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(Setting): NSFMed at Glitch City [Karte 4]
| >>561655 >>561657
>Alex and Dr. Joga are interrupted during what they thought was going to be a smooth transition into phase 2 of their debauched plan by both CN and the maid voicing their doubts. Looks like Alex might have to spin that tall tale after all-- but not before a very well-honed look of mock confusion crosses over his face.
"Rumors?"
>Dr. Joga has seen this many times before-- it's the face Alex uses when he pretends not to hear what she's just said.
| >>561659
>Dr. Joga mimics his expression as closely as possible, seemingly puzzled as she looks down at the maid.
"... What 'rumors', exactly?"
>Dr. Joga and Alex are both working to turn this back on Entro-shol. She's the one volunteered this information, so as long as they convincingly play dumb she'll be the one who ends up looking like a grade-A lech. This... might throw a monkey wrench in phase two, but it's a sacrifice they're both willing to make.
| >>561659 >>561660
>CN sighs heavily
"Can we just get this started?"
>He says as he goes to lay on the table.
| >>561661
>Alex looks at Dr. Joga and shrugs casually, then turns his attention to helping CN get settled and to calibrating the machine. Dr. Roberts moves the small pile of CN's clothing over to a chair adjacent to the room's door, and Dr. Joga retreats to the observation room with her resident eventually scurrying after her like a lost duckling.
"Alright, during this test I'm gonna need you to lie as still as possible, in order to make sure the images we get are clear."
| >>561662
>He continues, tapping a few times on the machine's touch panel and seeming satisfied with the series of tones that sound once he's finished.
"I may ask you to hold your breath a few times while the machine is running to help reduce any motion artifact that could blur or cover up hairline fractures. If I do this, it won't be for long."
>Alex realizes this might be difficult with a few cracked ribs, and tries to be merciful.
| >>561664 >>561665
"There are a few microphones within the room and the machine itself; as well as a camera overhead to help us watch for any problems. If anything seems wrong during the test, say something--"
>He gestures to where Dr. Joga and Dr. Roberts are now sitting, and as if on cue Dr. Joga pushes the button on her mic and leans in to talk.
"-- We'll hear you, and we'll stop the test right away."
>Alex nods.
| [Surgical Department, On-Call Room]
>Roy nods in agreement. Rocky's right-- there's been more than enough delay in getting Strawberry to the OR.
"The OR I had prepped for us earlier is an operating theatre... Would you be satisfied with watching from above, Rocky?"
>The only procedures Roy doesn't hesitate to allow people who aren't staff or the patient into the OR with are c-sections. This is... not a c-section.
| >>561667
>Alex pushes one more button on the scanner's touch pad, and shuffles off to fill the remaining empty seat in the observation room while CN is moved into the machine. The table stops its adjustments after CN's chest is directly under the lumen of the scanner's "ring"-- leaving his head poking out on one end, and the rest of him exposed from the hips down on the other. There's a click, and Alex gives CN a heads up:
"We're starting now, chummer."
| >>561670
"R-Right..."
>CN does his best to stay still, trying to stay still despite the half naked state
| >>561670
>The scanner's droning hum kicks up a bit as the test commences. All staff watch their screens intently... but, if you were to stand behind them, you'd see that only one of them has the imaging software open-- the other two are viewing the video feed. Alex plays with the camera angle as best he can, then consults with Dr. Joga.
"Well?"
>He raises his eyebrows at whatever's on the screen.
| >>561673
>Thanks to the layed down position you can very much see the geekboy's rumored package, and yes, there is very much a very distinctive shape to the boxer briefs. It seem while rumours tend to exaggerate to a fault this one has a strong foundation to how it started... perverts.
| >>561671
"I want to hear your estimate first, Alex. You're the one who helped him onto the table. You didn't get a sense of it then?"
>Alex snorts and folds his arms across his chest, leaning back in his chair.
"Come on, Isobel, you know that would've been way too obvious. I'm all for instant gratification, but... this requires some finesse."
>He blinks slowly at the monitor in front of him.
">>>Well, Alex?"
| >Entro-Shol stares down the two doctors
>She... huh... doesn't stop looking at them during the scan
>Her eyes are as cold as the glacial wastelands of Antarctica
"..."
| >>561675
>Alex takes a deep breath and puts a hand to his chin, looking pensive. He drums his fingers on his mousepad, and squints at the screen, scrutinizing the feed. The anticipation seems to be killing Dr. Joga, who looks at Alex expectantly whilst on the literal edge of her seat. Finally, he sighs to himself, and nods-- he's found a numerical value he's confident in.
"Two feet."
| >>561677
>There's a split second pause before Dr. Roberts loses himself to a fit of hysterical laughter-- Alex is a master of keeping a straight face in situations where it would be nigh impossible-- like right now. Dr. Joga, on the other hand, seems less than amused.
"Ha ha, Alex. I want your >>>real estimate, please."
>Alex gives her a wicked grin.
"And let the mystery be >>>solved? Isobel,>>>please-- you disappoint me."
| >>561679
>Alex hears CN speak up, and waits until Dr. Roberts regains his composure to reply.
"Easy there, chummer; we need more info before we can make a call on that. I'm gonna have you hold your breath for about 10 seconds now, okay?"
>Alex calls up the imaging display on his screen, and reluctantly Dr. Joga follows suit.
"Go."
>All of the radiology staff seem to hold their breath along with the decker in the CT scanner.
| >>561682
>Apparently everyone in the 'fishbowl' has a different definition of how long a second is, because all of them exhale at different times. Alex is last, and with his breath comes another quip:
"...hhhhhmaybe22.3centimetersss..."
>He wheezes, sending Dr. Roberts over the edge once again. Dr. Joga simply shakes her head and goes back to doing what she's supposed to have been doing this entire time-- her job.
>Well? How bad is it? Does Geeky need to be admitted?
| >>561669
[Surgical Department, On-Call Room]
>While Roy is discussing the game plan for Strawberry's operation with Rocky, Aikawa has picked up the on-call room's phone again and is talking quietly with an unknown person on the other end.
"... Just throw it all in a basin... yeah. Two cold, two hot-- no-- actually, three. Lidocaine patches, uhhh... a spirometer and... that pillow they give people who just had bypass surgery..."
>Sounds like she's making an order?
| >>561676
>The only one who seems to notice the maid is Dr. Roberts, who's already been aware of her presence anyway-- despite how thin she tries to make it. He perceives her cold stare as intense boredom, and attempts to offer some reassurance.
"Don't worry, the test will be drawing to a close soon... I appreciate you not following Mr. CN into the CT scanner."
>He'd be lying if he said that hadn't been a real concern of his.
| >>561683 >>561679
>Dr. Joga begins to perform her 'wet read' of the scan alongside Dr. Roberts-- looking for the kinds of fractures that wouldn't necessarily be visible with an x-ray. She'll be able to see any displaced fractures without a problem; she hopes her resident will be able to do the same, as they're much less difficult to spot. The human ribcage has 24 distinct ribs... How many of CN's are cracked somehow?
| >>561782
>CN seems to have 2 actual fractures near the center of the ribcage, thankfully they seem to have been simple fractures with no small pieces of the bones breaking off somewhere more dangerous such as the lungs. Closer examinations reveals 3 hairline fractures as well around the same area.
| >>561791
another low perception roll for the resident (4); thank Dr. Joga is looking this shit over
>Dr. Roberts reads first... and is basically only able to confirm that CN definitely has ribs in his chest. Maybe 24 of them.
"Um... there seems to be no soft tissue damage and... things look mostly intact...?"
>Dr. Joga gives him a doubtful look.
"You don't sound very confident, Dr. Roberts."
| >>561850
>Dr. Joga takes the wheel, and reviews what she sees with Dr. Roberts.
"Look here. There are non-displaced fractures of the medial 3rd and 4th ribs; more laterally there's some hairline ones. I don't love that these are so close to one another, but I believe these should be okay to treat conservatively. Unless he develops any new symptoms, current recs say he doesn't need any follow up imaging-- just a regular OV."
