Ayla Nadire Kaplan

Medical Personnel. RP blog for The Dead of Winter. 

[aylakaplan]

emmayva‌:

@aylakaplan // Post Winter Festival // Outside

Emily stood near the entrance of the infirmary, her new home. She clutched the layered jackets closely to herself, the thin pants she’d worn were not necessarily ideal for this weather. She watched as the children laughed and played, pelting each other with snow balls. A giggle leaving her lips along with a visible puff of air. 

“Reminds me of home, the snow.”

Ayla folded her arms around herself, shivering in the cold, winter air. The oversized coat she’d been given at the military safe zone was perfect for layering, but it was just loose enough to allow the cold breeze to tease its way inside. At least the children seemed to be enjoying themselves. 

“Oh same here.” Ayla said, doing her best to share a genuine smile with Emily despite her shivers. “Where did you call home, again?” 

[aylakaplan]

marksmanmaddox‌:

     Dorian nodded in understanding, a large grin creeping onto his face at her response. “With that answer, you definitely came here to see me,” He teased. The male rolled his head to the side, cracking his neck, and a satisfied sigh leaving his lips. “And you would do it because I’m awesome, and I’d even go so far as to say, you might even like me,” He added, pointing his finger in her direction.

     He reached across the table and took her hand into his, his calloused thumb gently running over the back of her hand. Dorian grinned, using his free hand to continue eating. “I’m glad you came.” He murmured between bites, the tone of his voice soft and genuine. Looking at her, he couldn’t help but admire how beautiful she was, of course, he would ever admit it, not in public anyway. 

@aylakaplan​

Ayla couldn’t help the breathy laugh that escaped her, her gaze dropping back to her rations as she straightened them once again, if only to give her hands something to do. She hadn’t come to the mess hall in search of Dorian in particular, but she would be lying if a small part of her hadn’t hoped to see him here. That grin- his teasing- she looked forward to running into Dorian around Sanctuary if only to share small moments that left her smiling as she went about the rest of her day. Glancing back up at him and his accusatory finger, Ayla found herself leaning in just a bit closer, a matching grin tugging at her lips. “I might.” 

His hand was warm in hers- though that was hardly a surprise. Doctors always had cold hands. What was a surprise was the way that warmth seemed to fill her, chasing away the cold loneliness for a moment. She craved this- connection- the reminder that she wasn’t alone. Her smile faded slowly as emotion took hold and she blinked quickly to keep it at bay. “I’m glad I found you.” She said, before glancing down to pick at her rations, her hand still resting in his. 

[aylakaplan]

marksmanmaddox‌:

   Dorian had been thinking about the concept of getting something to eat. When Ayla stepped in, he had just begun reassembling the pieces of his gun, his eyes trained on her as she walked over to him, his hands moved quickly and methodically, sliding the pieces of the steel puzzle back together. “Not at all. I was actually just about to go grab some food myself.” He responded with a wink, placing his half-assembled weapon on the table, moving some things around to give her some more space.  

     He walked over to the kitchen, grabbing his rations for lunch before returning to the table. “You must be feeling lonely if you’re coming in here to eat,” He observed, a cheeky grin on his face; knowing that she wasn’t one to come to the mess hall for any reason other than to grab her meals and leave. “Unless you came looking for me specifically?” Dorian offered with a light chuckle before looking down and digging into his food. 

@aylakaplan​

Ayla watched him for a moment as he crossed the mess hall to grab his rations before she gingerly picked a seat strategically away from the weapon on the table. She’d never liked guns much- never felt comfortable around them- but she supposed that was from both her lack of experience and understanding of how they worked. With the world in the state that it was, she was more inclined than ever to learn more about them, but she’d taken an oath to do no harm and as such couldn’t bring herself to ask any of the guards for lessons. 

“A little,” she conceded with a slight smile at his suggestion that she was lonely. How long had it been since she’d taken the time to speak to the residents of Sanctuary as friends and neighbors rather than patients? Though she couldn’t help but grin at the idea that she might have come looking for him specifically. “And why would I do that?” She asked, her tone obviously teasing as she looked down to methodically arrange her rations on the table before glancing back up at him. 

[aylakaplan]

otshellnik‌:

   THEO SWEARS UNDER his breath in his mother tongue as he hears the voice through the curtain. He has been pacing the length of the infirmary bed, silent on well-calloused bare feet as he waits. Now, he makes her wait, continuing to pace for a moment before he turns to the curtain where he can see her silhouette, and yanks it back. He stares at her wordlessly, unyielding and unwilling to do anything that might make her job easier –he does not want to do this.

