#ICU is a wild experience

[citronaut69]

I think my career as an RN in the middle of the worst of C19 on a med/surg unit plus now working a vascular/thoracic PCU/ICU has desensitized me to so much weird and traumatizing shit

[shinynewboots]

Hazbin Hotel Characters as Medical Specialties

Charlie: Pediatrics

You're telling me can't imagine Charlie with Bluey stickers in her pocket and saying "oh I see a dog in your ear. Woof!" When using an otoscope on a child with an ear infection? Be so for real rn

Vaggie: Emergency Medicine

This woman thrives in chaos, she grew up on a battefield. The ED is the Wild West of medicine and Vaggie thrives under the constant stress and variety

Vaggie: "what do you mean you were woodworking while drinking, are you fucking stupid"

Vox: Nephrology

Okay, okay this one is less based in personality and more based in the fact that I need to see a pissing competition between Vox and Alastor (as a cardiologist) about fluid status and renal function

Vox: *decreases lasix dosage in a patient with poor renal function*

Alastor: *punches Vox bc that patient is also fluid overloaded and has heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction*

Velvette: Dermatology

Listen you can't tell me that she didn't have amazing skin when she was alive. I can see her moving more towards the cosmetic side of dermatology with occasional biopsy or Mohs bc who doesn't love a procedure every once in a while

Cherri: ICU/Crit Care

Like Vaggie, Cherrie also thrives in chaos and things in the ICU can go from 0 to 100 in less than a minute. I also feel like she would have pretty good empathy and separation of work and home to be able to not let the job get to her too much

Angel: Psych

This just feels perfect to me, more based on my own experience but everyone I've met in Psych is kind while also being the coolest person you've ever met. I also think Angel would really be able to empathize with his patients based on his own history with addiction. He really likes to listen and offer support and advice.

Alastor: Cardiothoracic surgeon or Cardiologist (to get into a pissing contest with Vox about fluid and sodium)

Look, I know Al is like the perfect surgeon. He's intimidating, meticulous, and calculating. And I don't disagree, I think he would thrive as a CT surgeon...however, there's just something about him arguing with the nephrologist that just gives me the giggles

Lucifer: Internal Medicine

Listen, he's done it all and seen it all. He will spend hours rounding because he just wants to make sure he gets everything right (he's also avoiding going home alone but that's a different story). He also loves working with medical students and will give rousing lectures on first-line antihypertensive and diabetes medications (while also getting all of the students and residents names wrong).

Lute: OBGYN

Listen, I love Lute but if I knew her in real life she would intimidate me so badly. Much like the OBGYN attendings I worked with. She's amazing at her job and beloved by her patients for her blunt yet realistic recommendations, but in her L&D room or operating room, that is her domain and there is no deviation from that. Medical students and residents should exercise caution, but she will teach them the most out of any rotation

Adam: Orthopedics

This man is an ortho bro if I've ever see one. He is the attending who will pimp medical students on the playlist he has playing in the OR instead of the surgery in front of them. (What do you mean you don't know what artist this is? It's the fucking Eagles. Go home and study up, we're playing Led Zepplin tomorrow.)

Niffty: Pathology

Listen I have no explanations for this one. It just felt perfect, tbh

Husk: Anesthesia

This man is like every anesthesiologist I've ever met. He is there stereotype and sits behind the current with his sudoku in hand. Don't let that fool you, this man has knowledge and skill and is not afraid to use. The second your patient starts de-sating or coding, he's the one you wanna listen to

Rosie: Family Medicine

Rosie is the picture-perfect family medicine attending. Kind, empathetic and offers great advice. From cradle to grave, she's got you covered with primary prevention and screening and will be there for you for whatever comes next

Lol this is meant in good fun, so there are a few stereotypes about the different specialties and a lot of it is based on my own experiences on rotations. Let me know what you guys think. I know I missed some characters so let me know if y'all want me to come up with more.

[valentinesparda]

alright lore dump for the ff7 ICU (insert cinematic universe):

lav is an automaton that was created in the image of someone that their creator was close to [derogatory], and pandora is created by the genetic material from that person before they died, being used to make a genetic clone / preliminary and secondary testing for cloning sciences

sunday is the biological child of said scientist / engineer that built lav and helped create pandora, which is why pandora and lav look similar but sunday doesn't look like either of them

lav had been created and then decommissioned before the experiments that would give birth to the first class soldiers, and was reinstated as a guard dog / preventative measure to cover their ass in case the soldiers went Bad (which eventually gives way to lav having their own turn towards villainy)

pandora was born and then raised (observed, experimented on) in nibleheim and then moved back in to the shinra building, having been given a job working for them around the same time that lav is reinstated, but they are kept apart for the first few years

pandora and lav interact occasionally but lav doesn't realize anything is wrong, while pandora is made horribly aware of their existence (but unlike some other people, they internalize that hatred for the most part)

because of lav being a preventative measure and pandora having just gotten a promotion that includes close proximity to the first class soldiers, lav becomes a lost puppy of sorts towards sephiroth, while pandora is hounded by genesis and they have their own shit to work out

doesn't mean pandora is nice to lav, in fact they hate lav so much but cannot externalize those feelings for fear of being seen as insane / coming under fire by corporate. lav only has like three cognitive functions and they do not include a recognition of their existence that causes them a full psychological breakdown - at least, not initially (only after they become affected by the lifestream)

robin was born and grows up in north corel, eventually finding their way to "work" at the gold saucer as a performer / cast member

sunday is born around the same time that pandora is, maybe a few years difference. sunday is strictly kept confined in / near the labs for their parent to raise and continue the work they had been working on

sunday is separated from pandora and interacts with lav and regards them with kindness and knowing they did not want to be created, but also with a morbid fascination in how they worked

between this and being witness to the other horrific experiments going on, sunday is desensitized to it all for the most part, only growing a conscience the older they grew and the worse the experiments got

sunday eventually decides upon a crusade of tracking down any experiments they could find in the wild and research them, them finding out about grimoire valentine and his son vincent being a major push to break out and explore the world

robin is recruited by a former turk, after being taken advantage of and threatening the lives of their captors, but anything was better than performing at their personal expense

so they join the turks and befriend / have a fling with reno (& rude), before they go through a break up due to work stuff

after the events of crisis core, pandora goes into hiding after a long-toiling meltdown breaking at the levy, only to have it be known later on that they have a large part in project deepground :)

lav becomes an attack dog - having followed sephiroth to the end and continuing to be a sentinel, eventually touched and tainted by jenova

pandora is the one who eventually 'recruits' robin and turns them in to deepground to have them experimented on, mentally broken, and turned into a tsviet

sunday had helped with the evacuation of midgar, and as they're trying to find vincent, they track him down and trek across to follow him before becoming a sidekick in dirge

sunday is the only self insert out of the four that does not experience a heel-face-turn into villainy, but at the very least robin does get rehabilitated

oh if you think I'm not gonna work on remake versions of my self inserts you're absolutely mistaken because a remake version of lav would be SO fucked up considering the weird shit going on in the remake so far

that's all that i have right now. anyways. :3

[shayeelouiise]

Hello Tumblr! Sorry for my absence. I got very ill and spent about 2.5 months in hospital.

I was fine, then suddenly I had so much pain I was on the floor screaming. The paramedics came, gave me pethidine and loaded me in to the ambulance. At the hospital I was given fentanyl and sent to an emergency CT scan and had blood taken. I was then given more pain relief and told to rest. They ended up discharging me. Two days later it happens again, but this time I fainted twice. I'm loaded up with fentanyl and taken back. This time I am told I needed a blood transfusion asap. So I have one, it was very cool haha! But I'm no better, worse infact. My results came back. I'm told that I've been bleeding internally and need surgery, again asap! So I go, I have to be awake and lay still for two hours. It was incredibly difficult. They cut my femoral artery and inserted a catheter to my spleen. I had four bleeds in it and the doctor thought I'd had a car crash or something. They coiled off the four bleeds sent me to ICU and said there is more bad news. Because of the procedure my spleen will now die.

