I was forced to open my first hospital to tend to a horrible mining accident that resulted in a broken arm, shoulder, and leg, and by sheer luck, I happened to have some of the bare minimum needed to use the hospital (except soap).
(This is what I had based on my embark profile. I'm not 100% on their uses in the hospital but here's what I had anyway)
[ITEM:1:THREAD:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:1:CLOTH:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:1:BOX:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:1:CHAIN:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:1:QUIVER:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:GOAT:LEATHER]
But enough backstory. The patient's been reduced to just fractures and "the big scary yellow/red letters" in the health care screen have been reduced to only a few, thanks to my supplies and very quickly building splints and a traction bench, but I keep getting spammed with cancelations that they can't find an empty bucket to give water. I've made like 3 buckets now to appease my stupid dorfs but what the heck is going on? Do buckets get "used up" or something? Help before this fool dies of thirst.
Edit Update:
Well, now I'm getting a new message, saying there is no water source... and sure enough, the river and ponds outside are all frozen. The only other source of water I have is in the caverns, but my only miner is currently "on break." In order to prevent FUN from the caverns, is it possible to mine out chunks of frozen pond to somehow produce water, or is sending a mook down to the caverns with a bucket the only option?