Surgery!

Log Title: Surgery!

Characters: Scarlett and Lifeline Location: New Pit - Medical Center Date: July 30, 2010

TP: None

Summary: Scarlett's Elbow requires surgical reconstruction....

LOG BEGINS

(Radio) You transmit, "Umm... Edwin?" to Lifeline. (Radio) Lifeline sends you a radio transmission, 'Yes?' (Radio) You transmit, "I hate to ask..." to Lifeline. (Radio) Lifeline sends you a radio transmission, '*chuckles* No, that's alright, how can I help you?' (Radio) You transmit, "I'm sure you heard about last night... Most of my wounds are superficial... but... Storm Shadow Broke my right Elbow, shattered the joint really badly, according to the base doctors. They said I'd need surgerical repair..." to Lifeline. (Radio) Lifeline sends you a radio transmission, 'Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can.' (Radio) You transmit, "....Thanks Edwin." to Lifeline.

Lifeline shows up eventually. He looks...well, not pissed off, but not entirely pleased, either. More like *resigned*, if anything. He wears a resigned expression.

Scarlett is laying on the lone medical bed, the one that reads, 'Property of Offut Medical Center' on it. No I.V.'s are in her arm, this time, but there is a nice large bruise on her chin and lower aw, a bandage covering right shoulder, where if it is checked, a shuriken wound is covered. However, the hard cast on her right arm seems to just scream 'Here I am!' It is in a bright pink color. Sitting on the table next to the medical bed is a saw that can remove the cast, and a set of X-Rays. The X-Rays will show: The Shattered heads of the Humerus, Ulna, and Radius of her right arm. The X-Rays also contain a note from the Base doctor saying: I don't know what to do other than recommend an Orthopedic surgeon.

As he goes about his business, Edwin's very quiet. He doesn't have anything to say. He's got this way of using silence as a weapon, much like his father. The only sounds in the room are him on the terminal, reviewing the digital x-ray images.

Scarlett looks more and more guilty, with every second of silence... than finally, she shakes her head, and gets a defiante look, "Dammit, Edwin... I was doing *my* job. It wasn't like I was there *just* to try and show Snake-Eyes I can take Storm Shadow down. Storm Shadow is a Terrorist, and he was *four* blocks from the *White* House!"

Lifeline eventually looks up from the terminal, and the computer screen's glow reflects eerily off his tinted glasses. "...Did I say anything?" he asks simply, in a calm, quiet tone. He steps over to Scarlett's bedside. "Could you hold your right arm straight out? I want to check something. Try rotating your arm inward, toward your body, and stop when you can't go any further."

"With the cast on? I can't really move my forearm at all...." Shana responds, softly. She looks a little guilty for snapping at Lifeline, but only a little.

"Right, not bending it, just rotate it inward, like...from the shoulder. I'm checking for rotator cuff damage," Edwin explains.

Scarlett nods, and brings her arm up, she rotates her whole arm forwards and back. It seems like there is no shoulder issues. She doesn't wince, except when she accidently tries to twist her forearm, inside the cast.

"...Alright, good. Thank you." Edwin seems to be encouraged by the range of motion. "...Nope, I'm not doing to refer you to an orthopedic surgeon. I think I can fix this. However, if you happen to do this again sometime in the future...I'm not so sure."

Scarlett says softly, "I didn't do it this time. I had it done to me." She shrugs slightly, and sighs.

"Would you like to stay awake, or do you want to be out? What I need to do is get in there and put the joints back together, make sure there isn't nerve damage and such. You won't feel anything either way, of course." Lifeline begins getting a number of things together, including some artificial joint parts, various cutting implements, and such.

Scarlett bites her lip and shrugs, "I'm not sure... Umm.. Wait, nerve damage? Meaning I might loose fine motor control in the hand?"

"There's *always* that risk, but in this case, I think the risk is minimal," Lifeline admits.

Scarlett nods, "O.K.... Anyways... Out or not... It would probably be better if I was out, right? Less likely to distract you. I don't want to be a distraction." o O (I'm already a pain in your ass... no reason to cause you more problems.)