Ayla blinked once- twice- as she met her patient’s gaze in the moments after he had yanked the curtain away. Had he meant to startle her? It wouldn’t be the first time she’d examined a hostile patient, nor a silent one. Medical school had taught her many lessons, but the key lesson she had learned was patience. “Shall we begin?” She asked, nodding slightly toward the cot that would serve as an examination table. “Comprehensive medical examinations often take time- I wouldn’t like to waste any more of yours than absolutely necessary.” 

[aylakaplan]

aliviaxprince‌:

Liv stretched her arms over her head, booted feet propped on an old engine she was slowly taking apart. After spending the good part of the day dismantling the mangled hunk of rust, she had decided -or rather the kid inside her had made the decision for her- to get some much-needed relaxation. The garage was warm enough, the doors had been shut to prevent the cold from creeping in and the other mechanics had all gone home for the day. She sighed and sank back into the chair, letting the stress of the day melt away for just a bit.

Then she heard the creaking of the garage door open and a scowl set upon her face. “Whatever it is, it’s gonna have to wait until tomorrow. I am closed. Off duty. Completely and totally on vacation.” She said, emphasizing the words by crossing and uncrossing her legs.

Ayla couldn’t help but smile at the mention of a vacation. “That’s actually exactly what I wanted to hear.” The garage was warm- as warm as it could be she supposed, and in a way that was as close to paradise as Ayla figured either of them would come for quite some time. But while neither of them could quite escape the cold or the hell that kept them tucked away behind the walls of Sanctuary, Ayla hoped for the baby’s sake tat Alivia had found herself able to relax. 

“I hope I’m not bothering you-” she apologized, straightening her coat if only to give her hands something to do. “I just thought I’d check on you- see how you were doing.” It wasn’t quite usual for Ayla to follow up with patients outside of work during her time at the dermatology clinic prior to the outbreak. But there was something about living in such close proximity to the patients she tended to- perhaps a heightened sense of responsibility- that had her checking up on them outside of her scheduled hours. 

[aylakaplan]

marksmanmaddox‌:

     After a long night shift and a quick nap, Dorian wandered into the mess hall, his M40A5 slung over his shoulder and a small bag of tools in his other hand. Weapon maintenance was an important part of survival for him. ‘If you treat your weapon right, it’ll save your life.’ The voice of his old quartermaster rang through his head as he plopped down at a table, slowly beginning to take apart the weapon, making sure to wipe down and oil every piece as it came off. 

     Tinkering with guns was something that always brought Dorian peace. It was his way of making sure that he wasn’t going to get fucked over by his own weapon in the event of an emergency. He glanced at the stock of his gun, a small grin appearing on his face as he ran his thumb over the motto of his platoon that had been etched into it, ‘one shot, one kill.’ He missed being in the marine corps, but the reality was that this was his life now, and he was just going to have to deal with it. Quietly humming classic rock songs to himself as he worked, each time the door of the mess hall swung open he looked up to meet the eyes of whoever had entered, offering a small wave or smile of acknowledgment. 

It wasn’t often that Ayla took her meals in the mess hall. As one of the few trained medical personnel at Sanctuary, she found that the majority of her time was spent in the infirmary. She didn’t mind, though, and often preferred it that way. The infirmary held a sense of safety for her, predicability, something stable and familiar to hold onto in this strange new world. Counting inventory, taking patients, charting- it was almost as if she could pretend that nothing had changed and life was as it should have been. But even she couldn’t pretend forever. 

There was something about finding a place to sit for lunch that was unnerving, and always had been. Ayla wondered for a moment if the anxiety of looking for a friendly face in the lunchroom was just another piece of the human experience, alongside the many other universal forms of suffering, and if the sight of such a friendly face always carried such a sense of relief. She caught his eye first, her gaze glancing down at that familiar smile before returning one of her own and crossing the mess hall toward him. “Mind if I join you?” Ayla asked, reluctant to set down the small lunch she had assembled lest she mess up the project he had on the table before him. 

