Lessons in Restoration

[Teynara]

Having not pegged any of the students as being overly shy or reticent, Teynara had to admit that she was pleased to see some intelligent questions coming from them. It didn't come as any surprise to see that Deenar had nothing to ask, but she suspected he was either overly confident in his abilities or simply didn't feel the need to question her at this point. All well and good, because it gives me opportunity to catch the other two up and bring them to a similar level, at least as far as their knowledge-base goes. Experience, naturally, would come only with time and opportunity - two things she was only mildly at liberty to provide, given the nature of their training.

"Conversation should always be attempted with a patient unless they're unconscious, Arikka," she said in response to the girl's question, bestowing an encouraging smile on her, glad that someone was thinking a little outside the box. Most trainee Healers go straight for technique, she mused. "As I said, you need a patient's consent to treat them unless circumstances deny you this, but beyond that, healing works most effectively when there is a rapport between you - if the patient trusts you, they'll relax a little, and things will go much more smoothly. You'd be simply amazed at the number of ways an unco-operative patient can make your life harder...", she added with a grin.

Like as not, though, the Padawans wouldn't have had the experience of discovering that a non-Force Sensitive was capable of resisting a Force-based technique - logic suggested they couldn't, of course, since they lacked the training and natural capability to do so - so Teynara wasn't quite sure how to broach that particular can of worms. Nothing is guaranteed when dealing with the minds and bodies of others, she thought solemnly. And of course there's the simple fact that we mortals are ultimately fallible in ways that the Force is not, so our own absence of mastery can be as much a burden on a technique's success as any resistance the patient might have... There were days that being a Jedi could be a real headache.

"That does actually bring us neatly into your question, Thur'har's," she added softly, nodding at the other Padawan. "You will come across patients in the grip of psychosis or who simply act in an aggressive fashion towards you. Some will need to be restrained to prevent them causing themselves harm, while others can be calmed in the manner I've described, though you're better off applying the stronger Mind Trick to make certain of it," she observed, failing to note that she rather hated that particular ability, as well as that application of it. "Shock, however, isn't something you can deal with in either manner - it's more a psychological reaction to a physiological problem, one that is in itself a response to trauma," Teynara said. "It can't be cured merely through telepathic technique - it's a symptom of a larger problem, one that resolves itself when you treat the Shock. But, if all else fails, a sedative never hurts," she added wryly.

"Do also remember that it's risky using telepathic abilities - they're not always effective, for some species are immune, and it's no small thing to play with someone's mind. When in doubt, refrain," she said firmly, waving a finger at the students to make sure they understood the importance of her instruction. "And certainly don't go using telepathic technique on a disturbed mind, or even if yours isn't entirely centred. Don't want to accidentally go and project your own stress, worries or concerns into your patient's head, do you?"

 

[Bubák]

The answer to Arikka's question he expected was different from what Teynara answered. The Mon Cal has always calmed the patients by the Force, but now that he thought about it, it might be possible to do it just by talking to them. It also explained how Teynara meant they should always have a patient's consent to heal them. Still, if the person was hurt badly and refused to get healed, should the healer just leave? No, of course not. Deenar's duty was to heal people, and he would be doing that whether they liked it or not.

This tied to Thur'hars' quetion very nicely, what if the patient was an aggressive one? Force stun. The Mon Calamari just couldn't praise that skill enough. Before Master Vashee taught it to him, his tactic was that if a patient attacked him, Deenar knocked them out. Not exactly a Jedi way to deal with the situation, but he had no other ideas what to do at those times. Now, the amphibian was older and more experienced, so he didn't harm his patients. Force stun combined with projecting calmness and injecting sedatives worked every time.

The boy took a note not to use some of the telepathic abilities on a disturbed mind. He wouldn't want to connect his own mind to a disturbed one without being completely calm and prepared. One could never know what he might see, even unintentionally. That might result in two disturbed minds instead of one. Putting his datapad next to himself again, the Mon Calamari teenager looked at his fellow students first if they had anything more to say, before turning his gaze back to Teynara.