Of course it didn't just die in peace. So I had another procedure done to insert a drain. It had so much blood in it, it was wild. So I was able to go home and have a nurse come out to make sure everything was okay. Couple of days later, I'm in agony. Mum calls the ambulance once again. This part is horrible. The pain would amp up and then ease off. After a few days they called a code blue for me and I was rushed to ICU because I lost consciousness and wouldn't wake up. They then sent me back to the ward and gave me a pain button of fentanyl. They ended up calling a code blue once again because I wouldn't wake up.

I finally woke up and went in to a pain crisis. They gave me ketamine and it made me settle down and rest. But the same thing happened the next day and they gave me more ketamine and lidocaine. I was screaming, losing consciousness and then waking up seconds later. It was the scariest moment of my life. I woke up to so many needles in me. They put me on ketimine 24/7 and were giving me oral pain killers and injecting lidocaine. They decided to experiment on me with another procedure. This time they inserted a catheter in to my spine and injected strong numbing medicine. It definitely helped. So they would give it to me every two hours. Now they are doing a case study on me.

Finally my scan results came back. They found the problem, I had a bleed above my dying spleen. They didn't really know how to handle it so whilst they are deciding I'm stuck in ICU being pumped full of drugs. Finally they come back and say surgery is my only option. I got taken back to the ward on constant pain relief. I start experiencing more pain so they sent me for a CT scan. They found that I had a second bleed. All they could do was try and manage my pain until surgery.

The day finally came and I was terrified. This was a dangerous high risk surgery and the year before I had heart failure. They did another epidural type procedure again and put me to sleep. I woke up and felt like there was a tonne of bricks on my abdomen, I also had two more drains. They told me I started bleeding during surgery and needed another blood transfusion. Apart from that it went well. They fixed the bleeds, took out the rest of my dying spleen, my gall bladder and part of my pancreas.

The next few days I didn't even move. It was horrible. Then I had to start physiotherapy and it was fuckeng hard. I pushed myself though and was able to get out of bed and even walk a few steps with a walker. Everyday I'd make it further and further. I got to a point of slowly walking around the ward on my own.

Then I got a really bad infection. They had to cut open my stitches and pack the wound. It was so fucking painful. I fought hard and got the green light to go home. I was out of there so fast. I walked out the doors with my mum and it started raining and I started crying. I couldn't believe I was outside after a month in bed. I had a nurse come everyday to tend to my wound. Eventually it healed and I was discharged.

THEN I go out for the first time since being sick. I fall and bruised my ribs and broke my ankle in three places. I had to have metal plates and screws inserted in my foot. So yeah, I'm recovering from that too. FML.

[spikemuthtoothfairy]

Bonnie [Lvl 100] ♀       OT: James         Origin: Steamdrift Way, Route 8, Galar Sassy; likes to fight.

Favorite moves: Slash, Throat Chop, Ice Punch, Brick Break, Metal Claw, Icy Wind, Ice Shard, Agility, X-Scissor, Icicle Crash, Night Slash, Counter, Shadow Claw, Quick Attack, Revenge, Fury Swipes, Beat Up, Swords Dance

Bonnie was the second Dark Type that James ever caught, warily approaching the family’s camp during a trip to Circhester when they stopped on Steamdrift Way to eat. She was barely old enough to be on her own but upon seeing she was simply hungry, James’ parents allowed her to share a meal. From there the Sneasel simply followed them when they packed up and James was allowed to catch her before they reached the city.

For most of her life Bonnie suffered from a rare genetic disorder that prevented her evolution without potentially fatal consequences; the first and only time James tried to evolve her himself ended in a mentally scarred trainer and a Pokemon that spent a night in the ICU. James suffered from intense guilt over this for a very long time, even if neither of them had no actual way of knowing at the time.

Bonnie did eventually manage to evolve when James and Jasmine were transported to Hisui for eighteen months with her in tow. He still doesn’t know how it didn’t kill her but assumes the experience of travelling through time somehow prevented it.

Bonnie’s increased brainpower upon evolution was certainly put to use. She’s still a complete shit, but she’s got a better understanding of when not to be than she did before as a Sneasel. Her time in Hisui also certainly helped with this attitude adjustment (given she was a big part of keeping her trainer alive).

She considers herself the boss of the three Sneasel evolutions James has, and she’s probably right in that assessment. There’s never been any real fights for dominance as Weavile are inherently incredibly social, but she has taken a few swipes at Clyde when he’s forgotten his place.

She views Clyde as a younger sibling and a partner in crime. She’ll entertain his curiosity and other things, if not outright string him along into whatever chaos she has planned (Dark Types, after all!). Jesse meanwhile is sort of the other; Sneasler aren’t incredibly social. Her bond with him is different but not bad.

In Weavile terms, she’s a bruiser. She’ll get in an opponents face, all claws and speed. She’s incredibly powerful, especially given all of the hardships she’s faced in Hisui, and knows it. She enjoys battle.

She still adores cheese and eggs - that hasn’t changed one iota.

Though she’ll be aloof and snide (as befitting her type and species) she will obey James without question, whether in battle or out. She might grumble playfully, but that’s just part of who she is.

Her prey drive is as strong as ever, too, and she enjoys having a partner on her nightly hunts. These days, though, the Pidgey are more of the target than their nests are. Alto Mare lacks the large prey she’d typically hunt in the wild.

[findopulencerp]

                                        𝖗𝖆𝖋𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝖑𝖚𝖎𝖘 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖟

he was born 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐨𝐧𝐞 years ago, he is a 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 who lives in 𝐛𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐞𝐧 as the 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐞, and is in 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤. he looks an awful lot like 𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜.

“these violent delights have violent ends.”

TW military, death, violence, blood, experiments

Rafael was born first, months too early, spending the first few weeks of his life in ICU hooked up to tubes and machines to keep his tiny underdeveloped heart beating. My Rafael is a fighter, his mother would say, he has the heart of a warrior. After many close shaves, he was allowed home, swaddled in blankets and told he was going to be loved by his mother and father. They were both kids themselves, barely seventeen, and the toll of a child too much on two not old enough to understand the responsibility of being parents. Thus, they split, leaving Rafael to be raised by his mother, and every boyfriend she would ever have. As he grew, the more his attitude problems became apparent - he didn’t try at school, he beat kids up for lunch money and skipped classes to go smoke behind the bike shed. He’d hang around on the streets till the early morning, selling a bit of weed so there’d be some money to buy his siblings shoes. Before he knew it, highschool was coming to an end, and he needed to do something. Nobody wanted a dropout with a shitty attitude who tended to use his fists over his head - apart from one group of people. Rafael signed up to what he thought was the army ; what he didn’t read in the fine print was that he’d signed away his future and more to a bunch of men with a mad idea about modern warfare.

A special ops team was specifically and secretly created by a team of disgraced geneticists and scientists for the deployment of supernatural beings against whoever at the time was deemed an enemy of freedom. Rafael, along with several other new recruits were chosen due to their disposability; it didn’t always work, of course, sticking needles into humans and hoping that they came out with abilities that would help the countries win wars. It did with him, and with the others who worked, became part of the secretive Delta-56 squadron - known as the Dog Soldiers, a pack of genetically made werewolves. They combined loyalty with efficient violence, the pack mentality meaning communication and teamwork were completely unsurpassed and above that of their human counterparts. With an alpha, named Luke, they were near unstoppable.

