Not the bird flu / closed

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Who: Fil, Liam and Aaron
What: Fil dragging Liam off to Aaron's clinic in Locke to get him some REAL medical attention
Where: The clinic
When: Around 1/17?
Warnings: Nothing.

[He has never met anyone so...utterly frustrating. It had been an adventure in itself, getting Liam off the mountain in one piece. (Fil was seriously thinking about getting a leash on the guy.) Then there was the short car ride to the teleporter in Vegas. (He hated driving these days, mostly on account of how he had to have cushions just so he could see over the dashboard). The teleporter, as much as he disliked that too, at least was working properly now and he was getting used to the sensation of going through it. The convenience of being able to travel so far so fast outweighed his past prior experience with it. Then it was followed by another, thankfully short drive to the clinic.

It was with a sigh of relief that he parks the car.]

C'mon, we're here.

Comments

[arrowpoint]

[Short as the car ride might have been, Liam was asleep almost instantly. Thankfully that left at least a few minutes of silence for Fil. He wakes with a coughing fit and works quickly to tighten the scarf he had around his face to keep his driver safe from the "bird flu" that no doubt was deadly and would start an epidemic.]

...Cool. Let's do this.

[Well, we're off to a great start as he forgets to unbuckle his seat belt as he tries to get out of the car. He does thankfully make it to the door of the clinic, which sets of a chime as he opens it.]

[elfstoned]

[The clinic is plain but clean. Think cinderblock walls, fluorescent lights, the smell of disinfectant, folding chairs, and windows with bars on them -- that should give you a general picture of the place.

There's a young lady sitting at a desk behind a window in the wall, who pushes a clipboard at the guests. She'll ask if they're new patients, and upon learning that they are, she'll hand them more paperwork. Standard things: descriptions of what's wrong, prior medications, allergies, family histories of various diseases...

When it's filled out, she'll bring Liam -- and Fil, if he asks -- to a room in the back. It's not long before the doctor comes in -- as clean and plain as his clinic. He's got the clipboard propped against his chest.]

So -- "bird flu?"

[moreweaponsthanyou]

[Fil refrained from rolling his eyes when Liam forgot about the seatbelt. The guy WAS sick after all, most likely a bit delirious at that point. So when Liam was brought into the examination room at the back, he followed. He was already there, might as well see the thing to the very end.

Besides, someone rational needs to be there to give the Doctor the facts. ]

Doc, he has a cold, probably the normal human influenza at this point because he refuses all 'chemical' medication, maybe bronchitis as well with the way he's coughing. You can test him for 'bird flu' if you like but I highly doubt it.

[arrowpoint]

[By this point Liam is sitting on the exam table shivering in his coat, even keeping his hat on. When Fil keeps insisting it's not bird flu, he gives him a glassy eyed glare.]

Dude, it's totally a possibility if you've been near a sick bird.

[brb coughing.]

...I feel like shit.

[elfstoned]

[...oh, boy. Refuses chemical medication, huh. He nods at Fil.]

Scarf and coat off, please.

[Aaron unhooks a stethoscope from its place on the wall and hooks it around his neck, businesslike.]

Have you been in close contact with any sick birds?

[His tone says he doubts it. There's a reason cases of H5N1 in humans are so rare -- most people just don't wind up in contact with sick birds. Either they don't have the opportunity, or they're smart enough to stay away. This guy doesn't seem the type to have a job in the poultry business.]

[moreweaponsthanyou]

[Fil returns the nod with all seriousness, his eyes saying: good luck with this one, Doc.

He lets out another sigh.]

I think he's been with our friend Julien, who has some bird characteristics but I don't think is really an actual bird.

[arrowpoint]

Bird characteristics are enough, I was trying not to sound weird. Thanks Fil.

[Liam reluctantly takes off his scarf and coat. He's still shivering, and his skin is bone dry, an obvious sign of dehydration. He glances over at the doctor.]

Uh... So it's close enough, right?

[elfstoned]

[After about twenty minutes, Aaron walks into Fil's room.]

So, how much contact with him did you have before he came here, and who has he been in contact with since he was with Julien?

[moreweaponsthanyou]

[Fil has been tapping his foot nervously the entire time. He's 95% sure it's just influenza and not bird flu but the doc's serious demeanor was starting to make him nervous.]

From the time he started getting sick? Just a car ride and however long it took to get him inside the car....I'd say about an hour, tops?

And for the second...you'll have to ask him. I honestly don't know.

[elfstoned]

[Hmmm. Letting Fil go is a risk, but one he thinks he can take, with precautions.]

I'm not going to keep you here tonight. But if you get a call from me tomorrow telling you to get to a hospital, you go. All right?

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Yeah sure, that's no problem.

[He's not stupid; if it really turns out to be something serious of course he'd go.]

What's going on, doc? You don't really think it's bird flu do you?

[elfstoned]

I don't know yet. It might just be a bad case of the flu brought on by an unhealthy diet. But if it's what I'm afraid of...

[He shakes his head.]