[aylakaplan]

Who: Ayla Kaplan & Theo Pozdnyakov When: Mid-blizzard Where: The infirmary

A new arrival. In the middle of this storm. Ayla hadn’t quite believed the call over the radio when it had come in. Frostbite was a primary concern, as well as hypothermia, and Ayla had felt quite bad about asking the new arrival to change into a gown for the standard medical examination. She’d made sure to leave plenty of blankets at the end of the cot to make him more comfortable and regretted the inability to heat them as she could have once upon a time. 

“Mr. Pozdnyakov?” Ayla called from the opposite side of the curtain after giving him plenty of time to change “May I come in?” 

@otshellnik

[aylakaplan]

Who: Ayla Kaplan & Anyone When: After the storm, Winterfest Where: The mess hall

Ayla knew she shouldn’t be drinking so much, it had been a while since she’d had access to enough alcohol to get more than buzzed and as such, she knew her limits were much lower now than what they once were. Still, she couldn’t help but refill her glass with more moonshine, finding that the taste seemed to grow a little more tolerable with each sip, the tension in her shoulders slowly melting away and the chill deep in her bones easier to ignore. 

“Mind if I join you?” She asked, already seating herself at the makeshift bar. Drinking alone was never fun and Ayla had been cooped up by herself for far too long during the storm. Her desperation for company coupled with the alcohol emboldening her to search for the company she’d been lacking for far longer than the blizzard. 

[aylakaplan]

calbeckbs‌:

He took another look at his hand before sighing. Cal admired the medicinal practitioners and their knowledge, so much so that he rarely ever argued with them or even expressed a different opinion. When he did express his concern, he just meant that he didn’t want to be a burden on the Sanctuary. “I didn’t mean to question you, A. I just hate using something that someone else could need more than me later on.” 

A wave of relief washed over him as the cool cloth was placed on his singed skin. “It’s probably for the best I listen to the expert here. Go ahead.” He offered a small, apologetic smile.

Ayla couldn’t help but smile lightly at the use of the nickname. She normally didn’t share nicknames with her patients but here at Sanctuary there was a camaraderie amongst the survivors that couldn’t be overlooked even in the most professional of settings. “I know you didn’t.” She said kindly, reaching to pat his knee. “But you don’t need to be a hero, Cal. A small drop of ointment is hardly going to make a difference, alright?” 

“We’ll keep that on until it’s not helpful anymore and then I’ll bandage it for you. Do you know the drill by now or should I go over instructions on how to care for it?” She was only slightly teasing him for his repeat injury, but she would gladly go over continued treatment in detail should he need her to.

[aylakaplan]

marslarx‌:

      Her eyes turned to the shirt draped over her shoulder, and she considered that it was, actually, more important than ever to have things that belonged to you. It maintained a sense of normalcy that was invaluable these days. “Well, when you put it that way… You’re lucky you brought it back before I noticed it was missing.”

Ayla felt her smile fade as Marley missed the joke, or perhaps didn’t find it funny at all. A swing and a miss apparently. “Yeah.. well like I said, I’ll be more careful in the future.” She spared a momentary glance at Sanctuary’s border and took a few steps back. “I don’t know how you stand it out here- so close to- you know.” 

[aylakaplan]

andtherewillcomesoftrains‌:

bobbi snorted, an unattractive sound her mother would have slapped her for. “they definitely learned that sharp things make you bleed.” you would have thought bobbi had died from how hard heath had been crying when he’d seen the blood dripping from her hand. she’d had to have one of the older kids escort him home, and she could foresee more than a few issues that could arise from the incident.

Ayla couldn’t help but laugh at Bobbi’s remark “Arguably one of the most valuable lessons, and one I’m sure they won’t forget too soon.” She arranged a small basin and container of water on the bed next to Bobbi’s injured hand and laid out the bandage she intended to use neatly before glancing up at her patient. “Now if you want to teach them first aid, you can tell them how you had it cleaned and bandaged by a trained professional.” 

[aylakaplan]

andtherewillcomesoftrains‌:

she frowned, pondering how best to answer ayla’s question. did she lie, reassure the young woman with empty platitudes. or did she lay things out in truth, the cold and bitter truth that minerva seemed to favor?

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

Ayla looked up as Bobbi recited what sounded like a quote, and paused her kicking to contemplate it further. She was never the sort to find comfort in borrowed words, only concrete answers, but she supposed there was a kernel of wisdom to glean this one as the chill of winter settled deep in her bones. 

“Who said that one?” She asked with a sigh, conceding that she did in fact catch Bobbi’s meaning. 

