Slowly, Five Crosses Clinic begins to empty out. Your situation as an emergency trauma shelter was always going to be temporary, and over the next few days you clear people as best you can. Some, like Kai's little sister and the poor T. Morrigan, can do little more than languish in their comas while you triage and discharge the walking wounded. You explain to the newly blinded the limitations and benefits of digital sight, and impress the need to take their new (expensive) immunosuppressants if they don't want to risk going blind a second time. A few people have the gall to complain to you about color. You let Candy deal with them, when she's not swamped in paperwork.
Those who you can't discharge are prepared for whatever funeral their families can afford. For many, that will be cremation and a rented place in a City columbarium. You don't have the facilities for that procedure on site, but now everything is calming down there are people the city has partnership with who do. You inform next of kin as best you can.
Your success, however, continues to be a bitter victory - you're almost at the bottom of corpse disposal priority. You almost call REO Meatwagon (those fucking hacks) out of desperation, but no one's loved ones deserve that treatment. Plus dealing with those idiots tests even your legendary cool. You muddle through as best you can, instead, and allow for private collection.
Stim Strength vs Body Type + Tolerance (2) DC: 7 (1d10!+1 = (4) + 1 = 5) Success!
Jeanne's stimulant addiction decreases!
Luckily, Widget's ongoing campaign of breakfast sandwiches and cold-turkey'ing stims seems to be working, and your mornings get progressively less grey at the edges. Giving you plenty of time to examine the dire state of your finances.
Your deal with Mdm. Butterfly moved your Clinic Funding from 4 (Leaking) to 3 (Bleeding)
After the Tong fixer took her pound of flesh for the rush job, you were left with just enough to keep the lights on for a few more months. You've spent equipment and material and labor over the past few nights you can't reclaim easily. Ostensibly, those costs will be recouped and repaid by the City, as stipulated when they activated the emergency clause of the contract. But your calls to a swamped City Hall are nothing but holding music, and no one is sure when, exactly, that money is coming.
"Doctor. The boy is here again this morning. If he tries to upgrade my terminal again I am going to sedate him."
"Thank you, Candy. I'll speak to him."
You push thoughts of upcoming bills and stock refills out of your head as you slip up the clinic stairs and back to street level, where Kai is waiting, seemingly unbothered by the wary glances of the ever-perching stoop-kids across the street. You're not surprised to find Widget sitting beside him, chatting about something technical.
"Good morning, Kai. Come for an eye? We still have some left."
Kai gallantly shakes his head, the flat white plastic of his cybernetic blank a sharp contrast to his Latino shading. "I will be okay with one, Doctor. Save my eye for Isa."
You would sigh and tell the kid that's not how it works, but let it pass. The two of you both know Candy or you will call him the moment his sister's condition changes, but he still insists on showing up every day, doing odd jobs out of some sense of gratitude. Redoing old wiring, helping Widget vet and strip the incoming cybernetics, that sort of thing. Widget has nothing but praise for him, and has shared a little of his background with you - apparently he tweaks gear and cyber for the Valentinos, while taking care of two siblings younger than him.The Valentinos don't seem to be the particularly sharing type, you hope he isn't shirking whatever obligations he has to them. Though if he was, you couldn't blame him.
It's starting to become a problem, honestly - there's a line to you between 'letting the kid help out' and 'unpaid labor.' Assuming he'd even accept money while his sister is in your care. You wrinkle your nose, remembering long unpaid hours working in the SAPSM halls just to keep ahead of the other scholarship applicants.
That sets your mind to thinking about money again, and your mood sours. Kai must have seen something change in your expression, because he brings it up.
"Is everything alright Doctor?"
Vote:
[ ] [Kai] - Can we talk for a second? Bring up the work he's been doing for you. Dig into his situation more. Discuss compensation, or a more permanent relationship?
[ ] [Kai] - It's nothing. Now's not the time, not while his sister's still in a coma, lest anyone think you're taking advantage of the kid's talents. Let it lie for now.
-----
"Doctor Jeanne Baudin?"
You look up to see a slim young man in mirror-shades and colorful street clothes - a blue shirt with a blue-and-green backed globe on it, suspenders, and fuck-around-find-out steel tipped combat boots. A bulky handgun sits in a holster beneath an urban combat jacket, but he makes no move towards it.
Streetwise+Int Check: DC 15 (1d10!+2+8 = (8)+2+8 =18) Success!
A member of the Silver Sash - a do-gooder "guardian" gang from uptown. They spend their time helping tourists new to the city and stopping boostergangers from picking on everyday civilians. Pretty far from his home turf. He stops a respectful distance away and holds something out to you. A credchip packet.
"Delivery for you Doctor."
After a scan indicates the chip is clean, you slot it, and your jaw drops.
That's a lot of zeros, alongside a note.
"Dr Baudin,
We hope this note finds you well. After the hardship that struck the patrons of the Black Lotus, and your heroic intervention, I went around in collection for your clinic. I can see today that because of your quick thinking, many still have their lives - within and away from your surgery. This is small compensation for the lives you saved, but in this city gratitude is a paltry reward for good works.
Thank You Doctor, and keep up the good work.
