eyesofstrength: (Default)
Leonhardt aka "Loewe" ([personal profile] eyesofstrength) wrote in [community profile] lucetilogs2012-03-11 09:30 am

(no subject)

Who: Leonhardt and Joshua Bright and later Dr. Willock and potentially Estelle Bright
What: Character death and the depressing reactions to it
When: March 11th, afternoon and going into evening
Where: Starting in the plaza and ending in the clinic
Summary: Ever since his return, Leonhardt had been acting rather strangely and hiding things and unfortunately he's far too stubborn and distrustful to seek out the help he needs to prevent this from happening in the first place.
Rating: PG-13 for death, warning for Leonhardt's suicidal tendencies and spoilers

[It had been a week since Leonhardt returned to Luceti and found himself alive again, though not quite well either physically or emotionally. It was a shock to find himself alive and back in Luceti after making such effort to ensure he would die in his own world because of his reckless actions that it sent him spiraling into depression and still wanting to die. Unfortunately, while the Malnosso were able to put back together his broken body as it had been before, it would seem one of the numerous wounds he sustained in the explosion of the barrier got infected likely some time after he arrived here.

He had definitely not been well when he returned, and though it at first appeared as if he had gotten better, it was more that he was better able to hide his symptoms except for the fact that he was acting far more withdrawn than normal. And for someone like him, that's downright not sociable in the least bit. As the week progressed he started going downhill more and more as the infection continued to spread in his body and get worse and his chances for survival grew more and more slim, and he was fine with that. He had never been convinced that death in Luceti was temporary and felt that he no longer deserved to be among the living.

Of course it was something Joshua would not accept, and neither would Estelle. Joshua had been on his case to go to one of the clinics and he had been dodging that subject because he didn't want to go. So instead he lied and said he had gone and was told to get rest and plenty of fluids and check back with the doctor in a few days.

And that was what brought Leonhardt out today to the plaza. He was being forced to go back and check in, though honestly the moment he was outside he forgot about that entirely. It was a pretty day out, and the warm didn't bother him, it actually felt good with how chilled he felt. Instead he decided to head over to the memory garden to see if the flowers had begun to bloom yet. Even if they hadn't, he wanted to be close to Karin. Unfortunately, in his weakened state he could only make it to the fountain before he couldn't handle the lightheadedness any longer and needed to sit before he passed out. So he decided to find a nice spot in the sun to rest for a bit.]

[ooc: And if you guys want a separate thread or threads for reactions after he dies to skip ahead there, that's fine. PM me if you need any info for that.]

[personal profile] herd_effect 2012-03-22 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[Willock fetches the morphine, but decides against using it as he returns to find Leonhardt lying limp again. He sets the syringe down alongside the aliquot of epinephrine and remains watching the EKG until Estelle bursts in the room.

He addresses her calmly but gently.]


He's in septic shock. A wound on his leg became infected and the infection has since entered his bloodstream. I have him on fluids and antibiotics right now.

[He doesn't tell her the odds. He doesn't express just how bad that gangrenous cut looked. Best not to hit her with too much right away.]
estelle_bright: (Concern)

[personal profile] estelle_bright 2012-03-23 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Septic... shock?

[Estelle blinks at the doctor, and then looks back to Joshua as she processes that information. Shock she can understand, even though medical terms don't quite make that much sense to her. Losing consciousness would rank up there with the big problems though, especially since Leonhardt was so incredibly tough.

Her eyes fall across the bandaging once again when she looks back to him and tries to piece it all together. As far as she knows, there was only once when he was hurt, and that was over a week ago. Her eyes widen and she crosses the room to stand by the bed.]


He was hurt then? Why didn't he tell us??
eyesofremorse: (☆ wandering in the darkness)

[personal profile] eyesofremorse 2012-03-24 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
["Why" is a good question. If he'd just have said something earlier, if he hadn't lied back when Joshua first suggested he should have someone confirm his condition - or at least, it definitely seems as though he lied about that at this point - or even if he had just... not tried to act as though he'd be fine, they could probably have avoided letting the situation get this bad.

So why didn't he...?

Somehow, all this is only serving to bring the first time Leonhardt ended up in the clinic to mind for Joshua... or more specifically, a few of the things his brother said during that time.

