Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Have mercy!"

Username: 
Password:    
Remember Me
  • Create Account
  • IJ Login
  • OpenID Login
Search by : 
  • View
    • Create Account
    • IJ Login
    • OpenID Login
  • Journal
    • Post
    • Edit Entries
    • Customize Journal
    • Comment Settings
    • Recent Comments
    • Manage Tags
  • Account
    • Manage Account
    • Viewing Options
    • Manage Profile
    • Manage Notifications
    • Manage Pictures
    • Manage Schools
    • Account Status
  • Friends
    • Edit Friends
    • Edit Custom Groups
    • Friends Filter
    • Nudge Friends
    • Invite
    • Create RSS Feed
  • Asylums
    • Post
    • Asylum Invitations
    • Manage Asylums
    • Create Asylum
  • Site
    • Support
    • Upgrade Account
    • FAQs
    • Search By Location
    • Search By Interest
    • Search Randomly

Dr. Smith ([info]nospoon) wrote in [info]nosuchtimes,
@ 2009-10-14 14:49:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:susie medina, zane smith

Zane and Susie: Radiation poisoning is no fun
Who: Zane and Susie
When: Afternoon, January 13, 2008
Where: Medical Pavilion
What: Susie comes in for her first treatment

"Prepare exam room 3 for my 2 o'clock appointment," Zane told the nurse he had just summoned to his office. The petite woman nodded, and left quickly down the hall toward her destination. It wouldn't take long for her to set up the room, but Zane wanted it to be ready for when his patient arrived.

"Aysu Medina," he said as he glanced over the small file on the freshwater mermaid. She had been diagnosed with radiation sickness when she arrived, but thankfully it was determined that it wasn't severe enough to bring about immediate death. Still, radiation poisoning of any level was a concern, and it was important that the girl begin her treatment as soon as possible. He already had a treatment plan in mind, but he wanted to complete his examination of the girl before he finalized any of it.

The nurse returned to Zane's office, and announced that the room was ready. "When Miss Medina arrives please show her to the room," he informed her with a smile. Zane took long strides to exam room 3, and took a seat on the round stool at the small table. He jotted down a few more notes, and waited patiently for the mermaid to arrive.

(Post a new comment)


[info]swim_away
2009-10-16 05:16 am UTC (link)
She had been here before. Susie looked back down at the scrap of paper where she had written the directions. It didn’t matter. She knew it was the right place. They had told her that she needed to come back. It wasn’t that she was surprised – she wasn’t. But…it wasn’t what she had wanted to hear either.

Time and again, she felt that the situation couldn’t get any worse. The bottom had dropped out of her world already. She had a good numb going today or she’d be in tears again. For now, she was simply too tired to cry and she was glad of it. Exhaustion was its own kind of defense.

Automatically, she dragged herself the last steps to the building. Odd how she could feel so heavy and yet so light all at once. She lifted an arm close to her face just to see if she were really there. Visual confirmation did nothing to convince her, however. There was still every possibility that she just didn’t exist any more.

Whether real or not, she still had an appointment to keep; she pushed through the door. The effort was greater than she expected. Doors didn’t used to be so heavy. She tried not to consider the probability that the door wasn’t to blame. She didn’t want to think about what that said of her current state.

They had called it a “treatment.” Susie wasn’t certain what that entailed. She didn’t want to know so she hadn’t asked. It had been so easy – not to ask questions. The people she’d talked to, they’d done this before. Knew that newcomers were sometimes unresponsive. There were no demands on her, no expectations. So she’d sat and listened and waited until they told her where to go. But they said she had to come back.

Now that she was here, she didn’t know what to do. She hesitated just inside the doorway, only startling a little bit when the door clicked shut behind her. Thankfully, that same sound seemed to draw the attention of the nurse at the desk. The woman moved with a friendly efficiency. After checking her in, she lead her down to an exam room, holding the door open for her as Susie entered.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-10-16 05:40 am UTC (link)
There were skills a doctor had to have that went beyond the medicine. There had to be compassion there, and kindness. There had to be empathy for understanding, and there had to be intuition to know what a patient needed even when the patient was too afraid to voice it themselves. It was these skills that allowed Zane to read Susie from the moment she appeared in the doorway.

Zane smiled softly at the girl, and rose to his feet. "Miss Medina," he said in a calm, and gentle voice. He could tell that the girl was still adjusting to everything that happened, and that she needed some stability amidst the chaos. Zane was just one person, one man, but he was determined to give the girl a little bit of what she needed.

He made slow movements around her when she had fully entered the room. He didn't close the door just in case it made the girl feel better to have it opened. "Please," he said. "Have a seat." His extended his arm to the side toward the examination table. The beige colored bed was devoid of the thin sheet of white paper that was usually found in hospitals. Zane never liked it; never saw a point in it especially when it tore every time a person sat upon it.

