epidemiology | EVENT ★ (ABOUT) 28 DAYS LATER

EVENT ★ (ABOUT) 28 DAYS LATER

GENERAL HOSPITAL

All signs point to the hospital having something to do with the virus, though further investigation is required in order to find exactly what is going on. The hospital is average sized, with contemporary facilities and equipment, and is usually considerably cleaner than it is now. The constant flow of injuries coming in -- from riots, attacks, and accidents that are happening from just sheer panic -- have filled the hospital to the brim. Many staff are too over-exhausted to show up to work, and those that remain are nearly to the breaking point. Due to the overall confusion and chaos, now might be an opportune time to quietly sneak behind the scenes . . .

ON THE INSIDE

The waiting room is crowded and there aren't enough staff people to go around. If you snag yourself a lab coat or some scrubs, you should be able to just waltz right in if you look harried enough to go unnoticed. Or, if you're not the doctor-looking type, fake an injury and get one of your scrubs-wearing teammates to usher you inside.

Inside the hospital, it's just as busy -- gurneys line the halls, filled with moaning, scared patients. How many of them have the Bristol Virus? How many of them have just been injured in the unrest? It's impossible to tell, so be careful as you move through the halls. One of those grasping hands just might belong to someone who is very hungry.

Be careful while you look through the hospital -- the staff are busy and preoccupied, but they’re not blind. If you are caught somewhere you shouldn’t be, you’ll find yourself escorted from the premises, or worse -- thrown in jail.

PLACES TO SEARCH:

MATERNITY. There are no pregnant women to be found here, and for good reason: the maternity wing has been converted to a treatment center for known Bristol Virus carriers. Biohazard suits hang near the entrance, and the doors are sealed by makeshift plastic shielding to prevent the virus from spreading airborne. Patients are strapped to their beds for their safety as well as for the safety of the staff, and seem to be heavily sedated. But be careful -- you never know when it’ll wear off.

MORGUE. In the basement of the hospital is the morgue. Temperature controlled to 3º C (37º F), you may need a sweater if you choose to investigate here. The bodies kept in here have primarily died of natural causes -- that is, if you count being chewed on by cannibals as natural. The few bodies that are known to be infected by the Bristol virus are marked as such: the morgue drawers containing their remains have been sealed by biohazard tape.

NURSE’S STATION. The most dangerous place to investigate, but perhaps the most lucrative. The nurse’s station is located in the center of the inpatient ward and is in the middle of all hospital activity. It will be very easy to get caught if you’re looking here. However -- this is where most paperwork is kept, as well as computers connected to the hospital intranet, where patient records can be found.

OFFICES. Doctors’ offices are an obvious choice to look for paperwork clues, but be cautious and have an excuse ready: you never know when someone will come in.

TOXICOLOGY. Because most of the patients being treated right now are in the hospital for injuries, toxicology is not as busy as one might expect during a viral epidemic. The toxicology department is filled with test tubes, beakers, and the like. This is one of the more dangerous areas to investigate, as you never know when a lab tech or doctor may walk in and catch you snooping.

Other hospital areas include: cafeteria, doctors’ mess, inpatient ward, pharmacy, surgery, supply warehouse (entrance outside), etc. If you're not the investigative type, it might be a good idea to cause a scene and distract the staff from your teammates' snooping.

While you're here, it might be a good idea to gather fluid samples from patients known to be infected. Their sedated state will make it easy (until, of course, the sedatives wear off -- hopefully not while you're in the middle of collecting a sample!) and not only will it help the efforts in finding a vaccine, it may also help your fellow recruits find a cure. Especially now that some of your number are starting to feel the effects of the virus themselves.

FINDING CLUES

This post, we will be holding an RNG to decide who receives clues. We have a maximum of five clues to go around, one per hospital area, so you'll have better chances if you team up! Please see this comment to sign up. We will be closing clue sign-ups after 48 hours, after which we will notify the RNG winners of their results. Those who do not hear back may assume they have not found anything of interest.

