Dr. Yelkin gave the young lady a kindly smile and patted her small hand reassuringly. His French was excellent, if slow from disuse, and he prepared to answer her questions all in good time.<br/><br/>"Now then, little one, no talking for a moment while I examine you, yes?" he said in French, his eyes twinkling as he gently helped her sit up. With practice fingers, he felt over her scalp to make sure there were no other injuries, and then he gingerly pressed on the bump by her hairline.<br/><br/>"Nikolai, I need a wet cloth to clean the wound with, would you be so kind as to...ah, Baba, there you are, and you have cloths and warm water I see! Why am I not surprised that you would show up at the perfect time, perfectly prepared?" Dr. Yelkin smiled as he spoke in Russian to Baba and Nikolai.<br/><br/>"Well, I figured that you would need someone like me to come and make sure that you men didn't make any mistakes in examining the young lady," Baba replied in swift Russian, deftly and tenderly cleaning the wound on the girl's head. "After all, you men can't be trusted to examine a woman like a woman can, and certainly you dirty old bastards probably get a hard-on from looking at a fine little lady like this, but I'll tell you what, I will bet you ten rubles that this girl is no ordinary peasant. Look at her hands. They're a little red, but that's because they're not used to working. There's a story here, my lads, and don't you doubt it. I bet you haven't even asked her about her story. In fact, I am sure that you haven't even asked her what her name is. Do you know her name? I thought not. See, this is why you need a woman to take care of a woman. Really, you men are hopeless. Svetlana is coming with a dress for the girl, but I'll speak to Alexei about getting some nicer clothes for her. She looks like she's used to silk on that skin. I figure she hasn't even eaten. Well, I'll bring her some soup as soon as we're done here. Shouldn't put too much food in a stomach that has a hurting head. Well, so what are you waiting for? Ask her name, you daft man!"<br/><br/>Dr. Yelkin, like Nikolai, had a dazed, battered look on his face after Baba's tirade. With effort, he collected his thoughts and turned back to the girl, a somewhat sheepish expression on his face. He couldn't bring himself to obey Baba's command immediately - shameful to be ordered about like a woman like that, but he knew she was right.<br/><br/>"This may hurt just a little," he said to the girl. "I apologize, but I must see how badly your head and jaw are injured."<br/><br/>Being as gentle as he could, he probed the bump on her head and pressed around her jaw. He sat back with a satisfied expression.<br/><br/>"Good news," he said. "You only have a mild concussion, and your jaw has been severely bruised, but I do not feel that anything has been broken. You will need to rest for a day or so in order for your head to heal. I will leave you a powder that you can mix with tea for the pain. Just a pinch will suffice every few hours. Your jaw will be sore for some time, but again, the pain powder should help."<br/><br/>He patted her hand again, then cleared his throat nervously as Baba loomed over him, hands on her hips and tapping her foot impatiently.<br/><br/>"Now then, what is your name?" he asked the girl. "How did you come to be on this boat?"