He was a little less than thrilled compared to Kyle as he was dragged into the room that was demonstrating CPR, not that he gave any impression that he was. Instead he simply followed along signing his name in before taking a seat next to him giving a seemingly content look. He was more amused about how excited Kyle was attending the Gala at least he seemed to be enjoying himself more than Matt was himself, but to be entirely fair Matt had really no interest in attending he just happened to be sent the invitations due to donation effort on part of his family and therefore had attended on their behalf. Next time though he would have remind his sister that he was far too busy for these sort of things and that she should really stop signing his name to all of them, at least he was able to bring a guest of his choosing.
“Yes, it’s requirement for almost all hospital employees, I may work in the lab most of the time but I still deal with patients on occasion.” He gave a warm smile to Kyle as he glanced at him, the suit he had lent him fit him perfectly, but to be entirely fair he had bought it for him.
Room B. The sign with the cheerful-looking bubbly font suggested that Ashley had the right room, as did the several people who were already in the room–
And whilst she had actually been hoping to be a little earlier, Ashley had at least managed to reach the room before the seminar in question started. She slipped in, grey eyes noting the rows of tables that had been set out in the room as she walked over to the sign in table and neatly wrote her name down before glancing about for an empty seat.
She spotted one finally, around about at the middle of the room and after walking over slipped into it, hand reaching into her bag for a notepad as she waited for the class to start.
Gigi all but skated down the shiny hallway, slippery shoes on new tile, struggling for the balance between getting to class on time and not injuring herself running through the brand new hospital. How embarrassing would that be, she would practically be their first patient! She should, in hindsight, have picked more sensible shoes. But her senshi uniform still had heels, and it was far and away more likely that Subamara would need to perform CPR than Gigi-in-flats. That was pre-caffeine logic, borne of getting dressed in the dark, but it did remind her sleepy brain why she had made the effort to come. She’d seen too many people injured, and spent too much time feeling helpless. Even as a Super, her magic was still supportive. It was the reason she’d picked up a basic first-aid qualification through her university. It was the reason she wanted the CPR upgrade. Maybe she’d never be a fighter, but she would make sure she could do everything else possible.
It was too early in the morning, and most of her coffee was still sloshing in the lidded paper cup. Things would look better when the cup was empty.
She caught her breath at the door to Room B, checking her watch against the little handwritten sign. Miraculously not late! She pushed open the door, and relief intensified into a bright smile in return to the one the nurse offered her.
“I’m Gigi, hi!” she said, juggling her cup and handbag to sign herself in.
At a quick glance, she didn’t recognise any of the other students, so she flumped into the nearest seat, up the front for best view of the nurse once they started, and tucked her bag under her chair, out of the way. The coffee remained in her hands, and she worried at the cardboard corrugations as she waited, absently tearing up the insulation layer.
Don’t spill coffee on the CPR dummy, she told herself, staring down at the plastic torso. This thing was going to teach her how to save lives. Theoretically.
Once upon a time, Aurora Jane Willows had been properly certified in CPR. It wasn't a requirement for volunteering at the hospital, but it certainly helped and she never passed up an opportunity to learn a useful, perhaps life saving, skill. Unfortunately with all of the hubbub of her new after school activities she definitely couldn't tell her dad about she hadn't realized that her certification was expiring until, well, it expired.
As annoying as the whole ordeal was, Rory was at least grateful that the class was being taught by someone she knew and liked.
Julianne was a lovely woman she had the fortunate to meet due to happenstance. Sure, they had a mutual man in common but that was different. Plus, it had been a wonderful cat that had brought them together instead of the charming and devilish redhead who made her heart beat off rhythm. And if Jules made Rory feel like she thought girls who had mothers who paid attention to them feel, well that was just a bonus.
So, Rory made a point to sign up for the class and work the rest of her volunteer activities and homework plans around the class and even got proper permission from Pops.
Signing in was easy, deciding where to sit was difficult.
There were many faces she didn't recognize and in the end, she opted for a mostly empty table with an open end seat.
