transfundere | TLV Inbox

Hi. Just checking: Dr. Hilbert's not allowed in the infirmary anymore, right?

Good day.

Only as a patient. And I have been assured that the records are both locked and bespelled against entry from others.

Great. Not that he did a bad job stitching me up when I got here. I'm just trying to avoid any more medical malpractice experiences.

Speaking of- mind if I came by and got checked out for any errant space viruses? Just in case. I think the one he's known for is called Decima.

Of course. At your leisure.

To whom am I speaking, incidentally?

Right, sorry. My name's Will Graham. See you soon.

[ He heads over in the next few minutes, not seeing any reason to wait now that he's had the all-clear. It's kind of silly, honestly, but he doesn't know what Hilbert might've been doing while Will was resting.

He'd been putting it off since Dracula disappeared and honestly was thinking of just leaving it, but the stitches in his right shoulder were starting to get itchy. He's already managed to cut the ones off his right cheek, and that seems to be healing up nicely. The shoulder? He can't reach that as well.

He walks in to find Reid and gives him a lazy little wave. ]

Hi, I'm Will? Just talked to you over text.

Edited 2023-03-02 15:47 (UTC)

[ Reid, in person, is tall, with a long face and pale skin, dark hair and sea-glass eyes that can't help but be a little bit sad. He smiles a little at Will's wave and offers a dip of his head in greeting. He'll do the blood test, according to the instructions left in the notes, but he's reasonably certain there's no need for alarm.]

Yes, Mister Graham. Please, take a seat. Thank you for coming in.

[ Will sits in the indicated seat, looking up at the doctor and nodding briefly before returning his attention to his feet. He rolls his plaid shirt sleeve up on his right arm, hoping to make it easier to take blood. ]

Thanks for seeing me. I don't think- I probably don't have anything going on. I talked to Mr. Eiffel about things and he said Hilbert would want me healthy before he tested anything on me. So the worst he probably got were my vitals.

[ He sees the veins in his wrist standing out, blue under his skin. ] If anything, I should probably thank him for saving me. Don't know if I would've bled out, but I could've been in much worse shape.

[ Taking blood is one of the parts of his work that he's done more than most doctors of his age and not for the amusing kind of reasons. He's matter of fact and practiced as he slaps on a pair of gloves, pulls out the rubber tube, ties him up and pulls out the needle. He'll glance over at Will before he puts the needle into view. ]

Do you have a problem with needles, sir?

I don't- I got used to it at a young age. Go ahead.

[ He'll watch as Reid takes the blood, staring at the needle as if it's the best way to pass the time. ]

Have you started getting used to this place yet? I'm still reeling at a few things.

[ He doesn't pause in his work, but once the needle is pulled gently from Will's skin, smooth as silk as the cotton is applied, the bandage over that- ]

If one considers ferrying oneself between the infirmary and the library could be considered 'getting used to' this place, I suppose I have.

But otherwise, I'd have to admit I'm also still... 'reeling'.

[ Will lets his arm drop and starts rolling the sleeve back down. ]

Hey, it's a lot to take in. The library's nice, at least. Strange in that 'too many cozy reading nooks' way, rather than the 'fantastical even for science fiction' way.

I have never had the problem of 'too many cozy reading nooks', I admit. And I have the advantage of being new enough that there are seldom people looking for me.

[ A pause. ]

For what 'advantage' that might be.

[ He's going to start in with the totally unnecessary testing procedure, if only to comfort the man.]

Suffice to say that I'm glad the Admiral allowed me to bring Lisa.

Lisa? Is that a pet?

[ Is there another dog on this ship? Will manages to quell his excitement for the moment. ]

[ That... gets a blink. Then a shake of his head. ]

I'm afraid not, no. Just my, uh,

My plant, actually.

Oh. I see.

[ Dog alert: back to nominal. Will smiles a bit, even so. ]

That's nice of the Admiral, though. It's good to have something from home...even if most of us actually have some form of our homes here, it's- different.

What type of plant is it?

She's a, er, I believe her to be a ficus? I-if I had to venture a guess. I, um, I suppose I inherited her from the last doctor to have my office at the Pembroke. It took some doing to revive her from a rather sorry state, but she seems to be doing all right in my rooms here, thankfully.

