OOM: Installing the bacta tank

[iprotectyou]

Baze approaches the infirmary bright and early today, rolling a 1.72-meter-tall plastoid cylinder down the hall. He has tubes wrapped around his shoulders, and tools in a black backpack. The big Jedhan plans to install a bacta tank with Guppy's help.

"Hoi, Guppy! You in here?" Baze says, setting the tank--which is open on one side and closed on the other--upright near a drain on the floor in a room just outside of the infirmary.

Comments

[guppy_sandhu]

"Yeah, one sec." Guppy comes in with the enormous instruction manual.

"You got any idea what we're doing? I'm not making head or tail of these instructions."

[iprotectyou]

"I've got a decent idea, yeah," Baze says, wrangling the tubes and setting them on a table near the tank.

"I've never installed one of these before, but I poured over the instructions for two days. How hard can it be?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"I don't have a good track record with technology." Guppy admits. "But let's have a go."

[iprotectyou]

Baze tugs his backpack off his shoulders and sets it down on the table next to the tubes. He retrieves a spanner, a dissembled aeromagnifier, and a few screwdrivers.

Then he takes the manual from Guppy.

"I don't know why Bar gave these to you in book form. Datapads are so much better for things like this."

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy follows Baze's instructions. Or at very least, is able to hold stuff in the right place.

Mitochondria, the new lab tech rat, comes to see if she can help.

"Okay, what next?" Guppy asks.

[iprotectyou]

"Now we place tube C into slot F," Baze says, squinting at the instructions. He places a screwdriver in his mouth and lies down on the floor to plug the tubes into the back panel of the tank.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy passes the tube over.

"Is this the sort of kit that could explode if we put it together wrong?"

[iprotectyou]

"Nope," Baze says, though he's got a screwdriver in his mouth so the word comes out as a muffled, "mmph." He spits the tool out.

"No. Though it might drain improperly, and that would be a mess."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Yeah, that's why I put it in here. Also I wasn't sure if people needed to be nude while they're in it." Guppy says.

[iprotectyou]

"Usually people wear their undergarments," Baze says, slotting the tubes in the right places. He screws the panel covering back on, and stands up from the floor, grimacing as his joints pop and his cracked ribs protest.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Are you going to be the first test subject?" Guppy asks, eyeing the wince.

[iprotectyou]

"Sure, why not? I cracked a couple of ribs playing with the tree that hits people," Baze says, rubbing his sternum after he retrieves the screwdriver.

"While the tank won't completely heal broken bones, it can strengthen them, and speed the process of healing. A couple of hours in the bacta will take days off."

[guppy_sandhu]

"A couple of days out of six weeks?"

[iprotectyou]

"Oh, sorry, I meant two weeks," Baze says, reaching up to scratch his beard, but lowering his hand as soon as the movement pulls on his ribs.

"I always underestimate the time healing takes, partially because I've had bacta available to me."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Good to know." Guppy says. "Is about a third faster standard?"

[iprotectyou]

"Scrapes and blaster burns heal a lot faster, mostly because the bacta contacts them directly," Baze says, nodding thoughtfully. He crosses to the table and starts putting his tools away in the backpack.

[guppy_sandhu]

"What about internal diseases?" Guppy asks.

[iprotectyou]

"Bacta largely targets injuries," Baze explains, leaning on the counter. His chest hurts when he breathes, so he tries to take shallow breaths.

"It can heal damage from disease, but the illness itself has to run its course."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Do you need me to check that out before you continue?" Guppy asks.

"Hm, maybe I should do the lifting."

[iprotectyou]

"Nah, Chirrut taped then up the other night. I don't know that there's anything you could do," Baze says, shaking his head.

"Thanks, though. We still need to get a ladder from Bar."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Okay, I'll go get that, you hang on here." Guppy says.

He returns shortly after with the ladder and sets it up.

[iprotectyou]

"Now all we have to do is fill the tank," Baze says, grunting as he levers himself off the counter. He taps a smaller, secondary tank behind the main one.

"This tank holds the spare bacta. You'll need to drain the main tank every time it's used."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Okay, and does the bacta get cleaned and go back in, or do we get new bacta?"

[iprotectyou]

"New bacta," Baze says, starting to fold his arms, but stopping when the movement tweaks his ribs.

"Bar has plenty of it, so there's no reason to clean the old stuff. Normally I'd say yes, go for it, but there's no point when we've got such a supply."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Hm, we're going to need a good long hose." Guppy says. "Unless we're going to bring it in by the bucket."

[iprotectyou]

"No, no, the secondary tank will fill it, and this lever will drain it," Baze explains, gesturing to the piece in question.

[guppy_sandhu]

"How do we fill the secondary tank?" Guppy asks.

[iprotectyou]

"Since we're not cleaning the bacta, you can get a new one from Bar. They're small, about thirty pounds or so," Baze says, patting the tank.

"I can install them if you're feeling nervous about it."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Oh I see, like we do with oxygen." Guppy says.

"Let's get you healed up first."

[iprotectyou]

"Sure," Baze says, with an approving nod.

"To fill the tank, press this blue button. To stop filling it, push the button again. To drain the tank, pull this lever."

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy writes this down for a notice to put on the wall.

"Okay. How long do you need to be in for?"

[iprotectyou]

"Just a couple of hours, though being in for a night wouldn't be a bad thing. The longer I'm in there, the shorter my ribs will take to heal," Baze says, beaming.

"Most people take a sedative before going in there. The breathing apparatus is over here."

Baze gestures to a long, ribbed tube connected to a mask.

[guppy_sandhu]

"If you're taking a sedative then I'm thinking you need to be supervised."

[iprotectyou]

"I won't keep you here over night, then," Baze says, nodding.

"Just a couple of hours will help a lot."

[guppy_sandhu]

"I can do that. Give me a minute to grab some bits."

He goes to get a packed dinner, a cup of tea, a stack of paperwork, and the little jumper he's knitting for Coral.

"Okay, hop in."

[iprotectyou]

In the meantime, while Guppy is grabbing his stuff, Baze has filled the tank, taken the sedative, and stripped to his skivvies.

"Thanks, Guppy," Baze says, and affixes the breathing mask to his nose and mouth. He climbs into the tank and sinks into the warm bacta with a sigh. The tank is almost too small to hold him; his head pops out of the top and he presses up against the sides.

Within minutes, he's asleep, bubbles floating up from the mask.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy keeps a close eye on him. The machine could certainly be useful, but he hopes Baze doesn't drown.