Zane gave the girl a few moments to settle in before he picked up the clipboard with her file. He opened it to the first page, and smiled at the mermaid. He wanted to reassure her that everything would be okay without having to speak those exact words. Actions spoke louder than words, as did body language, and he hoped that his was helping the girl to relax a bit more. "So how are you feeling today," he asked her finally. There was no pressure to answer the question immediately, and Zane was a patient man. He could wait all day if he had to, and he would for the young girl.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-10-16 06:05 am UTC (link)
It helped that his moves were slow and deliberate. Susie needed the time to adjust to the enclosed space and his proximity. Her movements weren’t as graceful as they’d once been. Where she had once been a ballet of un-choreographed motion, she was now a collection of disjointed twitches and starts. She did little to hide her flinch when he gestured for her to sit. Still, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

He hadn’t tried to touch her or shake her hand – that was good. Susie didn’t think she was up to that yet. The wall she had built up was the only thing holding her stable at the moment. She didn’t know what would happen if he tried to breach those defenses. On her own, Susie climbed up onto the bed. Instead of swinging her feet off the too-high edge as most do, she drew her legs in towards herself, folding them up against her chest. Her arms went around her knees, making her as small as possible. From that position, she caught sidelong glances at the doctor.

He gave her the time she needed before starting in on the questions. Had she registered the deliberateness in the act, she would have been grateful. But that took thought – something she was actively avoiding at the moment. His smile she did notice. It was friendly. She remembered a time when people were friendly. It seemed to have been ages ago. It was like she had found a small pocket of time untouched by all the destruction around her. Mentally, she rebuked herself. Her thoughts were straying odd places these days.

It was a good thing he didn’t require an immediate answer to his question. She was out of practice at putting words together and wouldn’t have known how to start anyway. After a full minute of hesitating, the answer that did come was probably not what he was expecting. “You can call me Susie.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-10-17 03:54 am UTC (link)
Zane's training as a pediatrician, and his time around children allowed him to deal with Susie's reactions better than others. He had dealt with children that acted in the same manner; children that were fearful just for the sake of fear. He was patient with them, and slowly he coaxed them out of their shells. Susie was like that, except that she had every reason to be afraid. The virus and the war had brought out the worst in humanity, and while Zane knew that many had escaped unscathed he had the distinct feeling that Susie was not one of them.

He didn't move to touch her, or approach her in any way. He simply let her sit with her legs curled close to her chest. It was the girl's way of protecting herself, and Zane didn't want to strip her of that sense of security. She would do it herself in time, but it would have to be her own decision.

He did smile when she spoke, and though it wasn't the answer he was looking for it was a big improvement from the silence. "Susie, huh," he said in response. "That's a pretty name. Knew me a girl named Susie when I was a kid," he began to say. "Prettiest girl on the playground." He chuckled a bit, and watched carefully for any reaction from his patient. "Is that short for anything? Susan? Susanna? Susanne?" Zane was trying to pull the girl into a comfortable conversation. Something normal when all she had had recently was anything but. He didn't know whether or not it would work with Susie, but he had to try regardless.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-10-17 05:01 am UTC (link)
Her smile was tremulous, but it manifested despite her best efforts not to engage. It was hard not to return in kind when someone smiled at her. And he nearly told her a story. Maybe not much of a story, but Susie loved the sound of a voice falling into the cadences used to share insights or anecdotes. She dropped one of her arms to her sides but continued to hold her legs to her chest.

In response to the question about her name, she shook her head in negation but brightened her smile. “It’s – Alex made it up. He said Aysu didn’t suit me. He tried ‘Su for a day but I refused to answer to it; I was only 6 so I could still get away with that. I don’t know what made him try Susie – I never asked.” At the end of her statement, her tone changed. It was less musing and more wistful – but not sad. Sorrow she still managed to hold at bay.

Feeling somewhat more secure in this new environment – at least for the moment – Susie decided to see what she could survey from her perch. She craned her neck to see what was on the little table by the doctor. She wanted to see what sort of medical implements they had…as long as she didn’t consider what they’d use on her.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-10-18 01:26 am UTC (link)
It seemed as if talking calmed the girl quite a bit, and it was a good sign when she let one of her arms fall to her side. She was relaxing a bit in his company, and that made him smile. He hadn't made up the story about the girl he knew from his youth, but he already knew the girl's name from her file. He feigned ignorance only to coax the words forth from the girl, and it had worked when she told her own story.

"Aysu is a very pretty name," he said with a grin. "But it all depends on what you like to be called. Me? I go by Zane, but my first name..." he paused a bit, and leaned forward. He whispered in a conspiratory tone, "Is Kastor." He pulled back, and crossed his arms over his chest. "But I was too cool to be called that," he added, his face drawn with a playful smirk. "So as soon as I was old enough to choose I had people call me by my middle name." He chuckled a bit at his memories, and released his arms to his side.

He wanted to get started with the examination for the girl's sake. Her body needed to be cleansed of the radioactive particles before she became even more sick. But he understood her need to feel comfortable in her surroundings, and so he afforded her as much as as she needed.