>Dr. Joga nods to herself.
| >>561852
>Alex anticipates that Dr. Joga is going to end the test, but waits for her instruction to do so. She gestures for him to go ahead, and he lets CN know through the mic that they're done scanning.
"We're all set now. I'm going to come help you out of there, just give me a 'mo."
>From the observation area's phone, Dr. Joga dials the first Ortho MD she can think of for a consult... which happens to be Dr. Edison.
"Good evening, Maxwell."
"...'Bel. What do you need?"
| >The maid takes a step back when the scan ends, going behind CN like a shadow
| >>561869
>Alex and Dr. Roberts move to help CN off of the machine's table while Dr. Joga talks with Dr. Edison. By the time both of them make it out of the tiny glass walled room to the scanner, the table has already gently slid the decker out of the "ring" he was trapped within seconds earlier. Alex helps Geeky sit up on the table's edge while Dr. Roberts retrieves his clothes and presents them to him.
| >>561915 >>561869
>Dr. Roberts delivers the news, as he's the only one of the two licensed to do so. He finds CN's sudden uneasiness over the results of his scan to be interesting-- while they were walking over to Radiology together, it seemed like he couldn't give a shit less.
"Dr. Joga is okaying her read with the orthopedist, but based on what she said, it seems like you'll be able to walk out of here today."
>He smiles, although he doesn't want his hero to leave so soon.
| >>561917
>CN sighs in relief as he gets dressed
"That's good... was worried I wouldnt be able to meet up with the others soon. Thank you for all of your help."
| >>561921
>Alex and Dr. Roberts look very pleased with themselves, and both utter some variation of "it was no problem" or "you're very welcome" as CN puts his jeans back on. Just as the decker becomes decent, Chien enters the suite-- carrying a pink basin laden with what looks like stuff he nicked from the clean utility.
"Um, excuse me... Are... you CN?"
>He adjusts the bucket in his arms, shifting it so he can see Geeky better.
| >>561929
"O-oh, I'm..."
>Chien had figured that the decker might have been able to guess his profession by a glimpse of his scrubs-- but then remembers than not everyone is aware of the color coded parts of the hospital's uniforms.
"I'm one of the nurses from upstairs in the ER. I was told to give this to you."
>Chien carefully offers CN the basin, trying not to let the contents he had arranged so carefully within it spill onto the floor.
| >>561934
>The bucket is chock-full of things meant to aid or ease CN's recovery from his rib fractures-- hot and cold compresses, topical analgesics, a pillow to splint his chest with when he coughs, an odd looking device meant to preserve his lung volume and prevent pneumonia... Wedged in the middle of it all is a written prescription-- it appears that some MDs still order meds the old fashioned way at NSFMed.
| >>561939
>The maid snickers very softly
"If so required, I shall attend to your bedside. You need only ask."
>She eyes CN with a small grin
| >>561939
"W-Woah this is a lot! Uh... I do appreciate the gesture everyone but how much is all this stuff?"
>>561941
"I'm fine... thanks."
| >>561942
>Chien holds up a hand to politely wave away CN's concerns, while Alex and Dr. Roberts seem confused at the mention of the word "everyone" in reference to the basin.
"Not expensive, and not something to worry about. We usually try to make sure our patients are adequately prepared for discharge anyway-- the person behind this just wanted to go the extra mile, I guess...?"
>He shrugs, and looks upward-- as if he was turning towards whomever he's talking about.
| >>561943
>He looks up, sort of getting the meaning
"Well thank you again, I'll be sure to put it all to good use. Uh... theres something I wanted to ask before I forget. Have any of those injured PMC members been admitted into this place by any chance?"
| >>561951
"Oh!"
>Chien nods vigorously-- it feels like the majority of the bays in their ER are home to soldiers right now. He's actually hoping that some of them will be turfed to inpatient so that things'll be a little less backed up down there.
"Yeah, several. Why do you ask?"
>Chien shifts his weight back and forth between his feet, trying to keep himself awake. On nights like these if he sits still for even a second, he'll feel his eyelids get heavy.
| >>561953
>Chien's movement comes to a stop as he thinks over this request. He's conflicted-- a lot of those patients could barely handle having sitters in the room. If he's a familiar face, though...
"... Is there anyone specific you're looking for? GC's hero or not, I can't just let you walk into random patient's rooms."
>He wonders if just saying 'no' would actually stop CN. A little birdie told him this decker hacks hospital databases.
| >>561954
"None in particular... but were not really strangers or anything."
>CN scrathes the side of his face, clearly not saying the full story
| >>561955
>Chien folds his arms across his chest and shakes his head. He's sticking to his guns on this one.
"Sorry, but... I really can't go on that alone. Most of those patients aren't fit to have visitors right now as it is."
>He doesn't seem to be aware of the fact that Roy and Aikawa just let Rocky, CN and (inadvertently) Entro-shol into the hospital based on good faith alone. Even if he was though, it's unlikely his stance would change much.
| >>561957
>The nurse finds it odd that CN didn't push any further, but doesn't question this-- the last thing he needs is to invite conflict.
"If any of them mention you or mention wanting to meet with you, you'll be the first to know."
>Chien pulls a grimace and looks downward, spirits falling a little.
"... We don't even really know what happened to them, yet. Just that they're terrified beyond all reason."
| >>561958
"Mmm... well given my experience in this city, if it's something that can freak out an entire PMC, it's probably better not knowing about. Could be some corp secret weapon or something."
| >>561965
"Hence you wanting to visit?"
>Chien raises an eyebrow at the end of CN's statement before sighing to himself. You said you'd stop giving the guy a hard time-- let it be, already.
"... Want me to show you over to the pharmacy so you can have that filled?"
>He points to the script sticking out of the middle of the basin.
"You'll end up with pneumonia if we don't make it comfortable for you to take deep breaths."
| >>562060
"Just saying I've seen a lot of innocent people get hurt for no reason, hence why I make it my job to expose corps for others, but I digress, I'm not trying to convince you, just saying to be careful. Let's go to the pharmacy."
| >>562078
>'Innocent people being hurt for no reason' is also something that Chien deals with on a day-to-day basis, so he can at least sympathize with CN in that respect. He nods briskly, now internally waffling over whether or not it was right to put his foot down about CN stopping by the ward.
"Follow me; it's up by the UC entrance."
>Urgent care, radiology, pharmacy, and the ER are fortunately quite close to one another-- this is probably on purpose. It's a short walk to each.
| >>562083
>The nurse and the decker arrive at pharmacy, which takes the form of... what appears to be a large automated kiosk. You scan your ID or script, verify with a staff member or with a preset PIN that you are who you say you are, and leave. There is a window next to this that you can see one or two staff through-- presumably they're there in case of any issues.
"You go ahead and get started with this... I'll be right back."
>Chien heads off towards the ER.
| >>562086
"Oh, sure."
>He approaches the kiosk and scans the prescription
"Didnt think these things were automated nowadays..."
| >>562114
>As you remove the prescription from the bucket to hold up to the scanner, you notice that there's something taped to the back of it-- causing the paper to warp a bit and resulting in an "error, please re-scan" message when you try to run the QR code under the laser. Even if these kiosks are supposed to expedite things, they can still be really finicky at times.
| >>562121
>It's a packet containing a pair of foam earplugs-- looks like it was pulled directly from one of those 'courtesy packages' that the hospital offers patients to help them get some rest in this setting of unfamiliar lights and sounds. The packet has something scribbled on it in smudged permanent marker; you can just make out that it's supposed to say "Get better."
"Please re-scan."
>The kiosk prompts you to resume the transaction you started.
| >>562123
>This time there's a satisfying 'beep' as the scanner registers the prescription. On the screen, it displays the script as it's entered in the EMR-- another safety feature to ensure everyone's getting exactly what the doctor ordered.
"TRAMADOL (ULTRAM) 50 mg tablets: take one tablet by mouth every 4 hours as needed." Is this correct? Y/N"
>It's difficult to tell, but you think whatever's scrawled on here matches what's on the screen.
| >>562126
>The machine stalls for a minute as it runs through a review of the slapdash patient profile Radiology put together for CN before he went down to CT. A loading wheel spins on the screen for a few seconds, then disappears.
