Fallout Equestria: Grits And Ghouls

[Forum Explorer]

Maybe this will get Stitchheart to show up at least, Moonshadow said, annoyed that they we're hurried into this room, and she still hadn't shown up.

[RCgothic]

"Well, yes, I was hiding." Andante replied, cooly, "Given that I have no firearms and have absolutely no way to defend myself, I was forced to hide alongside the Moss brothers as North and River kept their guns to the door."



Andante's tone became slightly heated. "Wagon, I have no reason to doubt you or you're friends, in fact-."

Andante was interrupted by Luapula, who suddenly decided to flip over onto his side and make a warbling high-pitched noise that sounded like "Screeeeeaaaeeeee!" , which made him sound amazingly like some kind of deaftone bird.

Andante jumped in place, greatly startled by the yelling, causing her chair to fall backward. She reacted to landing back-first on the ground with all the grace of a turtle. Her face contorted into a mix of pain, shame, and embarrassment.

Luapula, inconsiderately, continued to do his best impression of a organic air-raid siren as Andante laid flat on her back and moved her legs in the air with a particularly pathetic range of motion, like she didn't have elbows or something.

Stellar moves to offer Andante a hoof up. She's not especially impressed by Andante's actions during the robot attack, but the fact nopony had bothered to give her a weapon is at least a fair point.

[Pokonic]

"I think Lu needs his diaper changed, Doc."

"Holy Celestia," Doc muttered as he was startled by the warbling Lua. He got up and checked on the zebra. "Hey, Lua? Speak to me, what's got you screaming?"

Medicine to see if it's something physical: [roll0] vs 85.

It didn't seem like Luapula had anything physically wrong with him, but his pupils were dilated and Doc could quite nearly hear how fast his heart was beating.

"We should not have come here." he whimpered.

Stellar moves to offer Andante a hoof up. She's not especially impressed by Andante's actions during the robot attack, but the fact nopony had bothered to give her a weapon is at least a fair point.

Andante took Stellar's hoof eagerly, and when she managed to right herself she immediately went for fixing her hair. With her most important possession refluffled, she then turned to Luapula, looking like she was about fifteen seconds from launching into a tirade, but-

Maybe this will get Stitchheart to show up at least, Moonshadow said, annoyed that they we're hurried into this room, and she still hadn't shown up.

Fan Knife opened the door a few moments after Andante found her footing. She looked somewhere between annoyed and confused, although she didn't seem to immediately notice Luapula being broken or Andante wobbling to her hooves like a drunk. When she did, though, her mood didn't seem to get better.

In addition, those blood spatters on her face seemed fresh. Her right hoof, small as it was, was wet and red up to the knee.

"Alright." Fan Knife replied dourly, taking her time to wipe her bloodied hoof on the slightly less bloody ground, "Follow me."

[DigoDragon]

"We should not have come here."

"We're out of food and this was the closest shelter. If you know a better spot where we don't resort to cannibalism, do tell," Doc whispered back. His kindness and patience were getting tested.

"Alright." Fan Knife replied dourly, taking her time to wipe her bloodied hoof on the slightly less bloody ground, "Follow me."

"Zebra as well?" Doc asked, pointing to Lua.

[Forum Explorer]

Lead on Moonshadow said.

[Hazuki]

Viridia hovered again, in the hopes of not getting blood on her like Fan Knife apparently had. "He's not a zebra, Doc." She rolled her eyes. "He's a giraffe."

[Pokonic]

"We're out of food and this was the closest shelter. If you know a better spot where we don't resort to cannibalism, do tell," Doc whispered back. His kindness and patience were getting tested.

"It is not a matter of the condition of the body." Luapula babbled quickly, before shutting up and quaking in fear again. His eyes started to dart in different directions and he looked like he might have been biting the insides of his cheeks lightly.

Stellar saw Andante roll her eyes at the okapi's pronouncement, although that might have been some attempt at brushing off the pain.

"Zebra as well?" Doc asked, pointing to Lua.

"Yeah." Fan Knife replied.

