[log] Glass Half-Empty, Glass Half-Full [closed]

[jumpthegun]

Characters: John Watson, Mary Watson, Royce Melborn, Alfie Solomons, Karkat Vantas, Monika
Location: Building 131, Building 126, and Building 58
Date: Day 311, Day 312, Day 313 and 314
Summary: John and co meet up with Karkat for a blood transfusion, then John and Mary meet up with Monika to give her some clothes and suffer the event together.
Warnings: Blood, needles, potential severe illness

Comments

Building 131 - Day 311

[jumpthegun]

[The hospital is eerie in its silence, and snow presses in against many of the windows, keeping much of it in sterile darkness. It still smells like a hospital; the antiseptic is fresh, and there isn't much dust. Someone must be cleaning it, and yet it's clear no one is here. The hospital is four stories high with one basement, all connected via the elevator lobby and staircase. Unfortunately, the wall of the elevator lobby has been torn open all the way down, exposing it to the bitter air outside. While you can explore and remain on most of the floors of the hospital at night, you cannot travel between them until it's daytime once more, as the lobby seals itself up at curfew. The staircase is its own separate enclosed area, but it too seals itself off from the lobby at night, so you'll be spending an uncomfortable night on the staircase if you get stuck there.

Floor two seems more serious in its tone--this seems to be main surgical area, meant for quick access, and there are two admissions areas--regular and VIP--that prove this, although in both areas the doors that would open to outside of the hospital are permanently sealed due to being covered in snow. Aside from the admissions areas, there's a laboratory, pharmacy, administrative office, several clinics, and four operating rooms. They're a bit interesting--this hospital is not especially large, not meant to accommodate many, and yet the operating rooms have multiple beds. Close inspection reveals one center bed that seems to have been there longer than the others: this bed is attached to the floor through a system that seems to be able to lock and unlock with the press of a button near the base. The others aren't operating tables so much as repurposed metal tables, placed with more hurry and less care. Everything gleams with cleanliness, and there are certainly a lot of blank places where proper electronic equipment could go, but it's all missing.]

[quadrangle]

A. before

[He doesn't know what a phlebotomy is, but he's staring distrustfully at the word wherever it happens to be printed as he stands as close to the exit as he can hack it with arms crossed and foot tapping. Whatever preparations need to be made to get this catastrophe underway are similarly beyond him, but he does glance over whenever it seems like someone might be trying to get his attention or otherwise makes their presence known.]

[An eruption seems imminent, but for now, Mount Karkat lies dormant. Barely.]

B. after

[Karkat would like to sit. Karkat would like to sit and has in fact been instructed to sit (probably), so there he is, sitting and sipping away at some water while he tries very hard not to think about the fact that he's surrounded entirely by adults. He's not very successful.]

[In the interests of not drawing too much attention to himself, he isn't saying much, but the silence grates at him because he keeps half-expecting some orange asshole to mumble his way into earshot or a furred and purring intrusion to start rubbing at his leg. Neither are here. Instead, he is surrounded by fucking adults.]

[Poke him, y/n?]

B!

[bywolves]

[ It's sure been a day. Getting Royce to actually sit down and do the damn procedure had been a process - but with Alfie's coaxing and John's promise that it was perfectly safe, plus probably a few worried looks from Karkat has Royce settling down. By the time everything is done, Royce is exhausted and cold.

But he does want to say thank you. Carefully, Royce slides down the wall to sit next to Karkat, glancing over at him. Almost apprehensive. ]

Are you doing alright? [ He asks after a moment, pulling the blanket around his shoulders a little closer. ]

[quadrangle]

[Royce. Royce is safe, if also an adult, and Karkat relaxes at his approach, turning to look at him once he sits. He still looks pretty awful, if Karkat's honest, but he supposes the transfusion wouldn't have undone the damage so much as... made it stop for a while? Who is he kidding, he has no idea how this shit works.]

I'm okay.

[An easy enough answer, if not an entirely accurate one. He only reconsiders it because, well. It's Royce.]

I mean, kind of dizzy, but that was supposed to happen anyway? Like, surprise! You gave away a, what, a pint or something? You gave away a pint of blood and now you're lightheaded, I wonder if there's a connection! But it's not that bad, really. Sitting through it was worse.

[What with needles being involved and everything. And Davesprite not being around. Shut the fuck up, okay, it's been a while since they've been separated for this long.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce listens patiently - more patiently than he really would for anybody else - and then pauses before answering. In that pause, he carefully pulls the blanket off from around his shoulders and puts it in Karkat's lap. Take it, kiddo. ]

Sitting through it was worse. [ Royce agrees quietly. ] Keep drinking water. Dizziness will pass. Or so John says.

[quadrangle]

[For a moment, all Karkat does is stare at it.]

I have a blanket too, you know.

[He says it a bit more quietly, though, and after a slight pause, he reaches over to haul his belongings closer, fish it out, and offer it to Royce in return. This is stupid, but whatever, why the fuck not do a meaningless, temporary trade? And it had better be temporary; the blanket he'd offered was a gift from Andromeda and bears a picture of the Alternian solar system.]

