cold_dry_pieces | |[ 010 ]|

~~Pain is something I inflict, something I don't often experience. It doesn't matter so much, whether they suffer, just that they bleed the right way.~~

A number of people have discussed the basic function of pain, as (to oversimplify the matter) a reaction to unpleasant stimuli. I figured maybe I could save some repetition by talking about a different take on the topic.

Though of course a certain amount of discomfort is to be expected in my line of work-- manufacturing and fitting prosthetics-- due to the inherent difficulties of replacing a lost limb with artificial materials. Chafing, pinching; obvious physical sensations with obvious physical causes. But I hear a lot of reports of something a little stranger, too.

It's not the most well-known or well-understood phenomenon, but reports of phantom limb sensations and pains have been documented for hundreds of years. Any number of patients I've treated, usually soon after their amputations, have complained of being able to feel the part they've lost; invisible, intangible, but somehow not insensate. The cause is not entirely clear; it's not merely a matter of damaged nerves at the site of the amputation, though that plays a part. It's a deeper problem. Some part of our brain can't quite fathom the loss; it imagines the piece is still there, the puzzle intact. The ghosts stay with you. And because it isn't there, it's not a simple matter of waiting for the injury to heal.

|[ooc; lifted and adapted from wikipedia, because i am not my character :X if I got something wrong please attribute it to out of character error rather than in-character, and feel free to contact me to let me know but uh. he ought to know what he's talking about. ^^;; i did my best to make it correct and coherent. /disclaimerrr ALSO pardon slow tags since notifs are dead ><]|

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I want to remember, I'm tired of not knowing.

I can understand that. Don't get me wrong-- ignorance may be bless but I think it's better to know the truth. Just... well, I can't say be ready because there's no way you can be, really. But don't be surprised if it all hits you at once.

I... Thank you. For listening. And for before, I didn't thank you I don't think.

Hey, it's not a problem. It's what I'm here for.

You didn't... you didn't tell anyone about what happened to me, did you?

Of course not. Though I'm guessing you didn't tell me everything that did.

No, I didn't.

I'm still willing to listen, if you want to.

I- I can't. ~~He said he didn't, that it wasn't...~~

If you're not ready to talk about it, that's all right. But I'll be here when you are.

I know. You're a good person.

Well, I try.

[Oh, if you only knew how funny he finds that.]

You do it quite well.

You do deserve to have someone there for you, you know? A lot of people feel like they don't, like they should be able to hold it in, but you don't have to. Just... keep that in mind for me, all right?

Who did you have? When you remembered your mother?

Well, I ended up speaking to a therapist about it. Honestly though, I don't think it mattered who-- just having someone to listen to it, being able to work it out aloud, made all the difference.

I'll think about it.

That's all I'm asking you to do.

I know.

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