"So how about you tell me what you preferred to be called, and we can go from there."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-10-18 01:50 am UTC (link)
Susie was completely unaware of the doctor’s efforts to put her at ease, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t working. As he talked, her shoulders loosened, and the tight spring of tension that her body held started to unwind. Though her eyes contained traces of wariness, she smiled when he smiled.

When the doctor leaned forward and dropped his voice to a whisper, Susie found herself leaning in as well. She dropped the second arm and pulled her knees over to the side so she could follow the story better. Unable to sit entirely still, she played with the ends of her hair and listened. The small bit of information captivated her. She couldn’t help but think that, if her name had been Kastor, she’d have gone by Zane too – not that she had had anyone around to impress. But Zane did sound much better.

“Susie. I – I like to go by Susie.” She didn’t want the story to stop. There had to be more than that, didn’t there? And besides, Susie wasn’t ready to focus on her reason for being here. If they didn’t say the words, then it wouldn’t be real. She didn’t want it to be real. She wanted to hear more stories. “How did you convince them to use your middle name? My mother still insisted on Aysu, even when she knew I didn’t like it.” Maybe with some prompting, she could delay a little longer.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-10-18 03:48 am UTC (link)
Zane was a pro as calming down patients. It was part of the job, especially with children. They were already scared to be at the hospital, and on top of that they had to undergo surgery? Many of the kids Zane had to deal with came in crying only to leave with big smiles on their faces. The man wasn't sure if Susie would be as easy to win over, but he wasn't going to give up so easily on the girl.

"Well, Susie," Zane said. "Most people call me Dr. Smith, but you can call me Zane." The tall man moved over toward the table with everything he needed to treat his patient. There wasn't much in terms of chemical medicines, but they did have Prussian blue in stock, as well as herbs (magical and otherwise) that were very effective against radiation poisoning. There was a pitcher of apple juice on the table, along with paper cups, and various powdered herbs in glass containers.

He pulled two cups from the stack, and filled each one three-quarters full with juice. "My mother majored in Classical Studies when she was in college," he said as he mixed the Alginate, organic iodine, and Laminarin extract into the juice. "My old man loved westerns, especially novels. So my name is a combination of things they liked. Kastor is from Greek mythology, and Zane is from Zane Grey, my dad's favorite author." He stirred each cup, and then returned to Susie and extended her one as he took a sip of his.

"Apple juice," he said. "It's good." What Zane didn't tell her was that the juice had a mixture of tasteless ingredients designed to detoxify her system from the radioactive particles. He took a seat on his stool again, and continued his story. "You can't tell your parents to not call you by your first name," he said with a grin. "But my dad called me Zane because he liked it better. My mom though, she called me Kastor. Guess that's just how it goes." He took another drink of his juice, and watched to see if Susie would drink any of hers.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-10-18 04:21 am UTC (link)
It was a good thing that Zane had experience putting people at ease because Susie was scared to be there. She had entered tough, tired, and apathetic – but those were all flimsy defenses at best. She was frightened. She didn’t know what was happening to her and was too afraid to ask.

She smiled when he said that she could call him Zane. She liked that – wanted to have someone in her life that she could address. Even if it was only for one appointment. Even if she wasn’t certain how long that life would be.

Susie wasn’t stupid. She could see over his shoulder as he mixed the cups. And you didn’t mix apple juice – not unless you were her mother. And then you did it because you were adding in ghastly remedies that were ‘good for you.’ What surprised her was that he was making two cups. But then she forgot to pay attention to what he was doing and focused entirely on what he was saying. Oh! The Kastor was a Greek reference! “Your mother named you after the mortal twin? I think that was him; Castor was the mortal, wasn’t he?” Susie had liked classical mythology when Alex introduced it to her. She preferred the story of Cupid and Psyche over Cinderella as a bedtime story – though she’d gladly listen to either.

She took the cup that was handed to her and watched as he kept one for himself. Her attention was riveted to his face as he took a sip. Her body went utterly still – as it did when she was frightened or facing a challenge. In this case, it read as the latter. It was possible that whatever was in her cup wasn’t in his. But he was being kind. He hadn’t ordered her to drink it. He’d taken the time to tell her stories about his life. All of this weighed in his favor.

Maintaining eye contact, Susie took a sip. And then another. She looked down at the glass. Despite the slight rebelling of her stomach, she decided to finish it as fast as she could. Once the cup was empty, she set it down on the bed next to her. “Okay. Now tell me, what was really in that?” She’d done what she needed to show that she’d trust him and follow directions, but she wasn’t going to be blind about it either. She had a right to know and she decided that – just maybe – she wanted to use that right after all.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sorry bout that wait!
[info]nospoon
2009-10-21 04:38 am UTC (link)
"That's right, Kastor was the mortal twin," Zane said rather proudly. Not many people knew the reference, and it made him smile that she did. "He was only mortal until his brother asked the Gods if they could grant him immortality. So now they are in the heavens as the constellation Gemini." Yes, Zane knew the mythology behind his name, and if people were willing to listen he would tell it to them.

