#any kind of needle including vaccines

[covid-safer-hotties]

Any advice for how to convince my family to get vaccinated? My partner and I are about to move in to the same house as my parents and two adult siblings for at least a few months. I’m moderately immunocompromised and have already had covid once and I don’t want to get it again. My partner is getting vaccinated soon, I’ve already been vaccinated. But both of my parents are of the impression that 1. The covid vaccines are not well researched and therefore dangerous to get 2. Their own bodies and herd immunity will protect them by creating antibodies. 3. It’s not a very serious illness and the government is intentionally trying to inflate numbers to make people scared/obedient. They are both conservatives and mostly anti vax with the exception of a few things (MMR, TDap namely). My younger siblings are very dependent on my parents and while they are not opposed politically to getting vaccinated, my brother is terrified of needles and is very agoraphobic. My sister is a high needs mentally disabled person and essentially only does what my parents say/allow.

I tried to send a message in our group chat about getting vaccinated with the new vaccine because they haven’t been vaccinated since it was legally required by their jobs during the start of the pandemic. I included a link to the cdc explaining things about it and explained how I was immunocompromised in multiple ways and not doing well health wise in general, so I would really love if they got vaccinated for me. And it received no acknowledgment :/

I am kind of at my wits end. We move in the beginning of November. We don’t have the money to afford living on our own at the moment so we cant just not live there. Would appreciate any ideas or advice if you have time 🧡

There's no magic words or formula that can make an antivaxxer/antimasker change their ways, sadly. If you think information will change their minds, I collect every news and science article I find on covidsafehotties.boards.net . If you're looking for some plain-english info, check out this section of the archive:

It might also be worth the effort to research cult deprogramming techniques, because antivax/anti-public health ideas work similar to how conservative rhetoric is spread and revalidated in the indoctrinated. That might help you get through a little.

[sunaleisocial]

Will the vegetables of the future be fortified using tiny needles?

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/will-the-vegetables-of-the-future-be-fortified-using-tiny-needles/

Will the vegetables of the future be fortified using tiny needles?

When farmers apply pesticides to their crops, 30 to 50 percent of the chemicals end up in the air or soil instead of on the plants. Now, a team of researchers from MIT and Singapore has developed a much more precise way to deliver substances to plants: tiny needles made of silk.

In a study published today in Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers developed a way to produce large amounts of these hollow silk microneedles. They used them to inject agrochemicals and nutrients into plants, and to monitor their health.

“There’s a big need to make agriculture more efficient,” says Benedetto Marelli, the study’s senior author and an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT. “Agrochemicals are important for supporting our food system, but they’re also expensive and bring environmental side effects, so there’s a big need to deliver them precisely.”

Yunteng Cao PhD ’22, currently a postdoc Yale University, and Doyoon Kim, a former postdoc in the Marelli lab, led the study, which included a collaboration with the Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) interdisciplinary research group at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART).

In demonstrations, the team used the technique to give plants iron to treat a disease known as chlorosis, and to add vitamin B12 to tomato plants to make them more nutritious. The researchers also showed the microneedles could be used to monitor the quality of fluids flowing into plants and to detect when the surrounding soil contained heavy metals.

Overall, the researchers believe the microneedles could serve as a new kind of plant interface for real-time health monitoring and biofortification.

“These microneedles could be a tool for plant scientists so they can understand more about plant health and how they grow,” Marelli says. “But they can also be used to add value to crops, making them more resilient and possibly even increasing yields.”

The inner workings of plants

Accessing the inner tissues of living plants requires scientists to get through the plants’ waxy skin without causing too much stress. In previous work, the researchers used silk-based microneedles to deliver agrochemicals to plants in lab environments and to detect pH changes in living plants. But these initial efforts involved small payloads, limiting their applications in commercial agriculture.

“Microneedles were originally developed for the delivery of vaccines or other drugs in humans,” Marelli explains. “Now we’ve adapted it so that the technology can work with plants, but initially we could not deliver sufficient doses of agrochemicals and nutrients to mitigate stressors or enhance crop nutritional values.”

Hollow structures could increase the amount of chemicals microneedles can deliver, but Marelli says creating those structures at scale has historically required clean rooms and expensive facilities like the ones found inside the MIT.nano building.

For this study, Cao and Kim created a new way to manufacture hollow silk microneedles by combining silk fibroin protein with a salty solution inside tiny, cone-shaped molds. As water evaporated from the solution, the silk solidified into the mold while the salt forms crystalline structures inside the molds. When the salt was removed, it left behind in each needle a hollow structure or tiny pores, depending on the salt concentration and the separation of the organic and inorganic phases.

“It’s a pretty simple fabrication process. It can be done outside of a clean room — you could do it in your kitchen if you wanted,” Kim says. “It doesn’t require any expensive machinery.”

The researchers then tested their microneedles’ ability to deliver iron to iron-deficient tomato plants, which can cause a disease known as chlorosis. Chlorosis can decrease yields, but treating it by spraying crops is inefficient and can have environmental side effects. The researchers showed that their hollow microneedles could be used for the sustained delivery of iron without harming the plants.

The researchers also showed their microneedles could be used to fortify crops while they grow. Historically, crop fortification efforts have focused on minerals like zinc or iron, with vitamins only added after the food is harvested.

In each case, the researchers applied the microneedles to the stalks of plants by hand, but Marelli envisions equipping autonomous vehicles and other equipment already used in farms to automate and scale the process.

As part of the study, the researchers used microneedles to deliver vitamin B12, which is primarily found naturally in animal products, into the stalks of growing tomatoes, showing that vitamin B12 moved into the tomato fruits before harvest. The researchers propose their method could be used to fortify more plants with the vitamin.

Co-author Daisuke Urano, a plant scientist with DiSTAP, explains that “through a comprehensive assessment, we showed minimal adverse effects from microneedle injections in plants, with no observed short- or long-term negative impacts.”

“This new delivery mechanism opens up a lot of potential applications, so we wanted to do something nobody had done before,” Marelli explains.

Finally, the researchers explored the use of their microneedles to monitor the health of plants by studying tomatoes growing in hydroponic solutions contaminated with cadmium, a toxic metal commonly found in farms close to industrial and mining sites. They showed their microneedles absorbed the toxin within 15 minutes of being injected into the tomato stalks, offering a path to rapid detection.

Current advanced techniques for monitoring plant health, such as colorimetric and hyperspectral lead analyses, can only detect problems after plants growth is already being stunted. Other methods, such as sap sampling, can be too time-consuming.

Microneedles, in contrast, could be used to more easily collect sap for ongoing chemical analysis. For instance, the researchers showed they could monitor cadmium levels in tomatoes over the course of 18 hours.

A new platform for farming

The researchers believe the microneedles could be used to complement existing agricultural practices like spraying. The researchers also note the technology has applications beyond agriculture, such as in biomedical engineering.

“This new polymeric microneedle fabrication technique may also benefit research in microneedle-mediated transdermal and intradermal drug delivery and health monitoring,” Cao says.

For now, though, Marelli believes the microneedles offer a path to more precise, sustainable agriculture practices.

“We want to maximize the growth of plants without negatively affecting the health of the farm or the biodiversity of surrounding ecosystems,” Marelli says. “There shouldn’t be a trade-off between the agriculture industry and the environment. They should work together.”

This work was supported, in part, by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, the U.S. National Science Foundation, SMART, the National Research Foundation of Singapore, and the Singapore Prime Minister’s Office.

[davidrian123]

Florida Biomedical Waste Disposal: A Complete Guide to Compliance & Safety

Introduction

The disposal of biomedical waste in florida is such an indispensable part of the whole operation within a hospital or a lab. This is going to be at its most stringent in Florida, which considers public health and environmental protection absolutely vital. Proper channels of waste disposal prevent harm to people as defined by losses from infection, hazard to the healthcare staff, or from the agency's side, compliance with the state laws. When companies and authentic health care institutions produce biomedical waste, they must heed Florida-specific regulations for proper maintenance of workplace ethics without sanction and indeed, working in the first place proves that they are lawful in nature. The comprehension of the best and proper practices thereof, which are governed by Florida, is to aim to maintain compliance and safety.

Understanding Biomedical Waste

Biomedical waste encompasses wastes containing infectious materials or potentially infectious substances. It is produced in hospitals, clinics, dental offices, laboratories, or even veterinarian facilities. Biomedical waste can be anything like needles, bandages, laboratory cultures, waste vaccines, and PPE which has been in contact with harmful materials. Managing and preventing further intricacies with much-specified guidelines should be part and parcel in issuing regard to health risk and environmental risk from biomedical waste.

Regulatory Requirements in Florida

Biomedical waste disposal in Florida is supervised under the Florida Department of Health (DOH) according to Rules Chapter 64E-16 of the Florida Administrative Code. This chapter delegates regulations that biomedical waste is managed, treated, and disposed of properly. To generate Florida biomedical waste, the orange tagging forms must be filled in if they are not already obtained; for them to remain in full compliance, they must obtain a permit and follow disposal guidelines set forth herein.

One of the key requirements is that biomedical waste should be separated from the mixed municipal waste at source. Any items contaminated with blood, body fluids, or any other infective matter should so be discarded in special red-colored plastic bags covered with a biohazard logo or in a biohazard-labeled sharpcontainer.

Biomedical waste must be stored and transported as per specific requirements. All rubbish must be stored in secure locations with limited access so it cannot be retained for over a period of thirty days after generation. It gets collected and ferried by licensed medical waste disposal agencies to disposal facilities authorized for operation according to law.

Importance of Proper Biomedical Waste Disposal

Incorrect disposal of biomedical waste in Florida could have some serious consequences if not handled properly. Such biomedical waste might eventually contaminate, spread disease, or pollute the environment. Examples would include dumping it in a landfill possibly searing up the ground water, leading to disturbances in the food chain, or could endanger public health.

Medical professionals, laboratory technicians, and trashisposal personnel should get the requisite training for the waste disposal, so as to at least minimize the risks. Raising awareness among the staff can ensure that all personnel will understand the importance of safety in terms of trash handling and other compliance related with the state regulations.

Safe and Compliant Biomedical Waste Handling

Establishments that produce bio-medical waste must meticulously follow recommended guidelines to comply with requirements and ensure worker safety. Waste segregation is the first point in this direction and is the act of separating bio-medical waste from ordinary non-hazardous waste at the place of generation. Each category of waste should be put into different kinds of containers so that cross-contamination does not take place.

The storage is another crucial facet of adequate disposal. Biomedical wastes must be stored in a defined area away from public sight in properly labeled containers. Timely harmless inspections should be carried out to ensure that these storage areas maintain regulatory compliance.

After collection, its complicated transportation requirements must be adequately met for treatment. By far, such procedures are divided into sterilization, incineration and chemical disposal, evaporating all toxicants. Furthermore, it is lone waste generators that have to work hand in glove with licensed biomedical waste removal operations so that all its waste is managed in a way that fully complies with the law and is not injurious.

Choosing a Biomedical Waste Disposal Service in Florida

It is important to identify an appropriate Florida biomedical waste disposal service in order to meet the requirements and reduce liability at the same time. As a criterion for selection, businesses and medical facilities should look for licensed waste transportation and disposal services which fulfill State name state protocols. A reputable disposal company should offer:

Scheduled waste collection to prevent over-accumulation.

Regulatory compliance with Florida laws and disposal guidelines.

Proper waste tracking and documentation for audit purposes.

Environmentally friendly disposal methods to minimize pollution.

The relationship with a reputable biomedical waste disposal firm can boost waste management processes to secure an operation that is safe and chartered.

Safe & Compliant Florida Biomedical Waste Management

The attention of healthcare workers must be focused on Florida biomedical waste disposal since it is a matter of protecting health workers, patients, and the environment. If necessary steps are taken in the compliance with existing state regulations, hazardous materials have the opportunity to be successfully managed in a safe and secure method. Any educational institution or business establishment that generates biomedical waste indeed must follow a stringent waste segregation, storage, transportation, and treatment policy. The team spirit together with certain partners is seen in the disposal of biomedical waste, before the enterprise appears stickier to producers of biomedical waste in terms of compliance and partnership in the promotion of a safer, healthier community. By following proper management practices, Florida will establish itself as an exemplary in setting standards for biomedical waste management and corporate civic responsibility.

[enigmasalad]

I want to reblog with my experience cause seeing these things horrify me and I am so grateful with the way my mother has handled stuff with medical stuff.

So a bit of Info, I have a rare autoimmune disorder called hyper IGE, aka Jobs syndrome. Growing up Hyper IGE didn’t have a lot of studies and info until my mid to late teens. So basically age 2-16 my mother was told I was going to not live to thirty. However we found out in my mid to late teens that I have the kind that you don’t die early. So for a big chunk of my life my mom was told one of her kids was gonna be gone before thirty, so you’d think she’d be intense when it came to medical stuff.