He doesn't answer Estelle's question. In fact, rather than respond, he suddenly shifts his gaze away almost uneasily, as if he isn't comfortable with this question... or the answer it brings to mind for him, perhaps. It's hard to say for sure.]

[personal profile] herd_effect 2012-03-24 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[The question is, frankly, none of Willock's business, though it's apparent to him that Leonhardt's refusal to seek treatment earlier is well beyond simple ignorance. He turns away from Estelle and Joshua, busying himself with checking the IV and the electrodes. Being privy to relatives' darkest hours is a part of his job he's never quite gotten comfortable with.]
estelle_bright: (What are you saying?)

[personal profile] estelle_bright 2012-03-25 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Joshua?

[Estelle blinks at him when he glances away like that. She doubts he had any idea this was happening. No, she can tell how much it's bothering him too. It's not as bad as they're making it sound, is it? But then he definitely wouldn't be acting like this if it wasn't.

Maybe she shouldn't be pressing him for answers. She goes quiet for a moment, before looking back to the doctor. Since Leonhardt isn't awake, there's nothing he can tell her.]


Is this...

[It's quite hard to ask the actual question, but she has to know. Even for being a bit of a jerk, he never quite struck her as their enemy. And while she doesn't want to put pressure on the doctor, this is why they are here.]

Is this something you can fix?
eyesofremorse: (☆ uninvited guests)

[personal profile] eyesofremorse 2012-03-25 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[This time, Joshua doesn't react at all to Estelle even when she says his name. He doesn't want to answer her original question, and while he has a good idea of what Willock's answer to her following one will likely be, it's not his place to answer. No, he'll leave that to the doctor himself.

It's when Leonhardt starts gasping for air that he finally shows some sort of reaction beyond uneasily glancing away - for a moment, he's actually visibly startled. Why now? Outside of losing consciousness again, Leonhardt's condition had been kind of stable for a while now, but it was still concerning. It worsening is just about the last thing any of them need at the moment.

By the time his brother's breathing briefly stops and then resumes again, Joshua's initial surprise has been replaced by a concerned look cast in Willock's direction. This... definitely isn't good, but there's bound to still something they can do to help him. Something. Anything. Just... some way to make sure his condition doesn't worsen even further. Right?

...He's more or less deluding himself into at least trying to be a bit optimistic at this point, honestly. It's not working well at all considering how the situation has been progressing, however - with his tendency to see things from a more logical and realistic point of view, it's incredibly hard to maintain any sort of optimism at this point. There's just far too much that points toward this whole mess most likely not ending well, if this keeps up.]

[personal profile] herd_effect 2012-03-26 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
[And there's the big question. He chooses his words carefully.]

Septic shock is a very serious condition. Whether he recovers is dependent on whether he responds to the antibiotics, and I haven't seen any sign of that yet. The infection may be too widespread at this point to treat, especially if his heart has seen a lot of damage.

[The abnormal breathing captures his attention and he quickly adjusts the amount of oxygen going to the mask, only to hear Leonhardt go silent for a few moments. Oh, no. He could try a different method of ventilation, but he fears it'll be too risky at this point. He meets Joshua's eyes briefly, his expression grave, then turns to the EKG monitor.

Sure enough, Leonhardt's cardiac output is dropping. As the beats grow weaker and more spread out, threatening a flatline, Willock goes for the bottle of epinephrine, loading a syringe. He inserts the needle between Leonhardt's ribs, quickly injecting the hormone into his heart.]


Come on. [It's a soft command, already a little resigned. He can't do much more than this.]
estelle_bright: (Really worried)

[personal profile] estelle_bright 2012-03-26 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
...

[Come on, the doctor's just being cautious when he says that, right? Estelle stares from him to Leonhardt, having trouble believing those words. It's definitely not that she thinks that he's lying, or not trying hard enough, or that maybe they don't have what they need in order to save him, but that someone like Leonhardt, who made such a big deal out of how strong that they needed to be to survive would succumb to anything so easily. It's like saying that their dad would lose in a fight. That's not really taking into account the fact that somehow, for some reason, Leonhardt seems to have let this happen, but even that doesn't make any sense!