Zane had mixed the same ingredients in each cup. It was only fair that he drink it too if he wanted to gain Susie's trust, and he did. The ingredients were all natural, and though it would only take out any small traces of radioactive elements in a normal system, it would work wonders on a system that had been saturated with radiation. He smiled at Susie's words, and took a sip from his own cup before he spoke.

"It really was apple juice," he said. "Mixed with some herbs that'll extract the radiation from your system, and boost your immunity. It's completely natural, and good for you. I'm drinking it, too." He was glad that she drank it down in one gulp even though she didn't need to. Of course, this wouldn't be the last dose she took. She'd have to drink a few dozen more cups before her body would be completely rid of the radiation poisoning, but he had a feeling that this sort of treatment would be an easy one for the spirited girl.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: sorry bout that wait!
[info]swim_away
2009-10-21 05:14 am UTC (link)
She listened intently to his confirmation over the name. Head tilted to the side, she let her mind wander over his words. What would it be like to be turned into a constellation and placed in the heavens?

When he defended himself over the juice, Susie nodded. She knew that bit was true – could taste that much when she drank it. It was oddly reassuring that it was a natural remedy. Her mother loved – used to love – that kind of stuff. If she’d been feeling better, Susie would have plagued him with questions (what were the ingredients? Were they local? Did they have to be prepared in any special way before they were useful? And so on). But she wasn’t feeling better; that’s why she was here.

“No,” Susie shook her head and gave a wry kind of smile. “It’s not bad.” The comment was more directed at her stomach, which seemed inclined to disagree with her at the moment. It may only have been a little bit of juice, but she’d been having trouble keeping even that much down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to encourage her stomach to settle.

In a tone that made her sound ten years younger, she finally answered his initial question, “I don’t feel well.” It was an intimate confession – more than she had thought herself capable of anymore.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-10-21 09:39 pm UTC (link)
Zane was glad that Susie was finally opening up to him, even if it was only a little. He understood that it would take time for her to feel completely comfortable with him, and her new surroundings in general. He did notice the discomforted look that drew itself upon her features, and watched her carefully while she closed her eyes. Zane's own expression turned into worry, and he took a small step toward the girl.

He nodded upon the utterance of her words, and instead of placing a hand on her Zane wheeled the stool closer, and sat down upon it. His current position placed him lower than her since she was still sitting upon the table, and he had to glance upward just a little to speak with her. "You feel nauseated, don't you?" Zane really didn't want her to throw up, but he knew that it was a possibility with her current condition. The only problem with that was that she would have to take more medicine afterward. It hadn't been in her system long enough to do her any good, and it was really important that it travel through her entire body to pick up the excess poison.

"It's okay if you throw up," he said. "I've got a bucket right here all ready for you." He smiled in an attempt to make the situation not as uncomfortable for Susie. "But you before you let it out I want you to take deep, slow breaths, and think about something else other than this moment. Think about anything," he suggested. "And I'll bet you anything that your tummy ache will go away."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-10-22 12:21 am UTC (link)
Susie couldn’t do more than nod when Zane asked if she felt nauseous. A verbal response was too risky. And she was getting really tired of throwing up. Before she’d come to the haven, it had been much easier – there hadn’t been much food around to eat then. It was a twisted way to be optimistic about that period in her life, but she’d settle for it.

Looking down at the doctor, Susie was glad that he didn’t spin restlessly on the chair as she would have. Anyone spinning – even if it wasn’t her – would have upset her balance.

Following his directions, Susie continued to take deep, slow breaths. Her head felt light and hot and cold all at the same time. Despite the jarring it caused her stomach, she decided that she wanted to lie down. Gently, she set herself on her side, head tucked onto a crooked arm. She loosely curled into herself in a way that took pressure off of her middle. That felt better, not great, but better. Trying to take his advice to think of anything else, Susie remarked, “Constellations are different here.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-10-26 04:09 pm UTC (link)
If Zane had to he would make the girl stay in the hospital just so he could keep a closer eye on her, but that would be a last resort. She was still adjusting to life in the haven, and he wanted her to spend more time outdoors rather than stuck in a hospital room. But the doctor was close, very close, to admitting her completely. He watched her with worried eyes as she moved to lie down, and stood to his feet to place a hand close to her back as she moved onto her side. Zane didn't touch her physically, but he would be there to catch her if she happened to wobble over the edge.

Zane stepped back when Susie was finally settled into a fetal position on the bed. He rolled his chair to the side to face her, and offered up a small smile. "How are they different," he asked. He had a pretty good idea what her words meant, but he wanted her to keep talking. It would keep her mind off of the nausea she was feeling, and hopefully settle down her stomach long enough for the medicine to be absorbed. Zane decided that if Susie threw up in the room that he would definitely keep her for observation, but if she was doing fine he would let her go home with enough treatment to last a week before her next appointment.

