01

[asea]

Who: Merman Walter and anyone
Where: Island (beach)
When: Afternoon
Style: Either
Status: Open

[Walter is seated at the edge of shore and damp from waist to toe. Under normal circumstances, he would've been out of the beach by now, but one thing is keeping him from returning to the city. That thing is a jellyfish, who's found a new home.

On Walter's leg. More precisely, his left boot. Somehow.

Despite the frustration welling up in him, Walter doesn't tear the sea creature off of him. He submerges that part of his leg underwater and picks almost gently at the tentacles with his bare fingers. In the eyes of others he may run the risk of being stung, but he doesn't fear such an event.

This is going to be a long afternoon.]

Comments

[asea]

[He has half a mind to get up and dive into the water, but even his rash mind knows that that's a poor decision in front of a normal person. For that matter, he doesn't know what in the world the "Hippocratic Oath" is.]

Then go tend to the people in the city. I already told you that I don't need it.

[He's picking at the jellyfish very slowly, but he's made some progress. At this rate he's going to lose his patience and chance a sting or two to go faster -- still preferable to receiving help.]

[indoorscholar]

The people in the city have the clinic. You've got no one but me. You don't even have anything to treat a sting with, do you?

[Shinra's starting to get tense just watching Walter peel off more tentacles. The jellyfish in question doesn't look particularly dangerous, but a shot of venom to the bloodstream isn't going to feel good, by any means.]

[asea]

[That patience he's been saving for the jellyfish is slowly seeping out of him with every word the man next to him utters. It all boils down to him frowning and making the wrong jerky move in the midst of the rising anger that results in his palm getting whipped.

There's an abrupt grunt from him.

His hand jolts from the immediate stinging and hot sensation, but, gritting his teeth, he keeps it in place to avoid drawing back and ripping the tentacle off. Wonderful. What a time for this.]

[indoorscholar]

[Shinra bites back an 'I told you so' as a tentacle writhes against Walter's palm, injecting its painful venom into his bloodstream. If the guy wasn't so damn stubborn, he could have easily avoided that with his help.]

Now, I could get the nematocysts lodged into your hand out and tell you what to do to minimize the effects of the sting, but since you don't want my help...

[His voice rises as he theatrically shrugs his shoulders. Don't worry, he's only going to rub it in a little bit.]

[asea]

[He could have avoided this if the one nagging him had just gone away when he was told to. Walter doesn't even glance his way and stares at his palm, the callous surface of which helps lessen the damage. A little.

"A little" doesn't apply to his temper, and he ignores Shinra while visibly seething and chewing on his lip.]

[indoorscholar]

[Shinra considers his presence a source of friendly advice rather than nagging. He seems to miss Walter's growing rage as he peers closer at the wound.]

Every second you let that sit there is more venom in your blood, you know.

[Silent treatment, huh. That's okay, Shinra will just keep hovering over Walter's shoulder, his smugness turning to doctorly concern as the affected patch of skin starts reddening.]

[asea]

[ . . .

For the lack of a better word, he's trapped. He could get up and leave, but he can only go so far with the jellyfish attached to his boot, not to mention with the tentacle latched onto his palm he can't even stand.

How is it that he can fight to near death and yet be unable to do much about something as minor as this?

Every second you let that sit there is more venom in your blood --

It's as if his palm is on fire, and he thrusts it into the seawater, next to his submerged foot. His other hand goes to work at freeing its companion.]

I know. This wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for you.

[indoorscholar]

You're saying this is my fault? But I haven't done anything at all, per request!

[Even as he continues needling Walter, Shinra's impressed he had the intuition to submerge the stung hand in the sea. The chemical makeup of the saltwater will start to neutralize the alkali venom, but it'll still only get him so far.

Thousands of infinitesimal injection of an inflammatory poison under his skin...that must feel great. He lets out a light chuckle, only mildly sadistic in nature.]

If you're going to blame me for your own mistake, you should at least let me help you.

[asea]

[There's no fighting it anymore. He's in a position where he can't up and leave, and with this man continuously nagging him, Walter slowly raises the infected hand, still partway submerged, in Shinra's direction.]

. . . Do it quickly.

[His words are slow and deliberate, but also indicative of an ever shortening fuse.]

[indoorscholar]

[Well, that took long enough. He smirks and fumbles in his pocket in search of his tweezers once again.]

If the stinging gets too unbearable, dump some hot sand on it. That'll deactivate the remaining nematocysts faster than seawater will.

[He drops onto his knees and gestures for Walter to bring his hand closer, an expression of serious attention on his face.]

