[Open] The Doctor is In!

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

Sam had been working diligently on Alex's diagnostics, but even his determination needed a break every once in a while. He's had to think rather creatively, and put himself in Dr. Crawford's shoes quite often in order to make progress.

But now, it was time for a break. He went to where he had his own personal blood storage, the pints that were not suitable for use for transfusions into humans for whatever reason. He had them packed how he was used, more like a juice pouch than in the way blood pints were typically stored. Sure, he could put in a mug or opaque glass, but he wasn't feeling particularly self-conscious. Despite the poor first-impression he'd made on certain members of the crew, he was starting to feel more at home. And thanks to his conversation with Jamie, he hadn't become a victim of his own homesickness.

So he leaned back in his chair, crossed one leg over another, and sipped at his meal, allowing his mind to wander without worry of where it will go. After a little while he pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. He powered it on, and started to look through the pictures on it. There were several of himself and Angelina, taken by holding his phone out in front of them. There were others showing a slight baby bump developing on her thin frame. There were some of Jared with Lord Ruthwen, and his wife, Katarina, in their formal council wear. Some of Jared and his husband Preston in front of their new house that was to be the seat of a new clan. Sam smiled as he flipped through the photos. They were safe in the pods. And he was going to make sure everyone stayed as healthy as possible so that they might go back onto the battlefield and restore what was lost.

((Any and all are welcome, if they have some kind of ache, ailment, or injury due to... anything really. Don't be shy! Sam needs the CR!))

Comments

[greennotgold]

Fletcher wasn't one to run to medbay over every little scrape and boo-boo, but this one was pretty bad. On his way back to his room from Hydroponics, he'd tripped over Jujube and done something, he wasn't sure what, to his ankle.

Now the puppy was napping guiltily in their room and Fletcher had hobbled his way down to see a doctor, wincing with every step. He poked his head into the room. "H-hello?"

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

Sam looked up at the voice, and saw the child it belonged to. He snapped his phone shut and set the blood on the table in front of him. His phone was dropped back into his pocket when he stood. "Hello. Is there anything you need help with?" He wondered where Stacy drew the line when it came to how young she made her soldiers. At least the boy still had the innocent scent of youth around him. Some were working very hard to keep him as he is. That made it a bit less depressing.

[greennotgold]

Fletcher froze up when he saw who it was. He recognized that man. He hadn't seen him for a few months, but...

"Um-- I, um, my ankle," he stammered out. "I, um, it's not that important, I can come back."

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

But when the boy got nervous, there was something familiar about his scent. Of course! This was Fletcher, the boy he'd attacked! It felt like a long time ago. The bloodlust had clouded him, and he'd come very close to changing his life forever. It was thanks to Evangeline that he hadn't.

He smiled to Fletcher. "It's fine. I'm not going to hurt you." He walked over to him.

[greennotgold]

Fletcher winced, but he couldn't exactly run away, not with his ankle in this state. In any case... he was acting much different than he had the last time they'd met. Had something changed?

"Ah... are you a doctor?"

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

He nodded in response to the question. "I am. I really wasn't myself last time we saw each other. I'm really sorry to have scared you. I'd just arrived, and I was alone, lost, confused, and frightened. I'm much better now." He continued to smile, careful not to show his fangs. They were still in the process of receding from his feeding.

[greennotgold]

"I-I see." Fletcher nodded. He supposed that someone would have done something by now if the doctor wasn't telling the truth...

He took a deep breath. "Um, I stepped on my ankle wrong and now it hurts."

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

"I'm used to having my big brother around when things happen like this," he explained with a sheepish shrug.

But when Fletcher finally confessed his ailment, he didn't look as anxious. "Can I help you up onto the bed so I can take a look?"

[greennotgold]

Fletcher blinked in surprise at that confession, and then looked down at the floor. It stung, because he knew exactly what Sam meant.

"Um-- s-sure. Thanks..." He tried stepping closer to one of the beds, wincing as he did so.

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

Sam finally closed the distance between them in a few quick strides, and put his hands under Fletcher's arms. He just picked him up, and sat him down on the nearest examining table as though he were picking up an empty box. The child's weight didn't seem to be anything at all.

He crouched in front of the boy's feet, and started to loosen the shoelace on the relevant foot. "Can you tell me what happened a little better?"

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

Nanashi wandered into the office, her usual confidence rather lacking, though someone who did not know her quite as well as Sam did probably would not notice. She had been avoiding him and avoiding the Med Bay, and the blood supply since that fight.

She had been putting off visiting him, waiting for the right time, and she thought she finally had a half-way decent excuse.

"Samuel? Might I talk with you? I have a medical concern."

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

He had returned to his work following Fletcher's visit, and he was taking down some notes and observations to get his thoughts in order for the next battery of tests. He hoped he could go without making the boy use any of these powers, but it may be valuable to observe any physiological changes that occur in the process.

Her scent came in before she did. He had noticed its general absence in recent days, and he commended her for at least not stalking him. But at her voice, his pen stopped. He would be in a different state now had he not had that conversation with Jamie following the bomb explosion. The situation was not as hopeless as he had feared, and as Nanashi had said. As long as there were those that could fight, there was hope. Just as Lady Katarina had always said.