She wasn’t unless it was defending me or getting me the help she needed.

With hyper IGE comes skin issues, including insanely thick skin that’s seen as “scarred skin” despite it not being scars. When I get blood work I have to have an ultrasound on my veins because 9/10 medical professionals can’t find a vein. I’m usually stuck 4 to 5 times before people give up or find something.

When I was 2 (I don’t remember any of this btw I was 2 for goodness sake), a pediatric nurse at a hospital where I was getting lab work done was angry and she squeezed my face and shouted at me while trying to stick me. My mom lost it and went mama bear and got me out of there while telling the other doctors and medical professionals what happened.

My mom after that had always been supportive whenever I felt discomfort with bloodwork and needles and after four sticks she always let me call it quits and we try again another time, or until the doctors got something to numb it.

She also was always supportive whenever I got vaccines and medicine via injection. She would hold my hand whenever I wanted it or she would try to distract me and sometimes made me laugh cause I was a weirdo who had to watch the doctors put it in me.

One time in third grade I got really bad strep and we went to the doctors as a last ditch effort before I would have to be admitted to a hospital. I wasn’t eating, drinking or sleeping so my mom was willing to try whatever. The only thing they could do (and it worked) was give me an injection. I, being a child and the sickest I’ve ever been (traditional sick that is), was throwing a massive fit as a sick kid could throw. I was refusing the injection . My mom explained that I could take this one injection and get some orange Powerade and start to feel better, or I’d be in the hospital getting a lot of injectable medicine (don’t know how medically accurate that is) and have an IV (which I had trauma from and still do from an allergic reaction to eggs in kindergarten) in my arm. I decided to take the injection and of course I got better.

I still hate injections and blood work, but because of my family’s patience with me and this, I am at least able to get it somewhat done.

Patience and explanation does wonders. Trust me. Kids brains are small and still developing but they aren’t stupid. If they see the logic behind something in their own kid way, most times they stand behind it. Or at the very least voice when they’re uncomfortable and why it makes them uncomfortable.

It’s not worth it to traumatize a child or not respect their bodily autonomy over.

Also on topic of Consent: whenever somebody says "Kids should have bodily autonomy!" some guy always is like "You are too unrealistic. What will you do when a kid is seeing the doctor and doesn't want to get a shot? Would you just let them refuse the shot?"

Yeah I probably would. You're straight up asking the wrong person if you want the nice normal answer here. Doctors and nurses forcibly doing (relatively routine) things to my body against my protests when I was a small kid fucked me up so bad that as an adult anything medical related is a huge trigger for me, I've had persistent intrusive thoughts and recurring nightmares about medical procedures, and I can't have even the most basic tests and health checks done on top of it.

I hate talking about it because I can't get comfortable calling it "trauma" and I don't have any other words that are useful, but it's made my life so much harder and really scary since if I start having a weird symptom, there's nothing I can move myself to do about it.

I figured out a loophole where going to a pharmacy instead of a doctor's office for vaccines reduces some of the stress, but I was still in stress and misery for days before I went to get my tetanus shot. The repulsion is so intense it feels like I literally don't have control over myself, it feels like I can't make appointments or plans about such things out of my own free will, and so every year I have guilt guilt guilt guilt guilt about how I should get the flu shot, and it does nothing but ineffectually hurt me.

Vaccines save lives and all that, but when it comes right down to it, I don't think it's actually a net benefit to public health to give any percentage of kids lifelong psychological scars so deep and painful they're almost completely barred from accessing health care as adults.

I know I'm not the only one, far from it.

[theloveitifwemadeit1975]

Katsuki With A Trypanophobic S/O

"Trypanophobia is the intense fear of needles. Specifically, people with trypanophobia fear needles in medical settings."

TW: Needles, Cussing, Fear || You have been warned, of you clicked on this and got triggered then im sorry, but i didnt make you click this.

Believe it or not, he's a bit uncomfortable with needles!

Not to the point of being a fear, or even a phobia, but he doesn't enjoy them...

So he actually kind of understands how you feel 👍👍👍👍

He's scared for your health though, since your phobia has you actively avoiding all situations including them

Which means any vaccines, blood work, IVs, ect.

So when time came around for you to get vaccines again, guess who went with you?

That's right, Katsuki! 😃

It went like a normal checkup, nothing out of the ordinary, but towards the end, the doctor mentioned needles and that put your mind into an absolute state of:

p a n i c

Like pleading with the doctor like:

"Can we please do this some other time!?"

Unfortunately nope! 🥰

So while they went to go get the needle ready, you sat on the bed and just... bawled

Katsuki doesn't know what to do, he really wants to make you feel better and he has no clue exactly how...

It doesn't help that he's a tsundere mess 😒😒😒😒

He's holding your hand, wiping your tears, and shushing you...

"Hey, dumbass... shh, shh, it'll be alright, you wont even notice it happened, just focus on me."

As the doctor comes back you snuggle into Katsuki's side with your right arm, and hold out your left.

You feel the intrusion, not painful, but you don't even feel it leave, next thing you know, the doctor is pressing a bandaid on your shaky arm as you look up at them.

You leave and Katsuki is so fucking proud of you 🥺🥺🥺🥺

"You did so well idiot, you're fine, don't worry, your arm will be sore for a bit, but its really fuckin nothing but an inflammatory response to getting liquid put into your muscles, so, dumbass, how about we get (favorite food/dessert)?"

The explanation wasn't helpful but its the though that counts???? 💀💀💀

[followingeggs]

kyle diabetes hcs!

first i would like to give a shoutout to the episode cherokee hair tampons (2000) <3

under a cut since I Have A Lot Of Thoughts

his mom makes him go to support groups at the hospital. i think sheila would go to parent ones too! but at first she totally drags him around to them and drops his ass off so she can go to hers and eventually he gets excited to go and see other diabetic kids. sometimes he and some kids sneak out of the room they’re being held in and they screw around in another random hospital room.

he also goes to diabetes camp and later he ends up volunteering at it when hes old enough :)

he’s the kind of diabetic that is constantly having low blood sugars. doesnt matter how much he changes his doses his ass will be going low if he doesnt follow the strict diabetic diet of three meals, morning snack, afternoon snack, bedtime snack.

not that it changes anything but i think he was diagnosed when he was around 3-4 and it was REALLY bad. he was in the hospital for a month or two. it took him even longer for him to bounce back. i say this because a) cherokee hair tampons. he needs a kidney transplant and while this isnt common for diabetics, kidney damage is a major known complication of uncontrolled diabetes, so in order for kyle to be dying of kidney failure at the ripe age of 8, it had to have been pretty bad. also b) it isnt really common for someone with type one diabetes to be born with it. it is totally possible but most people with type one (myself included) are diagnosed as small children-teenagers.

when he was diagnosed as a young kid, he decides that he also wants to be a doctor, specifically an endocrinologist. later on he probably decides on another path, either a different medical specialty if he does go into medicine, or a completely different career.

kids at school always think he’s going to die if he eats sugar. adults aren’t much better; when he comes to school he gets special low carb/sugar meals until his parents get a note signed by multiple doctors saying that yes actually, he can eat sugar and it won’t kill him, and if he is seen eating sugar it’s either because he can or because he actually needs to.

kids at school (and garrison) also think that they can catch diabetes, leading basically everyone to ostracize him and avoid him. it again takes sheila and a doctor to come into the class and explain that it’s literally just a genetic thing.

sort of an obvious one- he gets really good at being poked and prodded with all kinds of needles all the time. whenever ike needs a vaccine or bloodwork done, he holds his hand the whole time and helps him through it. (ike doesn’t get over his fear of needles until he’s like. at least ten)

cartman tries to get kyle to give him the emergency snacks he keeps with him at all times. (he carries around capri suns and starbursts btw) anyway one time he steals all of them to sell at school or something (probably around when all the schools started carrying “healthier” foods) without kyle finding out until they are out playing and he has one of the worst low blood sugars hes ever had. cartman never apologizes but it also never happens again

hes the first one in the group to get a cell phone so he can contact his parents better when hes out and about. he kind of hates it because both of his parents are kind of constantly on him for going low, high at school or when hes out in public (his parents have the app that lets them see his blood sugar all the time)

since ike is adopted by the time/after kyle is diagnosed, when he was really little he thought/wished he was diabetic too, so kyle gives him an old blood test kit and a little snack pack for him to carry around.

sheila does not let his ass fast for any holidays when he’s old enough are you kidding me!! but he doesnt eat at all, he just drinks juice in the morning/when he needs to.

when he’s nine or so, his parents incentivize him to start taking more responsibility for his diabetes so that he can start the insulin pump, even though i think he’s pretty independent and is good at doing his own shots and testing regularly, etc. he takes advantage though because the reward is something obscene like an xbox set up in his room or his Very Own Computer. (to be quite honest i think after the whole kidney episode he takes on himself to take care of himself because he doesnt want a repeat of miss information)

from when he’s diagnosed to about nine he uses needles and does manual blood tests but once he gets his insulin pump he also starts using a cgm. this is also when i think he would get his cell phone. anyway gerald sees this as an opportunity for him to actually be able to play organized sports (sports are hard for him before the pump since the physical activity would almost always make him go low and there was really no way to avoid it) and i think kyle would kind of like being able to play more sports at first but tbh.. he ends up missing reading books and other nerd stuff on his weekends so he quits a couple months in. also with his luck he gets hit with balls right where his cgm/infusion site is placed.

when he first gets his pump and cgm he becomes self conscious and tries not to wear clothes that show his infusion site and his cgm and/or scar tissue. as he gets older he gets more comfortable with it BUT. when he first starts using them he doesn’t want anyone at school seeing them, so he plays hooky for the first couple of days. eventually stan and kenny want him back at school so they wear some infusion sites as solidarity for a week or so until he’s more comfortable.

relating to the last one, i think he wears his cgm on his upper arm, and his pump site on his stomach. (tried and true spots tbh)

even though he hates telling people that he’s diabetic and tries not to make it a big deal for anyone, he uses that shit to his advantage! college admission essays, personal statements for grad schools, you name it. i think he hates having extra time on standardized tests though and thats the one thing that he doesnt take.

he does hang out with scott malkinson and sophie sometimes as well! i think that again, sheila makes him hang out with them, but he eventually does come around to them. tbh i also think that they get closer in high school, and they end up in some classes together or something like that, and they study/hang out together. i can see kyle third wheeling with them sometimes when stan/kenny are busy

once he has his kids, he is so, so worried that one or both of them will end up being diagnosed with it. he isn’t paranoid or anything, he does know that its not a huge risk, but he just doesn’t want his kids to have to go through that. so he does blood tests on them every time they’re sick, just to be sure. i also think that either none of his kids ends up being diagnosed, or both of them

stan is so in tune with his blood sugars. he can be annoying about it sometimes but mostly kyle likes that he cares so much. but yeah stan can tell when his blood sugar is crashing or when it’s high without actually checking it. hes like one of those diabetic aide dogs.

whenever kyle doesnt have his cgm and has to do manual blood tests, stan and kenny (and all the other guys if theyre around) all bet on what his blood sugar is going to be. stan usually wins (kyle isnt allowed to bet because he’s always on the money)

for the most part, he takes very good care of himself! he wants to get the fuck out of south park for college, so he makes sure that he has the most perfect A1C, no low/high blood sugar episodes, etc etc. basically, by his junior year of high school, he is managing everything by himself, including going to his appointments and getting his prescriptions.

he gets so annoyed when people bring up type two diabetes or “natural cures” when he tells them he’s diabetic. half the time he just bites his tongue (talking with older people) but other times he snaps and explains the biological differences and everything. usually this happens when he’s talking to someone at school.

he gets so good at explaining things though! at first because he has to explain his illness to a lot of people, specifically kids, from a young age, but as he gets older he gets more articulate, especially when talking about the biology behind it. He also loves kids, so his first job he gets is an after school tutor for elementary/junior high kids.

he also gets soo good at mental math due to carb counting and serving sizes, as well as dose calculating. like he is ridiculously fast with multiplying numbers and other crazy pemdas shit in his head even though math like algebra and calculus aren’t his best subjects.

he is so so careful when he drinks. i dont think he waits until he’s 21 but he definitely only drinks when it’s just him and a small group, or when kenny and/or stan is there and sober. miraculously he gets completely shitfaced one night and doesn’t end up with an insanely low blood sugar (even when he’s drunk he’s smart enough to keep an eye on it and turn his pump to a lower basal rate.) but yeah most of the time he’s designated driver, especially at bigger parties in high school/college.

stan carries around extra snacks for him in his car and his backpack and stuff <3 he always makes sure they are up to date with what he likes to treat his lows with (kyle is constantly changing up which candies/juices he uses. you could NEVER catch him with glucose tablets/gels. he isnt disgusting)

he’s one of the last kids to get his drivers license- i think his mom would be nervous to let her first kid to drive regardless, but the diabetes adds a whole other dimension. mf needs rides EVERYWHERE until he’s like 17 and his mom is finally convinced. (stan totally teaches him to drive at the farm when he learns though, so he actually learns when he’s like 15-16)

[chiropter36]

HDLW vaccination headcanons

I've kind of been wanting to get some of my Ducktales headcanons in writing since the finale aired, and getting my COVID vaccination squared away last month inspired some thoughts about how the triplets and Webby might have handled their childhood shots, so...

