[It'd have to be in Nocwich, of course. There are some very hard distance limits on his abilities these days. He'll spare Claire the details of how and when unless she decides to take him up on the offer, though.
He considers her situation, thinking of his own position with his siblings. Without their Father pulling strings, they've found themselves in a fragile truce: they let him be and he lets them be, despite the ugly history between them.]
We're all divorced from our origins. Relationships here need not mirror those from home. If you're seeking outside perspective, I think it makes little difference whether or not you hear him out. Abraxas applies its own pressures that will either bring you together or push you apart.
[Michael probably doesn't have any business offering relationship advice. The hierarchy of Heaven had made it so simple, once upon a time. The only relationship terms he'd had need of were superior and subordinate. It'd taken him nearly a thousand years in the Cage to define what Adam was to him, and friend is a concept he's only warmed up to since sometime after arriving in Abraxas. Internally, he's still building these concepts from the ground up.
But he's also an archangel, and archangels are nothing if not arrogant and self-assured. He'll speak with authority on any topic.
Archangels don't have much use for ideas like the dignity of a corpse, either. It's all meat suit to Michael. Nonetheless, he lets Claire take the sheet from his hand and fold it as she feels appropriate. This is her domain and he'll respect her authority here. He pulls on the smock and gloves without complaint.]
Not especially. I'm aware of human internal anatomy and my previous host was studying medicine, so I understand basic first aid.
[Essentially: he'll let her be the judge of what would be of most value to show him.]
[ Claire pauses, wondering if she should even entertain the thought of telling John. She doesn’t know him as well now as she will a decade from now, but something tells her he won’t want to forget. ]
After I know everything, perhaps we can revisit the idea. But I also can’t say I disagree with you. For now, let’s get started, shall we?
[ Not said unkindly, but ready to push her future aside for the moment.
Everything she’s doing is out of habit, and nothing more. She would do the same if she were alone. She would do this for the dead in the real world as a personal show of respect, and she doesn’t stray from her methods in the Horizon. For their purposes though, and the potential hazards of Abraxas, she decides it’s better to begin on the outside. ]
As a disclaimer, no bodies are exactly alike, and especially here, someone may present as or have qualities of being human but have completely different anatomy. For example, I’ve no clue how I would treat our new shark neighbor if he were ever injured. I know he has the basic internal parts we all do—heart, liver, stomach, et cetra—but that’s it.
[ Can he get sick? That’s just one of a multitude of questions she has. ]
In any case, this is the body of someone who was poisoned. After Jocelyn, I won’t rule anything out. Lean in, what do you smell on the body?
[ If the Horizon has done it’s job, when close enough, the body should smell like almonds. ]
[Of all the Summoned, Michael is the least likely to be offended by a request to get back to work. Productivity is among his favourite hobbies—though he would understand her wish not to think too deeply on her own future, too. Michael doesn't have anything to look forward to back home and he prefers not to dwell on it.
He turns his gaze on the body, nodding along to Claire's explanations. He's well acquainted with the concept of human variation. The bloodline that makes one a suitable vessel for him to occupy is one such peculiarity he'd had to keep a close eye on throughout the years—and, in a similar vein to her own wonderings, he hasn't a clue if or how well a creature like Nanaue would tolerate angelic possession. Here's to hoping they won't need the answer to either question.
Though he briefly pulls a face, Michael leans in and takes a whiff, as instructed.]
Carbonic acid, hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, putrescine, cadaverine, a hint of hydrogen cyanide. You'll have to forgive my lack of a human sense of smell. [He does not look terribly apologetic as he leans back.] What does it smell like to you?
[The question is genuine. Her guidance as a human is of as much value to him as her guidance as a doctor.]
[ Claire laughs, but this time, she makes it clear it isn't because of him or anything he's done. She did learn from last time. ]
I should have known you would at least understand something as basic as this. Yes, it's cyanide. To anyone not with finely honed senses, it smells of almonds. Based on the things in Jocelyn's garden I wouldn't put poisoning past anyone in any faction. If it can be grown, it can be a weapon in the right—or rather, wrong—hands.
[ It would take a hell of a long time to collect enough peach or cherry stones, but if Geillis did it in the mid-18th century, anyone in Abraxas could. It's just a matter of knowing what to do and how. ]
A person poisoned this way would vomit, gasp for air, and ultimately go into cardiac arrest. It's obvious if you arrive in time based on the smell alone. But if it's dissipated by the time someone finds the victim, it looks as though a simple heart attack occurred. Cyanide isn't detectable in the blood, either. Not after a day or two.
[For his part, Michael takes the laughter in stride. The sound reassures him she isn't put out by his alternate perception throwing a wrench into what would have been a clever lesson plan for another human.]
Senses like mine have their disadvantages. I can't appreciate what it is to smell an almond.
[Not an apology, but an explanation.
Poisoning always struck Michael as a complicated and fallible way of accomplishing what a blade could guarantee with one well-placed strike—though of course, poisoning an angel is a difficult feat to achieve in the first place. Given how few angels Abraxas is home to and how limited the reach of all Summoned is thanks to the faction borders, maybe it's a possibility that deserves greater consideration. Michael considers the corpse.]
