Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #27: The Reluctant Caregiver (10/1/98)
Nick hovers over Snake's unconscious body, nursing the spark of life.
Wise Snake lies there looking like, well, hell.
Nick doesn't look too good himself.
Nick has eyes reddened with lack of sleep, two days' growth of scraggly beard, and an aroma even Snake might notice, if she were awake.
Nick's nager is getting ragged around the edges despite his best efforts.
Nick picks up one slack arm and runs fingers down the tentacles.
Nick slumps at the lack of reaction.
Bum Bum slides in the open door of Riyyh's office, where the unconscious Snake is ensconced, being careful not to disturb the ambient.
Nick feels the draft and turns.
Nick: Oh, Bum Bum.
Bum Bum: Nick. [appears a little nervous] Can I come in?
Nick: Sure. I'd tell you not to disturb the ambient, but I don't think Snake would notice.
Nick finds this idea distressing.
Bum Bum's nose twitches at the smell and appearance of Nick, but he fights valiantly to avoid showing any other reaction.
Nick blocks Bum Bum's field from what would be Snake's perception, if she were perceiving anything at the moment.
Bum Bum edges farther into the room, and looks for somewhere to stand.
Bum Bum: Is, ah, is... how is she?
Nick beckons Bum Bum.
Nick: Over here.
Bum Bum comes over by Nick, not without some misgivings.
Nick points to a place which puts his nager between Bum Bum's and Snake's.
Nick: No change.
Bum Bum finds zlinning through Nick rather difficult, even with Nick's nager not in the best of shape.
Nick: I did get a little bit of water down her this morning, but....
Nick shakes his head.
Nick sees Bum Bum's difficulty and rearranges his nager to let Bum Bum zlin Snake without disturbing her.
Nick has temporarily forgotten his own statement about Snake's ability to be disturbed.
Bum Bum zlins, then looks amazed.
Nick raises an eyebrow.
Nick: Something wrong?
Nick feels a little defensive; after all, it was Riyyh's attempt to steal Nick that indirectly resulted in Snake's injury.
Bum Bum blinks.
Bum Bum: Er, no no, it's just... the damage is so extensive.
Nick slumps.
Nick: I know.
Bum Bum makes a mental note that getting caught trying to murder a channel by a Donor is a bad thing.
Nick's nager slips just a bit, giving Bum Bum a glimpse of the ~~ desperation ~~ underneath.
Nick recovers and forces his nager back into control.
Nick: Sorry.
Bum Bum gulps.
Bum Bum: Um, do you require any assistance?
Nick is a little surprised at the offer.
Nick: I thought you didn't like Snake.
Bum Bum: Uh, well,
Bum Bum: You just seem kind of, you know, strung out.
Bum Bum: Why don't you take a nap or something, and let me watch her for a while?
Bum Bum notices there is a second cot nearby.
Nick: I was going to nap earlier, but I couldn't sleep.
Bum Bum: How long have you been up?
Nick tries to remember.
Bum Bum thinks it looks like 3 or 4 days straight, judging from the size of the eyebags.
Nick: I think I slept some yesterday.
Nick: It... hurts, when I move away from her.
Bum Bum: You might want to at least lie down or something... what if she woke up and you couldn't help her because you were too muzzy?
Bum Bum wonders if it hurts when Nick moves away from Snake, then why was he thinking of shacking up with the Sectuib in Naros.
Nick: Umm.
Nick thinks about that, sort of.
Nick: You have a point.
Nick considers a bit more.
Bum Bum contrives to look as harmless as possible.
Nick kicks off his shoes, releasing a waft of stench.
Bum Bum feels himself grow faint, and tries not to breathe while he coaches himself to put up with it for just a little bit longer... just until he can get free nageric access to Snake.
Bum Bum thinks he's never going to get a better chance to end his misery, than this.
Nick lies down on the cot beside (and partly on top of) Snake, and wraps his arms around her to keep her from falling off.
Bum Bum tries to hide his dismay.
Nick: Wake me if anything changes.
Bum Bum is never going to be able to work nageric murder with this great ape climbing all over Snake.
Bum Bum: Y-yes, Nick.
Bum Bum realizes this is going to be one shen of a boring afternoon.
Nick closes his eyes and drops off almost immediately, nager still solidly linked to Snake's.
Bum Bum sits down in Nick's still-warm chair and uses one toe to slowly nudge the stinky shoes as far under the bed as he can reach.
Nick begins to snore, loudly and obnoxiously.
Bum Bum: ~~depression~~
Bum Bum looks at the books on Riyyh's shelves, trying to decide which of them would be the least of many various evils.