[aylakaplan]

calbeckbs‌:

Cal always listened intently when Ayla or one of the other medical staff was speaking, fearing to miss pertinent information either for now or the future. He watched as her fingers traced the same area on her palm that he’d so stupidly burned again just moments ago. Being in the later half of his thirties, he always thought he’d had back or shoulder pain to worry about. Now realizing he’d skipped right over those normal pains to nerve damage, he sighed, feeling slightly old now.

Nodding in agreement and understanding, he glanced back down to the burn. “Oh, it really doesn’t hurt that bad Doc. Don’t waste the medicine on me.” He practically pleaded with her, never wanting to be the one that used something someone else could have needed more. 

“No? Should I be worried about that nerve damage, after all?” She asked, though she suspected he was merely downplaying the pain. Rinsing a strip of cloth in cold water, Ayla neatly folded it and squeezed the excess water before crossing back to Cal and sitting back down in her stool. 

“As my patient, you have the right to refuse any treatment.” She advised him seriously, as this was absolutely anything but a game to her. “But you should know that I would never waste any supplies.” Holding out the cool cloth, she figured explanation was in order. “The cool cloth will help relieve some of the pain before I bandage it. I would prefer to put a little ointment on the burn so long as you consent, but it’s ultimately your choice.” 

[aylakaplan]

marslarx‌:

      Marley shifted her weight from foot to foot, restless as always, and shrugged a shoulder at Ayla’s offering. “Meh,” she hummed. “Might not be so bad.” She thought for a moment, casting her gaze to the sky. “Wouldn’t be the end of the world, at least.”

This time, Ayla couldn’t help the grin and small laugh that escaped her at Marley’s joke. “Are you sure? The undead roaming the earth is nothing compared to a missing tank top.” She attempted to joke back, though dark humor was relatively new to her. Unsurprisingly, with the world as it was, dark humor came easier nowadays. 

[aylakaplan]

andtherewillcomesoftrains‌:

apparently, having an injured hand made sitting on a cot more difficult than bobbi would have expected. the edge was just a bit too high for her to just sit down, so bobbi spent the next couple moments trying to lift herself with one arm while trying to not get blood on her clothes. by the time ayla turned around, bobbi had comfortably situated herself on the cot.

“yeah, it’s my fault- i should have not had them just laying on my desk.” bobbi shrugged, holding out her hand for ayla to look at. “that’s just asking for trouble when you’ve got kids who don’t know that sharp things mean painful cuts.”

“You’re in luck,” Ayla said, after inspecting laceration, “it’s not terribly deep.” She rolled expertly toward the cabinet where the necessary supplies were stored. She could practically hear her professors chiding her that it was unprofessional, rolling around like that, but it was hardly an emergency and somehow she figured Bobbi wouldn’t mind. “Let’s get that cleaned and bandaged for you, alright?” 

Returning to Bobbi’s side, Ayla fell into routine of prepping the supplies. “I’m sure the kids learned a valuable lesson.” She mused in an attempt to stir comfortable conversation between them. 

[aylakaplan]

mincrvastark‌:

    “I look forward to it, but I do have another person to train.” There wasn’t much need for idle conversation. At least, that’s what Minerva thought. She’d worked hard in the last few years to be more social, but she still had her limits. She moved to collect the makeshift weights and various equipment she used before returning to Ayla’s side. “I’ll see you next week, make sure to get lots of rest tonight.”  

“Oh right, yeah, of course.” Ayla found herself stumbling over her words as she pushed herself to her feet. Apparently she’d overstayed her welcome, and the last thing she wanted to be was a nuisance. “Same time, same place.” She confirmed, already retreating a few steps and resisting the urge to groan at the fire in her legs. “I’ll definitely do that, thanks again, Minerva.” 

[aylakaplan]

andtherewillcomesoftrains‌:

the snow fell softly in the early morning light, the soft powder muffling the sound of… everything except for the soft crunches of her boots. winter had come, and while the sight of snow used to fill bobbi with a sense of wonderment; she now dreaded the freezing weather.

“things are about to become so much more dangerous.”

Ayla kicked at the snow underfoot, hating the sight of it. She’d always disliked the winter, now more than ever, and with the lengthening of the season combined with the danger it brought, she wondered if she would ever see summer sun again. 

“We’ll pull through... won’t we?” She asked quietly.