Chapter 109
The steady rhythm of galloping hooves shattered the uneasy calm surrounding the Emberforge Medical Centre.
Heads turned.
Doctors paused in the middle of changing bandages.
Nurses stopped carrying bowls of steaming water.
Families waiting outside rose to their feet almost simultaneously.
A lone rider galloped through the gates, his horse covered in foam, its flanks heaving from exhaustion.
The soldier barely waited for the horse to stop before jumping from the saddle.
"I need Lady Aurora!" he shouted urgently. The urgency in his voice sent a ripple of panic through the crowd.
Several mothers immediately clutched their children closer.
One elderly woman covered her mouth with trembling hands, "Oh no..."
Another whispered a prayer beneath her breath.
The nurse nearest the entrance hurried towards him, "This way!"
She pointed towards one of the treatment rooms.
"Lady Aurora is inside."
The soldier didn't waste another second. He sprinted through the medical centre, weaving between patients and physicians.
Every pair of eyes followed him. No one knew whether he carried hope...
...or heartbreak.
Inside one of the treatment rooms, Aurora carefully unwound the bandage around a miner's arm.
The wound had healed well.
"That looks much better," she said gently.
The miner smiled. "Thanks to you, My Lady."
Aurora returned the smile,"You've done the hard work. Just remember not to lift anything heavy for another week."
"I'll listen this time."
"You'd better."
The miner chuckled.
Before Aurora could begin applying a fresh dressing, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.
"My Lady!" , The soldier appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily.
Aurora immediately stood.
The look on his face made her heart stop.
For one terrible moment...She thought the rescue had failed.
"Report," she said, her voice calm despite the fear tightening around her chest.
The soldier straightened, "My Lady..."
He swallowed hard, "We've broken through."
Silence......Complete silence.
The words seemed to hang in the air.
Aurora simply stared at him.
Unable to speak.
Unable to breathe.
"...We've reached the trapped miners," the soldier continued, a smile finally breaking across his exhausted face.
"Duke Owen requests that you prepare the medical centre immediately. They're bringing the injured down the mountain."
Relief struck Aurora so suddenly her knees almost gave way.
"They're alive..." she whispered.
The soldier nodded, "Yes, My Lady."
A tear escaped before she could stop it. She quickly wiped it away. There would be time to cry later.
Now...
People needed her.
Aurora's entire expression changed. The gentle physician disappeared. The acting Duchess returned.
Her voice rang through the building, "Everyone, listen!"
Every doctor and nurse immediately stopped what they were doing.
"We're receiving injured miners."
She looked around the room. "We don't yet know how many. But we will be ready."
She pointed toward the nurses, "Prepare every available bed. I want fresh linens. Boil more water. Lay out clean bandages. Prepare splints, surgical instruments, and medicine."
The nurses hurried away, "Yes, My Lady!"
Aurora turned to the physicians, "Finish treating every patient who is stable enough to leave."
One elderly doctor frowned, "My Lady... what about follow-up care?"
"We'll arrange appointments for later." She spoke firmly, "Today, we make room for those whose lives still hang in the balance."
The doctors nodded. Immediately dispersing.
Aurora stepped into the main hall where dozens of patients and worried families watched her anxiously.
She raised her voice just enough for everyone to hear.
"We've received word from the mountain." The room fell completely silent. "They've reached the trapped miners."
Gasps echoed around the hall.
Several people immediately began crying.
A woman dropped to her knees, clasping her hands together.
"Thank you..."
"Thank you..."
Aurora waited for the emotions to settle before continuing.
"The injured are on their way. We don't yet know who is coming...We don't know how many...But every single one will receive the best care we can provide."
She looked around the crowded hall.
"I must ask those who are well enough to return home today to do so. We need every available bed."
No one argued. Not a single complaint. Every person understood.
Aurora turned towards the soldiers stationed at the entrance.
"Captain" A young soldier stepped forward immediately, "My Lady."
"I need a cordon established outside. Only immediate family members are to remain near the entrance."
He nodded, "Yes, My Lady."
"No one enters the treatment wards until every injured miner has been examined."
She glanced towards the frightened families gathering outside.
"We cannot allow panic. We cannot have people rushing stretchers."
The soldier understood immediately.
"It will be done." He hurried outside, already calling orders.
Within minutes, soldiers gently began guiding families into designated waiting areas.
Aurora watched them through the window.
Mothers.
Children.
Wives.
Parents.
Every face carried the same desperate question.
Is my loved one alive?
Her own heart asked a different question.
Please...
Please let Turner be among them.
She closed her eyes for only a second.
Then whispered the prayer she had been repeating since the collapse.
"Please bring him home..."
When she opened her eyes again...
She was once more Lady Aurora Ambrose.
And there was work to do.
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