8th throw - [ written ]

[shenevermisses]

[It's late. It's very, very late. But Clove can't sleep. Maybe it's because of the ever changing date in her Journal, September slipping away, making way for October.

Maybe it's the truce. And the talk of a feast some time ago. And the better and better looking apples in the store. Because it's getting to be autumn, and that's when they're the best. Maybe it's just her thinking too much.

Either way, she's awake in the middle of the night from a nightmare. She hates sleeping inside, and even the open windows do little to really set her mind at ease. ...Maybe she'll sneak out one, make no sound leaving or coming back. A little note for Cato to tell him she'll be back.

Get out and hunt. Or just run. Run as fast as she can as far away from the village as she can go. Run until she trips and falls or until her sides hurt too much and she has to stop. Then eventually come back and pretend like she never left.

She doesn't do that just yet, instead writing in the Journal. Maybe it won't be seen until morning or afternoon. But she needs to have it out there.]

I want to speak with someone in the medical profession. I have questions.

Comments

[hadtobeme]

Good to have questions. Biology very important, keeping track of health essential for happiness and longevity.

[A brief pause.]

Professor Mordin Solus: geneticist, biologist, chemist, doctor. At your service.

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[shenevermisses]

[A passable amount of privacy. It'll do. Especially for keeping Cato out.]

I want to know about head injuries.

[hadtobeme]

Head injuries? Broad subject; many different classifications. Simple: bumps, bruises, to more serious: concussions, skull fractures. Also psychological implications: amnesia, changes in perception, loss of senses. Lots to cover.

[shenevermisses]

Fatal ones.

I died of one where I'm from. I don't know what sort, really. I don't know much about things like that. But I want to try and understand it. If that makes any sense.

[hadtobeme]

Hm... [There's a brief pause as he mulls this over. This poor girl. She's very young, for a human. Coming to terms with one's mortality is a painful subject, even moreso for a child. He takes a soft breath.]

Can understand curiosity. All life spends decades trying to understand death. Knowing how it ends... not sure if blessing, or curse.

[He sighs.] One question, however. Luceti timeline presents unique situation: have you already died, or learn of death from friend in future?

[shenevermisses]

I already died.

I remember getting injured. Sort of, at least. I think I remember dying. It's really patchy, from getting hurt to waking up here, but I think I remember some of it.

It doesn't really matter. How I was hurt. But I want to know.

[It's not like she can even apply it, keep it from happening again. It wasn't an accident.]

[hadtobeme]

[Nod.] It does matter. Biology much easier to accept if it already happened. [He knows this fact all too well.]

Will warn you, however: recounting death will not be pretty. Want to use explanation to help find closure, not further disturb, but will not sugar-coat, either. Can already see thoughts of death keeping you up at night; do not want to add fuel to fire.

[Another light pause.]

Will offer one chance to back out. Are you sure you want to hear this?

voice:

[shenevermisses]

[The reply takes a few moments.

Only because she has to write a note, sneak out of the apartment, and put some distance between herself and it.

This needs to be done spoken, but she doesn't want to risk Cato waking up and hearing her.

Finally, she says:]

I'm sure.

I already don't sleep because of it. And I want to know -- I want to be sure it didn't carry over here. That there's nothing... That there's nothing wrong with my head or anything.

[Whether she's talking physically or psychologically, well. That's the hard part for her to differentiate.]

[Voice]

[geniustheveil]

I can answer as many questions as possible, if it will help. I was a doctor, a surgeon, in my world, and I work at the clinic here as well.

[It's also been awhile since they've talked; a good chance to get back in touch.]

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[shenevermisses]

[The same filter as before, written as well. Anything to prevent Cato from finding it or hearing her talk to the journal.]

I want to know about head injuries that can be fatal.

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[geniustheveil]

[That... may not be a good sign.]

It would be easier to explain treatment, if you could explain the precise injury a little more.

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[shenevermisses]

I don't care about treatment. I want to know about the kinds of head wounds that can kill someone.

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[geniustheveil]

It would still vary... anything from blunt trauma to a gunshot wound.

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[shenevermisses]

Bashed against something, I know that. Could have been either sharp or flat, I don't really know.

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[geniustheveil]

[This is sounding less and less like something anyone should be involved in.]

What do you want to know, exactly? [Would the person suffer? How long would it take? What amount of pressure would be needed?]

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[shenevermisses]

What happens? To the person. Do they feel pain? How long are they alive? Do they hallucinate?

What happens?

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[geniustheveil]

Many head injuries involve a loss of consciousness, particularly if the brain itself is injured, so...

[There's a slim thread of hope for painlessness.]

[written]

[entwiningfate]

I'll try to answer some questions for you, Clove. I'm not a doctor per se but I've been studying medical practice for years now so I'm sure I can tell you anything you'd like to know.

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[shenevermisses]

I want to know about fatal head injuries.

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[entwiningfate]

What exactly would you like to know about them?

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[shenevermisses]

What kinds there are. What they do.

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[entwiningfate]

Well... there are several types of fatal head injuries, however, a concussion and skull fracture are heard about and dealt with the most.

A concussion is the more common mild brain injury that people are able to obtain. It's caused when the head hits an object, may it be the ground, wall or simply a hard object, or a moving object strikes the head. It causes the victim to feel nauseated, dizzy, drowsy and confused. Although it is one of the more minor injuries, it can be fatal if not treated properly and immediately. It's vital that the victim stays awake if they have these symptoms, or they could easily slip into a coma.

A skull fracture is the more fatal head trauma a person can receive. It's caused by blunt-force trauma. There are four types of fractures that can occur on the skull itself; a linear fracture, a stellate skull fracture, a diastatic skull fracture and a depressed skull fracture. A linear fracture is a break within the cranial bone that is fairly straight and causes no indentation or splintering of the bone. A stellate skull fracture, while similar to the linear fracture, has multiple linear fractures radiating from the initial point of impact on the cranium. A distatic fracture is one that occurs more with children than adults. It's when the fracture line transverses one or more sutures of the skull causing a widening of the suture. A depressed skull fracture however is a literal indentation of the skull and is the most deadly as it puts dangerous amounts of pressure on the blood vessels, tissue and the brain itself.

Symptoms of these would be the same; nauesea, extreme dizziness, slurred speak and loss of consciousness.

The more obvious fatal head injuries would be gun shot wounds to the head and if any object were to be forced through the cranium and brain. Death would be instantaneous in those cases.

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[shenevermisses]

[Concussion.

Skull fracture.

Slammed into something repeatedly... Probably the second, then. That's where clear memories end. Blood? She doesn't know. Symptoms? Same. She can't ask Cato. She tries not to remind him of that.

After about five minutes, she finally answers.]

Thank you. That helps.

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[entwiningfate]

You're welcome, I'm glad I could help. [He pauses for a moment, a little worried by the topic at hand so he goes on] What made you curious about it? If I may ask.

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[shenevermisses]

A death. In the world I'm from.

It... doesn't really matter here, but... I want to understand it.