#Preventing kidney damage

[geddy-leesbian]

And now I'm feeling shitty like ppl are going to think im like faking or milking this. Like I thought abt having another "sorry for mistakes, I'm sick" note at the start of chapter 3 but ive done that too many times i feel like i don't have the right to pull that card AGAIN

Because I was so sick before and just kept whining about it forever and i know ppl had to be thinking god this bitch is STILL sick. And now i was barely better and already im sick AGAIN.

It also doesn't help that porphyria is an extremely weird... almost.... dramatic? disease. And even from person to person it varies wildly, i don't get the same symptoms as family members with it

I know it sounss so fake. This morning i was 100% fine, now I'm in severe pain and my head feels weird almosr like I'm disassociating, my foot hurts, my hands might stop working. And it's all bc i went a day without eating and now i have to make sure i eat a ton of carbs or I'll get significantly worse

It sounds like I'm making shit up, but just google acute intermittent porphyria, it's all real, my nervous system can just randomly go from fine to complain fucked in a matter of hours

^ just a random assortment of screenshots because the generalized anxiety disorder and/or porphyria caused heightened anxiety are telling me that everyone is fed up with my bullshit and thinks I'm lying and I have to prove that I'm actually suffering from a real condition that can make me this sick this fast and can come back so soon and I'm not just milking things for sympathy and attention

[mukathospital]

Learn how to protect your kidneys during the hot summer months. Discover hydration tips, warning signs of heat-related kidney stress, and ways to stay safe in the heat. Read more at https://www.mukathospital.com/summer-kidney-health-tips-mukat-hospital/

[palmettokidneyandhypertension]

Kidney failure is a serious condition that requires prompt attention. Early recognition of symptoms can help manage the disease effectively. One of the first signs to watch for is fatigue. If you’re feeling unusually tired or weak, it could mean your kidneys aren’t functioning properly. This lack of energy may also come with swelling in the ankles, feet, or hands. If these symptoms persist, consult a kidney specialist in Columbia, South Carolina, to discuss concerns and begin tests.

[jesse-ben-israel]

KIDNEY ALERT Are You Unknowingly Damaging Yours

Protecting Your Kidneys: A Comprehensive Guide to Kidney Health Join me as I dive into the challenge of figuring out if I’m unknowingly damaging my kidneys and what I can do to protect them. Our kidneys are truly the unsung heroes of our body, working tirelessly behind the scenes to filter waste from our blood, maintain fluid balance, and regulate our blood pressure. They’re so vital, in fact,…

[supernattyoblog]

STOP Damaging Your Kidneys With These Daily Mistakes

[blackpearlblast]

a video call for help from @haya-orouq19 who is in gaza

[Transcript: Please don't scroll if you want to help a family in Gaza. Hey everyone, this is Haya Orouq, I am 18 years old from Gaza City. Today is the 167th day of the war in Gaza City. And through this war we lost our house, my university was bombed. My whole childhood neighborhood area was completely damaged. We have been displaced to three different places in search of a safer place but unfortunately there's no safer place in Gaza. Everywhere there's bombing, everywhere is dangerous, so we are now displaced in Deir al-Balah. And me and my family lost everything, we have nothing left here in Gaza.

And my mom is very sick also, she is suffering from Lupus and because she has Lupus, she is a kidney failure patient in need of an urgent treatment and care outside of Gaza. The hospitals here is so poor and bad and the quality of her treatment is getting worse and worse because the quality of the hospitals is bad, because of the conditions of the war. So please guys, help my family, we deserve to- we deserve a decent life, we deserve to start a new beginning and deserve a new life.

So, here's the link in the bio and you can help me by sharing the video, repost, comment, like, whatever you can do can help. Every one dollar can make a difference. You can make life-changing difference to my family, you can save my family, you can save my mom. I am also trying to reach out to as many celebrities who are interested in helping people like me by making videos about the family that needs help in Gaza, like me. So I will mention them in the comment and please go to them, ask them to share my videos, and to make a video about my campaign and ask them to share my link. This is so urgent, I need your help guys because my account is prevented from receiving and sending messages so I can't reach out with them. I will mention them so please help me, and help my family.

