thenearshore | [Open] I'm not the only one who finds it hard to understand

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[Open] I'm not the only one who finds it hard to understand

Who: Komaeda, Mikan, Garry, and you
When: September 20/21
Where: Averruncus' temple for the closed prompt, but otherwise randomly around the Far Shore
What: Due to what - for lack of a better term - must be called a medical procedure, Komaeda's Frankenstein-esque left hand has been removed for a few days. So that Mikan can re-attach it better! Neither Komaeda nor Mikan consider this particularly weird, but literally everyone else does.
Warnings: Amputation obviously, some body horror along the same lines(see: Frankenstein), Komaeda™

A is for Amputate (Sept 20, CLOSED to Mikan and Garry)

[The day when Komaeda had agreed that Mikan could remove Junko's hand has come around, a day Komaeda has neither been particularly anticipating nor dreading. He was the one who'd cut his own hand off in the first place; if the thought of having his left hand removed ever held any particular horror for him, that time is long passed. Likewise, while he'd known he would get to see Mikan using her Ultimate talent to the utmost of her ability - on him, even - he'd also known he'd only be disappointed if he got too excited about it. She'd given him some drugs almost as soon as she'd arrived and gotten her equipment set up(teleporting is quite convenient for moving things around), and even without the drugs he'd lost most of his ability to focus once she'd gotten started, from shock and blood loss; he really wasn't able to observe much of the procedure.

He's so glad he thought to ask her to record it for him.

As it stands, though, the procedure is over, and to what extent Komaeda's mind is processing things - his thoughts are quite slow and hazy at the moment - he finds the change from partial numbness in a mostly-living hand to a complete absence of a hand to be a rather strange one. He doesn't remember when he'd cut off his own hand - he really only knows what he did thanks to the Future Foundation file - but he imagines it wasn't like this. There must have been pain, if nothing else.

He's glad they decided to do this within his own temple; he certainly doesn't feel like he'll be able to move under his own power for awhile. Unfortunately, in his own lack of concern over the procedure, he may have forgotten to tell anyone else it was happening...including the other person who lives in his temple with him. But Garry had been out when Mikan arrived, and through one thing and another, Komaeda simply hadn't thought about it.

So if Garry walks into one of the rooms of their temple to find it full of medical equipment, a one-handed and dazed Komaeda, and Mikan busily fussing over a bloody woman's hand that had - until recently - been attached to Komaeda's arm, it's going to be entirely without warning.]

B is for Bloody (Sept 21, OPEN)

[Mikan is the Ultimate Nurse, and quite a bit of effort had gone into making the operation as smooth and non-disruptive as possible. Still, though, Komaeda probably shouldn't be wandering around the Far Shore just one day after having Junko's hand removed...especially given his health being in a rather precarious state at the best of times.

But Komaeda's never particularly worried about his own well-being, and he's hardly going to start now. Besides, he's concerned that his presence - and current state - are distressing Garry. (Honestly, his disappearance while he's in this state might panic Garry even further, but Komaeda's never been known for his sensibility either.) So he's been wandering around the Far Shore, stump carefully bandaged, trying to give Garry space to calm down.

You may see him just drifting at random; perhaps he's gotten disoriented and wandered into somewhere he shouldn't have. (The good news is that he'll politely and apologetically remove himself, if he's informed of this.) Or perhaps this too-pale man actually sways and stumbles against you in passing.] Ah, forgive my clumsiness...

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[It had been a success--Mikan shouldn't have been surprised, and thankfully she was, surprisingly?, cal and collected during the entire procedure. Being asked to record herself doing all of this was a little strange, but she didn't ind that either--She could watch it herself to see what she could've done better, after all. It would benefit her skills as much as it would benefit Komaeda's ~~fetish~~ interests.

She takes a deep, shuddery breath as she holds Junko's hand in her own. When was the last time she'd held this hand? When was the last tie she'd done a surgery like this? Her knees feel weak like she's run a marathon and a shiver goes down her spine. She's not drooling or anything, but it's clear there's a perverse sort of pleasure she's getting out of all of this.

