[MINGLE] Worried/Sick 1: Symptoms Manifest & Reaction

[sixthiteration]

WHERE: Anywhere; multiple locations
WHEN: Apx. 13-18 November
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Serious illness and reactions to such

IMPORTANT NOTES: This is the first of two mingles. Please see the timing and general event details here.

Illness Presents and Putting Heads Together will have their own top-levels in this post, but you may make separate top-levels for whatever you like! Anything is welcome, as long as it tangentially relates to the Worried/Sick plot.

Please keep in mind the established plot details, but creative license is welcome and encouraged as long as it doesn't step on toes.

Comments

[imareporter]

This is another one of those things where I'm going to do it and you're going to sit on the sidelines.

...Nice.

"...Bad bedside manner?" He falls into step beside her, "...Gotta form a community and all that."

[locum_tenens]

"I can be part of the community well enough by being good at what I do," she replies, not entirely sure she wants to become soft and cheerful and empathetic. "My sister is much better at that than I ever was."

Mia would probably thrive here, and so would Max. There's no room for people like Niska in community oriented places, but she's smart and she's clever. She has knowledge and strength and she can defend where she needs to.

"You be nice. I'll take blood," she says, holding up a needle.

[imareporter]

He watches intently before taking a patient's hand, "...Hang in there man. This is gonna get better. Trust me."

His chattering is nonchalant, he's good at this. Good at talking to people. Always has been, always will be.

It's Venom who ruins it. The creature stirs within him and he looks away with a growl.

"...This is tough."

[locum_tenens]

Niska has finished with her samples on two patients, tucking them into the pocket of her shirt when she eyes this man, who she doesn't even know a name to, and gives a wry, understanding look. "Sympathy?" she makes a guess.

"It's awful," she says bluntly. "Everyone lies to make other people feel better when they ought to just tell the truth."

[imareporter]

"...People don't understand that to control the truth is to control power."

It's Eddie speaking at this point and Venom blinks. That's a rather cold thought Eddie.

"But this isn't one of those cases." His expression is sincere, "These people are going to be fine."

[locum_tenens]

Niska is rather impressed, pausing in her collection to study the man and wonder if perhaps she'd written him off too quickly. "Governments lie, people hold the truth back. It's power, but only until the people discover something isn't right."

As to his opinion, she stares at him, unblinking. "Unfortunately, the truth in this situation is that unless someone discovers a root cause, these people will not be fine."

[imareporter]

"You sound like you're speaking from personal experience." He pauses,then shrugs, "But that's my job and the job of the fourth estate. To tell people when the government is not acting in their best interests."

He can't joke about it. No Governments should be afraid of their people. None of that shit. He takes his job seriously and always have, "Then we can work together - should be able to work together to find a cause."

[locum_tenens]

She narrows her eyes at him. "Reporter," she accuses, even though reporters have rarely harmed her in the past. If anything, they've been helpful to uncovering things that the government had done, but then, writing about it isn't the same as taking action.

She eyes him steadily and brings the blood over to the microscope, intent on seeing what it looks like up close. "I was a tutor," she says absently, eyeing him and settling into a chair, aware it goes against her current actions, but then, Niska can do anything she likes. "I wonder what you think a tutor and a reporter could do together."

[imareporter]

"Well we both write." He points, "Or aim to teach and explain. S'what I do at least."

He looks a little distant, a little misty, "I love it. And a good reporter is never afraid to get their hands dirty."

[locum_tenens]

Niska knows her hands are plenty dirty, but that's from defending her family, not what she teaches. "I had a single pupil," she says. "He's clever enough now, so I don't have much purpose there, and I've moved on from where I was after that."

After David, after the suicide, after she got put in a whorehouse. She grabs the table and reminds herself not to dent it with the steel under her skin, eyes wide and unblinking as she studies the blood.

"This is pointless without a cure to test," she says, of the blood.

[imareporter]

"...Time to take it to the scientists?" He pauses, considering her, "Do they have any ideas?"

I could tell it to you if you drank it. Venom's voice is slow, I could. I know I could-

"No!"

Just random words. Bursting out. No big deal right?

[locum_tenens]

Niska doesn't react with anything more than a lift of her brow. She's already gleaned that he must have some mental condition or a habit that makes him talk to herself. For a synth who's had other people hack into her head recently, she can sympathize.

"Do you not want to hear if they have any ideas, or are you just very emphatic about knowing they don't?" she asks, the sarcasm thick in her voice.

[imareporter]

He slams his foot down hard, "What? sorry that was a roach."

His face remains totally frozen, nonplussed, "...We can totally see if they have ideas. Absolutely."

[locum_tenens]

Should she point out to him that the level of bugs within the hospital is non-existent thanks to severe cleaning protocols? No. She rather likes the idea better of playing along, because he must have some sort of reason for it.

What it is, Niska has no idea, but she'll pretend. "Then, run along," she prompts, even as she watches him, wondering what other personality quirks this man has. "I have to be a medic. You can go shout at other people."