A Checking-In Check-Up

Mariko huffed and looked over a Zandrophin. "Do I look like a normal practitioner? I ask about childhood injuries for all my patients so I can rule them out of my examinations. Sometimes they interfere with a proper diagnosis. I will admit I was given some hints as to asking, but if you start pulling your trust now your only going to make your recovery more difficult than it needs to be." She stated, her attention going back to Ruta's arm. The casting cement was drying properly, and was distributed evenly. Nodding to herself she motioned with her head for Celeste to bring over the sling that was the last needed item in Ruta's treatment. As soon as Celeste handed her the needed item, Mariko skillfully and gently moved it under the arm and into the needed position, tying it into place. "There we are. I think I'll be able to remove the cast in about 12 weeks." She said turning her attention fully to Zandrophin.

"You are free to sit up now. I need you to sit on the edge of the bed so I can gauge where the worst of the strain is." She stated, keeping in mind Mentus's comments about the strikes to the back and torso. "I need you to be honest with me as well. Any details that you don't tell me will probably hinder your getting better worse than you think." At this she moved to where she was standing next to the bed Zandrophin occupied.

Mariko watched Zandrophin's tantrum with a blank face.  Honestly, a small part of her was wanting to treat the man like the child he seemed to want to act like.  The rational rest of her was just waited for him to either walk out completely, or stop what he was doing and realize how his behavior was making him look.  When he finally finished and turned to her, Mariko raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her, one finger on her left hand going to tap against the arm it was located on.  "So you are done now?  If that's the case... Speak."  She said giving the other an expectant look.

Off to the side, Snowdrop had started sniffling, as the whole event had startled her.  Even the most violent of Pokemon patients didn't shout like what had happened before.  Sure, there were times they would sound loud calls, but usually the trainer would calm them down, and Mariko would work her magic to help in the process.  The more upset human patients would shout, but then they would calm down when Mariko said something that would make them realize what they were doing.  This time she didn't and Snowdrop couldn't understand.

Almost instantly, Mariko had abandoned Zandrophin's bedside to pick Snowdrop up and hold her, all the while returning to her patient.  "And I believe an apology is also in order.  Not to me, but to Snowdrop."  The woman stated as she hugged the baby Pokemon and rubbed her on her back.

Mariko listened to Zandrophin's explanation and sighed quietly trying to go over the most she could do.  If the cracked vertebra happened that long ago, it might have healed wrong, and the fact that it might be acting up now means that it had been re-broken.  That may be a good thing in the fact that she can correct it now, though it was definitely a bad thing by the amount of pain and damage that had been added on top of it.  The scars she could ask about whether he wanted her to use a scar fading salve.  The ribs she could only suggest ice for, along with make a pain medication.  As she thought this through, Snowdrop was cautiously and shyly looking at Zandrophin, trying to decide whether he was sincere about his apology or not.

Finally, Mariko spoke, placing Snowdrop on the floor after the baby Pokemon gave her decided nod of acceptance to the apology.  "I'm not going to turn you away just for acting like a child.  I can understand the lack of trust, but I feel as though I had been ignored when I said that withdrawing trust would make your condition worse."  She stated as she walked over to where her stethoscope was and placed said object around her neck.  "Not only did you probably make my job more difficult, you worried your Pokemon.  I feel they too deserve an apology.  They care for you, and instead you yelled at them for showing how strong your bond is."  She walked back over to where Zandrophin was and stood in front of him with a disappointed glare.  "Mentus was trying to help, and instead you implied that he would just sell you out.  Squirt is still injured, and you yelled at him, which might I say, is one of the worst things you could have done.  Rose was trying to help you as well, and all your words did was slap her metaphorically in the face.  After this, you had better have a, and pardon me for using such language, damn good way of making it up to them."

With that said she cleared her throat and relaxed her tensed shoulders.  "Now, for your scars I can offer making a salve that can fade them some, it will make them look more naturally part of the skin.  That is up to you.  For your vertebra, the most I can do is put you in a back brace until the crack re-heals.  I don't have the medical equipment here to perform any sort of procedure to correct it that way.  I can also make the same bruise salve I am making for Squirt to heal the bruises you obtained.  I have to listen to your lungs, and feel around your ribs to check whether you are right about the fractured or broken ribs.  May I do so?"  She started explaining before asking the last question and waiting for the answer to be given.

Mariko gave a small satisfied smirk at the comment about not having to remind Zandrophin of his misstep.  At the comment about her stethoscope she gave a small amused huff.  "Of course.  Don't you know we doctors put them in the freezer at night and then keep them in ice during the day?"  She joked back before placing the eartips in her ears and placed the chestpiece on Zandrophin's chest.  Almost immediately she could hear a problem with Zandrophin's lungs, more so on the left than on the right.  Pulling the chestpiece away, Mariko took the eartips out and hung the stethoscope from her neck with a sigh. 

