for science

Acacius had been begging his porcupine companions for this day for as long as he could remember, and each time they simply told him he had not yet been ready. Now, however, his education in healing (and poisons) was nearly complete, and when he asked the pair when exactly he'd be approved to perform an educational autopsy, the porcupines merely directed him to finding a body. It was not an easy job, but Acacius poured every ounce of his effort into procuring one. His first and last stop had been the battlefield, a place where wolves warred, bled, and occasionally even fell. For hours the boy searched diligently across the field, until finally he'd come across the form of an aged wolf clearly killed in battle.

With his porcupines to assist him, he first made the decision to drag the corpse out from the area. Doing something so sensitive and not entirely ethical in full view of others (and where the body had dropped, and was able to be easily found) was a stupid idea. Heaving with the full strength of his body he drug the corpse east, into one of the adjoining mines where he would have privacy. The porcupine companions quickly got to work producing light, carefully leaning tar-covered torches against the stone walls and preparing the area where he would work.

Once the area was prepared, it was time to adjust the positioning of the body. Following his companion's directions perfectly, he rolled the wolf until he had access to it's chest and stomach. "First you need to take note of height and weight." Poke suggested. "A wolf can die of many things and it helps to know how a metabolism might have been in cases of poison or overdose." Acacius nodded, hastily etching estimations down into the tablet he had carried along. "As well as any markings, cuts, punctures, whatever you assume may have killed him." Following the instructions carefully, Acacius spent many minutes closely examining the corpse.

"Ok. Now you may begin." Acacius didn't need further approval or instruction, having memorized the procedure seasons past eagerly. For the cutting he used the point of one fang, making the line messier but relieving him of the worry of needing to find a primate companion to handle for him a blade. Puncturing the sabre into the flesh until it hit bone, he pulled hard with his head downwards and tore a crooked, messy line from sternum to stomach. "The shoulders as well." Poke corrected, and Acacius removed and replaced his fang to begin to adjust his line into somewhat of a 'Y'.

With the initial incision made, he began to peel back layers of skin and underlying tissues, exposing the rib cage as well as the abdominal cavity. "You'll need to remove the rib cage, best to break it." The porcupine gestured to a rock, and Acacius hesistated before grabbing it in his teeth. Logic told him that hastily smashing it against the bone would hurt his own teeth, and so he instead moved to chip at the thinnest portion of ribs with the sharp tip. It took many minutes to separate each rib from the cartilage, but when he had completed the work it was done cleanly and without injury to himself. The best he could ask for. Tossing the pieces of rib aside, Acacius was given full view of the lungs. Reaching his paw into the cavity, he began to gently press his pawpad against the organ in palpation. There was a clean slice through the flesh on the edge of one middle lobe, and a careful return to his notes reminded him of a puncture he had found in the same region of the chest. "This would have killed him." Acacius deduced cautiously, glancing over toward his companions for confirmation. "Perhaps a knife, or a spear?" Poke and Prick shared a glance of consultation, but seemed to approve of his suspicion. "Carry on." They instructed, watching as the yearling began to extract the lungs themselves from the chest to reveal the heart that sat between and behind.

With the same careful touch he had granted to the lungs, Acacius began to squeeze upon the vital organ that was the centre of the circulatory system. As he pressed the flesh together he half expected blood to ooze out from a hidden wound, but no matter how he palpated it seemed the cut had not passed all the way through. An unfortunate discovery, as it meant the wolf likely suffocated to death and did not pass as quickly as a heart shot would have facilitated. "Have you made your decision?" The porcupine prodded softly, encouraging the young healer to have confidence in his deliberations. Acacius sat back and considered, remembering each wound and how it fell together. "I believe it was a short spear, thrust into the chest and piercing the lung, but not with the length to puncture to the heart. His lung then would have collapsed, causing suffocation." It was not as accurate as a master healer could diagnose, but it was enough for the porcupine instructors to give a passing grade to their young student. With the autopsy performed, they gave him the remainder of daylight to explore the body further. Learning of the brain, the bones, the intestines, as well as learning where arteries and other vital structures lay for use of combat later.

Word Count: 903