Lead on Moonshadow said.

Viridia hovered again, in the hopes of not getting blood on her like Fan Knife apparently had. "He's not a zebra, Doc." She rolled her eyes. "He's a giraffe."

"He's a patient." Fan Knife replied, sounding sour, although her foul mood didn't seem directed at the pegusus at the moment, "That's all that matters."

She stood still and waited for Luapula to move off the bed. Luapula didn't seem to understand that, because he was too busy looking like he had recently consumed something that made him imagine that the world was made of spiders, which involved him laying in place and shivering with his eyes wide open.

[DigoDragon]

"It is not a matter of the condition of the body."

"He's a patient. That's all that matters."

he was too busy looking like he had recently consumed something that made him imagine that the world was made of spiders

Doc took in a deep breath. "You see dead ponies, don't you?" he whispered, kind of half-not believing he just asked that question. The other half, though, has seen things. "Well, shut your eyes if it'll help."

He helped the okapi up onto his hooves to get him moving.

[Forum Explorer]

So does Stitchheart do psychiatric work? Moonshadow asked as they walked.

[Pokonic]

Doc took in a deep breath. "You see dead ponies, don't you?" he whispered, kind of half-not believing he just asked that question. The other half, though, has seen things. "Well, shut your eyes if it'll help."

He helped the okapi up onto his hooves to get him moving.

"It doesn't matter if you close your eyes." Luapula said, and closed his eyes anyway, "They can still see you."

So does Stitchheart do psychiatric work? Moonshadow asked as they walked.

"Nope, this wasn't that kind of hospital, and she's not that kind of doctor." Fan Knife replied, opening the door at the end of the hall.

The room Fan Knife walked into was relatively large, and the lights were bright and it was quite cold. The floor was completely white, and the walls were a cheery yellow with occasional green stripes. In the middle of the room, there was a operating table that had a few drop of blood on it, and around that table there were several carts loaded with what was presumably complex medical equipment. Doc could spot some of the regular staples; there was a intra-aortic balloon pump that looked like it had been recently used, for example, along with the usual trays of scalpels and more specialized equipment, some looking recently used. Around the table, several bulky monitors that seemed to display graphs and various data that were attached to the ceiling by robotic limbs.

On the far left side of the room, there was a small round table that had a small pile of papers on it; next to that stack of papers a steaming hot cup of coffee was present.

Also, Stitchheart was sitting at the table.

Stitchheart, wearing a white doctor's coat with a small yellow butterfly emblem, presented a thin figure that was probably a singe taller then the average mare. She had a coat that was a dark shade of beige; her mane was shoulder-length and was the color of straw. Her eyes were a lighter shade of yellow then her mane, and they were big and almond-shaped. The only thing that even indicated that she wasn't alive in the traditional sense was that, at the moment, there was a knife that was currently lodged right above her left eye, buried up about a half an inch thick, and there didn't seem to be any blood.

Stitchheart rose from her seat and smiled brightly when the party came inside. Raising herself from the table, she made her way over to the group with a degree of haste that was usually seen in busy people.

"Hello!" she greeted cheerfully; she sounded impressively young for a doctor, let alone a ghoul, really, "I suppose you are the group who found Cabbagetown abandoned?"

She bowed slightly, and then raised a hoof, presumably for somepony to shake. Her teeth about the same shade of white as the floor.

Fan Knife stepped to the side as soon as she entered the room, keeping her eyes on the group but apparently not willing to step between Stitchheart and the party. Andante was hanging back and was favoring the side of her head, although she seemed disquieted by the ghoul's cheery demeanor while having a hunting knife buried halfway to the hilt in her head. Luapula was being Luapula.

[Forum Explorer]

Indeed, Moonshadow said stepping forward and shaking Stitcheart's hoof. Uh, you kinda got something...in your face, Moonshadow adds, trailing off awkwardly, as she self-consciously rubs her head where Stitchheart currently has a knife.

[Pokonic]

Indeed, Moonshadow said stepping forward and shaking Stitcheart's hoof. Uh, you kinda got something...in your face, Moonshadow adds, trailing off awkwardly, as she self-consciously rubs her head where Stitchheart currently has a knife.