"Speaking of stars," he added after a short pause. "What is your favorite constellation?" Then, as carefully and slowly as he could muster, the doctor placed a gentle hand on the girl's forehead to gauge her temperature for her chart. A base reading was all he needed for the moment, and if she let him he was going to check all of her vitals before she left him for the day.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-10-27 02:27 am UTC (link)
Susie kept her eyes shut and continued to take deep breaths. Now that she was lying down, she felt all the blood rushing back to her head. It made her feel – wobbly. She wasn’t certain how close to the edge of the bed she’d ended up, but she was not going to be rolling closer to the wall right now. She concentrated on staying very still.

Zane was talking again. And she was listening. Mostly. Right now she didn’t feel like his question merited a response. The stars were different. And talking wasn’t so good. She was so tired of this. She didn’t want to be sick any more. She had neither the energy nor the inclination to wipe away the tear that was gathering in the corner of her eye. Maybe if she kept her eyes shut, it would go away.

But when he asked her her favorite constellation, she found she could put together the one word. “Pleiades.” She had a really good reason for loving them too, only she couldn’t remember it right now. The blood in her head was making her feel really warm. Except for her hands and feet. They felt cold.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-10-29 05:39 pm UTC (link)
Zane could tell just by looking at Susie that she was not doing well at all. Her shallow breathing, and closed eyes meant that she was most likely experiencing nausea, and dizziness. The doctor placed a hand on her forehead in order to test her temperature, and to offer up a small level of comfort. He noticed right away that she was running a fever, and it was enough of a reason for Zane to admit Susie for the night.

"Susie," he said. "I know you're feeling really bad right now, but you have to listen to me. I'm going to keep you here for the night. I don't want you to be alone when you're feeling like this." He removed his hand from her forehead, and wrote down her approximate temperature before he moved to take her pulse on one of her wrists. "We're going to set you up in a really nice room, okay? You're going to be fine, I promise. I'll take care of you."

Zane's word was his honor, and he swore to himself that he wasn't going to let anything happen to the young mermaid. Zane cared for each of his patients, but for some reason this girl tugged on his heartstrings, and reminded him of his younger sister. It was that similarity that made Zane feel overly protective of her. He wheeled his way over to the table to write a few notes in Susie's chart, and to give her a few moments to collect herself.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-10-30 03:38 am UTC (link)
Instead of flinching away at the touch of his hand, Susie found herself leaning into it. It was nice and cool. He had steady hands. It was an odd observation to make at the time. But her hands hadn’t been so steady lately, so that’s the connection her mind made.

She was listening. Maybe she wasn’t responding, but she was listening. Staying here was good. It meant she didn’t have to walk anywhere else right now. And there was nothing and no one to go home to. Here was as good a place as any. Better – because it meant company. And Zane told nice stories. To let him know she’d understood, she gave a weak little nod, stopping when it made the world tilt. She knew she’d feel better if she threw up, but - dammit - she didn’t want to.

His hands were cool on her wrists too. She figured he must be taking her pulse. She wouldn’t normally let someone get this close, but those instincts were malfunctioning. It may have only been Susie’s fevered imaginings, but she felt like the man exuded calm. And that was something she needed right now.

This room, that room. It didn’t matter. One room was very much like another as far as she was concerned. She hadn’t actually spent much of her life inside of rooms, but she supposed it was nice of him to offer.

He promised to take care of her – and Susie believed him until he started to move away. Adrenaline flooded her system. He was leaving her. He promised he’d stay. Mind racing, Susie’s logic was full of holes. Maybe he wanted to stay but couldn’t? Horrible things that haunted her nightmares had happened when her mother had decided to go away. Susie couldn’t let him leave.

Aquatic life had given her quick reflexes. Her illness had slowed them, but she still moved rapidly. She pushed herself unsteadily up and out of the bed. Ungracefully, she launched herself forward to catch the doctor by the sleeve. “Please don’t leave?” In her hurry, she’d completely forgotten her stomach ache.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-11-06 04:05 am UTC (link)
Zane didn't mind that Susie wasn't talking; he understood that sometimes it took too much energy and concentration to talk when someone wasn't feeling well. It was enough that she was trying not to vomit all over the place. Zane knew that it was probably the one thing she wanted to do more than sleep, but for her sake he hoped that she wouldn't.

It was the doctor's calm demeanor that made him so good at what he did especially with young children. Granted, Susie wasn't a child, but she was a lot younger than Zane and she had just been through a traumatic experience, and she needed as much calm as she could get. She would be able to get that at the medical pavilion, and Zane was determined to keep her there for as long as it took to get her better.