Just when she's about to open her mouth to suggest something, she jumps at the sudden change in Leonhardt's condition as the doctor responds to it. She can't really help the urge to suddenly reach out and grab the swordsman's hand when he stops breathing, giving it the same sort of squeeze she would any other friend, and a shake to the bed as if that will wake him up somehow.]


H-hey! That's not cool, Leonhardt! Do you know what you're doing? Snap out of it!

[It might not be her place to be the one getting worked up here, but it's actually quite scary to see someone so tough just... giving out like that. Doesn't he realize what's happening? She can only guess what it's doing to Joshua! Her gaze darts to the doctor as he does something with a needle and sticks it into him, and she holds back the urge to shake him again in an attempt to let the doctor do his job.]

What was all of that about having the strength to defeat you?!
eyesofremorse: (★ visions)

[personal profile] eyesofremorse 2012-03-26 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[That expression is anything but reassuring - and Willock's resigned tone isn't helping much in that regard, either... nor is seeing Estelle react like that, for that matter. Somehow, as much as he would like to believe otherwise, it's getting increasingly hard to think that something like shaking the bed or trying to speak to him will do much to improve the situation, if anything.

The initial reaction to the epinephrine is a bit more reassuring. That helped, it seems. That's a good sign, isn't it? If that worked, then maybe he'll actually re--

--and before Joshua can finish that train of thought, Leonhardt's condition abruptly worsens again. As soon as his breathing ceases again, this time with no sign of resuming, the boy's expression simply goes dead.

It's not until a little later when the EKG begins to display a flatline that Joshua actually manages to say something in response to what had just happened.]


Loewe...? [His voice is so quiet that it's actually difficult to hear - it's practically a nigh-inaudible plea for some sort of reaction from his brother. Whether it's his heart and breathing resuming or him actually waking up or... something. Not... not this. Anything but this.]

[personal profile] herd_effect 2012-03-28 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[As Leonhardt flatlines, Willock pulls the electrodes off of him, turning him over onto his stomach, placing his hands beneath his head and turning his face to one side. He begins compressions against Leonhardt's back--the 1952 equivalent of CPR--in a last-ditch attempt to get him to breathe. He goes at it for a good twenty seconds before checking Leonhardt's pulse at his neck, then tries again, ignoring Joshua and Estelle's cries.

Nothing. Leonhardt is dead.

Willock straightens, eyes glancing over the clock to note the time, a sigh escaping his lips. He regards Joshua.]


I'm sorry. He's gone.
estelle_bright: (Horrified)

[personal profile] estelle_bright 2012-03-30 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
[It feels like there's a tension in Estelle's chest at the dread building there that Leonhardt be okay. When he starts breathing again, she realizes that she's holding her breath, and lets it out in a sigh of relief that turns out to be too soon. While she doesn't understand how the machines work exactly, it's easy to figure out that the steady sound resuming is his heartbeat, and when it begins to falter again, her hands clench at the side of the bed.

It all happens so quickly that it just seems fake somehow. She is startled by the movement of the doctor rolling him over and trying to start his heart again, and her eyes fly to the machine that monitors him, then to Joshua, and just nothing at all seems appropriate to say. After all, she just walked in on this. She didn't even know something was wrong. How could this just happen so suddenly? But even with all that the doctor's doing it doesn't seem to be doing anything at all.

When he apologizes, Estelle's eyes begin to sting and she brings her hands to her mouth. No... no way.]


...

[Even if they weren't particularly close, it's very difficult to accept that she's hearing him right. This was Joshua's brother... And in a sense, even if he only briefly acted like it because of that experiment, that made him family too.]
eyesofremorse: (☆ strange feel)

[personal profile] eyesofremorse 2012-03-30 11:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[There's no further reaction from Joshua to Willock's attempt to resuscitate Leonhardt, not even when it fails. Even when addressed, there's absolutely no response from the boy. Not even a fleeting glance in Willock's direction. No, he just remains focused on his brother, his face frozen with the same dead expression as before.

It's hard to tell if his unresponsiveness is because he can't think of a way to react, because he doesn't want to react, or because he genuinely hasn't realized that someone is speaking to him. Any one of those three scenarios is possible, frankly. It's not until a few more moments pass that the boy does something other than stare, and even then, all he does is raise his right hand and press it against his heart.]


...

