video, un: j.watson

[enarms]

Hi all. John Watson.

I'm with the original batch of refugees and there's a lot of you I haven't met - a lot I probably never will. [ at this point, with everything so permanently Wild, why not be blase about being Batch Number 1? ] As a doctor, I'd like to reassure and remind you that if the medical methods on offer here make you uncomfortable, there are alternatives. There are plenty of medical professionals from various backgrounds among us, so I encourage you to ask around if you need to. Don't feel like the Sanctuary's your only option - although from what I understand a lot of us do work there now, so it's also a safe place to go even if you are wary.

On that note, I'm putting together a list— yeah, I know we all hate the L word, don't panic —of people who are either medically trained or capable of healing magic. If you fit into that, anywhere from an ability to deliver first aid to, I don't know-- magical liposuction. [ this is a thing he regrets saying as soon as it's said, the immediate frown of "??? why the fuck" appears on his face literally immediately before being smoothed forcibly away ] Get in touch. I'll need to know a few basics. Skillset, medical background, level of expertise, whether or not you're comfortable to be contacted by fellow refugees, whether or not you're comfortable to be contacted to help in an emergency. You don't need to fire it all at me in one go unless you want to, we'll have a chat. Feel free to reply privately, that's fine. Replying doesn't immediately put you on a public database, I won't be handing out your name to anybody without your permission. Thanks.

[ aaaaand with a brief pause to consider if there's anything else to add, a small hand-lift of a wave to the camera when he decides there isn't, it's John out ]


( ooc: please input your medically trained/magical healer/therapist/etc character's info into this spreadsheet if you're interested in having your character contacted for medical shenanigans! It's fine to respond to the spreadsheet without replying to this post, but ICly your character will have needed to make themselves known to John somehow to end up on this list, so we can handwave it (default, no contact necessary) or you can get in touch to work out the details! )

Comments

[priorly]

I see. Quasimodo it is.

And what do you have against the place, in particular? The... medical methods on offer.

[enarms]

I'll start by saying I've only been to the place briefly, I don't have an extensive understanding of how things work there and I'm not saying to avoid it - I'm just not the biggest fan of what little of Lysa's methods I've seen.

Bit of background— in case you haven't heard, the first lot of us to arrive here did so traumatically. Crash landed, had to trek from the landing site to Olympia. When we eventually got to the outlying town, Lysa - that's the Sanctuary's proprietor - met us with some medicine. One of the medicines she had to offer, from what I understand, cured mostly anything— and left people screaming in agony for hours while it worked. She left untrained, unaware individuals to treat the injured using these potions and, to my knowledge, never made any follow-up visits herself.

Having said that, I can guarantee you'll find plenty of people who know a lot more about the place than me who'd sing its praises. I'd recommend talking to one of those before you write it off.

[priorly]

I see.

[That's remarkably flat, even for someone unfamiliar with the usual pitch-shifts of Prior's voice. Remarkably flat. And quiet, as he continues.]

It sounds like anyone of a more modern, less magical era might as well throw out hope for continuity of care. Can you even get headache pills? Let alone more specific prescriptions?

[enarms]

[ oh God, he didn't mean to be the bearer of bad news. time to attempt to present some sort of useful backpedal. ]

You might get lucky up on the ship - worth talking to Darma or one of the crew to see if there's anything they can do about specific prescriptions. Otherwise, like I say, do talk to them at the Sanctuary. I doubt that's the only medicine they have.

[priorly]

The ship has medicines I can acquire for a price. It would be nice, if I had a headache, to know I could pick something up here. Nontheless, the notion of seeing what snake oil untrained and unregulated physicians might like to test out on me does not particularly appeal.

[Each word clipped and precise. It's bad news but he's damned if he'll show how bad.]

But you're a doctor. Can I ask when and where from? The word has different meanings depending on the answer to that.

[He looks less retrograde than the majority here, but looks are no guarantee.]

[enarms]

[ he's fucked up, that much is for sure.]

2012, London.

And look, I really don't think it's as bad as all that. I know a few talented medical professionals who have chosen to work at the Sanctuary, and I don't think they'd have done that if the practices there weren't safe. But if it's any consolation, I've also met people here who can do scary things, medically speaking. Good scary, but bloody scary all the same, without having to rely on drugs and equipment we don't have access to. If you need something, someone will be able to help you.

[priorly]

[Do you know, he's just not going to pursue the avenue of good scary just now. There's quite enough scary scary to be working with. Maybe once he's processed that.]

2012? Well look at that, you're the first one to outrun me. What's life like in the future? Do we have flying cars?

[enarms]

[ evasion and distraction tactics, on board with that ]

Not yet. We've got flatscreen TVs and Smart cars. Whenabouts are you from?

