⟦ CW: #radiati°ninjury,⁂ #burns,⁂ #blistering,⁂ #skinsl°ughing,⁂ #necr°sis,⁂ #bl°°d,⁂ #medical,⁂ #g°re,⁂ #tissuedamage,⁂ #discussi°n°ffatalinjury ⟧ ⟦ Radiati°n w°unds are irritating issues. The thermal burns are fine en°ugh. They sh°w up,⁂ and y°u can identify what went wr°ng. ⟧ ⟦ The sufficiently irradiated tr°ll may initially have very little t° sh°w f°r it. First,⁂ y°u might n°tice a bit °f chitin being s°fter,⁂ warmer. Maybe it disc°l°rs t° y°ur hue like a bruise. Irritated tissue tends t° take °n a muddied versi°n °f the bl°°d beneath it,⁂ s° the affected area may acquire the faintest caste-c°l°red undert°ne bef°re there is anything °ne c°uld reas°nably call a w°und. ⟧ ⟦ Then y°u have t° wait. ⟧ ⟦ H°urs. ⟧ ⟦ Nights. ⟧ ⟦ Wipes. ⟧ ⟦ The skin darkens. ⟧ ⟦ The surface bec°mes dry and tight. Hair l°°sens fr°m the f°llicles and c°mes away with little fricti°n. With greater exp°sure,⁂ swelling f°ll°ws,⁂ then blistering. The blisters are frequently br°ad,⁂ fragile things filled with clear fluid rather than bl°°d. ⟧ ⟦ Higher d°ses,⁂ the difference between this burn and dead tissue requires a bit °f academics t° understand. ⟧ ⟦ The epidermis begins separating fr°m what remains underneath it. Grey skin peels away in sheets. The tissue beneath is wet,⁂ intensely sensitive,⁂ and increasingly stained by the victim's °wn bl°°d c°l°r as small vessels rupture. A br°nze w°und bec°mes unpleasantly °chre. A cerulean °ne turns blue-black ar°und the margins. Purple and vi°let injuries can bec°me alm°st deceptively beautiful °nce the tissue begins t° die. ⟧ ⟦ Uh. ⟧ ⟦ D°n't tell them I said that. ⟧ ⟦ The deepest injuries are w°rse because they may st°p hurting. Y°ur b°dy gave up °n rep°rting the issue. Y°ur nerves are necr°tic. ⟧ ⟦ Necr°tic areas bec°me dark,⁂ stiff,⁂ and strangely numb while the surr°unding tissue remains sw°llen and exquisitely painful. The b°rder between living and dead flesh can remain visible f°r quite s°me time,⁂ particularly in highbl°°ds. ⟧ ⟦ And that's just the skin. It affects the quicker dividing cells even harder. Bl°°d-pr°ducing tissues are theref°re an excepti°nally unf°rtunate target. A tr°ll can survive the visible burn,⁂ then later begin bruising. Bleeding fr°m the gums. Their cl°ts fail. They bec°me pr°ne t° the infecti°n. ⟧ ⟦ The exteri°r injury is s°metimes the least c°nsequential part. This is why I bec°me ann°yed when s°me°ne p°ints t° an irradiated w°rker and says,⁂ “They l°°k fine.” ⟧ ⟦ They will be dead s°°n. ⟧ ⟦ I can't help them. ⟧
