Transcribing Conspiracies

by **Lixue** on August 10th, 2013, 9:01 pm

Summer
Day 65
513 AV

Eighty-nine... ninety... ninety-one... ninety-two...

There were ninety-two dips and cracks in her office ceiling. None looked particularly threatening, but Lixue was not a contractor. What did she know? Maybe, if Lixue was lucky, her office would unexpectedly cave in one day while she was off shift. All of her paperwork would be ruined and she would not have to work the next day...Yeah, the idea was foolish. Lixue dismissed the notion before the idea could take seed.

A worn cane with chips and scrapes rested behind the door, tucked underneath a simple dark blue jacket that had seen too many seasons. Boots with creases in the seams sat under her desk, lacking a pair of feet. A thin cotton blanket was draped over Lixue's knees and laps in the chair, one corner dangling to the floor below. Even as her green eyes gazed around her, Lixue did not want to look at the work she had to complete. It was not that she disliked her work but more that there had been too much in the past seasons.

A large stack of patient files sat on Lixue's normally organized desk. Papers with folded edges peeked out of the files and hinted at what lay inside. Lixue's mind did not wander to the possibilities. She already knew what the files contained: a sheet with pertinent information, another with a diagnosis/solution, one full of notes, and yet another with a follow-up report. The reports Lixue handled were thicker than that of a regular doctor. She felt it was necessary to gain more than enough information on the patient to help any future employee if the case should be handed over for any reason.

Today, Lixue had been transcribing. Although the task was not one of the more interesting aspects of being a doctor and a surgeon, transcribing the notes of files was necessary. When Lixue took notes on her patients, she tended to use a hyphenated form or completely dismiss useless letters. If and when the case was reviewed, whether for a follow-up or an audit, it had to be legible. How were doctors supposed to help in an emergency if they had to take the time to translate notes?

Shoving the heavy weight of sleep off her shoulders, Lixue folded her hands together backwards and stretched. Each of her knuckles popped, echoing in the silent room. Reaching up, Lixue tucked a fist against the left side of her chin and pushed. Three solid cracks resounded before she did the opposite side. Finally, Lixue held one hand against an arm of her chair and turned slowly. All the way down her spine echoed. The feeling of relief and relaxation seeped through her afterwards. Elders repeatedly informed her she would only gain arthritis from such acts, but Lixue pushed away their concerns. She was bound to end up with arthritis anyways, living the life of a doctor and as a person who worked with her hands.

There was a soft shuffle of papers as Lixue pulled a random file out of the pile haphazardly stacked. Sliding a thumb between the sheets, Lixue flipped open the file and stared at the contents. Was she in need of glasses? The words shifted out of focus and back in as she blinked. Was she simply tired? A yawn that brought tears to her eyes erupted.

Simply tired.

by **Lixue** on August 10th, 2013, 9:05 pm

Either way, there was to be completed. Yes, the night was late. Yes, she was tired and wanted to sleep. Yes, nearly everyone who had started their day at the same time of her had gone home to their families. Yes, she had a home that was collecting dust and a bed that had not been used in too long because she stayed at the hospital and napped on her cot. Yes, Lixue only wanted to ignore the dense feeling in her heart that was still easing from the winter.

Shifting a leg that had fallen asleep beneath her, Lixue set the file down on the desk and picked up a clean piece of paper. Charcoal was fetched with her left hand and held between her thumb and the last knuckle of the first finger. With a hand crying out from cramps, Lixue began to transcribe.

"pnt sfrs ankle pain. tbng. swollen. warm 2 tch. No mvmt of bone out nrml. Yng bones, wk. Inry sstnd slppng on ice. Fll dwn hll."

What in the world? Was Lixue drunk when she wrote out the notes? Setting down the charcoal and pinching the bridge of her nose in an attempt to detain the headache gradually gaining force, she sighed. Each and every doctor had a unique way of writing his or her notes and Lixue was no different. An assistant would not be able to transcribe these notes because they were only legible to Lixue. With this in mind, Lixue reached out for the charcoal again. Never did it cross her mind she had just wiped the black dust all over her nose.

"Okay... 'pnt'? Obviously 'sfrs' is suffers and the sentence is missing the word 'From'. Suffers from ankle pain. The only word that would really make sense is patient. The patient suffers from ankle pain." Bearing this in mind, Lixue rewrote the sentence to make sense in the new notes. "Tbng? Um. T-boning? Taping? Oh, gods and goddesses... what is this? And why am I talking to myself?" Frustrated at both the words and herself, Lixue pressed her lips together. Too often she caught herself talking aloud.

Onto the next word... Swollen. Warm to... touch? Yes, touch. No... movement of bone out. Oh! Missing a word. No movement of bone out of normal. Wait. Tbng. That would be -ing.. Throbbing? Yes, throbbing!

Without even realizing it, a smile fell over her lips. Lixue was immersed in her own thoughts and of writing the words on the paper. Of how the charcoal felt dusty yet so strong and how her hand cramped each time she pressed down to make a letter.

Yng... Um. Young bones. It only makes sense, given the patient is... Quickly, Lixue flipped a paper over. Green eyes scanned the first sheet before falling upon the age. The patient was only nine years of age. Wk... Obviously, if the patient is young the bones would be weaker than that of an ad-oh! Weak. Injury was sstnd... Erm. Slipping, obviously. Injury was blanket from slipping on ice. Gained... gathered... sustained? Wait, that makes sense. Injury was sustained from slipping on ice. The last one is easy. Obviously it's fell down a hill. Poor child.

Nodding as if to confirm her own thoughts, Lixue glanced back to her notes. Now that she had translated the words, Lixue could rearrange and have the sentences make sense. With the light of her lantern flickering over her face, Lixue set to work.

