[VOICE]

[primogen_vampirate]

[Mina is intensely angry and unhappy. And she's making little attempt to keep that fact unknown. It's more or less radiating out of every syllable.]

I don't suppose any of you mechanically-minded individuals can salvage my kitchen appliances out of that disaster?

Not that it matters much, but if people keep showing up at this rate, eventually someone is going to be forced to live with me. I would rather they could probably heat and cook their own food than resort to eating me.

[Locked to Bruce]

How are the medical supplies holding up? I have a small stockpile, if you need something.

Comments

[greenisnteasy]

[ He can't help it; he lifts his eyebrows at that. ]

Is that why you quit?

[primogen_vampirate]

I suppose it is.

You cannot treat patients that do not want to be treated by you.

[greenisnteasy]

And you can't expect people to roll over and want to be treated. People are people, and a lot of the ones here are afraid of letting themselves be examined for legitimate reasons related to trauma and fear. Part of being a doctor is knowing how to treat that too, you know.

[primogen_vampirate]

[You can almost hear the lofted eyebrow on Mina's end.]

There's a reason why I'm a surgeon, Bruce.

[greenisnteasy]

[ He sighs. ] I know. I'm just sorry to see you give up doing something you're trained for when the only real problem is that you've convinced yourself it's impossible. A gentler approach, and it'd be fine. You don't always just hack into bodies with a hacksaw, do you?

[primogen_vampirate]

No. Usually have the patient bite down on a piece of wood first.

And in case you're in any doubt, I'm not joking about that.

[She saw more amputations during the Civil War than she'd care to admit.]

I realize this isn't the army, Bruce. But without any measure of discipline or organization, the chances of my doing more harm than good are increased tenfold. I patently refuse to do that.

[greenisnteasy]

It's not about lacking in discipline or organization, but these people aren't soldiers. I'd say that it's more likely that half our population is afraid that the army will come and use them as science experiments. Like, even before they turned up here.

[ He slowly points to himself. ] Where I come from, the military wants me in a petri dish.

You have to approach them in a different way. You have to treat their fear, not just their illness.

[primogen_vampirate]

I won't be approaching them at all. I'm a cutter, Bruce. And I'm damn good at it. Probably better than you. With all due respect. I am also a leader, but perhaps not the finest there is, with these people. Given their feelings about the military and organization.

If you feel there can be any kind of order, I will follow you. Because I respect you. And because I do not want anyone to die. But I'm not taking the lead on this one. I can't be to them what you can.

[greenisnteasy]

I guess. I just wish you wouldn't give up so easily. It's such an easy thing to course correct.

[primogen_vampirate]

I'm over two hundred years old, Bruce. I can't just reinvent myself the way humans can.