Jan 23 13:55:26 108 PA - Fixing that Busted Leg
From Chronicles
Jan 23 13:55:26 108 PA.
SAGE ALTERNATIVES SPA
With a brief consultation with Leonard, Sage decides its probably best to pick a spot in the first floor due to the matter of a bear tagging along. With help from Gabriel, she's able to get the woman with a cast on her leg through the portal and navigates the way into the spa. "Let's set her over on that bed." She comments, motioning to the area where she does the image refining work. Its typically wraps or facials that wait on there, but its clean enough to place a woman for surgery.
"Well, that was weird," Gabriel comments, most likely on the whole 'I just walked through a rip in space-time' thing. As he continues to have his arm beneath Monique's shoulder, he searches for the bed in question, then, hopefully with Sage in unison, will gently take her over. No need to heft her up yet. Is that bear coming through the portal, too? "You doing okay, young lady?"
The great white bear is not about to be left behind, after all. He rumbles at them all, then lowers his nose to lightly touch the little shaman's shoulder, a reassuring sort of thing. He keeps close to her, for understandable reasons. Monique takes a moment to look around the spa once through that unusual of all portals, and she looks to Gabriel to give a nod of agreement to his words. It was weird for her too, having been the first time she's done such a thing. A little smile touches her lips, and she gives another nod to the question. "Am okay, so far," she says softly, leaning on him a bit. It was laying on snow for quite some time, so that's bound to have helped.
Leonard isn't about to leave the bear behind, so he's glad that it doesn't delay. Leonard is the last to emerge, primarily due to the fact that the tear snaps closed to instantly mend itself once he passes through. "I hope that everyone had a pleasant step?" He can't help it, and chuckles lightly.
It isn't exactly the first time that Sage has traveled like that, so she doesn't seem to pay it much mind. "Should we complain that we had to take that step?" She asks with a little humour, "Thank you, though, Leonard." She adds more seriously before making sure the other woman can get settled onto the bed. "As for you, Monique... you'll have to tell me if you wish something to make you relax a little more than you'd normally be capable of... or if you'll think you'll be okay with staying still and dealing with a small amount of pain." She comments before adding, "Much less than conventional means." She assures, "A whisper to a shout."
As only combat medicine and helping out little kids with the common cold is Gabriel's medical expertise, he simply waits it out, mostly quietly, as Sage goes about her work, just helping Monique to where the needs to go. He does turn his head to say, "Thanks, Leo. Hope I don't get a headache." Interesting how he's so much more familiar with men than he is with women. Not that he shies away, just perhaps a unique perspective. The bear is noted, and his only other comment is a quiet, "I have some aspirin, if it would help."
The bear has yet to maul anyone, and is, as far as Leonard can tell, just as worried about Monique as any friend would be, if not more. This means that the proximity to the creature does not bother him much, though he does keep that proximity to longer than paw's reach. He is even less medically knowledgeable than Gabriel, and finds an unobtrusive place to sit. "You're welcome, and don't worry. Any disorientation should pass quickly." When he glances back to idly watch Sage and Monique, he suddenly wonders aloud, "Do you ladies need privacy for this?"
Monique looks to Leonard at his question, and a smile touches her lips. "Not bad step. Thank you," she says softly, giving a little nod. Her attention shifts to Sage, and she tilts her head a little to one side. "Not sure what mean. If pain not large, then not expect be problem. Whatever think best," she says softly, her tone holding a thoughtful cast to it. The bear whuffles a breath, shifting slightly, and he behaves, which is always a good thing. Monique looks to Sage at the further questions, uncertain herself.
"Well, I'll need to meditate for a bit... so you two don't need to clear out just yet." Sage comments before fetching some sanitizer gel for when she's ready. She'll pull out a chair to sit near Monique. "Alright, just make sure you stay still when it starts... otherwise, I don't mind if you stay full conscious. Let me begin to meditate." She comments before she begins to concentrate on focusing her psychic energies towards diagnosing the injury.
With no physical labor left to be done, Gabriel steps back from the scene - rather wondering how there could be any significant sanitization still necessary after a doctor has obviously already given a cast. Plus this psychic stuff. Ah, well. He glances to Leonard, who seems to not be in the immediate area of doing anything either. Women's work? Just a shrug. He bows his head and closes his eyes. In a soft voice, "Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to you. Allow Your healing Hand to heal this young girl. Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring us health in body and spirit that we may serve You with all our strength. Touch gently this life which you have created, now and forever. Amen." His head remains bowed.
Leonard would consider it woman's work, in this case, but only because Sage is one, and the one who knows what she's doing. "She'll be fine, or better than. Sage is very good at what she does." He's witnessed her talents before, which only makes his soft, reassuring compliment all the more valid.