"Actually, I was hoping you'd want to stay awake, so we could talk...but it's up to you," Lifeline says with a shrug, giving Scarlett a sidelong glance.

Scarlett smiles, "I don't mind... I just don't want to cause you any problems."

"You're not a problem! You give me high blood pressure sometimes, but I don't consider you a problem by any means," Edwin exclaims, getting the anesthetic ready.

Scarlett nods, and relaxes, "Well, if you want me awake, than awake I am." She glances at her arm, and the pink cast, than she shakes her head, and looks up at the ceiling, and takes a deep breath, "So, how long is this going to take?" She imagines the process won't be short, by any stretch of the imagination.

"Depending on the damage, anywhere from 2 to 5 hours, though I'm aiming for the lower end of that, because I don't see any serious structural damage other than the breaks themselves." Edwin cleans up Scarlett's good arm, then administers an IV to her. "You should start feeling this in a few minutes." He then heads over to a sink to scrub up.

As Scarlett is waiting, she might feel the odd sensation that her body is disappearing. First, she feels numbness in her arms and legs, and then shortly after that, she feels as though the limbs have vanished altogether. The only thing she can feel for absolute certain is the weight of her head on the table.

Oooh, a floating body... Scarlett is used to the feeling that surgerical drugs give her, but normally, the feeling continues, until she is engulfed in that darkness.... now, she is floating, and feeling nothing from the neck down. "Umm... You could do just about anything now, and I wouldn't feel it, would I?" She 'tries' to lift her left arm...

When she tries to lift her left arm, nothing happens! It's as if she's looking at someone else's body laying there, and not hers.

Edwin ties on a mask, then takes a pin, and begins poking Shana in various places. "Let me know if you feel anything at all," he says, and he even wiggles the cast a bit.

Scarlett seems to be waiting for Edwin to touch her, as she is not looking down watching him, "Let me know when you are going to start touching me."

Edwin smiles a bit behind his mask. "Good answer." He then heads over to his computer, checks a few things, then eventually fires up his playlist. Oddly enough, he has Lady Gaga & Beyonce's 'Telephone' on there. There's no telling what he listens to when no one's around! Once he's done this, he pulls on his latex gloves, then begins cutting away the temporary casts. "So...this grudge has been going on for a long time, right? And it's just going to continue, with no end in sight...? How does this work?"

Shana sighs, "It... It is complicated." She winces a bit, but only at the playlist, she's a Southern Girl, and prefers 'George Strait' and 'Keith Urban' to Lifeline's choice of music, "But, is essence, Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes met in Vietnam, Snake-Eyes was invited to join the Clan of Ninja's Storm Shadow was a member of." She takes a breath, pausing for a moment.

Once Edwin has removed the casts, he sanitizes her arm, then begins making the initial incisions to expose the joints. "See, that's why I'm worried. I know you didn't go seek out the trouble this time. But if this doesn't get resolved, somehow, this will just continue to happen, which seems senseless to me."

Shana can't really nod, but her head bobs slightly, "Let me finish the tale?" She pauses for a second, thinking of what she can, and can not tell.... "Zartan, disguised as Storm Shadow killed one of the Clan Masters, using one of Storm Shadow's arrows. He was trying to kill Snake-Eyes, but missed. Storm Shadow was forced to leave the Clan, and joined Cobra, trying to find the real killer, since he knew he wasn't the one to kill his Master, and Uncle. Snake-Eyes continued in the Clan, and eventually was granted the status of Master, just before he Joined the Joe Team."

Now, Edwin is working with something very delicate and fairly small -- probably the many pieces of shattered joints, trying to get them out so he can insert new ones. "Okay, go on..."

"Than he, Snake-Eyes, got hurt, saving me from a Helicopter crash, causing his facial burns, and his muteness...." She pauses, a single tear rolls down her cheek, "We were close before that, closer afterwards. Many missions, much of our off duty time, spent together. Than... Storm Shadow resurfaced. He took me prisoner, left enough clues to lead Snake-Eyes to me... and Him... And the conflict began. Eventually, though, The two of them learned that Zartan killed the Hard Master, and they went to kill him. Storm Shadow 'died' in the attempt... or so everyone believed. He didn't really die, but instead, was in some kind of coma. When he woke, he joined the Joes, and things were at an all time high for Snake-Eyes and I. He was happy... Had his sword brother... had his love..."

