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 Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:25 pm
Once Canti was brought in to see the new Doctor it was apparent that the illness had already hit him. This was Acklin's first severe case of the unknown epidemic and he was just short of knocking a tech upside the head to get a stretcher.
"I apologize but Canti must be taken into quarantine and a specialized room immediately." Was all the doctor had to say to the boys parents as the stretcher was brought into the mans office. In a heartbeat they had Canti loaded up onto the stretcher and out the door.
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When they arrived at the new room Acklin and the bewildered tech gently transferred the child onto a bed. The room was spotless, Acklin made sure it was made as sterile as possible. The man could barely glance Canti's way, he was rushing about the room flipping on some machines, bringing out equipment and hollering at the tech who was still in the room and in his way.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 2:29 pm
This was horrible. A moment inside the lab and his boy had already been swept away by lab coats with him merely clutching air for a moment. The doctor's words did little to placate him, the anger and frustration that welled up in him for not being able to do anything, or know anything about what was going on. When he began to step after the procession, it was not him who was in total control. The thing which had attached itself in his core, the singular reason Keiran had ever come, was stirring and sinking its claws in, inciting its hosts emotions and eating rationality.
Keiran spotted it and caught hold of the smaller man, dragging him backwards into the waiting room. "You will only be in the way, Lucas. Go sit down." But it was quite infuriating.
---
Canti didn't know what exactly what was happening with all the transfers. Up, down, the scenery blurring as he stared straight up at the ceiling. His antennae twitched weakly, trying to touch techs' arms, hoping for familiarity and finding none. Soon, he was in a bed, or perhaps it was a gurney of sorts. It did little to make him feel better, but at least it was somewhat soft. That was about the only thing the ant could truly register at the moment- touch. He was aware, at least vaguely, that other bodies were moving around him now that he was situated.
"Doc...tor?" He implored softly, tongue experimentally running over his lips. He tasted horrible. Probably smelled it too. "What... wrong? Why Canti...?" He'd never been sick before, not even the snuffles. Occasionally a small stomach ache but this... nothing like this.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:18 pm
"Shh Shh Shh, don't worry Canti, you just need to relax right now, I'm going to make you better, but I need you to not stress out, can you do that?" Acklin asked preparing an IV.
"Now, I need to put an IV into you, it might sting a bit but you just need to hang in there okay?" The doctor said gently wiping one of the boys wrists with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:23 am
Stress... "Canti very good.." He assured the man absently, as if it were more a mantra or a reflex than anything. His first nature was to do as he was asked, and so the boy attempted to imagine himself laying on a cloud, tried to ignore the pain for a moment as he tipped his head back into the pillow. Those eyes, however, were on the doctor, more glossy than usual in their blackened sockets.
"Shell. Must stick hard." That was the truth of it. His breath grew a little shallower at the thought, even though he believed himself ready. A 'shot' would always have a separate meaning for him since he had no fleshy skin. All the vitals and blood and sinew were pumping below a layer of flexible exoskeleton. Needless to say, inserting a needle was not the most pleasant experience. However, he looked so extremely trusting, some baseless faith that the redhead was going to know how to make him normal again.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 8:50 pm
The man was quite unfamiliar with the boys strange physiology, it made his job even more difficult to be dealing with unfamiliar biological make-up.
"Yes Canti, you are being very good, now just hang in here with me," He said as he went in to stick his wrist with the IV. The first needle snapped when the doctor tried to penetrate the shell. He grumbled a bit losing some valuable time.
He reached over and pulled a new needle attachment out of one of the man drawers. His hands were moving as fast as a pit crew when they have to change a tire. Once the needle was secured the man went back to try and stick it in again. This time more carefuly and gradual, it would probably hurt, but it was the only way he could get it in.
"There we go." He said when the needle finally pierced the shell. He looked over to the kid hoping it didn't hurt too much before reaching back to one of the machines. He pulled out some wires with sticky pads attached to the end of them, "Now I'm just going to have to put these on your chest and belly okay Canti?" He said lifting up his shirt and sticking them on as the monitor lit up with beeps and lines spiking across the screen.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:53 pm
The ant child felt so tired, all he could do was part his lips silently as the doctor burrowed the needle into his body. His second set of arms squeezed the sheets beneath him, his torso barely arching in his silent pain. But he settled again once he could manage it, panting quietly, wanting to be as little of a trouble as he could be.
His antennae bobbed slightly at the beeps automatically, stretching slowly like hands to find the source. "I am.. being better now?" He implored softly, a faint smile of hope trying to make its way onto his ebon features.
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:40 pm
"Not yet Canti...but soon, I promise you'll get better." Acklin said as he walked over to the other side of the ant's bed to prepare an oxygen mask for him. It was important to keep every patients hopes up, the battle for survival was only half physical, the other half was psychological and while some doctors believes the could only treat the physical symptoms Acklin prided himself in as many full recoveries from his patients as he could get. Which of course meant he needed to keep them in high spirits.
"Here Canti, this will help you breath better." He said putting the oxygen mask over the boys mouth and nose, "Now I'm just going to listen to your heart, lungs, and everything else that makes you tick, okay?" He said putting a stethoscope up to his ears. Taking notes and comparing them to each individual patient was probably the most useless and yet the most crucial part of research. Inconsistencies could mean disaster, however it took up valuable time.
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:50 pm
Soon? How soon? Even his thoughts were feeling a bit sluggish. He let the doctor do as he would, twitching minutely as the cold object slid over his chest. Sensation could still be pulled from his shell even if it was so thick. He breathed in experimentally as the mask was put on, and it felt as if his lungs were being doused with cold.
Quite absently, he tried to reach out, touch Acklin somehow be it by the elbow or even just snagging a part of his coat. He was quite touchy, he didn't like to be alone anymore when he'd been fed so much affection by his family. He didn't really think that it may make his attendant feel awkward, no, it was more likely he thought it may be of a comfort to the grown-up just as it was him. "..."
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Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:46 am
The doctor turned around when the boy reached out to him, he knew a lot of children had strange habits, a lot of them didn't want to be left alone, "Is something wrong Canti?" Acklin asked as he wrote some notes down finishing up with the inspection.
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Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:11 pm
And who could really blame them? No matter how cozy things were in this place, Canti was still very afraid of what was happening to him. There were many things he could have said in response to Acklin's question- when could he see his family? Why wouldn't he tell him what was happening? Who was he, the doctor? What should he do?
Instead, he just ended up shaking his head slightly, a very sad vibe pulsing slowly from him as he realized- the doctor was going to leave him. But he would not beg, would not cry, would not scream for him to stay behind. He had been brought up different from that, he'd never been the type to act out selfishly. All he could whisper was the tiny request, "You are to be coming back....soon, please?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 6:24 pm
The doctor was a little surprised at Canti's reluctance to see him go, "There are a lot of sick children Canti, I need to make them all better. However I will be back again, I promise," He told the boy as he finished the examination and headed towards the door.
The man wasn't cold, and he would come back as he promised, but there were a lot of patience, more than most people could handle even with an assistant, he didn't have the time to try and console the little boy as much as he needed it.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:24 pm
Soon the doctor came back into Canti's room. It was his turn for the administration of the vaccine. It was a bit tougher with Canti than it was with the other kids due to his exoskeleton but Acklin wasted no time.
Once the doctor had given Canti the shot he rushed out as quickly as he had come. Still many more children to get the vaccine to.
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