yorkies | open post (dr. emily grey)

[ With all of the frustrating events of yesterday and his already not wanting to be here in the first place, Wash can't say he's looking forward to more things he doesn't want to deal with. In this case, checking in with the Feds' strange doctor about how his head is doing after the surgery she'd done on it. He's already got a general distrust of doctors, but ones poking around his head? Even worse.

Still, after talking to her the other day and seeing her interact briefly with others, he's got the feeling she'll come hunting him down if he doesn't show up. Probably better to just get it over with.

Walking down the corridors of the Fed base, Wash casts glances from side to side, seeking her office. He'd been pointed down this direction, so it should be one of the doors down here. Fortunately, just ahead he spots an injured soldier leaving one of the rooms with what looks like fresh bandaging. It's a clue enough for him. Reaching the doorway, Wash takes a single step forward and pokes his head inside. ]

Doctor Grey? You wanted to see me.

Agent Washington! Yes! ( it's too early in the morning, and that voice is way too sunny. yep, he's officially found her.

she waves him in while fluttering about, cleaning up her station and making a fresh space for him. can't have him sitting in someone else's blood and tears, after all. that's terrible etiquette. ) Come in and have a seat, and go ahead and pull that helmet off while you're at it. I've already seen it all, so don't be shy!

( that's. probably not going to make him any more comfortable. but okay! )

[ Oh yeah, this is the right room. He actually flinches a little at her sudden, happy exclamation. Way, way too early to be that energetic. Still, he steps into the room while she tidies up, watching in silence until she tells him to sit down. ]

Right.

[ It really doesn't make him feel any more comfortable. His head is a sensitive topic at best and the fact that she's "already seen it all" hardly makes him feel better about the whole thing. All the same, he's got little choice, so Wash reaches up and reluctantly unclasps and removes his helmet before taking a seat. ]

This won't take long, will it?

[ Pretending like he has Things to Do when really he just wants to get out of here as soon as humanly possible. ]

That depends on you and your progress! ( duh!! rather than moving behind him like one would assume, she holds her spot in front of him, leaning in ominously and looking over his face after his helmet is out of the way. )

So, tell me how you've been feeling. Any sensory issues? Pain anywhere? Dizziness? ( she can't be still even while talking- her hands move, lifting a small object to face-level. ready to play pen-light-in-the-eyes, wash? because she is. )

[ Well, obviously. He was looking for an estimate.

When she comes around to his front rather than back, Wash's eyebrows raise slightly. And maybe he leans his head back just slightly. She is really doing nothing to help his issues with doctors. Like, at all. ]

Maybe some dizziness, but it doesn't last long. A few headaches. Other than that I've been fine.

[ At least he's being honest? It's always so tempting to stick with "I'm fine" and leave it at that.

He's literally so uncomfortable right now. Something about Doc Grey puts him on edge, and her brandishing that pen-light is not endearing him to her any. To his credit, Wash doesn't complain when she turns the light on, directed right into his eyeball, but he definitely squints and blinks a few times. ]

Is this necessary? I don't have a concussion.

Oh? ( that's to be expected, all things considered.

she can tell he's uncomfortable, so she eases up just a little. moves a bit slower, and such. he can be as uneasy as he wants as long as he continues to let her work, though. the squinting and flinching makes it difficult to judge his pupillary response, but it seems fine enough from what she's able to see. which, thankfully, means no more light.

his question gets a bewildered laugh out of her as she puts the light away, hands settling on her hips afterwards. ) I don't think you realize how serious your injury was, Agent Washington. I'm not sure how familiar you are with the human body, but your head and brain are pretty important to literally all of your body's functions, so yes, I'd say this is necessary.

( who are you to question a doctor, sir. ) Where was I? Oh! How are your motor skills? Reaction time, ability to hold and manipulate objects, depth perception, things like that?

[ Even when the light is finally gone, he's still left blinking hard, trying to get his vision back to normal. Her laugh and subsequent sarcasm aren't overly appreciated and earn a dirty look, although it's a minor one. He realizes it was serious, but it's kind of hard to tell how much so when you can't actually see it.

