thecapitol | Patient Zero Plot

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Patient Zero Plot

[OOC: patients, post a subthread and one of the doctor characters will be with you shortly. Feel free to specify if you want one in particular.]

In a city as monitored as the Capitol, that a mystery disease was going around didn't escape notice for more than a few days. That both Victory Hannibal and Chris Traeger such a production of their 'impending death of the plague' didn't help it stay under wraps, either.

As such, a clinic of sorts has been set up inside the Tribute Center. Tributes, Mentors and anyone else associated with the Games are taken aside at random and given check-ups. Avoxes are given lists of prescriptions to help any sufferers alleviate symptoms, and the doctors and scientists on staff (recruited by Peacekeeping Headquarters right now) are given relatively free reign to take whatever tests they need to find the name of the illness and kill it.

Currently, it is staffed by Penny, Wesker and Zoidberg.

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Fair enough, Joly supposed he did deserve that sort of look, but well, it WAS important to establish that the patient was going slightly mad from illness, instead of both slightly mad and ill. It was much better that they were related, making it much easier to treat.

"Good." He nodded at the water bit. "you'll certainly want to keep that up. It helps more than you can know."

"Of course I know how important water is. I'm not a child." She snapped feeling as though she might have drawn the short end of the stick with this doctor.

At least it wasn't Zoidberg.

"Isn't your medical license out of date considering the advances in science?" she added "Why on Earth did the Capitol seek your help?"

"You would be quite surprised the number of adults who manage to forget that." Joly pointed out. "Even otherwise intelligent people. It's good to know you are not one of those. ...Ah the people who forget it." He put in rather quickly there. "It's good to see you aren't forgetful while being... Sorry." he broke off, looking a bit chagrined.

It may not be Zoidberg but it WAS one of his friends. That was probably a bad sign. Possibly.

"Ah that implies I had a license." Joly admitted, darting his eyes a little. "I was still one term away at home. But as to why they asked me...honestly, I've no idea. But I AM an extra pair of hands, and used to the work, at least."

If his honesty and friendly attitude were meant to comfort Azula, they did not. She looked incredibly dubious of him at this confession and tensed up as if she may be called upon to use what little energy she had left to flee from the room.

"So you came back and were immediately thrust into this situation, and you didn't ask anyone why?"

"I did not." Joly agreed, and he could not even regret that he had done so yet. It was less out of being a good little boy who followed the rules, and more because here was some way he might be useful.

"They asked for doctors and the like to investigate this illness. As terrible as it is, as afraid of it as I am..."

The thought DID have Joly checking his symptoms, measuring them himself before each shift he worked, and being terrified that a simple sore throat may be the beginning of something more, but, he naturally had a duty.

"People are ill and growing worse, and I am a doctor. There was only one thing to be done."

At least, he thought that was what it was. He certainly disliked dancing to someone else's tune instead of the one that he was useful, performing for his capitol masters (such a loaded term, considering what was happening around the world to those with his skin color), but it was what it had to be for now. Later, with Enjolras and the others, things would surely start to change.

Was Azula safe to mention that to? For a moment, Joly racked his brain for anything he'd heard of her beyond the reputation, but he came up blank with that. No, better leave well enough alone, for now. There was always time to seek her support later.

For the moment, well, there were instructions he'd been given, and a demonstration he'd been meant to follow, and he had a task to do.

"I'd like to draw some blood from you, if I may." If Joly was nervous, he didn't seem it, even though Azula would be the first person he tried the new method with. "It is not exactly bleeding for a fever, but they may be able to trace elements in it all the same. I've had plenty of practice."

'Plenty' translating to that quick lesson and demonstration followed by a short hands on training experiment, but Joly could still work with that, he thought, laying out the supplies he'd need.

"I do WISH I knew more, but I'd daresay I know no reason that I should not help where I am needed, in the meantime."

She rolled up her sleeve slowly, watching him like a hawk.

"I should warn you then, if you somehow make things worse for me I will make your life extremely uncomfortable. You yourself may require someone with more training in the medical profession."

The threats were dry and exhausted, weak with her illness dragging her down but the stare she presented him with was still chilling.

"They did show me the basics of this sort of thing." Joly was quick to reassure her, though on second thought, maybe that was NOT so reassuring. "And I would not dare harm a victor." Well, not one who had done nothing to deserve it. So far, that WAS all of them, but it may end up changing in the future.

Anyway, for now, he was leaning in to rub her arm with the alcohol solution, getting a needle prepped and going for the sample. Hopefully it would not hurt. He'd always been quick to pick up new things that had to be done with his hands so there was at least that going for him.

Seemingly satisfied by his attempt at reassurance she took a deep breath through her perfect little nose letting it out slowly to force her muscles to relax.

"Get on with it then."

Presenting him with her pale arm he may be surprised that such delicate looking skin held a surprising amount of lean muscle underneath it. Though she had not been working out since falling ill but before that she had trained daily.