I can't bear seeing my mom struggling with death because she has a dangerous disease which is Lupus and she is a kidney failure patient and I can't bear seeing my older sister suffering from hunger. So please guys, you can do it and please make #HelpHayasFamily. Share this video, whatever you can do can help. You can share the link as widely as possible, you can share the video. End of transcript.]

you can donate to her campaign here!

[healthnews101]

"Revitalize Your Kidneys: Discover the Power of Foods to Reverse Kidney Damage"

Are you searching for a natural solution to improve your kidney health? Look no further! In this article, we unveil the transformative power of foods to reverse kidney damage. Discover a wide range of kidney-friendly foods that can help nourish and rejuvenate your kidneys, paving the way for optimal health and well-being. Whether you’re dealing with kidney issues or simply looking to maintain a…

[reality-detective]

MORE ABOUT THIS↙️

Do you Love making natural remedies?

Did you know that you can easily make this powerful remedy at home?

you will only need :

• 1 orange 🍊

• 1 Lime 💚

• 1 Lemon 🍋

• Onion skin (From 1 🧅)

• Big chunk of ginger 💛

• 5 willow leaves 🍃

• 1/2 tsp Turmeric 🧡

• Pinch of black pepper 🖤 (to activate Turmeric)

• More than pinch of Chilli pepper 🌶

1. Drop them all into a pot

2. Pour in water so all ingredients are under water

3. Steep for 15-20 mins

And you done ✅

Drink 1-2 cups daily

Good in fridge for up to a week+

Benefits of :

Orange 🍊 :

The vitamin C in it can help :

• Protect your cells from damage

• Helps your body make collagen.

Lime 💚 & Lemon 🍋:

• Consuming limes or drinking the juice may improve immunity

• Reduce heart disease risk factors

• Prevent kidney stones

Onion skin 🧅 :

• The skins of onion provides an excellent source of vitamins A, C, E, and numerous antioxidants.

• They're also a rich source of flavonoids, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Ginger 💛 :

• Has powerful components that lower blood sugar levels and prevent heart disease

• Eating ginger every day can regulate the production of insulin in patients with diabetes.

Willow bark 🍃 :

• Has been used throughout the centuries in China and Europe, and continues to be used today for the treatment of pain (particularly low back pain and osteoarthritis), headache, and inflammatory conditions, such as bursitis and tendinitis.

Turmeric 🧡 :

• Its most active compound, curcumin, has many scientifically proven health benefits, such as the potential to improve heart health

• Prevent against Alzheimer's and cancer.

Chilli pepper 🌶 :

• Helps Protect Your Heart.

• Can Help You Burn Fat and Lose Weight.

• Help Soothe Intestinal Diseases.

U can sure use fewer ingredients then shown, if u are sick just use those witch are needed at that time. 🤔

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

Authors: Rose (Shiqi) Luo Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University

Catherine Itsiopoulos Professor and Dean, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University

Kate Anderson Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow, RMIT University

Magdalena Plebanski Professor of Immunology, RMIT University

Zhen Zheng Associate Professor, STEM | Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University

____________________________________________________________

Nearly five years into the pandemic, COVID is feeling less central to our daily lives.

But the virus, SARS-CoV-2, is still around, and for many people the effects of an infection can be long-lasting. When symptoms persist for more than three months after the initial COVID infection, this is generally referred to as long COVID.

In September, Grammy-winning Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes died aged 83 after reportedly having long COVID.

Australian data show 196 deaths were due to the long-term effects of COVID from the beginning of the pandemic up to the end of July 2023.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 3,544 long-COVID-related deaths from the start of the pandemic up to the end of June 2022.

The symptoms of long COVID – such as fatigue, shortness of breath and “brain fog” – can be debilitating. But can you die from long COVID? The answer is not so simple.

How could long COVID lead to death? There’s still a lot we don’t understand about what causes long COVID. A popular theory is that “zombie” virus fragments may linger in the body and cause inflammation even after the virus has gone, resulting in long-term health problems. Recent research suggests a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in the blood might explain why some people experience ongoing symptoms.

We know a serious COVID infection can damage multiple organs. For example, severe COVID can lead to permanent lung dysfunction, persistent heart inflammation, neurological damage and long-term kidney disease.