First off we'll jump several years into the past, when they were all cute little toddler ducklings:

Huey: Usually in the middle in terms of how much difficulty he gives Donald. Very much refuses to go along with things at first, but at least stops putting up a fight when Donald hits on the idea of having the nurse give him a long, detailed explanation of what the shots are for and how they work – Huey doesn’t understand most of it, but it does give him the reassurance that this is a Trustworthy Grown-Up who Knows What Is Best. Even then, there’s a lot of tears and whimpering and he doesn’t stop squeezing Donald’s hand until it’s over.

Dewey: Somewhat to Donald’s surprise*, the triplet who gives him the least trouble. Shows absolutely zero fear of needles, and practically jumps at what seems to his young mind a prime opportunity to show off his bravery. Eagerly volunteers to go first, actually sits still through the procedure, and for days afterward proudly shows off the band-aid on his arm like a cool battle scar.

Louie: Was always the worst of the boys with doctors/dentists in general, but Donald had never experienced the true pinnacle of his baby’s panicky tantrums until the day when Louie learned of the mere concept of shots. Never calms down no matter how many soothing assurances Donald gives or how much ice cream or new toys he tries to bribe him with, and in the end his uncle reluctantly has to just hold him down while he screams and cries inconsolably throughout the whole ordeal.

Donald still gets them all ice cream afterwards. Louie… eventually forgives him.

Webby: Beakley had all of Webby’s doctor checkups handled in the mansion, with a discreet pediatrician whose services she paid for herself (Scrooge probably would have chipped in if she’d asked, but she was always determined to keep her family affairs to herself, not wanting to ask any more of Scrooge with all that he was going through at the time). So when the time came for her first shots, Beakley assumed that the familiar environment would help keep her little girl calm. And she was right, for the most part; Webby was a largely agreeable patient, if very squirmy and excitable (especially with meeting a new person from outside the mansion), and hadn’t been scared by Beakley’s explanation of what the doctor would need to do…riiiight up until she actually got a look at the needle.

Afterwards, the doctor remarked to Beakley (while holding an ice pack over their recently-acquired black eye) that they were used to eardrum-shattering shrieks in their line of work, but being roundhouse-kicked in the face by said shrieking toddler was definitely a new experience.

(A bit of soothing and mild scolding from Beakley later, Webby calmed down and apologized, and Take Two was much more successful.)

(Bonus Della and Donald!) *Even at that young age Dewey was the triplet who most reminded him of Della, and his sister had been an absolute nightmare when they had gotten their shots. Young Donald had been a tad more agreeable – albeit mostly out of a desire to show himself as the more mature twin – but at the end of the day Quackmore and Hortense would always end up dealing with dual tantrums as the twins’ bad luck inevitably resulted in a string of comedic mishaps.

And on to the present:

Huey: Still has a bit of a visceral fear of needles, but now fully understands the science and statistics behind vaccinations (it’s all in the JWG, of course), so whenever the boys need to get booster shots or the like, he puts on a stoic face and accepts it as an unpleasant but important necessity. Recites vaccine facts to himself under his breath to keep himself composed during the procedure.

Dewey: Nowadays views getting shots pretty much the same as he views doctor check-ups in general: just pretty unremarkable and boring. (He always kinda hopes he’ll be diagnosed with some rare disease that will result in media attention, and is mildly pouty every time he’s given a clean bill of health.) Now that it’s not a new thing for him, it’s a bit harder to get him to sit still, but he still has no problem with needles, and can settle himself down long enough for the nurse to do their work through a combination of wanting to show up Huey, and (deeper down) wanting to be a role model for Louie.

Louie: And speaking of, Louie’s stance on shots has never changed in the slightest. It is entirely for his sake that Donald tries to keep the boys’ pediatrician check-up schedule hidden, because if Louie gets an inkling that anything that could involve needles is coming up, he will pull out all the stops trying to get out of it. He doesn’t throw full-on tantrums anymore, but if all attempts at scheming his way out fail (up to and including somehow managing to tie himself to the houseboat’s mast Odysseus-style on one occasion) he will shamelessly break out the crocodile waterworks, which inevitably transitions to actual waterworks the closer Donald drags him to the doctor’s and the clearer it becomes that he’s not going to be avoiding this.

(He’ll never admit it, but Dewey briefly dropping his teasing ("And you say I'm the dramatic one!") to squeeze his shoulder and remark, with his easy, casual confidence, that he knows Louie can Dewey this, helps far more than Huey’s well-meaning lectures on vaccines' importance.)

Webby: Preteen Webby’s utter fearlessness, combined with her high pain tolerance, make shots a complete non-issue for her. Honestly looks forward to her doctor’s visits – as one of the few people from outside the mansion she got to semi-regularly interact with for her first decade of life, they’ve got a special spot in her heart (even if at the end of their appointments they always, without fail, sardonically thank her for not kicking them this time, much to her embarrassment). Usually will be so busy chattering and asking eager questions about whatever subject comes to mind that she’ll barely notice the shot being given.

[sunaleisocial]

A bioinspired capsule can pump drugs directly into the walls of the GI tract

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/a-bioinspired-capsule-can-pump-drugs-directly-into-the-walls-of-the-gi-tract/

A bioinspired capsule can pump drugs directly into the walls of the GI tract

Inspired by the way that squids use jets to propel themselves through the ocean and shoot ink clouds, researchers from MIT and Novo Nordisk have developed an ingestible capsule that releases a burst of drugs directly into the wall of the stomach or other organs of the digestive tract.

This capsule could offer an alternative way to deliver drugs that normally have to be injected, such as insulin and other large proteins, including antibodies. This needle-free strategy could also be used to deliver RNA, either as a vaccine or a therapeutic molecule to treat diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders.

“One of the longstanding challenges that we’ve been exploring is the development of systems that enable the oral delivery of macromolecules that usually require an injection to be administered. This work represents one of the next major advances in that progression,” says Giovanni Traverso, director of the Laboratory for Translational Engineering and an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an associate member of the Broad Institute, and the senior author of the study.

Play video

Traverso and his students at MIT developed the new capsule along with researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Novo Nordisk. Graham Arrick SM ’20 and Novo Nordisk scientists Drago Sticker and Aghiad Ghazal are the lead authors of the paper, which appears today in Nature.

Inspired by cephalopods

Drugs that consist of large proteins or RNA typically can’t be taken orally because they are easily broken down in the digestive tract. For several years, Traverso’s lab has been working on ways to deliver such drugs orally by encapsulating them in small devices that protect the drugs from degradation and then inject them directly into the lining of the digestive tract.

Most of these capsules use a small needle or set of microneedles to deliver drugs once the device arrives in the digestive tract. In the new study, Traverso and his colleagues wanted to explore ways to deliver these molecules without any kind of needle, which could reduce the possibility of any damage to the tissue.

To achieve that, they took inspiration from cephalopods. Squids and octopuses can propel themselves by filling their mantle cavity with water, then rapidly expelling it through their siphon. By changing the force of water expulsion and pointing the siphon in different directions, the animals can control their speed and direction of travel. The siphon organ also allows cephalopods to shoot jets of ink, forming decoy clouds to distract predators.

The researchers came up with two ways to mimic this jetting action, using compressed carbon dioxide or tightly coiled springs to generate the force needed to propel liquid drugs out of the capsule. The gas or spring is kept in a compressed state by a carbohydrate trigger, which is designed to dissolve when exposed to humidity or an acidic environment such as the stomach. When the trigger dissolves, the gas or spring is allowed to expand, propelling a jet of drugs out of the capsule.

In a series of experiments using tissue from the digestive tract, the researchers calculated the pressures needed to expel the drugs with enough force that they would penetrate the submucosal tissue and accumulate there, creating a depot that would then release drugs into the tissue.

“Aside from the elimination of sharps, another potential advantage of high-velocity columnated jets is their robustness to localization issues. In contrast to a small needle, which needs to have intimate contact with the tissue, our experiments indicated that a jet may be able to deliver most of the dose from a distance or at a slight angle,” Arrick says.

The researchers also designed the capsules so that they can target different parts of the digestive tract. One version of the capsule, which has a flat bottom and a high dome, can sit on a surface, such as the lining of the stomach, and eject drug downward into the tissue. This capsule, which was inspired by previous research from Traverso’s lab on self-orienting capsules, is about the size of a blueberry and can carry 80 microliters of drug.

The second version has a tube-like shape that allows it to align itself within a long tubular organ such as the esophagus or small intestine. In that case, the drug is ejected out toward the side wall, rather than downward. This version can deliver 200 microliters of drug.

Made of metal and plastic, the capsules can pass through the digestive tract and are excreted after releasing their drug payload.

Needle-free drug delivery

In tests in animals, the researchers showed that they could use these capsules to deliver insulin, a GLP-1 receptor agonist similar to the diabetes drug Ozempic, and a type of RNA called short interfering RNA (siRNA). This type of RNA can be used to silence genes, making it potentially useful in treating many genetic disorders.

They also showed that the concentration of the drugs in the animals’ bloodstream reached levels on the same order of magnitude as those seen when the drugs were injected with a syringe, and they did not detect any tissue damage.

The researchers envision that the ingestible capsule could be used at home by patients who need to take insulin or other injected drugs frequently. In addition to making it easier to administer drugs, especially for patients who don’t like needles, this approach also eliminates the need to dispose of sharp needles. The researchers also created and tested a version of the device that could be attached to an endoscope, allowing doctors to use it in an endoscopy suite or operating room to deliver drugs to a patient.

“This technology is a significant leap forward in oral drug delivery of macromolecule drugs like insulin and GLP-1 agonists. While many approaches for oral drug delivery have been attempted in the past, they tend to be poorly efficient in achieving high bioavailability. Here, the researchers demonstrate the ability to deliver bioavailability in animal models with high efficiency. This is an exciting approach which could be impactful for many biologics which are currently administered through injections or intravascular infusions,” says Omid Veiseh, a professor of bioengineering at Rice University, who was not involved in the research.

The researchers now plan to further develop the capsules, in hopes of testing them in humans.

The research was funded by Novo Nordisk, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

[concoctionboy]

I mean, I'm not sure; I'm just relating what the HOA bylaws say. I mean, they don't explicitly refer to skeletons, but they don't exclude skeleton guards; they just say that any guard animals have to have been inoculated for rabies. And yes, I know that skeletons aren't animals by most standard definitions, but this is superseded by the fact that in a different section the HOA bylaws actually define what they mean by animal in their rules, and they define it as any nonhuman creature capable of movement, so that would include skeletons. (And yes, by that definition, like, Venus flytraps would be animals, and sponges wouldn't, but I mean I don't think whichever HOA committee wrote the bylaws had any biologists on it. I'm not saying the wording of the HOA bylaws actually makes logical sense; I'm just saying what the letter of the laws actually implies.)

So, yeah, if you put all this together technically the HOA bylaws do allow skeleton guards as long as they've had rabies shots, but yeah, how you would give a skeleton a shot is kind of a good question. I guess you could get a really strong needle that could penetrate bone and inject the vaccine into their marrow? Or maybe just squirting it into their eye socket is enough. I don't know. I don't think the HOA bylaws ever try to explicitly define what inoculation means, so there may be some wiggle room here.

Okay, so the HOA here has had it out for me and @unexpectedly-wizardposting for a long time, but now they've sunk to a new low. They've started spreading the word to adventurers that @unexpectedly-wizardposting's house is a dungeon where they can get loot and experience.

Like this evening two different guys with humongous swords they shouldn't be able to carry and one guy who was basically just glowing eyes in a hooded cloak showed up to the house looking for a challenge.

I don't even know where the HOA found these people.

[davidrian123]

How to Manage Medical Waste Disposal in Pembroke Pines

Proper management of medical waste is a key factor for safety and healthy environment both for health care staff and the general public. As far as the rest of Florida goes, Pembroke Pines also has regulations on medical waste disposal. The rules to be followed in the handling, treatment and disposal of wastes aim to reduce risks to human health as well as the environment. From hospital to dental office, clinics or any other healthcare facility, it is important to understand the best practices for managing medical waste disposal in Pembroke Pines.