He had only left her side for a moment, and in that moment that the doctor was away from Susie the mermaid had removed herself from the bed to grab a hold of him. "Whoa," he exclaimed in surprise as he quickly moved to steady the girl. Her words brought forth a small chuckle, and he patted her hand gently. "I'm not leaving," he said. "Just came over here to write down some notes." Zane stood to his feet while still holding onto Susie. "As long as you're up we might as well walk to your next room. You feel up to walking, or do you need me to carry you?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-11-06 04:30 am UTC (link)
She was really glad he wasn’t leaving. Really, really glad. She was aware enough to know that her actions were probably a bit off, but not well enough to figure out how. He said something about notes, but she wasn’t following him. Neither was she letting go. For one, she didn’t want to lose him. She also probably couldn’t stay up without his support.

Susie sagged heavily against the doctor but was too proud to take him up on his offer to carry her. “I can walk.” The adrenaline had helped. It always did - well, at least it did at first. She’d pay for it later. For now, her stomach had stopped protesting and she merely felt shaky and tired. As long as he navigated her in the correct direction, she’d make it.

As a distraction, she asked, “What happened to the other twin? Kastor’s, I mean. Why was he so special?” Maybe she could get him to divert her just a little bit more.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-11-09 10:26 pm UTC (link)
Zane made sure to keep a firm hand on Susie so that she wouldn't fall as they took a few steps through the door, and into the hallway. It was quiet, but there was some chatter going on near the front. Patients speaking with nurses at the front about their symptoms. The nurses could handle it without him, he hoped. Zane wanted to spend most of his time with Susie, at least until she felt well enough to be alone.

"You know what, lemme get you a wheelchair," he suggested as he looked behind him for an available one in the corridor. There was one at the far end, and he summoned it with a quick flick of his hand. It didn't take much concentration for him to wheel it toward himself and Susie, and when it reached them it stopped right alongside the mermaid. "Why don't you sit down, and I'll just take you to your room."

Once she had settled down into the chair Zane began to push her down the hall. "Pollux? Well if I remember my mythology correctly Pollux had a different father, and was immortal because of it. So he was immortal, and Kastor was mortal, and when Kastor died Pollux asked the gods to make him immortal, too." He really hoped that his mythology was correct otherwise he just made himself look like a fool.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-11-10 04:01 am UTC (link)
Susie walked with eyes closed, trusting Zane to lead her. In the last few moments she felt as though she’d gained a considerable amount of weight. It took her whole concentration to lift one foot and place it in front of the other. Definitely time for a nap. But sleeping wasn’t something she did much any more. Besides the fact that it left her physically vulnerable, she had terrible nightmares.

With a sharp motion, she did look up when he mentioned a wheelchair. It was an instinctual movement, provoked by the injury to her pride. She wasn’t that bad off, really! But any protestation she could have formed was quickly silenced when she saw the wheelchair move.

For a moment she swayed in stunned silence. Then Susie slipped down into the chair. Looking up at Zane, she matter-of-factly stated, “Hallucinations aren’t one of my symptoms.” Her tone was petulant and she sounded putout. Things weren’t acting like they should. And that tended to be a bad sign. Susie wanted to know if the doctor had seen the same thing she had. Only once she had his answer would she let herself worry, which is why she didn’t ask him directly.

Susie was lulled by the sound of Zane’s voice. Settled comfortably in the odd little chair, she struggled to stay awake. Sleep was not her friend.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-11-10 09:44 pm UTC (link)
Susie's reaction to his summoning of the wheelchair brought a smile to his face. Zane had gotten used to people staring in surprise whenever they witnessed his power for the first time. It was an amazing feat, to move things with one's mind. It was something straight out of a science fiction novel, but then again this was Elysium and the entire place felt as if it had been pulled from imagination. Was it really so strange to be able to manipulate the physical world in the way Zane did? No stranger than a girl who was really a mermaid, he thought. Still, he chuckled at Susie after she settled into her seat.

"You weren't hallucinating," he said to her. "So don't worry. You really did see the wheelchair moving on its own." He didn't offer up any further explanation to the phenomenon as he began to wheel her down the hall. He told the story of Pollux, at least the mythology that he knew, and before long they had reached one of the overnight rooms at the end of the hall. It was a cozy space with soft lighting, and a comfortable looking bed. Curtains decorated the windows, and there was a table with chairs near the window. "Here we are," he said with a smile in his voice. "What do you think?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-11-11 04:51 am UTC (link)
She wasn’t seeing things? Um. Okay. Susie could work with that. She had questions of course, but she stowed them away for later. Instead, she let the sound of his voice carry her as she fought the urge to give in to exhaustion. His tone, added to the motion of the chair, nearly had her losing the battle. It wasn’t the same, but the movement was a nice reminder of swimming – something she’d been getting too weak to enjoy.

Susie tried to take in the differences between the rooms. The touches of home that would have calmed the average patient were almost lost on her. Really the only thing that made this room special was that it sounded like Zane wanted her to like it. And for him she would try. The light was nice here. It didn’t hurt her head, and that was good. It was still a room. It was still inside a building rather than set amongst the waves. But she supposed it was better than the other. “It’s nice.” Her tone was doubtful.