Far more muscle than Joly had developed right now, certainly. Even though Azula was obviously ill, it was good to see that that strength remained. If things should take a turn for the worse, at least she would have something of a fighting chance, he thought, and was rather pleased by that.

"You've kept yourself in very good condition." He commented, applying the tourniquet to Azula's arm, and making rather short work of getting his needle in. So far, so good, he thought, though he could not keep himself from watching as the blood filled the little tubes he'd brought along.

What could he say? This was rather fascinating after all.

"Yes well, old habits die hard." She muttered not willing to get into a discussion about her paranoia causing her to work harder every day.

But you look so good Zula Zu

Another sharp scowl in the direction of her hallucination. Azula was unable to help herself with reacting to the voice.

"They do indeed," Joly agreed, inclining his head a bit as he finished with the sample collection, and began getting Azula all bandaged for the moment. "All the time I have been here, I cannot quite get over needing to doctor, though I'd rather hoped it would not end like this. If you take that off after perhaps half an hour, it would be for the best."

Catching her scowl, he followed it, but found nothing. "Someone or something speaking to you over there?" He asked, his frown deepening there.

Her eyes lingered for a moment more "No." She snapped and then turned that deadly gaze on him "What are you implying? That I'm hallucinating? That I'm mad? You may be a doctor but you're also still a tribute and a guest in our world and I'll thank you not to imply such things about me. It's rude and unprofessional."

The words came out in a very clearly spoken low warning tone. Each word spoken practically syllable for syllable as if that would somehow make it clear how perfectly sane and not crazy she was.

Angry yes, mad? Never.

That was enough to give Joly a lot of pause. There was a lot to be done in the name of finding out, exactly, what all of this illness involved, but angering an actual Victor? It was probably the worst sort of thing that you could do here outside of pissing off government officials. Whoever those were besides Snow, at least. Joly hadn't exactly managed to work that one out, and he would rather avoid insulting them if he could. Still, this much was already very bad.

"I do apologize." he answered, calling on his acting talents to look more sincerely sorry than terrified, both of this disease and Azula's considerable power versus his very apparent lack of it. "There are many illnesses that do cause hallucinations, hardly madness. When I saw you glance away just now, it made me rather concerned that it falls into that very same category. " And then, because he ought to make doubly sure that this did not reflect badly on him later, or worse, any of his friends, he looked about for something else to add.

"If there is anything else, it would be better that we know of it. I could not imagine the capitol without you." That much was actually true. Whether that was out of any fondness or not, Joly could well keep to himself.

The strokes to her ego helped. She relaxed a few threads and considered how best to confess while salvaging her pride.

"And if I were to be seeing things, what could possibly be done?" She pressed having already experienced hallucinations during her withdrawal and the abuse of her medications. Even knowing they weren't real had never helped.

That WAS a very good question, really. In most cases of it Joly had encountered, like withdrawal from, or treatment with a medication that was not intended to be used often, the answer would have been tapering off slowly, and perhaps applying other medications to be of use. In heavy fever, cooling the body rapidly as possible. In actual cases of madness, well, he found he did not really know of methods there. It had not been something he had encountered in the way of treatment yet. In terms of this disease, if the hallucinations were a result of something other than fever, Joly would admit that he did not know much.

"It depends entirely on the cause of them, I should think. Have you been feverish through this? You are cold now, but that is not always an indication that you do not have a fever. The body plays tricks like that, and breaking a fever can be of a great help. And, well, it does help us know what to look for, and the other symptoms to be treated, anyway."

The fever! Of course how could she have been so blind? Even she knew that fevers brought on these sorts of things.

This was followed by the realization that the fever probably was why she didn't consider that train of logic.

"Yes, they are worse when I am experiencing fevers." She confessed too exhausted to lie at this point. She just wanted to feel better.

Though a small guilty part of her thought perhaps the fever wasn't so bad if it meant she could spend more time with Diana.

The hallucination of Diana seemed to know this and blew her a kiss.

"Ah! Good then. Or, rather, that is something that we can begin to work with." Joly assured Azula, sounding quite relieved indeed. At least they could abate the symptom anyway, and that would be something. "Treatment for the fever can certainly be managed. If you will allow me to step away and arrange for that?" He asked, not quite certain yet of what, specifically, they were using here, but he supposed he was about to find out.

She nodded giving him permission, but was still highly suspicious of his suggestion. After all what if it didn't work? Or worse!? What if he was inept and gave her the wrong treatment?

The hallucination was no comfort as she teased But Zula Zu~ You don't really want me to go away do you?

Azula chose not to answer even though she was alone in the room. Soon enough the real Diana would be back, and she was more then enough for Azula to handle.

Well, that was why Joly intended to check with someone else before doing anything on his own. At home, and in the arena, he certainly felt as though he could make enough judgement calls for a patient's own good, but here, he was still learning,and the last thing that he wanted was to make things worse.

At any rate, he hurried off, hoping to find help for Azula,and then move along to someone else. He did hope though that something someone did could help the woman now.

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Patient Zero Plot

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fade to black here?

Sounds good