Scene #4710: Recovery

Owner	Pose
Garen	Garen found himself slowly adjusting to the lights within the citadel's medical wing as he woke up. He felt the phantom pain coming from his missing right arm, which had to be removed thanks to infection. The truth was the same for his eye as well, the damage done too much to save. At least his leg was salvaged, currently in a cast. "At least they've got decent television..." he muses to himself.
Taro	On his way from Neo Arcadia, Taro tapped into the Confederate Handbook of Clinical Medicine for an overview of Chiss physiology. Thus far, humans (including mutants and genetically-enhanced) have made up the bulk of his non-machine patients, those of other species few and far between. Best to not be caught unawares of any peculiarities. Once on the floor, the android calls up and peruses Garen's medical chart while walking to towards his room. The logs from the last twenty-four hours receive the most attention of course, but he gives the rest a once-over as well to check for any recorded medical issues that could complicate his recovery. Out of habit, he raps on the door twice before letting himself in. While he is not the only cleric on medical staff, he is one of the few that normally works in the cybernetics/robotics wing. As such, he has a white medical coat buttoned over his cassock, with the symbol of the Church of SHODAN on his nametag. His hair has been pulled back into a short stub of a ponytail, with the rest tucked under a surgical cap. He has a datapad tucked under his arm, which remains there for the moment as he glances around the room. The monitors at the bedside catch his attention first, but after that his gaze shifts to the operative. Or what's left of him. "Ah. You're awake."
Garen	Garen looks over and nods. "Hello, Bishop Taro. Didn't expect to see you." He says. He leans back, grimmacing softly. "Hrrr......the phantom pain is the worst." He says, motioning. He tries to focus on the more present details though. "How does my record look? I remember seeing your work with Yari and it was impressive...maybe you can help me with my...situation."
Taro	Taro gives a nod as he's recognized. It appears Garen is coherent enough to hold a conversation. Good. "That would be why I am here," he answers as he steps further into the room, letting the door shut behind him. "I'd recommend moving as little as possible, as that may only aggrevate your wounds. " He continues walking until he reaches the monitors. "By all accounts, you are fortunate to be alive, Ensign Garen. Your infection appears to be responding to treatment, and your wounds, while maiming, are no longer life-threatening. Provided that you don't do anything foolish like trying to leave against medical advice or cross Nurse Gorgon, you should recover nicely."
Garen	"That's good, at least." Garen says, hearing the run down of his injuries. He moves his free hand up, thinking. "Guess no matter what happens, I'll need to relearn my skills again. But...I know your able to replace limbs, but what about my eye? Is that within your ability?" He asks curiously. He looks at Taro's, trying to figure if they were artificial, or just how much of the bishop was still human.
Taro	"Of course. Assuming that you'd prefer cybernetic enhancement over biological regrafting, that is." Taro leaves that option open, if only out of professional courtesy for the medics in the organ cloning division. His personal preferences are rather obvious. Garen makes eye contact with him for the briefest of moments, before the priest breaks it. Ostensibly it's to once again check the monitors. "I'll need to do some further research into Chiss-specific cybernetic medicine, but your infection will need to fully clear before we could perform surgery anyway."
Garen	Garen nods and again looks to his arm. "This is annoying...I've heard of what it could feel like but..." He says, trailing off a moment. "Keeper says that He's enforcing I take three weeks away from active operations after I recover. I honestly don't see the reason. I mean, I get it, but it's not needed."
Taro	Taro's response to that is a grunt of irritation. When he turns to look down at Garen, his eyes are narrowed. "I believe I advised you do nothing foolish. Not listening to your your keeper's advice is included." A pause. "If you are still in too much discomfort, I can request that they adjust the analgesics dosage."
Garen	"It's more a mental thing, I'd wager. It feels like the arm is still there, that's all." Garen admits. He also nods to Taro. "I know....it just....I'm never sure what to do with myself when not in the field. It was suggested I find a hobby or a pet."