I can't say any more. But when you leave, there's one more thing I need you to do. If you haven't got Tamiflu at home, pick some up from a drugstore -- there's one a few blocks down the street -- and take it. If you've caught what Liam has, that'll help contain it.

[moreweaponsthanyou]

[Fil gives a slow nod.]

Yeah, sure. That's no problem. Though er....I'm mostly dwarve at this point so I'm not sure whether Tamiflu will have any effect. Can dwarves catch birdflu either way?

[He gives a quick shake of head to get himself off of that line of thought because he really has no idea.]

Never mind, Doc. I'll take it anyway.

/crashes this log

[bythewaves]

[ He kissed his wife goodbye and was out the door and down to where the chopper was parked even before he hung up the phone. The address Liam gave him is in the seedier part of town, and normally even Arnold would be careful but right now he can't care.

That is his son in there his little boy (he remembers, the day they put the twins in his arms, and he felt like the bottom dropped out of his world, as he realised how many things could go wrong. What if they are caught in a fire? What if they fall? What if they get hurt? He loves them both fiercly, his beautiful children, but Liam, it always seemed, has needed a little more care than his sister, and a part of him still sees his son as the child, and not the man)

He directs the chopper over the area, and looks for an open area - finally getting them to land in a football field nearby before spilling himself out and heading towards the address at a quick jog. When he reaches the clinic, the doors are barred and he pounds on them in worry ]

Hello? Hello? Is this the clinic? My name is Arnold Benedict! I've been told my son is here?

/crashes this log too!

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

[Well, the banging attracted at least one person, a lovely, buxom Latina, but she was on the outside, not the inside. She had a large thermos tucked into her purse.]

Damn, the doors are locked? And here I promised Liam I'd bring him something. And last I checked, visiting hours weren't over.

[She purses her lips thoughtfully and glances at the dark-haired man nearby.]

You're trying to get in too?

whoo! .....damn it net I THOUGHT I HIT POST ON THIS HOURS AGO

[bythewaves]

Ah!

[ Arnold jumps with a startled yelp and turns and laughs sheepishly ]

Sorry, sorry, you surprised me. Yes - I... do you know Liam? [ He shoots a worried look at the doors ] He... he called me, he sounded sick. But yes, the doors are locked, and no one seems to be answering...

Clearly, it runs in the Benedict family.

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

Oh, he's sick, all right. Or was when I last talked to him. I promised I'd bring something by for him.

[She offers a hand.]

Isabela Costa. Liam's a friend of mine.

Now, let's just see what we can do about these doors. Hold my purse for a minute, but whatever you do, don't stick your hand in it. You might get cut, and being at a clinic or not, I don't think that would be much fun.

[She hands Arnold her purse, and then immediately pulls out a rather sizable dagger from under her coat which she then starts using to try and get the door open.]

sadly

[bythewaves]

Ms Costa [ He smiles and shakes her hand despite his obvious worry. ] Arnold, Arnold Benedict.

I... oh, he sounded so worried. [ He obediently takes the bag and then stares in absolute shock when she takes out the dagger ]

Is. Is that... that's a very big knife Miss [ He manages faintly ]

Tsk

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

Just Isabela will do, thanks.

[She laughs at his comment.]

You call this a knife? Oh, no. [She comes back, reaches into her purse and pulls out a knife.] Now, that's a knife. This is a dagger. See the difference? [She puts the knife back, and resumes trying to get the door open.]

Come on, now, door... Al...most...

[There's a clicking noise, followed by a crack, and she forces the doors open.]

Ah! And there we go.

[She puts the dagger away and takes back her purse.]

Thank you for holding that for me. Let's go see how Liam's doing, shall we?

[closed to Isabela]

[elfstoned]

It's over. It's done. No one was actually in danger of causing an epidemic. The good news has been given, Liam has been discharged into his father's care, and the clinic is open once more.

Fortunately, today, it's the other doctor's turn to be in.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Aaron says wearily, "I'm going to find a place that sells alcohol at ten a.m."

[closed to Isabela]

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

"I know a place," Isabela said, "If you want me to take you."

[elfstoned]

He looked at her for a second, thinking it over. Aaron took in a breath, then let it out with a nod.

"You know, I think I'll take you up on that," he said, a touch of humor creeping into his voice. "The only thing that would look worse than drinking before eleven would be drinking before eleven alone." He had other reasons -- he did want to speak with her in a situation that wasn't a crisis to get a better sense of her -- but that didn't make what he said less true.

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

"That depends entirely on where you happen to be drinking," she scoffed, heading back out to her car.

"Hop in. Though you might need to adjust the seat. I don't usually have passengers and my last one was a bit unwieldy trying to fit in here."

[elfstoned]

Aaron follows her out, opens the door, and pulls the front seat back and up so a human can sit in it. He gets in and glances over his shoulder at the other seats, adjusted for not-so-human-shaped passengers.

"Julien?" he guesses.

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

"Yeah." She offered no further comment, no explanation, and she slid behind the steering wheel and started driving.

"The place I have in mind isn't much. But they won't serve you the really strong stuff until afternoon. But, if you'd rather do your drinking in private, I might have a stash at home."