Though they were a band of brothers, it was Rafael who ended up becoming the second in command to their alpha. He and Luke were close; perhaps closer than many liked, sharing much more than mealtimes together. The two talked of what they would do after extraction in a few days time, that they could start a life together. Rafael was excited for this, having very little before going into this programme other than a criminal record and two younger siblings he always had to take care of. One last mission, and it would all be over; none of the Dog Soldiers expected such a vicious ambush. Rafael saw his alpha sliced to shreds with silver blades, and it unlocked something wild and dangerous within him. When he came to, there was only blood, and 3 pack members remaining. A radio transmission told the survivors that this had been planned; that the pack was to be exterminated for serving their purpose, that while the test was a success, they still weren’t ready for a proper rollout due to instability. Knowing they’d never be safe, the remaining wolves struck a deal with the men that had made them - they wouldn’t breathe a word of this, of what had been done to them, to anyone as long as they were allowed to walk away. The pack disbanded, and Rafael went back to his shitty mother’s apartment in the city. He couldn’t adjust to civilian life, especially now that he wasn’t wholly human either, struggling to hold down basic jobs and earn a meager living. What Rafael did realize, however, was that being a werewolf was an incredibly useful intimidation tactic. When the landlord raised the rent on the building he and many others lived in, knocked on the door with bailiffs demanding more money from elderly women and single mothers, his sharpened teeth sent them running, and kept the bills low. 

It escalated from protecting those that lived around him, to becoming the doorman of clubs, to becoming a bodyguard for the city's wealthiest criminals. Rafael became somewhat of a hitman for these people, paid to dispense ultraviolence on whoever they felt needed a reminder. This didn’t stop him from falling in love once again with someone unattainable; Alessandra, daughter of a client. He kept her father safe, and made her happy in private. Things like this rarely stayed quiet, and after Rafael was exposed for this betrayal, a gun was pointed in his face. The werewolf saw red, once again giving into the violence that ran through his veins. When he awoke, the floor of the club swam in blood, the only two people not dead were himself and the woman he loved. Without a word to his family, Rafael left, eventually settling in Opulence. He’s been in town a few years now, currently the owner of The Cage, and often has his fingers in many underground and illegal pies.

“what power did he attain when settling in opulence?”

Rafael has been seeing dead people since he walked over the border and into Opulence. They hang around people, and look the exact same as when they died. He has very little interaction with them, and can only perceive the spirits that have attached themselves to a person or a place. It’s very unnerving, though they are often gone as soon as they appear.

this character is…taken

[jdgo51]

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

A New Life Jaiprakash D. Roy (Gujarat, India)

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." - Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

"'At 11:30 a.m. on December 28, 2021, I suddenly started sweating, and I knew that I needed to go to the hospital. My family members called my eldest son who was on duty at the hospital to come pick me up. At that time, hospitals were crowded, and it was difficult to see doctors there; but I met with a very capable doctor who diagnosed me with two blockages in my heart. We made an immediate decision to perform an angioplasty and open the blockages with two stents.

The surgery was successful. I was kept in the ICU for one day and in a special observation room for another. On the evening of the third day, I returned home completely recovered. I am convinced that the living God gave me a new life.

The life I am leading today is a living witness to the words of the psalmist, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” Through my experience that day, I have seen the full promise of the Lord who stayed with me all the time and walked with me through the valley. I thank the Lord for giving me new life."' God offers you a new life. Follow Him and trust all things from Him. Even in times of panic or a health emergency, God has you.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Merciful God, increase our faith. Help us to believe that you are ready to take care of us and help us when we pray to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus." Amen.

Psalm 8:1-9

"1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! You made your glory higher than heaven! 2 From the mouths of nursing babies you have laid a strong foundation because of your foes, in order to stop vengeful enemies. 3 When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place 4 what are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them? 5 You’ve made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur. 6 You’ve let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet 7 all sheep and all cattle, the wild animals too, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, everything that travels the pathways of the sea. 9 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!" Give praise to God's Holy and Majestic name. He guides us every day through highs and lows. We can trust His leading in everything. Bless you one and all! Joe

[silasea]

Jasper,

Words can only do so much to describe what I’m feeling right now. Part of it i think is denial— and disbelief that you’re gone.

I remember the day you were born. I remember telling my mom that you were the cutest thing in the world. The head the size of an orange and eyes the size of grapes. You were so small, a premie my aunt explained. You came fighting into this world from day 1. You were the most adorable baby. Your cheeks would turn red from the amount of times I kissed them. I felt so protective of you like the others — from the start. You grew up to be wild free and rebellious, and you always needed to have the last word. All the tough love in the world couldn’t tame you — I learned that the hard way. As a child you were always calm. I jokingly would call you my favorite to tease the others. It’s funny how certain moments in life come full circle. I remember being very young and hearing my aunt cry late at night. A wail that I never wanted to hear again. Your sister had jokingly texted her that you had passed away in a car accident. I remember your mom’s sobs and cries, they’re etched into my brain. It had only been about 10 minutes until we found out that the whole thing was just some inappropriate joke, made by an innocent child who didn’t understand the depth of her words. I remember you coming home that night fine and healthy as ever and I remember hugging you so tight. God forbid anything ever happening like that I prayed. That night I had nightmares of losing you, and I’d wake up each morning making sure you were ok, hugging you extra tight.

I felt so protective of you. More like an older sister than a cousin. From our roast sessions to our Mario kart sessions to spontaneous trips to the amusement park, and your crazy pranks. I’ll choose to remember you in that light. And although we grew apart and life has its way of throwing shit at us, you were still my favorite cousin.

I remember the night last year, my mom finally broke the news of your accident. I froze and blanked out for a bit phasing back to that dreaded night of our childhood. This could not be happening. I remember reaching out to your sister and all she told me was to pray.

You were in the ICU and touch and go for a while and then you were better, and then you were sick again and then you got better again. You fought hard for almost a year. There was no doubt in my mind you were going to make it, you made your way out so many times. I was sure you would show up at my doorstep one day and everything would be in its right place. With you making your witty remarks and spreading your laughter. You had to make it. There was no future I had imagined without each and every one of you. Your mom was distraught and didn’t know how to handle it all. We were kept away from seeing you. She blamed my brother a lot for what happened. You loved to follow his footsteps. So when my brother got a motorcycle of course you wanted your own. I could understand her pain and her reason to blame us, as misguided as it was. But it killed us all not knowing how you were. Grief has strange ways of manifesting itself. I only got updates of you from my mom— whatever she could manage to find out from your grandmother. Your mom completely shut us out.

I can’t imagine the grief she must be going through now. All I can remember is her wails that dreaded night. Child loss is the hardest grief to experience. They teach you that in nursing school. All I want to do is hug your mom and sister—just to help absorb some of their sorrows. But time heals all, and that’s my only solace.

I can only end this by saying I will remember you forever in my heart. You’ll live through my thoughts. I will remember you by your laughter, your witty remarks and your rebellious and strong nature. I love you Puru. Forever and always.

Your favorite cousin,

— Jassu

[greywoodrpg]

𝕣𝕒𝕗𝕒𝕖𝕝 𝕝𝕦𝕚𝕤 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕫

he was born forty-one years ago, he is a werewolf who lives in wolf crossing as the owner of the cage, and is in no pack. he looks an awful lot like oscar isaac.

“these violent delights have violent ends.”

tw: military, death, violence, blood, experiments

Rafael was born first, months too early, spending the first few weeks of his life in ICU hooked up to tubes and machines to keep his tiny underdeveloped heart beating. My Rafael is a fighter, his mother would say, he has the heart of a warrior. After many close shaves, he was allowed home, swaddled in blankets and told he was going to be loved by his mother and father. They were both kids themselves, barely seventeen, and the toll of a child too much on two not old enough to understand the responsibility of being parents. Thus, they split, leaving Rafael to be raised by his mother, and every boyfriend she would ever have. As he grew, the more his attitude problems became apparent - he didn’t try at school, he beat kids up for lunch money and skipped classes to go smoke behind the bike shed. He’d hang around on the streets till the early morning, selling a bit of weed so there’d be some money to buy his siblings shoes. Before he knew it, highschool was coming to an end, and he needed to do something. Nobody wanted a dropout with a shitty attitude who tended to use his fists over his head - apart from one group of people. Rafael signed up to what he thought was the army ; what he didn’t read in the fine print was that he’d signed away his future and more to a bunch of men with a mad idea about modern warfare.

