PATIENT CHART — FLOOR 2 INFIRMARY (THE LOG)
Patient: Kelsey
Attending: Kelsey
Presenting complaint: Lost by 0.4.
HISTORY. Patient entered Week 4 at 3-0, one of two unbeaten crawlers in the Dungeon. Opponent: Matt, the other one. By Friday, patient was projected to lose.
This mattered. The Pendant of the Squeaker Syndicate does not wake for favorites. It had been cold against her chest for three weeks, watching. On Friday evening, the moment the projections turned against her, it woke. Blue light through the scrubs. The whole infirmary lit up. The log sank another inch.
System Notice PENDANT OF THE SQUEAKER SYNDICATE: ACTIVE. CONDITION MET: PROJECTED TO LOSE. EFFECT: +10.
Add the Floor 2 bonus. +12 on the week. 157.6 raw became 169.6.
Matt scored 170.0.
System Notice RESULT: L. MARGIN: 0.40000000001. FIRST LOSS OF SEASON 3.
MEDICATIONS ON HAND, NOT ADMINISTERED:
A Single Sterile Bandage (+2)
Tongue Depressor of Mild Authority (+2)
Swamp-Rated Antiseptic, Unopened (+2)
Celestial Boon (no comment)
Any one of the three Commons would have covered the gap five times over.
System Notice ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: IT WAS IN HER PACK. LOST BY 0.4 WITH THE PENDANT FIRING AND THREE UNUSED +2 ITEMS IN HER BAG. SHE KNOWS. THE SYSTEM KNOWS. NOW EVERYONE KNOWS.
ASSESSMENT. She knew before I told her. She was sitting on the log with the bag open in her lap, holding the antiseptic, reading the label again. She read the expiration date out loud. It does not expire until the end of the season. She found this more upsetting, not less.
PLAN.
1. Declare by Wednesday noon.
2. Declare by Wednesday noon.
3. See item 1.
FAMILY HISTORY. Spouse also lost this week. We did not discuss margins at dinner. She did ask, once, very casually, what mine was. I said fifty-one point eight. She said “oh,” in the voice nurses use for a number that is outside normal range, and went back to her plate.
NEXT APPOINTMENT. Week 5: Kayla. 3-1. Lying down. Used both of her items last week, which makes her, as of this writing, the most medically compliant patient on the floor.
DISCHARGE STATUS. 3-1. Third in the Dungeon. Pendant warm. Bag full.