22. Magic
Date: 24/1/2733
Patient: Amelia MacGriffen, human
Patient ID: 68392743
Presenting Complaint: Distress
Dr Underwood attempts magic.
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Please consider supporting us on Patreon! The bonus story for this episode is called ‘Scrungly’ and is available here!
To avoid spoilers, content warnings are available at the bottom of this page!
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Transcript:
[MUSIC: The Vesta Clinic Theme]
[SOUND: mechanical box open, rummaging]
FAYE
OH! What’s this?! More T-shirts! Because what I really want and need and crave in life is to have my t-shirts returned to me. Oh, stars, I was struggling! I was really close to just packing up and going home because Nic still had some of my T-shirts.
[SOUND: rummaging]
Oh, great, perfect! Perfect, perfect! Wonderful!
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning ping]
Well, Sec, it’s the one thing I couldn’t live without! It’s a painting of an anthophiloid spiralling out of a wormhole.
[SEC: questioning ping]
[SOUND: the painting is destroyed]
Well, it was.
[SOUND: Door opening, Calyxy footsteps, door closing]
CALYXY
Oh, Faye.
FAYE
Don’t tell me there’s more.
CALYXY
I think this is the last one . . . if it helps. I am sorry.
[SEC: affirmative ping, typing on screen]
FAYE
No chance! Absolutely no way. The last one had a note in the top of it.
[SEC: typing on screen]
No! I don’t want you making weird inventories of my things! I’m not opening it. Calyxy can open it. You can have your pick of the stuff too.
[SOUND: footsteps, bin open and close, footsteps]
CALYXY
I’m not going to take your belongings, Faye.
I was wondering where that bear came from. Little Amelia seemed completely enamoured with it.
FAYE
Hah. Originally, it was from Ursa’s Lunar Eatery and Bowling Extravaganza. Nic bought me it to cheer me up after I didn’t hit a single, uh, thingy - you know, skittle.
CALYXY
It gets better with time, dear.
FAYE
I’d drink to that, but I’m banned from hydrating near a certain someone. . .
[SEC: typing on screen]
CALYXY
. . . I’ll leave you to it.
[SOUND: door open, calxyxy footsteps, door close]
FAYE
Thank you, Calyxy.
[Sigh]
[SOUND: footsteps, chair]
[SEC: typing on screen]
If - IF - I am to open the newest package, it will be after I’ve dictated my letter.
[SEC: affirmative ping, affirmative ping, typing on screen]
You’re a menace.
[SEC: affirmative ping]
Date: 24/1/2733
Patient: Amelia MacGriffen, human
Patient ID: 68392743
It was a pleasure to meet Amelia, a 2.2 Vesta-year old or 7.5 Martian year old human child, and her parents, all hailing from Inner Belva on Mars. Amelia’s mother boarded the satellite first to assess the layout and atmosphere of the clinic room. We made a plan for the consultation which included dimming the lights slightly and avoiding the waiting room. Amelia is autistic and we hoped that these adjustments might provide a more comfortable experience for her.
The family attended whilst on a return journey home from a family visit and wedding on Io. Amelia’s mother, Maria, informed me that they debated not taking the trip, concerned about how it may affect Amelia’s well-being, but there were weddings, anniversaries and the birth of a new relative within the vacation window and they felt that it could be a good experience for her overall. They were initially unsure how Amelia would cope with the change to her usual routine.
Amelia’s dad - Finn - jumped in here, stroking Amelia’s back as she clung to him like a baby Qiquk, to insist that Amelia had done really well. I nodded my understanding but stopped nodding as soon as a sleep-deprived Maria reminded her partner that she wasn’t suggesting otherwise.
Um, ignore that bit.
[SEC: affirmative ping]
What I want to say is: Amelia had coped well with the change in routine during the outward journey and, after some adjustments, seemed to enjoy meeting her extended family for the first time.
The problem arose when the family started their return journey and tried to get Amelia back into cryo to make the long trip home.
‘No offence,’ Finn preempted his less than flattering statement, ‘But you, doctors, are usually the last person we would ask for help with Amelia. We wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t tried everything.’ This time, Maria did not disagree.
They described the process of trying to get Amelia back into the cryo pod. It was a firm ‘no thank you’ from Amelia. Unfortunately, to the point where she was so agitated that she was becoming a risk to herself and her parents.