Then again, the fact that she'd had to mention his neural implants when explaining she'd been the one to fix him up should probably have been a clue. ]

But I'm fine.

[ He knows his body okay he's alive and functioning THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS. ]

My motor skills are fine. Can't say I've had much chance to test reaction time, but I haven't noticed anything off. [ Here he's just going to lean forward, prop his elbow up on his leg, and put his forehead in his hand. The questions feel almost patronizing, even if he understands they're important with head injuries. ] I have no problem holding or using objects. I haven't had any problems picking things up and I haven't been walking into walls, so I'd say my depth perception is probably normal.

[ If he sounds disgruntled or even a little sarcastic there toward the end... Well, sorry doc. ]

( sorry? pfft, she can dish it right back. ) No walking in to walls, huh? Well, that's a shame, it would've been hilarious.

All right, sit up, please! ( no comfort for you. ) I'm just going to sneak around back and have a look... ( she's making her way around even before she finishes the sentence, and once she manages a glimpse, there's a sharp gasp.

immediately followed by a short, excited squeal.

this is your doctor, wash. this is the woman who performed complex surgery on you. this is the reality of your life. ) This is so much better already! Last time I saw you like this, I thought I was looking at lasagna!

( god damn, she impresses herself sometimes. )

[ At the risk of straining his apparently at risk eyeballs, Wash rolls his eyes. Yeah. Hilarious.

He does what he's told though, dropping his arm and sitting back up. His eyes follow her as far as they can without turning his head now that they're officially getting to the Uncomfortable part. Of course, when she gasps, it startles him. ]

What--?

[ Obviously assuming something bad has happened back there, her following squeal makes things more confusing. He's definitely concerned over the fact that she is an actual doctor who does actual important work.

...But she's better than Doc, at least. ]

Lasagna? [ Really? That's your choice of word? ] How bad was it?

[ Prooobably something he should have asked sooner. ]

( is it really so wrong for her to get excited over this masterpiece she's created?!

and yep, lasagna. because that's exactly what it looked like. lasagna that someone had dropped electronics in. it's a wonder that she manages to eat anything at all, if comparing severe injuries to food is a habit of hers. ) Iiiit was bad. I was this close to calling you.

( pronouncing him dead, that is. he can't see the tiny millimeter of space she's indicating with her fingers, but he should get the gist of it. )

I'm going to have to touch it, by the way, so just let me know when you're ready!

[ Yes. Yes it is.

Wow, that officially makes him want to stop eating lasagna from now on. ]

Great. Just another near-death experience to add to the list.

[ He's totally thrilled about that, clearly. Just listen to that monotone. Of all of his close calls with death though, this is the one he's really glad didn't get him. No way in hell would he want to give Locus that satisfaction.

--Oh. She has to touch it. Even better. Wash honestly has to mentally prepare himself for that. He has a Thing about anyone touching the back of his neck, the scarring there, and that apparently even extends up the back of his skull. Maybe it's the implants and knowing they'd been exposed. He's not sure, but he actually braces himself--though he tries to be subtle about it--before he nods. ]

I'm ready. Just get it over with.

( tensing up before she's even put her hands on him? really. the reaction absolutely intrigues her, and that's where he's made a mistake. never show emily grey weakness, because she's always ready to strike. )

Okay, here we go! ( still way too excited.

her hands settle at either side of his neck, both thumbs gently pressing in to the base of his skull and slowly, fraction by fraction, moving upwards- feeling over every little lump and bump as she searches for anything abnormally shaped or soft where it shouldn't be. ) You have a lot of scar tissue. Some of the instruments I used can aggravate that, so you might feel it for a while! ( could be a contributing factor for his headaches and dizziness. super fun, right? )

Have you noticed if your implants are working correctly? ( between the scar tissue and damaged components, she hadn't been sure what was new and what was old, whether she'd pieced everything back together right, or if they would even function anymore. )

[ She sounds way to excited for this, and it's only unnerving him further. He really does not want to pique her interest. Still, Wash manages to sit still as her hands make contact. Although, it doesn't stop his jaw from clenching or his eyes from shutting tight.

