“... I suppose I feel lonely. Not alone, per say, but lonely. Those are two different things, specifically emotional attachment. Yeah, yeah - make fun of the guy who did two rotations in the psych ward but… it’s helped put my emotions into words. Not something I’ve been great at…ever. Feeling loneliness is the yearn for emotional attachment. In my case, probably not just emotional, if you get what I’m saying… haha. I dunno, I’ve just been overthinking and admittedly really fucking horny. In retrospect, things are..quite calm at the moment. I’ve been teaching the-...Olympia and Goss about anatomy and physiology, and there hasn’t been too many emergencies or injuries rolling in. It’s…odd, to say the least. I haven’t been back at the shop since I started the job, mainly because I’ve been too busy but also…as much as I enjoy the shenanigans, I’ve… I feel like I want…more. At least, in the emotional sense.”

Eden scratches his scruff, looking at the cabinets he’s filling with new bandages and supplies, lost in thought about not just the filled cabinets, but also… what he meant by more.  It’s been way too calm, so calm the equipment and supply refill has overflowed to the counter space, which hasn’t happened since he first got here. He’s just going to blame it on Goss. Why Goss? Why the fuck not. He’d have Olympia to talk to but she’s been bonding with Tanner and Lilith lately, and…he didn’t want to interfere with any of that. What really confuses him is what Mr. Huxley even has planned for her…she’s only 16, plus a royal princess so it’s not like-
“Hey eden, are ye a donut?” For once, he’s thankful for the distraction. Even if it is Goss and his shitty pick up lines. He doesn’t even look at the giant man thundering towards him. He’s not even going to answer this shitty, dumb-”cause A'm gaun'ae give ye some fillin’.” Eden’s eyes widen in shock, and as he turns, Goss is right into his face,”The leuk on yer face is absolutely perfect richt now.” he laughs, keeping his laugh low and a bit growly. Eden smacks him before laughing,
“I think that’s the most cursed pick-up line you’ve ever fucking said.” Eden stammers out, before smacking Goss’ chest, making him laugh even more, “ I was expecting something along the lines of ‘you look like a hard worker, I’ve got an opening you can fill.” but you just…goddamn it Goss.” Eden pushes Goss away, and leans on the counter, shaking his head. Goss looks over the doctor, proud of the shitty pick up line that has led him to be red faced and flustered. He actually somehow looks healthier since Dedren’s been forcing him to eat at least a few meals a day here… hair looks shiner, and he looks…stronger. Eden folds his arms, “...what brings you in today, hm? Other than trying to get boned, and failing yet again.” Goss huffs and shakes his head, before leaning back to his usual posture,
“actually, A came i wi a particular  quaisten…” Eden raises a brow curiously. Another one? Really? He starts to scratch his scruff again. Please for the love of gods don’t be a genitals question,
“Alright then - Shoot. What’s got you stumped?” Goss looms over him. This chicken game… he’s going to enjoy it before it ends with Eden finally stopping.
“A lied, it's no really a quaisten but a statement. We're gang oot again, an A hope ye've got somethin nice tae wear- made a reservation tae Vol De Nuit for next saturday at 10.” Eden stammers again. Vol De Nuit? Why something so fancy? Jesus. He stops scratching his scruff. Shit, would they make him shave?
“...that’s a bit high end for a game of chicken…plus with the whole...shit that happened with olympia, are you sure that-” Goss leans in, closer to his face,
“Are ye usin yer ane cop oot already?” Eden scoffs before pushing him away,
“As fucking if. Just saying. So, it’s casual and elegant right?”  Shit. He was…actually hoping Eden would back down. He nods in response, Eden mirroring him, “Alright, and…as a heads up - the scruff stays.” Goss snorts and shrugs,
“Fair enouch. A suppose we'll use ma car, ay?” Eden stares at the door, and just slowly tilts his head, a concerned look on his face. Goss looks over and…oh. Oh shit. A chubby, goth woman stands covered in blood and holding her side with the only arm she’s got, the other gone right at the shoulder blade. She looks out of it -really exhausted. …the lady of the woods? Eden casually goes to her, grabbing a pair of gloves. Rarely saw her honestly, mainly because she lived in UKR-not Idotrait. For whatever reason, she trusted him with her care rather than anyone in the United Kingdom of Rara. Shit. He doesn’t even know her name,
“What was it this time? Elterich horror? Bear?” he dryly retorts,”...did you manage to get the arm?” Eden supports her under her arm and leads her to a bed. She’s managed to drag herself here with some fairly intense injuries, but nothing like this. Nothing at all like this.
