Narrator

BHUC 0090.1.29

The first meeting of the newly formed Winter's Gate has come to a conclusion. As people begin to trickle out of the meeting room, Katsumi Hoshino would feel a strong yank backwards as he tries to exit.

Melissa Carson

Behind him is Melissa Carson, eye narrowed as her mouth is twisted into a grin of utter frustration.

"Not so fast, Lieutenant Junior Grade Hoshino! We still have a daily checkup to perform, don't we?" Despite being so much shorter than Katsumi, she was holding onto the back of his shirt with such force that she likely could knock him fully over, if she timed things right.

Katsumi Hoshino

Ah, freedom at last. A perfect opportunity to go do what Katsumi does best - more napping. Sadly, his dreams of dreaming about going to bed were quickly dashed as Melissa nearly pulls him off his feet, making him somewhat comedically try to manage his balance.

"Heyeyeyeyey! Careful careful, I might be interested in falling for a girl but not falling on one!"

Melissa Carson

"Heeey, I'm being just as careful with you as you are with yourself! Unless you have a problem with being at risk of adverse health effects? That would be news to me, Lieutenant Junior Grade Hoshino!"

Good God, she is absolutely fuming, and yet she still is keeping her tone as chipper and cheerful as always. Her grip on him stays tight, making sure Katsumi doesn't run off the second she dares let her guard down.

"I would also like to let you know that it has been medically proven; making sure you stay healthy and alive is quite critical to a successful love life. So what's a quick visit to the medbay going to do, if not improve your chances of finding that girl you so wish to fall for, hm?"

Katsumi Hoshino

"Not really the warmest on overly pushy ladies... alright, alright, I get the hint already. Let's just go to the infirmary and get it over with, Doc." While pushy might not be in his preference list... quick-tempered is, even if she's not really showing it right now. Peppy rage does make her a bit cute. ...although it's probably not a good idea to skimp on important medical checkups to keep her fuming like this.

...unless?

Melissa Carson

"Let's!" Her grip loosens... Off of his back, that is. In a flash, Melissa has already made her way to Katsumi's side and grabbed his hand with considerable force. Just to make absolutely sure he doesn't scramble off before she can make sure no pus has started oozing from his eye socket.

And now the poor man is being dragged off to the infirmary. "Tell me, Lieutenant Junior Grade. What do you gain from avoiding your checkups that is more valuable than the losses you are inevitably going to incur from it?"

Katsumi Hoshino

"Easy: I get more nap time that way. Isn't a surgery patient meant to get a lotta rest anyway? Especially when I'll probably be drafted to steal a ship in two weeks!" Let's be realistic: Katsumi's just kind of a lazy bum when not being put in a cockpit. "...Although I guess napping with clean bandages is better than napping with an infected socket..."

Melissa Carson

"An infection of the eye socket would also prevent you from sortieing, Lieutenant Junior Grade. I doubt Captain Ogbonna would do something as reckless as send a sick man on the frontlines." She's going to make sure of that by outright telling him Katsumi is in no fighting condition yet. While Nnamdi may be the captain of Winter's Gate and technically have the right to overrule Melissa's directions... Well, upsetting someone as powerful as her could have major risks to it! Abusing her medical authority in case Katsumi was actually in fighting condition by then would have to be an absolute last resort though, she thinks as she opens the door to the infirmary. It is quite well equipped, as is usual for a proper asteroid base like the Luna II. It's making her wonder about the qualities of the medical facilities of the ship they'd be capturing.

Those don't tend to have operating rooms. At least she's good at improvising.

"Now! Take a seat over there so we can begin." Melissa gestures over at the patient's chair on the other side of her workdesk. On it, aside from the infirmary computer and some scattered files, sit two coffee cups; one still full, and clearly on the patient's side of the table. Katsumi did have a scheduled check-up this morning.

Katsumi Hoshino

...Could've used that coffee earlier. Katsumi quietly sat down on the chair, thinking about what she had said to him just now. Sortieing probably would be challenging right now, what with all the balancing issues that might come from his condition along with the extra training to adjust combat vision. All of it sounds like a pain... Of course, there's also the more pressing matter to get used to - depth perception, as Katsumi is reminded of when he attempts to grab the coffee cup, only to miss by quite a wide margin. Of course, he doesn't realize this at first. It just seems to be juuust out of reach, so with enough stretching...

