EVENT: HOSPITAL EXPEDITION

[asgardmods]

Who: Anyone!
What: Hospital Expedition Time!
When: Day 70
Where: The hospital and surrounding grounds.
Rating: PG-13 for potential scariness

Warning: This log includes reference to and optional effects of psychotropic medication. Those intensely bothered by such things should be cautious or steer clear.



After The Doctors found the hospital, an expedition was organized. Those who signed up in that post or who just want to tag along will be heading out on the morning of Day 70 (April 20, ICly). After a 3mi/5km or so walk, they'll find themselves at what looks like a mostly modern hospital and outbuildings, surrounded as a compound by a tall wire fence. The fence is now full of holes, and it's obvious that the buildings haven't been used in decades. There is very little graffiti or other human-caused damage to the place, but weather, animals, and neglect leave it pretty worn down anyway.

Inside, the buildings are mostly empty of medicines and things. There's some broken-down equipment and a few bits of both modern and herbalist medication here and there but not much. The records room however is pretty much intact, besides the wear on paper from sitting in a non-climate-controlled room for 30 years. The records date from the native's reckoning time of 376-385, and are mostly not very informative, but reading through a bunch will reveal how the greyness progressed as a "disease".

Emotion left first, so through 376 and 377 the records state that people just seem to be mysteriously losing all personality and are somewhat lethargic, just going through the motions for no apparent reason. By 378 people are losing colour, and the hospital turns from a specialty hospital to a quarantine zone. People are brought there the moment they're diagnosed, and while it seems the conditions at the hospital were humane, it was crowded and generally not a happy place.

By 383 the staff have been replaced multiple times as they too get sick, and the conditions at the compound were degenerating by sheer number of patients vs number of healthy staff. It got dirty and the food rations were a bit tight, but it wasn't any sort of horrible place where people died. It was just overcrowded and understaffed, for the most part. There's notes about how any animals or even inanimate objects that come into contact with the sick also lose expression and colour.

The last of the records will be notice that there's no more room in the hospital and no successful treatment or cure, so everyone is going back to the city and shutting it down, by order of the gods. Essentially, the entire city is doomed to go grey, so they'll turn the city walls into the quarantine zone to try to protect the rest of the world.

The one other interesting thing in the records might be that in all of the individual patient records, one file (that seems like it was very thick) is missing. There's also mention in the general notes of "the Queen" being sick -- one of the earlier patients, even. Most record of her has been blacked out, however.

Aside from records, there's only one other interesting to be found during the day. A large room in the old laboratory building seems strangely personal inside, having couches, tables, and stacks of basic board games lying around. If the door to this room is closed, it will automatically lock, and within a few minutes anyone inside will start feeling... funny. Perhaps as an attempted treatment for the emotionless lethargy of the disease, the room is equipped to be air tight, and a dosage of an odourless, colourless, mood-improving gas released. The effect should be no more than a case of the giggles and a sharpening of the characters' sense of colour. The room will unlock after ten minutes or so of the gas being in effect, and the symptoms should wear off in an hour or two.

Beyond that, there isn't much to find besides a general spooky feeling. The attic storage floor of the hospital may contain bats, and there's signs of other animals nesting (rabbits, etc). The creepy atmosphere should make for interesting exploration though -- especially at night. Anyone inside after darkness falls should stay there. There my be the sounds of nearby wolves outside, but running into any is entirely optional and won't happen inside the buildings.

Each Doctor will be leading his own team, so if your characters will strictly be sticking to their team, make sure you note that in your starter or wait for your chosen Doctor to set things up for his team. You're also welcome to have your characters explore free-form with their friends or with strangers, so don't worry too much about structure! Have fun and go wild!

Comments

[seventeenpills]

....yeah. Yeah, you're probably right.

[He frowned, organizing the files into neat piles and looking for something to weigh them in place with.]

I want to come back tomorrow or maybe the next day. I want to read more of these and see if I can't figure out some more stuff. You don't have to come if you'd prefer not to though - I know where this place is now so I think I can get here on my own.

[He found some large pieces of plaster from a crumbled wall and used them to weigh the files in place.]

[queenoftheforlornheart]

It's fine, I might venture back here myself so company would be appreciated.

[Satellizer organized things neatly before looking back to Hisao.]

Ready to go then?

[seventeenpills]

Yeah... yeah, I am.

[He was sounding a little defeated, though. Not only was he not looking forward to the halt in his research - the walk home was looking less and less appealing the more he thought on it.]

Let's go, then.

[He started to walk out of the room and down the hall. The night was coming on relatively quickly and this place was looking spookier by the minute.]

[queenoftheforlornheart]

[Satellizer nodded and left the room at his side. Her alertness was in full swing and she made sure to keep an eye out for anything that might jump at them on their way home.

She had a lot to think about and a good long bath will do just swell to help her out.]

[seventeenpills]

[The old flooring crunched under his feet as he made his way down the hall and out into the waiting room. He could hardly wait to come back.]