It had, at one point in her life, been a simple flighty wish that she should learn how to perform CPR correctly. Back then though Kathryn had merely been thinking that it would be an essential piece of knowledge stored in the back of her mind should it ever come to needing to perform it. Although back then Kathryn had never found the time to take a class or if time was available ... forgotten completely to sign up and then remember too late. However this was not in the past. Kathryn had been trying to shake off the lethargic feeling that had plagued her since walking away from the room where the Blood Drive had been going on when her gaze fell on the sign on Room B's door. Instantly Kathryn had felt invisible strings directing her to stop and take in the sign before her gaze lit up. Here was a chance to learn what she wanted to always know. Now more than ever it was an important skill that would serve her for years to come.
Coming to a complete and final decision Kathryn passed through the open door and quietly took in the atmosphere of the room before noting that everyone had to sign in on a clipboard before proceeding any further. Noting the instructor's name and cheerful personality Kathryn couldn't help but feel correct in her decision that here and now was the correct place to learn CPR. Offering a grin to the instructor's Kathryn picked up a spare pen and glanced at the names on the sheet checking to see if anyone else's jumped out at her. None did and so it was with fingers that shook from slight exhaustion Kathryn jotted down her name on the piece of paper that was already covered in signatures and scanned the room looking for an open mannequin in which she could practice the life-saving technique on. In the back of her mind Kathryn was also hoping to have a space all to herself as she wasn't sure that she'd manage to stay completely awake. Dragging herself to a promising station Kathryn swallowed nervously and rubbed at her tired eyes before struggling to stay focused. Perhaps giving blood before coming in here hadn't been the smartest idea but when else could she learn the proper way to do CPR and get certified at the same time.
Sitting down at her chosen location Kathryn eyed the booklet next to the mannequin and flipped it open to study the instructions. No one would ever call her a lackluster student. Even as drained as she was feeling Kathryn would give this instructor her complete attention ... when the class started. No point in wasting a bit of time before class started to go over the reading material.
(( 465 words ))
Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 8:01 am
In no time at all, the room has found itself filled with over a dozen participants, each person taking a seat behind their own designated practice dummy. Nurse Julie seems thrilled with the turnout as she collects the sign-in clipboard and tucks it away at the desk before turning around to stand behind it, where her own example mannequin sits.
Glancing around the class, her smile is bright and genuine as blue eyes gaze over each member. There's a momentary linger as she notices a familiar friendly face, but she proceeds with the class, quieting the chatter as she cleared her throat.
"Okay, then! Today we're going to learn the most simple form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation: the Hands-Only approach!"
Hands gesture to her mannequin, which appears to be in the shape of an adult male torso. "It's very important that once you notice someone has gone unresponsive to react immediately. Even a few minutes delay could cost someone their life."
Over the next thirty minutes, your CPR instructor shows you how to first check to ensure that your "victim" is truly in need of compressions. After making sure you call out for someone to call 911, you are shown how to check for a pulse, check for signs of breathing and then if neither are present, how to fold your hands across the person's chest and lace your fingers together.
You are then instructed to give swift compressions, ensuring that you push deep but not too deep - you need to be able to pump blood, but you don't want to do too much damage at the same time! She even teaches you a song to help you remember - "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees. Even if you forget what your count is, keeping to the beat will ensure that you're pumping their heart in an appropriate rhythm!
After demonstrating it several times for you, it is now time for you to show her everything you've learned. It may seem silly to "pretend" with a dummy, but thanks to the vital knowledge you've just received, you could find yourself responsible for saving a life in the future - better make sure you're doing it right!
(( If you'd like a step-by-step instructions for easier understanding, the Red Cross has a nice summary! ))
Caught up in her own thoughts, Poppy hardly noticed the red-haired boy sitting down next to her until he spoke; she squeaked, momentarily frightened, and her shoulders tensed before she was able to calm down from her innate urge to startle. "Oh, um - no, but." She laughed, or tried to; it sounded forced. "I have a friend who gets in a lot of trouble, so...I figured it'd be good to learn before I -- really need to know. Besides, um...there's a lot of fights here, you know? So - just. A practical skill."
If she'd known his thoughts about Umber, she would have had choice words to offer on the matter: words that boiled down to if I find General Umber I'm going to break every bone in his body, rip his own starseed out, and make him bite down on it and throw his body in the garbage, where it belongs; but she didn't know Slate, anyways, and had never known Shale either. A glance of Ochre at meetings, her unfortunate familiarity with Umber as he pulled her to the floor and watched a youma force its' way into her ear -- Poppy's fingers clenched white-knuckled on the seatrest.