Melissa Carson

She has already grabbed the cup before he can manage to spill its contents onto his file that had been sitting on the desk all morning.

"Well, that gives me some information about your current depth perception levels. I'll be sure to note them down," she says, handing the cup to Katsumi. The coffee has gone cold a long time ago. She made it just for you, and you let it go cold.

Katsumi Hoshino

He couldn't help but to feel a little sense of guilt as he held the cooled cup in his hands. Whether the guilt was from letting the cup go cold or... well, finding himself here in the first place, is something even he wasn't quite sure of.

"...Thanks for keeping me alive back then, Doc. I didn't mean to undermine your stuff by forgetting this earlier. I guess it just... feels a bit strange? Everything's still a bit of a blur at times.." A common side effect of nearly losing one's life.

Melissa Carson

She goes to sit down on her side of the desk, grabbing both Katsumi's file and a pen off of it.

"An understandable reaction, but unfortunately, not one suitable for the front lines." She takes a look up and down Katsumi. As used to cutting people open as she was, she was not usually seeing the same patient every day. Memories of picking out the torn shreds of his eye flashed in her mind; though, she would remain unphased. Just another benefit of her powers.

"So, you've been feeling out of sorts and struggling with your depth perception. Have you had any other issues? For example, with your Vicodin dosage? Has it been working as intended?" It was honestly jarring seeing how professional Melissa could act when actually doing her job. Of course, she would credit this to using her powers to enhance her focus; but maybe, she just subconsciously understands that the doctor's office is no place for roleplay.

Most of the time.

Katsumi Hoshino

"Nah, nah, the Vicodin's been fine. Haven't felt this pain-free in a while. The main things are the depth problems and being kinda out of it, but those go away after a while... well the latter one, at least." For someone who sustained a life-altering injury, Katsumi was quite nonchalant about himself. Maybe it was the drugs or just the idea of it not kicking in, but if nothing else, he was certainly a good sport about it.

"Oh, I guess one thing is that my bandages are still getting kinda damp. They don't feel bloody or smell bad, so it's probably something else? You be the judge of that, Doc."

Melissa Carson

She takes a few notes in Doctor's Cipher; which is to say, Katsumi has no damn idea what she just wrote down, her cursive is just that condensed. It'd be a miracle if anyone other than her could decipher it to be digitized.

"The damp should just be tears. I can check if it's something abnormal when changing them. Speaking of; you're still sure you don't want any numbing for that?" As she asks, she carefully pulls her eyepatch off. Unlike the ones Katsumi would likely be wearing once the rest of his face heals, it was not to cover up a damaged eye. With her so-called "limiter" off, Melissa gazed intently at Katsumi with her jade-green eyes.

"The pain you'll feel is entirely preventable."

Katsumi Hoshino

Katsumi looked into Melissa's eyes, thinking about his choice. He could easily just take the easy way through, but he's already experienced worse. Like drinking cold coffee, sometimes it's for the best.

"I'll be fine. Better to try an' get my pain tolerance up, anyway. I trust you to be gentle~"

Melissa Carson

"Well, if you insist upon it." Melissa stands up and walks up to the handwashing station of the infirmary, spending a lot more time washing her hands than most people on this ship would. She sometimes finds it shocking that people are so willing to touch themselves and others with hands coated in such immense amounts of germs.

"Now, just remember to stay as still as you possibly can. No sudden movements of any body part; mouth included." After meticulously drying her hands off and gloving them, she returns to Katsumi and begins to carefully unwrap the somewhat damp bandages off of his face, inspecting them for a moment before throwing them out into the bin. "Seems to be just tears on the bandages, indeed. Now, about that eye of yours..."

Katsumi Hoshino

His breathing gets a bit deeper as the bandages start coming off, as if he's preparing for what's about to happen. Still, he's following doctor's orders quite well, staying about as still as he could. The socket looks pretty fine. As expected, the dampening mainly came from the tear ducts, and unless there's something underneath the gauze, there's no clear signs of infection.

"Ready, Doc. Sure hope I get a lollipop out of this..."

Melissa Carson

"We can go get you some ice cream after this; I don't stock lollipops when working with practically all adults. Now remember, no movement; mouth included!" Getting a pair of forceps ready in one hand, Melissa gently pulls Katsumi's eyelids open with the other. The gauze packet is still wet enough with saline and tears that pulling it out shouldn't require any extra lubrication. She knew exactly what movements to make, when to speed up or slow down, all from Katsumi's pain. Even if he sat there quietly trying to grin and bear it, she was fully aware of how much this was hurting him. Every day, she was grateful for her powers allowing her to treat her patients as painlessly as possible.