Linn peeks into Riyyh's office to check up on Snake.
Bum Bum jumps up.
Bum Bum: Linn!
Linn slips through the door.
Linn: How's Snake?
Linn: ~~ concern ~~
Bum Bum has to stop to consider the question, because of course he'd put Snake entirely out of his mind as soon as he figured out the deed he'd come to perpetrate couldn't be perpetrated through Nick.
Bum Bum: About the same.
Linn blinks as a snore rattles the window.
Bum Bum looks beleaguered already.
Bum Bum: Do you think Nick would mind terribly if we threw away his clothes and gave him a sponge bath?
Bum Bum thinks, maybe burn the clothes as well.
Bum Bum: Actually... I'll go get replacement clothes for him... can you wait here until I get back?
Bum Bum sees his chance to escape.
Linn takes a few more steps into the room, and sees Nick wrapped around Snake.
Linn: The poor man. He's been frantic.
Linn: It's so good of you to watch so he can grab a nap.
Linn: ~~ pride in her channel ~~
Bum Bum smiles weakly.
Bum Bum: Er... oh, well, it's only what any of us would have done, right?
Linn: Oh, he should have something more comfortable to sleep in.
Linn: I think Riyyh kept a robe in here.
Linn goes over and starts to search the cabinets.
Bum Bum: Well, I, ~~flustered as he realizes Linn apparently knows the contents of Riyyh's wardrobe and where he keeps things~~
Ansen comes down the hall.
Bum Bum: Don't, don't I'll go get something.
Linn: Ah, here it is, and a towel and washrag as well.
Bum Bum's hands fall to his sides in despair.
Ansen hesitates at the door to Riyyh's office.
Ansen: ~~ worry ~~
Linn: Why don't you take that water pitcher over there into the bathroom and get some hot water?
Bum Bum turns and looks at the door.
Bum Bum: Oh... Ansen?
Bum Bum recognizes the Gen from his duties in the infirmary.
Ansen: Y-yes?
Linn: Another visitor?
Ansen: No.
Ansen: They said that... uh....
Ansen looks down.
Linn: Yes?
Ansen: Well, the infirmary... I went there to take my pill... and....
Ansen looks aside. ~~ embarrassed ~~
Linn waits patiently to find out what Ansen wants.
Ansen: They said there weren't any.
Ansen: That that stuff was all... over....
Ansen: Well, here. They thought they were... anyway.
Bum Bum looks around at the things jamming Riyyh's office; it looks like half the infirmary is there.
Bum Bum: They may be right.
Linn: What specifically was it that you were supposed to be taking?
Ansen brightens slightly. "It's a blue bottle."
Bum Bum: I'll look for it. [hands Ansen the water pitcher and the wash cloth]
Bum Bum: How about you get some hot water and give this guy a sponge bath?
Bum Bum desperately hopes Ansen falls for it.
Ansen holds them.
Ansen: Uh, me?
Bum Bum is not even sure that Ansen is a Donor.
Bum Bum hurries off to one of the boxes stacked on the desk and starts looking through it.
Ansen: Now? ~~ apprehensive ~~
Nick gives a stentorian snore.
Ansen turns and moves uncertainly towards the bathroom.
Linn looks at Bum Bum.
Linn: I don't know how you could find anything in this mess.
Bum Bum is counting on not being able to find anything... so he can avoid as much Nick-and-Snake duty as possible.
Bum Bum: Oh, well somebody's got to try! The poor guy requires his meds after all.
Linn starts to sort through a different box.
Linn: This is condiments, it appears.
Ansen goes into the bathroom and tries to fit the pitcher in the sink.
Linn holds up a jar of lemon pepper.
Linn: I suppose Riyyh's been eating in his office a lot, lately.
Ansen turns on the hot water.
Bum Bum: Well I gather that with Mytag busy, some shipments got mis-allocated. [darkly]
Bum Bum is still sore over the hydraulic ram incident in the infirmary.
Linn: ~~ guilt ~~
Linn: I really did think it was an arm-measuring device.
Bum Bum: I'll bet he hasn't shown his face around here since Nick started sitting here.
Linn feels very bad about the mixup.
Bum Bum knows that he sure wouldn't, were he in Riyyh's shoes.
Ansen realizes half the water is running off onto the floor.
Nick snorts, then burrows closer to Snake.
Bum Bum zlins Ansen's progress.
Ansen hurries to turn off the water.
Ansen: ~~ shame ~~
Bum Bum's tentacles curl up at the unpleasant emotion.