Deep breath. This wasn't the place or the time.
She opened her mouth to tell Slate he looked exhausted, and thought better of it as Julie moved to the center of the room.
[446 words, will get to doing a POPPY LEARNS CPR post sometime]
Strlckenized
Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 10:18 am
Slate Blackwell
"Yeah. A practical skill." Slate felt too tired to try to put forth a smiling face. The girl acted terribly nervous, and he could see why - a CPR class only left her practicing on dummies, and then she would leave afterward with a certificate saying, yes, yes I can resuscitate someone who's life is in my hands. Even though, as everyone in the room knew, they never tried their skills on an actual human before.
Yeah, that's going to suck later. But Slate felt too tired to internalize that fear himself.
"I hope you never have to use this on your friend. Um, as in they don't get themselves in enough trouble to need it. Not like… yeah, nevermind." Slate rubbed at his eye unconsciously.
Slate watched the instruction given, though he fought himself to stay awake. The girl at the front had a nice voice - and so long as he listened to it, Slate felt his thoughts drifting. He watched the way she laced her fingers together and thought of Porsha, battered and beaten, angry as she lay against her bed. Vehement in her desire to get up. Had she needed CPR? Maybe he could dream of it.
And he almost did, until he started awake. She was further along in the demonstration now. Ochre - no, Slate - wasn't sure what she did to reach that point. Did she do anything? How long was he asleep? Afterward she opened the demonstration to individual practice, and Ochre Slate frowned a thin line at his unassuming torso. He stood, approached the figure, and halted at its side as he tried to remember all the steps involved - even the ones through which he slept. And hadn't she sung a song in there somewhere? s**t. Maybe he shouldn't have come to a CPR class at all. Clearly he couldn't concentrate enough to stay awake through the lecture.
"Uh, hey. Did you get all of that?" Ochre Slate whispered to the mint-haired girl. "I think I nodded off in there somewhere."
As the class started Kathryn made sure that her focus remained on the step by step instructions that Julie was demonstrating. Her willingness to learn was a little hampered but Kathryn was definitely actively absorbing the knowledge needed to perform Hands-On CPR. After finishing with instructions Kathryn glanced around at the rest of those that had attended the session before focusing her attention on the dummy before her. Replaying the steps that needed to be done Kathryn checked off the first two in her mind of insuring that her "victim" needed assistance and that the area was clear of danger.
It helped that the session was being done in a room as there was no real danger but still, it helped to check. Clearing those two steps from her mental list Kathryn wondered if in a learning class that telling someone to call for 911 was necessary but whatever. Maybe for now she'd settle for having that "shout" go out only in her head. Finishing step number three Kathryn glanced down at the training mannequin's chest before beginning to place her hands on the chest in the proper position. It took a few minutes of trial and error before she found the correct placement. Remembering at the last minute to not have her fingers on the chest she brought them off of the dummy's "chest".
Kneeling so that her position was as she remembered Julie demonstrating Kathryn began to deliver swift compressions. It definitely was not an easy task. Kathryn began to falter in her pace and then stopped altogether after only a few minutes. Knowing that in a real life situation taking her hands off the victim wasn't good she kept her hands in place but took a small breather. This was turning out to be harder than she initially thought. With a sigh that spoke more of frustration than confusion Kathryn shifted her position and by moving her body around just a bit the woman made sure she was lined up correctly with her shoulders directly over her hands and began to deliver compressions once more. This time though something about the entire process felt completely natural. Locking the feeling of rightness into her mind Kathryn continued and chanced a glance around the room at the other participants before returning her focus to her hands that were would perhaps be able to save a life.
CPR wouldn't have helped her out during that crisis on the Moon but next time she would be ready if she saw someone that needed this sort of life-saving action. Whether it be a civilian in distress or not Kathryn would not want anyone to lose their life if she could help it. Her thoughts turned inward as she kept up the rate of compressions on her training dummy. This had been a good idea in the end even if she was completely exhausted at the end of the lesson. She just hoped that by the end of the session that she wouldn't look like she needed CPR herself.
Was the scene safe? Did she really have to announce it? The nurse had told her to, but it still felt… odd. Like some kind of like a messed up role play and the dummy was her sub… She pushed the thought from her mind. The strangeness kept coming as Rhona tapped the dummy’s shoulder and asked if it was alright. She got no answer, as was to be expected, so did she assume that was a no? She pointed to one of the people at her table and assigned them the task of calling 911. She pointed to another and told them to find an AED.
