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[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

[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?"

[deal_me_in]

Bottle for those is still over there. I think you'd be welcome to them.

[He nods at Sundance, who goes to expertly tip the bottle of painkillers so that she can catch it over her shell, floating over to Cayde with it.

Cayde slips it into a pouch, glancing at Kyle then.]

...tell him what you think you should tell him. I know he's not going to be happy about it, but things could've been worse. I just hope he won't try to pin it on someone. Too easy to have that mindset when you don't have a clear target for who's actually at fault.

[kyley_b]

Thanks.

[He looks so miserable and exhausted.]

I don't think I'll tell him who did it for a while.

[deal_me_in]

Probably a good idea, but I don't think that'll keep him from being upset about things. But I don't think there's any way to avoid that, and that goes for all of us.

[He shakes his head.]

You got everything you need for now? I'll take you back whenever you're ready.

[kyley_b]

Yeah. I just don't want him fighting Kaz. He's a little hot tempered.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm cool. Thanks, dude. I mean it. I owe you.

[deal_me_in]

Yeah, I see that. Look, if you see it get to that point, you tell me.

Alright, let's go. And hey, don't worry about it.