Bum Bum has enough problems without feeling someone else's shame!
Linn sees the tentacles curl, and hurries over to ~~ support ~~ Bum Bum.
Linn: What's the matter? Is Snake worse?
Ansen walks out slowly holding the pitcher in both hands.
Bum Bum: Who c-- I mean, I have no idea.
Bum Bum: Hey, is this it? [holds up a large blue bottle labelled "horse tranquilizers"]
Linn looks towards the cot, but can't really assess Snake's condition underneath Nick.
Ansen looks over.
Ansen: Uh. Not really. Sorry.
Bum Bum: Oh.
Bum Bum sets the bottle down on a convenient horizontal surface, and keeps looking.
Ansen: It has a little white label.
Bum Bum: Blue with a white label... blue with a white label.... [mutters to himself as he looks through another box]
Linn nods approval at Anson's pitcher.
Linn picks up the box of condiments and sets it on the floor.
Linn: Why don't you put the pitcher down here while you undress him?
Ansen very carefully puts it down next to Nick.
Ansen: ~~ blush ~~ Uh, yeah. Ok.
Bum Bum pauses as he spots something interesting in a partly-opened desk drawer.
Bum Bum pulls the drawer open and pulls out a bundle of photographs.
Bum Bum darts a glance to make sure the others are otherwise occupied, then removes the binding and begins looking at them.
Linn decides she really doesn't need to be personally involved with Nick's bath, and goes back to Bum Bum.
Linn: Did you find the pills?
Bum Bum jumps guiltily.
Ansen starts trying to unbutton Nick's shirt.
Bum Bum: Er, not yet.
Bum Bum tries to stuff the photos back into the drawer.
Linn: Maybe they're in one of the cupboards?
Bum Bum: I doubt it!
Nick mumbles at the disturbance.
Bum Bum wonders why Linn is so keen on going through Riyyh's cupboards.
Bum Bum: ~jealous~
Bum Bum has been paranoid ever since the shower incident.
Ansen wonders if he should wash the chest he can see now, or try to take the shirt all the way off.
Nick's chest is rather odorous, particularly as it nears the arms.
Ansen wrinkles his nose, and decides to try and get the shirt off first.
Linn notes that Bum Bum seems tense.
Linn goes over to Bum Bum and tries to ~~ soothe ~~ him.
Linn: It's not your fault that the infirmary ran out of the man's medicine.
Linn: The deliveries have been going haywire ever since the scandal broke.
Bum Bum is somewhat mollified, mostly because Linn's nager is making him be.
Nick's sleep is ~~ vaguely disturbed ~~ by the shirt-removal.
Ansen looks for the wash cloth, and realizes he left it in the bathroom.
Linn: We'll find it.
Linn: ~~ confidence ~~
Ansen pushes himself to his feet and walks over towards the bathroom.
Ansen bends over to pick up the towel and washcloth.
Ansen pauses to catch his breath for a moment.
Bum Bum: What's this?
Bum Bum finds a small blue bottle sitting alongside some others in the "In" basket.
Ansen comes back out and over to Nick.
Bum Bum: Ploio... plomni... nivert.. um, vertalyolin?
Bum Bum tries to sound out the tiny lettering on the label.
Ansen wads up the washcloth and sticks it in the pitcher.
Ansen: ~~ hot ~~
Ansen lifts it up by a corner and lets it drain back into the pitcher.
Bum Bum winces.
Bum Bum carefully moves around to put Linn between him and Ansen.
Linn takes the bottle and squints at the label.
Linn: Your eyes are better than mine; it just looks like a blurred mess to me.
Bum Bum is just as glad Linn didn't try to pronounce it; in a Gen Territory accent the word might well be lethal.
Ansen carefully squeezes more water out.
Ansen starts cautiously rubbing the cloth over Nick.
Nick sits up with a yell, arms flailing.
Nick: ~~ shock ~~
Ansen reels back.
Ansen: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Nick: Wha...?
Bum Bum jumps, losing his grip on the bottle.
Nick blinks reddened eyes.
Bum Bum: Bloody sh...
Bum Bum remembers he's near a woman who he wants her to believe he thinks of her as a lady.
Bum Bum: I mean,
Linn grabs for the bottle and misses, and it shatters on the floor.
Ansen backs across the room. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry."
Bum Bum looks down at the mess, then over at Ansen.
Bum Bum wonders what's gotten into the guy.
Ansen: ~~ Mortified ~~
Nick never functions well just after waking, even under the best of circumstances.
Ansen is breathing in gasps.
Linn looks at Ansen in concern.