I think next time, I'm going to come earlier and I'm going to bring more provisions and some kind of light source. I really don't want to leave until I know everything.

[He sounded so determined - The lives of these people were weighing on him more than he cared to admit. He felt he almost owed it to them to read their stories and know their names and maybe he could fix things in this world and honor them in some small way by doing so.]

[queenoftheforlornheart]

That would be for the best. If you require assistance, please don't hesitate to call.

[Sure it wasn't like her to offer help often, but he had helped her adjust and that meant a lot to her. It's the least she could do for him. That said however, she was eager to return home herself. It had been a fairly long day.]

[seventeenpills]

We'll see. I don't want to wind up relying on your help too much, you know.

[He grins at her. It was a grin that suggested he was half-way joking.]

I'll let you know, though, if I'm having trouble opening the cabinets. I might try finding a crowbar, though.

[queenoftheforlornheart]

[If she didn't understand your normal jokes Hisao, what made you think she'd understand half-jokes!

She narrowed her eyes and nodded once.]

Understood then.

[And then that was her walking at a more stable pace. Making sure they would make it in time, but not leaving Hisao behind.]

[seventeenpills]

[He can only live in hope.

He managed to keep pretty good pace withg her, pulling his backpack around to his front and freeing from it a bag containing some sandwhiches.]

Never did get to those snacks. Want one?

[queenoftheforlornheart]

[Satellizer looked to him and nodded.]

I'd appreciate one yes, thank you.

[seventeenpills]

[He held the bag out to her, taking special care to keep his hands free of the opening so there wouldn't be any touching. He didn't want another bloody nose.]

[queenoftheforlornheart]

[Satella simply procured the bar and continued on her way. She ate it at a slow pace, chewing thoughtfully.]

Thanks.

[seventeenpills]

No problem. I said I'd share.

[He walks along, eating as well. The woods and hills outside of the gated off area are slowly growing even greyer with the approaching night.]

I have water too if you wa--

[Wait, what was that? A howl in the distance?]

--if you want.

[queenoftheforlornheart]

[Satellizer gave a single nod, continuing to walk unfazed.]

I'd like some yes, thank you Hisao.

[She didn't seem at all bothered by the howl.]

[seventeenpills]

[He pulled a bottle of water from his bag and held it out to her, again conscious of holding it in a way that wouldn't allow their hands to touch.]

Here you go. Um. Did you hear that? Or was it my imagination. Because if it was, I just imagined the noise I'm pretty sure wolves make?

And Satellizer was like 'Bitch please I fight giant aliens for a job. I eat live wolves for breakfast and pick their fur from my teeth with bear claws. Still attached to live bears.'

[queenoftheforlornheart]

[Satellizer grabbed the drink and took some, continuing to walk at a steady pace.]

I did. You have nothing to fear, fear itself will draw them to you. They can sense that and will think of you as prey. However, of you make your fearless presence known they will see you as a danger and would be cautious if not avoid us completely.

[seventeenpills]

Really? is that how it works?

[As several more howls are heard in the distance, he chuckles nervously.]

Haha... if they come over here, we're so screwed. My suggestion is, you run while they snack on me.

[He's only half joking.]

[queenoftheforlornheart]

I wouldn't do such a thing. Anyone who did as well would be less than a person.

[And she seemed dead serious about what she was saying cause the glare she was giving to no one in particular could slice them to bits.]

[seventeenpills]

At least with my condition I'd probably Go from fear long before the wolves actually laid teeth on me.

[He was staring straight ahead so couldn't see her face at all.]

[queenoftheforlornheart]

I would appreciate it if you didn't speak as such. Not when earlier you were adamant about not wanting assistance and wanting to prove you can do things yourself.

[She didn't turn simply because she didn't want him to feel like she was scolding him. More like talking casually with him.]

[seventeenpills]

[Hisao snapped to attention and immediately felt pretty dumb.]

Agh... sorry. Self depreciating humor is something of a defense mechanism for me when I'm nervous, I guess. I didn't mean to be... uncomfortable.

[Awkwardest turtle.]

[queenoftheforlornheart]

I do not understand how things like that would be considered humorous... I guess if you were doing it within a crowd of strangers. I wouldn't think anyone who considered you a friend or pleasant to be around would appreciate that kind of humor.

[seventeenpills]

It's... Well, it's ironic humor. You would think being attacked by wolves would end in death by tooth and claw but....

[Oh, yes Hisao. Explain the joke. That -always- helps.]

...nevermind.

[queenoftheforlornheart]

Don't worry about it, [She said quickly.]

We'll be fine. We're almost home.

[She remained silent for a few moments before speaking once more.]

You should rest for as long as you can so we can have more time to research and explore next time.

[seventeenpills]

Beleive me - I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to fall into bed and probably be there for the next twelve hours. This really is more walking than I've done in a very, very long time. I'm holding up better than I thought. Thank modern medicine for that.