Monique looks to Sage and raises an eyebrow slightly at the words, and then she gives a small nod. "Will stay still. Will try, promise," she says softly, a little smile touching her lips. She falls quiet then, watching Sage, though her attention slips to Gabriel at his words. Raising an eyebrow slightly, she gives a small nod to him. "Thank you," she says softly, a thoughtful cast to her voice.
With nothing significant happening on her account while she's meditating, Sage eventually stirs from her seat. "One of you help me with this cast. May be best to lift it off the bed enough to slip it off and let her leg come gently back down." She comments before getting ready to unfasten the clasps and work the cast off. Once the leg is settled back onto the bed, she'll use the sanitizing gel to ensure her hands are suitable clean for the operation. "And here we go..." She comments as a warning that she's going to begin. Her motions seem to be rehearsed as she moves her hands to begin the operation on the leg. There's no tools involved, just bare hands. Her hand's motions going through the motion of the scalpel incision, to the spreading of the incision, and on. Its likely not something a squeamish person would want to watch.
Gabriel moves forward to assist Sage. It's no cast like he's seen before, but it's not exactly complicated, either, and his hands move with hers as it is removed. "Where do you want me to put it, Miss Sage?" That table thing over there? Possibly the massage table indicated?
Settling a bit more on the bed, the Inuit woman lays on her back, resting. Tornaq lowers his nose to touch her shoulder, whuffing air for a moment, and then he lightly touches her nose to his shaman's cheek. She waits whilst the cast is removed, laying still. She doesn't watch what's being done, but she does bite her tongue, squirming a little despite having promised to try to stay still. Tornaq presses his nose to the front of one of her shoulders, then lifts one of his paws to press it to the front of her other shoulder. Doing what he can to help.
When the woman starts to become squirmy, Sage stops before the woman lets her precise operation turn into a complicated one. All in all, she hasn't even really managed to do the incision yet. She lets a soft sigh, "Monique, dear." She comments, "You might want to let me work before you start getting all bothered." She replies softly, "And just place the cast on the ground outside the screen for this area." She instructs Gabriel, "Then, hold her hand when you're done that."
Gabriel follows the instructions of the doctor, placing the cast precisely where indicated. He silently returns to Monique's side and will gently grasp her hand between his. Then, Gabriel the father of twenty-four come out. "Shh-shh-shh-shh baby girl. It's okay, I know it's strange, but it'll be okay. Just lay back. There might be a little pinch of something, but I know that Miss Sage will make it as easy as she can. She's very good at what she does." Okay, he might not actually know that from experience, but it seems logical, and at least a good thing to say. "Just close your eyes, let your head rest. Think about somewhere that makes you very happy... hear a song your mom used to sing to you. Just lay back, baby girl." Hmm. Perhaps he really has done this in the past.
Leonard may have watched Sage work before, but this time is different. Before, he had the distraction of deep worry to keep his mind from the scene of blood and cut flesh. Now... well, he is quiet as a mouse for some time, and makes no sound until Sage and Gabriel join forces in bedside manner. Leonard straightens up in his chair and clears his throat lightly before adding a tentative and redundant, "You're in good care."
The scolding is enough to bring a blush to Monique's cheeks, and she gives a little nod. She's not sure what's being done, and there's a part of her which is afraid of it despite having agreed to it. She's nervous, and that's not a feeling she's familiar with. She looks up at the great white bear staring down at her, and he gives a rumble, nosing a little at her and being as reassuring as possible. As her hand is claimed, Tornaq allows it and Monique doesn't fuss, her fingers instead closing around his and giving a little squeeze. She turns her head to look to him, trying to relax, and she blinks a little at the words he says before giving a little nod. Taking a deep breath, she at least tries what he'd suggested -- closing her eyes, she concentrates to bring up the memories from those long ago years. And she keeps her hand to his, accepting his comfort, his reassurance.
With the other woman needing the extra moment, Sage simply tries to concentrate on what needs to be done from her diagnosis. She takes a breath and lets it out a few times before she checks back on the woman's state. When the other woman seems to be distracted, she sets back to the work at hand. In comparison to what real tools would do, the sensations her work offer are a mere ripple in the water. If the woman doesn't being to squirm, she'll continue with the work of exposing the bone for her to be able to clean up any stray bits or roughness caused by the injury. If all goes well, it'll take a while but the bone will be whole instead of on the mend with just the body's ability to repair bone slowly.
It's fortunate that Gabriel has seen those same battlefield injuries that he used to be able to fix, because watching Sage open up Monique's leg with nothing is, well... pretty creepy. However, he knows his job, his part in this little medical play, and simply continues to offer some warmth, comfort, and reassuring words. Not really even taking the time to see how it's going - just being there for a little girl in need.