It reminds her of--Other times. Despair wells up in her chest. The last time-- The last time...Junko Enoshima had died. Been dead. And they were all trying to continue on without her, throwing themselves on her body like wild animals. Wailing. Screaming. Crying. Despair. And with it a newfound motivation--a frenzied obsession, more like--to continue her work. Junko Enoshia was dead, but could live on through all of them--literally and figuratively.

Those had been good times. And at the same time, memories she could've done without. They haunt her, swirling inside bringing a strange mix of unease and a nostalgia that almost hurts, a desire to turn back the clock despite knowing she's in a better place, in better shape, now.

A slow exhale. Now wasn't the time to go tripping down memory lane, and she shied away from those memories. First she had to get the hand into the prepared ice chest and finish cleaning up-- there was still a lot of blood around, splattered on Mikan mostly, but she should be nice and clean up Komaeda and the floor as well, and--

That sure was the door opening. Mikan looks ups quickly, pausing midstep towards the ice chest.]

This-- ['Isn't that it looks like?' Is probably what she's going to say, but then he screams.

So, logically, Mikan just starts screaming in alarm as well.]

[Komaeda's really not at his quickest right now. His eyes have barely tracked over to Garry before Garry starts screaming, and then Mikan starts screaming, and for a few seconds he honestly doesn't know why. To his mind, nothing is wrong, and it takes him a few long seconds to parse how things would look to someone else.

Especially his shinki, who he hadn't mentioned this operation to.]

Ah...it's all right, Garry. [He has to pitch his voice loud, to be heard over the screaming, which is hard when he's so dazed and even breathing feels tiring.] I asked Tsumiki-san to do this...

[Because surely, that's Garry's only concern. Right?]

[Fortunately, Komaeda won't have to raise his voice too much. The sound of it at least has Garry stop screaming, bulldozed by his own concern. For a second, he physically wavers as if his legs are going to go out from beneath him. It sure as hell feels as though they would. After a second, however, he lurches forward.]

W- Why!? And who is she!? Wait- I'm sorry- [Wait why is he apologizing] Who are you!?

[And why are you holding his god's severed hand!?]

[Mikan stops screaming shortly after Garry does, eyes wide and her breathing harsh like some frightened rabbit.

She looks back and forth between the two--if Garry's just wandered in like this, willing, into Komaeda's domain, they must be... friends, right? At the very least??]

U-um. [Just how much about his god does Garry know about? Mikan eyes him nervously] I-I'm Tsumiki Mikan! I-I'm, um, Komaeda-san and I are fr-friends? Ah, u, I mean, well, we're classmates...!

We're the from the same world! [She's not sure if they still really count as classmates when they've long since actually graduated high school but, like. Whatever.]

I-I'm the Ultimate Nurse, s-so Komaeda-san's in good, uh. [She looks at the severed hand held in her own two, then at Komaeda, then at Garry. She gestures weakly with it] Good hands? [Cue sad trombone noises.]

It's as she says...she's the Ultimate Nurse. [Komaeda gives Garry a dazed smile.] She's the one who attached the hand in the first place...but she wanted to take it off and re-attach it better...

[This is all perfectly logical, in the harbor of questionable sanity Komaeda's mind tends to be drifting in.]

[There are so many questions he has here. So many. Why is he letting a med student work on him? Does being a nurse mean one is qualified to be a surgeon? Where did his first hand go?]

[In the end, as he comes as close as he can stomach for the time being, what Garry ends up saying is...]

Why do you never tell me these things?

[It comes out in a horrified whisper before the set up really penetrates and he realizes how absolutely out of it Komaeda must be. Pressing his hands to his face, Garry takes in a deep breath. With how pale he's gotten, it's almost as if he had to have surgery instead of his god.]

Okay, just- [Oh god she made a joke. His hands slide down rom his eyes just enough so that he can stare at her.] Can you please put that down?

[He can't have this conversation while she's waving that around. He can't have this conversation period.]

