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Post by skybright on Jan 8, 2007 23:27:58 GMT -5
"Comin' right up." Caddy nodded and withdrew a fresh syringe and a small bottle of clear fluid from his medical bag.
"While I'm doin' this . . ." a glass thermometer floated out of the bag and hovered in the air in front of Vance, "I know it's a bit on the cliched side -- but say 'aaahh'."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 8, 2007 23:34:23 GMT -5
With a roll of his eye, Vance took the thermometer in his mouth. He gave Daws a longsuffering look.
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Post by skybright on Jan 8, 2007 23:44:00 GMT -5
Daws hid a laugh behind her hand as Caddy administered the painkiller and set the syringe to one side. He glanced over at her as he withdrew his stethescope from the bag and warmed it in his palm.
"I take it he managed to eat some this morning?"
Daws nodded. "Just scrambled eggs."
"That's still an excellent sign." Caddy responded. He glanced at his watch for a few moments, then reached for the thermometer.
"Your temperature's near normal, Major -- that's very good news. Fever would be an indication of infection, which is a very real concern in your case -- but I'd expect it to have developed by this time." Caddy set the thermometer aside and slipped his stethescope into one ear. "Now -- deep breath, please."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 8, 2007 23:47:29 GMT -5
Vance obeyed, breathing deeply.
"I don't get sick, Doc," he said. "I think I got a hyped-up immune system as part of my mutation."
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Post by skybright on Jan 8, 2007 23:54:35 GMT -5
"Well, it wouldn't be unheard of." Caddy replied. He frowned faintly and moved his stethescope. "Another deep breath. And another."
After another moment he leaned back in the chair. "Well."
'What's wrong?" Daws broke in, trying not to sound too alarmed.
Caddy shrugged and slipped his stethescope off. "It's not somethin' wrong, Daws -- but I'd say you're probably not far off about that immune system, Major. Otherwise, you haven't got any right for your lungs to sound as good as they do -- not considerin' how bad they were last night." He shrugged and stowed the stethescope and thermometer back in his bag. "Though I guess what Proteus is doing probably has a great deal to do with that, too."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2007 0:08:40 GMT -5
"Just what is he doing to me, anyway?" Vance asked.
Sid shrugged. "Seems he can change more'n just his own shape, Major. He says he can change other things and people too, right down to their cells--so long as he's touching 'em. He told us he's been sorta holding your insides together, long enough for 'em ta heal."
"That's incredible." Vance blinked thoughtfully. "If it's true, he could be more powerful than Tiernan."
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2007 0:14:39 GMT -5
"And just as dangerous, in his way." Daws agreed quietly. "He didn't out-and-out say it or nothin', but he sort of hinted that might be why he's so big on nobody getting hurt."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2007 0:28:48 GMT -5
"That wouldn't surprise me. He told us he was a soldier once." Vance frowned. "I can't say I'm not grateful to him--but the sooner I don't need him pawing on me, the better."
He looked at Caddy. "So what do you think? Will I live yet without him holding me together on the microscopic level?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2007 0:39:10 GMT -5
Caddy frowned thoughtfully. "I'd like to give it another day before we leave you to your own devices, Major. You'd probably survive if Proteus stopped now -- but I wouldn't guarantee it, and you'd still have an awfully steep uphill battle against you. It's better to let Proteus handle what he can so your body can focus on healing the worst damage more quickly."
He grinned lopsidedly. "And don't even start in on nagging me over when you can be back on your feet -- I'm not even gonna stoop to ignoring that question until the end of the week."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2007 0:44:25 GMT -5
"Hmph. I'd throw a pillow at you if I had the strength." Vance made a slight dismissive gesture. "Get outta here and send up some more food before I fall asleep."
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2007 0:52:27 GMT -5
Caddy grinned over his shoulder at Daws and Sid. "Bossy, ain't he?"
Daws smiled crookedly and shrugged one shoulder. "It's more or less his thing."
Caddy rolled his eyes good-naturedly and snapped his medical bag closed. "Well, at least I got through this consultation without anybody threatening to claw my eyes out. That's something, anyhow."
He turned to Sid with a hopeful expression. "Now then -- what was that that Alex and Miriam were cookin'? 'Cause it sure smelled better than anything the cafeteria at the Lef serves."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2007 1:02:06 GMT -5
"I dunno what it's called, but it's got pork an' yellow rice an' red peppers. I think it's a recipe of Consuela's that Foxy toned down." Sid grinned. "Ya think Vance's stomach can handle that kinda stuff?"
Vance uttered a growl of protest.
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2007 1:08:29 GMT -5
"Oh, I dunno," Caddy grinned wickedly. "Tabasco sauce really oughtta help speed his recovery time, I think."
"Hey, you two, no picking on the invalid." Daws broke in with a lopsided smirk. "That's my job."
She glanced at Vance. "Don't worry, Major -- I'm sure they've got something fixed that you can handle. Just ignore these two."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2007 1:11:29 GMT -5
Vance grunted. "No more scrambled eggs. I want that Mexican nitro."
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2007 1:18:01 GMT -5
Daws chuckled and shook her head. "I probably shoulda anticipated that. Fair enough -- I guess one way or another, indigestion would be the least of your worries."
She shrugged and gestured to Caddy and Sid. "Okay, then, let's hit the lunch line."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2007 22:53:47 GMT -5
They made their way back downstairs, and found Proteus emerging from the kitchen with two plates on a tray. "I'm going to have mine upstairs with Vance," he explained, then slipped past them and climbed the stairs.
In the kitchen, Handy had already started in voraciously on Alex's eccentric Spanish stir fry. He grinned up at Daws, Sid, and Caddy as they entered. "How's Jerod doin'?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2007 22:59:09 GMT -5
"His lungs are already knitting up, his pulse and his temp are both holding steady and normal -- in other words, he's doin' a lot better than I'd ever have thought," Caddy replied, eyeing the stir-fry enthusiastically. "I wish I could have Proteus on hand at the Lef -- because what he's doin' to help Vance recover is just amazing."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2007 23:11:34 GMT -5
"Hey, give Jerod some credit too," Handy protested. "Why d'ya think he's been eating so much? All the energy he's gettin' outta that is goin' into healing him up too."
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2007 23:16:36 GMT -5
"No arguments here." Caddy held up his hands in mock-surrender, then reached for a plate. "It's not uncommon, really -- people with energy-casting powers like Vance's put their bodies through a lot of strain just by drawing on their energy reserves, so a lot of them have accelerated healing abilities to help counterbalance that."
"Caddy," Daws broke in with a warning tone in her voice, "If you're gonna go off on one of your drawn-out medical tangents," she held up her own plate, "Just try an' keep in mind that people are eating, okay?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2007 23:19:57 GMT -5
"Don't worry. Once he gets a bite of this, he'll be too busy eating to talk." Alex grinned, sitting down with his own plate. "So when do you think you might hear from Henry?"
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