Writing Explorations: Week 83, Dyin' for a Doctor

The Mood is Write

Mom-de-Plume
Original poster
DONATING MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
Online Availability
It varies wildly.
Writing Levels
  1. Advanced
  2. Prestige
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Nonbinary
  3. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
I'm open to a wide range of genres. Obscenely wide. It's harder for me to list all I do like than all I don't like.

My favorite settings are fantasy combined with something else, multiverse, post-apoc, historical (mixed with something else), and futuristic. I'm not limited to those, but it's a good start.

My favorite genres include mystery, adventure, action, drama, tragedy (must be mixed with something else and kept balanced), romance (again must be mixed, and more.

I'm happy to include elements of slice-of-life and romance, but doing them on their own doesn't hold my interest indefinitely.
My Writing Explorations series of exercises are a chance for users to explore new concepts and practice the art of raising two fingers to Writer's Block while screaming obscenities to fickle muses: to rebel against the idea that a person requires a mythical force inside them to make new and amazing things.

No. Listen well, users: there is no being inside you waiting to be let out. You are the writer, and in this exercise, you are given a place to push not only against Writer's Block, but also against the forces of stagnation. Feel trapped in your genre? Explore a new one! Stuck with a singular archetype? Do something else! In this thread, you will not be critiqued unless you request it. Should you wish it, I will happily offer my thoughts on how it might be improved, but I will not comb looking for fixes: this isn't the place: this place is for safely trying new things and indulging a love of writing.

Shake the bars of your cell block and roar, writers!

[fieldbox=How do I take part?]You can write to one or more (or none) of the prompts, the theme in the thread title, the bonuses—hell, you can even cast aside all of what I offer if you get a different idea.

The whole point is "get writing!"[/fieldbox]

Prompts:
  1. Among her own people, doctors were unheard of. However, thanks to a mysterious organization, she wasn't among her people anymore, and they even trained her!
  2. After being kidnapped and convinced that her allies are going to cause more harm than good, she agrees to aid her captors on the condition she is not forced to bring unneeded harm on her allies.
  3. A missing artifact is causing too many problems for one person to handle on their own.

Bonus Rounds:
  • Write in a random genre.
  • "I don't think of you as a protector. More like a distraction."
  • "When I was little, I liked to imagine the stars were distant faeries. After meeting actual fae, I'm horribly disappointed."
  • "Cheers, to the first doctor to use a laser pistol as a piece of medical equipment!"
    "Could we please focus instead on my more intellectual additions to the field?"
  • "Do that again, and I will stop using anesthetic."
 
(sci-fi/comedy/action)

The war raged on around their ship, and Kyle was up to no good as usual. The doctor was rushing around, yes. Doing his job, yes. But the incessant jokes! Commander Riley poked her head around the door of the medbay as the doctor broke into another round of raucous laughter and stepped away from the newest patient, who was giving a tired, pain-filled smile to him. "Okay, so, a blind man walks into a bar-"

"Could you be any more annoying?" the commander interruped, scowling. "You're distracting the pilot. Now is not the time for jokes!"

With a thin-lipped, irritated smile on his face, Kyle turned around. "At least I'm helping. Remind me what you do again? Stand there and stare out of a window?"

"I help!" Affronted, Riley stood up straighter and glared. "I'm the commander of this ship. I'm the reason we are still alive. I teach, I protect-"

With a scoff, the doctor turned back to his patient and continued his work. "I don't think of you as a protector. More like a distraction. I'm sure the pilot's doing perfectly well on her own out there, isn't she?"

A tense silence settled between them as the ship jerked suddenly. "I don't care what you think. I need to get back to my post. Stop joking around." Riley spun on her heel and marched off, stewing silently and glaring at the floor as the doctor started laughing again.

The two of them had been rivals from an early age, both trying to usurp the others' achievements. But what had started out as a silly, childish feud had grown into something very damaging- so much so that their superiors tried to keep them apart as much as possible.

Within a few hours of this first argument, the commander walked back in. She was haggard, tired, and her eyes were bloodshot. If it was possible, she seemed even more annoyed than before. So another one erupted. In the midst of their bickering, a screeching crash erupted from the side of the ship. Both froze as red lights blared. "Shit!"

Riley sprinted for the door, but it was too late. It slammed shut before she could reach it as the ship went on lockdown. The next few minutes were filled with flashing lights, spluttering engines, loud screeches, and then a resounding crash.

When the dust settled, the two rivals were the only ones left alive in the wreckage, but the commander wasn't very well off.

Sighing, Kyle dragged her bleeding form out of the smoking ship onto the sandy ground they'd been driven into. After gathering up what little medical supplies he could, he assessed her wounds.

"You're actually helping?" Riley sounded incredulous.

"Well, yeah. I don't actually hate you, I guess." After a moment, the doctor huffed and grabbed the commander's pistol from her belt. "Hold still." He injected her with one of two syringes of anesthetic and pointed the laser at her gash. The best he could do was cauterize it.

