Day 201 [event post]

[bastionpc]

Who: Zahi and everyone who wants to go hunt down the cure
Open: Open
When: 201- onwards
Where: the monument, and then out on the Skyway
What: People in the Bastion are falling sick, and Zahi knows where a cure can be found. Unfortunately, it won't be easy to get to.
Format: action
Warnings: none

[On Day 201, after several people have fallen ill, another meeting is called. This time, however, it is not Nathaniel who has called for everyone. It's Zahi.]

Okay, I know everyone's been worried about the people in the hospital, and it looks like our fears weren't unfounded: some of the people who went on that last trip, they caught something.

I've been watching the symptoms, and I think I know what this is. A long time ago, back before Zayna was born, there was a terrible illness that claimed the lives of many Ura. Everyone who fell sick here, they had the same symptoms as those who caught the disease before.

On the plus side, this means that it can be cured. I know of a clinic, way out in the Terminals, where there should be some medicine stocked. Not only can we cure the sick, but we can give another kind of medicine to those who aren't sick yet, so they won't catch it at all.

The downside is that it's gonna take a while to get there. It'll be at least two days there, and possibly more to track down exactly where the clinic is, and then the same amount of time back. We're looking at a four-day minimum, which means we won't be much help to those who are sick right now. They'll either be dead or getting better by the time we get back.

Then there's the fact that it's really dangerous out there. Zayna and I were out on the Terminals before we came here, and let's just say that there's a reason we went looking for somewhere safer to stay.

If you'd rather stay here, I can understand that. The Bastion is an amazing place, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone here managed to save everyone. But I'm not a fan of putting all my eggs in one basket, so I figured it's worth a shot to go and try to get some of the medicine.

What do you guys think?

Comments

202

[notduchess]

[ Duke isn't in a nest today, rather just curled up on one side and trying to ignore the world. It isn't working terribly well, but it sort of looks like the knight is sleeping. When the coughing stops, at least. And if you manage to miss the times that the knight feels too hot, or too cold. There's no medium between a fever and the chills that come along with this plague. But that's all the movement - tugging blanket, coughing.

Duke is not doing well. ]

[four_quarts]

[Today is the day Ghaleon's decided to be a productive member of society, and that means wearing the metaphorical healer's hat that he's had so little occasion to use in remotely recent times. The white-haired woman just so happens to be one of the people he's visiting today. It's... somewhat of a somber thing, having the spread of such a terrible illness be the reason for his skills to be needed.

Duke may feel a hand on her forehead, checking her temperature.]

[notduchess]

[ So much productivity.

Duke feels too warm at the moment, so after a little bit, she might be leaning into that hand a little. ]

[four_quarts]

[He sighs a little at how warm she is. Poor thing must not even realize that he's a stranger. He removes his hand and leaves the room for a moment, returning with a bowl of cold water and a few small towels. After soaking one of the towels in the water, Ghaleon carefully shifts his patient so that her hair is out of the way and loosely wraps the wet towel around her neck. Sure, the cold might be a bit of a shock and her pillow might end up damp, but this is the most efficient method of quickly cooling someone down short of dumping them in a cold bath.

Say what you will about him, but Ghaleon would rather have a conscious patient dumped in a tub than having to haul a dead weight and have to constantly hold her head above water to be sure that she doesn't drown.]

[notduchess]

[ Just a bit of a shock. Duke had opened her eyes when he started shifting her about, but it mostly seemed to be confused watching of.. his face. She makes a short noise of surprise because cold, yes that is cold, and shivers and tucks her feet up a little, but her attention goes back to his face.

She's really confused by your face, mystery doctor. ]

Festival gave me your coat...

[four_quarts]

[Well, that certainly confirms his suspicions that she thinks he's someone else. A towel is placed on Duke's forehead to further help bring down the fever.]

Did it now?

[notduchess]

[ That gets her to close her eyes for a bit, with a short hum of 'yes'.

Only for a bit, because that voice- she looks more confused now. ]

... thought I was the girl twin...

[four_quarts]

[He almost laughs at that. Almost. Although it has been a very long time indeed, he still remembers what it was like to lose a sibling. How long ago was it that she lost hers, he wonders?]

Come now, surely my voice isn't quite that high-pitched.