"... Aaaand, it's all out. I'll give you a moment before checking the socket, Lieutenant Junior Grade Hoshino."

Katsumi Hoshino

He could feel everything. From the hand opening up his eyelids, to the gauze moving around as it gets pulled out, each small fibre brushing against the socket, slowly exiting it... until it's all gone. The socket looked healthy, and could likely accept an implant soon. Throughout the entire procedure, his hands were firmly clamped on his chair. The tiniest of sensations that close to his brain felt like nettles stinging in his skull, and by the time it was over, a few beads of sweat ran down his head. He had been a good boy today.

"...fhhhh... S-starting to get a little used to this by now... things looking good?" Just focus on the cute doctor taking care of you... some people would pay money to be like this. Probably.

Melissa Carson

"Things are looking good in there... I think it's finally time I send you to a proper ocularist to get measured for a custom prosthesis." She gets herself out of Katsumi's face and puts her equipment away, showing him a gentle smile. "You will have to go off-board for a little for such a procedure, but I'm sure you'd make it soon enough if I can book you an appointment early enough. Oh, or perhaps I could schedule it so that you would be coming back onto the captured ship with Intern Ishikawa! His duties would include care for your eye, after all; it would be critical to get you two on good terms as early as possible." Wait... So, no more cute doctor digging around in his eyesocket in just a few weeks time?

Katsumi Hoshino

"Phew, that's good to hear. Probably some skin off your back as well, what with you not having to chase me down for appointments every morning. Although, it is pretty nice to just hang out like this." Part of him really wanted to recline in his seat, but without new gauze packed into the socket and new bandages on, he wasn't going to risk an injury like that happening.

"Like, I know you're not really supposed to eat in the infirmary, but... y'know. Could be nice to share some of that ice cream you mentioned."

Melissa Carson

"Oh, I will still be your primary physician; Intern Ishikawa is in a nursing program. But yes, he will most likely be in charge of dragging you in here from then on." She is glad that Katsumi seems receptive to interacting with Hibiki; from what she has heard about him from his girlfriend, he is the type to struggle socially. A bad quality in a medical worker, if you ask Melissa, but she's sure he can be trained out of that.

"Good thing that the ice cream I mentioned would be in the cafeteria, and not here. We can head there after I replace the gauze and bandages. Do you still need some time before that?" Even as she asks that, she is already getting the gauze, saline, and bandages ready. He's allowed a bit of breathing room between removal and replacement, but not that much. Melissa is a busy woman, after all.

Thankfully not busy enough to delay getting ice cream.

Katsumi Hoshino

Either the shot missed or she's on the denser side when it comes to implications... probably the former, would fit his track record. "Nah, I'm ready, Doc. Final stretch."

He gripped his arms on the chair in advance. Getting the gauze off was painful - getting it back on was about ten times harder on him. Just keep breathing and it'll be done in a flash...

Melissa Carson

Yeah, this one hurt. A Lot. They're both acutely aware of it, even if only one of them is actually physically feeling it. And indeed; it would be done in a flash. A painful flash. At least it was over now; Katsumi's new bandages were covering his newly refilled eye socket, protecting it from dirt and debris.

"Well, we are done on that front! Good job, Hoshino." Hey, wait a moment. No title? What could the meaning of this be?

Narrator

It's not like I'll tell you just yet. This is for Katsumi to speculate and hallucinate about; no interference from higher forces allowed.

Narration

Ohohoho, ominous!~

Katsumi Hoshino

...Huh. No title. That's strange for the Doc to leave out. She's not really the type to stray from her typical routine like that, which could mean the shot did land after all... better not push it just yet, though. Katsumi got up from his torture chair, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Ahh, that's better. On the correct time tomorrow, promise..."

Melissa Carson

"Going so soon? I thought you said it was pretty nice to, how did you put it, just hang out like this?"

Katsumi Hoshino

...don't fumble, don't fumble, don't fumble.

"Oh, yeah. True! Hee..." Katsumi promptly sat his desperate ass right back down, a little smile on his face. If he's going to be out if commission due to surgery, he might as well spend the time he has wisely like that.

