Sometimes you just need a teddy bear. -- Knitnan
Triage is a simple formula. Help is focused intensely on those whose condition could be improved by it. Those who would mend on their own and those who would fail no matter what were the ones left to bide. In triage, few are available to pick up or comfort a crying child.
Dar, youngest survivor of the Pelichant Incident, understood none of this. All they knew was that they were frightened and all the grownups were passing them by. They had only one way to express their fears, so all the rush was serenaded by one throat open in a continuous wail of woe. All that the adults could provide was a collection of passing apologies. None of them helped.
There were only so many useful hands versus too many in need. In the grand scale of lives in the balance, one wailing toddler was a mere annoyance.
It was a survivor, reeling from shock, who extracted something from the gift bag that ze had clung to in hir panic. A present for a friend ze couldn't find. A soft plush toy with a plump body and a pleasant smile. Ze handed it to the child. "Here, lovey. You hang onto this. I'm not allowed to hold you." Ze pressed the bear against Dar. "I don't have a license."
Dar clung to the bear. It was soft and fluffy and something to hold. Which was a lot better than nobody to hold. They didn't count the squeezes it took to help them feel better, it just worked. The bear helped them feel less lonely.
When Dar remembered their manners, the kind person with the gift bag was gone. Taken away somewhere else. Dar was still scared, but the bear was there to help them feel a little braver. It helped them feel safe enough to curl up and sleep.
In time, there would be food. In time, there would be people who had time to hold Dar. To comfort them, talk to them, and find their people.
For now, Dar had a bear. For now, that was good enough.
[Photo by Luwadlin Bosman on Unsplash]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends! Or visit my hub site to see what else I'm up to.
My Prompt Forum is currently down, but if you want to send me a prompt, post it on my Discord's emergency prompt supply.