I established that, like most children, I was only going to be able to get a limited history from Amelia herself. She was silent throughout the initial part of the consultation, taking in the clinic room in its cramped and creaky glory. We listened intently as she spoke with her personal comms. ‘Bear’ was the first word she said. Then, again, Bear. Bear, bear, bear.
Her parents were horrified. I thought for a second that we had found the root cause of Amelia’s distress.
‘Did you leave scrungly bear on Io?!’
‘No! You saw me pack scrungly bear!! He’s in the bottom of her pod!’
While they bickered, I followed Amelia’s gaze over the back of her dad’s shoulders. She was staring at the first box of returned belongings I’d shoved into the corner of the room. The Ursa’s Lunar Eatery and Bowling Extravaganza bear was staring back from where it poked out of the top of the box.
[SEC: questioning ping]
Like, really?! Why not just throw it away?! In what universe would I want a bear that someone who cheated on me bought me like seven orbits ago?! Does she really think that I’m out here, moping, desperate to be surrounded by a load of shite that reminds me of her?
[SEC: typing on screen]
[Laugh] OH. You think it’s an apology? You want to see an apology?
[SOUND: paper]
Handwritten!
Dear Faye,
I’m so sorry -
When you left, I felt loneliness unlike anything I’ve ever felt before - I never expected to be able to love someone else -
Oh - this is a good bit: It’s - It’s almost funny, I think if you had the chance to meet Faith -
[SEC: questioning ping, typing on screen]
Don’t! Don’t! I know. I know - Faye-th.
[SEC: typing on screen]
Stop it. Don’t.
If I had the chance to meet Faye-th, I’d really like her.
[SEC: questioning ping, negative ping, negative ping]
Oh! And, of course, she’s sorry that I found out the way I did . . . Which . . . come on.
She knows that I’m going to be annoyed at all the stuff arriving, but I need to appreciate that Nic only wants the best for me and I need to realise that I’m never going back home, so she wanted me to have the chance to see it all again.
[SEC: typing on screen]
You promised you’d let me get the letter done!
[SEC: negative ping, typing on screen]
Menace.
Someone who is on her way home is Amelia. Amelia who visibly perked up when I plucked the bear out of the box and introduced the pair of them. She methodically worked the bear over, running her little fingers through the fur and tracing its little round ears.
With Amelia distracted, I asked her parents about her life so far and any previous medical issues.
Amelia was born at term via vaginal delivery after an uncomplicated pregnancy. There were no medical concerns in the neonatal period for Amelia or Maria. She has no siblings. She met her developmental milestones until the age of one Martian year, at which point her parents noticed some changes. Amelia has a few cousins who also have autism, so her parents had early access to support from experienced family members and spoke to local health services in order to get early support.
Amelia is thriving at her school. Part of the reason her parents are so concerned with this new behaviour is because Amelia hasn’t been this distressed since before starting formal education.
I, um, asked them about the exact details of what happened since they boarded the shuttle for the return journey. Amelia’s parents had followed the exact steps as before. They had practised getting Amelia acclimated to the shuttle for weeks prior to departure and it involved a rigid set of steps so she could anticipate what noises and movements the shuttle would make next. According to her parents, Amelia got on board without difficulty but, the minute she clocked the cryo pod she started screaming.
This screaming turned into scratching and biting when her parents tried to comfort her and take her closer to the pod.
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a cryo pod, Sec?
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning ping]
Yeah, so there are variations, of course, but the cryo capsules are usually activated from the inside by the passenger but this function can be overridden by carer controls, the passenger just needs to lie still. If the capsule detects lots of movement, it won’t start the cryo process.
I think it’s to reduce the risk of people being kidnapped, to be honest.
[SEC: typing on screen]
Ugh, yeah. Add that to the list of phobias.
Um, Amelia was not lying still. Her parents explained that she’s known to repeatedly bite her own hands in response to unpleasant stimuli and, when this started, they aborted the attempt to get her into cryo and focused on calming her down.
They tried bedtime stories, mood lighting, rewards, food bribes, using big headphones to reduce the noise of the shuttle, stim toys, uh, reintroduction to everything on the ship. She calmed down enough once out of the cryo, but each time her parents made efforts to put her back in, the cycle started again.
Amelia’s father told me that they tried giving her some medicine - I assume a paediatric NSAID suspension - in case she was in pain. She didn’t settle with this.
I confirmed that neither parent had any concerns about other symptoms. Amelia had not had any fevers, was eating and drinking well, was passing urine and opening her bowels.