These issues can in some cases lead to death, either immediately or months or years down the track. But is death beyond the acute phase of infection from one of these causes the direct result of COVID, long COVID, or something else? Whether long COVID can directly cause death continues to be a topic of debate.

Of the 3,544 deaths related to long COVID in the US up to June 2022, the most commonly recorded underlying cause was COVID itself (67.5%). This could mean they died as a result of one of the long-term effects of a COVID infection, such as those mentioned above.

COVID infection was followed by heart disease (8.6%), cancer (2.9%), Alzheimer’s disease (2.7%), lung disease (2.5%), diabetes (2%) and stroke (1.8%). Adults aged 75–84 had the highest rate of death related to long COVID (28.8%).

These findings suggest many of these people died “with” long COVID, rather than from the condition. In other words, long COVID may not be a direct driver of death, but rather a contributor, likely exacerbating existing conditions.

‘Cause of death’ is difficult to define Long COVID is a relatively recent phenomenon, so mortality data for people with this condition are limited.

However, we can draw some insights from the experiences of people with post-viral conditions that have been studied for longer, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Like long COVID, ME/CFS is a complex condition which can have significant and varied effects on a person’s physical fitness, nutritional status, social engagement, mental health and quality of life.

Some research indicates people with ME/CFS are at increased risk of dying from causes including heart conditions, infections and suicide, that may be triggered or compounded by the debilitating nature of the syndrome.

So what is the emerging data on long COVID telling us about the potential increased risk of death?

Research from 2023 has suggested adults in the US with long COVID were at greater risk of developing heart disease, stroke, lung disease and asthma.

Research has also found long COVID is associated with a higher risk of suicidal ideation (thinking about or planning suicide). This may reflect common symptoms and consequences of long COVID such as sleep problems, fatigue, chronic pain and emotional distress.

But long COVID is more likely to occur in people who have existing health conditions. This makes it challenging to accurately determine how much long COVID contributes to a person’s death.

Research has long revealed reliability issues in cause-of-death reporting, particularly for people with chronic illness.

So what can we conclude? Ultimately, long COVID is a chronic condition that can significantly affect quality of life, mental wellbeing and overall health.

While long COVID is not usually immediately or directly life-threatening, it’s possible it could exacerbate existing conditions, and play a role in a person’s death in this way.

Importantly, many people with long COVID around the world lack access to appropriate support. We need to develop models of care for the optimal management of people with long COVID with a focus on multidisciplinary care.

[lphoenixspiritl]

Katara would never bloodbend as a healer, she knows bloodbending is inherently evil and has no place in healing. You can do anything bloodbending can do with just healing.

Bleedout from a wounded femoral artery can occur in as little as 2-4 minutes. The sheer volume of blood leaving the body would prevent a healer from stitching the artery back together assuming they could reroute enough chi to do it fast enough and prevent further damage to the heart, brain and kidneys.

I can't see Katara sitting and watching the light fade from someones eyes as the sticky crimson pool grows ever larger around them. Sweat rolling down her brow, the glow dimming from her trembling hands as she fruitlessly continues to try and heal a spurting wound all because her morals state bloodbending is wrong.

She'd train tirelessly as she did learning waterbending if there was even a hint that she could wield it outside of the full moon, until she was the first healer that could stem the flow of blood while she heals.

[scientia-rex]

I also spend a lot of time trying to convince people to prevent problems, because prevention still works better than cures. Don't fucking smoke! I would instantly become the best doctor who ever lived if I could just convince all my patients to quit smoking. Avoid alcohol! Don't do meth! Don't do fentanyl! Things that are poisons will poison you in ways you understand, in the short term, but also ways you can't really understand until you've watched dozens of people die from it thirty years later, struggling to breathe from their COPD or weak and nauseated beyond bearing from their end-stage liver disease. I watched a man take 3 weeks in the ICU to die from what meth did to his heart. Your heart isn't meant to beat 145 times a minute for weeks on end. Your liver isn't meant to metabolize 5 shots of gin a day. You aren't going to be able to use denial and willpower to repair the damage your own habits did.

I drink a lot less now than I did before I went into medicine. Lot of different reasons, including that I'm older and more settled. But I can't look at it the same way I used to; I can't brush off as a "fun quirk" what I know is alcohol use on a level that risks withdrawal seizures if they were to suddenly stop, like some of my family members do, nervously asking me about their loved one's drinking when we're alone because beneath the jokes they know it's a problem.