 

[Vulpes]

Arikka looked to Teynara as she explained the answer to the question, nodding her head slightly. She didn't ask it as if she didn't know, but simply as a clarification. She picked the pencil back up and began to scribble more down on the piece of paper. By that point, it had gone half-way down the page in information of various subjects talked about during the class.

Despite her question being answered, Arikka continued to write down Teynara's answer to Thur'hars' question. She then set the pencil down as she looked back up to the instructor. Arikka was fairly surprised by the amount of information she had already learned from this class, and she was interested in it as well.

 

[Stacker01]

Knight Jeralyr's answers were simple and clear. Manipulating the mind of a patient was a viable option, as well as introvenus sedatives and simply talking. He took mental note, once again, of her answer and thought to different situations. Her mention of unstable minds was one he would also take special note of, though he figured this was common sense as he never thought the idea of invading a disturbed mind was a good one. He wondered about other possible techniques that could be used in the case that talking, mental manipulation, and sedatives were thrown so far out the window by a thoroughly irate patient and lack of supplies that he'd have to get a pair of anti-gravity boots to retrieve them, but could not think of anything that wouldn't chance making things worse. Perhaps it would be learned through experience.

He thought for a moment, trying to come up with some more questions, unable to think of anything specific for the time being.

 

[Teynara]

The lack of any response told Teynara that it was probably time to move on - last thing she wanted was anyone getting overly bored with what she was teaching. She glanced up at the chronometer on the back wall behind the students, noting that time seemed to have passed at a surprising speed, all things considered. Time flies when you're having fun, right? Whoever said that clearly never did any teaching, she thought with a smile. She'd have to keep it brief so that the students weren't late for whatever their next class might be. Probably going from a nice, calm class on Healing to an active, aggressive lesson on lightsaber use.

"I think the most important thing I can do for the moment is teach you a technique that we refer to as the Hibernation Trance," she remarked, placing her hands in her lap and letting them rest there for a moment. "It's a method we use mostly for self-healing, when we have time and opportunity to stop and simply let the Force heal us, and most particularly when we don't have conventional medical technology at our disposal," Teynara added, thinking of the number of times that had happened in the past...

"Put simply, it is a meditation technique which renders us completely inert for the duration, but essentially opens up as conduits to Force energy, allowing it to move through us and augment our body's natural healing processes as best it can," the blonde continued, having always personally found the technique to be perfectly restful even when the body didn't need to heal - it was an effective replacement for sleep on occasion, particularly when insomnia threatened. "Shall we go through it together?"

Standing up, the Jedi Knight took a moment to take her legs through a few micro-stretches so as to put a little feeling back into them, though her limber exercise routine tended to ensure she didn't feel overly numb if sitting for long periods of time. Gesturing towards the front of the classroom, she indicated three sleeping mats that had been arrayed side-by-side, laid out for just this purpose. She was about to continue her lesson when the door to the back of the room opened, admitting one of the Duty Padawans that were assigned to deliver messages, run errands for the Masters and patrol the Temple halls to make sure everything was in one piece.

"Can I help you, Padawan?", she asked politely, turning her pale-blue eyes upon the boy. He walked confidently into the classroom without pause or hesitation and headed straight for her. They exchanged a few words in a low whispered tone for a moment, then Teynara nodded and the Padawan withdrew. That mystifying moment having passed, the Jedi turned to Thur'hars and folded her hands in front of her. "I'm sorry, Padawan Thur'hars, but your presence is requested elsewhere for the moment," she said enigmatically, revealing as little as possible before the others - it wasn't their business, after all. "If you'll kindly step outside, the Duty Padawan will direct you to where you need to go. Sorry you can't stay, but do come and see me later if you want to catch up on this," she added kindly.

