Page 161 of The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy

Epilogue 2: Aurienne’s Notes

Dear Quincey,

Quick notes for our first attempt at putting this on paper. Am in a rush so it’s even more illegible than normal. The usual apologies apply.

Case study: a novel treatment protocol for patients with advanced seith degeneration

Case history

Seith deterioration is deadly and widely considered impossible to cure (see also “Management of Seith Deterioration: Fifty Years of Clinical Outcomes” by Hwang and Saward and “ ‘Treating’ Seith Rot: Current Methodologies” by Le et al).

We describe the case of a 35-year-old male who sustained a crushing injury at the cervical spine(an imbecile hit him with a maul). Patient’s cervical seith channels were affected by the injury and, given that Haelan intervention was not immediately sought, they began to deteriorate. Patient first noticed fluctuations in the flow of his seith 2–3 months after the injury.

Initial imaging revealed significant degeneration throughout the patient’s seith system, stemming from the site of the original injury. Deterioration contributed to patient’s occasional difficulties summoning seith. Initial assessments also revealed advanced torpraxia.

Patient had an otherwise well-developed, robust seith system. Patient had a tacn (Order withheld for patient’s privacy).

Treatment course

In early discussions, patient was advised that there are limited treatment protocols available, including seith debridement. However, patient wished to retain seith function.

At patient’s insistence, despite a lack of published evidence, course of treatment was launched, a pursuit of “the Old Ways,” i.e., healing attempts at full moons, during “in-between” spaces and times, per early, unpublished research by care provider. In practice, thistranslated to a full infusion of seith by a Haelan every 29 days.

Given circumstances (undisclosed for patient’s privacy), patient could not attend regular imaging sessions with care provider at Swanstone. Care provider therefore placed seith markers throughout patient’s system to track advancement of degeneration. Patient observed to have high pain tolerance during placement.

During course of treatment, complications in the patient’s care included two seith embolisms several months apart (removed by care provider) and penetrating abdominal trauma(incurred in protection of care provider).