Healing Hands (D2 EA, Open)

[Ashla Vyliis]

Ashla just observes. Obviously, this girls has the right understanding of medicine. Unlike her "mentor."

[Cole Ormont]

The mediscanner beeped. A simple case of what his mother had always called the lurgy; that amorphous group of bacterial and viral illness that tended to knock the immune system around for a bit, then vanished without medical interference. But the diagnostics indicated malnutrition, and dehydration as well.

Cole pats his leg, "c'mon then," and he lifts the girl up on his knee. He takes out a hypospray; the sub-dermal needle-less delivery was far less painful and far less likely to risk infection than a syringe, but the girl's eyes still widened in fear. "It's okay, just a tiny pinch, but this is going to make you feel better. You'll be able to breath much more easily," and he lightly bops her on the nose with his index finger.

"I tell you what," reaching for the pack that was never more than half and arms-length away, he took out some sort of chocolate flavoured ration bar that he'd been planning on having as his lunch. "You can have this, but only after I give you the medicine, okay?"

The little Twi'lek looks from him to the chocolate and back again. She nods.

[Ashla Vyliis]

So, bribe them with chocolate? What if they're diabetic Mr. Ormont. Even to herself, Ashla refused to admit she was learning things. even as she paid attention.

[Cole Ormont]

"That's a girl," and he prepares the hypo. "Hey," Cole leaned closer and stage-whispered, "do you see that Togruta over there, you wave to her, she loves kids," and while the little Twi'lek was distracted, he administered the injection. The girl jumped and looked at him accusingly, but he winked and handed her the ration bar.

Lowering her down from his knee, the girl holds out the credits one final time, "you keep those, and you eat up. Go on, now." Nervously, she glances about and disappears back into the slums.

[Ashla Vyliis]

"So, lie to the patients? That doesn't seem very right."

[Cole Ormont]

"Lie?" Cole feigned innocence, "why, I have no idea what you mean." He pretends to think, "let's see, I told her that I would give her something to help her feel better, and I did that; I told her that she could have my lunch, and did that too."

Shrugging and running a hand through his hair, "nope, can't think of a thing."

[Ashla Vyliis]

'That togruta likes kids? I think I've made it clear, I don't like anybody." Ashla shrugs. "I'm not knocking it. I would be lying if I said I was an honest person." Ashla did try to be fairly honest, but she figured she'd throw in a paradox for the hell of it. "I can lie to my patients too."

[Cole Ormont]

"Cute, Ashla, cute," but it's hard to tell if he's teasing or disapproving. Cole shrugs, beckoning the next patient forward, "I needed a distraction so she wasn't focusing on the injection. Next time, I'll say: wave to her, she hates kids. I'm sure it will work equally well."

[Ashla Vyliis]

"Can I bring up the fact that togrutas are carnivores and we prefer live prey?" Ashla is smile shows she is clearly enjoying this.

[Cole Ormont]

He just gives her a mockingly disapproving stare. A few of the waiting patients suddenly realise they have pressing appointments elsewhere and leave.

[Ashla Vyliis]

A few patients later Cole over hears Ashla talking to a human child, "That man over there is a vicious cruel man who eating the flesh of children who don't have their shots. You want your shot? OK. There you go. Here. Have some of his lunch. Now run. Run like the wind."

[Cole Ormont]

Cole presses his lips together in a thin line. He gets up, about to cross over to the young woman, and just sits again, pinching the bridge of his nose and running a hand through his hair. He believes she genuinely wouldn't recognise anything wrong with her threat, and convincing her otherwise would be a task of Sisyphean proportions.

[Ashla Vyliis]

"Cole. You alright? Do you need me to take look at you?"

[Cole Ormont]

"I'm fine," Cole says, his jaw doesn't move as he speaks. One of the shelter volunteers comes over and offers coffee - or at least the pungent, sour, tar-black brew is supposed to be coffee - and offers it to the pair. Cole accepts a mug, and barely grimaces at the taste.

[Ashla Vyliis]

Ashla takes some and drinks. Much better than some of the stuff she has drunk before. "So....'' She pats him on the head. "Feel better?" Is he getting pouty? What for?

[Cole Ormont]

Waving off the question, "I said I'm fine." He holds the mug in one hand as he continues to treat the patients. The coffee is hot and strong, and that's the most important part.

[Ashla Vyliis]

Ashla continues to treat patients. Tsch. I tried. I really tried. That's what you get for caring. At one point, a child comes and hugs Cole.

[Cole Ormont]

Surprised, Cole chuckles and scruffs the kid's hair. I hope he doesn't think I'm giving away food.

[Ashla Vyliis]

The child goes back to Ashla who hands him her coffee which he promptly gulfs down.

[Cole Ormont]

"Shit, Ashla, you can't give the kids coffee. Serious contraindications." I guess I can't be surprised that no one's told her that before.

[Ashla Vyliis]

"Nah. It's fine. Most of it was the medicine I slipped in when he was hugging you. Besides, his mom was kind of a bitch. Let her deal with him with that much caffeine."

[Cole Ormont]

"Ashla, caffeine is addictive," granted, it was a pretty mild physical dependence, but she doesn't need to know that. "Good use of creativity, though."

[Ashla Vyliis]

"Really? Coffee is addictive? I know that. But it's like super low addictive. You realize there's spice dealer just a block that way that gives free samples to school children? Geez." Ashla shakes her head.

"Thank you. I try."

[Cole Ormont]

I don't think I'll ever win a battle against her, I don't know why I try.

Pushing a hand through his curls, "really? there's a school down here?"

[Ashla Vyliis]

"Well, I think this cult does some schooling. Though I mostly meant the age of the children."