As the story continues, Edwin seems pretty engrossed by it. He listens silently, mostly working, but occasionally looking Scarlett in the eye to make sure she's doing alright.

Scarlett sighs, "Eventually, though, Cobra captured Storm Shadow, brainwashed him, turned his mind into swiss cheese, and that spelled the begining of the end. Storm Shadow now, is evil. I don't know if anything can turn him back. In Snake-Eyes' mind, and heart.... Storm Shadow comes first. The clan comes before his love for me. The clan comes before everything. I think if it comes down to it, the Clan comes before country..." There are tears in her eyes, but she is refusing to let them be shed. She is holding them back.

Edwin nods, his brow furrowed. "It's pretty difficult to deal with in every sense...emotional, physical, everything. You've wound up caught in the middle."

"Basically, my heart will not allow itself to play third in Snake-Eyes priority list. I can stand being behind Country... Every Soldier understands that they fall behind Country, when it comes to another Soldier... but to be behind Clan... and another individual? I couldn't handle that. I can't handle knowing that no matter what, I will always fall short of being important enough in his mind to drop everything else..." the tears now fall, and there is nothing she can do to stop them.

"Hey!" Edwin glances up, looking alarmed, and he strips off one of his bloody latex gloves so he can wipe Scarlett's eyes with a tissue. "Listen, you can't change people, you can't change how they are. You have yours in the right place, and that's about all you can do for it. So...relax, okay?"

Her eyes rapidly blink, after her eyes are wiped, and she sighs, "I know... It just hurts still." o O (And likely always will.)

Edwin stands there gazing at her for a long, uncertain moment, then he puts on a fresh latex glove and returns to working on Scarlett's arm. "So...tell me how your week was otherwise."

A Soft chuckle escapes her lips, "Nice change of subject, Edwin..." Shana remarks, "Other than Friday night, it was slow. The Training Level is ready, up to specs, and fully stocked with Automated Training Equipment, and the Old Fashioned Hand-Powered stuff. The Living Quarters and Barracks Level is almost ready. After that, Finishing this level, and the Vehicle Storage Level is all that is left, well, that and adding the Access to the Emergancy Escape Hatches into the Air Shaft... And we have to come up with some alternate ways out. There is an underground river that we might be able to tap as a source of water, and as a possible escape route, if we can figure out where it goes." Shana seems to be talking on and on, and carefully avoiding asking about the surgery.

"Fantastic. Sounds like everything's proceeding right on schedule," Edwin says. "Before long, we'll be closing the doors on the old place." He struggles with something for a moment, as if trying to fit something into Shana's arm a certain way. Then, he frowns at it and takes something out, working on it on the table itself. Looks a bit like an artificial elbow joint. "Discharged Spike's son from the hospital this week. Meant to go hang out with Spike, but from what I hear, he's taken a temporary contract assignment in Dubai and won't be back until next week."

Shana smiles, "Next week... My birthday's next week... Well, 10 days away, so not this upcoming week, the one after." She frowns, another birthday spent alone?

"Oh yeah? What would you like for your birthday?" Edwin asks, as he fiddles intensely with the artificial joint.

Shana grins, "A New Elbow."

"You know, I think I can deliver that present," Edwin says in mock surprise, as he tries once more to fit the joint into Shana's arm. This is not a gentle procedure, but it only looks intimidating because Shana's still completely numb. "Seriously, you should do something you enjoy. Be with someone who isn't going to remind you of this feud."

Scarlett sighs, "Well, I don't want to spend the day with my sister. She not only hates me for being Daddy's favorite, she doesn't like my youthful looks. She's in her 60's, you know. I'll be 58, and she hates the fact that I look half that." A small chuckle, than Shana sighs, "Siobhan always was a little bitch. My brothers are all busy with their own families... I don't know. Likely I'll spend my Birthday right here, or down in the training center, working on rehabing the elbow. I imagine I'll be off Combat Status for the near future, and I will need a lot of work to get it back, right?"