He's gotten a lot better since Epsilon. He's come to terms with all of that, more or less. And yet, any touch around the old implant slot or the ragged scarring that he'd caused himself still bothers him. "Bothers" is putting it lightly, even. Now with the head injury, the implants, and that...dream? Hallucination? Whatever it had been that he'd had during the surgery... He's just extra sensitive about it all right now, as much as he absolutely does not want to admit or show it. ]

Yeah. I'll keep that in mind.

[ The words maybe come out through clenched teeth. There's definitely some pain now as she touches closer to the injury, though he barely notices it. Pain from aggravated scar tissue in the future though? That, he'll be all too aware of. ]

How am I supposed to notice that, exactly?

[ It's not as though they've been used actively in any way he'd find noticeable. Not in a long time. Now just don't mind the fact that his hands are holding the edges of his seat in a deathgrip, thanks. ]

Well, you'd have to activate them. If you've got any AI or equipment that needs to be plugged in, you'll find out pretty quick! But since you haven't tried yet, I wouldn't recommend it. Frankly, I'm a little worried you might trigger a seizure if you do- I think some of your chips need to be replaced altogether.

( which they don't have the tools or the time for here, so he'll have to make do with what he has for now. with her hands splayed across his skull, she pauses the circular movement of her fingers, squinting at the back of his head with a puzzled expression. ) Is this hurting you? You're very tense.

( her voice is more serious, even- concern, apparently. some soreness is a given, but he's putting off some serious stress signals through his body language. if she's missed something, she'd like to know about it sooner rather than later. )

I'm not really broken up about it.

[ Oh good, chips that might need replacing. Because more surgery on his head is exactly what he's looking for. Thankfully, he has absolutely no intention of activating his implants...ever. Maybe he can get away without getting them fixed.

If anything though, her question just makes him tense further. ]

What? No. It doesn't hurt.

[ He figured he'd be too tense to be subtle about it, despite his attempts, but he hasn't even realized he's stiffened up as much as he has. How does he even explain that? ]

...I'm a tense person.

[ Nailed it. ]

( a hum of acknowledgement accompanies the nod that he can't see. he likely can continue to function just fine without ever getting anything fixed or replaced. it's up to him, really. and hey, this is good news for him! he officially has a doctor's orders not to activate them! excuses for everybody!!!

and now that she knows she's not hurting him, she's back to bright and effervescent... maybe he should have pretended to be in pain. then again, he must've done something right, because her hands finally pull away from his head. ) You should really get a hobby! ( something nice and relaxing.

which would probably translate to real life as "something with kitties." it's wash. what other result could there possibly be. )

How do you think other people would normally describe you? We've covered "tense"... ( this totally has a purpose, shut up and spill the deets, wash!! )

[ Once her hands are no longer on his head, Wash manages to relax slightly. It'll take some time yet to lose all the tension the situation caused, but for the time being he at least opens his eyes again and weakens his grip on the edges of the chair. There's a soft, relieved exhale and he gives his head the slightest of shakes. ]

I don't really have the time for a hobby.

[ Considering he's been leaping from war to war, from shitty situation to shitty situation, from one babysitting job to the next? There's been no time. And he's sure there will continue to be no time.

...Something with cats would obviously be the best choice, but let's be real, there's no raising a cat while you're still in the military. ...Or, kind of, sort of part of the military. Maybe. He's not entirely sure what the specifics have been since they faked his death. ]

What? [ Jerked from his thoughts, Wash turns his head slightly like he's trying to look at her, only to remember that she's still directly behind him. ] What does that have to do with my head?

