"Mornin’, lass," the old healer said, his weathered face creasing into a smile. "Ye look... refreshed."
"Please dinnae start."
"Start what?" He was definitely trying not to laugh. "Now come over here. We've got a lot tae cover today."
Grateful for the change of subject, Mhairi moved to the worktable where Donnach had set out various strips of cloth, a wooden practice arm, and what looked like a collection of old injuries that had been preserved somehow for teaching purposes.
"Today we're workin’ on bandagin’ technique," Donnach explained. "Seems simple enough, aye? Wrap cloth around a wound, tie it off. But there's an art tae it. Too loose and the bandage willnae hold. Too tight and ye cut off blood flow, which can cause more damage than the original injury."
"How dae ye ken when it's right?"
"Practice. Lots and lots of practice." He demonstrated on the wooden arm, his gnarled fingers moving with surprisingdexterity. "See how I'm keepin’ the pressure even? And how I'm anglin’ the cloth so each wrap overlaps the previous one by about half? That ensures complete coverage without using too much material."
Mhairi watched closely, noting the way he secured the end with a specific type of knot that wouldn't slip but could be easily undone when needed.
"Now ye try."
She picked up a fresh strip of cloth and approached the wooden arm. How hard could it be? She'd watched Donnach do it and she understood the principle.
She wrapped the cloth around the arm, trying to match his technique. But somehow the pressure wasn't even, the cloth bunched in places and gaped in others. When she tied it off, the whole thing immediately slipped loose.
"Too uneven," Donnach observed. "Try again, and this time focus on keepin’ yer hands steady. The cloth should flow around the limb, nae bunch up."
Mhairi unwrapped the cloth and started over. This time she went slower, really concentrating on keeping the pressure consistent. But she must have pulled too tight because halfway through, Donnach stopped her.
"That's cuttin’ off circulation. On a real patient, that would be painful and potentially dangerous. It shouldnae cut intae the skin."
Frustration flared hot in her chest. She'd done so well with other aspects of healing, why was this simple task defeating her?
"Again," Donnach said patiently.
She tried again. The wrap slipped loose immediately.
Again. Too tight.
Again. The angle was wrong, leaving gaps.
Mhairi exhaled sharply, pulling the cloth off with more force than necessary. "I cannae get it right."
"Ye've been at it fer ten minutes." Donnach's tone was mild. "I've been doing this fer thirty years and I still occasionally wrap too tight or too loose. Skill takes repetition and time, lass."
"But I should be getting’ it by now. I understand the principle, I ken what I'm supposed tae dae."
"Understandin’ and daeing are two different things." He took the cloth from her hands. "Watch me again, but this time pay attention nae just tae what I'm daeing, but tae how it feels. The rhythm of it."
He demonstrated again, slower this time. Mhairi forced herself to really watch, to see beyond just the mechanical movements to the subtle adjustments he made with each wrap.
"Now ye," Donnach said. "And stop thinkin’ so hard. Let yer hands remember what yer eyes saw."
Mhairi picked up a fresh cloth strip, took a deep breath, and tried again.
This time it was... better.
Still not perfect—there was a slight gap near the elbow—but the pressure was more even, the angle more consistent.
"Better," Donnach confirmed. "Much better. Now dae it again."
They spent the next hour practicing, with Mhairi wrapping and unwrapping the wooden arm over and over. Gradually, her technique improved. The wraps became more consistent, the knots more secure.