If you're having more than one, maybe two drinks a day on average, over a long period of time, you are damaging your body in ways you don't understand. You're setting up a permanent heightened inflammatory state. Your heart cells don't like alcohol; Google "alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy." Your esophagus and stomach respond to incessant bathing in poison by first developing wounds and then cancer. Your liver, of course, doesn't like it. Your liver not only converts poisons to harmless substances you can excrete, it also makes your platelets, so your blood can clot. It makes albumin, a protein that's essentially for keeping water in your blood vessels and not letting it leach into your tissues. So people who are dying of liver failure are in pain and weak and tired and sad the whole fucking time! And the only solution, a liver transplant, will come with a lifetime of medication and specialist check-ups and the knowledge that if you fuck up and kill this liver, too, no one is going to be eager to give you another try.

I don't guilt-trip my alcoholic patients with liver disease. I don't guilt-trip my smokers with COPD. They chose to cope with substances for reasons, even if I disagree with their reasons, even if those reasons are opaque to me. They will suffer the natural consequences of those actions whether I guilt-trip them or not. I want them to continue to see me, I want them to be honest with me. Other people will lay enough guilt on them. And nothing I can say or do would ever compare to the physical and mental suffering that goes with those diseases.

But if you can prevent these diseases in yourself, prevent them. Quit smoking. Do it now. Your lungs are going to look better starting almost immediately, with positive changes continuing for many years. Drink less alcohol. Sure, it's fun, sure, it's a longstanding human tradition, but it is also unfortunately a straight up poison and your body knows that no matter how persuasively you argue about the obvious failure of Prohibition. You can't argue with a cell. You can't convince your kidneys that high blood pressure shouldn't damage them. They are a system; they do what they do; they existed long before prefrontal cortex existed to justify what we want to do but know to be harmful.



[mukathospital]

What leads to KIDNEY DISEASE? 🚨 Uncover the causes.

➡️ Swipe to learn about key causes

✅ High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) ✅ High Blood Sugar (Diabetes) ✅ High Protein & Processed Food Diet ✅ Smoking & Alcohol

[cravesunconditionallove]

On your recent post for Vivisections

Do you have any more advice or maybe a quick scene lay out on how you'd accurately describe and show it? I've not seen many people explain this before I'd love to know more!

Permission to infodump?? awesome :D

Because it's on topic here, there are a few blogs I think need a mention because they have AMAZING medical/torture writing advice (@scripttorture and @justkidneying )

You didn't ask whether the character lives or dies, I don't know which you want so here's info on both scenarios:

Dying:

First off, without anesthesia, the pain alone would likely lead to a thing called Neurogenic Shock, which will in turn cause a BP drop and organ failure among other things. Your character will likely be breathing quickly, appear pale, have a rapid pulse, and be confused if they are still conscious. And yelling in pain of course.

For death due to blood loss: it's hard *not* to hit a major blood vessel if you're flaying someone open neck to groin, and that will also lead to quick death without immediate treatment. Cautery (using electricity to burn an area, stopping bleeding) will work on smaller bleeding but major blood vessels not so much. Symptoms are similar to shock: clammy/pale skin, thready/weak/rapid pulse, loss of consciousness.

Other: you can also risk damaging organs (someone being vivisected probably isn't going to be staying very still, even restrained, and one slip of a scalpel and oops, that's the aorta...) A punctured lung could lead to pneumo/hemothorax (air/blood in the chest cavity (pleural space), where it shouldn't be) causing respiratory distress—and then shock, and without treatment—death. If the heart is damaged, death would be near instant. Other organs like the liver, kidneys, bowels, spleen etc are pretty big bleeders, so see my Blood Loss section.

Sepsis: If they don't die immediately, sepsis is a big risk, as even in sterile environments you can't completely prevent it. Sepsis is when an infection reaches the bloodstream and is very serious. I imagine whoever is vivisecting the character probably wouldn't care too much about using sterile technique, so you can bet on an infection happening. This can set in within hours or days. Symptoms include high fever, pain, confusion/delirium, sweaty/clammy skin, low blood pressure.