J. Maxwell"
In a single fell swoop, a good samaritan has solved your cashflow problems, at least for now. This is a lot of money. Money that moves you so far into the black, you can actually think about expanding a little. You actually have to sit down and figure out how you feel about this development.
Clinic Funding jumps from 3 (Bleeding) to 7 (Extra Cash)!
How do you feel about this development?
Vote:
[ ] [Charity] - Numb. The events of the past few days have yet to fully wear off. This is just one more thing atop a pile of things.
[ ] [Charity] - Uncomfortable. You were literally just doing your job, as compelled by the city board. To have this much attention and thanks puts you closer to the spotlight that you want, even if this is anonymous.
[ ] [Charity] - Gratified. This week was some unethically sourced 'gainic horse shit. Someone recognizing the work you put in to make this happen is… well, it goes a lot of the way to making you feel better.
[ ] Charity - Relieved. This takes the pressure off in a big way. You won't go out of your way to find stuff like this in the future, but here and now it's exactly what you needed.
[ ] Charity - Wary. You clawed your way to where you are now through grit and hard work, and there's no such thing as a free lunch, ever. Still, you can't exactly say no to the money.
More importantly, the clinic could use some upgrades. How are you going to allocate this new windfall?
Plan Vote Time! You may vote for as many options so long as you do not go below 0 Funding. It is the QM's opinion that you try to stay around 2-4 Funding to maintain operational expenses.
[ ] Windfall - Build a Chopshop for Widget. Widget deserves nothing but the best. And while the majority of your savings have gone into making Five Crosses what it is, it wouldn't be that much work to grab the old burnt out bodega next door and set up a space for Widget to tinker and work on vehicles like she used to. Widget's got most of her tools in a storage unit already - all you would have to do would be buy the building from the local neighborhood association.
Unlocked with 5 Little China Rep. Costs: 3 Funding. Unlocks: Widget's Workshop, Chance to provide +1 Clinic Funding per Track
[ ] Windfall - Purchase an Ambulance. Requires Widget's Workspace. Having an actual vehicle would allow you and Widget to start expanding your reach and increase the kinds of jobs that you could do, allowing you to reach other districts in the city and perhaps even beyond.
Costs: 5 Funding, 3 Funding 2 Medcenter Rep, or 3 Funding and 1 Rank of Nomad Family. Unlocks: Access to other city districts, the ability to take jobs outside of Night City's core.
[ ] Windfall - Improve Clinic Security. You just went public in a very major way, and if there's one thing you can count on in this city, it's gonks being gonks. Best to beef up security before theat happens - reinforce the doors, get better locks, buy a turret, make sure Candy's got some heat under the counter and the range time to be comfortable using it. Won't stop any serious psychos kicking your door in, but should deter all but the most dedicated boostergangs.
Costs: 2 Funding. Unlocks: Improved Clinic Security.
OR
[ ] Windfall - Improve Clinic Security, Edgerunner Backup. Juniper Glass still owes you some favors from back when you split with TT, and you've still got a seat waiting for you at Club Atlantis. Get most of the upgrades as lifted above, then float a line to a "security specialist". Get someone on call in case things get hotter than you can handle. You may need to extend your opening hours a little, but you keep strange hours already.
Unlocked due to background. Costs: 2 Funding, Potentially owe Edgerunners a favor should their help ever be needed. Unlocks: Increased Security, "Panic Button" that will summon Edgerunner backup.
[ ] Windfall - Get a Datahost and Basic Firewall. Might as well try and capitalize off of your newfound fame and fully take the business into the 2020's. Get a basic Datahost and Net interface, allowing people to browse your wares, make appointments, and handle payment, all from the comfort of their own homes. It won't be a major piece of ICE or anything, but you're confident you can take at least basic precautions.
Costs: 2 Funding. Unlocks; Net presence for the clinic, +1 Rep to a random district per Track/Episode, slight resistance to Netrunner hacks and interference.
[ ] Windfall - Expand the Surgery Suite. You keep up with the journals and all the shiny new advances in medical technology. You haven't been able to afford any of the shiny tools you might have had back at TT, but that doesn't stop them living in your shopping cart wishlist. Treat yourself to some upgrades, and get yourself some kit you can really
work with.
Costs: 4 Funding. Unlocks: Medic Clinic is one step closer to professional perfection. +1 AutoReroll to a failed Medic check while inside Five Crosses Clinic.
[ ] Windfall - Hire More Staff. You, Candy, and Widget pulled off a miracle during the bombings, but you're all burnt out and exhausted. Having even just one more pair of hands would have been a literal lifesaver. Maybe you can find space in the budget for one more pair of hands? Maybe look up your old TT contacts who quit?
Costs: 2 Funding per Hire. Unlocks: Hiring Subvote, add another member to the Five Crosses Roster. Certain options in the subvote will decide the direction of the next track.
[AN: Here we go! The chunkiest mechanical vote in a while - Vote will run for
48 hours, and I'll ask for a
12 Hour voting moratorium so people can discuss options. Next update we'll get to Jeanne and Widget's long-awaited date night exploring Chinatown, and a vote for the next
crisis adventure that interrupts their peaceful existence. Seeing everyone so excited for the Quest's return has been a big boost to me. Here's to the next chapter in Night City chooms!
