epidemiology | [closed]

[He called Riza over for help gathering virus samples. There's a few people here he trusts deeply, Riza is one of them. She's always proven herself to be reliable and trustworthy.

Now seems like a fine time for them to work together again.]

Lieutenant Hawkeye? Are you ready to go?

[Given the severity of their situation, collecting samples from infected is quite possibly the most useful task she can put her mind to at the moment. Things at home ("home") have been progressively worsening, Lancer's usual good cheer slowly whittled down in the face of the virus's demanding symptoms. And while keeping riots to a minimum is all well and good, those actions do little to help those who've already been infected.

She's tired, nerves abuzz from worry and irrtation, but she nods curtly all the same when asked.]

I am. [She'll have to be.] Where should we start?

Let's begin over here. [Julius points to a section on his map. There's a red mark indicating their next target.]

I heard we could find a virus sample here from the others.

I'm glad you're doing well.

[She takes in the marked location, committing it to memory, though her attention's caught more by his offhand comment. Is she doing well? That's a fact that's up for debate.]

Better than some of our teammates. [The flash of smile is here and gone in an instant, her mood too sober to keep up good cheer for long.] The sooner we find a cure, the better off we'll all be.

How have you been? And Reika?

[Hopefully neither of them have been showing symptoms.]

We're doing alright. Sakura's living with us, we're managing.

[He's nods to her firmly.]

What we do need is that cure though, you're right. I have some equipment ready for it.

[They need some things for sample extraction.]

[It's not much of a surprise that the two would opt to remain close together, and to take on Sakura as a temporary ward. 'Managing' isn't an ideal descriptor, but really it's about as much as any of them can be right now.

She nods at his preparation, though there's hesitance to her voice.]

Have you ever done this before? Collect samples from people?

[She's never done any sort of work remote similar, save for patching up wounds on the battlefield.]

I have, actually. In my world there was a virus similar to this one.

[His firm expression changes into a frown. The amount of similarities to his world bring him a few bad memories. Even so, they must move on and collect samples. Julius gives her a package of latex gloves. ]

Whenever the rain fell people became ill. It reminds me of that time. You'll need this.

Every time?

[The tale's startling, enough for her hands to pause midway in reaching for the offered gloves. What a terrible fate.]

Was there a cure for that illness?

Every time. [Slowly shaking his head.]

No, there wasn't. I tried to find a cure then using human experimentation.

[He's ashamed to admit it. That experience is what gave him the skills to do the mission though.]

We'll find a better solution this time, won't we?

[Please say yes.]

[ NOOOOO YOU DONT JUST TELL IT TO PEOPLE WITHOUT CONTEXT!!!!!!! ]

[IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT NOW!!! ]

[ ARE THEY EVEN GOING OT FINISH TE FDJIGSDL BOUNTY ]

[ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

stay tuned for next week's episode ]

[Illness-inducing rain is bad enough, but—]

Human experimentation?

[The gloves remain where they are, still held in midair as she tries and fails to quell the sudden spike of revulsion that shoots through her. Surely there was nothing unethical about it, and from the sound of things it had at least been for a good cause, but it still hits too close to home, prodding at memories that haven't been disturbed for many months.]

Did you— [Her voice falters. She tries again.] Did you find volunteers willingly? Were they told what you had planned to do?

[She doesn't answer the other question.]

[His silence should answer her own question. Julius used force to get them to cooperate. He doesn't like remembering this at all. The weight of his crimes settles in more deeply.]

I'm sorry, Lieutenant.

[This might be too hard for her to hear. Does she hate him for it? If so then it'd be understandable.]

[The lack of explanation is admission enough. The floor drops out from underneath her and for a moment, all she can see and hear are the screams and bodies of people who'll never get their lives back.

But indecision and uncertainty are man's worst enemy, and so she pushes through enough to finally grab hold of her gloves and pull them on, with a little more force than necessary.]

We'll discuss this later.

[Her voice is taut; it's obvious she's not taking this well. But they have work to do to still and reminiscing about the past won't help anyone in the present.]

What kind of samples are we taking?

[Saliva, blood, something else...?]

Alright. [He dismisses it for now. They have a more important task at hand. ]

Body fluids. We'll need ten samples, I'll get the syringe.

