mitochondriaaya | It started out fine...

It started out fine...

She was fourteen when the area karate regionals came around. Never mind the fact that it was early December, and her mid-terms were coming up, and she was still trying to come to terms with her new breast size. Like an idiot she said she'd be there, layered on sports bras, and trotted to the gym.

The fights were simple exhibitions, points awarded on execution and touches rather than beating an opponent into the ground. In her third bout Aya was getting tired, and her opponent, a human from two towns over she'd met in the ring before, was as well. That was probably why things went wrong.

Three points in he flubbed a spin kick and his ankle buckled, making the attacking foot lash in an unexpected direction. She didn't get a block up in time and he tagged her hard on the ribs, taking them both to the floor. The referee blew his whistle, hard, halting all conversation as paramedics came forward to access injuries.

One cracked ankle on his side.

Two cracked ribs on hers.

They both managed to facepalm at the same time when it was announced they were unfit to continue. "Next year," they mouthed at each other around the pained wincing as they were bandaged.

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"...I have never actually heard of that." he admitted. 'Alright, I'd like...Oh. Help her sit up." Braig was closer and Aya was sitting up and hacking now!

Braig slid an arm behind her and held her gently, stroking her forehead and making soothing comments.

The doctor took her wrist and kept track of her pulse while she was coughing, then pulled on his stethoscope to listen to her chest. "It's...it sounds like the congestion is breaking up some." There was a staticky hiss on each inhale now. "Hot shower, steam. It'll help."

He grimaced and called out of the room "Dilan! What are those counts?!"

Dilan came back and gave the count number for...everything that he found in the blood. He was a little panicky, okay?

Braig nodded, "Okay. Now? I can get her in there now."

"Now is good. That's...a lot in her blood. I want her in for some samples when she'd better alright? I'd like to see what her bood is like in healthy conditions. For now, Dilan, I'm pretty sure the worst of the congestion is trying to break up. You need to find any type of astringent that aides mucus breakup in shower steam." He was assuming they had something on hand for Dilan's weeks!

Braig, without further pause, pulled Aya out of the bed so that he could get the two of them into swimsuits, and then cart the girl into a hot shower. Where he would hold her so that she didn't drown on him.

"Okay." Dilan said, heading off on his next Job. "I can do that."

She wasn't going to drown on him! Her immune system had worked TOO DAMN HARD TO WORK HER TOWARD HEALTHY to let her drown! She'd probably grow gills or something as her system panicked! She was going to cough though. A lot.

The doctor was going to head down to explain to Elcy and Yinsi what he believed was going on. Yep. An insane immune system response, and with luck, he hypothesized that she'd start getting better now. Another week or ten days of recovery, but the main infection was hopefully being broken up now.

Oi.

Theories.

"I've got you." Braig said quietly, holding her in the shower. He couldn't stand there as long as Dilan could, but he could sit in the tub and prop her head up on his shoulder. Dilan added the stuff to the shower, then went to stalk the doctor.

"'kay," she muttered thickly between a bout of coughing. At least she was waking up? "My chest hurts and I want a new one."

Dilan could stalk the doctor! He was good with dealing with Dilan! "I'd like her to keep seeing me, Dilan. I'll need a list of everything she's had allergic reactions to, then notes on any other significant medical moments you may have observed." Why yes he'd gladly offer Dilan an internship if he wasn't already hi doctor!

"I know, babe." Braig said, hugging her gently, "I know. Doctor said you should start getting better, soon."

Dilan blinked, nodded, and went back into the bedroom...then returned with a giant folder of medical information on Aya...everything he'd tested her on since meeting her. "Here you go."

"Oh, good, don't know where to get a new chest anyway." Except maybe from a dead body? She wasn't sure where to get a fresh one without committing murder though. "M'not allowed to kill anyone for lungs right?" She was a little wobbly on the why not right now!

Dr. Somna blinked and accepted the folder. "That took a lot less time than I expected." What now? "High protein meal for Aya, she'll need it if she's conscious when they get out of the shower."

"No, sweetheart, you're not allowed to kill anyone for lungs." He said softly, stroking her hair.

"Okay. I can do that. Can I have the file back when you're done with it?"