Now, if you want them to live?

Surviving:

If the vivisectionist wants their patient/victim to survive, they'd need a lot of materials. Like any major surgery you'd need blood products, fluids, antibiotics, ligatures, and a way to keep the pain (somewhat) under control. Alcohol has been used in the past for similar procedures, but you could also just opt for a dose of opioids.

Antibiotics are necessary, opening someone up like that is a MAJOR risk (see "Sepsis").

I imagine they'd also somewhat monitor the character's vitals. They'd also probably have a few assistants to help with similar smaller tasks like that—stopping bleeding or handing tools, etc.

Closing the wound: Stitching someone up from such an event would be a lot of work, as you have to close many skin layers (muscle, fat, and the surface skin) and bandage it.

If you don't want to stitch them up immediately, a wound vac (negative pressure wound therapy) would be a good option. Doctors use these in cases of things like compartment syndrome. It is used when you cannot close someone back up right away.

Bandages and proper wound care are also important, you'd need to change the bandages every few hours for the first few days as deep wounds tend to produce a lot of fluids (called "exudate.") Sometimes doctors place drains to help drain away this fluid faster.

All in all, Healing from this would take months, not to mention the psychological trauma from all of this.

The scene:

Writing these scenes is honestly so variable so here's a few thoughts of mine:

You could describe the environment: (cliche, but cold metal table? Harsh lighting? Straps? A table with sharp scary-looking objects on it? How about the scent of disinfectant (or its absence).

The initial sensation would be the biggest to focus on: does the vivisectionist take their time? (pressure before pain?) shock as nerves fire as they are severed (lightning sensation shooting upwards), and the body’s instinctive flinch or freeze. Initially screaming, swearing? Sweating, rapid breathing, muscle spasms, or even vomiting as the body tries to cope?

Smells: Metallic tang of a large amount of blood (I personally HATE this smell, it's like having a penny in your mouth, or if you've ever used a metal scrubber to clean a pan, it smells kind of like that.), burning flesh (if they use cauterization) etc

If the character is partially sedated for it, keep in mind they will still react to pain, albeit sluggishly.

I hope this helps!

[hummingjay]

New oc for thee: SKUR "Großer Skua”

Under the cut are numerous doodles and SO MUCH YAP it’s very long so be warned.

SKUR

Schwere-Kommando-Ungeheuer-Replika

Heavy-commando-Behemoth-Replica

Großer Skuas, or Schwere-Kampf-ungeheuer-Replikas, “Great Skuas”, often simply referred to as Skuas, are heavy commandos utilized by the nation in dangerous raids. These units are large and bulky, wearing heavy armor and welding weapons that are usually too heavy not to be on a mount. They operate in small groups, usually one to three, commanded by a KLBR, STAR, LSTR, STCR unit, or with an infantry force.

Skuas use a wide variety of heavy weapons, from machine guns and grenade launchers to flamethrowers and shotguns. Whatever the weapon, they’re always hyper-powered and usually too heavy for most units to even carry, much less use. They can unmount vehicle machine guns and use them in a man-portable fashion. Their armor is strong enough to block shotgun rounds at point blank range. Despite their large, heavy appearance, Skuas are deceptively fast. They carry cargos of ammunition and gear, and can be used as workhorses for transport. 

Skuas are the perfect soldier in a way that an angel is the perfect human. They’ve been stripped from their humanity in a barbaric defiance of the natural order of creation, leaving an abomination whose sole purpose is bringing death in the most destructive manner possible. They feature skinless, fleshless, skull-like-heads, and many of their internal organs have been replaced with mechanics. They have no stomach and run instead on pressurized gasolines, and can create improvised fuels from processing and liquidizing organic matter, allowing them to attain fuel in the field and go without supplies for close to years. They can go without fuel for up to a week, and their fuel-processing systems allow them to live on diets of wood and even flesh. Their internal fuel systems and generators are located where their stomach and other organs used to be. Connected to the fuel system and remaining heart and lungs is a sophisticated engine that emits a low whir or hum. With no lips, their voicebox is located directly in the back of the throat, and sounds more mechanical than a normal replika. Their voice tends to be unsettling, like it’s not real or that it cuts through one’s ears. They will often cough the exhaust from their internal engine systems. 