Stitchheart's hoof was as cold as clay, but she shook Moonshadow's hoof without any hostility.

Stitchheart didn't seem to recognize was Moonshadow was talking about until Moonshadow rubbed her head. Then she went from confused to laughing lightly.

"Oh, somepony attacked me when I told them I could not give them amphetamines for a tooth ache." Stitchheart replied, sounding as if she truly didn't mind the situation at all, "It looks far more serious then it is, really."

Stitchheart then took the hilt of the knife, and gave it a quick tug. The knife was clearly resistant to being pulled out; Stitchheart wiggled the hilt a bit, and even tried to twist it counterclockwise, but it didn't seem to have any effect. She didn't seem to be in pain, however, and after a few moments she just gave up.

"It's too much of a mess to deal with right now, and I have more important things to do." she continued, shrugging her shoulders and giving Moonshadow a friendly look, "After all, that was quite a story you have."

[Forum Explorer]

Well that was...rude of them I guess. Moonshadow said, deciding to roll with it. So you already know about what happened to Cabbagetown then? That saves us some time I guess.

[DigoDragon]

"Doctor Wagon, of the Manehattan area," Doc greeted to shake Stitchheart's hoof as well. "This is Moonshadow, and the other fine folks here are are Viridia, Stellar, and Andante. This tall fellow is Luapula, the lone survivor we found. We wanted him to get checked out for illness after the mess we found him in."

[RCgothic]

"Nice to meet you doctor," Stellar introduces herself. "As far as we can tell Cabbagetown was wiped out by a combination of an epidemic caused by contaminated meat and a giant robotic mobile abatoir. We dealt with the robot, but this guy was the only survivor that we found. He claims not to have eaten any of the meat, and none the rest of us have, but as we were on our way to see you anyway we thought it prudent to get him checked."

"Our original reason for coming to see you was that we'd heard you're Tauronto's leading cyberneticist. We had been hoping to learn a thing or two."

[Hazuki]

Viridia nodded with Doc's introduction and stood there being beautiful.

Spoiler: Charisma

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(1d10)[1] vs 10

[Pokonic]

Well that was...rude of them I guess. Moonshadow said, deciding to roll with it. So you already know about what happened to Cabbagetown then? That saves us some time I guess.

"Well, I wanted to hear it from you in person." Stitchheart explained, briefly looking over at Fan Knife, "It was a rather strange story."

"Doctor Wagon, of the Manehattan area," Doc greeted to shake Stitchheart's hoof as well. "This is Moonshadow, and the other fine folks here are are Viridia, Stellar, and Andante. This tall fellow is Luapula, the lone survivor we found. We wanted him to get checked out for illness after the mess we found him in."

Stitchheart seemed to be greatly interested in both Doc and Luapula, and leaned in closer towards the to two of them as Doc spoke, as if she wasn't sure how to divide her attention between the two. When she shook Doc's hoof, she kept smiling, but she also diverted some attention to Luapula's little horns.

"Where did you get your doctorate?" she cheerfully asked Doc, without a tint of sarcasm.

"Nice to meet you doctor," Stellar introduces herself. "As far as we can tell Cabbagetown was wiped out by a combination of an epidemic caused by contaminated meat and a giant robotic mobile abatoir. We dealt with the robot, but this guy was the only survivor that we found. He claims not to have eaten any of the meat, and none the rest of us have, but as we were on our way to see you anyway we thought it prudent to get him checked."

Stitchheart immediately frowned, and stepped away from Doc, towards Luapula. She looked at the nervous okapi with concern.

"Well, I will have to run some tests. Do you bring any samples of the meat I can look at?" she asked, while gently prodding at the side of Luapula's face, as if she was checking to see how bony he was. “I don’t believe okapi’s can digest actually digest meat, either, so that is a point in his favor.”

Luapula looked horrified, like Stitchheart was actually Nightmare Moon herself and she was prodding him with a hot poker, but he wasn't screaming just yet.

