04-03-2014, 05:44 PM
"Now try to bend it down till your fingers point to the floor."
The kid -- a boy of about twelve or so -- nodded as Jon gingerly held the boy's forearm. He slowly bent his wrist and winced as his fingers came to about a forty-five degree angle with the floor. "It hurts."
"You did good,"
he said and released the hand. The boy had been unlucky enough to lose his balance when the train stopped and had fallen on his palm. It did not look as if there was any major damage, though, to the best of Jon's knowledge. He did have a doctorate, and absent a medical practitioner at the moment he was the best available. Jon nodded to the kid's mother. "It appears to be a mild sprain. Keep it rested and if there's bad swelling or pain that doesn't seem to be getting better he should definitely see a physician."
All injuries were of this mild sort -- bumps, bruises -- at least on this side of the train car, which was a blessing considering how bad it could have been. He certainly hoped they were not going to be here for too long. Logistics like food could wait, certainly, but other needs might become more urgent for train passengers.
Jon passed by his old seat and noticed Dane was no longer sitting there. He wondered where the man had gone that he had not returned. Something about the man's behavior just touched his senses wrong, like the sensation of just thinking of spiders crawling through his hair.
Something flashed by on the edge of his vision. Jon turned to the window. There was nothing but darkness outside. Maybe it had been a reflection from motion inside the cab? Perhaps he was just imagining things.
Jon walked toward the automated doors. There should be an emergency release somewhere around here in the event of a mechanical failure, but he couldn't find it anywhere near the door. He would think that the emergency track lighting and various signs would point out its location, but being so unfamiliar with the train layout he had to assume it was located elsewhere.
There it was again -- that motion. There was something outside. Oddly enough it didn't seem anyone else had taken notice of the motion. This time it had gone toward the back of the car. Jon started making his way in that direction.
The kid -- a boy of about twelve or so -- nodded as Jon gingerly held the boy's forearm. He slowly bent his wrist and winced as his fingers came to about a forty-five degree angle with the floor. "It hurts."
"You did good,"
he said and released the hand. The boy had been unlucky enough to lose his balance when the train stopped and had fallen on his palm. It did not look as if there was any major damage, though, to the best of Jon's knowledge. He did have a doctorate, and absent a medical practitioner at the moment he was the best available. Jon nodded to the kid's mother. "It appears to be a mild sprain. Keep it rested and if there's bad swelling or pain that doesn't seem to be getting better he should definitely see a physician."
All injuries were of this mild sort -- bumps, bruises -- at least on this side of the train car, which was a blessing considering how bad it could have been. He certainly hoped they were not going to be here for too long. Logistics like food could wait, certainly, but other needs might become more urgent for train passengers.
Jon passed by his old seat and noticed Dane was no longer sitting there. He wondered where the man had gone that he had not returned. Something about the man's behavior just touched his senses wrong, like the sensation of just thinking of spiders crawling through his hair.
Something flashed by on the edge of his vision. Jon turned to the window. There was nothing but darkness outside. Maybe it had been a reflection from motion inside the cab? Perhaps he was just imagining things.
Jon walked toward the automated doors. There should be an emergency release somewhere around here in the event of a mechanical failure, but he couldn't find it anywhere near the door. He would think that the emergency track lighting and various signs would point out its location, but being so unfamiliar with the train layout he had to assume it was located elsewhere.
There it was again -- that motion. There was something outside. Oddly enough it didn't seem anyone else had taken notice of the motion. This time it had gone toward the back of the car. Jon started making his way in that direction.