[ Doc, are you trying to psychoanalyse him? ]

( he'll just have to end this war quickly then, won't he? then he'll have plenty of time for hobbies! hahaha. ) Keep your head forward, please! ( she's not done back here!! she jabs a knuckle in to his back as punishment for moving, and soon, there's a click and a green glow behind him. everything on the surface seems fine, but she's doing a quick scan to check for any lurking internal issues.

he'll just have to not think about how he's been frog-punched in the kidney by his surgeon while she does her thing. )

What, do you think I'm asking unnecessary questions? ( is she what? n-nooo. she would never... ) Brain injuries have been known to cause changes in personality. Since I've only just met you, I don't have anything to compare your current and future behavior against. Soooo... tell me a little about yourself!

Wh--

[ She jabs her knuckle into his back before he can finish the word, but he'd thought they were done here. Still, her method is effective, considering Wash turns his head forward again, biting his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything about it.

Right. Scanning. He'd conveniently forgotten that would be a thing she'd want to do. ]

...I guess not. [ He buys it, so congrats on that. The only problem is that he honestly has no idea how he'd describe himself. However, her original question had been how other people would describe him, and he's got a couple of those, at least. ]

I don't know. I've been told that I'm serious, paranoid, cryptic, and melodramatic.

[ Is that it, can he go now? He needs to get out of this hell before his muscles seize up on him for being so tense for so long. ]

Oh? ( can he go now? can he go now? right when she's getting to the dirty details?? where's the fun in that? especially if others think of him as serious, paranoid, cryptic, and melodramatic. listen to that mess! his issues probably have issues- she feels like she's barely scraping the surface here, and suspects she may have a new project.

how fun!!! ) Those are all negative traits, is that how you think people perceive you? As a negative person? And why do you think that is...? ( okay, now THOSE are unnecessary questions. she seems to be finished with the back of his head, at least. the scanner is put away and she walks back around to his front, looking him over with a tilt of her head.

shut her down, wash. shut her down immediately if you know what's good for you. )

[ ...Yes? Can he go now? His issues do have issues, thank you very much, but that doesn't mean he wants to divulge them. Nor does it mean he's willing to divulge them.

As she moves out from behind him to stand in front of him again, Wash gives her a look for a long moment, eyes narrowing in slight suspicion. This doesn't seem like anything that has to do with making sure his personality and behaviours don't change. Sure, she's the doctor, not him, but... Seems a lot more like she's prying for something else... ]

...Probably. I haven't exactly given anyone reason to see me as cheerful over the past few years. [ Being cheerful would probably just scare everyone, anyway. That would be a good clue that something was messing with his personality. ] What does that have to do with my head, anyway? The other one I get, but those questions seem irrelevant.

[ Shut down failed. Abort. ABORT. He fucked up, didn't he? ]

( HE FUCKED UP. he's given her an inch, and has no idea she'll end up taking a mile. he's got her there, though, the questions are irrelevant. well, sort of. no one informed him that she also functions as the federal army's hobby-therapist, did they. good. no one tell him, guys.

she's probably grinning inside her helmet, if her (shamelessly) gleeful voice is any indication. ) I just want to get to know you better, that's all! You're so closed off, we're going to have to break you open one of these days. ( way to make it sound totally menacing. )

[ Definitely no one told him that. If someone had told him that, he would not be here right now, check-up or no.

That tone of voice and those words definitely do not belong mixed together like this. There's almost a hint of wariness in his eyes as he looks up at her, definitely getting back that feeling that he's got a reason to not trust her. If there's one thing that unsettles him, it's threats to get inside his head. ...Figuratively, in this case, considering she's...already literally been there. ]

Yeah... [ Awkward staring. ] Thanks, but I've made it this long. I think I'll be fine without being...broken open. And, no offence, but I don't see there being much reason for you to get to know me better.