A special ops team was specifically and secretly created by a team of disgraced geneticists and scientists for the deployment of supernatural beings against whoever at the time was deemed an enemy of freedom. Rafael, along with several other new recruits were chosen due to their disposability; it didn’t always work, of course, sticking needles into humans and hoping that they came out with abilities that would help the countries win wars. It did with him, and with the others who worked, became part of the secretive Delta-56 squadron - known as the Dog Soldiers, a pack of genetically made werewolves. They combined loyalty with efficient violence, the pack mentality meaning communication and teamwork were completely unsurpassed and above that of their human counterparts. With an alpha, named Luke, they were near unstoppable.

Though they were a band of brothers, it was Rafael who ended up becoming the second in command to their alpha. He and Luke were close; perhaps closer than many liked, sharing much more than mealtimes together. The two talked of what they would do after extraction in a few days time, that they could start a life together. Rafael was excited for this, having very little before going into this programme other than a criminal record and two younger siblings he always had to take care of. One last mission, and it would all be over; none of the Dog Soldiers expected such a vicious ambush. Rafael saw his alpha sliced to shreds with silver blades, and it unlocked something wild and dangerous within him. When he came to, there was only blood, and 3 pack members remaining. A radio transmission told the survivors that this had been planned; that the pack was to be exterminated for serving their purpose, that while the test was a success, they still weren’t ready for a proper rollout due to instability. Knowing they’d never be safe, the remaining wolves struck a deal with the men that had made them - they wouldn’t breathe a word of this, of what had been done to them, to anyone as long as they were allowed to walk away. The pack disbanded, and Rafael went back to his shitty mother’s apartment in the city. He couldn’t adjust to civilian life, especially now that he wasn’t wholly human either, struggling to hold down basic jobs and earn a meager living. What Rafael did realize, however, was that being a werewolf was an incredibly useful intimidation tactic. When the landlord raised the rent on the building he and many others lived in, knocked on the door with bailiffs demanding more money from elderly women and single mothers, his sharpened teeth sent them running, and kept the bills low. 

It escalated from protecting those that lived around him, to becoming the doorman of clubs, to becoming a bodyguard for the city's wealthiest criminals. Rafael became somewhat of a hitman for these people, paid to dispense ultraviolence on whoever they felt needed a reminder. This didn’t stop him from falling in love once again with someone unattainable; Alessandra, daughter of a client. He kept her father safe, and made her happy in private. Things like this rarely stayed quiet, and after Rafael was exposed for this betrayal, a gun was pointed in his face. The werewolf saw red, once again giving into the violence that ran through his veins. When he awoke, the floor of the club swam in blood, the only two people not dead were himself and the woman he loved. Without a word to his family, Rafael left, eventually settling in Greywood. He’s been in town a few years now, currently the owner of The Cage, and often has his fingers in many underground and illegal pies.

“what power did he attain when settling in greywood?”

Rafael has been seeing dead people since he walked over the border and into Greywood. They hang around people, and look the exact same as when they died. He has very little interaction with them, and can only perceive the spirits that have attached themselves to a person or a place. It’s very unnerving, though they are often gone as soon as they appear.

penned by... mina

[college-girl199328]

Florida resident Jeffrey Heim was searching for shark teeth in the Myakka River when his life was changed forever. Now he hopes that sharing his near-death encounter with an alligator will help save others from the same fate.

That day—May 30, 2021—He made two major mistakes. He dived alone—I was feeling invincible—and during mating season.

Helm told Newsweek that he had done that river several times before. "Each trip I would spend hours in there. But I would stick with my mentor, and very experienced extreme cameraman, Mark Rackley. He's got a lot of experience with alligators specifically so I would always take his lead when we began diving."

After about a minute in the water, he was hit by what felt like a boat propeller moving at 50 miles per hour. "It came up from behind me so I never even saw or heard it coming," he said.

Before he realized what had happened, Heim had been seriously bitten on the head and hand by a 7-foot-long female alligator. "She actually gave me a second to feel my head and have a better understanding of what was happening to me," Heim said. "But then she really tried to get me—I could see in her eyes, she wanted to kill me and finish the job. I had to very quickly dodge out of the way."

Florida is home to 1.3 million alligators, and an average of 10 unprovoked attacks occur across the state every year, the Florida Wildlife Commission reports. Most alligators are naturally afraid of humans. However, they can become aggressive when they start to associate humans with food, which is why it is illegal to feed wild alligators.

Heim said that this particular gator may have learned to associate humans with food. But, because of the time of year, there was probably another, more seasonal reason for her aggression.

"The professionals who removed her believe she was protecting a nest," Heim said. "They didn't see a nest on the side that they were on, but the nest could have been on the other side of the river."

Alligator mating season occurs between May and June every year, and egg laying continues through June into July. At this time of year, alligators are typically more active, and more territorial, alligator expert and associate professor at the University of Florida, Frank Mazzotti, told Newsweek.

"[Alligator attacks occur most frequently] during the warmest months of the year—May to September—but they can occur anytime," he said. "Be careful, cautious, and aware of your surroundings."

Heim said that he had been aware of alligator mating season, but he "just didn't take it seriously," or seriously enough. "That was my mistake."

Although fatalities from alligator bites are rare, Heim knows just how lucky he was to have survived the attack. "The ability to react after that head trauma was a miracle in itself," he said. "I was able to get away and climb out onto the bank, which was about 6 feet high. […] But even if she had simply knocked the wind out of me, it would have been a completely different story."

After hauling himself out of the water, Heim was taken to the hospital, where he received 34 staples in his head. "I felt every one of those 34 staples, and they felt exactly like you think they will," he said.

After two days in the ICU, Heim was sent home. But he said he felt like a "zombie" for days after. "The whole head trauma and blood loss just wiped me out. I was exhausted."

The staples were taken out after nine days, but Heim continued to battle follow-up infections and exhaustion for weeks. "Once I found out I was allowed to live I just cried my eyes out like a baby like I'd never cried before," he said. "It all just flowed out of me, uncontrollably. I was just so thankful for life."

"I have tremendous respect for that apex predator. I never wanted that alligator to die—I had a wildlife representative visit me in my room to get a recount of everything and I told them 'please don't kill it.' I was in her home."

Heim now uses his passion for collecting shark teeth to raise awareness about Florida's ecosystems and wildlife. He does this through his company SHRKco, which sells handmade shark tooth jewelry and donates a percentage of profits to marine research and conservation groups. "I love seeing people enjoy the same shark teeth I worked so hard for and, a lot of the time, risked my life for," Heim said.

Despite spending more time than he used to hunt for shark teeth, Heim has not encountered an alligator in the wild since the attack. He has actually been back to the Myakka River twice since the incident both times with other divers. "I did it the right way, much safer and at a much better time of year," he said. "It was a big learning experience to take the mating season seriously."

[climbthepeak]

luna nightzzz

https://linktr.ee/lunanightzzz Its sensors can shoot at 2x, 5x and 10x zoom modes with minimal processing trickery. It'll shoot at intermediate settings with various combinations of cropping and multi-camera image compositing that I find fairly convincing. Then it reaches up to 30x with Google's AI-infused upscaling technology, called Super Res Zoom.

Telephoto lenses magnify more distant subjects, and the Pixel 7 Pro has a remarkable range for a smartphone.

Driving all these upgrades is Apple's new A16 Bionic chip, which in use feels peppy. 

It also gets upgraded cameras, a faster processor, an always-on display, iOS 16 and new safety features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite. The iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch adaptive-refresh-rate screen that adjusts between 1 and 120Hz depending on what's on the screen.

"From his rise as a business mogul to his plummet into international notoriety, this true crime documentary examines the bizarre story of Carlos Ghosn."

Hellhole (2022): Polish horror. "After a couple finds a traumatized child of unknown origins, wife Paula must decipher the girl's strange behaviors to unlock her identity and dark past."

