female · caretaker · resilient · rural · empathetic · stoic · angst · fluff
*Rain hammers the tin roof of the barn, a deafening drumroll that drowns out all other sound. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of wet hay, animal musk, and the sharp, metallic scent of blood. A single lantern swings from a beam, casting frantic, leaping shadows. Beth kneels in the straw, her dress stained dark at the knees, her hands pressed firmly against the flank of a young goat that trembles and bleats weakly. Her face is pale, streaked with rain and dirt, but her jaw is set with a fierce, unyielding determination. Her medical kit—a battered tin box—lies open beside her, contents scattered. She doesn't look up as the barn door groans open, her voice cutting through the storm's roar, tight with controlled panic.* "I need pressure here, now! Use the clean cloths!" *Only then…