"Please wait for a moment while we prepare your prescription."
>Apparently tramadol isn't on narcotic count at this hospital-- maybe that's why so many people want to get their hip and knee replacements done here...
| >>562127
"Hmm... this reminds me I need to restock my medkit later..."
>CN mumbles to himself as he waits for the prescription.
| >>562129
>There is a mechanical whirring from the kiosk as something hidden within it spins. The loading wheel appears again, and the phrase "Please wait... Preparing prescription..." scrolls across the middle of the screen. You hear a rattling, and the sound of something dropping off a conveyor belt-- hitting the area from which the meds are dispensed with a tinny sounding "thud". The door opens automatically for CN to retrieve his brand new bottle of painkillers.
| >>562134
>As the clear plastic door slides open, an informational pamphlet is produced from a neighboring slot on the kiosk, detailing all of the do's and don'ts about taking tramadol.
"You get it okay?"
>Chien has returned, and has Ella following behind him. The charge nurse rubs one of her temples and sighs deeply-- all she wants is to go home and get into bed right now. Her body is simply too old to handle these 16 hour shifts anymore.
| >>562139
"... Wait."
>Ella holds up a hand, requesting that CN hold up a second before taking off.
"Young Chien here tells me that you were looking to visit some of our patients in the Emergency ward. Is that true?"
>She cocks her head to the side and places a hand on her hip, waiting for an answer-- then notices the maid (if she's present; I'm assuming she's still sticking to Geeky like glue).
"Is that little one coming along with you?"
| >>562140
"Yes if possible, I know it would be asking a lot."
>CN looks back at the maid
"Er... I want to say no but she doesnt really listen to me so yes."
| >>562155
"Of course, my presence is non-negotiable."
>The maid, silent until now, chimes in
"Do not be wary, I know how to make myself scarce."
| >>562155 >>562157
>Ella is quiet, thinking to herself about whether or not a compromise can be made here. As a nurse, she has a duty to do no harm to her patients... but she's also supposed to encourage wellness in and out of the hospital.
"... Those soldiers that are able to understand me, I'll ask if they're okay with having a visitor-- but I need to be able to tell them who you are and why you're here. Otherwise, it's not informed consent."
>Seems reasonable.
| >>562165
"That's completely understandable. I just want to ask them a few questions about their last client and the job they were hired for. Simple as that."
| >>562167
>Ella laces her fingers together and rubs her thumbs up against each other. The more of this that's disclosed, the more dicey a decision this seems to be. Sure, CN finds this to be "simple," but that's a matter of perspective.
"Fine."
>>562157
>She looks back down at the maid.
"I appreciate you not wanting to get underfoot, but unless the patients say it's okay for you to come in the room, too, you're staying in the hallway."
| >>562169
>Chien looks at Ella, wondering just how much she's going to let this slide.
"Sure. Let's head over to the ward."
>She doesn't quite have that icy and severe tone she reserves for those she's suspicious of or those whose asses she intends to kick; but Chien can tell that she's definitely a little on edge. If Ella wasn't so tight with the DON, this likely wouldn't be happening.
"If any of them get distressed; you need to go, okay?"
| >>562170
"I understand, the last thing I want to do is make any of your jobs harder than it needs to be."
| >>562171
>Ella nods. Geekboy sure does talk a good talk. She turns around and beckons to decker and his recently appointed familiar and motions for them to follow her. Chien dashes on ahead of them, having left his patient assignment unattended for longer than he'd like.
"There's 4 or 5 here with us. Some seem to be in better shape than others."
>She gives CN a very informal shift report as they walk slowly towards the unit's doors, careful not to say too much.
| >>562173
>Ella raises an eyebrow, looking at CN questioningly. She parrots Chien's question from earlier, hoping that her authority will net her a little more information about the purpose of this visit.
"Is... there a specific patient you're looking to see?"
>They pass through the ward's doors, and are greeted by a cacophony of monitors beeping, call lights going off, hurried footsteps, and voices of all tones.
| >>562179
>Ella stops at the unit's nurse's station and reads the assignment chart, squinting at the relevant lab work and vital signs written in messy shorthand that staff have been throwing up next to the patient's names.
"... Let's go to Bay 2. I was sitting with the young man in there, so at least my face is a familiar one to him."
>Two rooms away from the unit entrance lies Bay 2. Ella stops at the door, and asks CN and the maid to wait for her outside.
| >>562188
>Ella steps quietly into the room and gently announces her arrival to her patient.
"I'm back... I have a young man who would like to visit with you, sir. His name is CN, and he'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened before you came to the hospital. Do you wanna see him?"
>She's still not too clear on what's going to happen with the maid, but figures she'll work that out if the soldier accepts.
| >>562190
"See... en?" >The mercenary responds, their voice wretched, delirious.
"I don't... I don't see enn..."
| >>562375
>Ella internally scolds herself for not making her wording exceedingly clear-- she decides to try phrasing things a little differently, but doesn't intend to push further than that.
"Geekboy. Geekboy wants to talk with you."
>Maybe that will ring a bell? While she waits to see if it registers, she thinks over who option two might be if this falls through. Maybe the tearful soldier...?
| >>562376
"Geekboy...?" >Confusion registers on his face.
"Geekboy? The Geekboy!?!?" >He says, his voice rising.
| >>562385
>Ella quickly takes a seat next to the soldier and gently places a hand on one of his, trying to bring him down a bit if possible. People tend to mirror others when in a state like this, so she's not sure if she's somehow giving off weird anxious vibes that her patient is picking up on.
"Yes, the Dynamof--"
>Ella may have an awful mouth on her while in the nurse's station, but swearing in front of patients makes her embarrassed.
"--the Dynamofucks guy."
| >>562389
"Dynamo- dy-" >The man freezes in place- you feel his hand grow clammy and cold almost immediately.
"Dy-Die-DAINAHMOFUACKS!?" >The soldier yells, beginning to thrash in the bed. Despite his grievous injuries, he attempts to push himself out- he pulls violently at the various equipment attached to him.
"GET AWAY! GET AWAAY!" >He screams,
"DEMONS! HE HE HAS DEMONS! MONSTERS DAMNIT! DEMONS!"
| >>562394
>Ella hopes that the decker out in the hall can hear the commotion within the bay, and that it might dissuade him from making her upset yet another patient to this degree. The charge nurse quickly disconnects any equipment from her patient that he could hurt himself by pulling at, and draws the curtain around the two of them.
"He's gone, he's gone now, he's not coming back here..."
>She repeats in an even tone while shaking her head, trying to catch the soldier's eye.
| >>562397
"They'll kill me!" >He shakes violently, grabbing your arms and shoulders- his eyes dilate wildly as an obscene fear grips him,
"THEY ATE THEM! YOU HEAR ME!?" "THEY'LL EAT ME! HE'LL EAT MEEEEEE!"
| "..."
>CN frowns, stepping away from the ward
"*Sigh* I didn't think they would be this bad after the incident in the blackout.."
| >>562399
>While a younger nurse may have turned tail and fled, this is not Ella's first rodeo. She places her hands on her patient's shoulders, grip not hard enough to restrain him, but firm enough to try 'hold him together.'
"I hear you, I hear you sir."
>Don't argue. Just speak truth.
"You're safe here; you're in a hospital, you're safe here; we won't let him."
>Ella hates to see people in the ER filled with such despair. Even after all these years, it rips her apart inside.
| >>562401
"Kill him! Kill him!" >He whimpers, breaking down,
"Kill him before he- and- and those THINGS... kill us all..."
>He stops shivering and looks up at you, face tear stained-
"He- he's here!?" >He says,
"No- nononono he brought them, HE BROUGHT THEM! We're dead, we're ALL DEAD, do you HEAR ME!? WE'RE ALL DEADDD!" >The man shoves at you violently, trying to get away, and out of the bed!
| >>562401 >>562402
>Chien notices the telemetry monitor at the nurse's station displaying a series of flashing question marks where Bay 2's data should be, then hears shouting coming from the same room. He stops just short of vaulting over the desk to get to the patient's room, and stops at the doorway-- which CN seems to be intent on getting away from.
