二十七

[anatural]

[ action ]
[Korra is done with the hospital. So very, very, VERY done.

Unfortunately, neither her body nor the hospital staff agree. Just a few more days, they promise her. You sustained major trauma from those bullet wounds. Personally, she finds the pain less traumatic than the terrible smell and the snoring of her roommates. (She's able to think this only because of really excellent pain medication.)

The biggest problem with being stuck in the hospital, though, is that it gives her too much time to think. About the injuries she sustained. About how she's going to need physical therapy. About the fact that no matter how hard she tries, she might never be able to move the way she used to again. The doctor warned her that her shoulder will be prone to popping out of its socket, and that her muscles may be stiff and harder to move than before. She's very lucky that none of the bullets shattered bone or nicked any organs. She could have died or been paralyzed. She tries to remember that and feel grateful, but mostly she feels like, bit by bit, everything that makes her her is being chipped away.

She hates hospitals.]


[ooc: open to any and all visitors or hospital staff!]

Comments

[intheblanks]

[But she had a great surgeon.

He hasn't had the chance to catch up with her while she's been conscious, so Chase waits until the end of his shift and stops by her room, knocking lightly before putting his head around the door.]

[anatural]

[One of these days, her pulse will stop spiking at every sound.

One of these days.

In the meantime, she forces herself to breath and put on a smile.]

Hey Dr. Chase.

[intheblanks]

Hey, Korra.

[He could sympathise with those responses: he's become practiced in the art of covering for panic attacks, though they come less these days than they once did. For now he enters unarmed - no needles, trolley with him to check her vitals. He's looked at the most recent update from his ICU team - she's doing as well as can be expected.

So he just comes over to sit beside the bed.]

Rough day, huh.

[anatural]

[She snorts derisively.]

Yeah, real rough. I've been lying in bed, doing nothing.

[intheblanks]

It might not be the way you're used to, but your body's probably working harder right now than it has in the rest of your life. Give it a break - it deserves one.

[anatural]

[He's right, of course, but that doesn't mean Korra has to like it. (If it were a less serious injury, it wouldn't be so bad. But she's terrified of what that other doctor told her, and she feels like if she doesn't move now, she'll never move again.)

She does her best to shake it off.]

Shouldn't you be getting off work soon?

[intheblanks]

I got off twenty minutes ago, but nice shot at getting rid of me.

[And that was an inintentional pun. But since he's landed on the subject:]

Have you spoken to anyone about what happened?

[anatural]

[She wasn't trying to get rid of you! Just trying to understand why you're still here.

She looks away at his question.]

I've told everything to Chief Bei Fong and the other cops. [Pretending that that's what he meant]

[intheblanks]

[He nods - and he'd like to find out who it was, himself. But:]

I should think they'd be more interested in how to deal with the shooter than how you were dealing with being shot.

[anatural]

I'm fine. The other doctor says I'm healing up pretty well.

[intheblanks]

It's going to be a little longer before anyone can judge that. But there's no reason you shouldn't heal well. Getting shot, though, it's a major trauma, whether your injuries are life threatening or not.

[anatural]

[Korra tries to shrug it off, but -- ow shoulder shrugging is bad.]

[intheblanks]

[Yeah, bullet holes will do that.]

Someone's told you about the rehab work you'll be doing for that?

[anatural]

Yeah. [She can't help making a face. She's not afraid of pain or a challenge, but it's hard, knowing that she's going to put in hard work and still never get back to the same physical condition she'd been in before.] The other guy told me they're gonna send me home in a few days, but I have to come back every week for physical therapy. He's going to give me a list of exercises I need to do at home too.

[intheblanks]

You can do them at home, or you can come to the gym with me. [He leans forward.] Some people come out of rehab stronger than they went in. Muscles can find new ways of compensating for damage - it just takes work. If you think you're up to it.

[anatural]

Seriously? [The other doctor hadn't mentioned anything about that. Korra perks up. She's not afraid of hard work. (The hardest part of the rehabilitation process will be keeping herself from pushing too hard.)]

[intheblanks]

Seriously. But I'm not kidding about it being a challenge. You can find quick fixes in this city, but this isn't one of them.

[anatural]

I'm not afraid of a challenge.