1. StarFyre

    StarFyre Member

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    Bullet in a Werewolf

    Discussion in 'Research' started by StarFyre, Nov 14, 2017.

    I have this character, Conner, who, due to being exposed to a serum that activated his dormant mutant gene, is basically a wolf in a human's body. He has the ears, tail, fangs and claws of a wolf while the rest of him looks human. But his mind is full wolf and he's loyal only to Alia, another who was mutated, a girl who is most easily described as a sentient clay golem.
    Conner was hiding in a bush and a man, seeing the wolven tail, shot into the bush the tail was sticking out of and managed to hit the wolf-boy in the side. Conner can't go to a hospital - human or vet - so I need to know what to do with the wound.
    Also, Alia's body is made of clay which means she could... deposit... if she were to try to help. Becuase of this, she basically 'threatened' the man to do it - she turned her hand into a blade and placed it by his neck and acted like she was willing to kill (but she won't actually do so).
    So can someone please help me figure out how to take care of this? Also, for more clarification, it's just below his ribcage - it likely grazed bone - and the bullet is still inside.
    Thanks for reading all this and hopefully you can help.
     
  2. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    This is where you lost me.

    What does 'she could... deposit...' mean? And she threatened which man to do what?

    As for the gunshot, having a character receive a wound for which they can't seek medical attention is a common story device, and I suggest you handle it the way these situations are always handled; write a scene in which a 'DIY' operation is performed to remove the bullet.
     
  3. StarFyre

    StarFyre Member

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    As for that part...
    1) Would you want clay in an already painful wound?
    2) The hunter came their way to inspect his prize (apparently, he's paid to hunt wolves) and is shocked to find what he calls a werewolf and he's the one Alia threatens. (She also uses hardened clay to pin his ankles to the ground - but this type isn't maintainable when wet which could make it dangerous for her to try and help Conner).

    And I'm asking about how exactly I might go about writing the wound-cleaning (or whatever ya call it) scene because I've never removed a bullet and I'm lost even after looking up "without a doctor" gunshot wound procedures.
     
  4. izzybot

    izzybot (unspecified) Contributor

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    Glaze over the nitty-gritty of it if you like. Whose perspective is this scene from? If it's not the guy actually doing the removal, you don't need to focus on the play-by-play. You can focus more on the emotions of the POV character and their respective reaction to what's going on, more than the act itself.

    That said, here are a couple links I scared up that may be helpful:
     
  5. archer88i

    archer88i Banned Contributor

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    Humans worry about "deposits" when cleaning wounds, too, you know. I mean, we actually invented these neat rubber gloves as a result. Anyway, one of your characters is part wolf, and the other one is literally Gumby. I wouldn't worry that much about realism. Hell, odds of surviving a rifle bullet to the chest without immediate surgical intervention are something like one in ten in the first place, so I'd say it's better for you to play this one fast and loose. :)
     
  6. StarFyre

    StarFyre Member

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    Thanks. Also, it's from third perspective so that's why I was trying to focus on the bullet-wound cleaning.
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2017
  7. Quanta

    Quanta Senior Member

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    I thought only silver bullets could hurt werewolves...
    Some clays have healing properties and can be used as poultice.
     
  8. StarFyre

    StarFyre Member

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    1) The reason silver is used is because it tarnishes which means it gathers sulfur particles which can then lead to death.
    2) I didn't know that. However, her clay structure is of the general kind - think of what schools use.
     
  9. The Piper

    The Piper Contributor Contributor

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    I think what @Quanta is saying is that, if the bullet wasn’t a silver one, might it just cause that initial wound and then the wound heal on its own very quickly? Perhaps your wolf-boy is not a traditional werewolf, but if you used the idea that a normal bullet can’t cause lasting damage, it would be an easy way to write the removal scene - it might just pop out on its own.

    Of course with this you wouldn’t be able to write in a lot of pain or distress, which is always good to read as the reader connects and feels for the character.
     
  10. StarFyre

    StarFyre Member

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    Thank you to everyone.
    However, now I have another issue. It's been said that, if you have a bullet wound in or near your abdomen, you shouldn't eat anything solid until it heals. So, now, I'm trying to figure out what kind of liquid should be given to Conner. My first thought is blood due to a wolf's diet (which is Conner's diet as well) being raw meat but I'm not all too sure. Also, is there anything else about post-being-shot-care that I should know for my novel?
     
  11. archer88i

    archer88i Banned Contributor

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    If he heals like a human, it's gonna be like two or three months before things finally stop aching every time he moves. Also, wolves are not obligate carnivores any more than humans are, so he'll be fine on a diet of like, gatorade and chicken broth just like you would. You know--what everyone's mother feeds them every time they're sick.
     
  12. StarFyre

    StarFyre Member

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    Thanks and wow - you replied fast.
    Also... he heals a little faster but not much so it'll probably be more like a month and a half or so.
    (I'm also really glad for everyone who's helped me so far.)
     

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