This blog provides a comprehensive guide on how to effectively manage medical waste disposal in Pembroke Pines while staying compliant with state and federal regulations.

What Is Medical Waste?

Medical waste is termed waste generated as a result of healthcare activities such as diagnosis, treatment, or immunization. Medical waste may be hazardous and may contain materials such as:

Sharps: Any injury-risk needle, any syringe, blade of a scalpel, and broken glass.

Infectious Waste: Soiled bandages, used gloves, and other materials that are contaminated will be included in this category.

Pharmaceutical Waste: Expired or unnecessary medicines and vaccines.

Hazardous Waste: Any substance that can be hazardous for its toxic properties, such as chemical products, disinfectants, or other materials.

It is necessary to manage the disposal of hazardous waste sensibly, so that there are no health hazards, environmental hazards, or litigation issues.

Key Steps to Effectively Manage Medical Waste Disposal in Pembroke Pines

Waste management concerning medical disposal in Pembroke Pines will involve some important steps. Let us learn about the different ways healthcare facilities could manage the prude of any given law and properly handle medical waste.

1. Classify Medical Waste Properly

The very first step in administrating medical waste disposal in Pembroke Pines is effective waste classification. Types are different as the state of Florida classified medical waste into different types, each of which has further prescribed procedures of disposal. Some common classifications include:

Infectious Waste: Materials contaminated with pathogens, such as used bandages or bodily fluids.

Sharps Waste: Items like needles and syringes that can cause injury and need to be disposed of in puncture-resistant containers.

Hazardous Waste: Waste that contains toxic chemicals, including some medications and cleaning agents.

Non-hazardous Waste: This includes materials like paper, plastic, and non-contaminated packaging.

Correctly classifying your waste is essential to ensure the appropriate disposal method is used and that your facility is compliant with Florida regulations.

2. Ensure Proper Segregation and Storage

In short, it is mandatory for all health care establishments to classify wastes which will then be further segregated according to their type and kept in the appropriate containers meant for different categories of wastes. Proper segregation prevents cross-contamination among different forms of medical waste and ensures that they are treated and disposed of separately.

Sharps: Must be placed in puncture-resistant, labeled containers that prevent any accidental needlestick injuries.

Infectious Waste: Should be stored in leak-proof, biohazard-labeled bags or containers.

Pharmaceutical and Hazardous Waste: These items need to be stored in special containers that comply with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) guidelines.

In Pembroke Pines, facilities should ensure that all storage areas are secure and that medical waste containers are regularly replaced or emptied to avoid overflow or spills.

3. Partner with a Licensed Medical Waste Disposal Company

Kind of known to be effective, one of the other ways to dispose of medical waste here is by getting a state licensed medical waste disposal company in Pembroke Pines. Such companies have in-depth knowledge about and expertise on infrastructure for the safe transport, treatment, and disposal of medical waste in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations.

A licensed disposal company will:

Provide the appropriate containers for different types of medical waste.

Offer regular pickup services to ensure timely waste removal.

Treat and dispose of medical waste using methods like autoclaving or incineration.

Ensure all waste disposal practices are fully compliant with the regulations set forth by the Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Florida DEP.

Partnering with a licensed service provider not only ensures safe waste management but also helps your healthcare facility avoid costly fines or penalties for non-compliance.

4. Train Staff and Educate Healthcare Workers

Essential consideration of staff education and training brings about the proper handling and disposal of medical waste. Healthcare workers should be trained on identification and the different kinds of medical waste, as well as the methods of handling and disposing of waste. The training should also include:

Proper waste segregation techniques.

Use of protective equipment when handling potentially infectious materials.

Procedures for reporting spills or other waste management issues.

How to use medical waste containers safely and effectively.

Ongoing training and regular refresher courses will help maintain a high level of awareness among staff, reducing the risk of accidents or mishandling.

5. Follow Legal and Regulatory Guidelines

Medical waste disposal in Pembroke Pines gets both state supervision and federal regulation. Healthcare facilities must keep qualifications in accordance with Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Florida Department of Health (DOH), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Key regulations include:

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA): Governs hazardous waste disposal.

Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (OSHA): Sets guidelines for the handling of infectious materials and sharps.

Florida Medical Waste Management Act: Provides regulations specific to medical waste management within Florida.

Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to legal consequences, including fines and facility shutdowns, so staying informed and compliant is crucial.

6. Document Waste Disposal Procedures

Healthcare facilities in Pembroke Pines should maintain thorough documentation for all medical waste disposal activities. This includes keeping records of:

The types and quantities of waste generated.

The methods used for treating and disposing of the waste.

The names of the waste disposal contractors and the dates of pickup.

Any incidents or issues that occurred during waste management.

This documentation helps ensure compliance during audits and inspections and provides a clear trail of waste disposal practices.

Ensuring Safe and Compliant Waste Management

Disposal of proper medical waste becomes a necessary measure to maintain health safety and compliance in any health establishment in Pembroke Pines. All those necessary steps such as proper classification, segregation, partnership with licensed disposal companies, staff training, and following regulations can help healthcare providers in managing their medical waste effectively. Let's keep it updated, adhere to the guidelines, and know where to get outside help to create a safe and compliant medical waste management system that protects both people and the environment.

Stay informed by reading our blog, Eco-Friendly Medical Waste Disposal in West Palm Beach to learn more about effective waste management.

[schnitzelbutterfingers]

The Forgotten One (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)- CHAPTER 3

a/n: first, i wanna wish everyone a happy thanksgiving from my family to yours! please take the time to thank everyone you are so grateful to have in your life, especially god, for letting us live and for all the blessings he gives us. do not take anyone for granted.

next, so sorry for the holdup!! finally, chapter 3 is here! we’ll see what abby feels about the attack, her and ethan conversing, and a surprise ending. read, like, and let me know your reviews! forgive me if there are any spelling mistakes or grammar errors. let me know if you wanna be added to my taglist and as always, enjoy (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥

summary:  Louise Ramsey, the mother of the famous, brilliant diagnostician Ethan Ramsey, is back into his life. However, Louise holds many secrets, dangerous secrets, that could harm him, Dr. Abigail ‘Abby’ Chacko (my MC), and the very few lives he actually cares about. It is up to Ethan, Abby, and their friends to save each other from what is about to come.

pairing(s): dr. ethan ramsey x f!mc (dr. abigail ‘abby’ chacko) || dr. sebastian chacko x dolores hudson (YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT)

warning(s): angst, and then it’s pure fluff, and then a surprise ending (you’re gonna die die dieeee :)))

word count: 4289

catch up here :)

______________________________________________________________

Abby’s POV

When she wakes up it is with a headache, a throat ache and side pain. When she looks more closely at her nose, she sees an oxygen tube through them. When she looks more closely at her surroundings, she realizes she is in a hospital bed.

Lying down. Wearing a sky blue hospital gown. With an IV through her accessory cephalic vein. 

Jumping Jehoshaphat, what happened this time?

Abby spent many times in the hospital during her childhood. Most of them were due to the number of cuts and bruises she got from her father, in which some of them were very serious injuries. One time she was admitted to the hospital because...

No, Abby. Don’t relive through that phase. It’ll wound you more.

There are many types of pain. Many of her pains were physical, but some of her pains were emotional. By far, she can tell the emotional pain is the hardest to get over with.

Sure, she has been cut with a knife, raped by many of her father’s friends, and whipped with a belt. To her it was normal, and she had gotten used to it. To others, the pain is insufferable. 

Heartbreak hurts. Too much. It can rip people from the inside out, and change them. For better or worse.

Her father caused her many heartbreaks. In return, she studies, skipped five grades, graduated from high school when she was 13, and graduated from Hopkins when she was 21. Some might say she took it too far, but she knows it was just what she needed.

What she needed to prove to her father that pain doesn’t break her. 

What she needed to prove to her horrid patients that she is not dumb.

What she needed to prove to the whole world that she is not as young and innocent as everyone thinks she is.

Death, betrayal, and pain were her three companions, with some delectation in between. She cherished those jocund moments.

And she thanked God. Seb. Jazmin. Ethan. Herself. For all the hard work. 

But what happened right now? Why is she in this bed? 

It feels as if she has fallen into a cactus, her heart being punctured by tiny pins and needles. It’s starting at the bottom of her stomach, and it’s slowly growing. 

The anxiety.

The depression.

It feels like some kind of vaccination, where the shot doesn’t really hurt but the aftermath feels disastrous, cataclysmic. It’s leaving her breathless, as if she is running away from a ghost from her past. It is leaving a certain kind of exhaustion on her.

It’s heartbreak. But why? Why does she feel heartbreak? What could have possibly gone wrong-

Everything. Everything is going wrong. Bingo. She knows what is happening. But she can’t even speak the name out loud. It’s petrifying her. Really well.

 Louise Ramsey. 

Ethan’s mother who claimed to come for him and Alan.

Louise Ramsey.

The one who tricked them, including her.

Louise Ramsey. 

The one who stabbed her. The one who she trusted. 

The one who she believed had a change of heart didn’t have a change of heart at all.

She fooled everyone. She’s a liar. She is manipulative. She is every dark sin written across this universe. She is the next generation of Sat-

Wait. Wait a long moment.

Oh no. Oh no no no no no.

How is Abby supposed to tell this to Ethan of all people? How is she supposed to let him know his own mother tried to harm her? 

But she had to.

Moisture is falling from the tip of her index finger, even if the bed sheets feel cool. Sweat is dripping from her forehead, even if the hospital room is air conditioned. An imaginary shock travels through her body. The sharpness of the pain is unequivocal and indisputable that it sends shockwaves through her bloodstream. If it wasn’t for the bed, she would have crumpled to the floor.

She is currently holding the bed frame with a white-knuckled grip.

The young doctor scratched her arm nervously, mindful of the IV, as she let that horrifying memory fly through her.

Louise stabs her in the side, blood spilling to Abby’s legs and on the floor. She couldn’t say anything, words failing to come our of her mouth, every second making it harder to breather. She starts to lose consciousness, hearing the sounds of the patients in the room screaming for security.

Louise whispers into her ear, “The game has begun.” 

The last thing she sees is Louise running towards the exit and nurses coming towards Abby, before her world evades into darkness. 

That’s what happened. That’s why she’s in the hospital bed, feeling like crap.

That’s why she feels heartbreak, of all the emotions she can feel. She has heard of brother cheating on brother and father cheating on his wife. But a mother disowning her own husband and son, but then comes back only for her to clown them? 

That goes all the way back to Rebekah and Jacob in the Old Testament of the Bible, if you ask me.

She is back to the question on how she is supposed to tell Ethan. 

Does he know? If he knows, how does he feel? Does he feel depressed?

She sure hopes not.

When something happens to Abby, he always blamed on himself. Whether it was his fault or not. She reminisces on when Ethan apologized and was filled guilt when he found out about the trial.

Or when he came back from the Amazon. He didn’t really apologize for that, but the regret and remorse lurking beneath his eyes was the only thing she needed to know. To know that he was feeling guilt. Dismay. Lamentation.

Or when he opened up his bottled-up feelings concerning his mother. He said that he wasn’t planning on ‘dragging’ her into his mess. 

Or when she was in that decontamination room. She remembers his words clearly, words that were etched into her heart.

I wished I hadn’t asked you to stay away.

Or now.

If he knows. 

She knows what will happen if Ethan blames himself for this. He will be a different person. He will start becoming cold-hearted to people he cares about. He will push her away. Again.

Because he tends to believe that it is all his fault that accidents happen to the people he cherishes the most. He thinks that he is a curse. A malediction. An imprecation. She remembers the night when they connected for the first time. What he said.

This is The Ethan Ramsey. The man who can save anyone except the people he gives a damn about. Not Dolores. Not Naveen. And not you.

She was torn by what he said. Not because he said he couldn’t save her, but because he couldn’t love himself. 

The young doctor hopes he already knows what happened. Who stabbed her. She couldn’t even bear the thought of seeing his face crumble. The man who was stoic. The man who every one recognized as an imbecile. The man who every single doctor is head-over-heels in love with.

Ethan told her to tell him everything. Everything that makes her angry. Everything that makes her sad. Everything that makes her happy. 

If he doesn’t know what happened, she will tell him. She promised him that.

*Flashback*

It's normal for Abby to have a panic attack. Keeping her inhaler with her was vital for her to go through the day. Especially this week.

It’s been one week after the incident. That incident. That incident that took two innocent lives. Danny and Bobby. It’s all her fault. 

If Danny was alive, him and Sienna would’ve been a couple, loving each other. Now, she sees a Sienna whose eyes are haunted. Grave. Not filled with any giddy or joy. She doesn’t see her smile anymore, the once blushed cheeks with her beautiful grin that shows off her dimples, gone. Lost. Thrown away.

