second ☕✨ text (opening a clinic & a game!)

[cadeuces]

Guete Morge, everyone!

I will try to keep this brief. I've posted once before but I imagine it's more likely that if you know me, you've met me in person or know a mutual acquaintance; my name is Angela Ziegler. I'm the doctor that has opened the Second Nature Clinic on level 2. It has officially been set up and I've worked up a preliminary amount of basic medications that should be familiar to most such as allergy medication, pain management, decongestants, and other such things.

More importantly, there is no charge for any of my services if anyone ever needs to come by or contact me. I'll also gladly come to you if you're not comfortable in medical facilities or don't wish to leave your apartment. I think we all know by now the effect we can have on others, depending on the time of the month. I want everyone to know that they're welcome, for any reason, whether it's for questions, concerns with the moonblessings this place bestows upon us, medical aid, or simply for a cup of coffee and some fresh pastries for the company. We are all here on our own and it's the least that I can offer to support others.

( You know, Understatement Of The Century™️, but moving right along. You can practically read the warm little smile like to be on her face if she were speaking this aloud. )

I've seen countless posts here seeking commiseration on feelings and effects people have experienced, worries, concerns— and nowhere else to put them. I hope you're all well and have found the answers you need. While I am primarily a surgeon and combat medic, I never mind listening or offering another perspective if you ever wish for something more private and a touch professional. You could call it part of my job to assist others in shifting their typical way of thinking into something a little more positive after a life-changing injury and its recovery.

I do plan on joining the trip so that a medic is present, so the clinic may be closed for a few days. If anyone wishes to post their contact information on the door for others remaining in Prismatica, please feel free to do so! I would rest easier knowing that there are eyes out for all of us, across both places.

And if you wish to know me a bit better, why don't we play a game? Two truths and a lie. Let's see, I'll start...

1. I once won a spider-catching competition.
2. I've spent more time camping than living in my house.
3. My favorite color is yellow.

Comments

[cadeuces]

That's good, then.
I'd have to start worrying about the company you keep!

And they are quite important, that much is true.
It's an easy enough thing to set them outside on a nice plant, most times, but sometimes they get pretty intimidating.

So let's see, my turn again...

1. I'm allergic to latex.
2. I was the first human trial for nanomachines.
3. My first surgery was at the age of 19.

[the_archivist]

There are much more accurate targets to worry about than Martin.

I've just had bad experiences with spiders.

I think it's 1. To be head of surgery at such a young age, you had to have been younger than 19 when you performed your first. And the nanomachines were yours so...

[cadeuces]

I'll be sure to keep that in mind then, as well.
And you're always welcome to come visit if you happen to have any intruders. 😉
I'll go flush them out for you if need be.
But tell me the story, some time.
If it isn't a difficult one.

Incorrect, but also correct!
Surgical procedures were quite strict even back then; to officially instigate as a lead surgeon, you had to have quite a lot of practice hours and internships and observations under your belt.
It was only a couple years after that I was promoted to head of surgery; I proved myself especially set on perfection and a strict O.R. 😊
I only held the position for a brief time after that. But you're right that I was younger than 19 for my first surgery. Just a hair.
Overwatch's recruitment took precedent.

[the_archivist]

I- maybe. Sometime.

[It's not really a story that he's told to anyone. Not even Martin or Georgie.]

Still, a couple of years between starting and becoming head of surgery. That's amazing. People work for decades for that sort of promotion!

[cadeuces]

( Sounds like the sort of story that humanizes someone, then. ♥ )

I'll look forward to it, then.
And as I said, I worked quite hard because of the war.
Even though it was finished when I was still a little girl, the fallout that followed took many, many years to get society back on track.
But thank you, Jon.

Your turn again, unless you have somewhere to be?

[the_archivist]

That sort of thing does tend to linger. Has repercussions.

1. I was raised by my grandmother
2. I've performed surgery on someone
3. I'm fluent in French.

[cadeuces]

These are difficult!
I could see all 3 being true...
Hmm... Perhaps 2 is the lie, though?
I would have thought you'd have told me if you had some medical skill before now.