"Well, congratulations.  Your topple earlier may have made your problem worse.  I can hear, from the duress on the lung on my right, your left, you have a one or more broken ribs.  The other lung seems to be under duress as well, but not as bad.  I think that side was strained, your topple did the final honors and fractured two ribs at most."  She explained before walking over to where she kept her gloves and put on another pair of gloves.  She then walked back and gave Zandrophin an apologetic look.  "Now, I have to check my assumption.  May I do so?"  She asked, again waiting for the response.

Mariko waited until Zandrophin's coughing was calmed, and after he had asked his question, to nod.  "Yes, that would be for the best.  It would make sure that I don't misinterpret a crease as something.  I'll also need to know where the cracked vertebra is.  I need to know if I can use a back brace.  If it is close to the ribcage you might have to wait until the ribs are healed before I can help the vertebra, and that is going to cause some problems itself."  She explained.  She then stood back and waited for when she could start with her examination.

While she was talking, Jazz had started placing herbs in the third mortar that had been brought in for the bruise salve that Mariko was going to need to make for later.  Ribbon, her perch, had started chilling an ice pack with an Ice Beam so that it could be used on Zandrophin after Mariko had checked his ribs.  There was a chance it would be needed and it was better to start cooling it now just in case.  Snowdrop had taken it upon herself to talk to Ruta, though she seemed to be having a fast-paced, one-sided conversation.  The rest of Mariko's Pokemon had headed back to the front to see whether or not others had entered during the time they had not been there.

Mariko bit back a sharp inhale at the sight in front of her.  It was definitely worse than a lot of the things she had seen before.  She did, however, fail to stifle a huff of amusement at the chiding of Mentus.  Clearing her throat quickly to cover that fact up, she gave Zandrophin a nod and walked to where she closer to him.  "Then I'll be starting now."  She warned as she placed one of her hands on top of the other, and placed them gently against the beginning of Zandrophin's ribcage on the left side.  Moving her hands down slightly she could easily feel that she was right about there being a break.  Thankfully, from what she could feel, it was minor.  Moving her hands down further, she found the second broken rib.  Down, and the third was found.  Down some more, and she felt a fractured rib.  The rest seemed to be fine.  Taking note of that, she moved to the right and did the same thing.  Three fractured was the conclusion when she finished.

Sighing, she pulled her hands away and shook her head.  "Three broken and one fractured on the left.  Three fractured on the right.  All on the true ribs.  That means I can put you in a back brace for the vertebra.  You'll have to follow what I am about to say carefully."  She stated taking off her gloves and walking over to where the bruise salve ingredients were ready to be made.  "And yes, I know.  This goes to Squirt first."  She stated before she began to mix the salve while she began to inform Zandrophin of what he needed to do.  "Now, since bandaging your chest would only make the ribs heal wrong, you are going to have to deal with fact that they will be painful.  What you will need to do, is continue to breath deeply to avoid the chance of getting pneumonia.  I'll make you a pain reliever for you to take so that you can deal with them a little better.  I would also suggest putting ice on them.  They will take one to two months to heal on their own.  Try not to jostle them.  This means no activities that can cause strain.  Lots of rest is also advised.  For your vertebra, you will need to wear a back brace.  I'll need you to come in every two weeks for me to check the progress.  Ice will also need to be used for it, as well as trading the ice for a heat pack every once in a while."  She finished saying this as she finished making the bruise salve and put on the applying gloves.

It was here, that Ribbon approached Zandrophin with the ice pack she had cooled in her mouth.  She motioned with her head for him to take it, and start using it, Jazz nodding along with her.  Mariko turned to Squirt after that.  "Is that clear?"  She asked before looking up at the Blastoise.  "And I've finished the bruise salve.  May I apply it?"  She asked the Pokemon.

"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before you got injured."  Mariko stated as she began to apply the bruise slave to Squirt's injuries.  "Besides that... This salve doesn't need to be washed off.  It will need to set into the skin in order to work.  Thankfully you won't even notice is as it takes the texture of whatever type of skin it is applied to."  She explained, moving backward and looking over the Blastoise to see if she needed to apply any more.  Moving back in, she applied more of the salve to the two places she noticed she had missed.  "That should cover the bruises.  I'll make a salve for the scratch on your head in a moment.  I'm sure you would rather I focus on your trainer correct?"  She asked, giving the Pokemon a knowing looking.  It was obvious by the way the Pokemon had reacted before that he cared for his trainer.

Moving her attention to Zandrophin, she held up the salve.  "Your turn now."  She stated, before looking over at Jazz.  "First though...  Jazz, sweetie, please go and get the back brace materials."  She asked, watching as the Natu took flight for the first time this whole time, to do as asked.  She then put down the salve and took off the pair of applying gloves she had on to put on another on.  "Is it alright for me to begin applying the salve now?"  She asked, attention one more on Zandrophin.