That's One Way to Introduce Yourself! [Estelle]

❊ ツガ 小芥子 ❊

Mumbled, mild expletives flowed from Tsuga as she pushed herself off the track in the early morning. She'd come here just to run and stay in shape, not to inconvenience someone who she'd assume wouldn't even be here until closer to the first bell. It was a careless mistake too, catching the concrete edge of the track as she ran along. The tumble wasn't bad at all, but her shoe had caught sideways as she fell, and now her ankle felt sore, although it wasn't unbearable.

She gripped the bench on the side of the track, pushing herself up in a way that shifted all her weight onto her left foot. Although Tsuga was fairly certain it was only a roll, she didn't want to escalate any symptoms she was feeling on the off chance that it was indeed something worse. Her walk was slow and kept weight off her right foot as much as she could feasibly muster, although the distance to the nurses office was still a sizable walk.

Knuckles met the textures of the door as a knock rang out three times before Tsuga allowed herself to find purchase against the wall, taking the weight off her foot once more. She could only hope the nurse would be in before the bell rang, and that the sign over the door was correct. She blinked several times before her eyes opened lazily, her attitude exasperated, rather than apprehensive.

"This is not the way I imagined introducing myself."

WORDS:249 TAGS: Estelle Tambling NOTES: ~

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

Two years. Two years going onto three. And even after all this time, with her door open, people still knocked. Not that Estelle really minded at this point. If people were going to announce their presence, it allowed her to focus on her letter writing. Today's letter was to her three sisters. Dire news from both sides of the Pacific, followed by scathing remarks from the nurses, the sailors, and the one sailor-nurse. Constrasting the well-organized and spotless infirmary, Estelle's desk was a mix of various folders and papers, held down by various trinkets and keepsakes and Navy memoriabilia. Three soft nocks and an exasperated tone broke Estelle from her trance. Early-morning visits just before the school bell were common enough that Estelle figured it would be best to get in a little early to receive them. The old sailor looked up to see someone in the doorway, as many of the students were wont to do. Estelle smiled as brightly as she usually did as she got out of her chair. "Good morning, deary," The French-American said in perfect Japanese. She had noted the way the student was standing and brought over a wheeled chair from beside her desk, rolling it to the door for the student to sit on. "If you don't mind my curiosity, what manner did you expect to introduce yourself?" Estelle asked, chuckling softly. "More than a few have done it lying face down in the dirt. Relatively speaking, the fact you made it to my door by yourself means you've arrived in a far less embarrassing manner than your peers." The nurse turned the chair around so that the standing student could sit down. "Come deary, go ahead and sit. I'll wheel you back in."

Tags: @tsuga Words: 300 Notes: coded by rem of WW

❊ ツガ 小芥子 ❊

Tsuga nods to the nurse, pushing off the wall and catching the arms of the chair with ease. "Tsuga Kokeshi, second year. It's nothing major, I think. Just something I'd need ice for." She twists her arms over one another, spinning her body so she can fall back lightly into the provided chair. A soft kick from her right leg spun her around to face the school's nurse, while a second pulled her the remaining distance. She set her foot atop her knee gingerly, a rather embarrassed stain spreading across her face

"I could have at least been cool about it and been carrying another student up here, but no.. I had to trip on the edge of the track." Tsuga tries to hold back a laugh, but ultimately fails miserably, cracking up at her own misfortune. "God, how lame is that! At least if I'd come here from face down in the dirt it would have made a good story, although it probably would have been a worse injury." She wipes the laughter away from her eyes, a soft smile resting gently across her face. "If it's no trouble, I just want to make sure it isn't anything beyond a rolled ankle."

The girl allows her eyes to float around the room, her gaze passing over both the scores of small reminders and the stationary. The combination of both the environment, as well as her facial characteristics brought the curiosity of the student to the surface. "If you don't mind... Is the letter for friends and family overseas?" She levels her eyes with the nurse. "I'm sorry if it's prying. I just saw the ship and navy stuff and that doesn't look like the Jieitai style vessel we learned about in middle school."