Tuesday

Blade of the 47 Ronin (2022): Action-fantasy. Monday

The Chalk Line (2022): Spanish crime mystery. "At the end of WWII, a ragtag group of resistance fighters plans an impossible heist: to steal Mussolini's treasure from Milan's fascist headquarters."

The Good Nurse (2022): Crime drama starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain. "A family migrates to the city after a tragic loss. "While waiting for a kidney transplant, a young pianist finds an unexpected connection with her doctor -- and the courage to fulfill her musical dreams."

Cici (2022): Turkish drama. "An overburdened ICU nurse leans on her selfless new colleague at work and at home -- until a patient's unexpected death casts him in a suspicious light."

Thursday

Beyond the Universe (2022): Brazilian romance. "In 1987 Poland, a police officer investigating mysterious disappearances infiltrates a remote monastery -- and discovers a dark truth about its clergy."

Robbing Mussolini (2022): Italian action-adventure. "A young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I."

Wendell & Wild (2022): Stop-motion family comedy. "Two scheming demons strike a deal with a punk rock-loving teen so they can leave the Underworld and live out their dreams in the Land of the Living."

Wild is the Wind (2022): South African drama. "When two corrupt police officers investigate the brutal murder of a young girl, tensions come to a head in their small, racially-segregated town."

Read more: The Best TV Shows on Netflix

When they reunite in their hometown 30 years later, buried emotions and painful secrets resurface."

Friday

All Quiet on the Western Front / Im Westen nichts Neues (2022): War drama. "Ancient Japanese Ronin warriors set 300 years after 47 Ronin, in a modern-day world where Samurai clans exist in complete secrecy."

Wednesday

Fugitive: The Curious Case of Carlos Ghosn (2022): Documentary.

@ben.the.vet By popular demand - here are 5 dog breeds I would personally consider as a vet getting a dog #dogsoftiktok#veterinary#learnontiktok#woof#benthevet♬ MOMENTS IN LIFE - Turreekk

[purpleearthquakekitten]

Luna nightzzz

Its sensors can shoot at 2x, 5x and 10x zoom modes with minimal processing trickery. It'll shoot at intermediate settings with various combinations of cropping and multi-camera image compositing that I find fairly convincing. Then it reaches up to 30x with Google's AI-infused upscaling technology, called Super Res Zoom.

Telephoto lenses magnify more distant subjects, and the Pixel 7 Pro has a remarkable range for a smartphone.

Driving all these upgrades is Apple's new A16 Bionic chip, which in use feels peppy. 

It also gets upgraded cameras, a faster processor, an always-on display, iOS 16 and new safety features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite. The iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch adaptive-refresh-rate screen that adjusts between 1 and 120Hz depending on what's on the screen.

"From his rise as a business mogul to his plummet into international notoriety, this true crime documentary examines the bizarre story of Carlos Ghosn."

Hellhole (2022): Polish horror. "After a couple finds a traumatized child of unknown origins, wife Paula must decipher the girl's strange behaviors to unlock her identity and dark past."

Tuesday

Blade of the 47 Ronin (2022): Action-fantasy. Monday

The Chalk Line (2022): Spanish crime mystery. "At the end of WWII, a ragtag group of resistance fighters plans an impossible heist: to steal Mussolini's treasure from Milan's fascist headquarters."

The Good Nurse (2022): Crime drama starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain. "A family migrates to the city after a tragic loss. "While waiting for a kidney transplant, a young pianist finds an unexpected connection with her doctor -- and the courage to fulfill her musical dreams."

Cici (2022): Turkish drama. "An overburdened ICU nurse leans on her selfless new colleague at work and at home -- until a patient's unexpected death casts him in a suspicious light."

Thursday

Beyond the Universe (2022): Brazilian romance. "In 1987 Poland, a police officer investigating mysterious disappearances infiltrates a remote monastery -- and discovers a dark truth about its clergy."

Robbing Mussolini (2022): Italian action-adventure. "A young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I."

Wendell & Wild (2022): Stop-motion family comedy. "Two scheming demons strike a deal with a punk rock-loving teen so they can leave the Underworld and live out their dreams in the Land of the Living."

Wild is the Wind (2022): South African drama. "When two corrupt police officers investigate the brutal murder of a young girl, tensions come to a head in their small, racially-segregated town."

Read more: The Best TV Shows on Netflix

When they reunite in their hometown 30 years later, buried emotions and painful secrets resurface."

Friday

All Quiet on the Western Front / Im Westen nichts Neues (2022): War drama. "Ancient Japanese Ronin warriors set 300 years after 47 Ronin, in a modern-day world where Samurai clans exist in complete secrecy."

Wednesday

Fugitive: The Curious Case of Carlos Ghosn (2022): Documentary.

@ben.the.vet By popular demand - here are 5 dog breeds I would personally consider as a vet getting a dog #dogsoftiktok#veterinary#learnontiktok#woof#benthevet♬ MOMENTS IN LIFE - Turreekk



[whump-a-la-mode]

Do you think you can write something along the lines of a patient either bring put under using medication restraints (like Haldol or something) for their own good- they have a meltdown, ect. And/ or slowly waking up to find they have been strapped down? Their kind but stern doctor comforts them as they wake up. It's all just a stressful and heartbreaking experience for the whumpee. They are usually fairly stoic, but now, they feel so weak and defeated. Maybe include some tears? Sorry if this is too specific!!!

I really like this idea! I didn’t intend to go towards any specific genre of whump, since you didn’t specify, but I ended up going a little in a lab whump direction. I hope that’s okay! Thank you so much for the ask, and, again, sorry these are taking ages.

CW//Medical settings, chemical restraints, restraints, sedation, non con drug use, implied lab whump, syringes

Whumpee was screaming.

That was the only thing that could be processed by anyone in the Emergency Room as the gurney was unloaded from the ambulance and rushed through a pair of swinging double doors. Before the doors could so much as swing their way closed, the patient had already been deposited upon an ICU bed.

Around them, doctors swarmed like locusts. The doctors were swarming, and Whumpee was screaming.

“Hold them down!”

“Haldol, dammit! Get me Haldol!”

“I said, hold them down!”

Yet, to the supine patient, there were no doctors. No hospital. No, as far as they were concerned, this was a laboratory in everything but name. A torture chamber in everything but name.

And such was reflected in their movements.

Upon the bed, already half-laden with various pieces of tubing and wires, Whumpee howled, thrashing their limbs about with wild abandon. To them, movement was an end goal. As long as they were moving, there was hope of escape.

As long as they were moving, the pain wasn’t quite so bad.

“Hold, hold!”

“Where in the world is that Haldol?!”

“Right here!”

Even the words could not make their way into their their mind. No, there was no sense in their mind, only the most vague knowledge of flashing colors, of bright lights, of the horrid stench of antiseptic that they knew all too well. Each time a face appeared to them from the shroud, it quickly morphed into that of their former tormentor, eliciting nothing from them but another anguished wail.

Whumpee was not expecting the pain, though perhaps they should have been. Their arm was pushed down to the bed, half a dozen hands working to stop their ceaseless writhing. First came cold, then the prick.

“There. There.”

That was when the hyperventilation began, thrashing escalating along with it. By then, beyond their knowledge, their scope of sanity, the room had been flooded by eight doctors, nurses, and orderlies, all struggling to stop their emaciated body’s struggling.

Whumpee looked like a lab rat upon that bed, blue lines sprouting from pale skin, practically begging their veins to be pierced and flooded. The thought made their tears start, sobs tearing through their chest, jutting ribs and all, as they twisted back and forth.

Yet, at a certain point, their panic reached a peak. Its crescendo ceased, and its downfall began. Slowly but surely, each of their cells was turned to sand until they were more useless and heavy than a burlap sack.

“Clear. Running the line.”

It was a series of words that they had, up to that point in their life, heard far too many times. But, now, there was nothing to be done. No pleas or threats to be howled. Instead, they only breathed heavily, watching as the long, plastic tube pierced its way into one bulging vein.

