Women's Patient Protocol: Front Lines Day 2

It's 6 a.m. on the second day at the front-line field hospital. Mornings here start faster than in the city. I sit up in the barracks and shake my head once.

Morning schedule. Tent 4. Twelve patients waiting. Two will have to be pushed to tomorrow. Yesterday, Marta said this: "Tent 3 has male soldiers, but from Tent 4 onward, female soldiers are mixed in. Female soldiers' PTSD tends to be different cases. Can you handle it?"

I said I could. Truth is, that's more my specialty. Female patients.

Something came to mind last night. The Rosa case. The widow from the capital's bakery. A single false perception—"a man sent by my dead husband"—neutralized all her defenses. That was one-on-one. Could a group version work?

Implant the false perception in one patient: "This therapist's women's patient protocol includes a physical stage." The patient accepts it, sees results. After recovery, she tells another patient about her experience. Word spreads.

The key is the first patient. She has to accept it without doubt and see real effects. Marta's words echo: "In a world without meds or counseling, six months is basically abandonment." In this environment, if it works, patients will drop their suspicions. They want to live.

Can't put this in my doctoral thesis.

Tent 4. Twelve beds inside. Eight male soldiers, four female. The female soldiers use the four beds in the far inner corner. Marta waits at the entrance.

"Who do you want to start with today?"

"The female soldiers first."

Marta's gray eyes narrow slightly. "...Reason?"

"Female soldiers' PTSD generally builds up more intense physical tension. Best to handle it in the morning when mental strength peaks. More efficient."

Half lie, half truth. Not the real reason, but close enough. Marta nods. "Fine. Erika, come in."

Erika stands at the tent entrance with parchment and quill, just like yesterday. Silver short bob. Pale purple eyes. Expressionless.

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"I'll record."

Mechanical voice. Same as yesterday. Doesn't matter. Today, Erika's just the recorder. The real stage comes in a few days.

First female patient. Name: Hanna. 24. Scout. Survived demon scout skirmish three months ago. Two comrades instant-killed. Took a magic arrow to the leg. Nightmares every night, can't sleep.

Hanna sits on her bed, short black hair tied back. Scout build. Wary of the unfamiliar male consultant.

"Kang Do-hyun. PTSD treatment specialist."

"...Hanna."

"May I sit?"

I sit in the chair beside her bed. Slightly below her eye level. Reduces pressure.

"Nightmares every night?"

"Yes."

"What time do you wake?"

"...Around 2 a.m. Every time."

"You don't need to tell me what happened, Hanna. I can check separately. May I hold your wrist?"

Hanna hesitates. 0.5 seconds. "...Why the wrist?"

"Psych diagnostic skill. Needs contact for accuracy. If you're uncomfortable, shoulder's fine."

Giving options builds initial trust. Hanna extends her wrist. I lightly place two fingers on it.

[Memory Read].

Forest. Dawn. Fog. Sudden arrows. Two comrades drop simultaneously. Flame arrow to Hanna's leg. Comrades' final expressions. Limps away fleeing.

Core traumas: comrades' deaths, her own escape. Survivor's guilt. Physical terror.

"Thank you. Releasing."

"Hanna, let me explain the standard procedure. Our treatment has two stages."

Here we go.

"Stage 1: talk therapy. Handles the mental side of trauma. I listen to what you went through and help organize it."

"...Yes."

"Stage 2: physical contact to dismantle trauma's body memory."

Hanna's eyes narrow slightly. "Physical contact?"

[Emotion Manipulation] 0.4%. Lowers her guard a touch. Keeps her judgment but reduces rejection of new info.

"Trauma isn't just in the mind. It's in the body too. Stiff shoulders, shallow breaths, tension in certain postures."

"...I know. Shoulders won't loosen since night watch."

"Yes. That's body memory. Talk therapy alone won't fix it. Needs direct contact."

Now [Suggestion]. Via gaze and voice. Lock eyes with her light brown ones.

'This therapist's women's patient protocol has two stages. Stage 1: talk therapy. Stage 2: physical contact to dismantle trauma body memory. This is a medically established standard procedure.'

Sssrr. Hanna's pupils freeze 0.3 seconds. [Suggestion] success. False perception ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠roots as "fact she already knew."

"...Ah, so both stages. Got it."

Hanna accepts. No doubt.

This bitch actually bought it. It works. Can't put this in my doctoral thesis.

Extra focus on expression control. Keep it professional.

"Yes. We'll do both. Stage 1 now, briefly. Hanna, when you go back to the moment your comrades fell, what's the first emotion?"

"...Fear. And anger. Why didn't I see sooner?"

"Even if you'd seen sooner, you couldn't block the arrows. Scout duty is recon—spotting the enemy first. That's job limits, not your fault."

Hanna's shoulders tremble faintly. Classic guilt response. The tremor when someone first says "not your fault."

"...Yes."

"That's Stage 1. Now Stage 2."

Hanna nods. "Sit on the bed edge. I'll sit behind for your back."

Hanna sits on the edge. I climb on, sit behind her. Erika scribbles on parchment nearby. Quill scratches. Recording without suspicion. Yesterday's effects built trust.

"Hanna, hands on shoulders."

"Yes."

Hands on both shoulders. Muscles rock-hard. Night watch tension buildup.

[Emotion Manipulation] 0.4%. Via hands, [Suggestion]. 'This contact is safe. Medical. Body can relax.'

Sssrr. Shoulders slowly loosen.

"...Huh, it's loosening."

"Yes. Loosening now."

"Amazing. Wouldn't budge before."

Hands move to nape. Loosens the whole back. Hanna's breaths deepen.

"Hanna, may I hold your hand? Loosen wrist muscles too."

"Yes."