[ They've known each other...what? A day now? And it's not like he's got much intention of coming down this way in the base again if he can avoid it, although...he'll probably be forced to suffer through some more check-ups. ]

We're on the same side now, silly! There's plenty of reason. You're doing a lot for us, and that's important to me. Of course I'd want to get to know you all better. ( that seems... weirdly genuine. and honestly, it is. even if their main priority is probably getting their friends back, he doesn't know what sort of relief it is to have them on their side. the war has gone on for far too long and she's seen more or less all of it in all the worst ways. naturally, she's pretty excited over the prospect of a group of people who could possibly help put a stop to it once and for all.

seems kind of wrong to otherwise ignore them and think of them as faceless tools. ) And anyway, I don't know how accident prone you usually are, but we may be seeing a lot of each other!

( aaand there we go, back to awkward people skills. washington can't be picky, okay, he needs all the friends he can get. he's washington. )

Well-- [ ...Okay. So. She...kind of has a point. Oddly a seemingly honest want to get to know him better as opposed to this whole other thing that's been going on, too. It throws him off a little because he hasn't heard her like this before--even if, again, they've only known each other for about a day. ]

I guess you do make a good point. [ Have to give her that one. But that doesn't mean he ever wants to get into conversations about his parents or any of that shrink stuff. ] I wouldn't say I'm accident prone though, so I'm not sure you'll be seeing that much of me.

[ Uhm, wow??? He has friends. Just. Half of them aren't here right now, god. ]

( sure, she wants to pick his brain, but she does also want to learn more about the people risking their lives to help a planet they have no connection with. and wash? he talks about himself negatively, but he can't be all that bad if he's doing what he's doing now.

the contrast is too intriguing for her to ignore, so she may gently prod at his boundaries every now and then, but she won't be so bold as to outright break through them without warning.

besides, it'll be nice to know at least a little bit about the guys before they possibly get killed in action. somebody's gotta write those obits! )

Oh, fine. ( she says it with a small sigh and a wave of her hand, like she's disappointed by him not getting hurt enough for her liking. ) You're at least going to come see me a few more times! ( and that is definitely not a question or a mere suggestion... ) Because I want to keep an eye on your progress. You're gonna ship out soon, but when you come back I want you to stop by.

Please try to avoid hitting your head while you're gone, by the way. Everything looks good, but the knit is still fresh and can be a little weak. Knock it just the right way, and- ( she tilts her head, making a nasty cracking sound with her mouth. that's a legit medical description of a skull breaking, just so you know. look it up. ) All that work for nothing!

Now, before I cut you loose, how do you feel about getting a shot today? ( THIS RUNAWAY TRAIN DOES NOT STOP. )

Sure, you'll be my first stop when I get back.

[ Is it the truth? Is it simply a placating lie? We just don't know. Oh wait, yes we do, she definitely won't be his first stop. But he'll at least come and see her on the same day that he gets back, so that...counts for something, right?

He opens his mouth to say something as she goes on, but ends up pausing and just. Staring at her when she makes that skull-cracking sound. Yeah. Wow. Real, professional description you want to hear from a doctor. ]

Trust me, I have no plans on hitting my head. [ And not only because he wants to avoid more of these...interesting check-ups.

Wash is all ready to get up and leave, already raising his helmet to put it back on, though her words make him pause before he even gets halfway there. ]

...A shot. [ Uhm, he's pretty sure he's only here for his head... ] A shot for what? I'm healthy. Pretty sure I'm covered for vaccines.

( no one ever stops by her office first by choice, so that's fine. she doesn't take it personally, and realistically? she knows this group is in high demand. if she can keep them all in one piece (more or less), she'll be tickled pink. the other details are whatever. )

Just a general booster! We'll want to lessen your chances of infection, and you are on an unfamiliar planet with lots of little alien organisms... ( she moves to the side, shuffling around on a counter. he's got an open path to the door if he really wants it, but hey, what's one last shot? ) I should've taken care of it during your surgery, but I was a little busy!

