Challenge #02923-G366: Bad at Risk Assessment

"And what brings you to medical, human?"

"I took my particle mask off when I should have left it on. That was, uh, five days ago? I'm pretty sure I've coughed up all the stuff I inhaled, since the phlegm isn't pointy any more, but I'm still coughing, and my lungs itch. I would have waited longer to bother you about it, but I've been kinda short of breath today, so I thought I'd come in before it got any worse." -- Anon Guest

Humans are terrible at following essential safety rules, even when it calls for their own safety. Survivors and escapees of Greater Deregulations even more so. Those desperate enough to escape Deregger space were obsessed with not being a bother on pain of being thrown back to the maelstrom from whence they sprang.

Medik Phrak concentrated on staying calm and amenable. "Thank you for coming in before we needed to drag you in," she said. "It's no trouble to make sure something isn't bad before it gets bad. I would much rather be certain something's not a problem before it could become a problem. You Humans keep saying 'a stitch in time saves nine'. Little helps preserve you from bigger helps. Yes?"

"Er. Yeah. But... I didn't think it did me any damage. I felt fine afterwards." This was the same kind of argument that helped the spread of long-incubation, high-infection diseases back in the pre-Shattering era of Terran history.

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