[OPEN] Press 'E' To Call For A Medic!

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Who: Doctor Faust (wanderingdoctorfaust) and everybody else brave enough to come within thirty feet of him!
What: Cleaning acid burns, writing to-do lists, perhaps receiving visitors?
When: Backdated to June 26th
Where: The Ensō Clinic & Infirmary (located on square B6)
Warnings: May contain trace amounts of medical malpractice (please mark your content warnings!)



The events of the past week have proven...interesting, to put it mildly. Mind and body alike were swapped, a particularly horrifying construct menaced the local populace, and a god they didn't even know was incomplete has been restored to their former greatness. The implications given by all of these extraordinary events are beyond astounding, and as such, time should be set aside and dedicated to studying and understanding them as soon as possible!

...at least, that is what the good doctor wants to believe, but frankly? He just spent a week and a bit navigating through the isles whilst controlling a stranger's body (deprived of his long-mastered abilities, no less!), had to fight an acid-spitting eldritch horror with naught but a weird sledgehammer and heartburn-inducing flame breath, and worst of all had to witness someone else waltzing around in his body with no concern for the consequences of his face being seen. So Faust might be just the slightest bit cranky.

As such, he'll endure the multitude of aneurysms he's most likely going to suffer from trying to process everything that's happened later; right now, he has an understaffed and ill-equipped clinic that is about to experience an influx of patients. After all, it's not like people are just going to sit at home ignoring the pain instead of seeking medical help, right?

Regardless, he won't be at the reception desk when you come in - Mini-Faust is currently commandeering it instead, though he's only able to spare a distracted half-wave, too busy swinging around a small stick like a wannabe Shaolin monk. Faust himself is likely inside the supply room, judging by the concerned 'hrm's and 'argh's and muttered curses of frustration coming from within. Welcome to the clinic!

Comments

Surprise, Faust!

[atailoftwoworlds]

[And said stranger has now returned to his body and was very relieved to be back in it, although he was in a lot of pain when he realised being back to normal meant acid burns. However, he dealt with it as best as he could using that baking powder he had in his backpack.

He also might visit the clinic to see if he can collect some bandages or any other first aid kit, considering that he has run out of potions. So Zidane enters inside and...

Oh hey who is that little guy at the counter who just waved at him (sorta) and is playing with that stick?] Hey there, little guy! .....You have a bag on your head....[ok whut]....Anyway, I guess you're in charge here. You know if there are any spare bandages in this place?

[Whether or not the mini Faust pays any attention, Faust might hear a very familiar voice coming from the reception.]

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Oh, he hears it alright. Faust immediately cuts himself off mid-curse to plumb the depths of his memory for a face to put to the eerily familiar voice, only to realise he has none - of course he doesn't, he hasn't been able to find a single mirror anywhere in this faux saccharine dreamscape - and finds himself filling with dread at the dawning revelation this young man might very well be here to be treated for the injuries they themselves had no part in receiving.
And to make matters worse, as far as Faust is aware, there is not a single shred of baking powder nor salt to be found anywhere on the island.
Damn it.

"A-ah, one moment, good sir! I'll be right with you!"

As fast as he possibly can, the good doctor channels his ki into his hands in hopes of at least partially sterilising them, snatches an entire roll of clean bandages from a nearby shelf, and barely restrains himself from bolting out of the supply room to confront his latest failure to protect a patient from harm.
Fortunately, decades worth of delivering bad news means all Zidane will see is the lanky form of doctor Faust calmly walking up to him from a nearby room, giving a hearty wave to him.

"Sorry about the delay! Welcome to the Ensō Clinic & Infirmary! How can I help you today?"

With painful acidic burns that he has nothing with which he can treat them with. Fingers crossed this child is amenable to magical healing.

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Zidane did witness himself - or someone in his body anyway - fighting the clown box. He never found out who that person was though.

Instead, his first thought when Faust enters the room is WAIT THAT LITTLE GUY IS A MINI VERSION OF THIS DUDE? and he cannot help but stare.] Uh.....right. [Weirdo.]


Hey, you're the owner of this place, right? Somehow I got some acid burns and I'm trying to look after treat them as much as I can, considering there's not much in the way of treatment here if you don't know how to use healing magic. So I was just looking for some spare bandages.

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

This isn't the first time Faust has felt embarrassing amounts of relief in response to someone's visible bewilderment towards him - it means this is their first encounter with him, in turn also meaning they do not recognise who he is...
But of course, how would they? They never spoke whilst using each other's bodies, or at least, he doesn't think they did...?

"Ah, well...we do have bandages, but I am a highly trained medical professional - I'll be more than happy to take care of your injuries for you if you'd wish, mister...?"