If Bobby was alive, he could’ve bought his daughter the new car. It was what he always wanted to do. Instead of enjoying his time with his daughter in her brand new car, he’s under the cold earth. 

Rafael is now going under therapy, but he also feels less confident from Rafael the paramedic. She misses the way he smiles. He does smile now, but there is no joy beneath his eyes.

And for Abby, she is not okay. She wishes she died. But she knows she couldn’t. There are people rooting for her. Her brother. Her mother. Her friends. Ethan. Ethan.

When she was informed that the gas in her body was maitotoxin and there was no cure, she accepted her fate and was ready to die. She glanced at Ethan, and his expression wasn’t betraying anything. But the eyes held more feelings than ever. They were pleading. They said, “Please don’t give up.”

She then realized that if they can find a cure within one day, she’ll try and survive. If not for me, then for Ethan and all the people I love, she thought.

Abby starts passing through that hallway. That one hallway. That one hallway that changed her life. No, that one room. And then, she passes through that room.

It’s clean, all the seals, the beds inside with new blankets and pillows. But she can’t see any of that. She can only see her, Rafael, Danny, and Bobby in that room. She sees Bobby dying. She sees Danny being taken away. She sees Rafael and herself being unable to breathe. 

Suddenly she runs away. She can’t take it anymore. You stupid, why would you even come back to the hospital when you’re not ready yet? she scolds herself. Because of Farley. Damn it.

Abby is flooded by her own thoughts when she accidentally runs into someone. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I-”

Only to know that someone is the one. 

She hears his baritone voice calling out to her, finding comfort and solace in it. 

“Abby? What’s wrong? Are you alright?” Ethan wipes something off her cheeks, and she realized that she was crying the whole time. She was so lost in her emotions that she didn’t a single drop falling down to her right cheek. 

“I-” The young doctor tries to speak but couldn’t. She can’t breathe.

“Rookie!” Ethan quickly drags her to the nearest supply closet. He asks her where her inhaler is. 

“Left... pocket...”

He hastily grabs and places it into her mouth. 

“Deep breaths, rookie. Deep breaths.”

She does as she is asked and takes deep breaths. After a few long moments, her breathing level starts to go normal. 

“Rookie, you weren’t ready for your first day back, were you?”

Abby starts to argue. “Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you panic attack right now seems to prove otherwise.”

She sighs. He’s right. She wasn’t even ready to set foot into the hospital. The only reason she did was because of Farley’s rash, and she thought it was life threatening.

Ethan sighs, breaking her from her thoughts.

“Go home, Abby, you’ve had a long day.”

Abby is about to snipe back when he stops her by raising his hand.

“On second thought, I’ll take you to my house. We’re gonna take a day off.”

“But Ethan, we both have patients-”

“Who will be taken care of by the other doctors in this hospital. If you think I’ll be leaving you anytime soon, you’re wrong.”

Hearing his words makes Abby feel lighthearted. She is stubborn just like him, but he’ll always be there for her.

After getting a confirmation and a wink from Naveen, they are in the car. It’s 1:00 P.M., and Abby sees couples sitting on the chairs in the outside booths of a restaurant, smiling, one couple holding hands. She dreams of these moments with Ethan, but their relationship is still uncertain.

The car stops at a red light, and she turns around to look at Ethan, who is lost in thought.

“Ethan, are you alright?” she asks him, concerned.

The mature doctor cracks a dry smile towards her. “I should be asking you that.”

“Ethan...”

“Abby... are you having suicidal thoughts?”

Abby was astounded by his question.

“Ethan! Why would you think that?”

“I’m just asking. If you ever feel that, come talk to me immediately. I can’t...”

It hit her on what Ethan was thinking about. He doesn’t want her to leave. As much as the question made her a little frustrated, she couldn’t help but think about what he was feeling throughout the whole ordeal n the decontamination room.

Abby takes a deep breath. “Ethan, I’m not suicidal. I never have been. I was just uncomfortable, that’s all.”

Ethan looks at her deeply into her eyes. She can literally feel him searching for any lies at her statement, his body relaxing when he didn’t find any. 

When he stops the car, she realizes that they’re here. Before Abby can take off her seatbelt, Ethan’s hand on hers stops her from doing anything. She looks up with a questioning expression.

Ethan speaks in a very stern but concerned way. “If you ever have anything irritating or frustrating you-” he kisses her on the forehead.

“Anything that brings you pain-” He kisses her on the nose, making her scrunch it.

“Anything at all, that makes you want to cry out-” He kisses her on both cheeks. 

“You come and tell me. Promise me” He finally kisses her on the lips.

As the final words come out from Ethan’s lips, she wonders about how she is so lucky to have him. Tears were burning in the back of her eyes, but this time, they were tears of gratefulness. To Ethan. For being her best friend. She cracks a smile.

“I promise.”

*Back to present*

“Hello? Ma’am? Doctor?” she is interrupted from her thoughts by a male nurse. When she checks his tag, his name is Caspian Chapman, and he has a light British accent. She hasn’t seen him before. Abby suddenly feels embarrassed. Who knows how many times, he called her like that.

“Hi, I am so sorry,” she says shyly. “I was lost in thought. Were you speaking to me this whole time?”

Caspian gives her a wide smile. “Nope! I just came in! My name is Caspian, and I will be your nurse! I am new here so...” he trails off.

The young resident laughs, despite the pain on her left side. “Haha, don’t worry! I’m not one of those Karens! Now tell me, how long will I be staying here?”

“From the stab wound you received, you will probably be admitted here for a week.”

Abby inwardly groans, wanting to just go home. Of course this would happen. Even if she’s disappointed by the news, she knows that it is vital for her to recover.

“So, did the stab wound affect my liver or...” she winces at her left side.

Caspian sighs. “You are correct. They brought you to surgery quickly, or who knows what would have happened.”

“Wait, how did you know I’m a doctor?” 

Caspian smiles again. “Are you kidding me? You are Dr. Ethan Ramsey’s protege and in the diagnostics team! Not only that, you helped him save Dr. Naveen Banerji! You are also popular on Instagram. Anyone would kill to be in a spot and reputation like you.”

Her cheeks grow red. 

“I suppose so...” she trails off. 

The new male nurse speaks. “Anyways, I should let Dr. Ramsey, Dr. Banerji, and your family know that you are awake! They will be at relief.”

Wait, what? Ethan is here? Naveen is here? My family is here? They must’ve found out the harsh truth. 

As Caspian turns to leave, Abby stops him. The nurse turns around.

“Yes? Is something the matter?”

“I just wanted to know if they knew who stabbed me.”

Caspian grimaces. “Yes, they are well aware. Do you not wish to speak to them?”

Oh no. Ethan knows. What will she do? Should she call in her family first? No Abby, he'll think that I’m mad at him! She inwardly slaps herself.

Okay, Abby, deep breaths.  She took a deep breath, held it for three seconds, and exhaled. 

“Can you do me a favor and call in Eth- Dr. Ramsey first?”

“I will,” he replies back.

______________________________________________________________

Ethan’s POV

He is terrified. Terrified to go and see her. Terrified to talk to her. But he has to. He has to let her know he loves her. He has to let her know that he can’t live without her. He feels a hand on his shoulder. Seb.

“Ethan, buddy, remember what I said. Tell her you love her. Make yourself happy. Make her happy. And she will never blame you for anything that happened. She’s a very reasonable girl.”

He looks into Seb’s eyes, and sees that there is something he didn’t tell him. Some kind of sadness, but there is happiness mixed in. He will find out later.

The older doctor turns around and sees the support written in their faces. Seb. Jazmin. Naveen. They are smiling broadly.

Naveen claps him on his back. “Now go get your woman, Ethan.”

Ethan smiles back. “Thank you, guys.”

He took a deep breath and opened the doors.

There she is. Abby. At once, she turned her head around, and at once,  dusky brown met ocean blue. She looks tired, her body a little weak, but she still gives him a wide smile that sends his heart swooping forward. Oh, he has it bad. 

“Ethan. Hey.” Abby welcomes him and pats at a seat on her bed. He, however, was hesitant to do so.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you...”

She rolls her eyes. “Ethan, I was stabbed, not hit by a truck. Now, be a good boy and sit on the bed.”

He does as he is asked, sitting on the edge, eyes never leaving hers. “How do you feel?”

“My side’s kinda sore, but I’ll survive... How are you?” she asks hesitantly.

“W-What do you mean?” he stutters. Ethan Ramsey never stutters.

“...I know who the perpetrator is, Ethan.” So she does know.

Before Ethan can say anything, Abby replies. “I know you are blaming yourself for what your mother did. But I will say it again and again until it gets through that smart head of yours. It’s not your fault, do you hear me?”

His eyes are shining with tears, his heart all the way up to his throat.

“Abby... I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He blinks, and a droplet fails to stay in his eyes, escaping from the confinement.

The young resident suddenly sits up, wincing a little at the abrupt movement. Her eyes are full of alarm.  “Ethan, c'mere.”

And he does. He hugs her tight, mindful of her side, his nose nuzzling his neck. Abby wraps her arms around him and strokes his hair. The motion gives him a sense of peace. His eyes drop a few more tears. I will tell her.

“Abby, I love you.” She tenses. Before she says anything, he cuts her off. 

“No, Abby, please listen to me. I’ve loved you since the first day you’ve stepped foot into this hospital. I love how you’re always a colossal pain in my ass. I love how your eyes sparkle every time you hear good news. I love how your dimples pop up when you smile. I love how you bite your lip when you think about something. I love everything about you. Your courage. Your admiration. Your passion. I love you body. I love you face. And i now know, that I never want to let you go again.”

When Ethan pulls back and cups her face, he can see the tears glistening, failing to hold still and dropping down onto her cheeks. She half-sobs and half-laughs.

“Ethan, I love you, too.” And that is all he needs to hear.

He kisses her cold lips gently and pulls back, finding his sense of relief. She, in return, kisses his forehead. He promises to himself one thing: he’ll never let her go again.

______________________________________________________________

Seb’s POV

Seeing them crying of happiness makes him smile, his heart feeling elevated with joy. They deserve this joy. They both’ve been through a lot lately, and confessing their love for each other was their first step towards recovery.

“Psst! Seb!” Amma. Behind her is Naveen.

“How is it going there?”

The surgeon smiles triumphantly. “Our plan worked.”

Quiet cheers came out of their mouths. 

“Finally!” Naveen sighs. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for months. Ethan’s too damn stubborn for his own good.”

Seb laughs quietly. “That he is.”

Amma scratches his wool sweater. He just realized the feeling of itch on his skin because of the wool. And he can’t wait to take it off. But they won’t be leaving Abby’s room for the next two days. Not him, at least.

“Will it be alright if we go in and interrupt them?” Amma asks hesitantly. “I have an urge to hug my daughter after the incident.’

“I am sure that will be alright.”

Amma knocks the door. After hearing an acknowledgment, all three of them walked in. 

“Hi Ethan, is it alright if I hug my daughter? I do not mean to waste any of your-”

Ethan looks at her incredulously. “Why would you ask me if you want to hug your own daughter? I don’t mind at all.”

The famous doctor looks at Seb with a questioning look, who shrugs.

Mother rushes forward and hugs Abby carefully, sobbing as she kisses al of her face. The resident sighs.

“Amma, look at me.” Abby forces Jazmin’s face to her. “I. Am. Fine.”

“Sorry, Ladoo, your mother was just very worried when we got the call. I won’t try to cry, alright?”

The Chacko smiles easily. “now that’s what I wanted to hear from you. My Amma is strong.”

Abby sighs and looks at Seb and Naveen, smiling cheerily. “Who’s next in line for cuddles?”

Seb comes forward, finally at ease when he kisses her forehead gently. He hugs her as tight as he can, the injury preventing him for hugging her more. 

“Please, for the love of Pete, please never scare us like that again.”

She laughs lightly and cuddles closer to him. “I’ll try not to.”

Seb looks up and sees Ethan with a light smile on his face. He finally feels light, free.

He then hears Jazmin’s stomach grumble lightly. Abby laughs hearing this. “Why did you guys not eat? All of you need to get food. Now.”

“I’m not gonna leave you this time around,” he replies. 

Seb’s sister groans. “I knew you would say that.”

The surgeon has an idea. “How about I get all of us some burgers from a nearby restaurant? Since I doubt Ethan’s gonna like what he gets from the cafeteria.”

The famous attending shrugs and then grins easily. “You know me so well.”

“Only for you.”

Abby is on a strict water diet for two days, so he considers buying a cup of chocolate pudding for her. As he leaves the room, he sees Naveen hugging Abby, which brought some emotions to the Chacko. Naveen is like the father he never had before.

Seb is really joyous and filled with triumph at the love confessions between Abby and Ethan. He only wishes it could happen to him.

