FinDrinking
From Heroes of the Great Tree
[Hopefully I am not taking too great a liberty with the NPC, Jay feel free to edit her responses as you see fit.]
"You have a fall recently?" Fin asked curtly.
"Naw.. the ship ain't got but one floor." The lean man with greasy overalls explained.
"Deck." Fin corrected "They are called 'decks' on a ship."
"Right, it ain't got but one deck on the floor, I couldn't falled far."
Fin re-examined the noticeable dent in the man's skull.
"Did you hit it on something, maybe a school book?" He asked again.
"I don't got any school books. Naw. I didn't hit it.. oh wait, I did get bumped something fierce by the Chueng Bao Hu Tze grav boot when I dropped my chaw down in the housing. Man that was some Gao Guhn tobbaco."
"Hmm.. Notice any loss of vision"
"No I see finer than a good.... looking... seeing.. person"
Fin shook his head, picked up a drink straw and poked the man in the eye.
"Ta Ma Duh!!" The man said grabbing at his face. "That ain't right, a doctor ain't supposed to poke people in the gorram eye!" The man tried to get to his feet but stumbled to floor instead.
Fin reached out a quick hand. "I am not that kind of doctor." He said lifting the man to his feet.
"You've got a subdermal hematoma, you need to see the doctor, and you need to see her now."
"A supderma what now?" His buddy said as they helped the man to his feet.
"It's a blood clot in his brain caused by his head injury. None of you noticed his falling, dizziness, his slurring of words... no of course you didn't because that is normal isn't it?" Fin looked exasperated.
"So he needs to see the doc?" The other friend asked showing real concern.
"Only if you want him to live." Fin said closing up his bag and returning to the inch of Rye, payment left from his previous 'patient'; a man with not one, not two, but three forms of genital warts.
The men stood there confused.
"Go! Dohn, dohn-ma? Ma Shong!" Fin barked.
The two men quickly helped their shaken friend out of the bar. One stopped, and turned to Fin. He dropped a folded and wrinkled credit note on the bar, "thanks, thanks a lot." He sad as he hurried to catch up with his team.
Fin smoothed out the bill, wondering if the various bacteria on it would crawl beneath his dirty nails, and end up finding some open wound next time he scratched. He looked up at the bar keep and pointed to the bottle from which his drink came. The barkeep brought it over.
Some time later he felt the presence of someone behind him.
"Do you know that there are no clocks on this station?" He said to the person behind him.
"Not true, the station keeps regular time, important for docking fees, lodging, and the 'service' industry." Said the solid voice behind him, "Maybe you'd know that if you had ventured out of the bar."
"Yeah, well, I like bars." Fin replied."No clocks."
"You look... better." She said.
"Must be my clean living." Fin smiled to himself.
"Must be." Her voice softened.
The doctor climbed on to the stool next to him. She signaled the bar keep and he brought her two fingers of whiskey straight up.
"That was pretty impressive what you did for Holden tonight." She said after a long silence.
"I don't know, I think that last batch of warts might be a new species. I'd hate to see that get killed off by antivirals." He added.
"Not the warts Buhn Dahn! Holden is that boy you sent me with the Hematoma." She chided "He probably would have passed out and died in his sleep for all the good his crewmates were. I was able to drain the wound, and release some pressure, we don't have a bone mender, so he'll have to heal up, but he's a strong one, I'm sure he will. He wouldn't have made without you though."
"Well, I guess you owe me one then, maybe a trip through your pharmacy" Fin added.
"How about I buy you the next round instead?" She counter offered.
Not one to turn down a free drink, especially when down to a few cents on his last credit. Fin nodded his head.
"So, was Neurology your specialty back home? Where was that, Ariel?" She added.
"Aren't you a little smart for a blackrock bandaid broker?"
"Well we all find our place eventually."
"Yeah. I was supposed to become the Core's greatest neuro-surgeon. But, through a series of tragic misadventures, a child I couldn't save despite my best efforts, I am now the broken, humble ship's medic and resident drug addict you see before you."
"Alright, don't get yer panties in a bunch. I am not here to preach to you. I gave you the gorram brochures. Hell I've seen hundreds of junkies worse than you. When you want help you know where to get it." She said guardedly.
Then she looked him straight in the eye with a serious almost aggressive stance.
"I understand you think things are pretty low. But partner, you haven't hit bottom yet. You've got yourself a sweet set up. I bet you've got enough PKs stashed away to last a month or more. You've got a sweet little ship with a caring crew that will take the Mi Tian Gohn you dish out. And you're still a damn fine doctor I reckon. Good enough anyway, so far."
Fin tried to take a second to retort.
"But don't you think you know about rock bottom. It is there, and it waits for you. You'll lose everything one piece at a time. Your crew, your things, your fancy medical bag, then your talent. It will slip through you fingers like so much blood. Just enough staining your hands to remind you of what you once were. Nine times out of ten rock bottom don't last long, you die not long after. But you, you're like them genital warts, you might look like your gone, but you keep coming back. So you'll last, it will be a long hard row. And when you do hit rock bottom. I hope you find yourself somewhere where you can get some help. Maybe some blackrock bandaid broker take pity on your sorry ass."
Fin was momentarily stunned and considered a retort. But before he could she filled his glass with another shot and raised hers to him.
"Gon Beh" she offered as she downed hers in a gulp. Then she turned to the barkeep."Hey Earl, make sure this boy gets back to his ship if'n he passes out."
"Good night Doc. You take care of yourself now."
Fin raised his glass to her and bade her goodnight, goodmorning, goodafternoon, whatever it was in this god forsaken tin spindle.
| Heroes of the Great Tree Topics | ||
| Heroes of the Great Tree | Barsaive • Adepts • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Impossibilities | I-verse background • Player Characters • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Phantapunk | Aeryn Background • Player Characters • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Concrete & Crimson | World Background • Scoobies • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Keep Flying | The 'Verse • The Crew • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Polybius | The World • Investigators • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Labyrinth | The World • PCs • NPCs • House Rules• Leads | |
| Arkham by Cyberlight | The City • The Runners • Everyone Else • House Rules | |
| Keep Flying v2 | The 'Verse • The Crew • Other Folk • House Rules | |
| Savage Effect | The Galaxy • The Cliens • Everyone Else • House Rules | |