It is perhaps also fortunate that Monique has her eyes closed for the process. Following Gabriel's advise and holding tight to a memory of her mother singing to her to while away one of those infamous long nights of the North. She at least seems more at ease. Tornaq, however, does watch what's being done. His round ears remain perked towards Sage, his attention to what the woman does to his little shaman, even though he keeps his nose and paw present upon Monique, lending his own reassurance to the situation.
"..." Leonard is a man a few words, now. He is curious of the procedure, yet doesn't really care for the open wound, or want to stare. In the end, he compromises by ...half-watching. Sage is the doctor, Monique the patient, and Gabriel the one to worry and/or comfort. Leonard was just the ambulance. Time passes until the moment when Sage's finger traces the careful line along the main incision that was made to begin with. The skin appears as thought it were never opened or spread for her convenience. "Alright, you can open your eyes now." She assures the other woman.
"Hmm...hmm-mmm..HMM.." Gabriel is humming something, very quietly. Not wanting to break the happy place that Monique seems to have found, but just adding that little touch of warmth that is the Russian "Pustî vsegda budet solntse" lullaby, or "May There Always Be Sunshine." Just his soft low tenor, barely a melody at all, just a soft sound. At Sage's words, he squeezes the young girl's hand and says, "There, I think it's all done, baby girl. Maybe Tornaq can look at it before you do?"
The humming serves it's own purpose in maintaining the happy place that Monique has essentially removed her mind to. Her hand remains paired to his, fingers closed about his own, and her dark eyes stay closed. At least, they do until he squeezes her hand to gain her attention. She returns a little squeeze, then opens her eyes, looking first to the great white bear still hovering above her, and then looking to Gabriel. A smile lightly touches at the corners of her lips, and she holds her attention to him. "Is okay?" she asks softly, a little nervous yet, almost a little afraid. Hesitant. Tornaq lifts his paw from her shoulder, lowering it to the ground, then lifts his nose, whuffing air and peering.
As Sage seems deep in thought, perhaps a remnant of the psychic surgery, Gabriel rises fully to his feet again and lays a hand on Monique's forehead. "Well, it looks okay to me, young lady. Here -" he steps sideways a few feet and puts a strong hand out at about mid-shin. "Be very careful, because you don't want to hurt anything. But push on my hand - gently. You shouldn't feel anything. Bone should be as good as new, as far as I understand." He offers a reassuring smile. "C'mon, let's have at it."
Shifting her weight a little, the small Inuit woman looks to Sage for a brief moment, then looks to Gabriel before giving a small nod. She half closes her eyes to his touch to her hand, then does as he'd suggested. Testing her leg, lifting it to press it against his hand. To feeling no pain at all, she blinks once, then smiles brightly, her dark eyes showing a sparkle to them. Tornaq retreats slightly to give her the space to sit up, which she does, and she impulsively reaches out to hug Gabriel, if he's willing to accept it. "Thank you," she says quietly, truly grateful for his presence.
Gabriel is quite willing to accept a hug. It's the first hug he's had since September, and he probably squeezes a little too hard. "Yâ rad, chto ty luchshe." The older man, who incidentally just celebrated his 41st birthday - all alone and unnoticed - is a bit reluctant to let go, but he does. "I'm glad that you're better, but I'm afraid that you ate the last of the chocolate that I had on me." He pats the small bag on his waist with a smile. "You ready to go home? I can walk you there if you like. Give Tornaq a hand in the snow, not that the medvezhonok needs it." Wink.
Monique doesn't seem to mind if he squeezes too hard. Neither does Tornaq, really, and the great white bear actually seems pleased with it. It's good that his little shaman makes friends. She gives him a light squeeze in return, retreating only when he does, and she gives a small nod to him. "Mean much, you help," she says softly, a smile lighting her features. "Is okay, for chocolate. Will help find more," she offers, exchanging a look with the great white bear near her. "Am ready go home. Appreciate help. Tornaq thank, too. Will walk with," she says, giving a small nod. She's ready to go home, and his help will not be something she forgets. It means a lot to her, and she intends to repay the kindness. "You good friend," she adds.
The older man gives Monique what is definitely a fatherly smile. "Thank you, Miss Monique. You're a nice young lady, I'll be happy to call you a friend - Tornaq, too." He jerks his head toward the door as he dons his light snow gear. "C'mon, let's get you home. If you need anything, just get me on the radio." Gabriel holds up a small communicator with a code and frequency coded in for her to see. If nothing else need be said, he'll take her home before returning to his own clearing outside the walls.