But it can’t. Because he lost the love of his life last year. Due to a seizure. While she was giving birth. All of their promises. All of their hopes and dreams. Gone. Forever 

I miss her... I miss her a lot.

Suddenly, he hears a whistle. A familiar whistle. It sounds like her. 

When she was alive, they used to whistle a lot. it was a form of their communication. The whistle that heard now was a way of saying, “Turn around.”

No, Seb, he thinks. You’re just letting yourself get too emotional. Stop hallucinating.

But then he hears it again. And it’s behind him. A little far away from him. 

He’s afraid to turn around. He can’t move. 

He forces himself to turn around, like the whistle had told him to.

And then he sees her. He sees her. He actually sees her.

No way, it can’t be... Suddenly, Seb speaks.

“...Dolores? Is that really you?”

She smiles. That smile. He missed that damn smile. Her face and hands are covered with small bruises.

And she talks. “Yeah, Seb. It’s me. Dolores Hudson. I’m alive. I really am.”

______________________________________________________________

Mystery Man’s POV

I give Louise some cash that she was looking forward to. 

“Great, thanks!” she says with a smile.

“Anything for my wife,” I reply, with an emphasis on the word ‘wife’.

She rolls her eyes. “Ugh, don’t call me that. I married you to destroy them, not to love you. Now where’s that manicure you promised?”

Louise is annoying as hell. Sometimes I wonder how her former husband Alan dealt with her. What a man, I think. 

She gives me a mischievous grin. “Now give me a kiss.”

I groan, and I quickly give her a kiss, not wanting it to last for long.

Then, I feel a vibration in my pocket. It’s my phone. I pick it up.

It’s one of my guards. And I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I bark him an order. Blood rushes through my veins, and for the first time in a long time, I feel fear.

I hang up the phone and look at Louise, whose eyes held confusion. I decide to answer her questioning glance.

“Missing captive alert. Dolores Hudson has escaped.”

______________________________________________________________

a/n 2: hope you liked that ending!

a/n 3: i know dolores died of a seizure while under an emergency c-section, but in this au, i refuse to believe so :)

tags:@missmiimiie​ @aylamwrites @starrystarrytrouble​ @udishaman​ @caseyvalentineramsey​ @queencarb​ @choicesstan1​ @newcolonies​ @arcticrivers​ @angela8756 @takemyopenheart​ @rookie-ramsey​ @ohchoices​ @ohvamsey @ohramsey @natureblooms24​ @drariellevalentine​ @maurine07​ @lucy-268 @thanialis

@openheartfanfics

@choicesficwriterscreations

[loominggaia]

A horrible plague is sweeping Gaia! Which of the freelance good guys take the vaccine and who complains about masks like a big baby?

Oh man, that's a hell of a question...this kind of scenario can really say a lot about a character, huh?

I feel like the vast majority of the FGG would mask up and get the vaccine without issue. I mean, they're already used to taking special precautions as they travel around the world for contracts. In The Puppet Masters, Evan and Zeffer were required to wear masks and gloves and even go through full-body decontamination during an epidemic. Neither of them bitched about it, even though they're both immune to the disease.

Honestly, I can't see any of the Good Guys pitching a fit about masks. If they were that whiny and fussy over something so small, Evan never would have hired them onto the crew in the first place. They have to pile 50 pounds of armor on their bodies every day, including full-face helmets sometimes. A little cloth or paper mask is a whole lot of nothing to them.

I can imagine a little resistance against vaccines from some of them though. Glenvar and Alaine have defiant personalities and don't like being told what to do, plus I could see Alaine's paranoia causing her to fall into the whole "they're injecting microchips into people" thing. Glenvar and Alaine grew up in backwater villages and have never had any shots before, so the whole concept of "injecting dead germs to protect against live germs" is new and scary to them. Balthazaar might fall into the conspiracy stuff too, not because he's paranoid but because he's kind of idiot and he'll believe anything.

Javaan would refuse just because he has a phobia of needles. Dr. Che would have to vaccinate him with a blowdart to the asscheek when he wasn't looking.

Evan, Lukas, Jeimos, Linde, and Skel grew up in civilized areas where vaccines are normal, and all of them have already had shots for various diseases before, so it's no big deal for them. Evan made Isaac get a bunch of vaccines when he was a kid, so no biggie for him either.

Mr. Ocean has survived centuries of his brother's medical experiments and is already riddled with cancer and fungus, so he figures there's no damage a little vaccine can do to him that hasn't been done already.

Elska doesn't know what a vaccine is and has never had one before, but she doesn't give a fuck. She has no fear and doesn't hesitate to get one. "GO AHEAD, INJECT ME WITH THESE PUNY BUGS YOU CALL 'GERMS'. THEY ARE SMALL, I AM BIG! I WILL CRUSH THEM!"

Like, as soon as Jeimos told her "it's like putting armor on your immune system", she was sold.

Glenvar, Alaine, and Balthazaar could eventually be swayed with reason, it would just take a little effort on the crew's part to get them on board. Jeimos would have to sit them down and explain to them how viruses and bacteria work like they're toddlers, but I'm pretty sure they'd come around once they understood.

[poepoe-thebunny]

Rudy/Tony and Fam during Quarantine

Cause this is where my life is at, apparently. I thought I escaped the “quarantine fever writing” that everyone else got. Apparently I was wrong. 

After another visit to the castle, the Thompson’s end up there in quarantine once miss rona hits the world. Thank god for WI-FI and working remotely, even if his parents look vaguely like zombies due to time zone differences. Tony can’t talk, his online schooling schedule is all sorts of weird and he’s pretty sure his teacher just wants to sleep until the whole thing is over. Honestly Tony can’t say he blames her. 

The Sackville-bagg clan, as it turns out, is a surprisingly overprotective bunch when they need to be, especially now that they have accepted their humans into the fold. Even with catching up on modern medicine and germ theory, they won’t allow anything to happen to their precious humans. 

(AU/headcanons incoming??

Rudy/Tony: 

- Think Rudy was protective before? Think again. 

- Rudy is over 300 years old, he’s old by human standards and he has met people who are old by vampire standards. He’s seen Things(TM) ok?

- He has been through more than one plague in his life. He has seen what it can do to the sick and the poor. He knows it’s a different now, that life-saving machines exist, that they’re working on a vaccine, that soap is widely available. 

- But he also knows it’s not. 

- Tony? Not going anywhere as far as he is concerned. Say hello to your prince, Rapunzel, cause Rudy is keeping Tony up in that tower if it kills him (again). 

- He knows where all of Tony’s masks are, and where he puts the extras. 

- He’ even shops online for masks with Tony, finding cool hand-sewn, gothic looking ones for Rudy himself to wear. He’s not sure if Corona even effects vampires, but Tony likes finding stuff to match his “aesthetic’ and it keeps his mortal happy. 

- He waits on his mortal hand and foot in between videogames and watching Netflix. (Tony likes How to Train Your Dragon and Paranorman, Rudy likes The Little Prince and Kubo and the Two Strings.). 

- Rudy’s first introduction to Tumblr is through Tony, and at one point they reach the Plague Doctor Aesthetics. While Rudy hasn’t spent much time in Italy, he doesn’t think they’re very accurate, and complains as such to his mortal. 

- Rudy is surprisingly easily offended about historically inaccurate things, and it sends Tony into laughing fits. 

- Rudy is Bad At Memes. Like, just in general he doesn’t always get them, and when Corona Memes become a thing he’s just constantly confused. Poor Rudy honestly. 

- Tries to learn to cook healthy human food, except he hasn’t had any major kitchen experience in 200-odd years and it comes out as a disaster the first few times he tries it. 

- It turns into a teaching session between him and the other adult humans, turns out the old couple who owns the castle like to feed people. Rudy walks into Tony’s room with a tray piled so high Tony can’t see his head. 

-Always offering to fly around the castle to get things for Tony, even if he isn’t sick. 

- TikTok dances. Tony shows him, then teaches him. Rudy is shockingly good at them, but Gregory thinks he’s cringy. 

Gregory: 

(Not me flexing my love of the good big brother trope, absolutely not, nope)

- Surprisingly rather take charge about the whole thing, he’s come around to the Thompson’s and the old couple. 

- While his parents help when they can, they sort of take a step back, and let the three siblings explain what’s happening in the world to the clan (if they are there). Being the oldest, Gregory sort of defaults to being the leader. 

-Checks in with the Thompson’s, as well as Otto and Emma (The old couple who run the place.) Asks if they need anything while they work/are in school etc. 

- Warns the clan to be very careful when visiting, not just for the Thompson’s, but also because Otto and Emma are getting on in years and could become sick very easily. Always asks for a heads up before a family visit. 

- Won’t tell anyone but, late at night if he’s not busy, he’ll do things around the castle for the humans, especially upkeep for Otto and Emma, while they sleep. 

- Dusting hard to reach spots like chandeliers, organizing books in the old castle library, moving heavy furniture and stuff since he can fly. 

-Low key drags Rudy and Anna into helping him clean 

(”But Gregory, this is our home now too! I’m sure they don’t mind.” 

“Humans are fragile, and they’re letting us stay here out of kindness, so don’t be rude. Clean up after yourself little brother.” 

“He’s right you know.” 

“Of course I am. And don’t think you’re getting out of cleaning the rafters Anna, and stop leaving your books everywhere for them to pick up.” 

 ‘hmph.” )

- Of the vampires he’s lowkey the best at cooking human food. Tony, Rudy, and Anna just walk into the kitchen at night and Fredrick is just watching his eldest, genuinely amused, as he dances around the kitchen in a “Kill the Cook (Too late, I’m already dead)” apron, blasting out dad rock from the stereo. 

-Bonds with the Thompsons over cooking human food, especially Tony’s dad after he teaches Gregory what an “air guitar” move is. 

-Gregory discovers pinterest food aesthetics, and is a machine of baking, mixing, and decorating sweet candies/cakes/brownies. He wants his food to look pretty dang it. 

- Anna and Rudy just watch, silently judging him. 

Anna: 

- She’s just thriving tbh. 

- She has internet access now, and her brothers have never been more terrified. 

-If Gregory is the vampire equivalent of a pinterest mommy, Anna is the vampire equivalent of creepy diy aesthetic tiktokers. 

-Not like, bloody horror diy, but like, the subtly creepy but still sweet kind, like the Addams family or Coraline. 

- She learned needle arts with her mom, so she’s out here sewing Coraline dolls, or patchwork dresses a la Nightmare Before Christmas cause she CAN. 

-Makes her own handbag with those felt cartoonish vampire faces and big fake bat ears on the side. 

-Learns more modern patterns and stuff, but will make masks for the humans as gifts, cause she doesn’t want them to get sick. 

- After watching Coraline together, she made “Other Me” dolls of her brothers, button eyes included, and stuck them in their coffins. She would make them “move’ by flying them around to different rooms when her brothers weren’t looking, just to freak them out. 

- Spoiler alert: it worked. They ran to Tony for help and she laughed over it for days. 

- Anna loves adventure books to Rudy’s poetry and Gregory’s fables/folk tales. She hates being excluded from her brothers “adventures”. 

-Tony introduces her to comics and video games and she just lives her best life. 

-One of her favorite comic book character is Cassandra Cain/Blackbat/The Orphan.

- She loves books like Matilda, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Giver, as well as games like the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider series. 

-VICIOUS at video games, this girl has no mercy, she will blue shell you so hard. 

The Adults: 

-Life is Hard(TM) right now, but the Thompson’s try to make the best of it. They’re very grateful to Otto and Emma for letting them stay. 

-They’re both working remotely, so they’re a little messed up sleep schedule wise. But that’s ok, their vampire friends don’t seem to mind. 

- Freda teaches Dottie how to make proper tea, cause she likes it and Dottie is sort of addicted to caffeine. Dottie teaches Freda how to make mochas and smoothies, Dottie likes mango-pineapple smoothies and Freda likes hot white chocolate mochas with cinnamon. 

-Surprisingly, Frederick and Bob become pretty good friends. Frederick understands the stress of having to care for your family in very uncertain times, and the two men bond over unsure parental decisions. 

-Bob is also surprisingly good at making Frederick loosen up, much to Freda and Dottie’s amusement. While initially awkward, they have a surprisingly snarky and sarcastic sort of friendship. Frederick deadpans insults at him and Bob cheerfully annoys him into Being Nice For Once while being completely aware of the fact that he’s annoying Frederick. 

-Meals where Bob cooks often consists of him singing oldies into his spatula, making bad impression of certain singers, including Elvis and Cher. He is occasionally joined by Tony and Gregory, making the entire family laugh. 

- Anna’s bones may be old, but she can hand sew like a goddess, and has occasionally taken to fixing up the kids’ torn clothes, as Dottie can barely keep straight lines and Freda prefers knitting. 