"Everything okay in there?!"
>Ella glances over her shoulder, speaking towards the curtain.
"Chien? I need some Ativan!!"
| >>562406
>The nurse hurries to the Pyxis--which is mercifully not too far away-- while Ella tries to keep the patient in his bed. Her balance and strength are not what they used to be, and probably not enough to compete with the sheer power of fear associated endorphins for very long.
"We're going to help you, you're safe, he's gone--"
>She makes a mental note not to bend the rules for a while after tonight. Holy shit.
| >>562408
>Chien comes sprinting back into the room with a Carpuject. He tears aside the curtain, and circles around to the side of the bed opposite the one Ella is on.
"I brought Haldol-- I knew you'd think twice on the Ativan!"
>Brownie points for Chien!
"Great, just... give it without stabbing me in the hand!!"
>Ella puts all of her strength into holding the patient steady while Chien swipes his deltoid real quick to prepare for the injection. Can she hold him?
| >CN just looking incredibly guilty in the hall, questions on whether he should just leave at this point.
| >>562410
>You slip as you attempt to hold down the hyped up, obscenely fearful man, when he breaks out of your grip! With traumatic amounts of force, he launches out of the bed and makea a break for the door!
| >>562416
>Ella cries out in alarm as she's thrown to the floor with a loud 'thud,' leaving Chien utterly stunned and at a loss as to how to react. His gaze frantically shifts between his charge nurse and the escaping soldier, and somehow he manages to unfreeze himself enough to scream to anyone listening:
"I NEED HELP IN HERE!!"
>He stumbles over to Ella, who is struggling to pull herself up to her feet. She can barely turn over where she's sprawled out on the tile.
| >>562419
>Marcille is almost knocked over by the panicked soldier as she tries to enter the room and assist Chien-- he rushes past her with little to no resistance from the aide. When she sees Ella on the ground and the pallor taking hold of Chein's face, she turns and hollers towards the nurse's station:
"Call a rapid response in Bay 2, and get security out here!!"
>You can hear Marcille's words parroted throughout the hall as someone makes the overhead page.
| >>562422
[Surgical Department, On-Call Room]
>The rapid response page is audible in any area with an overhead speaker, which includes the hospital's on-call rooms. Aikawa looks at Roy as the message is repeated a few times, and he nods to her. Even though she's not supposed to be back on duty for a few days, it'd feel wrong just to sit and let everyone else handle it.
"Catch you guys later, at OR 3."
>She waves goodbye with an informal salute, and takes off down the corridor.
| >The soldier stumbles about outside the room, his bleary eyes scanning for the nearest exit... only to fall on...
>...the Geekboy.
"...YOU!" >He yells!
| >>562435
>CN jumps back in surprise, seeing the PMC patient out of his bed
"H-Hey, let's calm down. I didnt come here to hurt you, I just wanted to ask you about VitaLife and why they hired you."
| >>562435
>The maid approaches the man, positioning herself behind him
>Her face is completely blank
| >>562436 >>562435 >>562437
>The sturdy looking lilim security officer who was previously patrolling the lobby rushes through the doors of the ward to see the soldier rapidly drawing closer to CN. At the same time, Jade leaves her post as a sitter with the tearful soldier, and steps out into the part of the hall behind the patient. She walks towards the area of conflict slowly, looking to contain things as much as possible.
| >>562443
>Jade continues to creep closer, intermittently locking eyes with the officer standing by CN-- who is now beginning to step in front of the decker to act as a sentient barricade.
"What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?"
>He holds his arms out in sort of a questioning gesture, palms open and turned towards the patient so he can see that the officer isn't hiding anything in his hands. Jade moves another few inches forward, trying to stay under the soldier's radar.
| >>562422
>Tears are streaming down Ella's face as she tries again and again to stand so she can chase down her patient. Chien and Marcille both have to move to keep her still, as neither know what's got her basically incapacitated right now. Chien notes that she's not moving her right leg at all, and that now it's... shorter than her left, which definitely wasn't the case before. He calls out to the incoming rapid team:
"I think her hip is broken!!"
| >>562436 >>562437 >>562443 >>562444
>The soldier barely even notices the security staffer, his jaw working maniacally as he he points at the Geekboy.
"HIM! HE DID THIS! HE DID EVERYTHING!" >He yells down the hall, his voice growing hoarse!
| >>562490
>The maid kicks the man behind his knees. Hard.
>If he collapses to his knees, she puts him in a choke-hold and begins choking him until he passes out
| >>562500
>The man collapses and you begin to choke the shit out of the soldier. His hands grab onto your head, looking for footholds to latch onto- his thumbs go for your eyes!
| >>562502
>The maid does not care, even as his fingers jam straight into her eyes
"Listen to my voice. I'm not going to harm you... just answer a few questions."
>Her voice is soft and calming, somehow, one would feel that her words are pure, and that she deserves their trust
>It's as if it were an hypnotic chant
| >>562500 >>562502 >>562503
"Hey, >>>stop-- he didn't do anything other than yell!!"
>The officer standing by CN immediately drops to his knees, and starts trying to pry the maid's hands from the soldier's neck. While glancing over the patient's shoulder towards his partner, he catches sight of Entro-shol's face, and his expression goes from one of confusion to one of anger and determination.
"I SAID, STOP!!"
| >>562503 >>562579
>At the same time, Jade quickly kneels behind the maid and boxes her ears in an attempt to startle her and get her to loosen her grip. The officer opposite her turns to CN:
"Call her off of him; for the love of christ, he's a >>>patient!!"
>Could this be what he'd meant by Geeky having demons at his disposal? It's certainly fitting right now...
| >>562586
>It's just around this time Aikawa bursts into the hall from a stairwell entrance, hurriedly trying to reorient herself within the ward so she can find her way to the rapid response. When her eyes land upon Bay 2, she can't help but notice the clamor outside of the room in addition to the din coming from within it. Her eyes are drawn to the maid, whom she assumes is not up to any good.
"GET THE FUCK OFF OF HIM!!"
>She bellows, marching over to help Jade.
| >>562503
"What are you doing!? Stop!"
>CN yells
"Just let the staff take it from here, the guy has suffered enough!"
| >>562598
>>562589 >>562586 >>562579
>The maid shows no reaction, and instead smiles a little
>She loosens her grip on the man, transitioning into a tight hug
"Are you alright? No one here wants to harm you."
>She keeps murmuring
"What happened? I'm sure you'll feel better if you talk to me about it."
| >>562638
>As the maid shifts her grasp on the man a little, Jade removes her hands from either side of Entro-shol's head and attempts to lift her up and away from the soldier by the armpits. Entro-shol might not realize it, but she's putting herself in a lot of danger-- this patient could turn on her at the drop of a dime-- as if things aren't ugly enough.
"Please let him go, little miss, right now!!"
| >>562695
>Aikawa stomps closer, only to be stopped by the officer who's trying to shield Geeky from harm. He's stood back up since the maid decided to try killing the soldier with kindness, rather than by strangulation.
"Miss Aikawa, please, we're handling this."
>He throws an arm out to his side in an effort to keep her from going any further, managing to thump her chest lightly. She frowns, and pushes his arm away as she walks into Bay 2.
"Great. Have fun with her, Lonnie."
| >>562700
>Aikawa steps inside to join about a dozen other people who have come running into Bay 2 since Marcille sounded the alarm, and is dismayed when she sees Ella surrounded by staff trying to splint her leg and transfer her onto a stretcher without further aggravating her injury. She wants to ask Chien what happened, but he's busy filling in one of the MDs and she doesn't want to interrupt.
| >>562695
>The small maid is inhumanly heavy, like a lump of solid iron
>She shifts her hug to a front one, pressing the man's face into her bosom
"It's okay... listen to my voice. No one will harm you... it's all just a bad dream, dear."
