(open) ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʀᴜɴɴɪɴɢ ʙʟɪɴᴅ

[unwings]

WHO: Castiel
WHAT: catch-all, open and closed starters
WHEN: november-december
WHERE: cadens, nocwich, horizon
WARNING: nothing yet

ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴇᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛʀᴜɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴀᴛᴇ
sᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴀ ғɪᴇʟᴅ ᴏғ ғʟᴏᴡᴇʀs
ᴄᴇʀᴇʙʀᴀʟ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴜᴅᴇsᴛ
ᴀʟʟ ʜᴏʟʟᴇʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ

Comments

[nadine_he_loves]

[The academic year has ended at the Cadens Academy of Medicine, and Nadine passed with very respectable marks. She has two months off, and could be using that time to relax or enjoy being idle, but she has no interest in doing that. She's a practicing healer and apothecary, she can't just take two months off. This early in her education, she needs to keep her skills in practice.

Hence volunteering at one of Caden's esteemed hospitals. They're always welcoming to volunteers from the academy, and Nadine herself is starting to be known in the local medical community.

She pauses when one of her peers pops out from behind a privacy curtain.]

Oh! Hi. Uh...when I run into a patient that doesn't have a great understanding of how their own body works, I usually try and explain it like I would to a child. Without sounding pedantic or condescending, which...can be really hard sometimes.

[unwings]

[ bedside manner wasn't something they taught in angel school. customer service at the gas-n-sip, though cas was an ace with it, extended to selling lotto tickets and slim jims. this is turning out a little more difficult than anticipated, but familiarizing himself better with all aspects of humanity remains a goal.

thinking nadine's advice over, he's careful in considering how to put this. according to others, he's often come off condescending or 'holier than thou' (hurr hurr) without meaning to. interpersonal communication between humans seems to be a fine and subtle art. ]

If I were to say... 'the force your heart is exerting to pump blood is concerningly high, and I'd advise reducing salt and red meat in your diet, while adding fruits, vegetables and regular exercise to ease the stress put on your heart', does that sound pedantic?

[ a worry line forms between his brows, waiting for a verdict. ]

[nadine_he_loves]

I don't think it sounds too condescending. But you can never tell with patients, some of them swear you're talking down to them no matter what.

[Nadine's run into her fair share of those. It's as some people are just convinced the medical community is out to get them. Apparently some things never change.

But what can they do? Much as she'd like to literally shake sense into those types, there's nothing to be done. Except complain about them later and give them A Look when they inevitably end up needing further medical attention.]

And there's nothing you can do about them. They'll do what we advise or they won't, we can't make them listen. Which is frustrating as hell, I know. Just try and remember you can only do so much. It'll really get you down otherwise.

[They warn against it in every class Nadine's taken, how getting too involved and shouldering too much responsibility burns a person out. And god does she understand that.]

[unwings]

[ the frustrating thing is he could just fix it. If he had the full depth of his Grace, it would only take a soft smack to the forehead and the man’s blood pressure issues would be taken care of. At least for a while, before it builds back up.

As he is, trying to cure every patient he sees would have him utterly drained and spiraling into a sickly decline by midday. Best to save his powers for the most critical of cases. Were he to loop Dean into the issue, Castiel’s sure he’d order him to stay away from the clinics entirely, but standing by when he could be helping has never been his forte. ]

As “they” say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force it to hydrate. [ a beat, Castiel’s eyes thoughtfully on the ceiling, and he mutters. ] Though, I suppose you could with an IV, or gastrointestinal intubate.

[ then, abruptly adding - ] But, we would not violate patient rights by forcing fluids on them. [ no matter how freaking stupid they’re being about staying alive. ANYWHO. ]

Thank you, Nadine. Have your patients given you much trouble today?

[nadine_he_loves]

Sometimes I sure wish we could, though.

[A wry chuckle. Some patients were...very trying, to put it kindly. Nadine just complains about them later and accepts there's only so much she can do.]

But no, nothing more than the usual. Every so often I get a weird question or two when they realize I'm 'that Summoned healer', but I've gotten used to that. And I'm not nearly the novelty I used to be.

[Even with the horns, which also garner an invasive question or two. But deflecting questions she doesn't want to answer is a long-honed skill at this point.]

Another year and I won't be a novelty at all.