Whether cyanide poisoning or a heart attack, there was a time I could have solved this with a resurrection. Even now, I could simply clear the substance from my vessel if I were poisoned. [He looks across the examination table at Claire.] What would you do, if you suspected poisoning of this type and arrived before they died?
[ That makes her sad for some reason; she tries to imagine would it would be like to never know what it is to appreciate a favorable scent. But he already said it was a disadvantage, so she finds no reason to say anything of it. ]
We should all be so lucky, but if they aren't like our poor fellow here, and if the patient still had a pulse, I'd try to get activated charcoal into their system as soon as possible so that it could begin to absorb the toxins in the body. And if they were already having trouble breathing, then they'd need to be put on oxygen which I'd have to ask Wanda to make for us with her magic.
[ Claire pauses and turns to look at Michael, trying to determine what he feels he might need to know. ]
Tell me, what would you be most interested in learning?
[There's something a little sarcastic, a little cheeky in his tone—by Michael's standards of expression, at least. He was looking to hear what could be accomplished if their magical resources were exhausted. She's given him a complete answer, though. He guesses their poor theoretical poisoning victim is simply out of luck if they can't get their hands on the supplies she mentioned.]
Is that a general philosophical question, or in terms of what I think you could teach?
[There are so very many things he could be putting his time and effort into now that he has neither his old responsibilities nor his former goals to guide him. He assumes Claire means the latter, though.]
Abraxas has dampened my powers before. The same happened intermittently to those who were abducted. What I'm interested in learning is how to keep this body alive as long as possible, if that were to happen again—how to care for it if I break a bone, if I'm bleeding, if I'm otherwise wounded. The kind of injuries you may have seen while the Lost were recovering in Nocwich. Does that help?
[If there's a proper name for this course of study or a starting point, he thinks Claire will know it better than he.]
In this world, if I could use it to definitely save someone, yes. In my own, there's nothing of the sort, so unfortunately, if the dose is high enough someone would die within minutes. Short of being in the hospital when poisoned, it would be unlikely to save anyone. If they were being poisoned slowly over time, that may be a different matter.
[ Claire looks at Michael, standing casually as she waits for an answer. ]
I only asked because it's difficult for me to know how detailed to get in areas that you may have knowledge of. But yes, this helps tremendously. In that case, I think the better course of action is to start with the outside of the body.
[ She glances down at the table, and the Horizon obliges in giving her a dislocated shoulder to work with. Shoving thoughts of Jamie and how they met aside, she points out the joint now at an odd angle. ]
A dislocated shoulder is quite common and I saw more than one. Perhaps people falling as they ran, or someone grabbing them to be sure they didn't stumble and fall. May I take your hand?
[ If yes, then she'll guide him to feel first the normal shoulder joint and then the dislocated one. If not then she'll show him where to touch instead. ]
Can you feel that? It's essentially like a ball and socket.
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no subject
[It'd have to be in Nocwich, of course. There are some very hard distance limits on his abilities these days. He'll spare Claire the details of how and when unless she decides to take him up on the offer, though.
He considers her situation, thinking of his own position with his siblings. Without their Father pulling strings, they've found themselves in a fragile truce: they let him be and he lets them be, despite the ugly history between them.]
We're all divorced from our origins. Relationships here need not mirror those from home. If you're seeking outside perspective, I think it makes little difference whether or not you hear him out. Abraxas applies its own pressures that will either bring you together or push you apart.
[Michael probably doesn't have any business offering relationship advice. The hierarchy of Heaven had made it so simple, once upon a time. The only relationship terms he'd had need of were superior and subordinate. It'd taken him nearly a thousand years in the Cage to define what Adam was to him, and friend is a concept he's only warmed up to since sometime after arriving in Abraxas. Internally, he's still building these concepts from the ground up.
But he's also an archangel, and archangels are nothing if not arrogant and self-assured. He'll speak with authority on any topic.
Archangels don't have much use for ideas like the dignity of a corpse, either. It's all meat suit to Michael. Nonetheless, he lets Claire take the sheet from his hand and fold it as she feels appropriate. This is her domain and he'll respect her authority here. He pulls on the smock and gloves without complaint.]
Not especially. I'm aware of human internal anatomy and my previous host was studying medicine, so I understand basic first aid.
[Essentially: he'll let her be the judge of what would be of most value to show him.]
no subject
After I know everything, perhaps we can revisit the idea. But I also can’t say I disagree with you. For now, let’s get started, shall we?
[ Not said unkindly, but ready to push her future aside for the moment.
Everything she’s doing is out of habit, and nothing more. She would do the same if she were alone. She would do this for the dead in the real world as a personal show of respect, and she doesn’t stray from her methods in the Horizon. For their purposes though, and the potential hazards of Abraxas, she decides it’s better to begin on the outside. ]
As a disclaimer, no bodies are exactly alike, and especially here, someone may present as or have qualities of being human but have completely different anatomy. For example, I’ve no clue how I would treat our new shark neighbor if he were ever injured. I know he has the basic internal parts we all do—heart, liver, stomach, et cetra—but that’s it.