“A pissit aff a house.” she murmurs.Oh cool, she might have a head injury. No more questions until he can stabilize her. Unfortunate. He begins putting an IV in her good arm after putting her on a bed,
“We can talk more about that later if need be.” Goss nods and heads out. Whoever that was… didn’t look too good, and Eden had his work cut out for him.

—-----------------------------------

44 stitches. 15 internally…and that’s just in the shoulder. Fucks sake; he’d seen amputations plenty, but to see a total amputation of the arm up to the scapula and tearing out the deltoid and subcapularis muscle in their entirety is a terrifying sight. Not to mention an angry, hastily shut 14 inch cut a few inches away from the belly button - organ trail bullshit. How she made it here without succumbing to hypovolemic shock is a mystery in itself. He looks over at the cross matched blood, then to his paperwork.
“So what happened tah heh this time? roast someone too hahd?” Tanner nudges Eden’s chair gently. The The doctor shakes his head. The woman is peacefully sleeping in bed - the IV hastily attached by her side,
“Not sure. Didn’t get much out of her before she was out cold, but she’s in pretty rough shape. Went through many bags of cells and platelets.”  Tanner adjusts a few straps around his legs, a few snapped from tension. He’s seen her before, and yet still doesn’t remember her name. Though he’s good with names, because of her infrequent visits he can’t seem to snatch her name out of his memory,
“She'd beat tha shit out ah me fowh asking but...what's heh name again? and...why does she always come hehe ratheh than whehe she works?” Eden shrugs. He’s asked once or twice, but was always given a generic name like “sally smith” or “Emily Anderson’... plus, she paid in cash so he just make a name for her for his records…so next time he’s not scrambling to piece together her history as the first time,
“Aura Degona is what I call her. All I know is some basic health history and what she’s come in for.” Tanner clicks his tongue and takes a seat, morose taking over. It was difficult seeing the same face come in alone,
“What if she wehe tah die hehe, eden? what then? yah don't have heh family...significant otheh... She's someone's daughteh, and she's alone hehe.” Eden nods, sighing internally- Tanner always wanted a kid and, on rare occasions, when a random came in alone he’d do this. “Nobody desehves tah be alone like this. Nah ah buddy, nah ah family. I know what yah'd says, but i'd off tah  tawk with heh, even fowh a second. Try tah get heh tah reach out tah someone.” The doctor stands and scratches his chin,
“Not a chance…come on, why don’t you go find Olympia.” Praying and hoping to whichever god hears his plea for Tanner to be distracted by the teen. Admittedly, a little…too good.
“Yup. Sorry, i... yup, i'll find heh. Sorry fowh goin ohn about that.” Eden waves him off gently,
“Don’t worry about it.” …He can’t bring himself to even mention the failed adoption Tanner had a few weeks prior, which is what probably set him off again. Wings of Refuge, the closest and more…well known orphanage, was a piece of work…at least in Eden’s eyes. Open and closed adoptions, as well as fostering… and fucking Tanner’s been denied for all of them. Still won’t tell him why, but the leading theory for him is that he’s not married to someone, which really doesn’t make sense. He makes enough money, is stable mentally which is something Eden can’t say for himself, and… is a pretty decent parent. Ok, maybe Eden’s a bit biased but the way he interacts with Olympia and how patient he is. Tanner frowns in concern, still looking over the woman before he walks out the doors to find the teen, still mulling over the fact someone could die alone in there and…nobody but them would know. Eden looks over to the woman, “What’s haunting you, lady degona…” he murmurs, pulling out his computer and sitting my her side, waiting for her CBC and CMP tests to come back and noting his current findings
of a mid-30’s patient was shredded, current findings indicate a shoulder disarticulation without the chance of reattachment. The patient was alert briefly then lost consciousness as care began at 2122; Vitals as of 0844- Temp ;96.1 F, Pulse 60 bpm, RR 12, BP 162/61.IV began immediately, 3 crossmated bags of O-RH, urinary catheter was inserted as vitals stabilized as well as-” He pauses to check the vials, confirming that MS Contin and azithromycin were given, as well as the dosage. Yep. He leans over to turn up the heart monitor, finishes his notes and leans back. A small nap couldn’t hurt.
“I'm still alive, aye?” the woman coughs, then cringes,” Miracle working you are, you mangy cunt.” He looks up, and… she’s awake. Angry as hell, but awake.