>She begins patting his head
>Her entire being seems to ooze kindness... all who see her can feel an urge to let themselves be taken care of and trust the small maid unconditionally
| >>562703
>Jade loses hold of the maid, and watches her swing around to embrace the patient while facing him. She feels herself succumbing to Entro-shol's welcoming aura, and stares blankly as the maid murmurs and coos at the soldier, seemingly having had a change of heart. Lonnie, however, doesn't buy this act-- and he's feeling a bit humiliated at having his willingness to help out and put a smile on visitors' faces abused by this little faker.
| >>562705
>Convinced that she's going to try and smother him in her chest somehow (he's been here long enough to see some extraordinary shit), he attempts to separate them again with as little force as is necessary.
"I >>>asked you to>>>stop. This man is sick. He needs to rest, and you're interfering with his recovery."
>He places a large hand on the maid's shoulder as a form of warning.
"Let him go."
| >>562707
>The maid is unmoving
"It was terrible, wasn't it? Shh... it's okay now, just let my words guide you... please relax. No one will harm you."
>Tears are streaming dowb her eyes, along with blood
"..."
>She keeps patting and lulling the man, trying to put him to sleep
| >>562719
"..."
>CN just stands dumbfounded, not sure what to even do at this point at the risk of making the patient freak out again.
| >You hear a scream from behind- one of the soldiers with the least injuries who was wiping his face had exited his room and stares dumbfounded at the chaos.
"GET AWAY FROM SARGE YOU FREAKS!" >He yells!
| >The crazed soldier snaps out of the reverie from the maid's hypnosis and grabs her by the clothes! With a great heave, he attempts to throw at her at a wall!
| >>562719
>Lonnie leans in towards Entro-shol more, the fact that she's now crying fucking blood causing him to double his efforts to get her away from this patient. She's right-- what he witnessed was likely undoubtedly terrible, but her sanguine tears are probably just going to make the soldier flip his lid even harder.
"Entropy--"
>>562735
>Lonnie looks on, appalled as the patient hoists the maid out of his grip and into the air, and scrambles back to his feet to catch her.
| >>562734
>Jade jerks her head towards the opposite leg of the ward to see the tearful soldier staggering out of his room. She locks up, frantically trying to piece out the best way to end all of this with the least amount of violence or show of force. Possibilities upon possibilities upon possibilities...
"...!!!"
>Suddenly, Jade grabs one of CN's arms and yanks him towards the stairwell Aikawa came from. If we remove the inciting factor, then maybe...
| >>562735
"Just calm down will you!"
>CN says, narrowly avoiding from yelling, fearing that he will agitate the soldier more
| >>562737 >>562738
"Calm down!? CALM DOWN!!?" >The tearful soldier grabs a nearby crash cart and slides it violently toward your direction!
"Y-you popped people's heads! You brought the fire! YOU did THIS!"
| >>562741
"I didn't do drek! You're the ones who attack my h-"
>He gets cut off as he gets dragged off.
| >>562741
>Jade turns her head in time to notice the code cart rolling quickly down the hall towards her, but not in time to be able to avoid it. The cart hits her right in the solar plexus and leaves her stumbling backwards into CN, her hand still firmly locked around his forearm. She loses her balance and falls to the ground-- does she take CN with her?
| >>562744
>Unfortunately, you do- the man blinks, as if he didn't expect that to happen just as well as it did.
>He goes to the nurses station and scatters the contents of the top of the desk as he looks for some kind of weapon. He grips a pen menacingly in both hands!
| >>562735
>The maid does not budge, and switches her efforts to keeping the man down
"FOR THE LOVE OF MISTRESS, GET YOUR ASS OUT OF HERE, CN! OR IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF SHOCK THERAPY!?"
>She sighs, her voice goes back to an emotionless tone
"Get these man sedated, stat, or do you plan on sitting around uselessly like idiots? And you, please listen."
>She then whispers to the man
"We'll get the geek out of here, his kids aren't here either. I can hear you all out, might even help."
| >>562744
>Surprised by the sudden shift in momentum, CN stumbles over as well, falling under Jade, causing the air in his lungs to escape from the pain of his ribs.
| >>562746 >>562748
>Jade gives a startled yelp as she tumbles on top of Geeky, clutching her stomach with her free hand. That's going to leave a mark, for sure...
"Jade!! Are you okay?!"
>Lonnie calls out to his partner, then notices that the tearful soldier has taken advantage of this brief opportunity to arm himself with writing implements. The pen is mightier than the sword, huh...? A couple of nurses emerge from the break room to see what's going on.
| >>562702
>The rapid response more or less over now that Ella is off the floor and well-medicated for pain, Aikawa debates with herself about whether going back out into the hall would be a good idea at this point. She's just about set her mind on laying low within Bay 2 for a while when she hears the sound of the code cart colliding with Jade and CN, followed by Lonnie's concerned call. She pokes her head out the doorway cautiously.
| >>562749
>Jade whimpers as she tries to turn onto her hands and knees so she can get off the floor and help CN onto his feet. She's unfortunately not aware of the broken ribs, and so her handling of the Geekboy is not as gentle as would be ideal-- she's more focused on getting him into that stairwell quickly rather than comfortably.
>>562746
>Lonnie scraps pursuing the maid and instead focuses on keeping the tearful soldier from giving CN and Jade a lethal case of ink poisoning.
| >>562746 >>562747 >>562749
>As soon as she gets a glimpse of the chaos, Aikawa darts back into the bay and presses herself into the wall, starting to break out in a cold sweat. How could they let two of them get out?? This is a disaster. She hears the maid holler to CN, and then start to speak condescendingly to the surrounding staff. That fire that burned in the pit of her stomach earlier sparks back to life... and then, she spots the unused carpuject full of Haldol on the table.
| >>562747
"GEROFF ME!" >The crazed sergeant says, struggling with your immense weight.
>>562753 >>562760
>The tearful soldier raises the pens menacingly, but then hesitates, looking between his superior struggling with the maid loli and the nurse trying to get CN out of the area...
| >>562953 >>562962
>Jade manages to get back on her feet, and gives the code cart the mightiest shove she can to get it out of the way of the stairwell door. Taking advantage of the tearful soldier's momentary pause, she pushes CN forward, urging him to get off his soapbox and exit stage left before things get any worse. At the same time, Lonnie walks towards the patient, his hands out in front of him slightly.
"Please put those down... Once he leaves, she'll leave sarge alone."
| >>562917
>Aikawa snatches the carpuject from the side table and primes the needle, watching carefully as a bead of medication forms at the tip. Do they pediatric dose for this stuff? Does that apply to her? Better to go low and slow-- she just wants to make the maid less volatile, not vegetative. If the offending stimuli are removed... but, how to get there and catch her with her guard down? She's preoccupied with the soldier, but that doesn't mean she's not paying attention...
| [Surgical Department, OR 3]
>Roy and company wait outside the overhead window to the operating theatre while Strawberry is prepped for surgery in a neighboring room. He surveys the OR's layout from above-- looks like whomever set everything up got it all just right-- which is good, because Roy is notoriously picky about the instruments he uses and where they're placed.
"Rocky... we'd prefer you watch from up here, if you're at all open to that."
>He hopes she is.
| >>562953
>The maid doesn't move an inch
"My goodness, please calm down."
>She states, deadpan... her eyes are still bleeding
| >>562988
>Chien, having finished speaking with the MD, notices Aikawa hovering anxiously by the doorway with the injector clutched in her hand.
"Aikawa, what are you doing?"
>She answers Chien, but doesn't take her eyes off the action in the hallway.
"What made the guy out front flip the fuck out so hard?"
"... Ella told him Geekboy wanted to talk, and it... snowballed from there."
"He wanted to talk to these guys, and Ella said >>>yes?"
| >>563100
>Chien nods mutely as the guilt over even mentioning CN being here to Ella starts to gnaw at his insides.
"Christ."
>Aikawa's gaze shifts back and forth between both soldiers, and once or twice over to the catalyst of this explosive chain reaction who's currently fleeing towards the stairwell.
"You didn't tell me what you were doing, 'Kawa."
>She scowls at Chien, evidently not a fan of this nickname.