- Someone (read: Freda) mentions that Frederick can play the cello, and after a rousing performance, it turns out that Otto can play an accordion, and of course Bob can play the guitar. A jam session occurs as the kids just stare in utter bewilderment.

- Tony’s grandparents were kinda hippies, so Bob and Dottie know a lot of oldies and folk songs, which while different than from what they normally hear, Otto and Anna connect too. They swap songs back and forth, and it turns out Dottie can do a mean Loretta lynn impression. 

- Dottie likes the Beach Boys, and teaches the others how to Twist. As in, the dance, and Freda actually likes it quite a bit. 

[loveafterthefact]

Love After the Fact Chapter 77: Reluctantly Home

Lance and Keith have a lot of adjusting to do. Especially Keith.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: - brief mentions of self harm brief mentions of substance abuse

Basically, Tavo has more routine questions about Keith’s physical and mental health

First  Previous  Next

Upon return to Altea, Adam and Pidge are led to a temporary medical station while Keith and Lance are ushered into a small room off the flight deck, where Tavo stands waiting, dressed in a body suit that includes a sealed hood and face shield. There’s a cart with some medical equipment on it, and a portable scanning arm and platform in the middle of the room.

“Welcome back, your Majesties. Crown Prince Lancel, kindly stand on this platform for a full body scan.” Lance does as he’s told, waiting patiently as the arm spins around and around. The scan takes several doboshes. When it’s Keith’s turn, the scan is significantly shorter.

“That’s it?”

“I don’t want to subject you to a full scan’s radiation,” Tavo explains. Not that that qualifies as an explanation. The physician gestures to a pair of chairs. “Please, your Majesties.”

Keith sits next to Lance, eyeing a tray of ten syringes. He tenses, discovering that he’s developed an aversion to needles, likely a result of all the injections he suffered during his last growth spurt.

“I have a few questions for you. Have either of you been experiencing: yellow pustules on the shins, loss of scales, loss of hair or fur, flaking or crusting skin, nasal congestion, obstructed vision, unexplained bleeding from any orifice including pores and tear ducts, chills, night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, body aches, headaches, fatigue, nausea, and/or vomiting?”

Lance shakes his head, visibly apprehensive. Keith nods. “Some fatigue last quintant and especially this one.”

Tavo makes a note on his datapad. “Headaches? Nausea? Changes in diet? Excessive and/or frequent urination?”

“No.”

Lance seems a little confused, but takes note that Keith is calm, collected, and completely unphased by Tavo’s questioning.

“Excellent. Let me know if you experience these or any other new phenomena.” Tavo writes something down on his datapad, then turns his attention to his tray of syringes.

“Now. Crown Prince Lancel, this is a nutrient serum to make up for certain deficiencies you may have acquired on your travels.” Lance removes his vest and tight shirt, lets Tavo clean a scaleless patch on his arm. The injection takes a long time, the fluid thick, viscous like glue or resin. That done, Tavo offers Lance a small cup with two tiny pills. “Excellent. Swallow these. They may give you diarrhea.”

“I beg your pardon?” Lance asks, not moving to take the pills.

“They will give you diarrhea if you have parasites. The parasites may kill you.”

“Diarrhea it is.” Lance takes and dry swallows the pills. “What’s next?”

“An antibiotic, and immune system booster, and boosters of various vaccines you both received either at your last physical or your arrival on Altea.”

Keith watches quietly as Lance receives seven more injections, three in that same arm, three in the other. Then he sits quietly for his two.

“That’s it. We’re all finished.” Keith notices that Tavo is being gentle with him, seems to sense his unease even before the needle pierces his skin. “Crown Prince Lancel, I must speak with Prince Yorak privately. Do you mind?”

“Not at all.” Lance rises from his seat, goes to stretch his arms over his head, only to think better of it. Instead, he kisses Keith’s cheek. “I’d better go and explain away our new pets. And that we will be receiving a gift in the form of some livestock. Meet you in our quarters?”

“Yes, thank you.”

After the door slides shut behind Lance’s retreating figure, Keith looks up to the physician expectantly.

“You have some small scars here on the inside of your arm. What are those from?”

“Oh. Those are from a port. I needed it during my growth spurt because I needed regular injections to help me grow.”

“I see.” Tavo makes a note on his datapad. “So you have no history of substance abuse or self harm, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“And the skeletal abnormalities detected in your scans are related to…?”

“The inherited growth disorder from my mother that affects my growth plates and metabolism. It’s believed to be a gland abnormality, but the cause is still undetermined… It’s so rare, my disease doesn’t even have a name.”

Tavo’s already kind face softens. Keith wonders if he understands what that’s like, to not be able to name what’s wrong with his body. “I see. Forgive my questioning. Substance abuse can affect the health of a fetus, and your safety and well-being is also key.”

“Thace spoke to you?”

“He did indeed. I have this here…” Tavo hands over a sheet of foil cells. “In each of these cells is a daily prenatal vitamin. Just press down on the bubble, and the tablet should pop through the foil on the other side. We have a few options, all determined safe for both Alteans and Galra, so you needn’t worry. We’re starting you early, but we’d like you to keep us apprised of if they make you feel unwell, or if your body starts to reject them.”

“You mean if they make me puke?”

“Yes.” Tavo smiles. “We chose these because Thace said he could not smell or taste them, even when taken with water. I modified them a bit to accommodate an interspecial fetus.”

Keith nods, watches Tavo take and record some extra vitals.

“You’re actually in pretty decent health, given your… we’ll say ‘limited’ medical history and recent difficulties. I’m sure Thace has mentioned it, but we are concerned about your caloric intake. You’re a bit underweight as it is. Do you have any goals for your personal health during pregnancy?”

“Didn’t we go over this?”

“Yes, but now you are alone. No one is here but yourself, and a licensed physician bound to confidentiality. Even his Majesty the King would find it difficult to force information from me. He’d have to prove malicious intent.”

Keith nods. “I want to improve my personal physical condition in these early phoebs, then maintain that condition until delivery.”

Tavo nods. “I think that’s an appropriate expectation. Were your child fully Galra, they’d likely already have a heartbeat, but my scan detected nothing. This means you’re looking at a longer pregnancy.”

“Okay.” Keith yawns, quite suddenly very sleepy.

“Have you been feeling a lot of fatigue lately?”

“Only the past quintant or two, like I said. I'll be just fine and then- falling asleep on the spot.” Keith shrugs. “Why?”

“It’s one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. Do not ignore your body when it speaks to you. You may find yourself desiring Altean foods. If you can eat them, do so.”

“I will. May I be excused to take a nap then?” Seeing Keith’s playful quirk of the lips, Tavo chuckles, nods. “Thank you.”

When Keith finds his way to his quarters, Lance is waiting, passing him a hot cup of tea.

“Thank you… When did we start drinking so much tea?”

“No idea. What did Tavo want?”

“Kit stuff. He wanted to know if there was anything I hadn’t felt comfortable saying in front of you. Just asked how I was feeling, if there was anything I wanted. He gave me some vitamins, and asked if I’m normally as sleepy as I am.”

“Sleepy?”

“Very.”

“I take it that’s not normal,” Lance chuckles.

“Not at all. You know me: I sleep when you sleep. Right now?” Keith sets the tea down, settles his head on Lance’s collarbone with a happy sigh. “I could sleep standing up.”

Lance laughs, kisses his ear. “Okay, well how about we at least make it to the bed, huh?”

At Keith’s nod, Lance leads him there, an arm around his shoulders. “Will you join me?”

“I have some messages to respond to, but I’ll join you, yes.”

“Oh, did you need help?” Keith crawls into bed, the smell of fresh sheets pluming where he settles his weight.

“You can help when you wake up.” Lance picks the wolf cub up off the floor and into Keith’s reaching arms. “He’s already been out by the way.”

“M’kay.” Keith settles in, snuggling up to Lance until his head is in his lap, a purr thrumming deep in his chest. He can hear BleepBloop playing on the ladder to his loft. “Lance?”

“Beloved?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Lance reaches around, rubbing Keith's belly. “And you, baby.”

“You know it’s just a wad of cells, right? It doesn’t even have a heartbeat.”

“Maybe so, but I love that little wad of cells with all my heart.”

Keith yawns, tongue curling, legs stretching stiff till they tremble, before he tucks his legs close to his chest, snuggling into the blanket Lance throws over him. The wolf cub mimics his behavior, yawning and stretching before curling up against Keith’s stomach.

“Lance?”

“Yes, beloved?”

“I love them too. So much.”

Lance’s fingers find his hair, the base of his ear, and Keith purrs louder as he starts to drift into sleep.

“I know you do, beloved.”

It’s a couple movements before Lance and Keith manage to get the kingdom back in order -mostly-, and subsequently a couple movements before Lance is able to meet Hunk and Shay’s new baby. Once he does have an opportunity, he doesn’t want to wait.

“You sure you’re okay by yourself?” Lance asks, eyes his husband with concern as he removes his cloak from their closet, putting his arms through the sleeves. The final phoeb of winter before thaw is the coldest. "I can wait."

Keith nods. “I’ll be fine. I think I’ll read or take a nap. My stomach isn’t feeling too good.”

“It isn’t?” Lance frowns. “It seems a little early for morning sickness.”

“It’s a little early for fatigue like this too, but here I am.” At Lance’s worried expression, he presses the issue. “Really, Lance. I’m just a little queasy, and not up for the ride. You can go. Wolf, BleepBloop and I will stay and rest.”

“Okay… Call me if you want me to come back, alright?”

“I will.” Keith kisses his mate, helping the man with his gloves. “Stay warm. I’ll see you soon.”

It’s a short, frigid walk out to the stables to where Bruna and Calik have been accommodated. Alfor was displeased with their presence, but ultimately admitted that they were cool after watching them rip apart a klaanmural. Coran was delighted from the very beginning.

Lance trots down the mountainside into the city, the elk carrying him much faster than a shreika every could. But, as Bruna carries him among the residential district, he has to admit that if Keith’s nauseous, the animal’s gait definitely won’t help...

“Hel-lo. Hel-lo. Oh, Ancients, aren’t you perfect!” Lance grins down at the little baby. Lance boops the infant’s nose, grinning. “Welcome to the world, little one.”

“We named her Nephele, after Shay’s grandmother,” Hunk says, leaning over the prince’s shoulder.

The infant looks like her parents: olive skin, golden eyes, brown, cartilaginous growths on top of her head. Her skin lacks the bumpy texture of her parents and older sister, presumably to ease birth. She sleeps soundly in Lance’s arms.

“She’s beautiful. Congratulations, man.” Lance grins so big that the corners of his eyes crinkle.

“Thanks, buddy.”

The infant starts to fuss, wriggling in Lance’s arms.

“Oh, okay. Okay, sweetheart. Here you go.” He passes Nephele back to her father, who rocks her.

“So… Where’s Keith?”

“He’s sleeping. He’s been feeling a bit under the weather for the past movement or so.”

Oh?- Oh! Really?”

Lance takes a deep breath, grinning even wider.

“Hey, that’s awesome! Well, it’s not awesome that he doesn’t feel good, obviously, but… That’s awesome. Seriously.”

“Yeah…” Lance smiles. “We’re really happy about it. We have gifts for you from Daibazaal, but I couldn’t carry them on Bruna. I’ll have them brought to you soon.”

“Aw, you didn’t have to do that!” Hunk grins, still holding his newborn.

“Oh, please.” Lance waves away Hunk’s protest. “It was our pleasure. Keith picked most of them, including a windchime for Nephele.”

“Oooh, that sounds cool! Say, what did you think of Daibazaal? Was it scary? Were the people not nice?”

Lance grins, sits down at the table, eager to talk all about the six movements he spent on Daibazaal. He talks until nightfall, until it’s time to put Nephele to sleep. Lance pokes his head into the bedroom, giving Shay a brief goodbye before letting her go back to sleep, taking advantage of Rosetta spending the night at a friend’s house.

“Alright, buddy. Have a good night now.” Hunk pulls his friend into a bone-crushing hug. “And let Keith know that if he feels up to visiting, he’s welcome. Or he can just come visit me in the kitchens.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be doing the second one,” Lance chuckles. “Of course I’ll let him know.”

When he returns, he finds a very frustrated Adam marching up to him through the thick frost. “So your husband is throwing a tantrum.”

“Oh? What about?”

“I told him to go eat something. He didn’t like that.”

“Were you incredibly indelicate?”

“I was the normal amount of indelicate.”

“Right.” Lance followed his attendant up to the castle, passing him his animal-scented, frost-dampened cloak to take to the laundry. He knocks on their bedroom door before entering.

“Hey, beloved. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” the Galra bites, glaring down from his loft. “Tell Adam that he doesn’t own me.”

“I think he got the message, seeing as he came running to me the moment I left the barn.”