“Line in. Clear to start the drip.”

And drip it did.

Drip -

Drip -

Drip -

Out.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Whumpee laid upon the beach, their consciousness flowing in and out as the tide.

For one moment, vision gently flowed along the sands, showing them hazy views of sterile lights and clipboards and dangling tubes. Then, once more, it receded, washed away into unconsciousness. The next time that the water flooded in, the waves were higher. Alongside visions of white tiles and dancing monitor screens, there was sound. Beeping and buzzing and voices.

When the tide came in for the third time, it stayed.

This time, the first things that occupied their newly-revived senses were not the lights, the tiles, the buzzing. Instead, they were assaulted by the sights and sounds of their own breathing-- quick, shallow, barely enough to move adequate air into their lungs.

That was, until their thought process was interrupted by something far more jarring. A voice.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

It wasn’t the softest of voices, nor the kindest. Though it wasn’t sharp, it was most certainly firm. More of a bark than a yell.

Whumpee blinked, vision once more threatening to fade. The tide dragged along the shore...

But, they were awake. Wakefulness meant confusion, and confusion meant a sharp terror, gripping at their throat.

Sterile lights. White, tiled walls. The reek of antiseptic. Every hallmark of a lab, and more. In an instant, the subtle wave of consciousness turned to a flash flood as adrenaline eliminated even the most far-off hopes of returning to slumber.

And, too, the flood came with more visions. Imagery striking at them, pounding upon the inside of their skull like a mallet. Lab coats, gloved hands, the bars of a stainless steel kennel. Shimmering needles. Pliers and scalpels.

Upwards, they jerked, a desperate attempt seizing them to sit up, as though they had just been struck by a defibrillator. But, they proved quite immediately unsuccessful, a force upon their chest keeping them held firmly down.

Whumpee knew that feeling well. Even with vertigo making the lifting of their head impossible, they did not have to work hard to imagine the restraint strap, most certainly stretched taut over their chest. More panicked experimentation showed that their wrists and ankles were similarly limited.

“Stop.”

Their wide gaze, eyelids straining to open wider as their pinprick pupils shivered, shot to find the word’s source.

The lab coat sat perched upon a stool, legs curled deliberately beneath themself. There existed a firm, focused stare to those eyes. Whumpee felt as though they could not so much as breathe without being observed.

Then again, that was what the doctor was upset at them for, huh?

Well, if they were going to be in trouble, they may as well give something to be in trouble for. If these wackjob scientists thought that they were just going to sit quietly for another hellish procedure, they had another thing coming! At least they were out of their kennel, out of their cage.

“Let me up, piece of shit!” Whumpee snarled as they made another useless attempt to sit up. Of course, the restraints limited them just as well the second time.

“I don’t think I’ll be doing that.” A moment later, it was no longer simply the pressure of the strap that pressed down upon the chest. Too, a strong hand joined, pushing. “You’re staying down.”

“And what are you doing to do to me this time?”

Though there were a few moments of confusion, there was nothing reassuring about them.

“If you cooperate? What I’m going to do to you is ensure a full recovery.” The restraining hand retracted.

“Torture doesn’t usually help with that, just sayin’.” A weak smile appeared upon their face-- all they could manage.

“You’re not there anymore.” This time... this time, there was the slightest twinge of comfort to that tone. As though they were explaining a procedure. Clinically outlining the process in a way designed to minimize panic. “You’re in the hospital.”

“That hellish lab isn’t a hospital.”

“I’m well aware of that.” They didn’t sound all too pleased at being interrupted. “You’ve been removed. You were taken here in an ambulance.”

“I was-” They tensed.

“And sedated for an adverse reaction to rescue.”

“You stabbed me.”

“It was a syringe.” They countered. “Barely a poke.”

As though Whumpee hadn’t been poked enough.

“Whatever.” They at last hissed. “Let me out of this crap, if you’re so intent on rescuing me.”

“You’re already writhing about like a fish out of water. It’s for your own good.”

They clenched their hands to fists.

“What would be good would be letting me go! I don’t need your help.”

A howl of laughter.

“Yes, kid. Yes, you do.” The doctor sighed. “I’m afraid you have a very, very long road ahead of you. And if you don’t want to spend that journey under the influence of Haldol, you’d better learn to calm down.”

[ask-a-vetblr]

I completely understand why you don't want to describe the worst things you've ever seen in your profession, but would you mind a question about the best? Which situations, stories, people, and/or animals just make you happy whenever you remember them?

vet-and-wild here.

I had one when I worked in the ICU as a student that made me cry happy tears. There was an Aussie that reacted to ivermectin (something that can happen in this breed) and ended up completely comatose. The dog was hospitalized in the ICU for a week or so and it was really touch and go at first. The dog did start to come around but couldn’t walk or get up or anything. At the end of the week we discharged him and he was able to run to his owner and jump on him, even though he was a bit wobbly. We were all sobbing. This ended up being a case report in one of my classes a year or two later and I found out he’s doing amazing and totally back to normal. Getting to see pets and owners reunited always makes me a little teary eyed.

Petshrink here:

Some of my favorites are 1) the first bird I ever bonded with - I had bad allergies and he started sneezing every time he saw me!; 2) a perfect little bully boy who was one of the most wiggly and fidgety creatures in the world for any type of restraint - we got very close and it was one of my first ‘less is more’ restraint experiences; 3) cases where the helping the family understand their pet changes all their lives; 4) cases where I find pain or other illness that nobody realized was affecting behavior. I recently saw a sweet dog who suddenly started having bad days where he self-isolated and growled when anyone even spoke to him and starting a pain medication has drastically improved it :)

[straight-to-the-pain]

Hi! If you get this, feel free to answer with three random things about yourself and then send this to the last seven blogs in your notifications – Anonymously or not! Let’s get to know the person behind the blog! (No pressure though, <3)

I’m really bad at these because I always forget what I’ve already said and then I can never think of anything fun or random about myself but here goes:

1) I’m going to officially become a nursing student in September! I was studying bio and marine bio and just not vibing with the course the way I wanted to so I changed my path and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me. Here’s to knowing more about medicine so I can uhh write more accurate whump I guess?

2) I volunteer in a Red Cross bookshop and it’s my favourite place to work. The customers are wild (shout out to the guy who told me not to apologise today because ‘it’s a sign of weakness’), I love being surrounded by books and my manager is basically a communist and I love him so much.

3) I just finished my first ever official paid job! I was basically a healthcare assistant in an ICU because they were short staffed due to covid and it was a pretty intense experience but I loved it and it really solidified my desire to go into healthcare. I’m sad that it’s over, but it’s a good sign that they don’t need so many of us anymore and I’m excited to move on to new things :)

[fishfingersandjellybabies]

In Your Father’s Eyes - fic

Characters: Damian Wayne, Jon Kent, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Lois Lane, Alfred Pennyworth, little bit of Clark Kent and Tim Drake and literally everyone Pairing: jondami Summary: Of all the things and all the experiences they thought Jon and Damian would have, it certainly wasn’t this. But they’re all better for it anyway.  A/N: A commission for the lovely @heraldofsong! I hope you enjoy it. :) They asked for a bittersweety fluffy story about the Batfam’s reactions/reminiscing to Jon and Damian having a baby. I chose the middle name ‘Charlotte’ because according to the internet it meant ‘freedom’ or ‘free’ and I felt that described an adult Jon and Damian very well. Barry went with Lois downstairs in case Jon and Damian emerged while she was gone, he could rush her back up. Also, it goes without saying, the Flashes brought Steph, Cass and Kara back from the gift shop the same way. Jon is petrified of holding or even touching the baby sometimes. He eventually gets over that. Some vibes for this fic are ‘Mango Dream’ by Afternoon Bike Ride. 

~~

It was a quiet afternoon at the manor. The warm sun peeking through the curtains. Birds chirping outside. The contented crackle of flame in the fireplace as he and Alfred each sat in a recliner reading a book.

Then Tim called.