One of the many benefits of wearing a bag: Nobody can read your facial expression and tell you're feeling extremely uncomfortable with all of this. How does he explain to the young lad that bandages should be the least of his worries right now...?
At least they seem to be taking the whole 'nine-foot-tall lanky giant towering over me' thing pretty well.

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Dude you have a bag on your head. The nine foot tall thing is something but not the weirdest thing about you.] Really? That’d be great! It’s sure hard to find the right treatment for these sorts of injuries in a place like this. [Maybe he needs to ask the Storyteller for more stuff besides baking powder[

Oh, and I’m Zidane! No need for the ‘mister’ part - I’m only 16. [He addresses most people casually anyway, even if they’re much older than him.]

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

"Indeed! The entire purpose of this building and its staff is to try and rectify that as soon as possible! My hope is that one day we'll be able to deal with whatever these accursed isles throw at us...ah, I'm Doctor Faust, by the way. I'm the Deputy Medical Director here."

He'll lead young Zidane through the doorway into the infirmary proper, doing an admirable job of keeping his voice clear and concise whilst he's internally panicking. Sixteen?! He nearly lead a sixteen year-old boy to their death without their knowing?!?!
WITHOUT EVEN STOPPING TO THINK HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE SUPPLIES READY TO TREAT THEIR INJURIES?!?!?!
Good grief, perhaps he really shouldn't have been given a medical license after all...

"Take a seat just here, please - you should have several on your upper torso, correct? I'll need to examine them first so I know the extent of the damage. How much do they hurt, if you don't mind me asking?"

[atailoftwoworlds]

[It's okay. Said sixteen year-old boy has almost died plenty of times! Comes with being a self-sacrificing hero. Anyway, he'll follow Faust.]

Well, we'll do our best until then. And I guess gather up more stories for that. [He might help out with that actually. Probably save up his stories for things like that first before he does something for the theatre.

Zidane sits down as Faust instructs.] Well, they don't hurt enough for me not to be up and about. And they hurt less than before but they're still sore....[And then something occurs to him.]....Hang on. I never said there were any on my torso?

[How would this guy know that? Did he just randomly guess? No, that's silly. So when....?

....

Hmmm...it is possible that Faust was at that fight with the clown box, although Zidane didn't see him. It be that he swapped bodies with someone. And that someone may or may not be....]

[onegreeneye]

With all that's been going on, Ginko wants to make absolutely sure that he can be around the clinic when Faust needs an extra pair of hands - or a few more bundles of herbs. They may not be the most efficient form of medicine available, but it's what Ginko is most familiar with, and there's only so much that they can get without spending offerings.

He raises his eyebrows slightly as he steps in to find Mini-Faust attending the desk, then follows the frustrated sounds to look toward the supply room. Ah. "How long's he gonna be in there, d'you think?"

Theoretically, he's talking to Mini-Faust, but that doesn't necessarily mean he expects them to be able to answer, given... Mini-Faust.

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Mini doesn't even acknowledge Ginko's response, far too distracted with their newly-developed freestyle martial art, defined by striking increasingly more ridiculous 'combat poses' whilst narrowly avoiding smacking themselves upside the head with The Mighty Stickscalibur. They have absolutely no idea what they're doing.

"-oh? Is that you, young Ginko? Hang on!"

Having apparently overheard his fellow employee, the familiar form of one doctor Faust deftly ducks out of the supply room, visibly relaxing at the sight of a familiar face. He gives a far more enthusiastic, if not slightly perturbed, variation of Mini's earlier wave as he approaches.
...he's also firmly grasping a surgical clamp in his other hand for some reason. Did he forget to put it back?

"Welcome back! I was just taking stock of our inventory - I am pleased to inform you we have no patients at the moment!"

'Pleased' because it means nobody is sick or injured. Except he hasn't heard a single peep from any of the islanders he knows suffered injuries during the fight with that maniacal monstrosity, which is...definitely cause for concern. Hopefully they've found some method of magical healing, because he hasn't seen a single pinch of baking powder nor salt since he got here...

the heckoning

[vagabone]

Who knows why he followed Ginko into the clinic? He's far beyond what any medicine can do for him, and the only skill he has to offer is setting bones without all the flesh in the way, and that only applies to himself. He's just winging it, that's what he does. All day, every day. Whatever seems like a good idea at the time is what's going to happen.

So he ambles on in a few moments later, bare feet clacking on the floor. There's probably something useful he could do in here. Count supplies--that takes no medical training. "Hey, Ginko. How's--gaah! No! No! What is he doing in here?!"

Gee. Who could he possibly be referring to.

[onegreeneye]

"...None, huh." That figures. Ginko knows he doesn't exactly have room to talk when it comes to getting health problems sorted out, but, man, he'd expect that at least some of the people who he heard went after that clown thing would be better about it than him.