“Oh, so he thinks you own me? Is that what you guys think?”

Lance strips off his damp clothes, pulling on some of the clothes they brought back from Daibazaal. “Of course not, beloved.”

Lance is confused. He’s not at all sure why Keith is acting this way. He has some idea, of course, but either way, Keith is upset and Lance wants to fix it.

“What would you like to do?” Lance asks.

“I’d like to be left alone!”

“Okay.” Lance opens the doors to the garden, lets the wolf cub out to use the bathroom. BleepBloop is watching him from one the loft ladder, his new favorite spot. When the cub’s finished, Lance closes the doors to keep out the cold, and flops down on the couch in front of the fireplace to read Lanval’s latest report. “I’m going to take care of a few missives before I get some dinner. If you want to join me, you’re welcome to.”

Lance reads Laval’s report in full, annotating carefully, then reading it again to find connections within the information. The overall reaction to their return is relief. Altea just isn’t the same without the princes. It hasn’t escaped the court’s notice that they’re much closer than they were when they left. Gossip is rampant. At least, more so than usual.

He’s interrupted when Keith parks himself in his lap, burying his face in his shoulder. He sniffles.

“Hey, beloved.” Lance tugs on Keith’s hair, the way he’s done since that barely even knew each other. “Feeling better?”

“No.” Keith sniffles again. “Poor Adam. I was so mean.”

“I’m sure he understands, beloved.” Lance tosses his datapad aside, drawing Keith closer, wrapping him up in his arms. “Are you having mood swings?”

Keith nods, cuddles in as close as he can get. “I’m sorry.”

“I know. It’s okay, beloved. I know you didn’t mean it. I bet it felt awful.”

“It did,” Keith sobs. “I’m so sorry, Lance.”

“It’s alright, beloved. I forgive you.” Lance kisses the base of his ear, holding his husband while he cries out his tumultuous emotions. “Do you want anything? Some tea? Something to eat? I’m about to send for some dinner.”

“Okay,” Keith sniffles. “I can- I can eat something… Hold me?”

“Of course I will.” Lance squeezes him tight. “I adore you, beloved. With all my heart. No matter what.”

“I adore you, too.” Keith settles in with a hum, closes his eyes as Lance rubs at the base of his ear, kisses his forehead. They’re still like that, Keith curled up against his chest, Lance’s fingers in his hair, lips travelling his face, when their food arrives with Adam. The Atlean says nothing, only rubs Keith’s head between his ears like a little kit to try and make him smile.

It doesn’t quite work, but it helps, and by the end of the night, Keith’s nibbled his way through his meal and a snack, and seems to be feeling a bit better.

Definitely well enough to tease Lance about all his stupid new earrings.

[sera-cb]

My vaccine experience has been terrible and stressful and it’s put me in a really weird spot where I 100% believe everyone should get this thing if they’re at all able, but also am terrified to try again myself. Which I have to do, it turns out! Because even with this capitalism’s efforts to do things cheaply and as automated as possible has just absolutely fucked me apparently.

Like first off, I have a day job five days a week and every other weekend I am scheduled to do art streams, one for backers and one for comms, which both are typically needed to make ends meet.  Work won’t pay me to miss time for side effects, and I’m finding it very difficult to do these big-ass seven hour streams two weekends in a row on top of my usual work weeks, so finding the right time to get the first dose was a nightmare, but also

that nightmare began with like an hour wait inside of a Walgreens to see if the last appointment would show up or not, because “walk-ins open” is sort of only half true I guess, but largely because if they just gave it to me they’d need to open a new set of the things and they’d all go bad for my sake and that sucks.  Fine, I get it, but the dude didn’t show so they scheduled me for the next day.

Then, as I was walking away, the dude shows up, and the guy flags me down and goes “hey let’s do it now after all.”  Rad, I thought. Progress.

Another hour waiting in Walgreens.

I finally get the shot. She hands me some papers. I need to wait around for 15 minutes to be observed, they said. Alright, fine. I read the papers while I wait; the side effects of the shot possibly killing you are basically 1:1 with what happens to me during a panic attack. I’ve developed this weird history with needles where I get panic attacks or something adjacent with some weird and mildly random delay after getting any kind of shot.  Now I’m thinking about that and the room is spinning. I call my wife hoping she’ll talk me down. I get about two sentences into that call before I wake up to my phone ringing on the floor.  Nobody on staff notices.

Three hours after getting there, I hobble out of Walgreens. I’m basically wiped out for three days - even without the shot, the weird lightheaded shit I get from these pass-out sessions does some vile stuff to the rest of my body that lingers for a day or two sometimes.

I was advised that since I got the shot day-of after all I’d need to reschedule my appointment, though, and this led to problems.  Walgreen’s vaccine setup only does appointments in pairs; if you missed the first, you won’t get the second, and there was to our knowledge no way to do just the second, especially via their robo phone tree. Kaz deals with Walgreens all the time for her meds, so she knows how to get through the phone tree - it’s by being so hostile that I feel bad for the robot, for the record - but when asking if we could schedule just a second shot either they hung up on us or the line went dead.

I said “screw it, I’ll just show up in a few weeks,” but then I just never did, because I didn’t have a hard deadline to my knowledge and I was quite stressed out from the whole experience, but it turns out that the day I finally worked up the will to get the second dose? Where I had people willing to be there for me in case things went south again?

Three days after the six week deadline before the whole thing is moot, which nobody told me about.

So now I’m back to square one, barely able to work my will up for one more shot but staring down two, wondering if this means I now have the option to go somewhere else or if that counts as mixing vaccines, which even I know to be bad, and feeling incredibly lost and frustrated with the whole thing.

And the brutal truth is that none of these places have accommodations for Kaz that would allow her to get the damn shot anyway! She can’t stand around a Walgreens for hours. She could barely walk back to where the pharmacy even is, and all like two chairs back there are made for skinny little asses so she’d have nowhere to sit while her spine declares war on her. (And this is all ignoring that she basically can’t go out during daylight without a bunch of excess precaution since her antidepressants have rendered her some sort of vampire in the skin department, by which I mean the amount of time it takes for her to get sunburnt is less than the time it takes to walk to the car from the house.)

So I’d still need to act like I haven’t had the shot, because even though it’d stop me from getting sick, I could still bring something home and transmit it to her. Nothing about my life would change. I cannot go back to “normal.” At this rate, ever.

So on the one hand I’m with everyone going “hell yeah get your shot”

but on the other I am effectively one of the people who hasn’t, with someone else who hasn’t and seemingly can’t (I do not understand why we can’t just set up an appointment with her doctor, who does have accommodations, for this??? Why does it need to be some retailer pharma??), and the whole thing is both deeply frustrating, confusing in implementation, and leaving me feeling like a hopeless statistic that’s here just to frustrate everyone else.

Like, I’m probably never going to have a group of people over again? Game nights are gone. Socializing is gone. Web calls never replaced it, we’re not that important to anyone. Holidays are well dead. My family has tried to talk us into attending church for several things, including Christmas and Mother’s Day, and just doesn’t understand how not plausible that is. Kaz is high risk; I have been assured that if she gets COVID, she almost certainly will die. I can’t play fast and loose with this shit like everyone around me wants to. I’m forced to come into work every day as it is and still dread coming up the stairs and being forced to be within five feet of another person, none of whom have ever masked during this thing. If I thought there was a safer job available to me that wouldn’t leave us homeless, I’d take it in a heartbeat.

Sorry for the long post. I just feel so defeated by this whole mess and I keep seeing post after post saying anyone who doesn’t get the shot is an idiot, basically, and while I realize we’re outliers I feel terrible all the same.

[supercasey]

What are the TF2 Mercs' phobias and why? Er, you don't gotta include the why if you don't want to. People are sometimes just born with anthophobia Ig, I don't judge. Sorry if this has been asked before.

Ooooo, this sounds like a lot of fun; please excuse me as I go tf off with my own personal headcanons and possibly get everything about the characters wrong! Also don’t worry, it hasn’t been asked before, and I LOVE coming up with new headcanons from your asks, my pal!

Engineer: Monatophobia, the fear of dying alone. I very much headcanon that he’s experienced a lot of death in his life, starting when he was a very young child, so now he tends to get overly attached to the people in his life, especially the rest of the team once they start socializing with each other more. When he gets particularly anxious about this fear, he’ll try and be around the rest of the team more. Only Medic, Pyro, and Soldier know of his fear.

Demoman: Agoraphobia, the fear of open spaces or large crowds. He was traumatized as a young child after he got lost at a busy festival for several hours, during which there was an emergency, and in the ensuing chaos he was nearly trampled to death. As an adult, he’s not quite as afraid of these things as he used to be, but he still hates to fight in too open of spaces against the enemy team. Only Medic, Heavy, and Soldier know of his fear.

Soldier: Equinophobia, the fear of horses. It’s... a long story. In short, as a kid he got to go horse riding with one of his older cousins for the day, but the horse he was put on ended up not only running loose (with him still on it), but it fell into a ditch and died from the fall, leaving Soldier with a broken arm and leg. In the aftermath, he felt responsible for the horse’s death, but he’s also deathly afraid of them to this day, and refuses to go near one. Only Medic, Sniper, and Demoman know of his fear.

Medic: Lilapsophobia, the fear of tornadoes/hurricanes, as well as Astraphobia, the fear of thunder/lightning. In all honesty, Medic has no gosh dang idea where his phobia came from, but ever since he was a little kid he’s been absolutely terrified of storms. He’s actually tried going to specialized therapy for his phobias, but seeing as no doctor can find the root of it, it’s been unsuccessful so far. He’s given up on curing it by now, but he still gets embarrassed when thunder makes him scream and freak out. Only Heavy knows of his fears.

Heavy: Pathophobia, the fear of disease. Seeing as he and his family had to live in such isolation for a long period of his life, the threat of an illness going through the family and killing them all was a very real fear in young Heavy’s mind, and as a result he gets really paranoid about the people he loves getting sick, as he fears that sickness = death; it’s a good thing his boyfriend is a doctor! Only Medic and Spy know of his fear.

Pyro: Insectophobia, the fear of insects. Much like Medic, they don’t know when they developed this phobia, but it’s haunted them since they were a teenager, causing them to run away in a frenzy if they see a bug (especially if it’s flying at them). In all honesty, their suit makes them feel a lot calmer around bugs, so that they don’t just up and run when they see one, but they’ll still get anxious/start squirming like crazy if it doesn’t go away. Only Medic, Sniper, and Engineer know of their fear.

Sniper: Nosocomephobia, the fear of hospitals. I headcanon that he grew up in foster care for at least a few years before being adopted by his folks, so he was dragged to hospitals a lot whenever he got even slightly hurt, as social workers needed to make sure he wasn’t being abused. As a result, he’s now deathly afraid of hospitals, as to him, hospitals = something very bad is happening. Only Medic, Spy, and Pyro know of his fear.

Spy: Atychiphobia, the fear of failure, and Trypanophobia, the fear of needles. He thinks he acquired his first phobia as a little kid, after dealing with so much pressure to be successful from the adults in his life, while his next fear was developed while he was captured and tortured by a mad doctor for a few months early into his work as a spy. He was primarily tortured with needles during his imprisonment, sparking this newfound phobia; his fear is so bad, he’ll go into hiding when Medic tries to draw blood/give him his vaccinations. Only Medic, Scout, and Sniper know of his fears.

Scout: Claustrophobia, the fear of small spaces. When he was a fairly young child- about four or five years old- he was playing with his older brothers one day, and they decided to play hide ‘n seek. Being so small, he decided to hide in a briefcase... which accidentally locked him inside after it closed. It took a lot of work to get him out, his mom having to use a hacksaw on the lock to break it, and afterwards he was scared shitless of confined spaces, so much so that he’ll genuinely hyperventilate until he passes out if he’s locked in a small space of any kind. Only Medic, Spy, and Pyro know of his fear.

BONUS Miss Pauling: Ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes. She was born with this fear, hightailing it since she was a kid from any sort of snake, even tiny gardener snakes! She’s very embarrassed by her fear, and tries to hide it from the people she knows, and usually she can, but... well, now everyone on RED knows after the time that a snake got into the base while she was visiting them for something, and she literally passed out when she saw it. Afterwards they all agreed not to pester her about it, on the grounds that she didn’t deserve to be teased for something out of her control. She still doesn’t know remember that day at all.

I hope you enjoyed these headcanons, ‘cus I really enjoyed writing them!

((Also, while I’ve been liking the idea of Scout having claustrophobia since I got really into TF2 about a month ago, the fic “I Can’t Breathe” by thetriggeredhappy, which you can find here does an excellent job not only writing it’s story in general, but also writing some very good Scout with claustrophobia PLUS some awesome freaking Dad!Spy. Please check it out, it’s so good!))