Part 13: 8: Reconciliation

Chapter 2-8: Reconciliation

This is another story-only episode. Chapter 2 has a bunch of them, if you didn't notice. It's also the only chapter with two in a row. Sit tight...





Angie: I'll go get us some coffee.

Derek: Thanks, that's a great idea.

Angie: I passed by Linda Reid's room on the way here, but...

Derek: Is something wrong?

Angie: Her parents were there. All three of them started crying and apologizing all at once. It seems like a lot more was going on than we thought. School, her father's job...

Derek: Were you eavesdropping?

Angie: Well, I was curious. I didn't hear anything worth dying over, though. Everyone worries about that stuff during High School, you know?

Didn't you hear her? She's too fat!

Derek: I think we all handle our problems in different ways. But, I'm glad her family came to visit her. Surgeons aren't really equipped to heal psychological wounds.

Angie: Don't sell yourself short.



He feels very strongly about this, apparently.

Derek: Anyway, if her family knows about it, then they can help her.

Angie: Yeah, I think she'll be fine. The girl's lucky she was brought to this hospital, though.

Derek: Huh? Why?

Angie: Well, this is only a rumor, but... I hear there's a death doctor.

Derek: A what doctor!?

Angie: Euthanasia. If that doctor had been treating her when she asked to die...

Applying the old JRPG 'rumours are law' thing is just completely insane in this sort of setting.

Derek: Death doctor, huh? I really can't understand why anyone would want to die.

End of Chapter 2-8

And now, something interesting:

Chapter 2-9: Please Let Me Live





Derek: Do they explain the bleeding in her lungs?

Kasal: I don't think it's directly related, but they found extremely high levels of syprohedrine in her blood.

Derek: What's that?

Angie: It's a new antihistamine, Doctor. They're usually used to treat allergies.

Hahaha she assumes he doesn't know what an antihistamine is.

Derek: I know what antihistamines do. But, why didn't she tell us she was on medication?

Derek: Because she wasn't. Drugs involving syprohedrine are still in clinical trial. Also, our tests indicated 24 times the suggested dosage.

Angie: Side effects from overdose include headaches and emotional distress.

Kasal: In some cases, the mood swings are serious enough to prompt suicide.

Derek: That explains her death wish.

If it did, do you think you could fix it with a mirror?

Kasal: It may have contributed, but I doubt it was the primary cause. Still, I've never heard of syprohedrine being synthesized inside the body. Whatever's causing it might be the cause of those lacerations.



"Reid's condition is getting worse! She's complaining about excruciating chest pain!"

Kasal: What!?



Derek: Linda!

Linda: Doctor... I want... to live. Please!

Kasal: Derek, we're operating now! Angie, alert the staff. Hurry!



The patient's name comes from... oh, right.



Kasal: We suspect hemorrhaging in her lungs again. There has to be some explanation for why these lacerations are occurring. Until we figure out what that is, there's not a lot we can do. You should have two objectives during this operation:

-Treat any bleeding injuries within the thoracic cavity.
-Discover the source of the lacerations.

I'll be working as your assistant. Stay calm, Derek.



OPERATION VIDEO
Gamevee
Viddler

This is definitely an operation that you should see in motion, if at all possible.



Kasal: I don't know, and these symptoms don't add up. Derek, take extra care during this operation. Angie, keep an eye on the monitors.



Step 1: Doing the same thing as last time. You will lose out on a bonus if the wounds re-open, but that's not hard to prevent.





Uh oh.



I didn't want to post another screen but for all I know this is the only time Angie makes this face.

Kasal: What the-what the hell's going on?

Angie: Doctor, try using ultrasound!

The ultrasound will reveal a shadow moving around in the organ. On hard, it doesn't stay visible long, so you have to cut it out quickly.



The shadow turns out to be some sort of fish-thing. In the lung. Angie suggests lasering the hell out of it. You need to hit it twice while it darts around, making cuts.



Before dealing with the remaining wounds, it's a good idea to make sure vitals are good...



...because you now have to deal with two at once. It's still not too bad, but if there are a lot of lacerations, it becomes difficult to balance restoring vitals and suturing wounds and attacking all at once.



After those two, these three huge cuts appear, signifying the beginning of the operations "boss fight." For some reason, the game has some sort of issue with the way I suture the middle one. Observe:



The game likes to decide that actually what I REALLY wanted to do was go for a wound that did not in any way correspond to my stitches.



The mature version of the lungfish here is stronger and faster than the normal ones. It takes three hits to defeat and will hide after each hit, so you need to seek it out again. It's still pretty easy, because he attacks on his own. For now, anyway.



Once you get rid of the big one, you're done!



Angie: (Could it have been... GUILT!?)

Derek: (What's going on? Why'd they both stop talking?)

Kasal: Uh, Derek, continue. Please suture the incision.





That was definitely an interesting operation, if nothing else. Time to check the score.



Nothing really unique here. With so many lacerations to deal with, getting good at suturing is essential. If you get a Bad rank, your chain resets, so you need to make sure that doesn't happen.



Do that, and you can get this with just a little practice.



Kasal: be considered strictly confidential. Bring Linda Reid's medical files to my office immediately. I will provide updates when appropriate. That's all for today.

Angie: Doctor, could that have been GUILT?

Kasal: How do you know about that?

Angie: I don't know much. It was mentioned in my father's research.

Kasal: When did your father come across something like GUILT?

Angie: Well, he was a researcher. Other than that, I don't really know.

Kasal: Give me some time to examine the situation. Until then, don't mention GUILT to anyone, understand?

Angie: Yes, sir.

Derek: (What the hell is GUILT?)

I like how they talk about how confidential it is right in front of him while ignoring him.

End of chapter 2-9