OOC NOTES

Because this log is being posted late in the month, threads are eligible for February or March AC, but not both. Beginning this month, we are also allowing AC threads to be eligible for AC Bonus Bank.

Please remember that participation in the HMD is mandatory to pass AC this month! Please fill out your HMD comment by 28 February 23:59 UTC.

REMINDER: activity and hiatus changes go into effect beginning this AC. Please review the changes thoroughly!

Questions about Woodhurst can be submitted to this thread. Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ. You may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time, and don't forget the Bounty Board!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Haise is lucky enough to avoid the misfortune of the cafeteria cuisine entirely, content with simply nursing a cup of watered-down coffee. It's not very good, but it's better than biting into a meal with the consistency of rubber. The scent for him is far worse still, but he ignores it in favor of refilling his mug.

That is, until he spots a familiar mess of blond hair. He hears the rattling return of the coins and cocks his head a little to one side, observing the progression of Naruto's attempts to work with the vending machine only to get his money back. Deciding he might want a hand, Haise crosses the room and halts at the young ninja's side]

Vending machine giving you trouble? [He asks, only to add-] Sometimes, they're finicky machines...happens to everybody.

[ Naruto turns and the look of relief he shoots at Haise is equivalent to that of one he might give someone who literally just saved his life. Honestly, it might be true. Naruto is pretty certain that starving is the worst way for anyone to go. ]

Hey-- [ He greets, then goes back to lamenting his efforts. ] I dunno what's up with it, y'know. I can't figure out how it's supposed to work.

[ The issue Naruto is having is that he isn't putting anywhere near the right amount of coins in to the machine, and when he's pressing buttons he's pressing a nonsensical combination and then hitting refund instead of enter, so he's failing basically.. every single step he could possibly fail. Help him.... ]

Can ya read this? [ He asks, tapping the little instruction panel under the keypad. ] Doesn't make any sense to me.

[He offers his associate a friendly smile and lifts one hand in a little wave in greeting. It seems that Naruto may have been at this for a while, based on his expression.

Once he asks about reading, Haise turns his attention to the panel with a hum. If he can't read it, no wonder he's having difficulties]

Yes, I can read that. Actually, I'm much better with reading this language than speaking it.

[Though by no means is he patting himself on the back. Haise actually is a very strong reader, but he was quite cognizant of his accent when he was trying to speak in English during a period in which their magitek was out of commission. He has a far easier time reading than producing the language]

Let's see here...you need to take the cost of your chosen item into account, put in the coins, and then type in the matching number. Then it should dispense the snack and you can collect it and any spare change from your purchase. Which one did you want?

Which one? [ Naruto.. hadn't actually picked. He didn't even manage to correlate the little numbers under the items with the choice of numbers and letters on the keypad. He's not sure what he was expecting from his efforts other than food - maybe for the glass window to open so he could just take whichever he liked? - so to be asked to narrow it down is... a big ask.

Inside the vending machine are so many bars and packets and bottles of various things he's never even seen before and everything in there looks delicious, if he's honest. Or maybe he's just that hungry. ]

Uuhm, I dunno. What d'you think I should get?

[Haise hums as he considers this. While he might not know firsthand what these foods taste like, he does know what sorts of flavors they're supposed to have. And he thinks that's sufficient for helping Naruto make a selection, one he has just a little bit more information]

What kinds of flavors do you like? For example, do you like sweet foods more or savory ones?

[This'll work out just fine so long as Naruto doesn't absolutely love everything...]

[ Bad news, buddy, he basically loves everything. Though vegetables are not his favourite, when soaked in a seasoned broth and surrounded by spices and thick noodles, he can barely recognise the flavor he apparently detests so much, and everything else is generally unoffensive to his taste buds, so he shrugs. ]

Anythin'.

[ So helpful. He peers into the glass box, trying his damnedness to translate what he sees there. ]

Is there anythin' that's salty in there? Somethin' that tastes like soup?

[Another hum from Haise as he considers that. Salty and soup certainly narrows it down, and it doesn't take him long to point out a styrofoam cup with a big logo emblazoned on its side in loud, vibrant letters]

How about Cup Noodles? It's...sort of like the poor man's ramen.