He's about to say something - suggest making an announcement, maybe nudging those who might be injured in case they forgot about the new clinic - when he hears the familiar, uneven clacking of Hector walking in behind him. Ginko turns to greet him, and--

"--What?" He looks to Faust because he can't imagine Hector would be reacting like that to Mini, then back to Hector, brow creasing. "He's here because he runs the clinic - what's wrong?"

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Faust immediately recognises the pensiveness in his colleague's eyes, and for a moment he feels a twinge of relief that his concerns aren't wholly unfounded. Perhaps, if the clinic was properly supplied, each member of the team could individually visit the populace of the isles and perform house calls? Morbid as they often are, acid burns are far from the most difficult injury to treat...
Unfortunately, that's about as far as he can get in his musings before an uncomfortably familiar voice echoes through the entryway, and-.

"-Y-YOU...!!!"

The pose he strikes in response is as malicious as it is far too overdramatic - body angled backwards akin to a vampire repelled by sunlight, free hand used to point at Héctor as if to accuse him of manslaughter, surgical clamp brandished like a charm meant to ward off demons - and it's literally only the thought of a new acquaintance getting caught up in this ridiculous mess that manages to stay the good doctors hand.

"...yes, I'm the deputy medical director here."

Unfortunately, Mini is not restrained by the silly ethics of their master: the split second Héctor realises Faust is here, Mini dives for the floor, sticks the landing with a roll, and then valiantly charges the foul necromancer with The Mighty Stickscalibur held high, fully intent on smiting him with their mighty weapon of justice!

[vagabone]

Oddly enough, there's nothing wrong with his reflexes. He flings himself to the side to avoid the... creepy child... and now he's cornered, up against the wall. But his imminent doom is not really what's on his mind right now.

This is so wrong. What on Earth has Faust done to the kid?! Why's he raising them up to be a mini-Faust?? Complete with another paper bag over their head??

"No! He can't be, look at him! He's not a real doctor! He's a maniac running around with a knife and a bag on his head! He can't be treating patients! And who let him have a kid?! Who let him anywhere near children?"

[forwearemany]

(Legion is starting to make a habit of showing up here. Faust is no longer just the island doctor, he is an ally, and they wish to ensure that he has adequate assistance.

Right now, after all the chaos with inhabiting different platforms, seems a good time: they wish to ensure that Faust has been returned to his body safely, as well as inform him that they are also returned to a functional state.

However, when they enter, they encounter ... well honestly they're not sure. Has Faust shrunk? Is this something else?

Aural input suggests Faust-Doctor is currently in the back room. Is this some sort of clone or construct?)

Greetings.

(They say politely to Mini-Faust, holding out their hand.)

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Unsurprisingly, Mini doesn't even acknowledge Legion's presence - they're currently twirling the stick around their body like a quarterstaff, gradually increasing their tempo until the whirling twig has more in common with a jet turbine than a legendary weapon wielded only by the most brave and defiant of heroes...

"...wait a min-"

The familiar paper bag of the good doctor peers out from within the supply room, eyehole widening as soon as he realises he has a visitor - a very welcome one, at that! Assuming this is actually Legion and not someone else within their...body? Chassis? Platform? Regardless of the official terminology, he'll at least make an effort to mask his scepticism when he calls out to them:

"Ah! I didn't hear you come in, Legion! Welcome back!"

He heartily waves from the doorway, but otherwise makes no further efforts to approach the might-be-Legion currently...trying to shake hands with Mini?
...perhaps he has grown paranoid. If this really wasn't Legion, would they even have been able to manage the fine motor function necessary to walk through the entryway? Let alone have the peculiar mindset to greet a tiny creature by trying to shake hands with it?

[forwearemany]

(Legion is considering attempting to engage the small creature in play instead when Faust notices them.)

Faust-Doctor.

(Their hand returns to their side.)

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

And just like that, all paranoid delusions are dispelled from the good doctor's mind. He steps out from the doorway and closes the distance between the two of them, probably doing a poor job of masking his relief at Legion's return - but who gives a damn. Faust actually likes Legion, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried for the synthetic's health since what last month's 'changes' wrought.

"How are you feeling today, my friend?"

...when was the last time he was able to call someone that...?

[forwearemany]

(Their headflaps lift, flutter.)

All systems functional.

Is Faust-Doctor also functioning acceptably?

(Legion is unaware of Faust's thoughts. However they are pleased by the declaration of alliance, even if they are unaware of its significance.)

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Fortunately, Legion's inquiry prevents Faust from going down the more unpleasant routes in his mind, and he's quick to snap out of it and respond:

"Much better now that I'm in my own body again, thank you! I've been trying to get back into the swing of things, in fact I was just-"

Ah, that's right. The supply deficit. Perhaps...?

