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[forwardmomentum]

Miles here. I know our medical staff here is limited, but does anyone on board have any experience with orthopedics? Due to a recent unforeseen medical development, some old physical problems have resurfaced, and I'm in need of a pair of leg braces. I've got brittle bones, and they help keep my legs from breaking quite so easily. I could do without the limp, too. I haven't needed the braces the last few years until now, so naturally, I don't have them here.

I don't expect anyone to make a pro bono offer, but I'd be happy to work out some kind of a trade. Just...sooner rather than later.

Comments

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[hirotohero]

[ Hiro is on this a mite too fast even for him. He's never worked on medical prosthetics before but it sounds like a neat challenge. ]

I might be able to help with that. I'm pretty good at designing reinforced pieces meant to protect in a fight. With some tweaks I could probably make something that could work for you.

[forwardmomentum]

[ WHOA that was a way faster turnaround than he was expecting but ALL RIGHT ]

Oh yeah? Hiro, right? I don't think we've met yet. So you design combat armor, is that it?

[hirotohero]

[ Look he's not used to having free time between college and superheroing. He needs a hobby and your shitty shins are now it. ]

Sort of. I do a bit of everything back home. You're lucky I just got a scanner and 3D printer with carbon fiber printing cells. I should be able to design and produce a prototype pretty quick.

[forwardmomentum]

[ miles is JUST FINE with that. hiro seems so gung-ho about helping and, for once, not even remotely in a condescending matter. this is refreshing. ]

Well damn, that sounds promising. Why don't we meet somewhere, discuss a little more in the way of detail? I assume you'll need measurements, or something. You can come up to the Personnel Office, if you like.

[ he does want to meet in person, but also, if he recalls, hiro is at least ten years younger than him, and miles is curious to properly meet him in person. ]

[hirotohero]

Just a fair warning, I've never done anything specifically related to medical stuff before, but I'll give it my best shot. I like a challenge.

Just let me grab my scanner and its console and I can head up anytime.

[ Plus he kind of wants to meet the guy that Ivan made the weird ad for. ]

[forwardmomentum]

Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not looking for a surgeon, eh?

I might not be an orthopedist, but I've worn the damn things most of my life. I think between the two of us we can manage to figure it out.

I'm up in my office, feel free to let yourself in. Door's unlocked.

[ oh god miles still can't believe ivan posted that on the network for THE WHOLE DAMN SHIP TO SEE ]

[hirotohero]

I've got standards. Whatever I make for you will be high quality.

[ He grabs the scanner from its place sitting in his room and takes to the halls at a trot. Maybe fifteen minutes later Miles gets one more message. ]

Knock, knock.

[ Then he opens the door and peers into the office. ]

Oh cool, I've got the right place. I've never had a reason to come out this way.

text; ((I'm so sorry))

[peridork]

Brittle bones? That's a thing?

[Every time she thinks humans can't possibly get any more pathetic...]

text; never be sorry because i sure ain't

[forwardmomentum]

Of course not. I just made that up to trick the lot of you into building useless junk for me.

[peridork]

Are you being "sarcastic" now? I'm legitimately unsure, it's more difficult to tell when the conversation is in written word rather than spoken.

It's just that, "brittle" is a word that I'd use to describe just about any kind of bone, so the very idea that some can be even more brittle than the average is just downright hilarious.

[forwardmomentum]

The very idea that your grasp on sarcasm is even more limited than any other gem I've met is downright hilarious, if you ask me.

Would you like a demonstration? I can snap one of my own finger bones like a twig. Makes for a neat party trick.

[peridork]

That attempted insult lacks weight when I know for certain that the only other gem you can possibly have interacted with is Jasper.

[The Steven doesn't count, in her opinion. He's some kind of freaky hybrid, anyway.]

Anyway. I may be able to assist you. The Indogene and I are supposed to be collaborating to create "prosthetic" limbs, and I can't imagine that what you're asking for would be very different.

[forwardmomentum]

And yet she still far outstrips you in that department. It's a sufficient sample size for my analysis.

Much though I would be humbled to accept your charity, I've already received a compelling offer from another bidder. So unless yours involves a side bonus of compensatory tact, I think I'll pass.

the most helpful text

[petridish]

Huh. You're like my pilot back home.