"Okay, won't." And she wouldn't! "Guess I like my lungs anyway? Used to them." HACK HACK HACK WANNA DDIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE bleh. "Why are we in the shower?"

"I'd like to make a copy of it if you don't mind" he asked finally. Wow. How was Dilan authorized to do half of this? "They let you in the hospital labs don't they?"

"Hot steam will help break up the gunk in your lungs." Braig said, "Smell that? It's what we use for Dilan, too."

"That's fine." Dilan said, "Uh huh. And I can also use the labs at work."

"Smell...yeah. Huh, I can smell it." Now that he mentioned it! "Think I need to spit. Lemme get to the sink?"

"I see." That did explain the sheer detail of things in the folder. "What's your hypothesis about her then? And do you agree she may have reached a turn around point in the pneumonia?"

"Okay." Braig said, standing to help keep her balanced. He was worried! Very worried.

"I'm not sure." Dilan said, shaking his head, "She's definitely human...but some of her reactions...I don't want to offer a theory until I have more to work on. I do think she'll be getting better, though."

Good, because she nearly brained herself when her feet didn't want to stay steady on the tile! Together they got to the sink, she hacked, spit, and brushed her teeth...then stumbled for the toilet. Yep, coughing until she retched time! Her body was not happy with her. Aggressively not happy.

"Then sit down, Dilan, and tell me speculation. I'm curious now. Physiologically she is human, yes, but the internal is matching up a little closer to katzu in my experience here. Not perfect, granted, but it's definitely odd." He eyed the file thoughtfully. "Wait, get her meal started, then sit with me when it starts to simmer."

Braig wrapped a towel around her shoulders so that she wouldn't catch a chill while she retched, and stroked her hair back. He was fluttering a bit, but doing his best to keep it down.

"Okay." Dilan said, heading into the kitchen...to find Elcy already working on a meal. "Lots of protein, mom." "I heard, dear."

He then went back out to the doctor and started explaining what he'd figured out, and what he thought.

She fell back to just coughing after a bit, then stood shakily to brush her teeth again before leaning on Braig. "How long do we have to stay in here?"

"Thank you Elcy," Dr. Somna called. "I'm going to pick your son's brains then check on Aya alright?" Only polite to inform her since they were in a home not at the hospital!

"I have no idea." Braig admitted, "Until the doctor calls us? Do you think you can handle it? If you want to go back to sleep you can, I'll keep holding you." I'll hold you forever...just get better!

"Of course!" Elcy called back, happy to have something to do. Yinsi, meanwhile, was taking the opportunity to change the sheets and blankets from the ones that Aya had sweated all over.

Dilan was more than happy to talk until he was out of things to say.

"I can handle it, just gonna get wrinkly." The heat did feel nice, admittedly, but the coughing sucked. At least they'd be clean? "Breathin' a little better." A little.

The doctor paid very close attention to Dilan as he spoke but...yeah, not enough information, despite the wealth of it, to draw a full conclusion. Damn. "She's interesting Dilan, if you have medical question later don't hesitate to ask. Shall we go listen to her chest now, see if things are continuing to break up?"

"Good." Braig said, "Lets get you back into the water, then." He took the towel off and helped her back into the tub.

"Yes, please." Dilan said, "I'd like that."

"Alright, yeah, tell me what I missed?" While she was too druggy or asleep! "Scared you guys huh?" She could kind of tell!

"Alright, can you use a stethoscope properly? Maybe he could steer Dilan towards medical doctor? It might be good for him!

"Yeah, baby, you did." Braig admitted, "Well, we had an IV in you for a bit to help rehydrate you. The doctor is here, he's going to check up on you...make sure everything is going well."

"Of course I can." Dilan said, giving the doctor a weird look, "I'm taking medical classes too." Nope. Biologist. His interest was too wide.

"Didn't mean to, sorry." She was! She didn't like the boys scared! "I'm getting better now, promise. Guess I just needed to be sick once?" she really, really hoped it was only once. This sucked.

"I'm not privy to your college courses," he pointed out mildly. "And most don't pursue medical classes so it's a valid question. You can listen first if you like."

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