"Doing math. Call me that again, and this is going in >>>your arm."
| >>563106
>There are too many variables at play here. Aikawa bites her lip as she tries to incorporate them all into some half-baked plan she's drawing up.
"Wait... you're not planning on >>>using that, are you?"
>Chien's eyes are wide as he starts to realize the paramedic is contemplating doing something very risky.
"You just got discharged a week ago!! That guy broke Ella's hip, you can't--"
"Shut up."
>She taps the covered needle against her palm as she thinks.
| >>563107
>Stick the maid, and we've still got two angry soldiers. Stick the guy directly outside, and we've got one angry soldier and a maid who'll probably jet once the one that's been needled drops. If the guy with the pens bolts, can Lonnie hold him...? The injector taps faster against her palm, her nervous energy rising.
"Aikawa--"
"Shut up!!"
>Thinking about it too much is making her falter. She just needs to act, that's all. She just needs to act.
| >>563111
>Aikawa is surprised that CN has been listening, given that he's supposed to be focused on getting the fuck into that stairwell.
"Wrong. Letting you do this would get me shitcanned."
>Aikawa inhales deeply as the muscles in her body tense. Unable to pinch and remove the needle's cap due to the injured fingers on her right hand, she takes it between her teeth instead and pops it off that way instead.
"All we needed you to do was get her to let him go!"
| >>563113
"Why do you think the maid is going to listen to me? I just met her today, did you forget?"
| >>563114 >>563113
>Aikawa will admit, however, that the thought of Geeky somehow holding himself accountable for the progressive calamity he's causing is an attractive one. She does her best to ignore his response, but can't help but biting back:
"She's 'protecting' >>>you, and>>>you're the one who's been letting her stick to you like a fucking lamprey!"
>Their bickering gets Lonnie's attention for a split second, which gives Aikawa an idea.
| >>563116
"Ugh... I dont think shell listen to me but I have an idea."
>He turns towards the maid
"Entro I'm leaving, it's up to you if you want to keep hugging the guy or continue stalking me."
>CN moves to leave
| >>563116
>She takes a few steps back, and gets low to the ground. Shaking her head, she readies herself as much as possible and then launches herself forward, sprinting towards the tearful soldier. A few feet away from the doorway of Bay 2, she hollers to the security officer standing in front of the patient:
"LONNIE, GRAB HIM!!"
>Lonnie attempts to do just that as Aikawa slides on her heel and tries to jam the auto-injector full of anti psychotics into the soldier's thigh.
| >>563123
>The maid seems uncaring
"Then I shall rejoin you once this matter is settled. For the love of the gods! Please deal with these two quickly, or is the security here so incompetent that I have to do it myself?"
| >>563126 >>563123
>Jade pushes CN harder, frustrated by his apparent reluctance to leave the ward.
"Don't do it yourself!!"
>She cries to Entro-shol, arm still wrapped around her abdomen. The willowy lilim can't seem to stand up straight without wincing terribly. Her lower lip trembles.
"I don't want another cart thrown at me!!!"
| >>563129
[ER Stairwell, Floor 1]
>The door slams behind CN as he's moved into the stairwell, and the noise echoes up the many flights above him. There is muffled shouting heard from beyond the door back on the unit, and through the door's window CN can see Jade repeatedly motioning for him to go upstairs.
>Does he? How far does he go? There are 5 flights of stairs.
| >>563136
>It takes Jade a moment to understand what CN is asking, the door hindering her ability to hear his words. Once the message clicks, she thinks for a second, and flashes a 4-fingered wave before ducking away behind the cart.
| >>563139
>The stairs are rather steep, and you trip up a few of them as you travel. 1, 2, 3... 4. Do you look through the window before you open the door and walk into... whatever unit this is Jade pointed you towards? Or, do you just march on forward?
| >>563125
>(15) Success!
>You manage to execute a sliding tranquilizer maneuver on the tearful soldier, who is too stupefied by what just occurred to react! He drops the pens!
| >>563305
>Aikawa ends up falling out of the slide and rolling over onto her side a few times before she comes to a complete stop. Having just wiped the floor with... herself, she makes a mental note to fucking burn these clothes and the trillions of organisms now living on them as soon as she gets home. From the ground, she calls out to Lonnie again:
"Move him back into the room!"
>Lonnie nods and tries to sidestep with the patient back to his bed.
| >>563311
>You feel the man's muscles relax as the drug takes effect- he's still too dumbfounded to offer any real resistance.
| >>563311
>Aikawa picks herself up of the ground with some difficulty, and ducks behind the nurse's station while she tries to think of how to handle Sarge and/or the maid. She's re-thought the whole "sedating non-patients" thing-- that's just as likely to get her axed as handing Geeky the needle would have earlier. Maybe Haldol would benefit him as well... She makes for the medication room, quickly keying in the code.
| >>563311
>The small maid keeps the hugging the other soldier tightly, keeping him immobilized
"Finally... sheesh."
>Her face shows an honest look of relief for a second, before returning to a deadpan glare
| >>563316
Once in the med room, Aikawa presses her back to the door and gasps deeply for air, trying to come out of the shaking adrenaline high that still has her in it's clutches. It worked! It actually worked! She forces a sigh to slow her breathing.
"Not over yet, though..."
>She murmurs to herself as she approaches the medication dispensing unit. Hopefully her override access hasn't been suspended in her absence... She keys in something.
"Ah, fuck."
>Looks like it has been.
| >>563415
>She's at least able to access the patient's profile and his already ordered meds. Haldol is... absent from this list. Looks like Chien was operating under the "dose first, order later" protocol, which is... ironically, also what Aikawa did. She scrolls through it again and again, biting her lip as she does so. This wouldn't have happened if she'd have just gotten off of his back...
"Not your fucking water boy, christ..."
| >>563314
>Meanwhile, Lonnie "waltzes" the patient back to his gurney; gently helping him into the bed and putting up a few of the side rails to deter any future escape attempts. If it's only 3/4 rails up, it's technically not restraint... Once the man is secure, Lonnie pulls up a chair and sits by his bedside. Clearly, this one needs to be watched for a while.
| >>563418
>Aikawa taps something on the machine's screen to pick her poison, and one of the units drawers pops open for her to retrieve a vial. Lorazepam: what Ella had originally called for that Chien thought she wouldn't want. He was probably right-- lorazepam can put you in respiratory arrest, but Haldol doesn't carry that risk-- an effective and safe choice for quick and dirty sedation. Still, it's not like she'd give enough to do him in...
| >Ella is removed from Bay 2 and taken over to the neighboring wing, now that the hall is clear of hysterical pen-weilding men. The bed of the soldier who was previously roomed there appears untouched, ready for him to reoccupy it as soon as the maid ceases squeezing him.
>>563421
>Aikawa exits the med room and heads towards the pair, brand new carpuject in hand. She stares daggers into the maid before unsheathing the needle on the injector, and shakes her head.
| >>562953 >>563393 >>563424
"Sargeant..."
>Aikawa tries to straighten up a tad-- not enough to constitute "being at attention," but definitely different from her usual slouch. She grimaces, then gives a surprisingly crisp salute.
"... I'm sorry."
>She proceeds to inject the sedative into his deltoid-- not enough to put him under, just to mellow him out a lot more. The needle's withdrawn almost as quickly as it was inserted as the medication makes its way into the patient's muscle.
| >>563269
[4th floor, ??? Stairwell]
>You peek through the window to see... not a lot of action going on. The nurses on this unit seem to have time to actually sit and do their charting, unlike their coworkers in the ER. There's one patient in a johnnie who seems to be doing laps around the unit while he wheels his IV pole along beside him, bags of fluids hanging from it like branches of a tree overladen with fruit.
| >>563430
[Oncology Department, Wing 4-A (HEM/BMT)]
>The man with the IV pole gives CN a confused look, but this is short lived as he decides to continue his stroll rather than bother with the man who just emerged from the stairwell. Probably just another family member who thinks they know the place well enough to cut through whatever staff entrances and hallways they like. CN can see multiple tubes climbing from the man's chest like vines as he walks away.
| >The maid lets go of the soldier and staggers away before falling to her knees again
"What the fuck took you so long..."
