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xp_logs2005-04-30 11:01 pm
x-forge.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2005-04-30 11:01 pm
Growing Pains: Part 2 -Hank and Forge, in the medlab.
Concerned, Hank visits Forge in the medlab as soon as he hears the news. Forge is being his usual pragmatic self, even with painkillers.
Hank peeked into the room, smiling as he saw Forge. He looked so small, in the bed designed to be able to take people up to seven feet tall and three feet wide. "How are you?" he asked, slipping into the room and closing the door. "I just heard..."
Forge looked up, head still somewhat clouded by the painkillers and the dull throbbing that somehow leaked through the anaesthetic numbness. "I've had better days." Gingerly, he made delicate adjustments to the area around his wrist where he'd pushed back the bandages. A few clicks and twists of screws, and his left hand lay in his lap, allowing Forge to look directly at the implant socket that comprised the end of his left arm.
"Stupid accident, really. I'm more worried about this. If there's nerve damage..."
"We'll work something out," Hank said reassuringly, moving over to perch on the edge of the bed. "With this many geniuses in one house, after all...." He touched Forge's shoulder lightly, since hugs weren't feasible just now. "We'll just have to put our awesome problem-solving power to work."
"Doctor Grey was saying that there's some anomaly with the x-rays," Forge grumbled. "I should have known better, I really should have. And I know that it's something serious, since she hasn't tried to set the arm or put me in a cast. When everyone came back from that big fight you guys had, I remember broken bones were like, within fifteen minutes in the triage." He eased himself up to a sitting position to look earnestly at Hank. "I know it's probably more complicated, what with..." he waved the stump of his bandaged forearm around. "Dr. Grey said she had to call my dad."
"She has." Hank nodded. "And I believe he will be here as soon as he can." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "And... anomalous x-rays, hm? I'll take a look... I haven't seen them yet. I came straight to see you, when I came down, to see how you're doing."
Forge held up his arm, then reached over from the bed to grab a pen Dr. Grey had left there. "Well, it doesn't look like the implant screws are broken. They go back to about ... here," Forge made two lines on the bandage. "But if the break's right here," he made a circle around the spot where it still hurt, "then it shouldn't have affected any of the nerves. As I understand it, the reinforcement should have made the bone stronger, it shouldn't have fractured."
Hank nodded, frowning a little as he summoned up the specifics of Forge's arm-implant from his capacious memory. "Actually... you're right," he said slowly. "Under the circumstances, I would still have expected your arm to break... but not there." He tapped another spot lightly, higher up and nearer the elbow. "If your forearm were to break at any point, I would have guessed here to be the likeliest spot."
"Exactly. Shear strength should have been weakest at the top of the bone," Forge noted. "And the only likely explanation would be that the bone ... shattered and fragmented." Forge's voice caught on the last words. He knew that even in a healthy arm, an injury like that would take months to heal. With someone already as damaged as he was... "No wonder Dr. Grey said 'complications'."
"There may have been a hitherto undiscovered weak place in the bone, which snapped under pressure," Hank suggested, not wanting Forge to work himself up into a panic over it. "It does happen." The idea that the bone had somehow weakened enough to shatter was... probably the most likely, but also the most worrying. None of the potential causes for that were good news. Much better to hope for a single flaw in the bone.
Forge nodded, then lay back in the bed. "It's a mystery..." he mumbled, the kick of the last painkiller finally taking hold. "But I've got the best doctors in the world here, don't I?" his voice was almost dreamy and loopy. "You guys are the best."
"Indeed we are," Hank agreed, patting Forge's knee gently. "Don't worry, all right? No matter what the problem is, we'll find a solution."
Hank peeked into the room, smiling as he saw Forge. He looked so small, in the bed designed to be able to take people up to seven feet tall and three feet wide. "How are you?" he asked, slipping into the room and closing the door. "I just heard..."
Forge looked up, head still somewhat clouded by the painkillers and the dull throbbing that somehow leaked through the anaesthetic numbness. "I've had better days." Gingerly, he made delicate adjustments to the area around his wrist where he'd pushed back the bandages. A few clicks and twists of screws, and his left hand lay in his lap, allowing Forge to look directly at the implant socket that comprised the end of his left arm.
"Stupid accident, really. I'm more worried about this. If there's nerve damage..."
"We'll work something out," Hank said reassuringly, moving over to perch on the edge of the bed. "With this many geniuses in one house, after all...." He touched Forge's shoulder lightly, since hugs weren't feasible just now. "We'll just have to put our awesome problem-solving power to work."
"Doctor Grey was saying that there's some anomaly with the x-rays," Forge grumbled. "I should have known better, I really should have. And I know that it's something serious, since she hasn't tried to set the arm or put me in a cast. When everyone came back from that big fight you guys had, I remember broken bones were like, within fifteen minutes in the triage." He eased himself up to a sitting position to look earnestly at Hank. "I know it's probably more complicated, what with..." he waved the stump of his bandaged forearm around. "Dr. Grey said she had to call my dad."
"She has." Hank nodded. "And I believe he will be here as soon as he can." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "And... anomalous x-rays, hm? I'll take a look... I haven't seen them yet. I came straight to see you, when I came down, to see how you're doing."
Forge held up his arm, then reached over from the bed to grab a pen Dr. Grey had left there. "Well, it doesn't look like the implant screws are broken. They go back to about ... here," Forge made two lines on the bandage. "But if the break's right here," he made a circle around the spot where it still hurt, "then it shouldn't have affected any of the nerves. As I understand it, the reinforcement should have made the bone stronger, it shouldn't have fractured."
Hank nodded, frowning a little as he summoned up the specifics of Forge's arm-implant from his capacious memory. "Actually... you're right," he said slowly. "Under the circumstances, I would still have expected your arm to break... but not there." He tapped another spot lightly, higher up and nearer the elbow. "If your forearm were to break at any point, I would have guessed here to be the likeliest spot."
"Exactly. Shear strength should have been weakest at the top of the bone," Forge noted. "And the only likely explanation would be that the bone ... shattered and fragmented." Forge's voice caught on the last words. He knew that even in a healthy arm, an injury like that would take months to heal. With someone already as damaged as he was... "No wonder Dr. Grey said 'complications'."
"There may have been a hitherto undiscovered weak place in the bone, which snapped under pressure," Hank suggested, not wanting Forge to work himself up into a panic over it. "It does happen." The idea that the bone had somehow weakened enough to shatter was... probably the most likely, but also the most worrying. None of the potential causes for that were good news. Much better to hope for a single flaw in the bone.
Forge nodded, then lay back in the bed. "It's a mystery..." he mumbled, the kick of the last painkiller finally taking hold. "But I've got the best doctors in the world here, don't I?" his voice was almost dreamy and loopy. "You guys are the best."
"Indeed we are," Hank agreed, patting Forge's knee gently. "Don't worry, all right? No matter what the problem is, we'll find a solution."