[priorly]

And what's the difference between a smart car and a stupid one, pray tell?

1986. We've got word processors, walkmans and Reagan.

[enarms]

It's smaller. And more stupid. You're not missing a lot.

'86? Wow. [ 86!! within his own living memory!! a minor miracle. a small overjoyed chuckle of surprise. ] I haven't seen a walkman in years.

[priorly]

Interesting naming concept the future has. And what happened, don't tell me music went out of style?

[enarms]

Yeah, tell me about it. Music's fine, but you can store it all in something a quarter of the size of a walkman without a hard copy. Tapes and CDs are out of fashion. Though vinyl's making a comeback.

[priorly]

Huh. Tell me more, oh oracle, if you will. What is smart when you come from? Have we found the cure for cancer? For AIDS? The common cold?

[enarms]

No, no and no, unfortunately. There's been a lot of progress made in the effectiveness of treatments, but no definitive cures so far.

[ so far, like they're ever going back. easy to forget sometimes. ]

Probably have better luck curing all three here, typically, between space gods and magic potions.

[priorly]

They don't. I've asked here, too.

[Simple as that. Though he may be a more complex case than others but - there it is.]


But where do you spend your time, without a ward to go to? Or are you not that kind of doctor?

[enarms]

Ah. Right, well.

[ there's a slight hesitation here— ]

No, I— am. [ followed swiftly after that by a longer, differently motivated hesitation.]

At my best, I'm a trauma doctor. Ex-army surgeon. Here I'm about as close as I can get on a day to day basis without an A&E to speak of. [ go on then, John, deep breath and get it out. ] I patch up unfortunates at Shades Darker.

[priorly]

[No need to fret, John, he could just as well have the common cold, as unsniffly as he happens to sound.]

An army doctor. Then the future still has wars - don't tell me which, I'd sooner not know which friend's bleaker theories have been proven right. I don't know Shades Darker, though. I heard they had a ... fight club, here? Is that it?

[enarms]

Mm. No. [ and here he was, trying to make a Serious Doctor post and a good first impression. ] It's a brothel in the Entertainment district.

[priorly]

[We'll have to pause here for the face Prior's making. Too bad it's not video.]

How many people require patching up in a brothel?

[enarms]

You'd be surprised how many people get on the wrong side of security. We're a very safe establishment.

[priorly]

Oh, well, with it's own medic it certainly sounds safe to me. [No, no it doesn't.] Or is the frisson of danger something people get off on? Are you practicing in a dungeon, John?,

[enarms]

[ a laugh, half scoff. if you can't indulge in a bit of friendly banter when you went out of your way to get a job as a brothel doctor, you're life choices are dodgier than they already were. ] No. Might find one down the street, though, if that's your bag.

Honestly, it's a nice place as brothels here go. Owner's Koralle, head honcho of the red light district, and it's her flagship. So we're about as good as it gets. I'd say come and have a look, but I'm not actually here to advertise good places to pay for sex.

[priorly]

I understand that kind of establishment requiring security, but having it's own doctor on call does sound [ Ter-rif-y-ing? He'll choose not to ask what kind of violence guests apparently like to visit on the staff, but that doesn't mean he won't wonder.] ...as though the employees must be paid well.

[Goodness.]

Not really my bag however. I'm afraid paying for sex is outside my quaint, romantic ideals.

[And if it weren't, there are risks someone in his position shouldn't take.]

But each to their own. Dungeons and all.

[enarms]

The only staff members I've had to take care of so far are security with bruised knuckles, and I've been there a couple of months, [ slight prettying of the truth, but Koralle didn't hire him to take care of the models largely because the models rarely, if ever, need taking care of. the place is a well-oiled machine that keeps its employees safe. ] but I do see your point. And I s'pose I won't take your preference for romance over frequenting the brothel I work at personally.

[ too kind!! too kind. right christ time to remember that this was supposed to be a somewhat professional post ]

Anyway. If you find yourself in need, medically speaking, I should be in better stead to point you in the right direction when I'm through speaking to everyone who responds to this. Get in touch if you need to, my personal inbox is attached to this same I.D. so I'm not difficult to track down.

[priorly]

Why thank you. I'd simply hate to think my lack of impropriety had disappointed. I assure you I can be terribly improper so long as cash isn't changing hands.

[At least he used to be. The glory days. The glory hole days. But having been largely monogamous for four years and stymied by disease in the disastrous aftermath of said monogamy, Prior's days of impropriety feel distant and dim.

He lets a little of the affectation drift from his voice as he goes on.]

At home I saw several of the best medical specialists on a semi regular basis. I suspect they cheated on me with other men and their appealing diseases but still. Would you happen to know of an opthamologist to be getting along with? My eyes are a little...

[How to describe it.]

fucked up.