The young man quickly departed and, her class now reduced down to just two, Teynara turned back to the others that remained and gestured that should each pick a sleeping mat. "Lie down and get comfortable now, please," she instructed, taking a seating position just away from the mats, so she could see them both. "I'd advise lying on your backs, even if you don't normally sleep that way - it's less likely your muscles will stiffen up from inactivity that way," she added.

"I think we'll start by my inducing a Healing Trance on you myself - this is perfectly possible to do with any patient, provided you can keep them calm and willing," she observed. "It's very, very difficult to force an unwilling person into a trance, so I would never recommend attempting it," Teynara emphasised, preferring that they never attempted it - it was against the Healer's code of ethics to use a strong technique such as that on someone who didn't want it. "The first thing I want you to do is clear your minds and close your eyes so you're not distracted by what you see around you, as if you're composing yourselves for sleep. Secondly, place a simple thought in your minds: that when I clap my hands, you'll snap out of the trance, once I've initiated it. Is that understood?", she asked.

 

[Bubák]

It was surprising that Teynara said the Hibernation trance was a method used mostly for self healing. It could be used to heal someone else? Interesting! What was the difference between this and normal Force healing when used on someone else, then? Picking up his datapad, he started making notes again, as this was something completely new to him, and very useful too.

As she stood up, Deenar followed her example, and looked in the direction she pointed at. Three mats rested there. Why, were they going to sleep or something? The confused Mon Cal at them, then at the Padawan that entered the room. Some latecomer? The teacher handled it, and turning out it wasn't a latecomer, but a Duty Padawan tasked to get Thur'hars. Instead of one healer more, one healer less. Quite a shame, the lesson was beginning to be really interesting.

Doing as the Knight said, Deenar picked one mat, the one in the middle, and lied on it on his back. By the Force, that was comfortable! After the mission with Master Vashee when they ventured into the Tython's forest, he had learned to appreciate flat ground. The mat was a bonus. With his left eye staring into the ceiling, his right eye turned to Teynara, watching her. It was after she explained it that he realized she was going to use the Trance on them. The foolish boy thought they might start practicing immediately, but then he realized it might be too hard for them to do it without experiencing it first.

According to the teacher, a patient should be calm and willing to let the Jedi use the Force on them. In another words, Force stun could solve the problem once again, but as Deenar thought, normal Force healing might be more effective when he needed to heal someone really fast and there was no time to prepare the patient for Healing trance. And then, he shouldn't overdo Force stun and use it only on his opponents and aggressive patients.

Turning his right eye to the ceiling too, he closed both of his bright blue orbs per instructions and calmed down, breathing slowly, calmly. His mind was clear, the only thought in there was that once Teynara claps her hands, he snaps out of the trance. Easy! "Ready!" he said.

 

[Vulpes]

Arikka continued to write and occasionally illustrate what Teynara was going over, taking careful attention of everything she said. Her mind suddenly focused on something -- someone else in the back of the classroom. She wondered if this was a late comer, but it seemed Teynara did not plan either, if it was. She watched the two talk, attempting to listen in on what they said, but the hearing inherited from her species did not pick up on the audio. Is Thur'hars in trouble? Arikka began to become a little worried as she watched her fellow Codru-Ji leave the lesson.

The girl set the pencil down as she listened to the instructor once again. When she heard her mention laying on their back, she began to raise her hand, but stopped upon hearing "even if you don't normally sleep that way." Her hand went back into her lap as she stood up, walking towards the mats. Arikka watched Deenar lay down first, inspecting to see if there was any trick to it she did not know. The Padawan frowned as she did not see anything different than what she would've done. It must be a Codru-Ji thing.. she thought as she moved slowly down to the mat. She laid on her back, hoping for comfort to come to her, but it did not seem to do much, it felt weird and unusual, and she knew if she were to stay like this for more than a few minutes, discomfort would turn into aches.

Muscles in Arikka's back tensed up out of instinct, and did not loosen up again until about a minute near-meditative-like thoughts. She glanced over at Deenar and saw he had no difficulties with the task, and she exhaled before speaking, "Ready."