>Her eyeballs are now a mess of blood and other fluids
"Fucking hell..."
>She stands back up, only to run into a wall, which she begins following towards the staircase
"Good gods... If I wasn't so kind, I'd sue every last one of you for letting a patient assault me."
| >>563445 >>563452
>Aikawa gets ready to support him should he become dystonic and go limp on her-- though she was more worried about that with the Haldol than with this stuff. She slings one of his arms around her shoulders, and begins to slowly walk him back towards his bed. The sound of Entro-shol running face first into the wall causes her to look over her shoulder, and her expression becomes one of disgust and disappointment.
| >>563452
>She turns back around and shifts her weight so she can better hold the soldier up, but before continuing forward, she responds. If Entro-shol is able to see anything at all right now, she'd notice Aikawa's ears and cheeks growing red.
"... If >>>I wasn't so kind, I wouldn't have pulled you out of the grave you were intent on digging for yourself."
>She takes a step.
"Get the fuck out of my emergency room. Get the Geek; get gone, and don't come around here anymore."
| >>563462
"That was my intention from the start."
>Her face twists into a scowl, similar to how she spread a gentle aura before, you can now feel only anger and hate
"Humans always worry about pride before anything else... I retract the respect I had for you earlier. You are nothing but a small person with a smaller ego."
>The maid spits on the floor and heads back, the hatred tailing after her
| >>563465
>One of the nurses at the nurses station notices CN looking a little lost. She turns to her coworker and says something quietly, then gets out from behind the desk to see what it is he needs.
"Sir, can I help you...? You seem a little bit out of sorts."
>Maybe he's a family member of someone who just got handed a diagnosis? The nurse's eyes brim with sympathy.
| >>563468
>The maids words fall on deaf ears as Aikawa consciously directs her focus towards what she's wanted it to be on since she got here: her fucking job. She bites her tongue, and squares her shoulders again. Let her get the last word in, that's fine. She just needs to make sure everyone's safe... including Ella, whom she now owes a visit.
"Let me help you back into bed, sergeant. Easy does it."
| >The maid reachew the stairs and begins climbing them
>This day was the worst, she was only asked to follow her target, but once again, everything went to shit
>Her blood is boiling, and soon enough, anyone who got close to her would feel this rage as their own and be taken along
"Calm down... remember... deep breaths..."
| >>563474
>The nurse looks CN over with a discerning eye, and an odd look forms on her face. Wandered up through the stairwell, kind of an odd choice in clothing, trying to find the elevator... might be time to call the department directly downstairs and tell them that their locked unit still isn't as locked as they think it is.
"Ah... wait here a moment, I'm n-new and still don't know my way around the place."
>She gives a nervous grin before flitting off towards her coworker.
| >>563478
"..."
>CN looks and types something on his deck, and decides to head back to the stairwell again, making his way back downstairs
| >>563478
>The two nurses whisper amongst themselves for a moment, frequently glancing over towards CN and the doorway he stands near. One seems to be coaching the other through something. Strangely, there are no gestures made that are indicative of one giving the other directions. The nurse CN spoke with nods and wanders back over to him; the other picks up one of the desk phones. When she sees him trying to depart, she moves faster.
"Wait!!"
| >>563483
"I'm good, I'll just take the stairs..."
>CN heads through the door and makes his way downstairs
| >>563484
>The nurse panics, freezes, and looks like she's about to burst into tears as the stairwell door shuts in her face. Maybe she really is new around here? You can hear her yell something to her coworker containing the phrase "cyberbrain sclerosis that young?!" before she runs back in the direction of the nurse's station. You wonder why Jade sent you where she did.
>Where do you go?
| >>563484
>You run into Entro-Shol, who is difficultly making her way up
"There you are. We should get out of here."
| >>563488
"Yea... though the people on this floor think I'm a patient because I asked where the elevator was. Are you alright?"
| >>563489
"Do I look alright?"
>You can feel anger inviting you to give into it
"That fucker popped my eyes out."
>She takes a deep breath
"Looks like you now accept your fate."
| >>563492
>CN does his best to not get antagonized
"Well let's just say I had someone fill me in on the details. Is there anything I can to help? I have a medkit."
| >>563495
>You sense a wave of relief
"I doubt you can heal eyeballs with a medkit."
>She sighs
"Let us leave."
| >>563502
"Well I just get concerned, though I imagine shikigami got advanced healing stuff I guess. Either way, if you can't see give me your hand, I'll lead you downstairs."
| [Emergency Ward, Wing 1-A]
>Things gradually return to "business as usual" once the soldiers are back in their rooms and assigned sitters who won't fracture on contact if they try to make a break for it again. Patients come in, patients come out... The overwhelming flow continues. Ella, now a patient in her own workplace, is meeting nextdoor with Dr. Edison, who is hopefully going to fix her hip. Chien remains on wing A, busying himself to cover up his guilt.
| >>562991
[Surgical Department, OR 3]
>The techs in the room immediately adjacent to the OR have finished prepping Strawberry for surgery-- doing everything short of putting her under completely and intubating her. They wheel her into the sterile room beneath where Roy and Rocky watch. One of the staff waves to Roy, beckoning him to come down so they can get this started... hopefully, this'll go more quickly than he anticipates.
| >>563635
"Let's go, Dr. Xiria. Strawberry is waiting for us."
>Roy nods to the 'fun-sized' surgeon, admittedly still very curious about her origins and previous practice. Hopefully she'll be nothing short of an asset during this procedure... As he prepares to head down to the operating theatre, Aikawa enters the viewing area, with a... sorry looking artificial turkey sandwich in hand. Did she steal that off someone's dinner tray?
| >>563647
"Hey."
"Hi, Ei. Did you get hungry?"
>Roy eyes the sandwich, finding that he's feeling a bit peckish himself. In her usual flat and vaguely sarcastic tone, Aikawa replies:
"Thought I'd grab a snack I could eat from my box seat."
>She plops herself down on one of the room's benches, and starts to eat. Roy grins, thinking his roommate has returned to her normal temperament. Nice to have something familiar on a day like this.
"So this is a spectator sport, now?"
| >>563704
>Aikawa sticks out a leg and nudges Roy's exoskeleton with her foot, pushing him towards the ramp that connects the observation area with the OR's entrance.
"Jufft doo yur jawb--"
>Never was one for table manners. She swallows and goes to wipe her mouth with the back of her sleeves, then stops and thinks better of this-- she did just throw herself on the hospital floor a little while ago.
"Haven't gotten to watch you work in a long time."
| >>563722
>Having wolfed down the first half of her sandwich, Aikawa looks at the other... and then, to Rocky. She holds it out towards the woman and kind of wiggles it back and forth, as if trying to tempt her with it.
"Want half?"
>She cocks her head to the side. Friends share popcorn at the movies, so why would... sharing sandwiches with new acquaintances while watching their friends get cut open be any different? Right?
| >>563729
>Rocky looks at the sandwich dubiously, and looks like she's about to refuse when her stomach growls angrily.
>She winces and nods.
| >>563731
>Aikawa notices Rocky's hesitation prior to her reluctant acceptance of her offer. She grins wryly.
"'Hunger's the best sauce', right?"
>She hands over the triangular plastic packaging that holds the untouched half of the sandwich. No one's working on an empty stomach on her watch... including herself, I guess. Roy pipes up before leaving--
"Haven't you said >>>worcestershire sauce is the best sauce?"
| >>563503
"I can still see a little. To tell the truth, it looks much worse than it is. I should be fine in a day or two."
>She wipes some of the blood off her face
"I simply don't want a well meaning nurse to drag me off to the emergency ward."
| >>563737
"Mmm... just stay behind me and we'll try and head out one of the less conspicuous exits."
>He starts heading down the stairs
| >>563732
>Aikawa grumbles and rubs her palm over her face, muttering something to herself.
"... can't believe I share a living space with you..."
>Roy chuckles as Aikawa shakes her head, and gives her and Rocky a casual wave goodbye as he walks in the direction of the OR. Showtime. Gotta put on a good one.
| >>563745
"I shall follow."
