Know My Name - a RDR2 Story

Poisonous Flames

Let me tell you a story about a young woman who fell into two crowds: the good and the bad.
Of course, there are pros and cons to each category, but I suppose it only depends on the way you look at it...

TW!: mentions of needles, use of alcohol, arson, blood, murder, violence

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Kam wasn't against pain. She had dealt with plenty in her lifetime, and would most likely deal with more, further down the road. Pain was fine. Uncomfortable textures, smells, tastes, and physical sensations were fine. But there was one thing that she could not stand: Doctors.

She came to the doctor specifically to get her ears examined. Despite the fact that she hated doctors, she knew it would come to this eventually. Better to get it over with sooner rather than later. So, the metal cone being shoved into her right ear was nothing short of business--something she was paying a professional to do instead of going about her day as if nothing was wrong.

The feeling of the otoscope laying on the inner part of her ear tickled the hairs within. She held her breath most of the time it laid dormant inside her ear canal while the doctor remained silent. After a minute or so of her checkup, clenching the arms of the padded chair, the pipe was removed, and the doctor switched to the other side. The same uncomfortable feeling returned, and a shudder moved up Kam's arms.

The doctor sighed and wrote down something on his notepad. "Deputy, I know your job is to protect the town of Rhodes, but how often do you use that gun of yours?" He asked, gesturing to the Colt M1898 on her hip.

"More than I should." She answered. "Why? Do you think that could be the cause of it?"

"Well, it's just a theory. But my diagnosis would be something called 'tinnitus'. You ever heard of it?" No, she hadn't. This was all new to her.

"Tinnitus is a condition caused by several things. High blood pressure, smoking, age, sex, tumors, or damage to the blood vessels around the ear. Now, I've checked your blood pressure and it's completely normal. You're not showing signs of any tumors, nor do I believe our beloved Deputy is over the age of sixty." The doctor chuckled; Kam did not. "But it can also be caused by noises so loud that they disrupt the eardrums. My theory is that maybe loud noises--such as a gunshot--ruptured your eardrums to the points where they ring at a high-frequency volume."

"It ain't deadly, right? Somethin' like this won' kill me?" This wasn't the first time Kam was afraid to be a liability, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last.

"No, Dante. Tinnitus won't kill you. In fact, it's very common. Several people have it."
"Is there anythin' that'll help with the pain? A cork I can clog in there from time t' time?"
"We don't offer corks to shove into your ears, no. But I do have a couple of recommendations on how to ease the pain."

She watched as he began to write down several things on the yellow-stained paper. He wrote things down on two pieces of paper before handing them both to the Deputy in his chair. On the paper was a list of several things to assist her aches. The second paper he handed her was an official diagnosis of 'tinnitus'.

The list read:

"Treatments

-Eat fresh fruits and vegetables (not canned)

-Limit caffeine

-Limit sodium-based foods (Salted Offal, Canned Beans, Salted Nuts, Over-Seasoned Meats)