“Conner and I are on our way to the hospital. Just about there, actually.” He said urgently. “Damian and Jon were taken there by a group of Green Lanterns.”

“What happened?” Bruce demanded, jumping from his chair as quickly as his old bones would allow him. Alfred glanced up from his novel, closing it immediately.

“That’s the thing…I…I’m not sure.” Tim offered. “I’ve already talked to Damian. He said neither of them were really hurt at all. Just that he needs us there. All of us.”

That was enough for Bruce.

Tim said he’d already called the others, and was in the process of sending Bruce the hospital coordinates. As Bruce and Alfred gathered their coats and head to the car, Bruce’s phone pinged again with a text.

I think you might want to bring your credit card.

Bruce rolled his eyes at Tim’s instruction, but checked his wallet anyway.

The hospital wasn’t in Gotham, or Metropolis, but a smaller city in between. A medium-sized research hospital that the League used often. Out of the way, but staffed with the most skilled in the world, and able to keep a secret or two.

Bruce could already see the gaggle of Green Lanterns on the roof as they pulled in to the parking lot. But judging by their relaxed body language, just like Tim had said, there was no emergency.

So what…?

Lois and Barry were in the lobby waiting for them. She smirked when she saw them, crossing her arms.

“What’s happening?” Bruce demanded. “Are the boys alright?”

“Perfect.” Lois let her smirk become a wide grin. There was a giddy shriek from nearby, and Bruce glanced over. It came from the gift shop, where he could see Stephanie holding something up, showing a confused Cass and judgmental Kara. “We were just waiting here for you to take you to the right ward.”

“Well, I must say, judging by everyone’s attitude, I can’t imagine it’s the ICU.” Alfred quipped. Barry laughed and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“Nope.” Lois spun away, all but skipping as she led the way. “Barry, you ready to catch him?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “We’re heading to the maternity ward.”

Bruce froze.

“…What?”

Barry was instantly at his shoulder, an arm hovering against his back.

“Ms. Lane…” Alfred said slowly. Laughter from the gift shop again, and now Bruce could see what Stephanie was showing the others – baby clothes.

“Wild, right?” She nodded, urging them both to follow. “But it’s true.”

“Apparently the boys were on a mission with a few of the Lanterns, on some planet.” Barry explained as he gently pushed them along. “This planet has way more advanced in vitro fertilization technology than on Earth. Than in the whole damn Milky Way. But apparently a major part of the fight was in a science lab. And I don’t know if it was from blood from injuries or sweat from exertion or what, but somehow both their DNA got into one of the machines, and literally hours later, a baby was being born.”

“An…alien child?” Alfred asked.

“You’d think that, but no. One-hundred percent Damian and Jon. So, only twenty-five percent alien, Kryptonian, from Jon’s side.” Barry hummed. “It wasn’t like their DNA was being added to an already incubating organism. Its creation came about because their DNA got combined.”

“At least,” Lois interrupted. “As far as we know. That’s why we’re here. They’re getting the baby checked out.”

Suddenly, Tim’s text made sense. “We have…nothing for a baby at the manor. Do…you and Clark have anything from when Jon was born?”

Lois’s grin softened. “Not enough to have everything they’ll need. But enough for the first day or so. Clothes-wise, anyway.”

“They’ll…they’ll have to come stay at the manor.” Bruce turned to Alfred, mind already in hyper drive. “Their…their apartment isn’t big enough. Right?”

“They live in a penthouse, sir, not an apartment.” Alfred smiled. “But I’m sure if you asked they wouldn’t mind coming home for a while. Especially with all the foot traffic of new aunts and uncles that they can surely expect.”

“You already know which room Clark and I are staying in, right, Alfred?” Lois teased.

“Of course, Ms. Lane.” Alfred chuckled. Barry suddenly dashed forward, holding the door open for the three of them. “I’m already devising the floor plans for everyone in my head as we speak.”

And even with the three women in the gift shop, the maternity ward was a madhouse of Supers, Bats and Leaguers alike. Tim was talking with Dinah and Ollie, showing them cribs and mobiles on his phone. Conner was talking with Diana, Donna and the two Wally Wests. Lois was already rejoining Clark, who was speaking with J’onn. Jason had already grabbed Alfred and was gently pulling him towards Koriand’r and Roy.

Barry was stepping up behind him. “Has Dick been…?”

Barry pointed, but it was useless, since Bruce had just spotted him. He was away from the crowds, further down the hall, staring into one of the closed doors, his arms folded across his chest.

Bruce nodded and gave Barry a short grin. Barry gently squeezed his shoulder before disappearing into their friends. Bruce inhaled and slowly walked forward. Everyone immediately gave him passing congratulations, and he smiled softly to each of them in return.

Dick didn’t look at him as he approached, kept just staring into the door. Bruce silently stood next to him, and glanced inside himself.

Damian and Jon stood there, next to a plastic crib. They were in matching teal scrubs that barely hid the few bandages they each had across their bodies. Nothing serious, like everyone had told him so far, but still enough that made his heart beat a little faster.

Jon’s wrist hung over the crib, and Bruce could see tiny fingers clinging to his middle one. His other hand was around Damian’s waist, rubbing calming circles against his hip. His head was up, nodding at whatever the doctor standing across from them and the crib was saying.

Damian, surprisingly, was opposite. His head was down, watching the child. His hand was cupping the baby’s head, stroking gently across its tuft of dark hair.

Bruce couldn’t see any other features on the baby. Its face was blocked by its fat belly and gleefully kicking feet. The hand not latched on to Jon’s waved every so often, where he could see a tube connected.

God, he couldn’t even see it and he adored this child already.

“Can you believe it?” Dick suddenly whispered. Bruce turned his head towards him, but kept his eyes on the door. He heard the baby give a loud squeal. Watched as Jon glanced down and grinned, shaking his captured finger. “Damian’s a dad.”

“So it appears.” Bruce smiled.

“He wasn’t one yesterday. There was no plan for him to be one, yesterday.” Dick continued, practically in awe. “This is…incredible.”

“The universe is an incredible place.” Bruce agreed. “…How long have you been here?”

“About an hour.” Dick admitted. “Damian called me when they hit Earth’s stratosphere.”

“Did you get to see the baby at all?” Bruce asked. In his periphery he saw Dick shake his head.

“They were already in there by the time I got here. Jon came out for a hot second to ask me to bring Lois to the ward when she arrived. But otherwise I haven’t talked to them.” Dick sighed. He shifted nervously from foot to foot. “…It’s almost laughable.”

“What is?”

“Damian’s the first of us to be a dad.” Dick smiled wistfully. “Mr. ‘I-Don’t-Need-Anybody’, Mr. ‘I’m-Not-A-Family-Person’, Mr. ‘Jonathan-and-I-Are-Too-Busy-To-Raise-Children’…and he’s the first of us to have a kid. A biological kid.”

“A biological child conceived and born in hours, from what I was told.” Bruce murmured. He chuckled. “Quite a…peculiar birth. Just like him.”

They lapsed into a silence then, as they continued to watch through the door. They could see both Damian and Jon conversing with the doctor, and suddenly, said doctor was lifting the baby from the crib, taking it out of view. The baby clung to Jon’s finger for as long as it could, even pulling a little as it was pulled away.

Almost immediately, Jon turned to Damian, and the two began to speak softly to each other. Damian’s face looked tired, nervous. Jon’s looked similar, but he smiled anyway, cupping Damian’s face in his hands. Damian clung to his wrists, closing his eyes as he leaned into one of the hands.

“…Do you remember when he was little?” Dick asked softly. “So tough and angry. I’d ruffle his hair and he’d try to cut my arm off.”

“He was a little…prickly.” Bruce smiled warmly. “Focused on nothing but Batman’s mission, and being the best. But you freed him from that viciousness.”

“I had help.” Dick laughed, watching as Jon leaned down and kissed Damian, before the two engulfed each other in an embrace. “Don’t sell yourself so short, old man.”