Taro	"Mm. Phantom limb syndrome is not unusual at this stage." A clinical assessment, though the tone of its delivery is meant to be reassuring. "It may be beneficial, in fact, as you're more likely to accept the cybernetic limb more quickly." He's assumed that Garen has already made up his mind on the matter, and so the datapad he's hand tucked under his arm is finally brought forward. Taro taps the datapad's surface, which briefly flashes the symbol of Confederate Medical before displaying a somewhat cluttered screen. "I have a catalogue that you can peruse from, though I would expect that you'll prefer something bespoke rather than off the shelf. Still, this will help give you an idea of what is available and what to expect." A hint of humor creeps into his voice, though his expression remains faintly dour. "When I am not in my lab or at the temple, I like to read a book or perfect my tea recipes."
Garen	Garen nods and does his best to look through the datapad. "Definately. I'd likely ask for a grappling hook to be installed...maybe a blade or some form of poison injection method." He says, pondering aloud. At the mention of tea, Garen arcs and eyebrow. "Never pictured you as a Tea person, but books don't surprise me. I'd like to try one of your recipe's at some point." He then ponders again. "Though I do think a pet would be nice too. Maybe something like a hawk or similar. Something that's quiet and deadly like myself." He says with a small chuckle.
Taro	Taro shakes his head at the first idea. "Internal grappling hooks are rather impractical. Too easy to snarl, too difficult to easily abandon if it's attached to you, too easy to cause damage to the rest of you should something go amiss. A blade is far more practical. I myself have throwing knives secreted in my own arm, which I've found to be quite useful. As for poison, I've been working on such a mechanism for Yari's prosthetic arm." He steps back to let Garen peruse, hinting a faint smile that's more around the eyes than the lips. "While I have no need for food or drink as sustenence, I find certain drinks to be enjoyable. The complexity of what you would call the flavor of tea is rather interesting."
Garen	"Makes sense. I'll defer to your expertise in the area of cybernatics. I do recall Yari's arm, as well. It was quite impressive, and seamlessly attached." He also allows himself a grin at Taro's mentioning of the flavor of tea. "I imagine that sometimes we take things like that for granted." He says, falling silent for a moment. He continues to rummage through the information on the datapad. "Hmm...Would you be able to add anything to increase my marksmanship? Or if I decide to fully replace my eye, some form of scope?"
Taro	"Telescopic vision is a common feature. While I'm sure that will assist your marksmanship, ultimately how well you make use of it will be on you." Taro pauses as he looks to his patient's havily bandaged shoulder. "Are you left or right handed, or do you favor neither?"
Garen	"More right handed, but I trained myself to be ambidextrous." Garen replies. He also finds himself suddenly reminded of the cyborgs of his world and visibly shudders. "The cybernetics won't be outwardly visible, will they?"
Taro	Taro tilts his head slightly, as if surprised that this is even a question. "Only if you wish them to be. Some prefer them to be obvious as a mark of pride or, in the case of my religion, as a sign of devotion. Otherwise, matching synthflesh to your skintone is simple enough."
Garen	"I see. I would normally not mind, but in my field of work, such things are recognizable marks. The more they can be hidden, the better." Garen admits a bit sheepishly as he see's the head tilt. He then ponders another question. "Did the doctors mention how much longer the infection will last? Or even what kind it was?"
Taro	"I'm a roboicist and cyberneticist," Taro answers. "I will not venture a guess as to how long it will take for your infection to completely clear. The medics in charge of infectious disease get upset with me when I attempt to second-guess them."
Garen	Garen chuckles at that. "I can imagine. Sounds like when I correct the occasional captain. But I've taken up too much of your time. Thank you, Taro. I appreciate the work you've yet to do to help me. I'll be sure to contact you when I'm out of here." He says, offering his hand towards the Bishop.
Taro	Taro clasps the offered hand, his handshake just firm enough to be felt while taking into account Garen's current frailty. "You can thank me by resting and recovering from your ordeal. Though if you would not be offended by offering a prayer for your swift recovery, I will do that as well." Without remarking on it, he makes notes on this consult in Garen's file and jots a request that he be kept appraised. Updating charts is so much simpler when keyboards aren't needed.