WORDS:294 TAGS: Estelle Tambling NOTES: ~

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

Estelle raised an eyebrow as Tsuga kicked around in the chair to move herself around. If she was still capable of that, as well as joking around, then the injury was probably not too horrible. Still, adrenaline rushes was something the nurse kept in mind as she pulled out Tsuga's folder from a nearby cabinet, throwing it quickly on the table before moving over to another cabinet where she kept supplies for sprains and bruises. By the wearing of the handles, it was clear that this cabinet was used rather often. "If it was any trouble Kokeshi-san, I would not have taken up this job, let alone this career path," Estelle replied with a soft chuckle as she retreived a cold pack from a nearby cabinet.. "Besides, being able to recongize and injury, owe up to it, and ask for help is far better than being dragged kicking and screaming for treatment." Estelle gave Tsuga a quick grin, and for a moment that sinister flash of force showed before returning to that gentle smile as she contemplated if further tools were necessary, then decided against it, placing the cold pack on a nearby table and walking to Tsuga. "You'll be surprised how many adults I've had to drag along for treatment. Trying to act all tough only causes more problems. Speaking of which, if something hurts. Do tell me. And be honest." Estelle explained kneeling in front of Tsuga to look at the student's foot. Gingerly, Estelle started to press along Tsuga's foot and ankle, at the same time looking out for scrapes along Tsuga's leg and hands. "Oh, yes, the letters. Kokeshi-san is quite the sharp one. Indeed, those are for my sisters, each one of us in different corners of the world. Some of us are sailors, some of us are nurses, and I had the lovely idea to be a nurse in the US Navy." Despite the words sounding sarcastic, Estelle still had that proud smile as she chuckled.

Tags: @tsuga Words: 340 Notes: coded by rem of WW

❊ ツガ 小芥子 ❊

Tsuga had a couple abrasions on her right palm and on both knees, but it was nothing that honestly needed attention. A quick rinse in water or a damp cloth should remove all the excess dirt and keep her all set. She winced a bit as Dr. Tambling pressed against her Achilles tendon, but no sound was forced from her. "I'd guess that means you were lugging some big soldiers around kicking and screaming? I could imagine why that would get frustrating after a while."

Tsuga's mind wandered, trying to imagine Dr. Tambling barking orders at men who seemed, in the mind of the girl, to be twice their size. It was certainly a fantastical picture, and something Tsuga would have payed good money to see. 

"I'm glad It's not awful. But still, it would have been cool to get to be someone's knight in shining armor, so to speak!" She let out another laugh, her smile growing a little bit as time passed.

Interrupting during the examination was not something the student intended to do. Rather Tsuga would simply let the doctor muse over her ankle and visible injuries. The seconds seemed to stretch on forever in the eyes of the adolescent. The soft drumming of Tsuga's fingers on the arm of her chair quickly broke the silence creating a soft noise until Tsuga's impatience finally got the better of her. "Do we have athletic tape? I can tape my ankle if that's a good idea. I learned how to tape one during P.E. in middle school."

WORDS:258 TAGS: Estelle Tambling NOTES: ~

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

The little wince and the scuffs on Tsuga's hands and knees did not go unnoticed. The injury did seem rather minor, with everything more or less intact and currently minimal swelling. Still, icing it now before it presented any problems. Inside the nurse's mind a queue of items formed as she took the cold pack and punched it with surprising force. "Binding your ankle to prevent excess movement is indeed a good idea deary...after you have iced it," Estelle said calmly, her fingers agitating the cold pack in order to activate it. With a hearty chuckle and a satisfied smile, she handed Tsgua the cold pack. "You're feeling fine now especially with a bit of adrenaline running through your body, and I would prefer it that any further swelling be minimal, lest you need to be someone's gallant hero. As for the tape." The old sailor got up from her chair to walk to another cabinet with well-worn handles, pulling out a long cloth bandage, some athletic tape, some gauze pads, and a quick-drying adhesive from various boxes. From where Tsuga sat, she could have seen both how large the boxes of materials were and just how much had already been used. Supplies in hand, Estelle looked to Tsuga with a grin. "Hopefully this is enough tape?" Estelle jokingly asked as she closed the cabinet. "Quite frankly, if I only get two or three members of the track team visiting my office I consider it a slow week." Estelle sat down and set the supplies next to Tsuga. Estelle was fine with letting the runner bandage herself, but the nurse still wanted to watch to make sure it was done properly. From the corner of her eyes Estelle watched the clock. There should be enough time to ice and bandage, and if not, Estelle had the authority to let Tsuga be a bit tardy.