[ Can he get sick? That’s just one of a multitude of questions she has. ]
In any case, this is the body of someone who was poisoned. After Jocelyn, I won’t rule anything out. Lean in, what do you smell on the body?
[ If the Horizon has done it’s job, when close enough, the body should smell like almonds. ]
no subject
[Of all the Summoned, Michael is the least likely to be offended by a request to get back to work. Productivity is among his favourite hobbies—though he would understand her wish not to think too deeply on her own future, too. Michael doesn't have anything to look forward to back home and he prefers not to dwell on it.
He turns his gaze on the body, nodding along to Claire's explanations. He's well acquainted with the concept of human variation. The bloodline that makes one a suitable vessel for him to occupy is one such peculiarity he'd had to keep a close eye on throughout the years—and, in a similar vein to her own wonderings, he hasn't a clue if or how well a creature like Nanaue would tolerate angelic possession. Here's to hoping they won't need the answer to either question.
Though he briefly pulls a face, Michael leans in and takes a whiff, as instructed.]
Carbonic acid, hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, putrescine, cadaverine, a hint of hydrogen cyanide. You'll have to forgive my lack of a human sense of smell. [He does not look terribly apologetic as he leans back.] What does it smell like to you?
[The question is genuine. Her guidance as a human is of as much value to him as her guidance as a doctor.]
no subject
I should have known you would at least understand something as basic as this. Yes, it's cyanide. To anyone not with finely honed senses, it smells of almonds. Based on the things in Jocelyn's garden I wouldn't put poisoning past anyone in any faction. If it can be grown, it can be a weapon in the right—or rather, wrong—hands.
[ It would take a hell of a long time to collect enough peach or cherry stones, but if Geillis did it in the mid-18th century, anyone in Abraxas could. It's just a matter of knowing what to do and how. ]
A person poisoned this way would vomit, gasp for air, and ultimately go into cardiac arrest. It's obvious if you arrive in time based on the smell alone. But if it's dissipated by the time someone finds the victim, it looks as though a simple heart attack occurred. Cyanide isn't detectable in the blood, either. Not after a day or two.
no subject
Senses like mine have their disadvantages. I can't appreciate what it is to smell an almond.
[Not an apology, but an explanation.
Poisoning always struck Michael as a complicated and fallible way of accomplishing what a blade could guarantee with one well-placed strike—though of course, poisoning an angel is a difficult feat to achieve in the first place. Given how few angels Abraxas is home to and how limited the reach of all Summoned is thanks to the faction borders, maybe it's a possibility that deserves greater consideration. Michael considers the corpse.]
Whether cyanide poisoning or a heart attack, there was a time I could have solved this with a resurrection. Even now, I could simply clear the substance from my vessel if I were poisoned. [He looks across the examination table at Claire.] What would you do, if you suspected poisoning of this type and arrived before they died?
no subject
We should all be so lucky, but if they aren't like our poor fellow here, and if the patient still had a pulse, I'd try to get activated charcoal into their system as soon as possible so that it could begin to absorb the toxins in the body. And if they were already having trouble breathing, then they'd need to be put on oxygen which I'd have to ask Wanda to make for us with her magic.
[ Claire pauses and turns to look at Michael, trying to determine what he feels he might need to know. ]
Tell me, what would you be most interested in learning?
no subject
[There's something a little sarcastic, a little cheeky in his tone—by Michael's standards of expression, at least. He was looking to hear what could be accomplished if their magical resources were exhausted. She's given him a complete answer, though. He guesses their poor theoretical poisoning victim is simply out of luck if they can't get their hands on the supplies she mentioned.]
Is that a general philosophical question, or in terms of what I think you could teach?
[There are so very many things he could be putting his time and effort into now that he has neither his old responsibilities nor his former goals to guide him. He assumes Claire means the latter, though.]
Abraxas has dampened my powers before. The same happened intermittently to those who were abducted. What I'm interested in learning is how to keep this body alive as long as possible, if that were to happen again—how to care for it if I break a bone, if I'm bleeding, if I'm otherwise wounded. The kind of injuries you may have seen while the Lost were recovering in Nocwich. Does that help?
[If there's a proper name for this course of study or a starting point, he thinks Claire will know it better than he.]
no subject
[ Claire looks at Michael, standing casually as she waits for an answer. ]
I only asked because it's difficult for me to know how detailed to get in areas that you may have knowledge of. But yes, this helps tremendously. In that case, I think the better course of action is to start with the outside of the body.
[ She glances down at the table, and the Horizon obliges in giving her a dislocated shoulder to work with. Shoving thoughts of Jamie and how they met aside, she points out the joint now at an odd angle. ]
A dislocated shoulder is quite common and I saw more than one. Perhaps people falling as they ran, or someone grabbing them to be sure they didn't stumble and fall. May I take your hand?
[ If yes, then she'll guide him to feel first the normal shoulder joint and then the dislocated one. If not then she'll show him where to touch instead. ]
Can you feel that? It's essentially like a ball and socket.
[ ...essentially. ]