ArchivedLogs:Keep Calm

Keep Calm
Dramatis Personae Micah, Shane
In Absentia	2014-05-11 takes place somewhere offcam during duskhunting
Location telephones
Ring ring ring ring. Someone's phone is ringing -- does it sound panicky? No it probably just sounds like a normal phone ringing. Shane's number is buzzing on Jax's phone. It's easily recognizable as Shane even before looking at the screen; Jax's custom ringtone for him enthusiastically sings Matilda's "Revolting Children" whenever Shane calls. Unfortunately Jax isn't around to /answer/ it; it vibrates on the coffeetable of the suite while the shower runs, Jax washing up after some time spent out in the stables. The phone will just sing enthusiastically as it slowly attempts to vibrate its way down onto the floor. Conveniently, Micah is camped out with his laptop on the couch, getting documents and appointments and emails and so forth in order for his return to work on Monday. It /might/ be a more than welcome distraction when the phone starts its musical interruption. Setting the computer aside, he pops up to fetch the phone and thumb the Accept Call button on the screen. "Hi, Shane, what's up? Jax is in the shower." "Pa? No. You're -- Hi." Shane's voice is -- /very/ level, a rather forced-flat calm to it. "Hi Ba, I -- have a. A question? Maybe? I don't really know what to do." "Nope, apologies. Got other-dad," Micah answers with a chuckle. His brow furrowing as Shane continues isn't /really/ audible over the line. "Sure, honey, what d'you need?" "I don't know what to do," Shane says again. "I called the. The police and they're coming maybe but I don't. I found a person. In the -- up in the mountains, I. He's hurt really bad." "Okay. Okay, honey. Take a deep breath for me? Face, not gills." Micah's voice is steady-calm. "First, I need you t'look over the person's injuries. Then tell me what y'got by way of first aid supplies." "There's um. His arm's -- not at the right angle and there's a lot of. Of bruising, I think he's -- been hit pretty. Hard in the chest, he's not breathing very well it's. Really wheezy and strained and." Shane hesitates, quieter when he continues, "-- he's lost a lot of blood, there's." There's a long pause before, quiet and flat again, he finishes, "-- some bad bites. Pretty deep to his. His neck and -- some cuts across his arms and chest. Maybe -- maybe claw --" There's a little bit of unsteadiness creeping into his voice now, more fluttery than befre. "I have a lot of bandages and gauze -- rolls and sterile -- 4 by 4s and. Tape and trauma shears and -- a few irrigation syringes and a couple ace bandages. I don't know. Tweezers, a multi tool, um -- um --" Micah listens quietly until all of the information is relayed. "Okay. It's okay, honey. That sounds like an animal attack t'anybody who'd...hear that, so that helps. Is he conscious, or has he been since y'got there? He's breathin', even if it's hard? D'you know how t'check a pulse?" He pauses after these questions. "Take another deep breath /not with your gills/. Then answer." "He was conscious when I got here, but he's -- I don't know, he's not. He doesn't seem very. With it anymore. Ba it's not an -- an animal --" Shane stops, quiet, and draws in a slow breath. Then another. "He was conscious. He's in and out. I don't think he is right now. He's breathing, and yes, I can check a pulse. I did what I could for the bleeding but his neck won't --" He quiets again for a moment. "Ba, I don't know what to do," he whispers, "if they get here and he -- tells them it was -- what am /I/ supposed to tell them? What am I supposed to /do/, if someone sees me with some mutilated -- but I can't just. Leave him, his throat's --" "Shh, honey. I didn't say it was. I said it /sounded like/. Which is sometimes a helpful thing. Take another deep breath, please." Micah's tone doesn't change, staying steady and soothing. "As long as he's still breathing an' his pulse is regular, the best thing y'can do is control the bleeding. If the neck is the worst, make sure t'keep pressure there. Y'don't know how t'set a limb, so /don't/ try t'fix the arm. The paramedics'll take care of that when they get there. If you have a blanket or somethin' t'put on 'im, that'll help." There is a longer pause after the instructions. "He saw you? An' you've touched 'im. Your prints are in the system. It's better for you t'stay. Both for him an' for you. If they investigate, they'd still come back t'you, honey. So just try to stay calm? Take another deep breath." "But B and Rasa are still. Out there looking for -- if he's just. Attacking some hunter out here I don't know what he'll do to. To them if." Shane stops, quiet for a long stretch. There's a soft rustling in the background. "Okay. I gave him a -- one of those crinkly blankets. I'll um. I'll stay, then. Okay. Okay. I -- okay. Thank you. I should. Probably. Probably --" "Okay. Okay. I'll have Jax call B as soon as he gets out of the shower an' let 'im know, yeah? So they'll know what's goin' on." Micah sighs heavily. "Don't volunteer information other than that y'were hikin' an' y'found 'im an' what injuries y'found an' what first aid y'performed, right? Other than t'deny that y'hurt 'im if they ask. Simple no's. No explanations. An' if they keep pushin', y'don't wanna say anythin' without your parents an' your lawyer, right? You're a minor an' a parent should be present when they question you." He pauses, swallows. "Keep pressure on the worst of the wounds. What road are y'all nearest? Might be we can be /there/ at least, maybe bring somebody who can go t'you, too. I'll stay on the line with you, if y'want? An' Jax can call the lawyer after he talks t'B. We'll try t'keep this calm /before/ anythin' happens." "I've got one of B's swarm, um. Blackavar is with me, I'll text you. Login info for his -- hir -- you can track all the dragonflies. Online. It'll show you where I am. Dandelion was with hir and Rasa if you want to track them too. We've been hiking a while we're. Far out from." Shane swallows. "I'll text hir too. OK. Um. OK. I'll. I gotta go. Take care of this hunter. Before he. I gotta go." "That's good, honey. That's good. We can keep track of alla you that way." Micah nods, though this is not terribly helpful on the phone. "Okay, honey. If y'just want your hands free y'can keep me on speaker, if y'want. Otherwise just call me as soon as y'feel y'need to, okay? We'll leave this phone free for you t'call. We'll use mine t'contact B an' then the lawyer. An' we'll get out there as soon as we can. Love you, honey. Deep breaths. Calm, okay? Love you." "Love you." There's a long pause; maybe Shane was /going/ to say something more, but ultimately all that comes, again, is: "Love you," before he hangs up. Micah hangs up as well, keeping that phone in one hand as he calls B on his own phone in the other. He moves for his computer to be ready to bring up the dragonflies' data as soon as he receives the text. And dreads what he has to tell Jax when his husband returns from the shower.