Linn: Are you all right?
Bum Bum zlins Ansen, then hurries toward him.
Nick can remember how he came to be sharing a cot in Riyyh's office with Snake, but he doesn't remember the presence of Linn or Ansen, or being half dressed and wet.
Linn moves with Bum Bum, stepping carefully to avoid pills and glass shards.
Ansen is wheezing now and holding his side.
Bum Bum: You'd better sit down.
Ansen: I... didn't... mean... it.
Bum Bum tries to grab for Ansen's arms.
Ansen does not resist.
Nick stabilizes the fields for Snake.
Nick: Can somebody please tell me what's going on?
Nick: ~~ plaintive and still half asleep ~~
Wise Snake for once has no complaints about the ambient.
Linn grabs a chair and brings it over for Ansen to sit on.
Bum Bum guides Ansen over to the chair and sits him down, then makes lateral contact, zlinning for the problem.
Ansen: ~~ scared and fighting for air ~~
Bum Bum figures it's either a panic attack or some kind of breathing disorder.
Linn: Just relax. Bum Bum will help you.
Bum Bum is not a big fan of medical work but hey.
Ansen: ~~ muscles around bronchial tubes spasming, narrowing airways ~~
Linn has perhaps more confidence in Bum Bum's abilities than are justified by his skill and knowledge.
Ansen nods and gulps.
Linn: Is this what the medicine was for?
Ansen tires to breathe slowly and deeply.
Bum Bum discovers the spasming muscles and concentrates his field, trying to make the muscles relax.
Ansen nods furiously.
Linn ~~ supports ~~ Bum Bum.
Bum Bum wishes Ansen wouldn't move his head so much, and makes a 5th contact just to hold him still.
Ansen coughs dry and hard.
Nick realizes that no one is going to answer questions just now, and settles for rebuttoning his shirt.
Ansen holds his mouth open to breathe through it, leaving Bum Bums's contact on his upper lip only.
Ansen: ~~ muscles loosen ~~
Bum Bum releases Ansen when he's pretty sure nothing else dramatic is going to happen.
Linn: Would one of the pills help him, Bum Bum?
Ansen breathes a little deeper with less whistling.
Bum Bum: Beats the sh... I don't know.
Bum Bum: Do you take those when you're having problems, or only as a preventative? [to Ansen]
Ansen: B-Both.
Linn: Well, then, let's get you one.
Linn goes back to the desk and starts sorting through the broken glass in search of a clean pill.
Bum Bum thinks about stopping Linn from touching glass with her Gen fingers, then doesn't when he realizes the alternative is to pick the glass up himself.
Bum Bum: She'll have one here in just a moment. [reassures Ansen and himself]
Ansen nods and closes his eyes.
Ansen: ~~ concentrates on breathing ~~
Linn emerges from the fray with two pills and a nicked finger.
Linn: Here.
Linn offers the pills to Ansen, then absently sticks the bleeding finger in her mouth.
Ansen reaches for them.
Linn drops the pills in Ansen's hand.
Ansen stuffs them into his mouth and tries to swallow.
Ansen: ~~ pills don't feel like they've gone down ~~
Linn removes the finger from her mouth, and frowns at the bead of blood that promptly reappears.
Bum Bum: Water... water.
Bum Bum goes back to the bathroom and fetches a small cup of water.
Ansen tries to swallow again.
Bum Bum comes back and hands the water to Ansen.
Bum Bum: Sorry....
Bum Bum is distracted from whatever else he was going to say by the bright red blood on the end of Linn's finger.
Bum Bum: ~~eeek!!!!~~
Ansen: Thhanks.
Linn: There, you'll feel better soon.
Ansen gulps the water.
Bum Bum snatches Linn's hand.
Bum Bum heals the tiny wound.
Linn: Thank you, Bum Bum.
Linn has gotten used to having channels snatch at her whenever there's a small injury.
Ansen is breathing better, but starts to hiccup.
Ansen: ~~ hic ~~
Nick notes that the emergency seems to be over.
Nick: Can somebody please tell me what's going on?
Nick: ~~ plaintive ~~
Bum Bum frowns as he realizes Ansen is hiccuping.
Bum Bum tries to decide whether that constitutes his problem or not.
Bum Bum: Let me get you some more water.
Bum Bum avoids Nick and goes back to the bathroom again with the cup.
Linn: Try holding your breath, Ansen.
Ansen: ~~ unhappy ~~
Ansen holds his breath. "Hup."
Ansen: ~~ hip ~~
see note 1
Notes:
1) The end of this episode has been cut. [return]