[Not to be a noodle snob or anything ~~don't hate him, FFXV boys in queue~~ but he'd consider them the quick, inexpensive alternative to the real deal. Naturally he's never had them himself but he's certainly seen people eat them.

And apparently it's undergone a recent name-change and was once Cup O' Noodles]

Like [insert brand of noodles from Naruto's world here]? Sure!

[ He's used to eating instant ramen, usually the ones in bowls or cups with tear off lids because as it happens he is his worlds poor man, so he'll more than likely be familiar with the format if not the taste of the product Haise is pointing out. ]

It's hard to know what to look out for when all the words here looks like a bunch of squiggles... Where'd you learn to read this language, huh?

Funny thing about that, [or not so funny, when you're an amnesiac] I actually don't remember.

[Sorry Naruto, he really doesn't. The bashful smile that accompanies those words belies what a complicated mess of emotions he has toward his own past, and he wears it well enough to be convincing. That big, gaping void doesn't concern him at all, nor does the shadowy specter of the person he once was. No siree.

Rather than take Naruto's change from him, he pulls out his wallet and feeds the machine some dollar bills before punching in the numbers and confirming. And so on this day, his shinobi associate will be acquiring three Cup Noodles.

Just, you know. In case he's starving. He could be, Maya always seems to be]

But if you'd like, I could teach you.

[ Naruto watches Haise put paper (paper!!! It's still so strange to him that money is paper here) into the machine with wide eyes that make him seem much younger than he is, then his gaze flicks back to the machine to watch it churn the noodle cups forward and deposit them at the bottom of the big window. Naruto crouches, sticks his hand in to retrieve them and gasps with happiness as he crowds them in his arms, apparently amazed that they're all actually real. ]

Aaah, yes!!! Thanks, y'know!!

[ He doesn't really have time to feel like he should pay him back somehow, because he's suddenly altogether extremely distracted by what Haise offers next. ]

Teach me? [ He repeats, then blinks. ] To read this stuff? [ He points to the machine with a noodle cup. It would make things a lot easier, and despite being a rebel in school, Naruto really does enjoy learning new things, so... ]

Are ya sure? 'Cos if you are, then.. yeah! That'd be great!

You're very welcome.

[Haise isn't sure he's ever seen anyone so delighted for vending machine food before, but he makes a mental note that Naruto likes this sort of thing. Maybe when they're back in Oska, he can make him some traditional ramen and see how he takes to that. Never a bad thing having someone to cook for, and he always finds himself missing it.

Having been used to feeding a squad regularly, it's something he never quite gets accustomed to the absence of.

He nods in answer to the question, and his smile's going nowhere]

I'd be happy to. Never know when it might come in handy, after all.

[They might well get dispatched to another world like this, down the line. And in the meantime it'd help Naruto access things like vending machines here. Better than him being stuck with text that looks like gibberish to him]

[ Naruto starts twisting around in search of boiling water to add to the cup noodles. At home he uses a stove and a pan, but he's got a feeling they won't just have a stove sitting out for noodle purposes in a place like this. Or if they have, he hasn't seen it. ]

Aah, yeah. It's been hard knowin' where to go, or what things are when ya can't read any of the signs.. I don't even know what kinda language it is, but at least talkin' to people is easy.

[ It was a wild ride the first day he got here and basically had no sense of direction for what felt like hours too long, before Sai swooped in and saved him. If Haise could teach him, then maybe Naruto could actually get involved a little easier. ]

Is it hard to learn?

A while back, we lost our translator functionality... You should've seen us, pantomiming and writing notes to each other.

[He says it with a faint air of amusement now, but at the time, it was pretty troublesome. The only people he could communicate effectively with were those who knew Japanese or English, and he knows his accent is overly precise on the latter, compensating for what he anticipates getting wrong.