She tried again. “It’s…I like the window.” A window was good. It meant she was that much closer to being outside. Susie sat rather stiffly in the chair. She thought he might have expected her to get up, but she wasn’t going to try right now. If she did, she would make a poor showing of it, and her pride couldn’t allow that. Here was fine.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-11-11 05:31 pm UTC (link)
Zane was surprised that Susie hadn't asked any questions about the mysterious moving wheelchair. He had a feeling that she would have inundated him with questions were she not fighting nausea, and overall weakness. Her time in the hospital would definitely help along with all of the herbal treatments they would give her.

The room was nicer than the regular examination rooms they had at the pavilion. It wasn't as good as home (no place ever was when compared to home), but it was pretty good for a hospital room. Zane did want Susie to like the room, but mostly he wanted her to be comfortable in her surroundings. Despite his hopes he knew she wasn't exactly happy with it when she spoke. He smiled, though, and patted her shoulder gently.

"I know it's not home," he said. "But we'll take good care of you here." Zane pushed her closer to the window where she could look outside. "It might be best if you stayed here for a few days. Just until you're strong enough to walk around on your own."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]swim_away
2009-11-11 05:47 pm UTC (link)
Something about Zane, the tone of his voice, or the way he tried to comfort her with a gentle pat on the shoulder brought out a bit more of Susie’s sense of humor. “Hm. It is a lot drier than home. But for being on land I suppose it’s okay.”

Susie opened her mouth to protest – she could walk on her own, she wasn’t an invalid…. But anxiety over this new increase of hospital restriction hit her. She looked back down at her hands before directing her gaze back at Zane; all the vulnerability caused by the situation was there in her face. She didn’t maintain eye contact for long. Rather bleakly, she admitted, “I don’t understand what’s happening to me. I-I know that I was…I was out there for too long. I know about the radiation. But I don’t know what that means.” And that was as close to asking for an explanation as she was going to get.

She felt so horribly open. She had learned with devastating results just how little people were to be trusted. Besides her family, they had never especially appealed to her any way. But with the death of the aquatic life of her hiding place, she had had no choice. She felt like she had no choice again, but if she did have to trust someone, she was glad it was Zane. It was possible, maybe, that a doctor who told Greek mythology stories might be trustworthy.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-11-16 07:08 pm UTC (link)
Zane knelt before the mermaid, and took her hands into his gently. There was a kind smile on his face, one that reached all the way to his eyes. Though he didn't know the particular circumstances of the girl's situation, he knew that it couldn't have been easy for her out there. The world outside was harsh even without the radiation that rained down all around.

"Radiation in large amounts is a difficult thing for the body to handle," he began to explain. "When it builds up we get sick, and our bodies aren't able to heal on its own. That's why you feel nauseated, and why the bruises and cuts on your body haven't gone away. You are an amazing young woman to have survived this whole time without anyone, but now that you are with people I don't want to leave you alone." The truth was that the girl had endeared herself to Zane, and he didn't want anything happening to her without him being around. If she were in the hospital he'd be able to keep a closer eye on her than if she were at home.

"I know it's scary, and it's even scarier not being someplace familiar. If you don't want to stay here past tomorrow afternoon then you can go home, but please at least stay here tonight. For my own peace of mind," he said with a playful smile. "I have a tendency of worrying too much about my patients."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-11-17 01:31 am UTC (link)
Susie looked down at her small hands in his much larger ones. Both the sensation and sight were oddly comforting. It had been a while since she’d allowed anyone to take hold of her in any way. But this was okay. She was fairly certain that if she pulled away, he would let go. And knowing that made her not want to pull away.

She nodded. Her body wasn’t healing. It was something she had noticed. Neither aquatic life nor the trip she had made were easy. Her body had been left covered in black, blue, and red and it wasn’t going away. Gaze traveling from hands up her arm a bit, she stared at a particularly nasty scrape that had given her some trouble. Stupid ground. She only fell a little – she had been so tired that day, she couldn’t help it. Susie looked up to snatch a glance at Zane. He seemed to be talking so intently.

Her gaze was unwavering as she looked directly into his eyes. It took a leap of faith, but she could make it. “You can worry about me if you want to.” She lost her courage and looked back at her hands. “There isn’t anyone else who will.” Susie tried with all her might not to let his words impact her. It wasn’t smart. Trusting and caring left you vulnerable…. She didn’t care. She wanted to know that she mattered to someone. She didn’t want to be alone.

Blinking back up at Zane, she asked, “So, what happens now?” Because she still didn’t know if she was going to be alright.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-11-19 03:39 am UTC (link)
Susie's body may have been fragile, but her spirit was unbreakable. Zane could see that even in the short amount of time he had spent with her. More and more she reminded him of his little sister, and those similarities made his heart ache for the presence of his family. He pushed those feelings aside to focus on his patient, and he did his best to bring her some sort of comfort during her illness. If he was speaking intently it was so she would understand that she wasn't alone in any of this, and that he truly cared about her.