['My', she writes, as if she didn't try to kill the guy.]

so helpful

[forwardmomentum]

Beg pardon?

[petridish]

I had a warship back home. My pilot had brittle bones, used to use crutches a lot. I hadn't expected to find someone with the same condition here. [That last part, at least, is sincere.]

[forwardmomentum]

[ oh. well, that's not something you hear every day. ]

You don't say. And he's a pilot? What sort of ship do you command?

[petridish]

The best in the Alliance. [The pilot or the ship? Yes.] The Normandy's a stealth frigate. Much smaller than this place.

[forwardmomentum]

[ ah, and now he's learned something new about shepard. interesting. he can't help but be curious. ]

It'd have to be, I imagine. What's he like?

video

[hellsbel]

Something happen to your legs? [just had your medical records on the Ariel last month, Miles; there weren't supposed to be any problems with the synthetic bones, and isn't it enough they'll have to note down you've been DEAD that one time?]

Check in if there's anything you need in the meantime, all right?

video; private

[forwardmomentum]

[ oh, good, he needed to talk to bel about this anyway. ]

Bel -- good timing. I was about to message you. [ he's looking a little less than chipper, but more tired than anything. ] More like what didn't happen. My legs've been killing me since I came back -- so was the rest of me, when the ship was all frozen over -- it took me a while to find out why.

[ he rubs at his face, heaving out a breath. ]

The synthetics I had put in a few years back, to replace the bones in my legs? Gone. Ever since the resurgence. I just didn't know it till recently. It's just my old bones in there now. But, hey! [ miles flashes bel a blinding grin, suddenly animated again. ] I did just fine before I had 'em, and with Hiro helping me out, I think I'll be better off than I was with my old braces.

video; private

[hellsbel]

[several very blue words] I'd say that's just not possible, but you've already been pretty thoroughly dead and here you are. Mysterious cryo miracle missed a bet, did it?

[are you okay?

remembers those days, oh yes, how the Admiral would stride out of his cabin as if nothing was wrong, the pallor and quicker-than-usual patter -- and greater-than-usual time spent sitting down -- the only clue to those who knew him well that only heavy medication was holding him upright.]

He's bright, isn't he? We'll get you a new pair when we get home. Death bonus, no need to worry about Our Employer signing off on them. [a smile somewhat less blinding but thoroughly ironic tugs at Bel's lips. it's just one thing after another on this ship, isn't it. if they all suddenly grew wings and gills, it wouldn't particularly be any surprise.

but also, it feels good that Miles had been just about to call them himself. sometimes, with the Admiral, that's code for "since you found out about it anyway and it can't make things worse," but somehow it feels like this time he really means it.]

video; private

[forwardmomentum]

[ is he okay OF COURSE HE'S OKAY

alright so he might be a little less than okay

also he might still be propping himself up with pain medication from time to time

but miles keeps that grin on his face, until it turns into a fierce roll of his eyes. ]

To hell with that. When we get home, Our Employer is paying for a whole new set of synthetics.

[ he'll run that expense by gregor, gregor will say yes. but then his expression dims, growing heavier, and he sucks in a breath. ]

Bel, there's -- something else I need to tell you. My legs weren't the only complication from my resurgence.

video; private

[hellsbel]

No arguments here.

[frowns, leans a little closer to the screen. what, is he missing his gallbladder too? a couple of ribs? what's wrong with this place? but that expression is too deep for it to be another chunk of flesh.] What's the matter?

video; private

[forwardmomentum]

[ he almost wishes he'd just said something the other night, even though bel was drunk and he knows that wouldn't have gone over well, but at least he wouldn't has to talk about this now. ]

I came back with...holes in my memory. I didn't even realize it until Ivan mentioned something that I couldn't remember at all. I thought it might just be cryoamnesia, but Captain Cúrre confirmed it was a complication from resurgence.

[ she had also offered to fix it, but she refused to tell him what the hell process that was, and miles is wary of letting someone play around with his brain when he doesn't know what they're going to do. he swallows, rubbing at his throat, where the cryo prep scars should be but aren't, then he tugs up the collar of his uniform in that unconscious tic. ]

Bel, I...don't remember any Sergeant Taura.