I need ANOTHER fatal gunshot wound

gwendy85 said:

In my most recent edit, she is shot at the side of her abdomen. Not sure where the bullet should hit, but it's shot from quite a distance, by a Japanese rifle, maybe an Arisaka (not sure if that was the exact name). I say quite a distance because I really don't want this to be fatal, but serious enough for her to bleed profusely until she passes out.

My questions:

1.) With the type of rifle mentioned, what should be the distance of her assailant? Someone else will have to help with this one.

2.) With the type of rifle mentioned, where exactly in the abdominal area should the bullet hit her for her to bleed enough to faint? Can hit anywhere. In her condition - weak from illness and malnutrition, she could faint with a punch to the gut. Blood loss or not will not be a factor in the fainting so much. Unless you wish to make it so. Not with the other issues she faces already. So, your area should only be worried about for the blood (if you seek that for effect) and what you wish to do to her.

3.) What would be the long term effects of the wound? This is going to vary depending upon where you hit her. If you hit her in the spleen, it may need to be removed and will most assuredly require surgical intervention of some sort. Bleeding with this type of hit, can be fatal. Ruptured spleens are not always fatal, but are very critical. But, aside from things like insulin production stopping for lack of spleen, there may be no future rammifications that are evident besides her scar. If she is far away from assistance, this is not a good shot to hit her with. For blood loss in a rapid manner is to be expected with a ruptured spleen. If it is a gut shot - surviving or not - septcemia and complications of such would be available for future detail. And there are lots of long term effects. Things like colostomy bags, etc being necessary depending upon what organs you compromise with your hit. You could just hit her flesh and have the bullet do a through and through. It would be enough to knock her out and not leave her so compromised. But, then again, her malnutrition and her prior recent fever would affect her healing in any type of shot she had. She could have all sort of recovery complications due to those two things that could add to your story - weakened body taking longer to recover.

4.) How long will it take for my character to recover? To be believable, longer than a healthy person would. But, depends upon how hurt you want her to be. If passing out is only goal - she could recover in a reasonable time even with her compromises. When you decide on shot and how much damage, then one could predict and specify more accurately recovery times. Also, if possible, I'm looking for a severe wound, but something that can be recovered from quicker because she'll need to be up and running by the next chapters. Then rethink your wound to this girl. Malnutrition and recent illness are not good predictors to assist her in rapid healing. And certainly not healing that would allow for physical exertion of any length. Thus, you may really want to consider a through and through flesh shot that does not damage anything inside at all. And just worry about infection at site wound as a compromise.

5.) She has a doctor with her. What should the doctor do in the first critical minutes to ensure that she survives? Triage. Assess damage by viewing, taking pulse, respirations, stop blood flow, pressure to wound, clearing wound of any debris, stitching and/or dressing and making sure she is hydrated. Care in travel to rest. Or getting her to safe place to rest so cleaning of wound and wound care is available for healing at pace you need to happen for your next chapters.

Thank you so much again for all the answers, and I'll be looking to hear more from you guys soon. I love AW!!!

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gwendy85 said:

1.) With the type of rifle mentioned, what should be the distance of her assailant?

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Deb Kinnard said:

quote, above: "things like insulin production stopping for lack of spleen"

Injury to the spleen does not stop insulin production. Injury to the pancreas does. A person can live quite nicely without the spleen, but the pancreas--uh-uh.

If she were hit from behind and you need her to be badly hurt, I'd have the bullet enter around the small of the back and nick a kidney. She can bleed into her urinary tract; she'll know this is happening in the usual way (G). It can be as bad as you want it: the worse the injury should be, the deeper your gunshot will have penetrated into the kidney. It can be a minor nick or really louse the organ up.

Good luck almost-offing people!

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gwendy85 said:

Thanks again guyz for the replies! I think I've cleared it all now. I think I'll go with a through and through, no internal organs hit but profuse bleeding will be present. Abdominal Area. Check.

One last thing. As far as my research goes, first aid requires for the patient to be lying on the unwounded side, and that they should NOT be given water. I guess this is wrong then? I may have just misread that. On underlined: Not sure where you read that. I suppose it depends upon what you were researching when you read it - I mean severity of wound. IV fluids are given in ERs to sustain blood pressure and to prevent dehydration that comes with blood loss. Osmolarity being what it is - blood loss will cause the capillaries to leech fluids from surrounding tissue to bring into the veins where pressure is lower - pressure flows from highest areas into lowest pressure areas. Thus, she will dehydrate her own body trying to make up for blood loss and loss of blood pressure needed for organ function while she bleeds out or internally. To keep pressure up, it has to come from somewhere. Thus, fluids given to replace what body is leeching from itself. True, in severe abdominal wounds or wounds that an organ is hit, fluids orally would prolly be forgone until certain bodily organ function is optimal without oral liquids since they have the IV fluids. But, it is not likely your doctor has an IV bag of K+ tossed in his back pocket for such event. Thus, at some point, she will need fluids to thwart organ compromise that comes with dehydration. It does not have to be immediate water/fluids, but she will need them relatively soon. Probably sips during conscious moments. Especially due to her as yet unrecovered fever (malaria I think you said) and her malnutrition issues that will be a problem. The best bet would be sugar water - or such. For, shock can sometimes be thwarted with drinking a sugary soda. Likely he is not carrying that either - is he? It is always best to try to stay off a wound, but sometimes impossible. You will have to decide that when you get there.

As for initial reactions, I'm having my character sweat like crazy. She gets paler and colder, and she convulses. Is this how the effect should be with the shot and the shock? Sweat is believable for pain and shock. Pale and cold skin are also for shock, pain and blood loss. If blood loss is severe, extremity discoloration (blue fingertips/toenails) is also a possiblity as are blue lips. Loss of blood means less O2 in the blood reaching organs. The organs are canibals and will take the most O2 rich blood to use for themselves and the brain, leaving the other areas blue for the lack of O2 rich blood reaching them. Shivers more likely than convulsions. Although, I would not say that could not happen. So, you will have to go with your gut on that part.




Not really, but thanks. I do pride myself in researching a lot on World War II weapons I held my very first Nambu at age 8. World War II Vintage. Very rusty too. T'was my grandpa's. He also had an Arisaka rifle, but that was much to heavy for me then and he didn't want me to go playing around with it. I chose these two particular weapons for both effect and sentimental value.........but don't go starting to think I'm trigger happy. Only thing I've been able to shoot in my life is a rubber duckie mounted on a shelf, and that was with a BB gun

Haha, thanks! I'm lucky enough to have some great peeps from AW already!

You should read my last several chapters then. HAHA!

Thanks again for the quick responses guys!

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gwendy85 said:

.........but don't go starting to think I'm trigger happy. Only thing I've been able to shoot in my life is a rubber duckie mounted on a shelf, and that was with a BB gun

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