This was the weirdest role play ever.
Finally, it was time to begin compressions. She had read somewhere that unless the ribs were breaking, you weren’t doing the compressions right, so she sort of expected the dummy’s chest to feel like rice crispies or something. Instead she got a spring board, which was even more strange than the rest of what was happening. So in this made up universe where she was domming a plastic person with a crowd of people watching for some reason, her plastic sub also had a spring board in their chest.
Rhona did not sign up for this.
Behind her, someone began humming along to “Stayin’ Alive” which only served to make the situation stranger, but Rhona soon found herself pumpin in time to the beat.
This was not normal.
Behind her another voice joined in with the first, dissonantly off key and jarring her nerves as she worked, continuing to pump for the allotted time. Soon another voice joined and then another. Soon there was a hauntingly terrible choir behind her singing to the Beejee’s as she tried to save this dummy-sub’s life. She was still pumping in time to the song as it was sung behind her.
When time was called, she all but leaped away, washing her hands of that weirdness.
This time she was elected to go fetch and AED, and her legs almost moved without her consent. No, no. Rhona, stay. There is no AED to fetch and this dummy’s life is not in peril.
The Dummy’s chest made an odd pumping sound, like a trampoline or a spring loaded something while the other person worked. Rhona expected that was to be expected, since the dummy’s chest was basically a spring board, but that didn’t stop it from adding to the surrealism of the situation.
Next to her the leader of this horrific chamber choir began to sing again. What, like it had been totally normal the first time, the second time would be alright too? Rhona hoped against hope that everyone would ignore the man and go about their businesses, but no. Again, the second voice chimed in, adding a layer of awful harmony over the equally awful melody. And then a third, and then a fourth. Soon the voiced were swlling again, the woman at the dummy huffing breathlessly as she sung along.
Even people from other tables joined in, to the endless joy of her own partners.
This was insanity.
And what was the definition of insanity?
Each time someone else stepped up to the dummy, Rhona hoped and prayed that it would be different. That no one would sing. But each and every time someone stepped up to that horrific echo of life, they sang that awful chant.
Rhona never once opened her lips.
This certificate had better come in god damned handy.
Poppy frowned - "were you sleeping," she hissed to Slate, "but fine, I caught most of it." She bit her lips, moving to go practice on the dummy - her nails were clean, glossy, but the gloss was chipping and needed to be reapplied; her hair was held in place by a headband, but without that there was the implication her head might have been a little eaten by the encroaching curls. It was the overall look of someone trying very hard to not be stressed out and making it maybe halfway there.
"First you have to check them to see if they're okay," she shrugged, "which, um...obviously this is a CPR training class, they're dying or whatever, I guess. After that you call 911." She moved to the side of the dummy; heel of the left hand on the center of the chest, heel of the right on top - shoulders over her hands, arms straight; the ritual of hand placement was familiar even if the specifics weren't. Fingers laced. "Every compression should be around two inches deep -" she pushed in, let the chest rise, pushed again - "and there should be, um, around a hundred per minute." The rhythm of Staying Alive permeated the room, off key but recognizable, and she worked dutifully to it for a minute or two; when she stepped away, exhausted. "And you?"
Her nose wrinkled. Her brow furrowed. She scowled a lot. But Shahar opened her ears, considering the practice dummy with an attentive eye. This could, after all, be the class where she learned how to save a life, in lieu of taking one. Though, she noted as she watched the way that the compressions were being performed, CPR had great potential for starseed-snatching under the guise of life-saving. It was something that she just might have to keep in mind.
"Oi." She told the training dummy, when it was her turn, "You awake? Hey." The training dummy, same as any drugged-out dummy, did not respond. Yet she asked again, as per the instructions that the irritatingly perky woman had presented. But she hated the BeeGees, and did not much care of her training dummy stayed alive. Still... she wanted this certification, if for no other reason than as proof that she had been up and about before 11 in the morning.
Naturally, she had to pick another song to rhythm to, though, and as she began to compress, she picked another song entirely, joyfully compressing her dummy to the tune of...
Well. She could not always be awesome. A 90% awesome rate would have to do.