[notduchess]

s'higher than-

[ It ought to be, hers, who knows because hi, coughing fit.

That's a complicated question. ]

[four_quarts]

[Whatever the end of the sentence might have been, her caregiver dismisses it in favor of retrieving a glass of water for when the coughing fit subsides. Carefully rolling Duke onto her side, Ghaleon rubs her back to hopefully speed the process along and softly hums a tune.]

[notduchess]

[ That was a ridiculously long hummed ocarina note at the end there, Ghaleon. Whether the backrubs sped things along or not, the coughing fit ends and Duke resumes the "oh, you feel kinda nice" leaning into Ghaleon's hand.

She does not have the energy to uncurl from however she ended up after that coughing fit. ]

[four_quarts]

[Ocarina note? Clearly Duke's hallucinating if she's hearing an ocarina, because Ghaleon definitely can't make that kind of sound with his voice.]

...Would you like some water?

[notduchess]

[ Duke wants nothing. Wanting something takes too much effort. ]

Should. [ Particularly when her voice sounds this crappy. ]

Don't.

[freedom_engineer]

[And Ghaleon isn't the only one visiting her, checking up on her. Colin's been making the rounds quite a bit, checking on everyone who's been getting sick. Today is no different.]

[However, when he gets to her today, he frowns and narrows his eyes.]

Okay, that's it... Duke, you're not doing well. We need to get you in some water NOW.

[notduchess]

[ Hi Colin, what the fuck are you talking about Colin?

Duke's cold right now, so the reaction she gives to "you're going in water" is "nope, curling up more." ]

[freedom_engineer]

[Good thing he's not asking, huh?]

You've been far too hot for far too long. This is going to kill you if we don't take drastic actions.

[Fortunately, they've been using the tubs quite a bit, so it's not a long walk to get it prepared. Just in the next room over, even. Colin's going to turn on the water there, then come back to Duke.]

Can you even talk to me today?

[notduchess]

[ Yes. but also no. ]

feel cold though

[ Yes, again also no. Her voice sounds horrid due to all the coughing, but there's some quiet, really raspy words.

And then the face of "I better not start coughing". ]

[freedom_engineer]

You feel cold.

Your temperature, however, is high enough to put your life in danger. In other words, your body is lying to you and trying to kill you at the same time.

Are you going to fight me over the bath?

[notduchess]

s'rude.

[ Here is your response to 'fight you over the bath'. Duke shifts a tiny bit, and flops because wow no, super tired. ]

wouldn't do much. [ And here's a coughing fit, so really, there's no fighting going to happen. ]

[freedom_engineer]

Illness does tend to do that.

You ready to be carried?

[notduchess]

No. but you're going to anyway.

[ Very resigned sounding. And not going to be helpful beyond that - the blanket is still being clung to. ]

[freedom_engineer]

You're absolutely right.

[Colin reaches out to pry her fingers from the blanket.]

And if you soak the blanket, you're REALLY going to be cold when we get you out of the bath...

[notduchess]

Can't go later?

[ She means "right before there's water everywhere", but talking is still not a great idea. One hand to get off the blanket, Colin, the other is curling in front of her face as she coughs. ]

[freedom_engineer]

If only, huh?

Don't worry. Someday you'll probably have to take care of my dumb ass, and you can make me do things that are good for me that I don't wanna do.

[Colin picks Duke up from the bed, and carries her to where the bath is waiting. His suit's sensors flash all kinds of warnings, all saying essentially the same thing: "Warning: Contact with exposed victim." He pays them due attention, just in case they're telling him something he doesn't know. Fortunately, they're not.]

Okay, we need to keep you in here for a little while... I'll apologize for that later. For now, your temperature means "No apologies."

[You're getting lowered into the water, Duke. It's lukewarm, not too warm, not cold at all.]

[notduchess]

[ Farewell blanket, she loved you at the moment. Didn't love you half an hour ago, and probably wouldn't in a little while, but well. ]

Can't think of anything you'd mess up with that would leave you needing care...

[ Either she's saying Colin would blow himself up completely and be bits, or blow something up and not need any more help because he's fine.

Yes well it feels cold. Duke doesn't yelp, but there is a moment where she tries to cling to Colin because it feels cold enough that she doesn't want to be in there. But that's about all the strength she has to 'fight'. ]