...don't fumble.

Melissa Carson

She let out a small giggle at the sheer awkwardness radiating off of Katsumi. You didn't need to be a newtype to feel that. "Well, I should clean up a little first; of course, I must also put my limiter back on first. Wouldn't want you getting caught in the crossfire, would we?" And so, she finishes disposing of the disposables, putting the reusables in a bin she would take to the autoclave later today, and most importantly, putting her eyepatch back on; with it on, she has gone back from Doctor Carson to just Melissa. Not that the distinction really mattered; Katsumi did tend to just call her Doc, regardless of circumstance.

"So! Do you spend time like this with the rest of our team as well? Good relationships between comrades are critical at times like this, after all." There was quite an odd emphasis on the word good there... Hard to say if she means something with it, or if Katsumi is just reading too much into it. The woman sitting on the other side of the desk from him is known for speaking in quite odd ways, after all.

Katsumi Hoshino

With newfound confidence in not being able to destroy his eye socket on accident anymore, Katsumi leaned back on his chair a little, the front legs lifting slightly off the ground. He watched her clean up and perform her little rituals, making sure not to disturb her in the process. Eccentricity's a good thing to have in his books.

"The others? Depends, really. Sometimes I hang out with the three hotheads, but I feel like they're too busy having their eighth argument of the day to really sit down. That Nicolau kid occasionally brings me a sandwich or two when I don't show up for lunch, but that's more her being some kinda cinnamon roll like that. The Khoury lady is... well, her, and. Uh. Choolirindah? I think? She's more interested in hanging with Nicolau. So, uh, not really at this point?"

Melissa Carson

... Is she struggling to hold back laughter? Oh my God, she is. She's absolutely laughing at him right now. "T-Three things I would like to point out, Lieutenant Junior Grade Hhhahahoshino..." Melissa is absolutely breaking at this point. Has Katsumi fumbled? "First; that is not how you pronounce Chief Petty Officer Tulirinta's name." Well damn, that is... Exactly how you would pronounce this name in its native language.

"Seh-secondly, Warrant Officer Khoury is a year younger than you… aand t-third of all... Chief Petty Officer Nicolau... pfft... She's six entire years older than you!!!" And the floodgates have opened. She is openly laughing at him for calling Hilde a kid while calling Lapis a lady. This is the funniest thing she has been witness to all week. Maybe all month, even... No, that would go to Nnamdi wearing a party hat on his birthday a few weeks back. The contrast amused her greatly, even if she didn't burst out into laughter in front of him about it.

Katsumi Hoshino

"H-hey! Just 'cuz someone's older than you doesn't mean they can't be a cinnabun!" Oh goodness. The blushing is intense. Something that was particularly surprising, given his tanned skin... wait, what.

"...Wait, she's OVER HALF A DECADE MY SENIOR?? No way, I don't believe that! Really?! Next you're gonna tell me the rich kid's past 30!" The feeling of embarrassment quickly fades into genuine confusion and bewilderment. He was sure she was around his age at best! Did she just not get enough greens as a kid?? Or maybe she needs a couple burgers now...

Narration

And this is why you're struggling to score, buddy.

Narrator

No bitches, Katsumi. No bitches since high school.

Melissa Carson

She is still giggling a little bit, but is starting to calm down enough to not stumble over her words with sheer jubilance. "No, Petty Officer Parachure is actually younger than you as well; the only people in our team past thirty are me and Captain Ogbonna. In fact, I'm almost twice your age! I'm pretty sure that some of my former classmates have kids your age these days."

Goddamn.

Katsumi Hoshino

"...Really? Even though you look as young and lively as the rest of the team! Either your powers do you more good than I first thought or you won the lottery on good looks!" The sheer bewilderment of the things he's learning about are making Katsumi's game a bit more... direct, to say the least.

Melissa Carson

Okay, admittedly, that was a good one. He could even catch a hint of blush on her face that wasn't just from her makeup! ... Probably?

"Well, thank you, Hoshino!" She's doing it again, holy fuck. "However, it takes more than a genetic lottery ticket to attain looks as good as mine! Good diet, good sleep, and good fitness are all required to stay looking like we could have been in the same graduating class. If you need any pointers on those, I would be happy to provide you with some informational pamphlets."

Katsumi Hoshino

Note to self: Whenever Melissa drops titles when addressing someone, that means they're getting bonus points. And right now, Katsumi's getting plenty.