"-actually, Legion, could I ask if you know of anybody else around these parts who might be carrying medical supplies? Our stock here is...not as significant as I thought it was, ah-hah..."

He scratches the back of his bag awkwardly, side-eyeholing the supply room's doorway.
The items generously donated had felt sufficient at the time, but reality has as habit of rudely correcting one's silly assumptions at the most inconvenient of times. To be fair, though, he should really have started searching for actual supplies far sooner, instead of chancing it with the various exotic flora and fauna of the isles...

[triggerhappytraitor]

Tachibana had been very absent during the chaos of all the body and power swapping, having gone into hiding thanks to being suddenly afflicted with uncontrollable telepathy and flashbacks. Returning back to what counted as normal had been a great relief and he was very eager to find something to bury himself in to avoid reflecting any longer on it all.

Garren gives Mini-Faust a happy wave from Tachibana's shoulder as they enter the clinic, before hopping down to see if he can join in with the sparring as well. (is there another stick? does he need to go get one?) The muttered mumblings from the other room are all the invitation Tachibana needs to head back there, sticking his head in to observe the situation before speaking:

"Need any help?"

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Surprisingly, Mini actually double-takes once they realise just who it is that's entered, eagerly scrambling across the desk to meet Garren halfway. This time, their wave is significantly more energetic - Hello friend! Look at my big stick!

"-! Who-? Oh, young Tachibana! Yes, I...well, I've just been taking inventory, and..."

Faust steps aside and gestures into the room, giving the forceps in his hand a light flourish. Despite the plethora of shelves and crates, the storage room only has a handful of surgical tools stacked within one of the smaller boxes, along with a literal handful of herbs sat upon a corner shelf. Everything else is empty.

"...I completely forgot we are a little strained for tools and supplies. And with the latest outbreak in acid burns...ahaha..."

His laughter is painfully forced, the bag on his head shrinking into itself as if trying to swallow itself up. Every inch of the good doctor's body language reeks of unreleased tension and stress, his dread of the potential influx of un-treatable patients clear as day.

[triggerhappytraitor]

"Acid burns?" Tachibana repeated, blinking a few times (as Garren excitedly waved his arms at Mini before mimic a Serious Posture holding an invisible stick to mimic some of the staff-fighting moves he had seen his Slammer do in a few sparring sessions.)

"The hell happened?"

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

"Ah, come to think of it...I haven't had the chance to account for who was and wasn't effected by the soul-swapping...
Anyway! The long and short of it is we found the source of the bodyswapping that we've been experiencing - some sort of giggling construct that could reshape itself at will and spat corrosive projectiles. We were able to use overwhelming force to corner it and give it a jolly good thumping, subsequ-"

Suddenly, a certain legendary weapon launches across the room and strikes the side of Faust's bag, immediately cutting him off mid-sentence but otherwise garnering no other reaction...
...in contrast to Mini, who, in their attempt to share their mutual love of dramatic martial arts poses with Garren, put a little too much spin into their Whirling Death Technique and lost their grip on The Mighty Stickscalibur, sending it hurtling at their master.
Mini slowly covers their non-existent mouth with both hands, scuttling backwards and trying to hide behind Garren.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Garren similarly covers the mouth of his mask with his tiny gloved hands, a small gasp escaping him.

Tachibana blinks once. Then blinks again. Before a small huff of amusement escapes him and he shakes his head, leaning down to pick up the stick. "You need to make sure you have a solid grip on it, when you're wielding something like this," he gently admonished Mini with a faint smile. "Garren, you can show him how, right?"

The tiny armored pog nodded enthusiastically, flashing a victory sign before reaching out to take the stick from his Slammer to demonstrate.

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Mini looks like they're about to snatch back their weapon of choice, but a quick aside glance from their master is enough to stop them in their tracks, awkwardly stepping back and giving plenty of room for Garren to demonstrate proper combat technique. They're definitely upset that the legendary weapon is no longer in their rightful hands, but they'll swallow their pride if it means avoiding such an embarrassing accident again.
Plus, they kind of like Garren, so that makes things marginally easier. Maybe they will learn a few important pointers...?

"...I have no idea where they got it, to be honest. I just found them squatting outside a tent on Io, brandishing it like a sword. I do wonder why they chose that area in particular..."

The good doctor doesn't dwell upon his musings for long, though. There's something more important he needs to discuss, now that a fellow employee is here.

"-anyway! The bottom line is, that construct inflicted several injuries upon our fellow islanders that we are not in a position to properly treat, and you'll forgive me if such a notion makes me rather...antsy. Do you know if anyone around these parts has any spare equipment or medicinal herbs we could use? I'd much rather this be both the first AND the last time we're caught unprepared by what these isles have to offer."