"Our original reason for coming to see you was that we'd heard you're Tauronto's leading cyberneticist. We had been hoping to learn a thing or two."

Stitchheart briefly stopped what she was doing, and looked at Stellar with mild surprise.

"I do not think I'm qualified to teach cyber-surgery," she admitted, suddenly sounding bashful, "But I am going to do a low-level surgery later. I usually don’t allow observers, but if none of you turn out to be infected with anything, I suppose I would allow it.”

Viridia nodded with Doc's introduction and stood there being beautiful.

Spoiler: Charisma

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[roll0] vs 10

Stitchheart looked over at Viridia with a pleasant smile.

Meanwhile, for whatever reason, Fan Knife decided to cover her face with her fedora.

"I suppose you wouldn't mind if I checked over your injuries?" she said, somehow not making that sound like a pickup line. "Ms... Dawn, I believe?"

[RCgothic]

Stitchheart briefly stopped what she was doing, and looked at Stellar with mild surprise.

"I do not think I'm qualified to teach cyber-surgery," she admitted, suddenly sounding bashful, "But I am going to do a low-level surgery later. I usually don’t allow observers, but if none of you turn out to be infected with anything, I suppose I would allow it.”



Stitchheart looked over at Viridia with a pleasant smile.

Meanwhile, for whatever reason, Fan Knife decided to cover her face with her fedora.

"I suppose you wouldn't mind if I checked over your injuries?" she said, somehow not making that sound like a pickup line. "Ms... Dawn, I believe?"

"Sorry, all the samples we could find were burned and we didn't want to go digging in that stuff," Stellar explains whilst trying her utmost to keep the heat out of her cheeks. There should be laws against ponies being so effortlessly hot.

"If we get the chance I would very much like that," she confirms, eager to see the cybernetics first hand.

[DigoDragon]

"Where did you get your doctorate?"

"I grew up in a little hospital community, not unlike this one. The doctor there took me in as his student," Doc answered cheerfully. He focused on his conversation with Stitchheart in order to counter Viridia's hot bod, but it was still getting warm in this room. "After learning all I could from him I started traveling and picked up some field experience along the way."

Doc mentally noted to go roll around in the snow outside after this.

"Well, I will have to run some tests. Do you bring any samples of the meat I can look at?"

"Sorry, all the samples we could find were burned and we didn't want to go digging in that stuff," Stellar explains

"I did find some maddening notes from someone in Cabbage Town who apparently was trying to run their own test on the meat. You're welcome to read them over." Doc brought out the book of diseases and the mad scribbles to show Stitchheart.

[Hazuki]

"I suppose you wouldn't mind if I checked over your injuries?" she said, somehow not making that sound like a pickup line. "Ms... Dawn, I believe?"

"Having a second opinion couldn't hurt." Viridia smiled. Unfortunately, her mask was on, so she smiled with her eyes. "And yep, that's me. Did Fan Knife tell you?"

[Forum Explorer]

"Well, I will have to run some tests. Do you bring any samples of the meat I can look at?" she asked, while gently prodding at the side of Luapula's face, as if she was checking to see how bony he was. “I don’t believe okapi’s can digest actually digest meat, either, so that is a point in his favor.”

Luapula looked horrified, like Stitchheart was actually Nightmare Moon herself and she was prodding him with a hot poker, but he wasn't screaming just yet.

We might be able to retrieve a sample if you like. Stellar pulled the location of the factory the robot came from, from it's wreckage. Moonshadow said, staring at Luapula to offset Viridia's sexiness.

[Pokonic]

"Sorry, all the samples we could find were burned and we didn't want to go digging in that stuff," Stellar explains whilst trying her utmost to keep the heat out of her cheeks. There should be laws against ponies being so effortlessly hot.

"If we get the chance I would very much like that," she confirms, eager to see the cybernetics first hand.

Stithheart nodded. "I suppose that is reasonable."

