held him in her arms.

“It is alright Harper Thracy, no more harm will come to you.” Wiping his tears, it tore at her heart to see what Aello had caused.

“We are finding your father now Harper, do not worry… There!” Nubia pointed to a group of amazons leaving the bathhouse, the five or so women keeping their gaze skyward until one of them looked down at street level and spotted the princess and their general in sight. Joining them in the streets, the five bowed before the two women and returned to their feet.

“Your highness! Our sisters, they’ve gone MAD!”

“They stole Mr. Thracy, took to the sky with him.” One amazon explained, gesturing with her hands to her throat what the harpy had done to the man.

“We have to do something!” Pleaded Alexa, worry in her eyes as she suddenly turned her attention to the boy in Diana’s arms. Seeing him scared out of his wits and holding to their princess like a lifeline, Alex a blinked back. “By Hera, what have they done?”

“We must find my mother, Phin Thracy is with her and if our sisters are targeting the men on our island, than he too is in danger.”

“Daddy…”

Looking down at the boy in her arms, Diana found the child looking out onto the street. Hugging him more closely, she worried for his safety and the safety of his father. “We shall find your father Harper, I promise you that.”

“Daddy!” He called out, pointing out towards the street behind Diana’s shoulder.

Following his gaze out to where he was pointing, Diana and Nubia were surprised to find the oracles of all people carrying the man in their arms down the streets to the healing halls of the purple ray. The man wore a sash around his right arm and his leg was bound in a splint as the trio easily carried him, practically racing their way down the road to the halls of the purple ray and guided the man up the stairs to the grand arching entrance.

Handing Harper over to Nubia, the group of amazons followed the oracles down the road, heading up the steps to the healing hall. Entering the large space, they found several confused amazons looking up at the small warband charge in, each resting inside as they recuperated from injuries from training earlier that morning.

There, at the far end where there was an empty table was where they finally found the three resting Gary’s body on the smooth marble slab, the man basking in the purple light of the room, just as he exhaled and lost consciousness.

“DADDY!” Cried out the boy as Nubia set him on his feet, watching him run to his father’s side as one of the beautiful women tending to him held the boy close ad helped bring his hand to his father’s while he healed.

Making their way amongst the injured who bowed before their princess’s presence, Diana finally greeted the oracles with a bow of her head.

“Honoured oracles, why are you here? She asked, shelfing the questions as to how they had regained their beauty and former bodies later to the more pressing question to how they had found Mr. Thracy. “How did you find…”

“Your friend taught us a powerful lesson, princess. One our people have sadly forgotten in our isolation all these centuries.” Declared Castalia, wiping a thumb over Gary’s hairline out of the way of a cut over his brow, one that quickly healed before her eyes. Bending down she kissed the man on the forehead, seeing him stir from the act but not enough to rouse him from consciousness. “For what is the point of having the power to help if you choose to do nothing with it?”

Holding him close, Calliope held Harper between her arms, almost motherly so as she bent at the waist to see the boy’s face between her and her crossed arms in front of him. Looking up at the woman who smiled back down at him, the boy found she was beautiful, with warm blue eyes and flowing black hair that framed her heart shaped face. Giving him a soft hug, she whispered so only he could hear her.

“You father will be alright child. The purple ray shall heal his broken bones as if they had never been.” Turning her attention to Diana, the woman’s soft demeanor turned more serious. “The elder is with our queen and stewardess in the city’s dockyard. HURRY!”

Nodding, Diana literally flew out of the halls, with Nubia joining her on foot as she took a sword and shield with her sitting by a nearby table occupied by one of her sisters, recuperating after training. The two heading to the docks as fast as they could. Making their way to follow, the rest of the amazons who could join them followed as fast as they could, save for Alexa who found one of the oracles stopped her, grabbing hold of her wrist and gently pulling her back.

“Let me go! I must join my sisters in saving Mr. Thracy!”

“You ARE… By helping THESE two.” Declared Calisto, slowly pulling the woman over to stand between the man healing on the table and his son who looked fearful and alone. Guiding her to rest a hand on the boy’s shoulder and sit next to his father on the table. Calisto whispered into the woman’s ear.

“Heed our visions Alexa, stay with them, heal them, sooth their scars, and in return they will make you stronger as you them, in return they will show you the wonders you sought for, and joys most rewarding.”

Sitting at the offered stool by the table, Alex a got the idea and sat Harper in her lap, helping him reach his father’s hand as his injuries slowly healed themselves. “But the ray is almost done. What more is there for me to help with?”

“We do not speak of the physical injuries Alexa…” Pointed Calliope, just as she and her sister oracles made their way out of the halls. “Matters of the heart are always the hardest to heal.”

Seeing the three leave, Alexa sat with the boy in her arms on her lap, watching over his father who laid beside her. She did not understand what the oracles meant, right now the only thing on her mind was to head out and join her sisters in saving Mr. Thracy.

Gary remained still under the glow of the purple ray, by now the pained look on his face had calmed and he was resting peacefully. Checking the boy in her arms, Alexa found Harper had also fallen asleep, resting his head over his folded arms on top of the marble table. Whatever he had gone through had been exhausting for him, she thought.

Remembering his behaviour back at the bathhouse, he seemed more than just timid in her sister’s presence, he looked genuinely nervous, afraid even. But why? No one on the island would have ever tried to harm him… No. That just wasn’t true anymore. She knew that now. The curse that had spread across Themyscira had revealed a side of her sisters even she didn’t fully realise. Until now. Seeing the sash around his arm and the splint holding his leg together, she felt genuinely sorry for him. Checking his injuries while Harper slept in her lap, she untied the sash around his arm and gently squeezed at his shoulder and arm, getting no negative reaction. Undoing the fabric that held the splint together she did the same, checking to see if his bones had reknit. Smiling when she found his limbs restored, she let the man sleep under the purple light.

With the two asleep under her charge, the amazon woman watched as Gary slowly turned to lay on his side, facing the woman as he exhaled deeply, still deep in slumber. Leaning over, Alexa traced a finger through his hair when she spotted a few strands had gotten into his eyes. After a few minutes, what started as a simple gesture, became more affectionate as she combed her fingers gently through his hair as he slept, smiling when she noticed his brow looked less creased, and his breathing calmer.