"You will need special rehab for this arm, yes. I'm putting lots of artificial reinforcement in here," Edwin admits, as he works on something further up Shana's arm. "Hey, for your birthday, want to come over to my place? I'll make you dinner, or something."

Shana smiles, "Are you going to be in Seattle, and will I be fit to travel by the tenth?"

"Yes, and...uh, yes, in fact," Edwin says, smiling shyly as he begins applying surgical staples to the area. A few loud clicks later, and then he's working to stitch up another part.

Scarlett smiles, a little, "Than it is a date." Oooh, maybe she should have used a better choice of words.

This causes Edwin to blush crimson, as he begins bandaging the surgery site specifically to help it drain. "Heh."

An arched eyebrow looks at Edwin's face, "Should I bring something? Flowers, Wine?"

"N-no, that's okay..." God, awkward. Edwin shakes his head.

Shana bites her lip, and than just lays there while Lifeline works on her arm.

"...There we are," Edwin says as he finishes up, and stops the IV. "It's going to hurt quite a bit when this wears off, but we'll tend to that when it happens." He's still blushing a bit. He can't much help it that despite his remarkable medical skills, he has all the social finess of a 14-year-old.

"OK... So, where do I go from here? I mean... how long before I can move it? How long before I can use it... " She chuckles softly, yet tiredly, "I know, I am asking alot of questions, and I sound like I am in a hurry, but... I am just worried."

"It will entirely depend on how faithful you are to your rehab schedule," Lifeline notes. "When this anesthesia wears off, I very much doubt you'll feel like moving it at all."

Scarlett nods, "Oh, whatever schedule you give me, I can promise you, I'll be on it, or I will be ahead of schedule." Sounds so sure of herself, doesn't she?

Edwin just smiles warmly. He knows all too well how these things play out, from experience. He pulls a chair up to Scarlett's bedside, then pulls off his gloves and mask and has a seat there. "And you won't leave the infirmary early, either?"

Scarlett sighs, "How long do I have to remain here?"

"That, too, depends upon if your arm drains and heals up nicely...or if it gets infected," Edwin admits. "Not what you wanted to hear, is it?"

Another soft chuckle, "Well, to be honest? Not really. You forget, it is just me on duty here at this Pit. No Doctors, no Nurses, no one to take over my duties. Someone else will have to be assigned to handle my job while I am in here, and either I will have to be transfered back to Fort Hood, or some medical staff will have to be brought up here." Shana sighs, "Or... you are stuck here, until I am free to get out of here."

"I'll stay and keep you company," Edwin promises. "No sense in sitting here all alone." By now, Shana's starting to feel slight pins and needles in her limbs...and the beginnings of soreness in the surgery area.

Toes start wiggling too. She frowns as the pins and needles start "Oooh..." she hisses softly, "I hate that feeling, and it is an all over sleeping limb waking up..."

"It shouldn't last for very long," Edwin promises, getting up and heading over to something else he had left on the counter earlier, some pain medication he wanted to give Shana so she could rest once the anesthesia wore off. He begins setting this medication up on the IV pole. "So what would you like for dinner on your birthday?"

Shana looks thoughtful, "Anything but Tofu. Never could get to liking it." She shivers a little as her extremities continue to awaken, and the soreness, and pain actually starts to register at the surgical site.

"Really?? Okay." Edwin starts the new IV running into Shana's hand port. "This should set things right again pretty soon...just wanted to make sure enough of the other medication had worn off before starting this one." Once he's done this, he has a seat again. "I'm staying right here, if you need anything at all," he promises.

Scarlett smiles, and lets her eyes drift closed, "Be careful, or... People... will star...t talking...." she says slowly, as the pain medicine starts to hit her system.

"Which would be really funny, because there's nothing for them to talk *about*," Edwin quips with a smile. Then, he remembers that old song...he can't help himself, how did it go? (Let's give them something to talk about, a little mystery to figure out!)

"Won't. Stop. Them." is her reply. But that is really, the last thing she says. She is tired, or the medicine is getting to her.

LOG ENDS