"I grew up in a little hospital community, not unlike this one. The doctor there took me in as his student," Doc answered cheerfully. He focused on his conversation with Stitchheart in order to counter Viridia's hot bod, but it was still getting warm in this room. "After learning all I could from him I started traveling and picked up some field experience along the way."

Stitchheart seemed mildly disappointed.

"I suppose you are closer to a nurse, then?" she questioned, while opening Luapula's mouth and apparently checking the roof of his mouth. "Assuming you completed two years or less of school."

"I did find some maddening notes from someone in Cabbage Town who apparently was trying to run their own test on the meat. You're welcome to read them over." Doc brought out the book of diseases and the mad scribbles to show Stitchheart.

Stitchheart eagerly took the book and the notes, and quickly placed them on the table she was already using.

Doc got the chance to see Luapula mouth something that looked like 'help meeeeee'.

"Having a second opinion couldn't hurt." Viridia smiled. Unfortunately, her mask was on, so she smiled with her eyes. "And yep, that's me. Did Fan Knife tell you?"

Stitchheart shook her head.

"You're friend just said your name." she replied politely, waving over at Doc for a few seconds, keeping her attention on Viridia all the while.

"How long have those bandages been on, actually?" she asked, sounding concerned as she walked over towards the pegasus, "They haven't been left on for more then a few days, have they?"

We might be able to retrieve a sample if you like. Stellar pulled the location of the factory the robot came from, from it's wreckage. Moonshadow said, staring at Luapula to offset Viridia's sexiness.

Stitchheart shook her head, and pointed over toward's a small door on the other end of the room. She wasn't smiling, but her voice was cheerful, as if Moonshadow had just said something she'd been wanting to address.

"I'd rather just run a few tests and obtain small blood samples from anypony who thinks they might have come in contact with the vector for the contagion. Hopefully, if anypony here is ill with the sickness that destroyed Cabbagetown, I could try and see what it actually is so I can treat it."

She then looked appreciatively around the room, apparently looking for the first pony who'd let her stick a needle in their arm. The knife stuck in her head seemed to distract Luapula to the point where nausea eventually overwhelmed fear.

[DigoDragon]

Stitchheart seemed mildly disappointed.
"I suppose you are closer to a nurse, then?" she questioned, while opening Luapula's mouth and apparently checking the roof of his mouth. "Assuming you completed two years or less of school."

Doc wasn't sure if he should be amused or annoyed. "School? Heh, maybe that's how it was done before the bombs dropped, but these days you'd be lucky to find yourself an apprenticeship with someone who knows how to stitch wounds closed. I've been performing the duties of a doctor for some six years minimum by doing. I have read lots of medical books, but where I'm from you learn hoofs on."

Stitchheart eagerly took the book and the notes, and quickly placed them on the table she was already using.

Doc got the chance to see Luapula mouth something that looked like 'help meeeeee'.

'How?' Doc mouthed quietly back. 'You only speak in riddles'.

[Forum Explorer]

Stitchheart shook her head, and pointed over toward's a small door on the other end of the room. She wasn't smiling, but her voice was cheerful, as if Moonshadow had just said something she'd been wanting to address.

"I'd rather just run a few tests and obtain small blood samples from anypony who thinks they might have come in contact with the vector for the contagion. Hopefully, if anypony here is ill with the sickness that destroyed Cabbagetown, I could try and see what it actually is so I can treat it."

She then looked appreciatively around the room, apparently looking for the first pony who'd let her stick a needle in their arm. The knife stuck in her head seemed to distract Luapula to the point where nausea eventually overwhelmed fear.

I think the vector was the meat, so we should all be fine, except for Luapula maybe. Depends if one of the crazed ponies forced him to eat or not. Moonshadow said. Besides, we're headed to that factory anyways. To make sure there isn't any more of the murderous meat bots running around, and that the source of the disease is destroyed.

[Pokonic]

Doc wasn't sure if he should be amused or annoyed. "School? Heh, maybe that's how it was done before the bombs dropped, but these days you'd be lucky to find yourself an apprenticeship with someone who knows how to stitch wounds closed. I've been performing the duties of a doctor for some six years minimum by doing. I have read lots of medical books, but where I'm from you learn hoofs on."

