(no subject)

[bannion_sight]

Kim had gotten up early and gone for a hike over the trails around the Tor, then had decided on impulse to duck into Milliways for coffee and breakfast before heading back home.

Her own clinic isn't open on Saturdays, as a general rule, but she doesn't see any reason that she shouldn't stop by the infirmary to pick up an on-call signal button while she's here.

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

The relative quiet is shortly broken by the arrival of a bloodstained girl hauling an even bloodier man.

He seems to be having trouble breathing. A lot of trouble breathing.

X flicks toward Kim, then searches the room for an appropriate place to put Ramon down.

[bannion_sight]

"... oh my god."

She's already moving.

Kim dashes toward the supply cabinets, even as she points at a bed and snaps,

"Put him there. What happened?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X obeys Kim in silence, settling Ramon quickly but (relatively) carefully, and then stepping back so the other woman can work.

There are a lot of holes in her clothes -- bullet holes -- under all the blood.

"His lung is punctured. I do not know how much additional damage there is."

It is the most relevant part of the explanation for now.

[latino_menace]

This hurts. This really really fucking hurts and it doesn't help that the normal human reaction when unable to breath is to panic.

Being laid down doesn't help and he's immediately curling in on himself, fighting to get more air in, veins popping in his neck with the effort.

[bannion_sight]

"What about you?"

It's not a routine question, but as the other girl is moving under her own power, she's of secondary interest just at the moment.

"No, don't --"

She hastily sets down the tray she's assembled on the table by the bed with an unceremonious clatter, and moves to his side, reaching to touch his shoulder.

"-- you're going to be okay. I'm going to help you."

To Laura:

"Do you know his name?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Ramon," X says, voice flat and affectless. "Salazar."

Beat.

"He likes to shoot people."

X herself is fine.

This is what happens when enhanced healing factors are involved. Too bad Ramon's not a mutant.

[latino_menace]

Easy for her to say, she can breath. He doesn't feel like he's going to be OK and until this stops hurting, he'll hold on to that belief.

[bannion_sight]

"He what? -- never mind, tell me later --"

Right now it doesn't matter. From the way the veins in his neck are standing out, from the increasingly cyanotic shade to his skin, Kim can tell they're rapidly running out of time.

Keeping her patient from dying comes first.

Everything else can wait.

"Ramon, hang on -- you're going to feel better soon --"

Scissors first, to slice through his shirt front and back, getting it out of the way. By the time she sees the entrance wound on his back, Kim's already reaching for the occlusive dressing.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I do not think he will die," X says, matter-of-factly.

Well, he won't die if Kim is any good at her job, and X is fairly sure that she is.

And in the meantime X shifts position again, giving Kim more room to work. She is careful, however, not to move too far from Ramon.

Dying or not -- sometimes people are very stupid.

It is better if Kim does not get caught in the crossfire.

[latino_menace]

He has no ideas in his head other than staying alive - he can be stupid but he's not stupid enough to damage the hand that's going to (he hopes) save his life. And he's under no illusions as to how serious this is.

He can't lie still; reflex is making him writhe for breath, though he's trying to keep still to let her work.

[bannion_sight]

"Damn right he's not going to die, not if I have anything to say about it," Kim snaps, fingers flying as she affixes the first bandage over the wound in his back. She presses down to make the seal, then leaves it and starts placing the second one over the exit wound in his chest.

"I need you to listen to me, okay Ramon? What I'm doing is going to keep any more air from leaking in where it shouldn't be. That pressure and pain you feel in your chest is going to get better now."

Or at least, it's going to stop getting worse -- and what she's planning to do next will help more. Kim finishes with the second bandage, leaving a flutter valve at the corner, looks over her work, and nods.

It'll do. She'll worry about infection later, once the rest of the immediate danger is past.

"Okay. I'm going to help you sit up now."

She has to; she can't do thoracocentesis while he's lying down and struggling. Kim moves to his unwounded side and reaches to brace and support him.

"While I do, I want you to try to take slow, steady breaths. Shallow ones."

[cutting_edgex23]

X, perhaps prudently, shifts her own position to stay out of Ramon's line of sight.

Just in case it makes him struggle.

[latino_menace]

He tries to follow her instructions - right now, he'll do whatever it takes to feel better. Shallow breaths. Slow, steady, shallow breaths. Once again, easier said than done. But he tries.

He's aware of X in the room and really wishes she'd fuck off so that he doesn't have to appear this vulnerable in front of her. But there's not a lot he can do about it and there are more pressing matters at hand.

[justcallmefee]

She comes as soon as she gets the note. Why no one can come and get her when he gets into this shit, she'll never know. It's beginning to feel like she shouldn't let him out of her sight.

She's hesitant to start pulling back curtains so she stands at the end of the corridor and calls his name. (And perhaps, there is more worry in her voice than she'd like.)

"Ramon?"

[latino_menace]

'Mmmm.'

He's drowsing off and isn't actually sure he just heard his name at all.

...if she doesn't hear his 'reply' she can, at least, follow the smell of cigarette smoke?

[justcallmefee]

"Cariño?" She does follow the scent of smoke, and draws his curtain back. He is a shirtless, bloody mess. Three stab wounds and a chest tube.

Her face darkens, concern and a dark set of emotions warring with one another.

"Oh Ramon..."

She picks up his shredded shirt from the floor, gripping it so tight her knuckles go white.

[latino_menace]

'My tailor is going to be pissed,' he murmurs, turning his head on the pillow to give her a wry smile.

'He did that one for me in a hurry, as a favour.'

Very nice it had been too.

[justcallmefee]

He's laughing. He's covered in blood and he's laughing. She's seen a punctured lung before. She knows how dangerous it can be.

She stares at the shirt, her eyes watering.

"We'll get you another one just like it."

[latino_menace]

'S'alright. I have others and I don't like him that much anyway.'

He shifts a bit uncomfortably - those stab wounds are mirrored on his back as well.

'You OK?'

[justcallmefee]

Her brow furrows as she looks up at him. He's the one who's been stabbed and he wants to know if she's okay?

She steps closer to the bed, her hands warm on his skin as she checks him over.

"Are they getting you a surgeon?"

[latino_menace]

He winces on relex as her hands get anywhere near the injury site. He is literally going to be bruised all over in a few hours.

'Yeah, I think so. Well, she said I needed further treatment anyway - and I know a punctured lung normally needs it.'

[justcallmefee]

She keeps her touch gentle, but she needs to know.

"Yeah, yeah it does," she muses, her gaze finally making its way to his face.

"What happened?"

[latino_menace]

He sighs and reaches for his smokes (no, it doesn't occur to him that it's probably a bad idea to do that with a hole in his lung).

'X did it because I shot her.'

Beat.

'A few times.'

[justcallmefee]

She intercepts him, crushing them in her fist and crumbling the remains into the trash can beside the bed.

"You shot someone who can't be killed. And who has adamantium claws."

Her expression says, 'Really. What on earth were you thinking?'

[latino_menace]

He spreads his hands, scowling immediately.

'What the fuck?'

Beat.

'I didn't know she couldn't be killed.'