He pushed himself back from his desk, and angled his body slightly toward her. His writing arm remained on the desktop, his other elbow resting on the armrest. He was deliberately ignoring any of the formality he'd used to get in her good graces before. "What is it?" he asked, sounding extremely annoyed and bothered by her presence.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

She hadn't realized how much she had let her guard down around Sam until she physically flinched at the words. It was unlike her to show anything like that. She was also surprised and upset at how much the sound of his annoyance hurt.

She took a moment to put her walls back up before explaining, "Kowalski. He and I had spent some time together. I am concerned that I might have somehow gotten a parasite from him, yet I am afraid to have any other doctor check for me, nor do I wish to wait until the ship-wide screenings."

She sounded sincere enough. Enough of it was true. The only thing was that she didn't think she was capable of getting a parasite. She figured her blood would kill it off as it did to any infection that might dare to try to enter her body. As for the doctors, she wasn't afraid that thy might mess something up inside of her, she was more afraid that they would not know how to keep themselves safe if she had to be put under, where her instincts would take over.

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "A parasite?" He didn't seem to believe her at all. "Were you two adventuring in hydroponics together?" He spoke with a cold sarcasm. He was not going to let her get away with pretending nothing happened.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

Nanashi frowned, "No, but he had that creature in his mind. Who knows how long it had been there? I would like to make sure that it has no children hibernating in mine."

She sat in front of the desk wish a soft almost non-existent sigh. She didn't want to rush into her apology. It was hard enough for her to swallow her pride in the first place. She was still working on getting herself to actually say it.

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

"Your physiology is no different than mine. I know that if any parasite even tried to get a lock into my body, it'd die before it could do me even so much of an inconvenience. Surely a queen such as yourself would be in a much better place." He still didn't seem to move much more than the angle of his head as she came to sit near him.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

"I am sorry."

She let that hang there for a minute. She wondered if she had ever so sincerely apologized before. Once. She had ordered two hunters dead. She hadn't known they had a child. The child was brought back and treated a a prince, and she had kept him closer than any of the children. He chose to remain human, but it was likely that had he chosen to have vampire blood, then she would have taken him as her heir.

"I said some terrible things to you, Sam. Fears I should have kept to myself. I was jealous, and enraged. My own jealousy and fear blinded me to how my words might have effected you. It was a terrible mistake. A truly terrible mistake, and one that has been haunting me since those words left my lips."

Even if she had been able to manage to suppress her guilt and forget of it on her own, Kano had decided to never let her forget.

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

Finally, she acknowledges it. His posture relaxed somewhat, and he finally set his pen down. He slouched slightly in his chair. He regarded her carefully for a moment before he spoke, and his voice was less cold now than it had been.

"I have seen a woman much younger than yourself, that had seen much less of the world react to a desperate situation with more grace, honesty, and integrity than you've shown me, Nanashi. Quite frankly, I've thrown my lot in with you because I know how weak I am on my own. It could have been any vampire, quite possibly even with greater bloodlust than yourself that would have gained the loyalty that you formerly enjoyed.

"Loyalty that is not usually so easily won, I might add. My family and I have been betrayed far too many times to let it go so easily."

He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands hanging loosely between them. He ran a hand over his head, letting his bangs fall back over his face. "All that said, I can respect your fears. You probably feel just as lonely and homesick as I do. So, I can forgive you. Blame the part of me that's still thinking like I'm still human, but I still can't hold a grudge." He offered a small, tightlipped smile.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

She found herself once again wincing at Sam's words. She had let her emotions control her, and it had caused her to miscalculate. This was why she normally tried to ignore her emotions. But this war was one of love and emotions had to be calculated into it.

She looked pitifully at Sam as he smiled. "I was not using my head. I was just projecting my own fears, fears that I will never see Ritsuki- or any of my dear children."

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

He rolled on his chair closer to her. "I can understand that. You know who I am waiting for above all else. Every time the pods open, I can barely breathe for the anticipation of seeing her face. It hurts."

He sighed, and reached a hand out to her. "I suppose we have more in common than we thought."

[drowpaladin.livejournal.com]

It was rather difficult to knock when there wasn't a proper door, but Maydril made the attempt anyway. She cleared her throat gently, and peered in, hands clasped before her.

"Hello, Doctor. I trust you are well?" she asked, as a polite preamble.

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

It was rather difficult to sneak up on someone that recognized people by scent, but when it reached him, he was a bit confused about its source. It was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He looked up from his work, and suddenly he remembered. Under the scent of Alex's blood, it was difficult for him to pick out something as subtle as this elf. "Yes, I am, thank you," he stood, and crossed to meet her. He offered a hand for a shake. "You're one of Alex's friends, correct? Is there anything I can help you with?"

[drowpaladin.livejournal.com]

"I am. My name is Maydril val Mandrian. I am not injured to my knowledge...not past the usual aches that come with a normal workout, in any case," she said as she accepted his hand in her callused one and shook it gracefully.

"I was hoping, however, that we could perhaps help each other, if you are not averse to it? I do recall you saying that you could use a nurse? I am more skilled in healing magic, to be honest, but I can follow direction well, and am willing to learn." She had shown that when she and Matt Olsen had brought Alex in, in any case.

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

He smiled. "Thank you for your offer, Maydril. I appreciate it. I don't think I'll need you on a constant basis, because things are generally pretty calm around here. But can you get here quickly if I contact you over the comm ring?"

[drowpaladin.livejournal.com]

"I should be able to, yes. I know where this is, and it should not be too difficult to get here if you should need me." May gave a nod.

"Nor will I be upset if you prefer more...mundane means of healing. I realize magic healing is not for everyone."