Skuas do not feel pain, and will instead feel a dull pressure when damaged, only so that they’re aware of their wounds. They must be watched closely as they see no difference between a pinprick and decapitation. They feature air filters in the neck and are immune to toxins, and can breathe even through even the thickest smoke and dust. Advanced cooling and ventilation control systems allow them to survive in both extremely hot or cold environments. Their joints are more mechanical, mixing machine pistons with their pseudo-flesh to strengthen them. Their cranial construction and nervous system are organic and interconnected with their machine structures and systems. They lack conventional eidetic modules and utilize instead camera-like lenses that are more immune to flash-grenades and cannot be blinded by debris. A built-in decibel limit also prevents becoming deaf, temporarily or otherwise. Arteries and veins are seamlessly integrated with the other mechanical systems. Though they possess no stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, and other artificial internal organs that replikas typically have, they still have their heart, blood, and lungs to pump oxygen into the fuel systems. 

Skuas operate well alone and in groups. One can be sent on a near-suicidal operation or can serve as support for a larger infantry. 

Skuas are generally led by a handler, usually an Elster, Kolibri, Storch, or Starling unit. Each handler type fulfills a different role. Elster units lead Skuas far into unsurveyed enemy territory with little information and even less support. Storch-led Skuas operate raids. Starlings lead Skuas among other infantry, and Kolibris will operate a wider variety of roles in-high-stakes operations. Roles may vary, such as Elster units leading a defense campaign or a Starling leading a raid.

The commanding handler of Skua units must be evaluated for loyalty, as Skuas are easy to manipulate due to their unwavering, unquestioning, and extreme obedience. Commanding officers’ sole role is to manage the commandos, dealing with maintenance and orders. While not higher ranking than other officers, having the deadly and intimidating behemoths under their command affords handlers an uncanny authority. Skuas will develop close bonds with their commander, and are extremely protective of them.

Due to their skinless, faceless nature, Skuas are difficult at best to read. It is hard to gauge their emotions by their voice, which itself is monotone and formal, and their demeanor is similarly difficult to gauge. Their commanding handlers are expected to understand the subtle signs that signify their mental state, such as a clenched jaw in anger, and the activation of ventilation systems located in the neck and spine when flustered. Skuas do not possess tear nor mucus ducts, and will emit sporadic growls and hums instead of crying. Similarly, harder, louder, more aggressive growls can be heard if the Skua is particularly angry. When especially happy or content, they will produce deeper, louder humming sounds akin to purrs. Skuas also lack sweat glands, using their internal cooling and ventilation systems to stay at optimal temperature. Oddly, a byproduct of their unorthodox nerve system is that they enjoy being pet. Handlers discover a ‘sweet spot’, usually located on the torso.

Skua personalities appear dull and empty. They speak in monotone voices and tend to be very passive. In combat, they are aggressive and destructive, yet calm, causing maximum damage in minimal time. They fight in an oppressive fashion, fighting in such a manner that enemy combatants hardly have a chance to fire back. Unlike other combat units, they show no affinity nor fondness for violence, it’s simply a task that must be done. Skuas are wholly and entirely obedient to commanding units, utterly unquestioning of the even most appalling orders. While deep down, a sense of morality can theoretically be found, said ethics are completely ignored when an order contradicts what little there is. They will not go out of the way to cause maximum collateral, but have no qualms about it. For these reasons, Skaus can also function as executors. Their obedience makes them easy to manipulate, and are generally under the command of a replika instead of a gestalt. Upon further interaction, Skuas will reveal a calm and soft personality, akin to MNHR type units. When interacting with other units, they will minimize movement, as they do not know their own strength and can cause injury. They tend to not speak, aware of the intrinsic unsettling quality of their voice.

Skuas are physically terrifying to most units. Faceless, monstrous, destructive, and smelling of exhaust, they’re avoided almost entirely. They serve as omens to mass destruction to the enemy. Skuas themselves have no particular fondness for specific units. If any treats them as more than a demonic tool, they will attempt to befriend the person. Showing affection to the unloved units is an effective and easy way to gain their trust. Underneath their corpse-like and violent exterior, Skuas are gentle souls. They are fascinated by gestalts and their lives, as well as other replikas, and display a childlike curiosity with the world. They stabilize their persona by drawing and sketching. They may tattoo each other’s armor so that others can tell them apart, usually drawing little more than numbers. Often, one can find Skaus hidden just off the area where Eules work, as they listen to their singing and music. They enjoy looking for flowers when off duty, and will decorate each other with them.