After he was finished, a disgusted Riley wrinkled her nose at him. "Cheers to the first doctor to use a laser pistol as a piece of medical equipment!"

"Could we please focus instead on my more intellectual additions to the field?"

A bitter laugh escaped her. "And what would those even be?"

Kyle gave her a hurt glare. "Do that again, and I'll stop using anesthetic." He grabbed her arms and hauled her to her feet. "Come on, let's get off this planet and away from each other."

"Sounds like a- ugh- plan. I hope I never have to see your ugly mug again."

"...You know what? I take it back. I actually do hate you."

"Feeling is mutual."

A few moments of silence passed before Kyle glanced at her again.

"Wanna go out for dinner after this?"

"Hell yes."
 
Romance Comedy Drama))

Deanna watched the people arrive at her small village with curiosity and interest. Her father was the village chief so she was able to listen in the background with little effort. She'd been allowed many privileges as the chief's daughter that others had not been, most notably learning English and going to school with the missionaries at the bottom of the hill. So when the men mentioned that they were looking for people to educate at a far away place, she was almost jumping out of her skin to volunteer. though it was highly improper among her people she jumped into the conversation and begged her father to allow her to be the one to go.

He'd reluctantly agreed and the next day she was flying out from the missionary camp and into a strange new world. Flying in a plane was a wonderful and terrifying experience. Still, she was proud that she'd only needed the vomit bag twice, even if it had a few odd glances coming her way. It also was a shock to arrive at the airport in Hawaii. There were SO MANY PEOPLE. She gawked slack jawed and had to be rounded up a few times as she got distracted by them.

"I need a leash for you," on man's short tempered voice gritted down at her.

"It's fine Henry," another younger man said, "I'll keep track of her." Henry nodded dismissively and stalked off. "Hi..my name is Ben, what's yours?"

"Tokalolo," she replied with a shy smile. "I do not mean to be..." She searched for the word she needed, "difficult. I have never seen so many people."

Ben nodded, "It's a big airport. What does Tokalolo mean?"

"It means brave. I think my father was wishing for a son. It is not generally used for girls, so he called me Kalo for short."

"Kalo...I like it and it fits. You are brave to go so far from home." He led her easily through the airport since he was talking to her, she was distracted from the crowd. "What are you going to study when you get to school?"

"Oh...I have no idea. Hopefully something useful I can take back to my village." She looked up at him, "I had no idea I would be able to choose."

Ben nodded and smiled, "I'm from Figi originally and I am going to be a doctor. My village is in need of someone to heal them."

"Oh so is mine! Our shaman is ancient and no one has been training to take his place.!"

"Doctors and not like shaman, but I think that is a good thing. Our shaman liked to MAKE people sick so he could heal them. He was quite crazy and scary."

"Most shaman are mysterious. Ours is not scary though." They arrived at the next gate and boarded another plane and were soon in the air for the longest leg of their flight, to Los Angeles. Kalo was once again slack jawed and wide eyed as she tried to navigate this airport.

Ben wrapped his fingers around her arm and pulled her along. "I do not think staring is polite Kalo."

"Oh." She said but could not help herself. "But..what are they wearing?"

"Some sort of clothing," he said trying not to look, "Though I think they use the term loosely."

Henry appeared at the baggage claim and gave each of them a card and then spoke to the group as a whole. "We will stay here for one night and return for the last part of our journey tomorrow. The card you have is for your use to buy dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. Gather your luggage and meet me outside, so that we can go to the hotel as a group."

"Ben? What is a hotel?"

"It is a place people sleep."

"Oh." She gathered her two bags and dragged them out to where Henry was standing and stood obediently in front of him, not wanting to make him mad again. They went to the hotel and she was given room 305. Luckily for her all of them were on the third floor so she just followed everyone and since the rooms were numbered she found hers easily enough, but the door wouldn't open. She pulled the handle down and up but it would not allow her in.

Ben saw her and lifted her room card and slipped it into the slot and showed her how the green light would turn on and then she could enter. "See...easy."

"How do you know about all of this?"

"I worked in a hotel."

"Oh." she smiled, "thank you for helping me today."

"It was my pleasure Kalo." he was about to enter his room when he stopped, "Would you like to eat dinner with me?"

"Yes, thank you." She smiled grateful he'd asked, since she was sure she would have trouble with the other card too.

They had a pleasant dinner, laughing and getting to know one another, and they shared breakfast as well. They sat next to one another on the van back to the airport, and on the airplane as well. By the time they arrived in Nebraska, they were fast friends. It was a very different looking place to what either of them were accustomed to, but ti was still pleasant.

