The Prison Healer

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes descriptions of child death, abortion sexual abuse, and harassment.

Jaren is assigned work as a tunneller, which is a death sentence, as 50 percent of tunnellers die within three months. Over the next 10 days, Kiva is kept busy with tending to winter-related illnesses like frostbite, hypothermia, and a sweating sickness. On the 11th day, Jaren visits the infirmary to have his stitches removed. Kiva tries to hide her relief at seeing him, and she notices that Jaren is in good spirits despite his punishing work.

Jaren’s hands are blistered and torn, so Kiva cleans them. When she removes the stitches from his back, she asks what caused his scars. Jaren tells her that the scars are from whatever was nearby at the time, and the person who hurt him was close to him. When sharing about two concussions that he has experienced in the past, he reveals information that implies he had a wealthy upbringing.

Tipp races into the infirmary and announces that there is a new arrival. Two guards arrive and drop an extremely sick middle-aged woman onto a table. The woman must be healed so that she can face her Trial by Ordeal.