Naming conventions are random. They have no preference for names and are generally named by their commanding officer, sometimes others, very rarely themselves. More personalized names stem from commanders. More generic names will come from nearby compatriots. 

While technically female, Skuas are often referred to as “it” by others, not afforded the luxury of humanization. They make no movements to correct the notion. They are seen as unmanned combat vehicles rather than replikas, and they know it.  Handlers are to refer to them more humanely, and are to provide names if a unit doesn’t have one.

The gestalt template for the Skua unit was a gunner in an aircraft crew, chosen for their keen eye, unyielding loyalty, and will of steel. Skuas are to be kept on-ground purely as foot soldiers to minimize resurfacing memories. Degraded Skuas are extremely dysphoric and must never look into a mirror. When degraded, Skuas remain mostly obedient but erratic and confused. They become unsteady on their feet and will attempt to board aircraft. Obedience will not decline, but they will question unfamiliar commanders. Late-stage degradation will reveals mania and violence. Decommission degrading Skuas immediately as soon as degradation is confirmed. They can easily be disposed of by having their handler disarm them, though convincing their handler to do so may be difficult. Use anti-armor rounds for a quick operation.

[fayedartmouth]

Next bit of the OBX car accident fic. I could have done more filler scenes (in a normally paced fic I would!) but I missed JJ so here he is. He's not really participating in things at this point, but he's here at least.

Check out the master list for the full series.

I'm really open to what else you want to read from this? Any POVs? Any plot points? I'm not totally sure where this is going so I'm pretty open here.

The hours passed in a haze.  He followed up with the station, approving a few changes to the paperwork as a matter of course.  He continued avoiding the Carrera, with a disdain he was fairly certain was mutual at this point.  The Heywards were supportive, though, checking in on the other kids before settling in for the long wait with Pope.

There were signs of improvement, at least.  Pope had been coherent for a few spells, and his ICP numbers were trending in a better direction.  The Carreras were still uptight, but when he peeked in on Kiara, she was conscious and desperate, asking about the others.

John B hadn’t woken up yet, but he was stable.  Heyward spent some time with him for good measure while the station tried to track down his uncle.  

And JJ, it seemed, was finally out of surgery.

The doctor who briefed him was matter of fact about it, delineating the long list of damage and the repairs they’d done.  Extensive stitches to reattach his scalp.  A chest tube to inflate his lung.  Casts for his leg and wrist, and tight bindings to brace his busted ribs.

They’d saved the kidney, at least, but the bleeds in his GI tract had been extensive.  They weren’t sure if they caught them all, and JJ’s risk of infection from being open that long were high enough to warrant preventative antibiotics.

The conclusion was as optimistic as they could have hoped, the doctor explained.  JJ had survived surgery.  If he could survive the next 48 hours, then he had a shot at a full recovery.  And had they contacted the boy’s father yet?

Shoupe had his officers out, trying to dry Luke Maybank out.  He pressed his lips into a smile and asked to see JJ instead.

“This is my case,” he explained.  “These kids.  They’re my witnesses.”

The doctor didn’t care enough to question him, and the badge got him into JJ’s ICU room without much fuss.  After the long night he’d had, he wanted to be relieved.

One look at JJ, and it was anything but.

JJ was a mess.

Back in the field, JJ had been covered in blood, body sprawled out like a broken doll, abandoned on the side of the road.  His exposed scalp, the stilted rise and fall of his chest.  His face had been strangely translucent as he bled to death and his officers processed the scene obliviously.

This was hardly better, though.  The blood had been cleaned up, more or less, but there were still traces of it smudge on his face and matted in his hair.  His scalp had been reattached, but the ugly stitching along his hairline and into the scalp were garish where they peaked out from the already stained bandages.  He could tell that a section fo JJ’s hair had been shaved for the reconstruction, and the aesthetics were probably a minor concerned, but it seemed like an unnecessary insult to already copious injury.