[ A pause. ]

Though I, um... I have considered a pet? It just wasn't particularly wise, given my service and then the... epidemic.

[ He nods along to the description, and smiles towards the end. ]

You might want to ask for a cat or a dog or something, or keep an eye out when we stop somewhere, then. From everything I've heard, the cabins stay safe, and there's a kennel if you need it, as well. Which- it feels kind of odd to say, but it seems a lot safer to have a pet here than where most of us came from.

I've considered it, though I come upon the problem of my hours here. I'd hate to ask any animal to spend all day without company just to comfort me at the end of the day.

[ He smiles a bit fondly. ]

There is a cat in the veterinary clinic I've been considering adopting, to be honest. I'll have to talk to the man who runs it, a gentleman who goes by B. Perhaps we could figure something out, given their proximity to the infirmary. A thought for another time.

[ He looks to Will. ]

I should be able to test your blood quickly enough and have your answer for you within a few minutes. If you'd care to wait?

[ Hearing about the cat in the vet clinic has Will nodding. ]

I think it's a good idea. And the kennel is there to watch animals when you're working. You should go meet the cat. [ He smiles a bit. ] I get the feeling they'd do you some good.

[ When asked if he'll wait, Will nods and tells Reid it's no problem at all. He's find sitting around for a few minutes.

Or- he usually is, in any case. This time, as he sits and tries not to drift off to some other imaginary place he might get caught up in, he starts seeing red. Like, literally red, as if someone dropped rose-colored glasses in front of his eyes.

He's not sure why, and doesn't start tugging away from the thought just yet. When these things come to him, sometimes it's best to just let it happen. He watches as the wendigo steps into the infirmary, just as silently as usual. But its horns are different- flowing, moving, like liquid. The rest of him ripples as well. 'What's taking you so long?' Will asks in his head, even as he realizes the differences.

In his seat, Will stares blankly ahead. He's probably going to need a nudge or some time before he comes out of...whatever's going on with him. ]

[ It probably sounds like he's speaking through water, like Will is under the surface and he's talking but it's all garbled. At least until- ]

Mr. Graham? Mr. Graham. Are you all right?

[ Will startles, as if waking up from a deep sleep. He's breathing heavily, hearing his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. It hasn't been that vivid for a while, not without him specifically calling it up. And the imagery was a little different...

He shakes his head rather violently, then blinks and looks up at the doctor. ]

Ah...uh, yeah. Sorry. I'm okay. It's just my usual amount of crazy. At least, I'm assuming.

[ He rubs an eye. And okay, maybe he can be more honest here on the Barge, but that probably didn't help much. ]

Vision went red for a minute there. I'm back.

[ Not much better, but at least it's something. ]

[ That makes him pause and he'll look him over one more time with a focus on his eyes. Still nothing. ]

Red, you said? does that happen often?

[ It pushes at him again, the feeling of his empathy trying to show him something. But he's trying to be less obviously crazy, so he pushes it back. He'll take a look later. ]

Not- ah. Not that in particular. I have a mental condition- doctors back home call it an Empathy Disorder. It causes vivid visualizations, like a step under hallucinating. But when it's strong, I can sort of get lost in myself for a bit, and that...happened there. Sorry.

You have no need to apologize, Mr. Graham.

[ The reassurance is genuine enough. He's not at all bothered; intrigued but with obvious empathy of his own, albeit far less sensory. ]

I admit that my understanding of mental conditions on the whole is rather outdated, though I've been making progress to better understand the science of it. We had some such theories at the time I came from, but not in a way I found particularly compelling.

[ Will is always glad when his condition doesn't creep people out, as much as he tries to pretend that he doesn't care one way or another. Reid's admitting that he's outdated makes Will chuckle a little. ]

Well, don't feel too bad about it. They're not really sure how to classify what I have in my time, either. I haven't gotten the...best of the mental health profession, back home.

But I do know quite a bit about it. In an effort to understand myself, I did research on abnormal psychology, and I've taught at a couple places. So if you have any questions, just let me know sometime.

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...this notif did not come, I'm so sorry

no worries! happy to see the tag :D

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