Kram

h with a soft sizzle. Phoebe squeezed her e

ed away the surface layer of pus and grime, re

crotic tissue had to be cut away, or the i

lpel. And I di

he sharpest, smallest knife

turned minutes later with a small paring knife

om. I held the blade of the knife in the fire, watching it glow a dul

's wounds with the liquor. The sharp, alcoholic sting filled the air, a clean smel

orner, her face pale, loo

teady as a rock. I took a deep breath, le

y movements were precise, economical. I excised only the dead, black tissue, preserving ever

I finally cut away the last piece of necrotic tissue, my

each wound. When the last one was tied, I strai

was starving. I hadn't e

gle echoed in the quiet

, and she looked down at t

and a genuine smile broke through my exhaustion. It was th

tle her. She looked up,

gry too,

ered a wonderful secret. She scurried to the small bundle of her be

Inside were two golden-brow

ed, holding one out to me like a precious

mell of butter and caram

, sweet filling melted on my tongue. In this cold, des

girl. I wasn't just the surgeon. For a moment, I was jus

oebe was the one pe

he flickering candlelight, and ate o

and bandaged, his breathing seemed a little l

ection, flushing the silver from his system, prov

e first time, I wasn