Just so you know, if you get a shot, you'll get candy~ ( because, clearly, wash is 5 years old.

look this may be a civil war and they all may be adults around here but you'd be amazed at how effective this shot-strategy is. )

[ Well...she's right about the alien planet, at least. And if it lessens chance of infection, it's probably a good way to go, considering his whole head situation. He's a little iffy on any kind of injection, but she does genuinely seem like she wants to help people. Even if she's a little...out there. ]

...Yeah, I'm just fine without that, thanks. [ He hasn't needed candy as an incentive to get shots in a very long time, okay. Regardless, he does eye the door for a long moment, tempted to get up and leave. ]

Just give me the shot. I should probably take any chance to decrease risk of infection that I can.

[ It's just a little bit sad that the candy trick must work on so many people around here. Of all things, shouldn't soldiers be able to handle a little shot? Or, maybe he's just been through and seen a lot more gruesome things than a needle being pushed into the skin that he's desensitized. ]

( there's probably a reason why they need to be bribed with candy.

he's agreed to the shot, and that's everything she needs to proceed. ) Okay, good choice! ( evidently she'd been getting her syringe ready, because she's already prepared. she spins around to face him again, and that's about all the warning he gets before she's jabbing a needle at the side of his neck, aiming for whatever exposed skin that she can stick before he ends up sneaking that helmet back on after all.

just a little out there, huh. )

[ Yeah, it seemed like the good choice. Until she's whipping around and stabbing him with a goddamn needle. ]

--Ah, Jesus!

[ It's not even that it really hurts, so much as it is the suddenness of the whole thing. And, okay, maybe it hurts a little, but at least he manages to avoid flinching too much in the shock of the whole thing. ]

What the hell, did you even catch a vein?

[ He looks over at her out of the corner of his eye, not turning his head while there's still a needle in his neck. His eyes are narrowed, definitely irritated at this point. She'd taken a perfectly normal, routine thing and managed to make that experience horrible, too.

She'll be lucky if he doesn't skip the rest of his check-ups after this whole mess. ]

Oh, calm down. My aim is perfect! And I've barely even used this needle. ( ummMMM. maybe she's joking. doctors tend to have really weird senses of humor...

not that it matters much either way because it's kind of already stuck in him. welp!! it only takes her a couple seconds to inject him, then she's pulling away. thankfully, with the needle in hand. you never know, with her. )

And you're all done! You did very well. I don't expect you to have any further problems, but, you know, be careful!

( he's like, 85% in the clear.

it's okay if he doesn't show up to his follow-ups... because she loves hunting the runners down. give her a gun instead of a medical scanner and she might possibly morph in to one of the scariest people on the planet. )

[ ...He's going to silently hope that's really a joke. ]

Perfect aim only counts for something when you actually look where you're stabbing.

[ The words come out in a disgruntled grumble, but he does at least relax a little more once she's finished and pulls the needle back out. The patronizing words telling him "he'd done very well" are not appreciated, but he doesn't bother commenting on them.

The first sign that he's done here though, Wash is on his feet and shoving his head back into his helmet like it's a fucking safety blanket. ]

Right. I'll do what I can. [ Meaning yeah, he'll continue to avoid getting his head bashed in if he can. ] ...Thanks.

[ It's more of an obligation thank you than a genuine one because it's hard to want to thank someone for inducing anxiety and panic, however unintentional, and stabbing you with a needle, but it's something? Whether he's going to be a runner after this is still up in the air, but if he ends up catching sight of her chasing one of her patients down before his next follow-up... He'll probably be good and just show up.

Quick, but hopefully subtly so, he moves to the door, offers the doctor a nod, and gets the hell out of there. ]

open post (dr. emily grey)

s12, post-op check-up at Fed base? I TOLD YOU I'D BE HERE

CLAPS HANDS!!! welcome to hell, wash

can he check-out early? this is not the room he requested

this is the room he deserves

uhm wow what has he ever done to deserve this

jesus how do you even start off a "what has wash done wrong" list

okay yeah shut up HE'S MAKING UP FOR IT, GOSH

BEING A SASSY PATIENT IS NOT ON THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION

OF COURSE IT IS HOW IS IT NOT

what map is he looking at?!

the one that gets him the fuck out of here, duh

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