Within ten chimes and three more yawns, Lixue had managed to rewrite most of the notes in the file.

"The patient is a young child who fell down a hill after slipping on a patch of ice. The injury was sustained to the ankle. Despite concerns, the bone does not move out of the normal pattern and does not seem to be broken. The injury was classified as a sprain or a twist. This conclusion was reached from the abnormal warmth the injury exuded, the swollenness, and the patient complaining of a "throbbing" sensation. Injury was soaked in warm water and wrapped to prevent movement. Parents were warned of the patient having weak bones."

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by **Lixue** on August 10th, 2013, 9:07 pm

Lixue frowned at her notes. Did she seem to blunt? Would another doctor be able to understand? Actually, would another doctor be able to even read her half-asleep chicken scratch? A yawn caught Lixue unaware and the words blurred as her eyes filled. A bob of her head caught Lixue unaware. No! She had to stay awake. These files needed to be transcribed.

They will hold until tomorrow... You're tired... Get some sleep.. Ignoring her persuasive thoughts, Lixue continued working. Too long she had been putting the files off. Despite the half-lowered eyelids and how warm she was, Lixue tried desperately to stay awake. However, the battle was already lost. The charcoal rolled out from between her fingers and hit the floor with a soft crack. The piece of paper she had been studying slipped from a loosened hand and floated to a stop in her lap. Black hair with blue highlights dipped to the side as Lixue's head came to rest on her shoulder.

"Lixue, I need you to- Oh." The voice went from loud and demanding to soft and then, finally, silent. Lixue remained oblivious, asleep. Seiled's eyes softened and he stepped into the office, letting the door quietly shut behind. He held the belief Lixue was working herself into the ground and the warm feeling in his chest urged him to interfere with her daily actions too often. Even now, Seiled could not quell the urge to assist her. Carefully placing the paper in her lap back on her desk, Seiled gently slid his calloused hands under Lixue's knees and behind her back. From working patients, Seiled's movements were more casual than if someone else had tried to move her.

Then again, this was not the first time he had moved Lixue to the cot in her office after she had fallen asleep at her desk.

Normally she did not awaken.

This was not one of those times. A murmur of sleepy protest fell from between Lixue's lips when Seiled went to pull away after setting her on the cot. Groggily, her eyes slid open a crack. Perhaps it was because she was past the point of rational thinking. Perhaps it was because she simply really wanted to. Either way, Lixue did not stop to contemplate her reasons as she reached out and caught one of his wrists. Seiled was in the middle of adjusting her blanket, but came to an abrupt halt when her thin fingers settled around his skin.

by **Lixue** on August 10th, 2013, 9:12 pm

Taking a deeper breath than was necessary, Seiled took a moment to gather himself before pushing her hand away. With a quicker pace, Seiled settled back into the routine of pulling the blanket up around her waist and making sure the pillow was under her fragile head. "Get some sleep, Doctor Lixue," he whispered and a careful smile fell over his lips. Gently, Seiled thumbed her nose. "Maybe one of these days I will call you Miss Charcoal instead. It seems to be your new favorite attire."

As she watched him from beneath her half-shut eyes, Lixue thought back several seasons to when Seiled had kissed her. At the time, Lixue had discouraged him. What would it be like to truly kiss him? Or more? Would the calluses on his hands contradict his style? The thought made Lixue shiver in anticipation and a light red mixed with the green in her eyes.

"What?" Seiled questioned, amused by her antics.

"Come here," Lixue murmured. Sleep made her voice raspy and deeper and a careful observation of his face showed Seiled recognized the change. The next instant brought wary suspicion of her motives. A husky laugh breathed from Lixue's lungs. "Come here, silly."

Still suspicious, Seiled took a seat on the edge of the cot and leaned closer. Lixue pushed up from the cot, ignored how her shirt was twisted up around her torso, and placed a hand on Seiled's arm. Hmm, the man had muscles. Almost unconsciously, Lixue's hand tightened. Seiled's eyes shifted color, but Lixue barely noticed as she trailed the other hand over his knee before skipping to his arm and dipped up to curve around his neck. Seiled had just enough time to realize what was going to happen to hesitate before finally moving his head to meet hers.

Triumphant slid through Lixue. Seiled was coaxing, as if he was afraid she might take the opportunity away should she truly awaken. One of his hands settled next to her knee on the bed as he turned to better face her. The other reached out to pull Lixue closer by her back, his fingers spanning the width of her back. Lixue tightened her hold in his hair. She was the first to make a real move and her tongue traced his bottom lip before, with a natural sigh, Seiled let her explore.

Neither protested when Lixue drew him backwards and there was only peaceful harmony as the pair breathed. Seiled searched her eyes, for what Lixue was not certain, and his fingers massaged circles her bare skin where Lixue's shirt had ridden up. "Gods and goddesses, you're tiny," Seiled whispered in what sounded like awe. It was true. His one hand spanned the width of her back and still had a little to give. Compared to him in general, Lixue was petite.

Seiled's words brought a burst of husky laughter from Lixue and she fell back onto the bed, releasing him. "Shut up and come here."

"Oh no no. That's what led to this in the first place. I'm not falling for that trick again," Seiled teased even as he shifted to lie next to her. The hand beneath her pulled Lixue closer and she snuggled against his chest. The other tugged the blanket up around them. [color=#00BFFF]"Get some sleep," he murmured and kissed her temple. Lixue, complacent and comfortable, only sighed and shifted closer.

Within chimes, she was fast asleep.

by **Noblesse** on September 10th, 2013, 5:10 pm

Lixue :

True nobility lies in being superior to your former self

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out. Heehee.

Solo Transcribing Conspiracies