A Lesson in Medicine
Simon wasn’t used to seeing so much blood. Sure he was a doctor, but the only injuries he ever treated were minor cuts, if one of the cylons bumped into something that didn’t make it into their projection or if they’d gotten angry and punched a wall. Gunshot and shrapnel wounds were something else entirely.
Simon watched the old human doctor, Cottle, stitch up a Five while smoking a cigar. He didn’t understand how the man could be so calm. The Five was still screaming, even though anesthetic had been applied to the wound, but the doctor seemed unphased. He had no idea humans were capable of such composure. Cylons were supposed to be the ones without emotion.
“How do you do that?” he decided to ask.
“You don’t know how to apply stitches?” asked Cottle incredulously.
“I know how to apply stitches. I meant, how do you stay so calm?” he asked.
“Part of being a doctor,” replied Cottle. It wasn’t the answer Simon was hoping for, but apparently the doctor would say nothing more on the subject.
Simon looked over to where a Three sat, awaiting the doctor’s attention. Her hand had been nearly blown off, and she was covered in blood, probably not all of it hers. She held the damaged hand tightly with her other, but that didn’t stop the blood from dripping all over the dusty ground, turning it to a dark pool of mud. She rocked back and forth, the agony evident in her face. Simon was afraid to approach her.
“You gonna help out here, or are you just going to stand there?” Cottle asked him. He was just finishing up on the Five, who had finally stopped screaming now that the wound was closed.
Simon debated for a moment. He didn’t seem to have the nerves of steel this man did, nor was he sure he ever could. He’d been calling himself a doctor for as long as he could remember. He knew all about the various diseases and injuries people could get and how to treat them, even if he never had to put it into practice. But watching Doctor Cottle, it appeared there was a lot more to being a doctor than just knowledge. And if Simon was going to continue to call himself a doctor, he could no longer just stand there in morbid awe.
“Three, would you come here please?” Simon called to the Three with the damaged hand.
Simon never thought there was anything to learn from the humans. It appeared he was wrong.
Simon watched the old human doctor, Cottle, stitch up a Five while smoking a cigar. He didn’t understand how the man could be so calm. The Five was still screaming, even though anesthetic had been applied to the wound, but the doctor seemed unphased. He had no idea humans were capable of such composure. Cylons were supposed to be the ones without emotion.
“How do you do that?” he decided to ask.
“You don’t know how to apply stitches?” asked Cottle incredulously.
“I know how to apply stitches. I meant, how do you stay so calm?” he asked.
“Part of being a doctor,” replied Cottle. It wasn’t the answer Simon was hoping for, but apparently the doctor would say nothing more on the subject.
Simon looked over to where a Three sat, awaiting the doctor’s attention. Her hand had been nearly blown off, and she was covered in blood, probably not all of it hers. She held the damaged hand tightly with her other, but that didn’t stop the blood from dripping all over the dusty ground, turning it to a dark pool of mud. She rocked back and forth, the agony evident in her face. Simon was afraid to approach her.
“You gonna help out here, or are you just going to stand there?” Cottle asked him. He was just finishing up on the Five, who had finally stopped screaming now that the wound was closed.
Simon debated for a moment. He didn’t seem to have the nerves of steel this man did, nor was he sure he ever could. He’d been calling himself a doctor for as long as he could remember. He knew all about the various diseases and injuries people could get and how to treat them, even if he never had to put it into practice. But watching Doctor Cottle, it appeared there was a lot more to being a doctor than just knowledge. And if Simon was going to continue to call himself a doctor, he could no longer just stand there in morbid awe.
“Three, would you come here please?” Simon called to the Three with the damaged hand.
Simon never thought there was anything to learn from the humans. It appeared he was wrong.