And you say that like I'd planned on stopping. I know I've never had to deal with major blood loss before, but what the fuck.

[At least not that he'd survived. Or been mysteriously protected from experiencing the side effects of, considering Norfinbury wanted him to suffer everything else he'd been going through at the time more. Totally doesn't count.]

[bywolves]

You looked cold. [ He says, still quiet. That's all. He'll take Andromeda's gift blanket and put it in his own lap. The blanket he's given Karkat was the very first blanket he ever picked up in Norfinbury - a grey, fleece blanket big enough for two people. It's more of a symbolic trade than a useful one, but Royce will take it. ]

Blood loss does suck. [ Royce agrees. A beat. ] Thank you.

[quadrangle]

[He shrugs, but he's visibly self-conscious as he tugs the blanket around himself and hunkers down.]

Who doesn't look cold here? But, uh, you're welcome.

[Seriously, this is completely moronic. Time to drink a little more water in lieu of actual speech, then—]

I'm glad you agreed to it.

[Not the blankets, the other thing. Obviously.]

[bywolves]

I'm hoping I'll be glad I agreed to it as well.

[ Right now he still feels nothing, but he figures that should change soon. He pulls his blanket close, staring down at the floor. ]

[quadrangle]

[Way to bring the mood down, Royce. Not that Karkat is going to call him on it, but he might just nudge him a little, glancing over once again.]

Maybe tomorrow? You probably just have to sleep on it.

[Or. Something. Assuming Royce manages to get any sleep, that is. Karkat isn't entirely sure how he's been doing on that front, but hey, might as well ask.]

How are you doing besides that?

[bywolves]

[ That's his entire existence lately, bringing the mood down. ]

I'm alright. [ Royce says, glancing at Karkat in return. ] I don't feel much anymore. I assume that's going to change tomorrow. Or later, when the transfusion finally kicks in.

[quadrangle]

[He can't decide if feeling nothing at all is a mercy in this place or what. Then again, he'd had a loss like that, so...]

[Karkat sighs.]

I hope so. This place is rough enough without MN poisoning screwing with your head like that.

B

[devoutish]

[Alfie makes his way over sometime after Royce, bearing water and some more of Mary's fruit snacks. He's been carefully squirreling them away and saving whatever she'd given him.]

First time you've had one of those?

[He asks, dropping both the water bottle and the food in Karkat's lap.]

[quadrangle]

[Hi Alfie, thanks, yes, he's just going to scramble for a second to make sure he doesn't drop any of that as it's unceremoniously dumped on him, you piece of shit.]

What, the—a blood transfusion? Yeah, I'd sure hope so.

[Even if Kanaya had also been a rainbow drinker, but that's... not really the same thing? Holy fuck, he's not thinking about that right now. Time to arrange his new loot right next to him and gesture at Alfie to join him, assuming he's willing.]

There wouldn't have been anyone compatible back on Alternia.

[To say the least.]

[devoutish]

[Alfie eases himself down onto the floor, spreading a blanket over his lap and curling his legs up under it.]

Right, yeah. It's still odd to me that this, you know--

[He gestures to Karkat, then to Royce, wherever he is.]

[quadrangle]

[He follows the gesture with his eyes, then lets them drift back, shrugging self-consciously.]

I don't really get it either. It has to work though, right?

[Based on what they know, as depressingly little as that is.]

[devoutish]

I trusted John enough with it that I didn't kick up a fuss.

[He'd still worried, though.]

[quadrangle]

[That makes two of them.]

We can try again if it doesn't work.

[In, uh... a few perigees? He doesn't actually remember, but whatever, John can tell them later.]

[devoutish]

If it doesn't work, I'm not sure there'll be much sense in trying again.

[quadrangle]

[Oh, what. Karkat turns a glare onto him.]

Really? That's it?

[devoutish]

Yeah. Not unless there's definable reason for the failure. Something we can fix.

[quadrangle]

... Oh.

[That's. More reasonable, argh.]

[He glances away again.]

Yeah, that makes sense. We'd have to wait for it anyway.

Building 126 - Day 312

[jumpthegun]

[A mostly ruined house--at first it looks as if it won't provide any shelter, but a closer inspection reveals a musty bedroom still seals up properly. There's a mattress to sleep on, but decorations are sparse.]

[jumpthegun]

[As soon as John and and Mary reach the building for the night, the doctor sets about getting all of the warm clothes he has out for Monika. He's picked up a few more things that should help her, and he's fully prepared for the young woman to be suffering some level of frostbite given the likely state of her outfit, particularly her shoes. To Mary he offers:]

Keep an eye out for our girl. Might want to pull together a fire for her, if you think we can manage it in here safely.

Building 58 - Days 313 and 314

[jumpthegun]

[A simple single-story building, the snow weighs uneasily on it, and it creaks and groans under the strain at the best of times. It's very dark, and only the kitchen and living room are intact. The couch has been ripped open, leaving it a mess of framing and foam stuffing. The kitchen has a back door. Two snowmen have been built outside. A message has been written on the wall in blue ink: "Don't wreck the snowmen! That's super mean!"]