"Honestly, sounds great! Man, must be a lotta stress to keep up a regiment like that, y'know? Especially when you're already busy taking care of us as well. That kinda work ethic is something I should work on as well." That's it, Katsumi. Play it smooooth.

Melissa Carson

"Indeed, you should, Lieutenant Junior Grade Hoshino." Aw fuck, you played it crunchy, Katsumi.

"As skillful as you have been in mobile suit combat, your work ethic outside of it has been quite lacking. Say, are the rumors of you pawning dishwashing duty off onto others so you can nap for longer true, or do I need to find a more reliable source? To clarify, I heard that before you were taken off the schedule due to your injury." The whiplash this woman induces in others is insane. One moment, bubbly and energetic; the next, talking as if you are having a performance evaluation. Can you recover from this, Katsumi?

Katsumi Hoshino

"Aw come on, it was one time! I had combat drills the day before and I needed to recover, okay? Not like Nicolau seemed to mind anyway, she was the one who asked to take over anyway.." Aand he dropped it. Better luck next time, buddy.

Melissa Carson

Siiiiiigh.

"Well, I guess I now know who to ask next about that. I do ask you to not collude with her to make your stories match; A good worker with good work ethic does not lie to cover his own behind. Or someone else's, for that matter."

A few moments of silence pass between the two. The air has become quite awkward. "... Either way, you at least admit your own faults. That is the first step to self improvement! I wonder if I can find you some tasks to handle while still in recovery... Of course, anything related to my work is out of the question; you're unlicensed to handle medical equipment and documents, after all." Well, she's sounding a little more chipper now! Clearly, she still wanted to talk for a bit longer! Maybe this was not unrecoverable? Just... Be careful, okay, Katsumi?

Katsumi Hoshino

Okay, this is still recoverable. Katsumi's gears were running as fast as they could, even if they really needed some derusting at this point. She's very clearly laid out NOT to ask about work-related things, so don't do any of that. And then, an idea strikes.

"Uh... I'm pretty good at giving massages, if that's anything to work with. Had an internship at a parlor for a while." ...Tact, Katsumi. Please.

Melissa Carson

... Suddenly, a folder falls out of a shelf behind Melissa. She does not acknowledge this at all.

"... That skill is not exactly relevant to your position, Lieutenant Junior Grade." Despite looking and sounding quite disappointed in Katsumi... Well, let's just say, that the blush on her face is not the same color as it was when she put it on in the morning.

Katsumi Hoshino

Ohhh, he fucked up big time now... or did he? Seems like she's at least partially considering it. Either way, probably not the right direction to take right now. Quick, think of an alternative! "...Guard duty?"

Melissa Carson

"... That sounds like something that could help you build your skills, what with it requiring a lot of staying alert and awake. If you think you can handle that, I could talk to Captain Ogbonna about getting you to do that while recovering." Alright, Katsumi! She sounds a lot less upset with you now; you're definitely saving the conversation! Now make sure you don't fuck it up completely!!! You still haven't even gotten that ice cream she promised earlier, either! You don't want to fumble both on a lady and ice cream!

Katsumi Hoshino

"Yeah, that sounds... krhm, more appropriate than the previous suggestion I made. Sorry." Honestly, there is kind of an adorable factor in his awkwardness. Like a confused puppy trying to get to its food bowl. He scratched the back of his head, still looking rather flushed. "U-uh. You still up for that... ice.. cream? Doc?"

Melissa Carson

Again, a few silent moments pass, leaving Katsumi to squirm in his anxiety over if he had finally dropped the ball so hard it would not be bouncing back up... Until...

"Did I ever imply I wasn't?" She responds, a beaming smile on her face... No, that's more of a grin, actually.

... Was she fucking with him this whole time?

Katsumi Hoshino

...What is even going on anymore. Just take the W already and don't blow this any further, you got the bag.

"Ehe, guess not. Shall we, Doc Mel?" For God's sakes.

Melissa Carson

She giggles a little at Katsumi once again. She cannot help herself, he's just really, really funny sometimes; even if it is entirely unintentional on his part. "It seems we shall, Hoshino."

Narrator

And with the bag secured, the two shall head out into the cafeteria and sliiiightly misuse Melissa's "more than one serving of ice cream per week" permissions. She's a doctor; why the hell wouldn't they let her have all the ice cream she wants?