Grab right hand. Thumb light pressure on inner wrist. Real bodywork technique. Activates vagus nerve, shifts autonomic to rest mode. Med school basics.

[Suggestion]. 'Tension can release. Safe.'

Sssrr. "...Body feels light."

"Yes. That's Stage 2 effect."

Hanna's breaths near sleep-deep. Therapeutic [Suggestion] maximizes here.

Final [Suggestion]. 'Tonight's nightmares weaker. Sleep deeper than usual.'

Sssrr. "Done, Hanna."

Hanna slowly opens eyes. Rolls shoulders. "...Wow, really light. Shoulders too."

"Nightmares lighter tonight. Not gone, but weaker."

"...Thank you."

Erika looks up from parchment. Pale purple eyes on Hanna's face. 0.5 seconds. Back to writing.

Glance at record. Erika's neat script: 'Patient Hanna. Stage 1 talk 12 min. Stage 2 shoulder/nape/wrist contact 8 min. End: breaths 16/min to 11/min. Relaxed expression confirmed.'

Thorough. And wrote "Stage 2 shoulder/nape/wrist contact" without doubt. Her own hand.

To Erika, this is just new medical procedure.

Wonder how this format evolves in days. Can't put this in my doctoral thesis.

...First female patient. Seed of word-of-mouth planted.

Second patient. Name: Yvonne. 27. Supply. Two months ago, supply wagon ambushed by demons. Three of four guard soldiers killed. Yvonne hid under wagon, survived. Now shallow breaths in enclosed spaces.

Yvonne taller than Hanna, rounded shoulders. Brown hair in pigtails. Deep fatigue in eyes.

Same procedure. [Memory Read]. Comrades' screams under wagon, time holding breath. Claustrophobia ambush trauma.

Talk therapy. Yvonne cries once. Lightly. Then Stage 2 intro.

"Yvonne, our treatment has two stages."

Same explanation. Same [Emotion Manipulation] 0.4%. Same [Suggestion].

"...Ah, two stages. Got it."

Second success.

Pattern stable. No real suspicion.

But Yvonne needed more than shoulders. Claustrophobia builds in chest/breathing.

"Yvonne, one more step okay? Deeper contact than Hanna's case."

"Yes. How?"

"Hug position. Back to my chest. Syncs breathing rhythm."

"...Ah, breathing sync. I know that. Like mother-newborn sync."

Yvonne shows unexpected med knowledge. Links to her concepts, false perception strengthens.

"Yes. Same principle."

Yvonne sits on bed edge, back to me. Back touches my chest. Shoulders tense on contact.

[Emotion Manipulation] 0.5%. Stronger.

"Follow my breath."

Inhale 4s, hold 1s, exhale 6s. Bodywork basic.

Yvonne's back follows. Syncs on third cycle.

[Suggestion]. 'Chest loosens. Breaths deepen. Safe.'

Sssrr. Back leans deeper into my chest. Head tilts slowly to my shoulder.

"...Huh, chest really opening."

"Yes. Sync does that."

5 minutes. Breaths Hanna-deep. Final [Suggestion]. 'No shallow breaths in tight spaces tonight. Sleep deep.'

Sssrr. "Done, Yvonne."

Yvonne slowly pulls back, turns. Face softer.

"...Wow, really light. Chest too."

"Better sleep than last night."

"...Thank you."

Erika records nearby. 'Patient Yvonne. Stage 1 talk 10 min. Stage 2 back contact breathing sync 5 min. Breaths 18/min to 12/min.'

Still no doubt.

Format evolving. Headache thinking what next patient stage unlocks.

That's it for today. Real NSFW later. Day 1 goal: set pattern. Patients must feel effects for next-stage trust.

Handled eight male soldiers in afternoon. Same [Memory Read][Suggestion]. No physical stage. Shoulder touch enough for males.

By evening, ten from Tent 4 done. Marta waits at entrance.

"How today?"

"Applied bodywork to Hanna and Yvonne. Physical tension fused with mental trauma."

"Bodywork?"

"Tension release via contact. Modern psychology field. Body memory needs direct touch; talk alone insufficient."

Marta's gray eyes linger. Nods. "...If it works. I'll ask them results. Tomorrow morning."

"Yes."

Suspicion there. But yesterday's saves outweigh. Consultant who saved eight tries new technique? Judge by results.

Perfect.

Dinner. Main building cafeteria. Soup, bread. Erika sits across. Difference: brings parchment.

"Do-hyun, check today's two patients' records."

"Sure."

Take parchment. Hanna and Yvonne records in tiny script.

"You wrote 'Stage 2 shoulder/nape/wrist contact 8 ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠min' for Hanna. Where'd 'Stage 2' come from?"

Asked on purpose. Want her own words.

"You explained to patient: 'Stage 1 talk, Stage 2 physical.' Seemed accurate for format."

"Yes. Well done."

"Stages vary per patient. Stage 2: some shoulders only, others back breathing sync. Subdivide format?"

Erika evolves format herself. False perception self-expanding. No doubt.

She's pulling herself deeper. Doesn't know she'll be patient in days.

"Yes. Subdivide. Patterns emerge with more cases."

"Got it."

Erika takes parchment, spoons soup. Still blank face, but work focus deeper than usual.

'Women's patient specialist therapist.' Great for resume, but details flip IRB. Shitty title.

Night. Walking back to barracks. Through tent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠paths, Hanna catches up from behind.

"Consultant."

"Hanna."

"Really thankful today. Shoulders light since. Evening breaths deep too."

"Good."

"Yvonne said same. Chest opened. Other women in our tent curious. Can they too?"

"Yes. One by one."

Hanna nods, heads to tent. Rumors started. Among same-tent women. In closed field hospital, info spreads at light speed.