And now, a welcoming message from Noah | Photo

[redarm]

[Now that Noah's had a day to scream his head off, he's much calmer to address the network as a whole.]

hey if theres anyone out there still kidding themselves into thinking all this is just harmless pranks and shit?
i just want you to know i woke up with a new arm yesterday:

Noah Robin Campbell shared a photo. 5/01 near The Towers

thanks retrospec for your stalker photo

look forward to this kind of shit new people!
none of this is a joke!
sucks to be you!

also i think i need a doctor.

Comments

[redarm]

[--Oh hey he recognizes the name attached to this message]

youre dr. trevelyan? rachel mentioned you.
yes please.

[accordance]

That is correct. Can you arrive at 3pm? And would you have clothing that can cover your arm? I would not wish to alarm my receptionist who is sadly mundane.

[redarm]

yeah im gonna stock up on gloves.
wait 3pm?
oh no, i have work then.
anyway tuesday could work instead? im off today.

[accordance]

Would you be fine with evening then? Anytime after 6.

[redarm]

yeah thatll work.
thank you so much.

[accordance]

[ Here's the address and his phone number. ]

The receptionist will register you at the counter for record-keeping purposes, so please bring your ID and anything important that you think I should look at.

I will see you hence.

[accordance]

[ Lucian's place is a small clinic in Chata. It's painted a soft-cream colour to avoid agitation, and there are flowers decorating the interior. The receptionist is a polite lady who checks Noah's ID before telling him to wait in the lobby. The doctor himself comes out from the consultation room a short while later. ]

Hello. Noah, yes? Please come in.

[redarm]

ok. ill be there

[It takes him a bit to find the clinic, he's still learning Recolle and Noah's sense of direction was....well, let's be thankful he lives in the era of GPS. But he makes sure to wear a hoodie to cover up his arm, as well as a cheap pair of gloves he bought at a department store. His left arm seems to hang limp next to his side.

Still, he'd look pretty normal in this outfit, if it wasn't for the fact it was May and he had a weird metal creature riding on top of his head. Though strangely, anyone not on the app doesn't even seem to notice the creature.

When Lucian comes out, Noah stands up from the waiting room chair. Timcanpy holds on tight to his hair strands]

Hey, that's me.

[He gives an awkward nod. This is not how he expected his week to go]

Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.

[accordance]

[ As long as Noah isn't causing undue alarm to all the mundane people in the clinic, it's fine.

The door is closed quietly behind him, and there's a chair for him to sit. There's a computer and other equipment on the table, quite standard for a family clinic. ]

It is no trouble. May I see your hand?

[ He read a little of Noah's post and it seems like there was no pain, but it's still a strange thing nevertheless. ]

[redarm]

Sure.

[Noah will sit down and take off his glove, showing his hand. If Lucian touches it, it'll feel rough and hard, like some sort of material trying to mimic skin but not quite achieving it. It's slightly warm to the touch as well, warmer than room temperature, but not quite to the level of a normal body temperature. ]

[accordance]

[ Lucian puts on gloves first and sterilises his hands, just in case. It's definitely not like anything he's ever seen before. ]

Does it hurt you?

[ He peers closely at Noah's fingers, trying to discern if there was any sort of vein structure beneath. ]

[redarm]

[If there is a vein structure, it's not at all visible through the red skin. If anything on closer examination, the ridges look more like ripples from some material trying to make a shape rather than the ridges from a vein. ]

No. It's just really heavy.

[accordance]

[ That rules out any medical explanation he can give, then. ]

Can you feel anything through them, or move your arm?

[ He may have to take a sample but that depends largely on what Noah is comfortable with. ]

[redarm]

Yeah, I can feel out of it. Can't really move it though.

[He tries to move it to demonstrates- all he can really get is a couple twitches.

Noah wouldn't mind if samples are taken, but if Lucian tries, he'll quickly find that anything less than a diamond-tipped jackhammer won't be enough effective to break off any sample from it. In other words, don't use any tools you're attached to. ]

[accordance]

[ Maybe now's not the best time. ]

I see. I am afraid anything like this does not exist in medical literature. However, my priority is to ensure that your comfort remains. If it does not hurt you, I do not think it would pose a significant risk.

[ For a man who rarely displays strong emotion, he looks quite apologetic. ]

[redarm]

[Noah sees that apologetic look and....honestly? it just pisses him off. He stares at him for a moment of disbelief.]

.......That's it?

You're not gonna run any tests or anything? Not gonna check my reflexes? Use an X-ray? Or hell, even look for a pulse? Just...look at my weird arm, go "oh I don't know what that is" and give up because it doesn't hurt?

Which hey, last I heard? The early stages of cancer don't hurt either, and I'd say they pose a fucking significant risk!

[accordance]

[ Ah, children. Lucian closes his eyes, though only for a moment to compose himself. ]

You did not have an arm before, did you? Cancer requires native tissue to propagate. The energy required to grow a whole arm from naught is developmentally immense. If it was cancer, it would have drained your vitality and you would be in the hospital by now.

[ It seems he has to explain clearly. And the pulse was clearly absent during the examination, so that was that. ]

I was about to suggest further tests, though only to the limits of what you are comfortable with undertaking. I do not have much equipment with me right now, as I am not licensed to undertake more complicated procedures alone. If you wish to go to the hospital, I can write in for you - but that would also involve making your condition known to the public inside of the medical administration.

[ He doesn't sound angry at all, only informative. ]

[redarm]

I was using cancer as an example!

[He gives a huff. did he believe it was cancer? He has no idea. He just knew all those PSAs about early cancer screening that you see, well, everywhere]

Hey, whatever. If you wanted to hack off a chunk of this arm and dissect it, I'd be fine with it. I just want some answers okay. I don't care how I get them.

[accordance]

[ Ah, children. ]

I believe that clear communication in treatment is extremely important. If you have queries about why I chose to discard existing diagnoses, I can answer them.

[ But Noah is hardly the first angry patient he's had to calm, so: ]

If you consent, I can take a sample and have it examined.

[redarm]

Tch. Fine, I'll ask when I think of something.

[At least this guy seems to be doing something. He holds out his hand and uses his good hand to roll up the sleeve. Yep, more red skin ]

Take all you want.

[accordance]

[ Perhaps in ten years he will be appreciated for his services. ]

Please wait here.

[ He goes into the annex to retrieve a sample tube and a swab for cells. The skin doesn't seem like it'll flake, though. This is strange. ]

[redarm]

[Someday when he regains MANNERS you'll get a card and fruitbasket. Maybe.

He holds still as he does the swabbing. He's done enough doctor visits thanks to his disability to notice something's wrong when it takes longer than usual]

...Something up?

[accordance]

[ Lucian straightens up and looks at the collecting swab in his hands. ]

Usually, people's skin would flake off cells and that is how we generally collect samples for diagnosis. However, it seems your red arm does not do that.

[ He holds out the swab and it looks completely clean. ]

I could give you something to hold to your hand until it does shed something.

[redarm]

...Seriously?

[The hell...]

Does that mean its not skin or something?

[accordance]

[ This is why he said he didn't have an explanation... ]

That could be possible. The procedure now would be to give you an X-ray, but arranging for that may take a while.

[ What is trying to not publicise things without making it illegal... ]

In the meantime, my suggestion would be to improve the condition of this arm. It may be likely that it can function in the same way as your other arm.