--------------------------------------------------------

“No. Absolutely not.” Eden squints at Degona, who’s  sitting in Fowler’s position,”You can’t just rip your catheter out. Unless you want to wreck your urethra.” She rolls her eyes and lays back down. The doctor rubs his face tiredly… Weeks of fighting about necessary treatment, not being discharged against his advice, and…anything and everything she could possibly fight him and the staff on she did…and still does,”Just…try to rest. Once I’m done with the prosthesis, I’ll-”
“Ye're no gaun'ae make me such a thin. A dinnae neit it.” Eden groans internally, and sighs,
“Yes. You do. Stop fighting me on shit, and let me help you. You came to us for a reason, didn’t you?” She growls at him, seemingly unhappy at the fact she did. 
“Thon A did, but no for another arm. Juist tae patch me up enouch sae A can return back tae whit A dae.”He sits and stares at her for a few moments. He’s had drunkards and cognitively deficient people fight him on treatments but…she’s neither. Sober and well spoken but he just can’t place why she fights him so much. She came here…willingly. It’s hard for him to process why she resists what she came for,
“I know you come to me for a specific reason. I don’t know it- but I know that eventually, you’re not going to make it here in time. You just barely did this time.” he sits at his “desk”,”I’m not going to pry or lecture, but…I do want you to think why you always come here.” The silence is absolutely deafening as Eden pulls out some paperwork, saying not another word. He makes a note about the prosthesis, and brings out his laptop to notate and journal, not looking up at her, even when noises dictate she’s trying to get out of bed after an hour of silence and…in a couple moments, she’s gone. He stops typing, and looks up as the heart monitor flatlines and the doors slap shut. No. Of course he didn’t get through to her.
“Doctor A'v got a quaisten for ye ; whit's the difference between marmalade an jam?” Eden shakes his head disaprovingly and looks over the morphine vial - yep, capitol C with the roman numeral 2 in it,
“...I don’t know, Goss. What’s the difference?” Gods, it’s like a routine for him at this point, the despondency still haunting him like scent of a campfire on clothes after a long night of drinking,
“A canae marmalade ma dick up yer ass.” Goss looms closer, hoping for the reaction he predicted. Eden has to blink a few times, letting his brain catch up before staring at his computer screen. Why this one got to him, he doesn’t know but trying to contain the absolute shock of that line is a fight for his life,
“Huh…” fuck. He cracks his composure and snorts,”goddamn it. Why are you actually here…because that line can’t be it.” he fights the smile and scoffs at the giant robot. 
‘Thoucht A'd come for another lesson. perhaps...it wad be hands on this time?” He squints at him. What, is he trying to fuck him for the nth time in a row? Or just trying to get handsy with him,
“What are you curious about this time?” He’s…actually quite thankful that Goss sauntered in. Getting his mind off everything that just happened. Let’s hope it’s not super cringe,
“The gonads A believe... or the reproductive system.” Eden folds his arms. Of fucking course-
“Porn confusing you again, big guy? I told you to stick with the vanilla stuff…” he shakes his head. Goss laughs, and shakes his head, still thinking about the confusion in the car,
“Na no at aw, more... tryin tae figure oot fun ways tae really get ye gang.” Eden rolls his eyes, he knows why goss is asking this. Clearly.
“Get me going? Have you been day dreaming again?  You couldn’t get me going if-” 
“thon is no whit A remember from thon trip... A clearly remember ye really gettin aff.Especially wi ma newest...appendage.” Eden folds his arms and glares at him. Fucking prick, he knew it. 
“Oooh so that’s why you’re really asking… shocker- you wanna fuck me five ways to sunday.” 

The princess Olympia pauses, hearing the commotion from outside the door. Probably wasn’t the best time to ask for an actual lesson, so…going to find tanner would do. She’s been semi-desensitized to the absolute chaos that is Goss and Eden, but it was still jarring with the tone she just heard. She quickly pulls herself together, and starts looking around for the short human. She manages to find the bridge, with Tanner swiffering the floor. As much as she doesn’t like to acknowledge it; she feels bad that she basically disregarded her keep back where she lived…but she wasn’t really aware of the hard work they put in. Alright, she didn’t have too much exposure to it so she couldn’t estimate the effort put in,
“Could I…assist?” That was the wrong wording. She didn’t want to help clean at all, but…she can’t put the words back in her mouth. Tanner flinches, and looks at her. Though she was younger than him, she was significantly taller. So was everyone else, but she was only 16. Gods know how tall she’d get.