They were taken to Bryan College of Health Sciences where they entire group of fourteen were herded into enrollment and left there by Henry, who was more than glad to be finished with his responsibilities. Each student was informed that they were there to be educated to become a doctor, and that they could choose to specialize in a certain field if they so desired. They were then informed that they were all part of a scholarship program funded by a wealthy philanthropist and that as long as their grade point average remained above 3.5 that scholarship would pay for all costs they would incur including meals throughout their educational process.

Kalo was overwhelmed by the end of it, but glad to be there and sure of her own work ethic and intelligence. They were taken to either the girls dormitories or the boys dormitories and assigned rooms, by volunteers. Kalo was sad to not be able to be near Ben any longer, but her new roommate seemed a cheerful and energetic sort of girl, so maybe that would be ok too.

Time flew by and Kalo studied long hours to maintain the grades that would ensure being able to finish her education and become a doctor. It took time for her to acclimate, especially to the first Nebraska winter. Snow however, she came to love, once she had proper gloves and clothing. She had taken jobs tutoring in math and science and as a teacher's assistant to be able to afford things that her scholarship did not pay for or provide.

She and Ben remained close friends and spent much time together, and studied together. Though she had grown to feel deeply for him, she knew that both of them had plans to return to their own villages and she did not want to interfere with his plans by telling him of her feelings. they both finished the four year pre-med programs and she went home for the first time having finally saved enough money for the trip. her family was glad to see her, and she was quickly overrun with patients needing care and advice about this or that which made the time go by so very fast. All too soon it was time to return, and this time the crowds were not shocking, nor was the hotel a scary unknown thing, but the whole trip she missed Ben miserably.

Upon returning, Ben surprised her at the airport and she flew into his arms and hugged him tight. "I missed you so much!" she gushed at him before she thought better of it.

He smiled and kissed her for the first time. His lips were soft and sweet as they met hers, "I missed you too."

Kalo was flushed and reeling but when her eyes opened they were shining and her smile was brilliant. "You kissed me."

"Yes I did. I should have done years ago but I was too afraid."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"That you did not desire such a thing from me. We have always been friends, you and I Kalo. I began to despair of you ever finding any care for me beyond it."

"Oh Ben...if only you knew. I did not want to interfere with you returning to your village. So I was afraid to tell you how I felt."

"My village does need a doctor, but so does yours. I am not the only one from my village who went away for school, but you are. I would go with you there, if you will have me."

She smiled up at him and then hugged him tight, "I will have you Ben...I will gladly have you."
 
"You have to be kidding me. Abure! What happened to the scalpels?!" Dr. Tomas Gutierrez asked as more and more people were funneled into the HMS Bradshaw. Triage was barely managing to filter who was most likely to survive, the ones quoted 'lost cause' set off in a quiet corner away from the bustle to maybe die with some modicum of peace. The entire medical bay was an overturned wasp's nest, with angry servicemen trying their best to muscle their best friend ahead of the line.

And right now, all Tomas wanted was a scalpel. The guy he had on his deck right now was bleeding through the uniform, and it was obvious he was going to need some work done on a femoral artery that was pumping blood like the Hoover on overflow watch. He had his own shirt tails clamped around the leg as best as he could manage, but there wasn't much good he could do until he got a cauterized scalpel ready to close off the wound.

"Taken!" Nurse Abure shouted in frustration, hair a-fly and eyes wandering as she threw her hands in the air. "Just - they took them! I don't know where they went."

"For the love of - well I need something, or else he's going in the 'LC' pile," Tom griped at her. "What have we got?"

"Uh... we've got syringes, scissors, a couple of yards of gauze, some watch glasses, examination glass -"

"Honey, I need something that'll hold heat, or give it anyways-"

"Pistol," the man on the table grunted. "I have a pistol. Laser."

The two medical professionals looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Hand it over," Tom said, an idea gathering in his mind. "Abure, the watch glass."

Perplexed, Abure handed over a watch glass, and he took the pistol offered by the man he was operating on. The pistol was a Morida 22 pulse, making it fairly high power, but there were settings he could fiddle with. Most medical lasers were thin and high powered, and a 22 pulse would be too slow. He would over clock the gun, but it would spit out 96 pulses in five seconds before crapping out - or so he guessed.

"You are so lucky I never listened during basic when they talked about pistol safety," the doctor muttered as he held the lens at arm's length towards the wound, pistol drawn as far back as he could go. He squinted his eyes.

"Abure, hold him."

"Yes, sir."

With that, he fired off an automatic stream, and the gun shattered right at seven seconds, but it was enough for the beam to focus into a stream that had cauterized the minute area. The man on the table wriggled and writhed in pain, but he would live - though the leg was going to come off.

"Cheers, to the first doctor to use a laser pistol as a piece of medical equipment!" another doctor - Bursky - congratulated amid the rush with a flash of dark humor, and Tom shook his head.

"Get the guy carted to OR. He's not immediate, anymore. And hand me the bandages, my hand hurts like a mother."