[It definitely looks like it will take a bit more than just addressing him normally to elicit an actual reaction from the boy. As it is, it's starting to seem as if he's either spacing out, or trying to shut himself off in response to what had just happened - and regardless of which of those two options it is, that's likely not a good thing.]

[personal profile] herd_effect 2012-03-31 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
[Willock turns Leonhardt's body back over, arranging his arms and positioning his head so he doesn't look so sprawled. He closes the valve on the oxygen tank and removes the mask, shuts off the EKG monitor, and withdraws the IV, folding it up. The room goes awfully quiet in the absence of the whir of air and the beeping of the machine, and he looks to Estelle and Joshua again as he goes through the motions. He's seen grief enough times not to be alarmed at either of their reactions. Everyone responds to death differently, and to be honest, he prefers Joshua's stunned silence to the likes of hysterical sobbing.

He doesn't go to him right away--he sets the stuff aside, washes his hands, and thinks of what to write on Leonhardt's records. He thinks and realizes something, and that takes him to Joshua's side, his hand settling gently on the boy's shoulder.]


What's Leonhardt's last name?

[He caught the first name, but not the last. Funny how these situations play out, how much he just did for someone he'd never met, whose full name he doesn't even know.]
estelle_bright: (Tears)

[personal profile] estelle_bright 2012-04-13 04:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[Nothing that happens next really makes it seem any more real to Estelle as she watches the doctor move all of the things attached to Leonhardt and put them away. The way that he arranges Leonhardt especially makes it appear as if this is just some trick that he knew, since he was already skilled enough to make copies of himself like he did. But he wasn't a trickster, and wouldn't play a prank like that anyway. The tears finally do spill over her cheeks after a moment and she turns a glance toward Joshua when the doctor asks Leonhardt's last name. Seeing the look on Joshua's face sends a pang of sadness through her chest.

Did he have one? That... that was also something he never told her. Maybe he told Joshua though, or maybe he wouldn't want to say it. She has to bite her tongue not to speak up right now since it just doesn't seem right. What would she say anyway? Leonhardt probably would have objected if she butted into something like this.]
eyesofremorse: (★ enormous fright)

1/2

[personal profile] eyesofremorse 2012-04-13 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[The stunned silence may be preferable to hysterical sobbing, but it's anything but a good sign in Joshua's case. It's not quite what one would call a natural reaction of his; in the past, his reaction to circumstances like these would actually have been closer to the latter. But when you're no longer capable of that sort of thing... well.

It's not that strange that his reaction this time seems to be more along the lines of general unresponsiveness, is it?

Except... that doesn't seem to be it, either. Much like before, the boy shows no reaction whatsoever to anything happening. Not to Willock's actions, nor to Estelle's tears. It's only when the doctor places a hand on his shoulder that Joshua actually reacts - though rather than answer the question, he completely tenses up, as if startled somehow.

...Maybe he really was spacing out.]
eyesofremorse: (★ tetracyclic tower)

2/2

[personal profile] eyesofremorse 2012-04-13 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[It still takes a few more seconds following Willock's question until Joshua snaps out of that tensed-up stance, and when he finally does, his immediate reaction is swatting the doctor's hand away and putting two steps worth of distance between them.

He doesn't look toward either of the other two, nor at Leonhardt, though should one of them manage to get a look at the boy's eyes, they somehow seem... blanker than usual, oddly enough. In a way, it's almost a bit unsettling. When he finally speaks up, his right hand unconsciously brushes over his left upper arm, and he continues to avert his gaze from both Willock and Estelle.]


... Don't... lay a hand on me. [Though far more audible than just a little while ago, his words sound... awfully forced this time. The tone he speaks with doesn't help, either; rather than being flat, it sounds cold - and Estelle may recognize it as being reminiscent of, if not quite the same as the way he addressed Dalmore briefly, back in Ruan.

The question goes unanswered, much like Estelle's question earlier. He heard it, but frankly, it's not one he wants to answer... not that he could. He may have known Leonhardt for a long time, but his last name is one thing he honestly doesn't know, so it's impossible for him to give a truthful answer to that question. And right now, he isn't willing to admit they're not actually related, even if that fact is fairly obvious just by looking at them - and he's not sure if he's going to be able to manage a convincing lie at the moment.]