Whatever you do, don't move.

[asea]

[Wordlessly, Walter brings his hand closer to Shinra, redirecting his gaze to that and the tentacle embedded into his skin. He sits as still as a statue, and he's about as tense as one.

As annoying as this is, he doubts it'll be as bad as some other injuries he's sustained in the past. Especially the recent past.]

[indoorscholar]

[Holding Walter's fingers out of the way with his free hand, Shinra first addresses the jellyfish tentacle still attached to his palm, grabbing its tip with his tweezers and slowly peeling it off. He tosses the formless limb onto the sand once it finally jerks free of Walter's hand, grinning at his own craftsmanship.]

There. Piece of cake.

[He rinses off his tweezers in the seawater and pockets them, now returning to his metal kit in search of his scalpel.]

I'm going to have to scrape off any extra stingers, which might agitate the inflamed skin on your hand. Just a heads up.

[asea]

[His visible eye twitches when the tentacle is removed, watching as the limb is tossed aside with a still flat expression. He doesn't say a word, even at the oh-so-generous heads up, instead shooting a look to urge Shinra to hurry it up.

He's not so impatient that he'd get up and leave in the middle of the procedure, but he's starting to entertain the idea.]

[indoorscholar]

[Jeez, this guy sure is a chatterbox.

Not that Shinra minds too much — after so much time spent working on screaming, writhing bodies, a little complacency is a nice change every now and then.]

Alright, here goes.

[He pulls the thin blade of his scalpel across Walter's palm like a butterknife, light enough to keep from breaking the skin but with enough force to scrape off the layer loaded with dormant stingers. After rinsing the steel in the ebbing tide beside him, he repeats the process. Just to be safe.]

That should keep it from getting any worse. You wouldn't happen to have any vinegar or baking soda, would you?

[asea]

[To his credit, Walter's only visible discomfort is the gritting of his teeth, and that could have been worse. Though the hand may be sensitive, rough treatment is hardly foreign to him. Still, it aches and burns. He can't deny that.

Furrowing his brows, he retorts:]

. . . Why would I?

[indoorscholar]

[Well. You'd think a guy would be at least a little grateful for some help with a venomous animal attached to his body. Oh well, Shinra's dealt with far worse in his time.]

The chemical makeup of either of those will neutralize the active compounds in the jellyfish venom already in your hand. Long story short, it'll make the stinging hurt a lot less.

If you don't have that, you'll probably just have to make do with some sand and seawater until you can get to the clinic.

[asea]

[As if he hasn't heard a single word, he uses his other hand to free the last part of the jellyfish from his boot, which he then lets drift back into the sea with the tide. Just that little much more, and he could've been out of here long ago.]

. . . the clinic . . .

[But he has been paying attention, for a reason he can't really iterate. At any rate, he doesn't sound too keen about going to the clinic as he stands quietly, not looking at Shinra in favor of the ocean.]

[indoorscholar]

[Huh, he finally got the thing free. Hopefully the tide won't beach it for some other poor sucker to get tangled up in.

Shinra pulls out both his tools and gives them both a good rinse in the water before shaking them dry as he straightens up, grinning at Walter.]

Don't tell me you're one of those people who's scared of hospitals.

[asea]

[How about you, Shinra? The jellyfish must positively love you.

Wordlessly, he looks in the direction of the elevator. His back to Shinra, a slight scowl appears on his face. He's never had the luxury of access to a hospital -- by that logic, he doesn't need one now.]

It won't be necessary.

[indoorscholar]

[Hopefully, the jellyfish knows better than to get too close to Shinra. He doesn't have too much experience with invertebrates, but a scalpel through its nerve net certainly can't feel good.

He angles his head to get another look at Walter's stung palm. The sand and water seem to have kept the inflammation from spreading out of control, but it doesn't look like a walk in the park, either.]

Well, if you absolutely won't get professional help, you should at least get some more heat on that hand and wrap it up to minimize any further irritation.

[asea]

[It'll be fine, he's inclined to say, but his words never make it out of his mouth. In actuality, it could be better, since he's had better days. However, it isn't something that'll kill him if he doesn't get it seen to within the next hour or two. Or days, even.

In short, it's negligible.

With that thought and not another for Shinra, he proceeds to stalk off in the direction of the elevator.]

[indoorscholar]

[Shinra's really going to miss this guy's chatty disposition.

He slings his lab coat over his shoulders and waves brightly at Walter's back as he watches him go.]

Give me a call if that sting gives you an allergic reaction anytime soon!