[She shouldn't have to force herself. This is a difficult job. ]

Are you comfortable working on this?

Not saliva?

[Surely they can get enough of a reading from that alone, and it seems far less invasive to stick a swab in someone's mouth than to inject a needle through their skin. But she's never done anything in the field of medicine or science, and presumably if Julius has done actual experimentation he would know better than her.]

I'll be fine either way though.

I'll trust you on this.

[He seems unsettled working on it, although one could hardly blame him. Julius past mistakes have come back to haunt him here. Best to do this job as quickly as possible. ]

Saliva works. Getting a direct blood sample will tell you more information however.

[Of that she has no doubt. More components in the blood to corroborate or deny any theories regarding the virus. Still, pricking people when other methods are simpler still doesn't sit well with her. But they can't afford to be choosy right now.]

Then blood it is. We need all the information we can get if we're to find any sort of cure.

You'd better keep an eye on me. I don't want to overdo it.

[Considering that she knows his history know it's a valid concern. Julius gets one sample and makes sure its handled properly. ]

That should suffice?

[He sounds uncertain. Riza can double check the amount.]

[Did you overdo it before—is what she wants to ask, a sharp cutting remark, but she bites down on it, knowing any form of interrogation is of absolutely no use right now. Instead, she diverts her gaze to the vial in his hand, judging the dark red liquid trapped inside.

She's no scientist, but....]

That seems adequate to me. Surely it won't take much to analyze the contents of it. [But, just in case.] Should I contact one of the scientists to confirm the amount?

[She means one of the scientists on their team, but it's still not safe to make mention of ALASTAIR so out in the open yet.]

I presume that would be a good idea. Do you have anyone particular in mind?

[Surely Riza must have thought this one through. He can't look at her directly after admitting what he just did. ]

I'll make a note of it.

[Even so, they have a job to do. At least she's still cooperating with him for this task. Julius appreciates it. ]

I believe Sieglinde is working with a few others. She has a far greater knowledge of these things than I do.

[THANKFULLY the presence of a phone nearby means she doesn't have to awkwardly pretend to pull an answer out of nowhere - pretending to dial, she holds the actual conversation aloud despite the lack of any person on the other end. It's a quick conversation, and she's hanging up (both metaphorically and physically) before not too long.]

She says that amount should be adequate.

Thank you.

[They just have to repeat this process a few more times. No big deal. Everything else that comes now is just extra. ]

We'll be here for a while. There's still a few more samples to take.

[In all honesty, he just wants to run away and never talk to anyone again. Doing that won't help with their mission though. He'll stay for as long as they need to. ]

[They can't just leave after a single sample, it's true.]

Let's get to work then.

[It's a kill two birds with one stone type of situation; ALASTAIR will benefit from their samples, and the busy work means no time to sit around and discuss the moral implications of human experimentation. And even with this sudden revelation, they still make a good team, unconsciously following into a routine that has them collecting all their samples quicker rather than slower.

When the last of their patients leaves, Riza turns back to Julius.]

Shall we get going?

[There's an unspoken question beneath this one, of whether or not he wants to bring their previous conversation back to light. Will he run, or will he stay and talk?]

Yes, we should.... good job.

Do you still wish to work alongside me? If not then, I'll be taking my leave.

[He'll stay and talk under those conditions. If Riza wants nothing more to do with then than it'll be done. ]

[It's a difficult question to answer, and one she doesn't really have a good answer for. As much as she'd like to continue working alongside him unimpeded, there's too much going on for her to sort out easily. Her face might not betray much emotion on any given day, but she's always felt deeply and truly.]

I'd like to talk to you again about this, in a few days. After I've had time to think.

[She needs it, and maybe he does too.]

That's acceptable.

Please meet with me when you're ready. I'll be waiting.

[He does. Julius is fine with talking about it later. Riza will be able to think more clearly after some time has passed. Perhaps it is time that Riza learnt the truth after all. They've known each other for a while. ]

[closed]

RIZA

belatedly arrives

welcomes you with open arms

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not here

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also not here

lmfao oh my god, what a great start

CRIES A LOT shakes my head

rip everything

this was a mistake

it sure was.....

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handwaves that she called someone on the magitek

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