Falling silent when the lesson started Alexandre did sneak a few glances to Aiden, he figured if he messed up or forgot something the other would remind him. Having someone sitting next to him who was already certified would help - a lot.
Watching the nurse go over it several times he knew there were a few parts where he'd wind up feeling awkward, that fact it was a dummy was one but also the calling out for someone to call 911 - that part was very awkward to watch and he knew it would be worse when he had to show that he'd learned and understood what she'd taught them.
When it came time to prove he'd actually learned something he tried to pull up every ounce of confidence he had, which wasn't that hard, as he started from the beginning of what the nurse had taught them - making sure the dummy needed help. That was...just a bit awkward and his voice got lower when telling someone to call 911. He hadn't felt like this since high school and it wasn't a feeling he'd liked - ever. It was a feeling which used to make him want to duck down and hide...but he couldn't.
Pushing past the awkwardness he went about demonstrating what he'd seen and learned though he didn't go for any song, he could manage to keep a beat in his head just fine - thank you very much. A song was not needed, though it seemed some people in the class had decided to offer up their own musical talents to assist - how thoughtful.
He really hoped he did well, it wasn't like there was a way to tell - no dummy death or anything to tell him.
When he stepped back he moved rather quickly away so he could sort of...hide.
(word count 304)
Shanyume
Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 8:16 pm
Slate nodded along to the mint-haired girl's explanation. Her quick summaries helped to stay his mind from wandering. He glanced from her to the dummy, shrugged, then decided on committing to the roleplay that the nurse wanted beforehand.
"Hey," he called to the dummy, and poked its shoulder uselessly. "You okay? You look like you've got a bad case of the deadness." He checked for pulse and found nothing. "Yeah, i'd be in bad shape too if my insides were made out of fluff." He looked over his shoulder toward the rest of the students, and raised his voice enough to be heard by those who were searching for it. "Hey, is anyone gonna call 911 for this guy? No? Okay." Too bad for Mr. Dummy, Slate supposed. Maybe it was because he had no arms and no legs, and no hope of coming back to life.
"Okay." Slate once again looked over at his neighbor, watching how she arranged her palms against the stuffed body, and emulated the same for his own. Leaning his weight into chest compressions seemed easy enough; all he needed to do was lock his elbows and put his back into the motions. Doing so forced the body's chest too far downward at first, but repetition led him to the proper two inches that his neighbor suggested. And while he never heard Staying Alive before in his life, the frequent renditions of it around the room gave him a steady enough beat to which he could time his compressions. He continued for a while, ensuring that he could get the rhythm and depth down before he gave it up. As sitting often led to falling asleep, he continued standing afterward.
"Well, that's weird. I think I got it, but it's kinda… Hard to say, you know? I mean, this is a pretty no-stress situation. Makes it kinda hard to assume we're just gonna get it right the first time someone stops breathing on us." Shrugging, Slate tucked his braid back over his ear.
The nurse stepping to the front of the 'class' pulled Jada's attention away from Fritz. The steps that she was being assigned to follow seemed.... simpler than they might be in practice. Make sure if the victim is responsive or not. Compressions- no mouth to mouth this time, which was an excellent change from the last time she had been in a position where she might need to learn CPR.
Jada followed along patiently with the teacher, her long-fingered, manicured hands moving lightly over the dummy in light practice before she would actually have to perform the actions.
Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest. Place the heel of the other hand on top of the first hand, then lace your fingers together. Position your body so that your shoulders are directly over your hands, and keep your arms straight. Push hard, push fast. Don't giggle like you're three. she shifted from side to side, and stubbornly refused to hum 'Staying Alive' though she did try and google a few other song options. It said she would have to smash someone in the chest 100 times in a minute while letting the chest rise and fall- s**t.
Still. CPR was a valuable skill. It was what someone had done to help keep Ice's body going when.... well. It was something she could stand to learn for the people she cared for, in case something like this happened again, or the kids fell in the pool this summer, or... anything. Brow furrowing, Jada considered her hand placement, adjusting as needed and bending over her doll.
Who did she love and-or hate enough that she could put their face on the training dummy whose non-existent ribs she was about to break, so she could massage the heart? Yeah, no one, that was just- she wasn't sure how she would actually be able to do this in real life, it just seemed like it would be a bit painful if she accidentally did it wrong. Or anyone did it wrong. Or someone got CPR-hasty.