"Oh," Stitchheart replied, looking slightly disappointed and surprised, "I didn't know Equestrian medicine had become a apprenticeship system. When did that change?"

'How?' Doc mouthed quietly back. 'You only speak in riddles'.

The okapi didn't reply, because he was now looking at Fan Knife, who had managed to recover from Viridia's licentious display and was now currently glaring daggers into the weird zebra giraffe. Luapula looked like he was staring at the barrel of a gun and was shaking like a leaf. Stitchheart did not seem to notice.

I think the vector was the meat, so we should all be fine, except for Luapula maybe. Depends if one of the crazed ponies forced him to eat or not. Moonshadow said. Besides, we're headed to that factory anyways. To make sure there isn't any more of the murderous meat bots running around, and that the source of the disease is destroyed.

Stitchheart nodded, and kept smiling. While it wasn't forced, there was a certain hard edge to it.

"It would be unethical if I did not see to you're injuries." she replied, looking at Viridia especially, "'Better safe then sorry' is a good maxim for this situation, I would think. You might not have consumed any of the meat, but the bacteria might be in you're wounds."

[RCgothic]

Stellar shrugs and offers up a wing for a blood sample. It would be good to know she hasn't incidentally caught the meat disease.

"Since all of Equestria's teaching hospitals were obliterated by balefire," she adds, helping Doc out.

[DigoDragon]

"I didn't know Equestrian medicine had become a apprenticeship system. When did that change?"

"Since all of Equestria's teaching hospitals were obliterated by balefire"

"Yeah. Rather puts a hamper on civilization when it's reduced to radioactive slag," Doc said. "If there is still an intact medical school somewhere, I'm not aware of it."

Luapula looked like he was staring at the barrel of a gun and was shaking like a leaf.

"You might not have consumed any of the meat, but the bacteria might be in you're wounds."

"That is a good point. In fact, I wondered if you wouldn't mind me assisting with the tests? I know my way around the lab and it would expedite the process."

[Pokonic]

Stellar shrugs and offers up a wing for a blood sample. It would be good to know she hasn't incidentally caught the meat disease.

"Since all of Equestria's teaching hospitals were obliterated by balefire," she adds, helping Doc out.

Stitchheart seemed more disappointed then horrified, actually, and spoke with the same tone a pony would would use when they saw that a vending machine didn't have the snack-cake they wanted.

"All of them?" she asked, frowning, "Well, that is a shame. I would not have have guessed that the zebra government would target them."

"Yeah. Rather puts a hamper on civilization when it's reduced to radioactive slag," Doc said. "If there is still an intact medical school somewhere, I'm not aware of it."

"That is a good point. In fact, I wondered if you wouldn't mind me assisting with the tests? I know my way around the lab and it would expedite the process."

Stitchheart seemed to think that Doc was just trying to say one thing.

"Well," she replied, putting a hoof on her chin and examining Doc closely, "I suppose I could use the help. If you really do need the experience, I have a small backlog I could use some help with. I really can't have a possible patient handling bloodwork, though."

[Hazuki]

"How long have those bandages been on, actually?" she asked, sounding concerned as she walked over towards the pegasus, "They haven't been left on for more then a few days, have they?"

"They've been on for a little while." Viridia shrugged, silently judging the ghoul and weighing their chances of encountering yet another evil pony. "Oh! Before the syringes come out, do you have a medicinal field that you're particularly good at? Doc mentioned cybersurgery, but you said that's not it?"

[Forum Explorer]

Stitchheart seemed more disappointed then horrified, actually, and spoke with the same tone a pony would would use when they saw that a vending machine didn't have the snack-cake they wanted.

"All of them?" she asked, frowning, "Well, that is a shame. I would not have have guessed that the zebra government would target them."

It wouldn't surprise me if they did target them, but I'm betting it was more the lack of supplies and radiation poisoning that ended organized hospitals in Equestria. Moonshadow said. But shouldn't you know? I had heard that you were over 200 years old yourself.