Oh! Right! If it's not put in ice right away, that would be bad... [That's not why he's asking you to put it away, Mikan.

But she scrambles up again to get to the ice chest, placing the hand inside with a reverence that might be better suited for a holy relic. She stares at the hand and the nails for a moment, expression grim but otherwise unreadable, before she closes the lid.

She then turns back to Garry and Komaeda, eyeing one and then the other.]

Komaeda-san will be alright. [She speaks reassuringly to Garry] It's the drugs making him woozy, mostly. The, um, the bleeding's been stopped for a while. It's just a lot of shock right now... B-but, let him rest for a little while, and he'll be good as new soon!

...Um... It'll be just a couple days, but then I'll be able to replace it...

I assumed it would worry you, of course... [Komaeda laughs, a bit breathily.] I wasn't really wrong...

Tsumiki-san, this is Garry...my shinki. [This is a great time for introductions, what are you talking about.] He's a very kind person - he just worries a lot. Even about someone like me...

Anyone would be worried, Komaeda!

[If Mikan wants to start pitying the poor man who is raking his hand through his hair, a gesture which sure enough reveals kanji along one cheek. This is really too much, and he can't handle Komaeda komaedaing right now.]

[Ugh. No. He can die in a panic attack later. For now, coming closer, he rests his hand lightly on Komaeda's arm that still possesses a hand and looks up at her. Even if he's really skeptical of what's going on here, she is the one who just did surgery and, well, his god hasn't bled out to death or anything.]

Is it alright if I move him? Can I do that? [At least to a bed, or somewhere else.]

Ah, Garry-san... Komaeda-san is just... Sometimes, a-arguing will just go in circles... [So sometimes it's best to just sigh and nod and move on.

At the question she hesitates slightly, walking over and leaning over to examine Komaeda's face a little. After a moment she nods an gives Garry a reassuring smile] Y-yes, that's alright! It'd be best to g-get him somewhere comfortable.

[To Komaeda she frowns lightly] You should definitely rest for at least a day or two, and don't do anything strenuous! Y_you should eat lots of food with foods with calcium, B vitamins, folate, vitamin C and vitamin K,and of course lots of iron! I-I can probably find some iron supplements if it comes to it... B-but, I'd suggest, um... Lots of meat, and fish! Don't stand or move too suddenly, and elevate your feet if you start feeling too dizzy...

[She trails off, thinking about it.] Um, I s-suppose that's basically it...

That's quite a lot of vitamins... [Komaeda blinks in mild bemusement as Mikan rattles off the list. He certainly doesn't know offhand (hah) what kinds of foods have some of those. Some, like calcium and vitamin C, aren't difficult. Vitamin K, though...?] Meat and fish shouldn't be too hard, although I guess I might not be doing much cooking...

[Which is a good thing. Garry has probably learned not to let Komaeda anywhere near a kitchen. Komaeda's cooking mistakes are so bad that either his luck blows all his critical failures in the kitchen or he gets things catastrophically wrong on purpose, but surely no one can be so bad at cooking that they think lard is an acceptable milkshake ingredient, or that cakes should be made out of pinecones. And yet...

In any case, Garry and Komaeda having to eat out is no hardship. And Garry is always free to cook, although Komaeda is too polite and/or too convinced of his own worthlessness to ever ask him to.

Komaeda looks over at Garry.] Where did you want me to go...?

[Calcium, Vitamin B, folate- wait what?- vitamin C, K.... Yeesh, his head is spinning just thinking about that list. He'll really have to go check online for food that's rich in that sort of stuff...]

[Well, that's for Relatively-In-The-Future Garry. Sighing, he dusts his hands off on his pants.]

That's a lot.... but I'll see what I can do. [If he sticks to simple recipes and works had, he's sure he can make at least that much. Considering what's just happened while his back was turned, he's not sure he trusts Komaeda to keep out of trouble if he goes to get fast food for them...]

[As for the god in question-]

Komaeda.... Just stay still, alright? And, uh, Miss- [Uuuuuuuuh] Tsumiki? Be careful to stay out of the way for a moment.

