Editing TheStarsAreRight:CarlNote3 (section)

=='''Crummy Last Words'''==

'''REDLAND'''

[I figure changing the subject heading makes it more of a 'page turner'. Also harder to track what's going on, but what're you going to do?! :)   ]
 

"The Berengaria? That doesn't sound right. Oh. Is this the boat we sent to pick up the guardian stones? That's probably a good idea."
 

He rolls onto his side and throws up.
 

"Dang. I just can't believe I have anything left down there."
 

He chuckles weakly.
 

"I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but I don't think I'm going to make it. Blast, I can't believe I'm going to die on a fricking boat. If you don't mind, I'm just going to stay on my side here, so that I don't choke to death on vomit."
 

He chuckles again.
 

"Wait. Those are terrible last words. I'm glad you're here, Carl. You're a good man."
 

He closes his eyes and seems to slip into unconsciousness, shivering.
 

Carl is unable to detect anything 'mystical' that may be wrong with Jack. His power level seems a little low, perhaps. Other than the fever, vomiting, shivering, disorientation, racing pulse, and general dying-like behavior, everything seems alright.
 

Carl has alerted several people on the ship to the problem and they are moving in to help.

'''CARL'''

[ LOL! I trust you’ll keep things in order.  BTW, why do you keep dropping Jan off the list?  Did you hear back from her? ]
 

“You’ll be fine, Jack.  Just hang on.  You’re ill.”    Carl is touched by Jack’s words – no one ever says nice things like that to him – but this is hardly the time.   Clean him up a bit with the kerchief.   “Why do you need Rebecca?”
 

Carl places his hand on the back of Jack’s neck, feeling the heat and the pulse there, and gently pushes life into him, strengthening and supporting him as others draw near.
 

[and if you’re talking to Jan about this stuff, I can give her details, rolls, etc.  Otherwise we can play it out in drama form.]

'''REDLAND'''

It's unclear if Jack hears Carl's words, but if he does, his response is something of a non sequitur.
 

He mumbles, "The oracle was right."
 

Someone asks Carl, "Should we move him into a cabin?"
 

There is a general babble of conversation as people try to assess the situation and figure out what needs to be done.
 

Redland states, "What good is a macro model without micro foundations?"
 

After adding some life to Jack, Carl's assessment is that Jack's belief that he is dying is probably overstated... at least in the very short term. Whether he will continue to get worse is hard to say without knowing the underlying cause of his condition.

'''CARL'''

[ You’re back!  I was wondering if we were waiting for something. ]
 

Carl spends a moment or two fending off well-meaning passengers, cleaning Jack up a bit, and hopefully getting him out of the walkway – to a deck chair perhaps.  I’d like to get him to his cabin before the purser shows up, but I (chaz) am not sure how far that is – so I’ll accept the help of someone nearby to get Jack to his feet and move him to his stateroom (or mine, whichever is closer.)  Variations on a theme of “He’s not well – he fainted”, “we’re travelling together”, and “I’ll take care of him, if we can just get him to the cabin” are used as necessary.   If Jack can walk, I can manage on my own – otherwise, if we get help, I’ll be sure to get the helper’s name so I can properly thank them later.
 

Obviously, no more meaningful conversation between Jack and Carl takes place while this is going on … however if any of Jack’s ramblings are illuminating, I’m all ears.

'''REDLAND'''

[Howdy! I've had some late nights finishing up reports (Sept. 30 is the deadline for most clients' quarterly reports). How strong are Carl's healing abilities, in general? Do his powers have differing effects on 'mystical' issues as opposed to 'natural' illnesses?]
 

As Carl helps Redland to his feet and wards off passengers, Julian arrives in response to Carl's early communication and the two of them assist Jack back to his cabin. Along the way, Jack doesn't seem to say anything terribly enlightening, though he is adamant that 'the solution is monetary policy.' He mumbles out disparaging comments about those who 'insist on shackling the money supply' and 'the long disproven efficacy of fiscal stimulus'.
 

Jack's cabin is kept fairly tidy. At first glance, an open book and a closed satchel are all that catch Carl's eye. Jack clearly can't stay upright on his own, and Carl and Julian lower him as gently as possible onto whatever passes for a bed. Jack's speech has gone from strange ramblings to pure incoherence. He snatches at blankets and curls up into a ball.

'''CARL'''

[Carl’s healing abilities … good question.  He and I are still learning just what they can do.  He can’t “heal wounds” of the physical sort aside from using that spell, but he has, as King, a number of broad skills related to the life force and patterns in living things.  He can strengthen weak systems, encourage growth and regeneration (sometimes astoundingly – I grew a tree sapling from a twig in less than a minute once), vitalize and ”tune” things to be more optimal and true to their natural state, and also a number of tougher processes that actively guide, change or enhance the potential of the system in various ways.  These he is not attempting to do here – only to make Jack strong and help his system to repair itself and fight off whatever disease or malaise affects him. 
 

Carl has a fair amount of experience with the “feel” of different sorts of system failures.  Power-related issues leave distinct marks on the structure; diseases affect the body in different ways than cancers or wounds, and those can all be felt.  Anything involving mixing of energies with another, be it Fae or wild Earth energy or Outsider or whatever, leaves distinct flavors in the structure that stand out like beacons.  That is true both of ponic and vitalic effects.  Carl has no direct experience with the effects of Logos energies, however, he can barely detect it at all…. And I don’t have a clue as to what a good old-fashioned non-magical addiction would ‘feel’ like.
 

So, yeah, if what’s happening to Jack has a magical cause, chances are it leaves a mark Carl can sense, even if he doesn’t know the details.  If it’s active intervention by someone or Someone else, that would be very obvious, even to some clue to the identity of that other.  Carl fully expects to see an entanglement in Jack between him and that doohickey he got from the Dark Pharaoh; I bet the Pharaoh’s ‘scent’ is all over and through the man.  I’ve never had cause to look deeper until now, to see if there is change or damage resulting from that link.  Maybe now’s the time.
 

Just at a simple glance, and based on what you’ve already said about no outside influences, this really does look like straight-up influenza or the effect of an infection.  If there’s more to know, do tell. J  ]
 

First things first; get him on the bed, and comfortable, and get a cool wet cloth on his forehead.  If Julian brought the aspirin, I won’t have to look for any here.  If he’s capable at all of responding I might try to get him to drink some water, but that’s secondary.
 

I do want to get off his coat and shoes, get him under blankets … and detach him from whatever he was trying to hide from me in his pocket. :)