Tags: @tsuga Words: 321 Notes: coded by rem of WW

❊ ツガ 小芥子 ❊

Tsuga patiently waited for the cold pack to at least dull the aching sensation before she started her work. With a grunt, she shoved herself out of the chair and over to the sink, grabbing several paper towels before sliding back into her seat. With another kick, she maneuvered herself over to the tape and bandages, leaving her backpack against the door. "I think my fat legs might need more tape," Tsuga says with a grin.

Two quick sprays of adhesive followed her question as she covered her ankle with the gauze pad before wrapping it in the pre-wrap, leaving her toes exposed. She anchors the bandage around her calf with two strips of tape, and does the same with the arch of her foot before making a stirrup. She then does a quick wrap of the remaining areas before creating two heel locks with the last of the tape she had cut. The athlete stood from the chair, putting her weight on it slowly, then bouncing on it lightly to make sure the tape will hold.

Satisfied with her work, Tsuga slid her sock back on, the crew rising to cover her ankle. "I might have had to do this a few times before," she sheepishly admited. "I'm not proud of getting myself hurt, but there's nothing you can do once it happens."

She picked up her backpack from the door frame, moving behind a curtain. "So other track team members end up here a lot, Dr. Tambling?" Tsuga dumped her track clothes in her cinch bag as she changed for classes. "I would have thought they'd be more careful about injuries while running. Even something like this could end my season, and it's a really lame way to go out. Missing the big meet because of a rolled ankle would be heartbreaking."

Tsuga slid the screen back, shouldering both her bags. Her leg warmers completely covered the bandage, so it appeared as though almost nothing had happened in the first place. "Thank you so much for your help," the student said with an accompanying bow. "I'll try not to end up in here often."

WORDS: 355 TAGS: Estelle Tambling NOTES: ~

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

Despite her earlier energy, Estelle was suprised to see Tsuga rather obedient. The nurse was prepared to deal with a stubborn student, so this was a very welcome chage of pace. As Tsuga iced and bound her ankle, Estelle tidied up, closing cabinets and throwing away the wrapper of the gauze, all while keeping a sharp eye on the student. It was clear that Tsuga had done this many times before. Was it because she had suffered similar injuries, or had treated the injuries of others? Curiosity caught the better of her and the old sailor sat down at her desk, opening up Tsuga's file. There were no records of major injuries in the past, though things like this may not have been logged before. Taking a pen into her hand, Estelle hoped that Tsuga's prowess stemmed from taking care of others as she started to fill in a short summary to today's incident. Caught mid-scribe, Estelle looked up to Tsuga even though she was hidden by a curtain, continuing to skillfully write despite not looking directly at her folder. "Indeed. The track team and the threatre department tend to be my most common visitors." Estelle said with a soft chuckle. "But as I was taught in basic training, the more you bleed in practice, the less you bleed in the real thing." Sharp clicks of the pen announced that Estelle had finished her writing, just as Tsuga pulled back on her screen. The student bowed in gratitude and Estelle stood up to return the bow, waving back with a smile. "You do not need to be injured in order to visit me, Kokeshi-san, though I am duty-bound to remind you to not strain that ankle," Estelle replied with a soft chuckle. "I enjoy being able to talk to people. But for now, farewell."

Tags: @name Words: 310 Notes: coded by rem of WW