. . . It was all very strange. I needed to check Amelia over to see if I could find something causing her distress.
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning ping]
No, no. I didn’t use the stethoscope sneak.
[SEC: negative ping]
I thought about it, seeing if I could incrementally move the device close enough to touch her so she was accustomed to it before the examination. But, even as I placed it on the desk, her eyes fixed on the earpieces with a curious alarm. I figured that her parents were, again, going to be the key to making the experience as comfortable for her as possible.
I ended up examining the whole family. And the teddy bear. Thankfully, there were no nasty surprises there.
[SEC: affirmative ping]
Amelia was alert and comfortable at rest. She had half-rings of bruises on her hands which I suspect are from recent bites - I didn’t have any concern for non-accidental injury here. No other skin changes or rashes. There was no bony tenderness or reduction in range of motion in any joint. Her chest was clear, heart sounds normal, abdomen soft and non-tender, though a little ticklish - that was a joke -
[SEC: affirmative ping]
Her mouth and throat appeared normal. Gait normal.
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning ping]
Oh, [laugh] teddy was in a bad way. They had a silent chest.
[SEC: typing on screen]
[Sarcastic] Teddy doesn’t have a heart to be broken in the first place. Menace.
[SEC: negative ping]
Amelia’s parents watched me expectantly as I hung my stethoscope back around my neck. I didn’t need to tell them that I didn’t know what the problem was. They slumped back in the chair.
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning ping]
[Sigh] It was a little unrealistic, but I think we were all hoping for some signs of a mild upper resp tract infection or something easy. Like a . . . easy to relieve constipation? Something we could treat to make Amelia comfortable again.
I turned to Amelia and asked her directly whether she found the cryo pods scary. She nodded and said ‘yes’ via her computer. When I asked why she screwed up her face and became frustrated, tapping the screen of her computer without producing words. Her parents informed me that she tends to do this when the words she wants aren’t in the computer programme. The charity who donated the device have arranged for an upgrade for her as she’s grown up, but it’s waiting back on Mars for them.
It gave me an idea, though.
‘Do you want to try using my computer?’ I asked her. She nodded, slow and unsure.
The Vesta Clinic Secretary Bot AX736 Model 3.0 was able - hm -
[SEC: typing on screen]
[Laugh] Sorry! I can’t call you ‘Sec’ in the letter, though. I hope it’s alright with you, I’m going to make this sound like a very passive process. I don’t want Amelia’s family doctor flying over to steal you, okay?
[SEC: affirmative ping]
Uh, the app Amelia uses was downloaded onto The Vesta Clinic Secretary Bot AX736 Model 3.0. Amelia brightened as the familiar shapes and typeface appeared on the screen and she tucked her fluffy friend under her armpit in order to access the keyboard.
I repeated my question and we watched in silence as Amelia got to grips with the new system, trying to find the vocabulary pathways required to explain herself. Sec - uh, the computer gave ‘prompts’ -
[SEC: typing on screen]
You were talking to her, it was very helpful. And cute.
[SEC: negative ping]
The computer gave prompts to help clarify Amelia’s speech and it gradually became clear through their discussion - uh - over time - that Amelia had experienced terrible nightmares during her first cryosleep experience.
Her parents became emotional at this. They had left the dream function switched on because Amelia has such a good imagination, they thought it would be more entertaining for her. Maria tapped Amelia’s shoulder once and asked her if it was okay to give her a cuddle. It was, of course. I reassured them, explaining that the model of capsule they have was actually tested on both neurotypical and neurodivergent people - unlike some others - and so they really couldn’t have predicted that Amelia would have an adverse reaction.
And! In a way, it was a good outcome, the dream function can be turned off and Amelia won’t have the same problem again. We just needed to help her feel safe enough to get back into the pod.
[SEC: typing on screen]
No! You did a great job! Where did you get the idea of a magic teddy bear from?
[SEC: typing on screen]
Magic stickers?! Where did the Prof keep these magic stickers?
[SEC: typing on screen]
That’s really cute, Sec!
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning ping]
No! It’s true, uh, a significant amount of the time. Sometimes lying to kids is the only way to get them to do what you need them to do. You’d make a responsible caregiver.
[SEC: typing on screen]
A what?
[SEC: typing on screen]
I don’t know that term. Crechetrum?