Her words caused the corners of his mouth to arch downward a little. So many people in the haven had lost their families. Many were living on their own without anyone to care for them. Some had even begun to close their hearts off to others because the mere thought of losing someone else in their life was too much to bear. Zane didn't want Susie to fall victim to those feelings. She was alive, and that meant there was still plenty of good things to come down the line.

"I know we just met Susie, but I care about you," he said as he patted her small hands. "What happens now is that you rest so you can get well." He smiled at her, and squeezed her hands gently before he stood to his feet. Zane moved to pull a chair close to her wheelchair, and sat next to her to look out the window. "When you're better I'll show you around this place," he said with a nod of his head to solidify the fact. "Would you like that?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-11-19 04:30 am UTC (link)
Susie was unaware of the losses others had suffered. It wasn’t out of malice. She had just been justifiably preoccupied by her own worries. Had she given it consideration, she would have realized that others had lost loved ones as well. But she had been isolated from the rest of the world for a while. It didn’t occur to her to see things from another’s point of view.

She nodded stoically, but her brows inched inward and her lip quivered. He cared about her? Someone cared about her. It sent her mind whirling for a moment. She nibbled the inside of her lip and tried not to cry.

Susie nodded again, this time a little more enthusiastically. She caught herself before the room could start spinning, but she did want to see the hospital. “I’d like that. You have a lot of things here that I haven’t seen before.” She still wasn’t up to elaborating too much, but her eyes reflected interest.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-11-20 01:28 am UTC (link)
It was in Zane's nature to care about people, but he couldn't help the attachment that he was developing with Susie. He had formed bonds with his younger patients when he was practicing in New York, but those lasted only as long as they needed care. Elysium was a more intimate environment, and he was able to create lasting friendships with the people he treated, and cared for. Apart from those generalizations Zane had a feeling that the bond he was beginning to form with Susie was going to last for a long time.

He noticed the way her lip quivered, but he didn't make a big deal out of it. Susie was in an emotional state, but he could tell she was doing her best to stay strong. "Well how about I show you around the pavilion tomorrow, and then if you're feeling up to it we can try to go outside. But first, missy, you need to get some rest," he said as he looked over his shoulder at the bed. "It's not a water bed, but I think it's comfortable. Slept in them a few nights myself."

Zane stood to his feet, and moved to stand behind Susie's wheelchair. He turned her around slowly, and moved her over toward the bed. He imagined that her independence meant a lot to her, and so this time he didn't offer to help her into the bed. That didn't mean he didn't stand nearby to catch her if she did topple over.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-11-20 04:43 am UTC (link)
Susie smiled weakly when he joked about the bed. Even his gentle tone of voice couldn’t erase the worry brought by the immediate situation. She was exhausted, body pushed nearly to the limits from trying to heal itself. But she was also terrified. It wasn’t safe to sleep any more. If some predator didn’t get her, the nightmares would.

She was quiet as he wheeled her around the small room. When he stopped, she knew he intended for her to get up and go to the bed. But that wasn’t going to work for a few reasons. One, getting up right now sounded like a monumental effort. And two, if she laid down again, she would probably fall asleep. So she tucked her knees a little closer to her body, as best she could in a wheel chair, and remained seated.

“I’m not sleepy,” she lied. Susie almost suggested going to look at the pavilion now, but there was no way she was up to that.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]nospoon
2009-11-24 10:10 pm UTC (link)
Zane frowned a little when she didn't move from the chair. He saw her hugging her knees close to her body, and he knew that she didn't like the idea of sleeping. The herbal medicine he had given her would work best with her body at rest. He had no idea about the nightmares that plagued her mind when she was asleep, and if he did he would have said something to reassure her of them.

"You need to rest," he said patting her shoulder gently. "You'll feel better faster if you do." Zane moved to her side, and placed a hand underneath the crook of her arm to help her stand. "Come on now," he urged softly. "I'll get you something special if you do."

Bribery. It always worked with the children that Zane tended to back in New York, and he decided to try it with Susie. He knew she wasn't a child in the least, but she was alone, and scared, and that required extra attention, and care.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]swim_away
2009-11-25 12:55 am UTC (link)
Susie leaned infinitesimally closer into his hand. Counter to her normal instincts, she found his touch reassuring. It reminded her of a time when she liked to be held.

She gave him a bruised look. “I don’t wanna.” But she moved to the bed any way. Sitting, she bit the nail of her thumb and considered it. “What kind a something?” Though Susie wasn’t technically a child any more, that didn’t prevent her from acting like one. Youth in general and the traumatic events of the last month were excuse enough, but she had had very limited contact with people as well. It was easy for her to turn fearful and petulant when sick.

Susie turned and looked nervously at the bed, almost as if it would bite her. She curled back into herself again, knees up and arms around them.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Home | Site Map | Manage Account | TOS | Privacy | Support | FAQs