Boundless

Type O Negative

Ooman hospitals are so unlike Yautja medical facilities; inhospitable places, with cold lights all over, insipid rooms, more appropriate for inducing suffering than providing a nurturing environment for recovery and improvement.

Technology played a huge role in offering extra support; predators could control the environment, contamination, and other factors. Culture also helped a lot; you would not find entitled aliens complaining about their rights to disturb others at will. Patients were not customers, medics were not employees, and compliance with rules was mandatory, independent of position.

Not having organizations that somehow had to profit from one's need for care allowed their society to implement what was best for health of patients, from the architectural planning, with rooms designed to provide a safe and calming environment, to the way those facilities were internally organized, to the support for the people on duty, to the technology.

The first thing Lance noticed was a lack of a multitude of diagnostic machines, but rather different setups and functions imbued in a unique piece of technology. As Lar'jar explained, they seldom rrquested stand alone results for a specific organ, opting for a full check of the function of the whole system. During the weeks Lance spent sending data to Lar'jar, she asked if the reason for the frequency of the exams. .

"I'm building your profile".

Based on her specific body chemistry, rhythms, needs. Technology would take care of it, usually, but the Girl was an Alien. More than that, an Alien with no place among Lar'jar and Ah'kaedh's clan. Their equipment and AI's had no previous settings or knowledge base, their Medics no experience.

The treatment based on blood transfusion were only mentioned, and badly documented. Which led Lar'jar to look elsewhere for help.

Once they crossed the center, reaching its far end, Lar'jar guided Ah'kaedh and Lance through a semi-labyrinthic section. The rooms were secluded; each main corridor had a number of small passages, which would give access to each patient's quarters. The recovery ward was meant for privacy and rest.

Lar'jar (and most personnel really) had to use a map, which was being projected in front of him by his wristgauntlet.

Lance found it interesting how the design of the corridors and chambers reminded of an anthill, and yet it felt so cozy and safe. The light was dimmed, she could see the usual nooks around, and some of those spaces also had small, hidden gardens.

"What are we doing here, Lar'jar?" Ah'kaedh finally asked, after caughting a very distinctive scent in the air.

The neonatal area was not far. The Enforcer was somewhat worried about crossing paths with a pregnant female or young mother - who would go freaking mental at the sight of any perceived threat.

"Disencouraging curious people", Lar'jar grinned. Unlike private quarters, the ward doors were meant for privacy, not security (allowing patients the chance to lock themselves was plain stupidity), and the news about an ooman onboard had already spread like wildfire.

"Stay close", Ah'kaedh was now herding his curious squirrel of a Girl, who had stopped to peek into an alcove, which contained a (very much alien) moss garden.

Lar'jar looked over his shoulder, watching as Ah'kaedh, walking right behind Lance, used his body mass to coax her forward.

***

Low ceiling, organic design, dimmed lights. The walls were sinuous and curved, the floor had two split levels, the lowest for a pit bed, the highest for the diagnostic equipment, which consisted of a chamber-like structure, similar to Yautja cryochambers, integrated to the very floor and walls, as if it was part of the building.