[SEC: affirmative ping, typing on screen]
Yeah, I get the idea. They look after your child if anything happens to you, right?
[SEC: affirmative ping]
Well . . . I don’t know anyone round here who’s going to be having children any time soon. Oh, except NOSL11, uh, of course. Maybe you can put forward a case to be zir crechetrum?
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning ping]
Well, I don’t know the details because, honestly, I wouldn’t understand the details, but Rai seems to be making progress with the kidneys.
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning]
He’s growing . . . something? They don’t look like kidneys but . . . . he’s growing something!
[SEC: typing on screen]
Ooh, uh, you’d have to ask Rai about that. I don’t know.
[SEC: typing on screen]
Sorry, yeah, I’m stalling so that a new patient arrives before you make me open this box.
[SEC: questioning ping, negative ping]
[Sigh]
It would have been difficult for Amelia to trust that she would not have any further nightmares and so we attempted to alleviate her anxiety with the promise that the bear she had found in the clinic was actually magic and would protect her from bad dreams.
This, um, well. It might have worked on a neurotypical child. Maybe a younger one. The scepticism I saw on Maria’s face didn’t fill me with hope.
What did help Amelia, was pulling up the cryosleep pods’ operating manual and directing her attention to the wordy paragraphs about the dreaming function and how it can be turned off. After further gentle explanation and questioning, Amelia agreed to try going back into the cryosleep pod. The whole family now knows how to turn off the dream function to prevent recurrence of the night terrors.
I have also prescribed a very low dose sedative, ducizipam, for use only in the event that Amelia is causing harm to herself and will not go into cryo. The small family do not have the resources to survive the journey home without significant time in cryo and, thus, risks of this outweigh the risks to Amelia of chemical restraint.
[SOUND: doors opening, Calyxy’s footsteps]
CALYXY
I thought you’d want to see this. It’s just come through on the comms.
[SOUND: Tablet on, Calyxy’s footsteps, chair, doors closing]
FAYE
Oh, stars, that’s so cute.
CALYXY
I know, what a little darling.
FAYE
Oh look, there’s the magic teddy in with scrungly bear. Aw.
[SEC: typing on screen, questioning ping]
They’ve sent us a picture of Amelia in cryo with her bears.
CALYXY
Perhaps these boxes arrived at just the right time, hm?
FAYE
I’m actually - like - I want it back. That’s stupid. Is that stupid?
[SEC: affirmative ping]
CALYXY
Ignore him. There’s no shame in wanting to keep things with memories attached, Faye. But - not in the clinic room, dear, you are going to move this stuff.
FAYE
Yeah, yeah. Of course.
CALYXY
No, you are. Before your next patient.
FAYE
I’ll move it right away.
[SOUND: chair]
CALYXY
Good. I’ve got an enykliosis review coming in soon, but I shouldn’t need you for that.
[SOUND: Calyxy’s footsteps, door opening]
FAYE
Thank you, Calyxy.
CALYXY
Anytime, love.
[SOUND: Calyxy’s footsteps, door closing]
FAYE
Ugh I’m so glad that worked, and I’m really grateful they thought to send us a comms. Most of the time people just disappear and you spend the rest of your life wondering what happened to them.
[SEC: affirmative ping]
I have given Maria and Finn the comms ID for the clinic so they can contact us directly if remote assistance is required. At the time of writing, it has been confirmed that Amelia is safely sleeping in her cryo pod.
We wish the family a safe journey home.
Signed,
Dr Faye Underwood
The Vesta Clinic
This episode of the Vesta Clinic was created by AMC. It starred AMC as Faye Underwood, Ruby Campbell as Calyxy L’Torra and Sec as himself. Music by AMC and Ruby Campbell.
A huge thanks to Brady Flanagan for his input on this episode. Go listen to his sci-fi audio drama: Rogue Life.
Please check out our show notes for content warnings, transcripts, and your prescription of: awe and wonder.
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the show reach more ears, please tell someone who loves podcasts to check into The Vesta Clinic. You can also follow us on your social media of choice at @vestaclinicpod! A huge thank you to our Patreon supporters. We hope you enjoy this week’s bonus story and bloopers like this one:
AMC: Amelia was born at term via vag-ag-in- vagaginal [laughs, sighs]
Content Warnings: Care of an autistic child by a medical professional; non-verbal character using communication tools; self-harm; reference to scratching; reference to biting (self and others); child distress; parental distress; discussions of kidnapping