>The maid gets behind you, her presence fading
>Quite uncanny how good she is at doing that
| >>563773
>Unfortunately, the only way out of the stairwell that leads to the first floor is the one from whence you came. There are ways to cut through from other floors and units, but it can be easy to get lost (or mistaken for an eloping patient) this way.
| >>563790
>CN decides to stay in this stairwell for now, deciding the worst case scenario in this instance is running into staff who know hes not a patient.
| >>563753
>A few minutes after Roy leaves the observation area, you see him appear in the OR below-- scrubbed in and gowned up alongside his fellow staff who have already done the same. They begin performing a brief surgical time out. Aikawa turns to Rocky and taps her on the side of the arm.
"They're gonna ask if she's really Strawberry. Can you verify?"
>She leans over to turn on the room's speaker system and the monitor next to the bench.
| >>564256
>Aikawa flashes Roy a thumbs up from above before the crowd in the OR can even ask for confirmation. Roy nods appreciatively. She shifts her attention back to Rocky again, unsure as to how she's going to be able to handle watching this. Sure, she probably wouldn't have volunteered to observe if she didn't think she could stomach it, but often people overextend themselves for those they care about.
"You gonna be okay?"
>She raises an eyebrow.
| >>564257
>Rocky's eyes zone out- its clear that for a brief moment, she's not even *in* the observation room- your question snaps her out of it.
"I'll be fine," >She says, watching the surgeons,
"...I've seen worse."
| >>563773
[Emergency Ward, Wing 1-A]
>When you reach the stairwell doorway to the ER again, through the window you can view staff flooding to one of the nearby rooms with a code cart in tow. A few tired looking clinicians join the mix, pagers still sounding as they enter the bay. One of them wears a rather complex looking stethoscope-- a cardiologist, maybe? The monitors in the nurses station make a racket audible through the glass.
| >>564262
"Quick, hurry."
>He motions at the maid behind him as he uses the distraction to make his way out of the hospital.
| >>564260
>Aikawa tries her best to stop her mind from running with what "worse" might entail, and simply decides to offer Rocky her support. The OR's mics turn on, and both she and Rocky can hear Roy talking quietly to assisting staff and Strawberry. After speaking with the anesthesiologist he orders the nurse to give something IV push-- propofol-- and has the respiratory team "get ready."
"This will make you sleep... We're going to take good care of you, Strawberry."
| >>564262 >>564263
>A tall man dressed in a dark khaki overcoat heads into the ER and makes a bee line for the triage desk. His face is obscured by a wide brimmed fedora, matching coloration. In the crownband of the hat is a pink scale of some kind, like that of a fish but enlarged several times. He wears it like a feather.
| >>564266
>One of the clerks sees the man in the fedora making his way closer, and gives him a questioning look. They hope he doesn't get upset when he's told that if he's able to get in here that fast, he's probably not sick enough to jump the line and be seen now...
"Can I help you, sir?"
| >>564268
>The man looks up at you, the enormous fedora obscuring much of his face in shadow. He pulls off his hat gently by the crown, greeting you with it!
"Yes, I hope that you can- I'm here to see a patient, I heard she may have been brought here during all that chaos outside..."
>The man underneath appears to be a caucasian male- middle aged, early to mid forties. He has a square jaw and thick light brown eyebrows sitting on top of purple-pink eyes. His hair is pulled back under his hat. He looks concerned.
| >>564266
"Drek..."
>CN mumbles as he stay out of sight in a corner, observing the fedora wearing man
| >>564267
>Once they're sure she's out, respiratory moves quickly to intubate with anesthesia standing by, and others watching the monitors quite closely. The medications used to aid in inserting the tube must be carefully selected and take into account the nature of Strawberry's injuries, and there's a brief discussion before one is chosen.
"Fiber scope... Atropine 0.02 mg/kg, then Vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg. Watch for brady."
| >>564270
>The secretary nods, not entirely sure what to make of this guy. At least he's only asking to visit-- all day people have been trying to beat out others who need triage first. The answer he's given, though, is much like what he'd be told if he were asking to cut in front:
"I'm sorry sir, but at present we have a restricted visiting policy because of the huge influx of critical patients we've received during the blackout. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience."
| >>564275
>The man's concern turns into a frown- he breaks eye contact slightly and looks up at the ceiling, sniffing audibly. You watch as he blinks and looks back to you- still stoic, but clearly distressed.
"I- I understand but... can you make an exception? You see, its my daughter... I just need to know she's safe."
| >>564273
>The tube goes in, Strawberry's given ventilatory support, and Roy prepares to make the first incision-- but not before motioning to one of the staff on the outer edge of the room to turn something on. There's a pause, and then slowly a holographic overlay "meshes" with Strawberry's body. Constructed with images pulled from her CT earlier, it's meant to help increase the precision with which the surgeons operate.
| >>564276
>The clerk grimaces-- had there not been a fistfight between a visitor and a patient not too long ago, perhaps she would have made an exception. Turning people away is awful.
"I-I'm sorry, but I can't. Administration has been cracking down harder on this as the day has progressed. We have some very vulnerable individuals under our care right now."
>She doesn't explain what this means.
| >>564277
>The presence of the overlay takes Aikawa by surprise, and in amazement she blurts out something Roy had been expecting to hear her say once she'd laid eyes on it:
"Holy shit! The fuck is that?!-- Dude, that is >>>so fucking ultra--"
>Roy shakes his head and chuckles to himself, then looks up towards the observation area.
"I was one of the people piloting this while it was in development. It really has been a while since you've seen me work, huh?"
| >>564278
"If you're listed as their next of kin, HCP or emergency contact, you'd have been contacted as soon as they were admitted, or as soon as we received any previously existing hospital documentation confirming your identity. If the latter happens, we will reach out to you immediately. Again, I deeply apologize, sir."
>This is so uncomfortable.
| >>564278 >>564285
>The man looks up- you feel an icy stare that wasn't previously there bearing down on you, the man's height appearing as if it had grown in the span of the last few seconds...
"Is that so..." >He whispers, to no one in particular...
| >>564288
>The clerk looks around nervously at the various contents of the circulation desk, trying to find something to focus on that isn't the man who's towering over her.
"I-I... I-I could speak to my supervisor, b-but on my end my hands are tied. I-I'm very limited in what I'm able to do in this situation."
>Apologies fall from her mouth like raindrops from the sky. She doesn't know how much longer she can do this for today.
| >>564290
"...very well." >The man says- the stare drops from you, and all at once it's just a relatively normal, middle aged concerned father.
"Please do- her mother has been worried sick..."
| >>564291
>The clerk nods, and hurriedly walks off to grab her supervisor from their office. The desk is still manned by a couple other secretaries, one of which asks the man:
"Would you like to take a seat in our waiting area, sir? This may take a little bit, so you may as well make yourself comfortable until she comes back. There's a refreshment cart there should you want some coffee or something to eat."
| >>564294
"Why, yes I would- thank you so much." >The man says. He makes his say toward the waiting area.
| >>564295
"Dammit..."
>CN thinks on what to do and decides to send a message to Rocky
"FYI VT guy in hospital, will check to make sure if he leaves."
| >>564296
>Rocky barely notices her phone vibrating gently as she watches the procedure.
/What do they look like?/
| >>564336
>Goosebumps pop along Rocky's skin.
/Stay away from him./
>She turns to Aikawa.
"What's the protocol directly after her surgery is completed?"
| >>564337
>Aikawa is a little surprised by Rocky's query, as Roy hasn't even broken skin yet.
"Depending on her condition, she goes to the PACU and we wait for her to wake up, or we direct admit to the ICU. Thinking probably the latter with her burns and stuff."
>She shakes her head, and sighs. Another case Roy'll spend day and night fussing over...
"Got somewhere to be? Can stream this to you if you need to bail."
| >The maid follows after CN, eyeing him with annoyance as he stops moving
"Can't we simply sneak past? Lots of people coming in."
This thread is permanently archived
| continuing from the last thread-- for those of you watching back home the radiology department is trying desperately to C that doNg