“Oh gods feahing christ. I  don't heah yah come down. I don't have much tah do, but yah can stick ahound if yah'd like.” He seems…off. His excitable tone is gone and he looks lethargic.
“...uh, I don’t want to intrude. You don’t seem ok and I-” Tanner stops mopping, and leans on the stick,
“Please stay. I'd like some company.” She blinks and nods, sitting gingerly on the arm of Goss’s recliner. He finishes swiffering, and looks over to the couch,”thehe's a cleah and green giant vacuum in tha room next tah yours. Could yah grab it.” she stands, then pauses - looking at tanner with a weird look, before going and dragging it out of the room; fairly disgusted by the caked on dirt from years of use,
“...why do you need…this? Wouldn’t that,” She motions to the mop,”Do everything you need it to?” He pauses. Right. She’s relied on “extra help”, maids and butlers. She doesn’t even know what an upholstery cleaner even is. Confliction arises, especially because…is it ethical not to teach a kid to thrive?
“Good question. Nah ah - that's not fowh tha floors. It's a wet vacuum fowh furniture, this es fowh tha floors. Wanna see how it works?” She nods apprehensively, intrigued as Tanner gently shows her. Shit, It’s fucking loud. They move on to cleaning the walls while the cleaning solution soaks into all the furniture. He’s conflicted, too many thoughts running in his brain. Degona, Olympia…his own family. Of course, things haven’t been great generally for him - especially after a mission gone sour - but Degona was the catalyst of really, truly thinking of why he’s here…and what the future would hold for him,
“Can I ask something?” Tanner pauses, snapped out of the spiraling he was slipping into,
“Ask away, manta ray.” She blinks, but giggles at the dumb saying. Shit, he didn’t mean for that to come out. His dorkiness always seems to work it’s way though being around kids,
“...You don’t have to answer but…do you have a family?” Tanner tilts his head, and stares at the old wood walls. He’s more surprised the others haven’t tried to ask before her,
“I'll answeh that, if yah answeh a question i've got fowh yah. “ She agrees quickly, and he approves,”Nah ah. I do. Well, somewhat. I've got a beautiful wife, and we've been trying tah make a family fowh a long time now. “  She has to take a moment to collect herself before she searches for the answer. It’s not hard, but finding the words is. It was never her strong suit to speak, but…she could blame her nanny and upbringing she guesses,
“ wow…” she sighs,”...well, it wasn’t like it is now. Dobre was the one who’d wake me up, not mom.” Tanner raises a brow and she nods,”She’s my nanny. But uh… I’d wake at 4am, go for my 2 mile run with security, have breakfast then go to class. I’d have a mid-morning tea break with mom… rarely.” Tanner moves to the arm of the couch and takes a seat. Gods…this kid didn’t even speak with her parents, let alone bond. “Then more teaching, fencing…” she pauses. Wow. She didn’t realize how confined she really was, compared to now.” It was scheduled hour by hour, sometimes more. I wasn’t allowed to watch, eat or do what I wanted. Well, I was allowed to “petition” with mom about it, but…it was all denied.” He frowns. Shit. This poor fucking kid being treated as a doll, not a daughter,
“...what ahe those kinds ah things?” she’s taken aback. Does she even remember anymore?,
“Trying “junk” food…learning more about corruption. Just being a normal teen like I see in the movies I’m allowed to watch.” Tanner nods, and smiles at her. Normal shit. Poor kid. He motions for them to move towards the stairs, putting the cleaning supplies back as he does so,
“Let's help dedren with dinneh. We've already got it all done down hehe. I do...approve ah most ah what yah've said.”  She follows behind him, “I wanna get back tah what yah've said in a moment, but...do yah bond with your nanny and maid well?” Olympia shrugs, and carefully dodges some of the creaky stairs,
“Yeah. They’re great listeners, but i know that they don’t really care.” Tanner pauses as the top of the stairs, turns around and looks at her in disbelief,”...i-Don’t look at me like that. It’s the same with this group too. The only person that really cares about me is Huxley.” Tanner blinks, and furrows a brow,
“Do we know tha same huxley? that kid es...somethin  else.” He opens the door to the kitchen, and Olympia waves to the flurry of tendrils multitasking on making dinner,
“... He’s…really sweet to me though. Hi Mr. Dedren.” The tendril to the left pauses, and the “head” of Dedren turns towards the two, having been busier than normal cooking for all of the members,
“Good Afternoon. Do you need my assistance?” Tanner adjusts some of his straps,
“Nah ah that's actually what we're hehe fowh, tah help yah out if yah needs it.”