"Sith consider being cooperative a character flaw? Wow. I would really hate being a Sith."

Probably there are less stupid responses than this, but it's what came out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"I, uh, it sort of depends what kind of shape she's in? If she's...actually fine...and she wants to just leave, we wouldn't actually stop her - there's legal paperwork about it though... Oh, I guess we'd normally assess how oriented she is, ask if she knows where she is or what the date is and stuff, and that's - kind of a mess since she wouldn't know any context on being here? Uh, and if she wants to pull all her tubes out, some of them have stuff to hold them in place and it's a lot better if the nurse takes them out so we can deal with that." 

"Thank you, ma'am. I expect her to wake physically fine but possibly disoriented or without remembering how she got here - she'll also wake hungry and wanting to use the restroom. I don't expect her to be willing to wait for paperwork if she wants to leave but I may be able to talk her into it if it's important. I can check how oriented she is, but she may not want me to tell you if she's not; is there anything you expect to be able to do for her if she isn't?"

"...I guess maybe not. Normally we'd keep someone here longer, run more tests, check what was wrong, but if it's an, uh, magical injury, then we might not be able to diagnose or treat it?" Marian picks at her thumbnail. "I can get some food for when she wakes up. Restroom's right there."

After a hesitation, "...Where, uh, would you...go. If she wanted to leave. I'm guessing you don't, uh, have any US dollars with you." 

"We don't, ma'am. I'm not sure what she's going to want to do about that."

"Well, if she's willing to stay another night here, we definitely won't kick her out! Hopefully I can get Dr Millinger to agree to, uh, not bother her with any treatments - maybe we could even compromise on the heart monitor and stuff, if you're there to watch her?" 

(Marian has treated "difficult" patients before, often homeless people - most often one specific person; she's had some experience with convincing someone to stay when they really just want to be left alone and not have anyone else getting all up close in their business.) 

"Uh, and I - could ask for a consult with the social worker? Probably they do things like helping someone who isn't from the city find a place to stay when they're discharged." Also she probably has mandatory legal reporting requirements here, which she's been vaguely trying to avoid dealing with but she can't, in fact, just not ever deal with it. "Uh, they will need to talk to her, though." 

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll ask her if she's interested when she wakes."

"All right." 

She could take the path of cowardice and - what, report the Suspected Abuse after her patient wakes up and immediately checks herself out of the hospital against medical advice? When it's not clear, at that point, how any social services could ever find her and DZ? 

She could - just make the report in the computer system and let social work deal with it as they will? But that...feels almost like a betrayal to DZ, throwing that on her unawares.

All right, FINE, she should probably just bring this up. 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Why does her job have to involve CONSTANTLY having social interactions which are TERRIBLE. 

"DZ, uh, I need to - mention something - ask you about something..." 

"Yes ma'am?"

"Uhhhhhh so." Marian is going to stare at the wall just past DZ's shoulder and pretend this is a nursing lab simulation and not real life. "There's a - complicated legal thing here. That your world probably doesn't have. But I'm a medical professional, right, I have - legal and ethical responsibilities. And one of them is that, uh, it's...pretty clear Deskyl was abused. By her master or teacher or whatever. And, uh, I...sort of legally speaking have to...report that to someone. I'm not sure what the exact setup is at this hospital because I've only been here a few months but I'm pretty sure it'd also go through the social worker and they would want to, uh, ask her questions about it. Usually they'd figure out if it warrants a police report, I guess? Although that's kind of messy if it's...uh...another world and all..." 

"...yes ma'am."

"Master Deskyl won't be expecting that but it's not obvious that she'll be upset by it. Do you know what sorts of questions they'll want to ask her?"

"Not...exactly... It's not my area, which is, uh, why it would be the social worker and not me asking." Marian is SO GLAD this isn't her job, it sounds like the worst thing in the world. "Probably questions about exactly how he abused her, and how she ended up in that situation, and whether he was abusing other people too... And, uh, probably they would ask her if she wanted a referral to social services or a therapist or something. I know how it worked in the hospital where I was in Canada, but it hasn't really come up here yet." 

"I don't expect Master Deskyl to be very interested in answering their questions, ma'am. I can talk to them instead if they'd accept that."

"They might? And, uh, she definitely always has the right to refuse to talk to anyone if she doesn't want to, people - should respect that, and, uh, I'll try really hard to make sure they actually do." 

"Thank you, ma'am." It's really a good thing that Deskyl has a habit of threatening first rather than jumping right to violence when offended, isn't it, this would be a much harder conversation to navigate while keeping everyone safe otherwise.

"You're welcome."

Marian bobs her head. She appreciates DZ so much right now and this was still AGONIZING and she wants to flee as fast as possible.

"I, uh, should go put in the consult for that, it'll take them a while to actually have time for it. And then - what else was there to get ready? She'll want food - uh, usually the doctor would want to approve that first, since she had a breathing tube and that can make it hard for people to swallow after, but if you're sure it's okay, I mean, you clearly know what you're talking about..." 

"I don't know myself but she will, ma'am. But I expect it to be fine, Sith are very resilient."

"Huh. That seems pretty useful, I guess." Marian is still slightly dubious, and feels like she should probably ask more clarifying questions, but also her feet hurt and she wants to hide in the bathroom for ten minutes and have no one talk to her. 

Well, DZ's not going to get in the way of that. "Yes ma'am."

Marian ducks out and hides. Well, for a couple of minutes. At some point she grits her teeth and hauls herself back to the desk in their pod and puts in an order for a social work consult. Technically Dr Millinger should be doing this but he haaaates being asked for that sort of thing and prefers to just sign off on them by rote. 

She tracks down some graham crackers and Jello and several different flavors of juice box from the patient fridge. There isn't a lot of other selection.

(She then proceeds to shove them in her scrubs pockets and sort of furtively smuggle them into the pod, which is KIND OF dumb but none of their patients are supposed to be capable of eating right now and she's embarrassed about people maybe thinking she's stealing the food for herself, even though honestly everyone does that.) 

"DZ, uh, this is what we have? I can maybe get something better at the cafeteria but I'd need to go on lunch break." And also pay for it with her own money but that's not a huge deal. 

"Thank you, ma'am. I'm sure she'll appreciate something more substantial if you have the time, but this is fine." She takes them and sets them on the bedside table, beside Deskyl's clothing.

Marian had a peek around the unit on her way back from the bathroom; it looks like Dr Millinger has been yoinked back to dealing with the new admit in the opposite pod, who it turns out is some teenager who shot himself in the head...in approximately the least effective possible way for actually killing oneself, she caught a glimpse walking by and from the outside, he looks bizarrely mostly-fine. 

"I don't think we'll have rounds with the doctor until - god, could be evening." Which on the one hand means she practically CAN'T get actual doctors' orders for anything, and on the other hand she has a great excuse for just...not doing that. "I guess I'll do another round of turning our people in this pod, and if she's still out I'll go get lunch? I'll, uh, need to tell Elaine some of what's going on, but it sounds like having me there when she wakes up is actively unhelpful?" 

"It will be best if she has a few minutes to speak to me privately before anyone else comes into the room, yes ma'am."

"All right." 

After DZ helps her again to turn everyone in their pod, Marian tracks down Elaine returning from lunch break and - starts trying to explain - why is this so painful... 

"- Actually, one second." She tugs Elaine over to room 113. "DZ, uh, can you...tell Elaine a bit of context about Deskyl, so I can go get lunch?" 

"Yes ma'am. Enjoy your meal."

And to Elaine: "Would you like me to start somewhere in particular, ma'am?"

Elaine blinks at her. "Are you, ummmm. Really a robot."