Hopefully it never happens again, but having more than one language to work with never hurts]

I'd say it's not too bad. I learned from books on my own, so I'm sure anyone can with some determination. [There follows a pause, and he follows Naruto's wandering line of sight before pointing out another nearby machine] That one'll dispense hot water if you use the red button. Just put an open cup on that shelf under the nozzle.

[ Naruto snorts. The idea of anyone pantomiming to make themselves understood strikes him as kind of amusing, even if he's never experienced it. ]

If that was me, I'd be lost, y'know. I'd have to find someone like you to translate for me. Everyone back where I'm from speaks the same, even in the other lands.

[ His eyes light up at the machine and he follows the instructions to cover the noodles in the cup in hot water, and gasps with delight at the convenience of it. Living in a technologically stunted world wasn't so bad when he didn't know any better, but now? He's starting to almost like it here. ]

Yeah, but you're smarter than me, y'know. [ He says, tearing the flavor packets open with his teeth like an animal and adding them to the cup before he puts the lid back. ] But I'll give it my best shot. Where'd we start? And when?

It was a real challenge for some of us who had no overlap at all... Achilles for instance, we had to draw illustrations to help each other out.

[It was a fine time to be in Oska. On the one hand Naruto missed out on some fine illustrations, but on the other it was a pretty trying time since they had chrono-bugs gumming up their magitek.

He follows Naruto along, watching the change in his expression at this simple noodle preparation. Though it would be rude to comment, he thinks, there's something charming about someone being so easily delighted. Perhaps it's youth, or simply Naruto's nature, who's to say?]

I don't think it's intelligence that counts so much as the will behind it, so don't underestimate yourself. As for when to start...what's your schedule look like? I tend to work during the daytime hours, for the most part.

[ Naruto shrugs at that. Schedules.. what are those. He presses the cup between his hands and glances down as steam slowly furls out from under the lid, probably the most stationary and patient Haise is ever likely to see him. ]

I don't have any plans or anythin' keepin' me busy, so I guess whenever you're free!

[ He's so impossibly accustomed to having a Hokage to tell him what to do and when that this much freedom is.. weird for him. As is not being technically useful in a setting where there's not much a flashy ninja can do. But anyway, right now is cup noodle time. There's a time and a place for learning and it is.. after cup noodle time. ]

[Haise will surely never see someone waiting so patiently for noodles, much less this happy about having them. But it's a nice thing to see, and he gestures at the nearest table so they can take a seat. Surely it will be easier to eat sitting down than standing by the vending machines]

I could meet you at the coffee shop near the library during early evenings, if it's not too much of a commute for you.

[For his part, it has been strange to have so much freedom himself. The lack of structure is at times jarring as well as concerning, but after nearly a year he's become fairly accustomed to the change]

[ Naruto slides into the nearest seat, placing his noodles carefully on the table before nodding in answer to Haise's suggestion. ]

Mmm! I don't mind! I run fast! [ He doesn't know what commute means and he'll probably never use public transport in his life, let's be real. ] I'm pretty sure I know where that is. I did some explorin' the first few days I was here.

[ He enjoys it, at the very least; exploring, knowing his surroundings, talking to the people in them, getting to grips with the setting he's in.. Even if he doesn't always understand it to the fullest amount or really grasp the gravity of various situations, he always does his best. Which is why, probably, he'll be an okay student. ]

[Haise takes up the seat across from him, folding his hands on the tabletop in front of him]

I did some roving around too. [It's good to get the lay of the land, when faced with new scenery. How else would they mobilize effectively? For that much, he's got all the more respect for his young teammate] Let me know if you have any trouble getting there, but let's plan on meeting then.

[ Naruto is very used to it, and actually kind of enjoys it at this point. Since childhood he's been full of dreams of greater things, and finding hidden alleyways and areas of forest where he could let those dreams run wild was something he often did to pass the time.. It was only in later life that he realised it would be a useful asset for him in his actual job. ]

Yeah! Let's do it!!!

[ He's apparently very excited to learn. You'll make a nerd out of him yet, Haise. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ (ABOUT) 28 DAYS LATER

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feel free to end here if you want? <3