JJ’s leg was bulky, the cast visible under the blankets.  His bandaged wrist was resting on his stomach, while his other arm was hooked up to the IV.  A series of wires crisscrossed his torso, and the leads fed the monitors to show a long list of JJ’s vitals.  Shoupe glanced at it, enough to see the beat of his heart.  

He was alive, at least.

He tried to ground himself in that.

He was alive.

But not by much. 

One tube drained blood from his chest.  The nurses had tried to make it discrete under the blankets, leading off to the side of the bed, but it was impossible to miss.  The bruising was settling in across his face and body, making a colorful contrast with his still colorless complexion.  Another tube had been threaded down his throat, hooked up to a ventilator, which controlled the rise and fall of JJ’s chest with an eerie steadiness that made Shoupe’s skin crawl.

This kid was full of energy, full of life.  He was fifteen.  He deserved to live.

That was the irony, though.  JJ hadn’t been living.  JJ had been surviving all this time.

Shoupe knew that things weren’t good in the Maybank home.  Shoupe knew what everyone said about them, but he’d been inside.  He’d arrested Luke more than on – possession, public intoxication, assault.  And he’d seen JJ’s bruises, even as the kid recited a million excuses about falling down and picking fights.

A string of DCS cases had been opened – and closed – because somehow everyone seemed ready to accept that some things were just meant to be.

Some kids didn’t get to live.

Some kids didn’t get to be loved.

Some kids were lucky to exist.  Some kids were lucky if they survived.

As if they just needed to keep JJ alive long enough until he was 18, and then they’d let the system consume him, too, until he was a drunk and a felon, just like his old man.

He was a difficult kid, right?  Getting into trouble.  Picking fights.  Mouthing off.

Drinking beer and smoking weed.

He talked back, and he was belligerent.  The kid could be an asshole, through and through.

But seeing him like this laid it bare.  JJ had no defenses here.  JJ had been stripped of all his autonomy.  Shoupe wasn’t sure it was fair, seeing him like this, getting a real glimpse of the broken kid that he was.

Right now, it was stitches, plaster, and tubing that kept JJ alive.

But JJ had been barely holding it together for years now, possibly all his life.  Ever since the first time Luke picked up the bottle and couldn’t stop, JJ had been keeping himself alive any way he could.

And the stitches would heal.  The bones would knit themselves back together.  The bleed would stop, and his body would hopefully fight off the infection.  His lungs would start working again, and JJ would hopefully walk himself out of this hospital.

Some wounds, though, would never heal.

Some problems, Shoupe knew, would never go away.  They would just get worse until JJ couldn’t fight them.  Until JJ broke free – or until they broke JJ – once and for all.

Shoupe didn’t know how to fix that.

Hell, standing there in the kid’s ICU room, Shoupe didn’t know how to fix this either.

He had a gun and a badge, and he knew he’d saved JJ’s life back there.  He’d found the kid; he’d performed CPR.  He’d kept him alive.

But could save him?

Or was this all a lost cause?

He had to believe it was possible.  He had to think this kid had a chance.  He had to hope, didn’t he?  He had to believe in this kid because God knew that no one else did.

Sighing, he crossed the final distance next to JJ’s bed.  He hesitated, because he knew the kid would hate it, but he picked up his limp hand anyway – the one without the cast – and curled his fingers into his own.  He held them there, just for a moment, before nodding

“Hey, kid,” he said, his voice faltering over the steady hum of the machines.  He swallowed uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot anxiously.  What was he supposed to say?  What was he supposed to do?

He couldn’t tell the kid it was going to be okay – Shoupe didn’t know that.  Not about this injury, not about any of it.  He couldn’t tell the kid to keep fighting because that wasn’t fair.  All this kid had done was fight, all his life, every single day.

All the normal platitudes felt wrong.  All the promises would be empty.

So Shoupe offered the only thing he had.

“I’m here, okay?” he said, reaching a tentative hand up to brush the hair away from his forehead.  The kid didn’t flinch, so lost in the drugs and pain and weakness.  “You’re not alone.”

JJ kept breathing, slow and steady with the machine.  JJ kept fighting.

JJ kept living.

“I promise,” he said, throat tight as he said it.  “You don’t have to do this alone.”