[center][h1]Raven's Rock, Camp Hannula, Pöyrisjärvi National Park, Finland [/h1][/center] [center][h1] [color=ec008c]Samantha “Chaos” Dalton[/color][/h1][/center] [b]Soundtrack: [url=https://youtu.be/5rOiW_xY-kc?feature=shared] Everybody Hurts Sometimes - R.E.M.[/url][/b] [hr] Samantha had been rushed back to base with Skye for medical treatment. Athena, Purna, and Oliver had handled the blimp while Skye had monitored her to make sure she didn’t go back into cardiac arrest. It felt like hours before she was back in Sophie’s tender care. Samantha had been barely functional and that was with help. She might have walked off the airplane but she didn’t make it very far before Sophie had ordered her onto a gurney before she passed out. Sophie was right to be concerned as she had collapsed exhausted onto the gurney. Trying to function through the pain had taken all her focus and energy and she was out after the battle. She had sat on the gurney and just kind of fell over onto her side. Sophie had cursed at her in a language she didn’t know as she passed out. Sophie had rushed her to the base’s medical facilities where she had been faced with her first challenge. Trying to remove her armor. Some of her armor had sealed itself to her skin. It was taking her skin with the armor as they tried to remove it. Sophie ended up having to remove her armor in pieces. She saved as much of Sam’s skin as she could but she still lost a few large patches on her leg, one arm, and her chest. Sam was grateful that Sophie had knocked her out for that part of the procedure. Sophie had to move slowly while saturating the dehydrated and damaged skin gently pulling it away from the armor. Sophie kept her in a chemically induced coma for pain while she worked. She treated her burns, debriding the wounds to remove any dirt or detritus stuck in them. She had been put on a heart monitor and had a iv drip with pain meds and medications to keep her heart in normal sinus rhythm. Sophie was monitoring her heart closely. Sophie had used skin grafts with medical nanites to speed up the healing process on the worst burns. There was not much Sophie could do about the bruised chest and broken ribs from CPR. She kept Sam knocked out through the night on IV antibiotics, fluids, and nutrients. Sophie finally let her wake up late the following afternoon. She had wrapped her upper torso for extra support to help those fractured ribs heal faster. It would help the pain by preventing them from moving much. Samantha woke up feeling groggy. It was like a wet blanket was wrapped around her brain. She woke up confused and not knowing where she was. Samantha laid there feeling lethargic and tired even though she had just slept through the night.She felt weak. She tried to move and stretch and she could feel the binding across her ribcage. The movement pulled at her ribcage and the bruises there. She let out a soft whimper [color=ec008c]“ow”[/color]. Sophie’s face came into focus as she stood next to the bed in her lab coat holding a tablet. [color=fff200]Sophie: “Welcome back to the land of the living, Samantha. You need to move slowly while you are healing and move carefully. The skin grafts are holding for now but you can’t stress them while they are bonding. You also have bruising and cracked ribs from CPR. The good news is you will make a full recovery with a little time.” [/color] Samantha blinked in surprise at Sophie. She knew that was a very common turn of phrase but it now held more meaning for her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to get out what she needed to ask. [color=ec008c]“Did I die?”[/color] Sophie was watching her carefully and simply nodded and spoke matter of factly about what happened. [color=fff200]“Yes, the electrical shock you took stopped your heart. Lucky for you Skye noticed and got to you in time.”[/color] Samantha lapsed into silence as she thought about what she had experienced. She sighed when those thoughts were interrupted once more by Sophie. Sophie was giving her a stern and exasperated look. [color=fff200]Sophie: “Yes Samantha, you died this time. So please don’t argue with me this time as I advocate for taking it easy for now. I have used medical nanites to speed up healing the fractured ribs and helping the damaged areas of skin regrow and the grafts to bond but even they need a few days to work. In the meantime, please be careful. Move slowly and don’t overstretch those skin grafts or ribs. Return to the infirmary if the pain becomes unbearable, headaches, or if you experience any strange heart palpitations or chest pain.”[/color] Sophie gave her a smile as she squeezed her shoulder gently. [color=fff200]“I am glad you are still with us. Now get out of the infirmary. You can go laze about in your room or elsewhere.”[/color] Samantha nodded and gave Sophie a genuine smile. [color=ec008c]“Alright doc.”[/color] She moved slowly as she pulled her feet off the bed and set them on the floor. Sophie helped her sit upright on the side of the bed. She helped her pull on some sweatpants and a button up flannel shirt. All Sophie had managed to find for her feet was some socks. It would do for now. [center][h1] Campfire at Raven's Rock [/h1][/center] Samantha had managed to make it to the mess hall for some food. She had chosen to go for some hearty stew. She didn’t feel up to anything difficult to eat. She then made it back to her room albeit with cold and wet feet. She laid down and rested for a while after pulling off the cold wet socks. She then called Kameko and told her all about the message from her husband and her adopted grandfather. She had looked both sad and grateful at the same time. She was grateful that Kameko took what she had to say at face value. She didn’t question it like some would have from a Western culture. She just nodded like it was everyday that you got a message from the dearly departed. She told Kameko how much she missed her and that she would be home to visit soon. Samantha hung up and pondered the experience some more. She had a bad feeling. She knew Rose had escaped. The world was not safe yet. She felt a tear track down her cheek. She had missed them so much. It would have been so easy to stay with them. She managed to find some clean clothes and shower. She had to call Sophie for help with the Torso wrap, who then proceeded to put a waterproof dressing over the burns and skin grafts. She felt better after a shower though. She put the flannel shirt back on with some clean leggings. She managed to bend enough to pull on her boots. She pulled on the heavy winter coat that she had been given. She went in search of Skye. She found her sitting in front of a large campfire roasting marshmallows with Adam, Athena, Purna, and Tahlia. Samantha smiled to see Skye in what was for her a very domestic scene. It was so at odds with the fiery redhead. She held her ribs tenderly as she moved slowly towards the campfire. She carefully slid down in one of the sturdy wooden chairs next to the fire. [color=ec008c]Samantha: “Good evening. What did I miss?” [/color]