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xp_logs(backdated) April watches over Haller in medical while Clarice checks him over.
There weren't many shadows in the hospital wing as a general rule. Still, Haller's room had some with the lights dimmed enough to be somewhat restful but not impede the ability to check on him. April was curled into shadows that his bed projected onto the floor, one tendril wrapped loosely around his wrist.
The beat of his heart was as soothing as the steady hum of the electricity in the machines around him, and she was almost drifting off when the quiet slap of shoes on tile caught her attention. The shoes paused outside his door, and April pulled her tendril back, body blending into the shadows as she crouched, ready to pounce.
Clarice was grateful to be out of quarantine, though she hated having to tend to friends in the medlab like this. It was part of the job and she'd been doing it for years, but that didn't make it easier. The downsides to being a physician's assistant for a paramilitary team.
Stepping into Haller's room, she quickly checked his vitals and made sure he was as comfortable as possible, eyes sliding to the unnaturally dark shadow form under the bed. "You doing okay, April?" she asked.
Her answer was a low growl and wide white eyes peering at her unblinkingly over the edge of the bed. A tendril reached back up to wrap around his wrist, and April bared her teeth at Clarice.
Clarice bared her much less terrifying teeth right back, staring without flinching. "I get it," she answered as if April had spoken, "It sucks. It's not much better from my perspective, other than that this isn't the first time he's needed time to put the bag of cats he calls a brain back together. Haller's resilient. And you're watching out for him, too. He'll appreciate that."
She ducked her head, embarrassed that she'd let her... well. She was embarrassed. A few seconds later she peeked back over the bed, slowly unfurling to her normal height, and lifted her knees like she was slowly stretching something, then tilted her head at Haller. It was a query, but playing charades had never been her favorite game, and the board she did have at the moment was too rudimentary to ask questions like "How long?" or "Physical therapy?"
Checking his vitals and making a couple notes in the computer, she continues the one- side conversation easily, "No idea how long he'll be down here, we're not set up for really long term guests, but that's not something we're concerned with yet. The longer it takes him to heal, the more time he'll need to regain full strength, both physical and mental. Right now, it's too soon to tell, but I think he'll be okay. I have a feeling."
April's huff was a low rumble in her chest, but she nodded her head as one of the tendrils on her shoulder curled into a thumbs up. She slid the rudimentary communication board onto the edge of the bed so Clarice could see it, then pointed at herself, the word "HELP", and at Haller before miming stretching again and then making a strong arm pose.
She nodded, "He needs to be turned ever 2 to 4 hours, if you can help with that, especially during the night, that's a big help," Clarice agreed. They really needed a few nurses here, but there was a reason they were a medlab and not a hospital. "I can show you how to do it. But it helps prevent bed sores, which is important."
Her hands might not be the best for it, but the tendrils would help. And she'd at least managed the claws fast enough to not be a concern. April nodded at Clarice. She couldn't do much in this form that was useful, really, but this was doable. She traced a circle in the air over her wrist and tapped it, then made her tendrils spread and flail as if startled.
"Awesome," Clarice was sleeping in the medlab most nights and she'd still set her own alarm to check, if only to make sure April didn't run into unexpected problems. But that was still a help, "I appreciate it." Once she was certain that April could handle it, she'd get to sleep maybe 6 hours straight. That would be exciting.
April gave what passed as a thumbs-up for her in this position, then grabbed a spare blanket and made a nest on the floor. Sitting in the chair hadn't been very comfortable, but she could probably nap a little like this until the alarm to move him. And once she could add a few more words to her vocabulary, she'd ask Clarice about helping more frequently. This was doable. She understood the basics, between helping her dad and the little Forge had allowed. A slim tendril wrapped loosely around Haller's wrist again and she finally shut her eyes, the dark blue-black of her skin fading into the surrounding shadows.
There weren't many shadows in the hospital wing as a general rule. Still, Haller's room had some with the lights dimmed enough to be somewhat restful but not impede the ability to check on him. April was curled into shadows that his bed projected onto the floor, one tendril wrapped loosely around his wrist.
The beat of his heart was as soothing as the steady hum of the electricity in the machines around him, and she was almost drifting off when the quiet slap of shoes on tile caught her attention. The shoes paused outside his door, and April pulled her tendril back, body blending into the shadows as she crouched, ready to pounce.
Clarice was grateful to be out of quarantine, though she hated having to tend to friends in the medlab like this. It was part of the job and she'd been doing it for years, but that didn't make it easier. The downsides to being a physician's assistant for a paramilitary team.
Stepping into Haller's room, she quickly checked his vitals and made sure he was as comfortable as possible, eyes sliding to the unnaturally dark shadow form under the bed. "You doing okay, April?" she asked.
Her answer was a low growl and wide white eyes peering at her unblinkingly over the edge of the bed. A tendril reached back up to wrap around his wrist, and April bared her teeth at Clarice.
Clarice bared her much less terrifying teeth right back, staring without flinching. "I get it," she answered as if April had spoken, "It sucks. It's not much better from my perspective, other than that this isn't the first time he's needed time to put the bag of cats he calls a brain back together. Haller's resilient. And you're watching out for him, too. He'll appreciate that."
She ducked her head, embarrassed that she'd let her... well. She was embarrassed. A few seconds later she peeked back over the bed, slowly unfurling to her normal height, and lifted her knees like she was slowly stretching something, then tilted her head at Haller. It was a query, but playing charades had never been her favorite game, and the board she did have at the moment was too rudimentary to ask questions like "How long?" or "Physical therapy?"
Checking his vitals and making a couple notes in the computer, she continues the one- side conversation easily, "No idea how long he'll be down here, we're not set up for really long term guests, but that's not something we're concerned with yet. The longer it takes him to heal, the more time he'll need to regain full strength, both physical and mental. Right now, it's too soon to tell, but I think he'll be okay. I have a feeling."
April's huff was a low rumble in her chest, but she nodded her head as one of the tendrils on her shoulder curled into a thumbs up. She slid the rudimentary communication board onto the edge of the bed so Clarice could see it, then pointed at herself, the word "HELP", and at Haller before miming stretching again and then making a strong arm pose.
She nodded, "He needs to be turned ever 2 to 4 hours, if you can help with that, especially during the night, that's a big help," Clarice agreed. They really needed a few nurses here, but there was a reason they were a medlab and not a hospital. "I can show you how to do it. But it helps prevent bed sores, which is important."
Her hands might not be the best for it, but the tendrils would help. And she'd at least managed the claws fast enough to not be a concern. April nodded at Clarice. She couldn't do much in this form that was useful, really, but this was doable. She traced a circle in the air over her wrist and tapped it, then made her tendrils spread and flail as if startled.
"Awesome," Clarice was sleeping in the medlab most nights and she'd still set her own alarm to check, if only to make sure April didn't run into unexpected problems. But that was still a help, "I appreciate it." Once she was certain that April could handle it, she'd get to sleep maybe 6 hours straight. That would be exciting.
April gave what passed as a thumbs-up for her in this position, then grabbed a spare blanket and made a nest on the floor. Sitting in the chair hadn't been very comfortable, but she could probably nap a little like this until the alarm to move him. And once she could add a few more words to her vocabulary, she'd ask Clarice about helping more frequently. This was doable. She understood the basics, between helping her dad and the little Forge had allowed. A slim tendril wrapped loosely around Haller's wrist again and she finally shut her eyes, the dark blue-black of her skin fading into the surrounding shadows.