[Someone who's just been in surgery doesn't get to walk, but it's not like their temple has wheelchairs or anything. So, instead, Garry takes a deep breath before crouching down besides Komaeda to begin moving him onto his shoulder. If he just tugs him over like this, and then lifts with his legs.... He should be able to manage getting him to a bedroom at least.]

[She looks confused a moment by their confusion, and then winces with a sheepish look] Oh! Um-- I can m-make a list of foods that have all of those things in them... Generally, as long as you're eating a lot, you should be alright regardless...

[Mikan watches them a moment hovering around and sort of half-reaching out in case Garry needs the help.

In retrospect, a wheelchair would've been a good idea. Something to keep in mind for next time! But Garry seems to have this for the moment, so she steps back with a moment of hesitation.]

Um...I'll finish cleaning up everything out here... Th-that way you two can talk for a little while. [Give them some privacy for a bit or something.] If you need anything or anything happens, please don't hesitate to call for me!

Ah - [Komaeda is rather surprised to have Garry go to the trouble of picking him up; he does his best to assist in what ways he can, although the movement is making his head swim.]

I don't think I feel like eating right now... [He says this a bit weakly in response to Mikan; his stomach doesn't feel exactly...settled, at the moment. If Garry jostles him too much in carrying him, Komaeda's afraid he might throw up.] Thank you, Tsumiki-chan...

[A product of painkillers? A subconscious slip into old schoolmate habits, perhaps brought on by being as out of it as he is? A slip of the tongue? Mikan having received an upgrade in affection through all of this, either temporarily or permanently? It's impossible to tell. But it's definitely not the formal, rather distant form of address Komaeda's been using up until now.

Komaeda stays quiet until Garry finishes carrying him to his bedroom and sets him down; partially so as not to distract him, partially because he didn't want to throw up and was devoting his efforts in that direction. It's only when he's settled, and his stomach has calmed down, that he blinks muzzily at Garry.] Thank you, Garry...

Thank you, Tsumiki-san!

[It's called out over his shoulder, even as he carefully tries to avoid losing his balance. Even if she was being way too oblivious about everything... Well, he shouldn't be mean to her, right? After all, it's Komaeda who neglected to tell him anything.]

[That's a discussion for later. Right now, it takes most of his focus to make sure he can carry Komaeda properly. It'd be easier, if half of their temple wasn't sporadically a disaster zone and thus required even more care... But, soon enough, they're in the bedroom, and Garry can sink to his knees after relieving himself of Komaeda's weight. Letting out a breath, he leans back a bit.]

It's fine... It's not like you're in any state to walk. How do you feel?

Nauseous...I didn't eat anything today, but I still think I might throw up... [To be fair to Komaeda, for once this may not be bad eating habits and may have been a concession to the fact that he knew he was getting some fairly major surgery later. It may even have been something Mikan advised.] Don't worry, I'm not in pain...

[He closes his eyes, hoping that perhaps that will help calm his swimming head and turning stomach.]

[As he closes his eyes, Komaeda will feel a much cooler hand gently sweep his head back and press down against his head. Garry knows this is nothing like a fever, but he still wants to make sure that he's alright.]

Then... Let's try liquids, at first. Just small sips. That way, hopefully it shouldn't trigger anything into being brought back up again.

[The gentle touch has Komaeda's eyes opening in surprise, and he looks up at Garry with a soft smile.] I don't think anyone's done that for me since I was a child...

[MIkan had taken his temperature while he had despair disease, of course, but being a professional, she'd always used a thermometer. He'd almost liked having despair disease, in a weird way, because no one had ever cared for him the way Mikan had since his parents died...not without being paid, anyway. And he'd thought that was essentially the upper limit of how cared for he could feel.

But there's an intimacy, an almost maternal level of affection and concern, in that cool hand on his forehead, that makes an indescribable emotion spike with almost painful intensity in Komaeda's chest.

Really...Garry is the Ultimate Shinki.]

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[Open] I'm not the only one who finds it hard to understand

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