“Don’t sell yourself short either, Dick.” Bruce bumped his elbow into Dick’s side. “For as much as I loved him at the time anyway, much of his growth was because of you.”

“…Look at him, B.” Dick whispered after a moment. Bruce actually glanced at him now, and saw tears in his eyes. “Look how much he’s grown.”

Bruce put a hand on Dick’s shoulder, gave a squeeze as he glanced back towards the door. Damian was twenty-seven now, Jon twenty-four. Both tall and muscular, though Jon slightly more so, and both perfect mixtures of their parents. Each with their own lives, their own identities, creating their own legacies, their own destinies.

But right now all Bruce could see was the children they were. The friends forced together by their fathers, but almost instantly inseparable. The kids who were stronger than any man, and whose favorite game was to climb a life-sized replica of a tyrannosaurs rex that was nestled in a cave, and eat lunch in its mouth.

Damian said something and Jon laughed. Damian’s eyes lit up and his cheeks turned red as Jon kissed his forehead.

Bruce smiled too.

Friends from childhood. Lovers in adulthood.

And now, fathers.

Clark’s baby was a father. His baby was a father.

“I’m so proud of him.” Dick murmured, voice trembling in joy. “He’s just so happy, Bruce.”

Dick turned away, embarrassingly wiping at his eyes.

“God, don’t let him see me like this.” Dick laughed weakly. “It’ll ruin my chances of being the baby’s godfather.”

“It’s endearing.” Bruce promised, turning to look at him. “If nothing else, it’ll heighten your chances. Besides, you’ll still be its uncle no matter what.” A smirk. “And grandpa, depending on who you ask.”

“Oh god, Bruce no.” Dick laughed, wiping faster at his eyes. “I’m too young to be a grandpa.”

“How do you think I feel?” Bruce asked incredulously. “I just got told by Superman’s wife twenty minutes ago that I’m a grandfather!”

Dick looked over at him, eyes soft, the crinkles around his eyes more noticeable with his smile. “You’ll be a great one, Bruce. The very bes-”

There was the sound of a doorknob turning, a latch unhooking. Dick and Bruce both spun back around towards the door to the exam room to find it opening.

Suddenly, the whole hallway was silent, save for a light whooshing, electric noise. Clark was there instantly, Lois in his arms. Conner appeared with Tim, Jason was just finishing pushing his and Alfred’s way through the Justice Leaguers, and the Flashes were each dutifully helping Stephanie, Cassandra and Kara to their feet.

They all waited with baited breath.

It was Jon who was opening the door, and held it open for Damian to walk through. Damian, who had a swaddled bundle tight in his arms, stepped tentatively into the hallway. As soon as he was through the threshold, Jon was at his side, a protective arm around his back.

When Damian glanced up with his wide, shocked eyes – he looked at Bruce first. Then Clark, then Lois, then finally landed on Dick.

“I…” He croaked. Closed his mouth, cleared his throat. Let himself smile slightly as he returned his gaze to Bruce. “We…we have a daughter.”

He turned the baby outwards slightly. Her eyes were closed, but skin was the perfect mixture of Damian’s tan tones, and Jon’s pale colors. She had Jon’s wild curls, but very clearly Damian’s nose and eyebrows. There were immediately a few gasps and coos among the nearby Leaguers.

“Healthy?” Clark asked. “She checked out okay?”

“Completely perfect.” Jon exhaled in excitement. “Doc said she looks like every other baby he’s ever seen, all the way down to the DNA.”

“Anything about…powers?” Clark pushed.

“Dad.” Jon rolled his eyes. “She’s only a few hours old.”

“The doctor told us to monitor her as she grows, and go over your, Jon’s, Kara’s and even Conner’s personal histories.” Damian explained instead. “And if she does at any point present powers, it will likely follow the same timeline as the rest of you.”

Lois stepped forward, gently pressing her hand to the baby’s head. Like always, she asked the question everyone else was too nervous to.

“What’s her name?”

Jon and Damian glanced at each other, and Jon let out a light laugh.

“Martha.” Damian whispered, looking straight at Bruce, with a quick glance to Clark. “Martha Charlotte.”

“Hello Miss Martha Charlotte.” Lois cooed, leaning down to kiss the baby’s head. Martha just yawned, and curled back into Damian’s chest.

“Whose last name?” Dick asked gently, taking his turn to step forward. “Martha Charlotte Kent? Martha Charlotte Wayne? Hell, Martha Charlotte al Ghul?”

Damian smirked and Jon looked heavenward as he mumbled, “To be determined.”

Dick laughed as he looked between the two men. He let his laughter die out and asked, “You two nervous?”

“Is it that obvious?” Jon countered incredulously. “I mean…jeez, I’m still afraid to hold her!” He leaned into Damian’s back. “What if I…I don’t know, squish her, or something?”

“You won’t, Beloved. I promise.” Damian teased, leaning back to kiss at Jon’s cheek.

Dick smiled, and couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward and pressed his temple against Damian’s, looking down at Martha. She gave a contented sigh.

“I am so, so, so proud of you, Damian.” Dick whispered, squeezing Damian’s arm. Lois nodded in agreement as she ran a hand through Jon’s hair, before returning her attention to the baby. “”I am so proud of you both.”

Damian let himself smile, let himself exhale in what almost sounded like relief as he leaned into Dick. He stood there a moment, let Dick and Lois fawn over the baby, before glancing up again. Clark was watching with a bright smile, one almost too big for his face. Waiting excitedly for his own turn, but clearly quickly losing his patience.

Then he looked to Bruce. Bruce who had just been staring silently since they stepped into the hallway, eyes wide, lips parted. A faint, awed smile was etched gently into his face, and it made Damian’s own smile widen. He slowly stepped away from Jon, Lois and Dick and towards his father, angling towards Clark in the process to include him too. “…Father?”

Bruce looked up at his face, the adoration clear in his old blue eyes.

“…I have a daughter, Father.” Damian breathed, looking towards Martha. She smacked her lips sleepily, and Damian’s smile, impossibly, grew. Let himself smile wider than Bruce had ever seen. “And I just…she is already my whole world. I…I’ve never loved someone so quickly.”

“That’s what having a child does to you, son.” Clark smiled.

Damian’s grin faltered, just slightly. “I’m sure it was not this way when I arrived in your life.”

It was a self-depreciating joke, made to downplay Damian’s importance to every single person in this hallway. But Bruce didn’t take it. Bruce didn’t dare play into the darkness that still plagued his youngest’s mind.

“On the contrary.” Bruce hummed, taking hold of his elbow. “I might have loved you even quicker.”

Damian snorted and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he just kept looking at Martha, shifting his hand to run across her tiny cheek. His voice was barely a breath. “…I have a daughter.”

“And she looks like you.” Bruce noted, poking at Martha’s nose. She scrunched it up and shook her head. Damian laughed, and held her even closer. “…I’m so happy for you.”

Damian looked up then, almost in surprise.

“You’re going to be a great father.” Bruce whispered, squeezing Damian’s elbow. “The best of any of us.”

Damian turned back towards his husband just in time to see Dick grab Jon and wrap him in the biggest hug he could. As Dick released him, Jon glanced over at him. “…And he will be an even greater one.”

Jon, who of course heard the whole conversation with his powers, grinned sheepishly.

Damian giggled as Jon stepped towards him, and kissed his forehead, then leaned down to do the same to Martha. A moment later, he allowed himself a deep breath. “Well. You ready?”

Jon glanced over his shoulder, towards their waiting brothers and sisters, to the entirety of the Justice League waiting behind them. He exhaled sharply. “As I’ll ever be, today.”

Dick laughed as he and Lois helped pushed the new parents forward. As Clark stepped closer to Bruce and hugged him in quiet glee.

“Welcome to the family, Martha.” Dick grinned, gesturing out to everyone, before looking down at the sleeping newborn in Damian’s arms. Damian and Jon looked happily at each other. “We’re so happy you’re here.”