[the_archivist]

I had to remove a ghost bullet from a friend's leg. It had been there for months. Festering. Corrupting. I'd never done anything like that before but I... Knew what to do.

But I don't know French. Never studied it.

[cadeuces]

A... ghost bullet?
Still, it sounds like it was necessary; I'm glad you were able to get it removed.
Was your friend all right afterwards?

And French isn't so bad; perhaps I'll teach you some if we're bored some day.

If you were raised by your grandmother, did you lose your parents, as well? I feel like we'd discussed it before, when you were telling me about all the books you read.

[the_archivist]

She got shot in India by a ghost. The doctors couldn't find anything, but I could see it. It was horrible. And she's... she's not got a ghost bullet in her anymore.

[Whether that's better or not... that's not really his place to say.]

Yes. My father died of a fall when I was... two or three. My mother died a couple of years later from complications during routine surgery. So my grandmother took me in.

[cadeuces]

In India... by a ghost? That's quite the story to tell, but I'm glad you were able to help her. It sounds to me as though she would have lost her leg or her life if it were allowed to worsen.

( It sounds like an improvement to the doctor, but of course she doesn't have the other story beyond it. Still, she would take alive over dead any day. )

I'm so sorry to hear that; I lost mine to the war when I was also young. I was shipped off to boarding school instead, is all. I'm sure it was difficult on you both, but I'm still glad you had family of a fashion to grow up with.

[the_archivist]

It was a ghost bullet, yes. It wasn't a... physical infection. But it was an infection. And since it was a relic of the Slaughter, it would probably have got her killed eventually.

[That seething anger that filled her, that told her that it was good, that it was right.]

I'm sorry. That sounds hard. [Losing them in such a way... it sounded awful. At least Jon's had died of mundane natural ways.] It- I don't really remember them, And my grandmother, she did her best for me. I was a difficult child.

[cadeuces]

Something a little more spiritual, then.
It's difficult to believe for a person of science, but I believe, at least, that you're telling the truth.
There are so many different people here from such different places, it's hard to deny anything others explain.

( Angela believes in earnestness above all else, and hadn't he shown her a few glimpses of just how strange his when was? She won't doubt him. )

It wasn't anything countless others didn't go through as well. I was far from alone in that. But thank you, Jon.
I know we went over this before, about you being difficult.
But I think you grew into quite a lovely person.
Whatever path you took to being where you are today, I'm thankful for it and for your friendship.

[the_archivist]

There are lots of things I wouldn't have believed once. But it is the truth. My world has a great number of strange and terrible things in it.

[He's grateful that she is choosing to believe him. he knows it isn't easy to believe.]

Even if a lot of people went through it, it's still hard and awful.

[He may be blushing now when she speaks about him like that. He isn't lovely. No-one has ever called him that. Thank god this is just text rather than video.]

I'm glad we're friends too.

[cadeuces]

( Perhaps not, when her world is so cut-and-dry, but it does have spirit dragons, so she can't even say that much. Sometimes the magic's just well-hidden, she supposes. Besides, he's never given her reason to doubt anything he's said or his intelligence. )

It is, you're right. It's so long ago now that it isn't so painful for me anymore, I promise.

And, truly, thank you for putting up with me.
I'm sure I'm not the sort of person you usually have around and you've placed quite a bit of trust in my attempts to help; I appreciate that, too.

[the_archivist]

It's not putting up. I do enjoy your company, bad as I am at showing that.

I can't trust people anymore. I mean, I'm not capable of it. Not naturally. But I made a choice to trust people anyway. So I'm choosing to trust you.

😭 😭 😭 😭 JON...

[cadeuces]

You aren't bad at showing it, Jon.
You're right here, aren't you? That's all it takes for me to know.

I'll do everything I can to be worthy of that trust. 💖
I hope you know it's mutual, as well.

Re: 😭 😭 😭 😭 JON...

[the_archivist]

I'm sure you will be. I really do. I just hope I can do the same.

[cadeuces]

We'll be just fine, I promise.
We both care for one another and that's enough.
I'll prove it here shortly. 💖

( And this is where, when Angela finishes her shift, she's going to show up at his place to give him a big hug and they lived happily ever after (for today). )