network; video

[kyley_b]

((Post event. CW: discussions of violence, body horror, injury and loss of limb in comments.))


[The feed shows a skinny redhead who is somehow even paler than usual - his skin is parchment white, with deep dark pouches under his eyes. His curls are matted.

Yeah, he looks like shit.]

Uhm. Hi. Hi, uh. It's Kyle. Uhm.

I. Uh. Is. Is everybody okay? I hope you're all okay. Uhm. I'm...

[His face crumples.] I'm not. I'm not okay, I'm SO not okay.

Comments

[kyley_b]

I did the best I could but I'm working, well. One handed. [He holds onto Cayde, crying a little.]

Thank you.

Are you okay? Mentally.

[deal_me_in]

[He slips his arm under Kyle's for better support, if not half a hug.]

You did good, kid.

[He's sure there wouldn't be a whole lot of people who would have reacted rationally in time, under such circumstances.]

Working on it. I figure being in my right mind's good at the very least.

[kyley_b]

Thanks. I tried.

Yeah. Yeah, that's a good start. [He's totally crying, but he doesn't think Cayde will tell on him.]

[deal_me_in]

[As someone who could no longer cry tears, he was hardly one to poke fun at it, especially not with what's happened. Kyle has a right to everyone one of those tears that fall.]

Come on, let's get going.

[kyley_b]

Okay.

[His legs work just fine, but he does move slowly because he's exhausted and in pain.]

[deal_me_in]

[The Exo matches Kyle's pace, once again considering putting sparrows at the top of his wishlist. Having some quick transportation around the city would be useful, especially in cases of emergency, and not everyone could leap around between buildings to cut across places like him.]

Lemmee know if you need to rest or something. If I end up having to carry you I promise I won't tell a soul.

[kyley_b]

[Kyle nods, really hoping it won't come to that, but knowing realistically that it very well might.]

Thanks.

[He makes it, but just barely. As soon as they're indoors he has to sit down.]

Did you hurt anybody we know? When you weren't yourself.

[deal_me_in]

[Cayde helps ease Kyle down to sit before stepping away to look for whatever meds are on-hand. He knows Jon and Billy had stocked some up at least.]

Possibly. I... I don't think it was anyone actually here. I hope it wasn't anyone actually here.

[He pauses, his grip tightening on a cupboard door before he forces it to relax.]

I know I was chasing Tony at one point. Not sure I wanna know what would've happened if he hadn't kept setting up traps.

[kyley_b]

Good. I hope so, too. I'm not sure how the fuck I'm going to be able to look Kaz in the eye.

[Kyle furrows his brow.] Oh, shit. Yeah. I hope he's okay. God, this is so scary.

[deal_me_in]

One step at a time. Let's see what we can do about this in the meanwhile.

[He holds up a bottle of pain killers.]

Found these. I can see what I can do about cleaning and redressing, then go hu- go find one of our more medically-inclined people.

...yeah. I should check on people.

[If they'd be happy to see him. He'd been avoiding it, easier talking to the new faces that he's just glad hadn't been pulled into whatever hell Temba had become at the time.]

[kyley_b]

Yeah.

[Kyle nods gratefully.] Fuck, yes, please, thank you. Uhm. We'll want disinfectant and gauze I think.

Yeah. God, I hope everyone is okay.

[He chews his lip after he swallows some pills.] Cayde? I'm not gonna die, am I?

[deal_me_in]

[The Exo fishes out some gauze and a bottle of antiseptic, and whatever else he finds that looks useful.]

Wh- no, you're not- no one's dying! Not on my watch.

[He'd promised himself that he'd protect these people, but a whole lot of good he's been doing so far. The ones pulling the strings weren't playing fair at all.

He drags another chair over to set the things down and then looks at Kyle.]

Whenever you're ready.

[kyley_b]

[Kyle nods, eyes wet. He knows logically that Cayde can't promise him anything - he could get blood poisoning or something - but he still lets it make him feel a little better.

He starts unwrapping his bandages, wincing when they stick a little. His face is carefully set, nearly prissy.]

When I was little I got sick a lot. And I've had some medical stuff done to me against my will. So hospitals creep me out.

[deal_me_in]

Sundance, gonna need you to keep an eye on this.

[Cayde holds his hand out to the side to let his Ghost unfold out of thin air above his palm. Her shell spins and she gives the slightest of bobs before floating over to the side.

Cayde reaches over to help with the bandaging, telling himself he's seen likely seen worse.]

Under those circumstances I can see why. Can't think of many who actually like hospital visits. Seems like if you're there, chances are it's not for anything good.

[kyley_b]

[Kyle pauses to look at Sundance, having never seen her before. He nods his head, then finishes peeling off the bandages.

And there it is: a stump that is at least not mangled because Kaz had cut so cleanly. But it is an angry red. Looking at it, Kyle hiccups a short sobbing noise but falls silent.]

[deal_me_in]

[The Exo sets a hand on Kyle's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

Sundance drifts a little closer, a blue light emitting from her core, scanning over the the stump of Kyle's wrist.]

...don't look if you don't want to. But this part's going to hurt. If you want something to bite down on, I'll wad some of this stuff up.

[Cayde gets some of the gauze, holding it out.]

[kyley_b]

[Silently, he takes the gauze and puts it in his mouth. He doesn't look away, though.

He tries to wiggle his fingers and realises they're not there. He supposes that's going to happen a lot.]

[deal_me_in]

[Cayde nods, setting up a basin on the chair as he pulls it closer so it's beneath Kyle's arm. He opens up the bottle to soak another wad of gauze.]

On three, all right?

[kyley_b]

Jush do it. [Muffled by the gauze.]

[deal_me_in]

All right. Going in.

[For a robot he has a delicate touch, and he takes care as he starts to apply the disinfectant to Kyle's horribly open wound. He tries to be quick but thorough, hoping to clean things off enough that it won't get worse.

Maybe it doesn't feel soon enough, but he's dabbing things dry as possible so he can start adding fresh gauze to the wound site before wrapping it up in bandages.]

[kyley_b]

[Skin white, Kyle watches, eyes only closing when he screams briefly into the gauze at the sting of the disinfectant.

By the time it's done, he's sweaty but clear eyed. He spits out the gauze.]

So. Let's look for antibiotics. If there's none, I'm using the replicator.

[deal_me_in]

[Fighting on this front is so much more difficult. He's managed not to cringe at Kyle's obvious pain, but there's little else Cayde can offer aside from what he has.]

Given Billy and Jon were taking care of things here for a while, I'm sure there's something around here.

[He'll offer Kyle some help to his feet so they can go investigate the other cupboards.]

[kyley_b]

Yeah, I think you're probably right.

[He's grateful for the help. He keeps his injured arm pressed to his chest as he looks, partly to keep from reaching for things.]

Thank you for helping me.

[deal_me_in]

[Cayde offers a faint smile.]

Hey, just glad I could do something at least.

[kyley_b]

It means a lot.

[He finds some pills and frowns at the the bottle.] I think I should take these. Do we have painkillers too? If so I'll take both."

He sighs. "Cayde... what the fuck am I supposed to tell Tommy?"