Talk:Fred's Clinic

Chronology of February 1935
I have two issues with figuring out the chronology here: one is the timing of Lebreau's hiring versus Isaac and Miria's hiring, and the other is what happens when in the days following the attack on the clinic. The latter is what this section is chiefly about.

Regarding the first issue: I'm not quite sure if Lebreau arrived at the clinic the day before Isaac and Miria show up in the middle of the night (i.e. the day before the seaplanes' attack), or if he arrived on the same day, just many hours before (i.e. the same day of the seaplane attack).

My Main Issue
I should disclaim that I'm working from the fan-translations here, and not the original Japanese. That in itself urges a cautious approach.

So we have the attack on the clinic itself, which happens in the morning, several hours after Isaac and Miria arrive at the clinic for the first time in the middle of the night. In 1935-C, Who bids farewell to Lebreau - who has quit on short notice - outside the clinic, and during their conversation, Lebreau says, ''"Ladd...oh, the one who saved us yesterday, right?" ''Bolding mine. So, their conversation must take place the day after the clinic attack. Yet, in the same conversation, we learn that Isaac and Miria have transported enough goods that they've earned themselves three days off, which will start 'tomorrow' (i.e. the day after the farewell conversation). I was in initial disbelief at this, but with a truck it would certainly be possible to transport a large amount of rations to the clinic in just a day's worth of time. I can accept that.

...Except, earlier in the same novel, we see Isaac and Miria visit Jacuzzi and tell him about their new transporting job and the attack on the clinic. And this is all very well and good, except the narration says this: ''"The two recounted the events of a few days before, almost affectionately." ''Bolding again mine.

Now, I'd initially somehow assumed that Isaac and Miria's scene with Jacuzzi was meant to take place before Lebreau quit, due to the line about the "next three days off." Obviously that cannot be possible, so Isaac and Miria's conversation with Jacuzzi must take place a couple days after Lebreau quits. ...Or so one would think.

Here is where my issue lies: if Isaac and Miria's conversation with Jacuzzi happens a few days after the clinic attack, then surely those 'days' must have included the 'three days off' Lebreau said they were going to take starting the day after he quits. But...those three days off were supposed to be for the casino party at Ra's Lance. And the party definitely hadn't started before Isaac and Miria's conversation with Jacuzzi, because that's when he explains to them his new job for the Martillos (and presumably Isaac and Miria offer to help out).

See, that's why I initally had the notion that Isaac and Miria's conversation with Jacuzzi took place before Lebreau quit. It has to take place before the casino party starts. And yet...

Right, okay. Here's the supposed order of events I am now currently wrestling with: Am I missing something here? Have I grossly misread or misinterpreted the sequence of events? To make matters more confusing, Firo escorts Isaac and Miria to the clinic on the second morning of the casino party...and we're told this: "''Those who saw [Isaac and Miria] around town often might not have believed it, but they both were helping out at the clinic of a doctor named Fred, and helping the Martillo Family out at the Ra’s Lance casino party [...] working completely different jobs by day and by night." ''So...they aren't taking the three days off after all? It seems that Firo's been guarding them for some time since the attack happened - some time being the key point.
 * 1) Day -1/daytime: Isaac and Miria drag Jacuzzi to the Alveare, where they all receive jobs from Molsa.
 * 2) Day -1/middle of night: Isaac and Miria arrive at clinic.
 * 3) Day 0: Several hours after Isaac and Miria's arrival, morning: Clinic attack.
 * 4) Day 1: Lebreau quits. In his farewell conversation to Who, he refers to Ladd rescuing them as having happened yesterday. He mentions that Isaac and Miria will have the next three days off starting tomorrow, which Who says they have earned through transporting enough goods to the poorhouse. We're told that Isaac and Miria asked for the three days off because they're going to help a friend with work. (This work has to be the casino party).
 * 5) "A few days" after the clinic attack, Isaac and Miria show up at the Genoard manor and say hi to Jacuzzi; Jacuzzi remarks that it has been a while since he last saw them. They learn about the job Jacuzzi is going to do for the Martillos at Ra's Lance, and almost assuredly (off-page) agree to help Jacuzzi out in supporting Firo at the party.

Well, it's certainly possible that Narita simply forgot about Isaac and Miria's three days off when he was writing 1935-D. After all, he was writing it three years after 1935-C, and he admits himself that he forgot some things and that some plot decisions had changed. He also does not have the greatest track record with chronological accuracy.

Even if Narita did forget, that still doesn't address my main confusion with how many days are really passing, here.

It's also possible that I've been thinking about this much harder than necessary, and have only befuddled myself in the process. It wouldn't be the first time I've overthought something into muddlement, and like I said, I could just be grossly misinterpreting/misreading the novels. If someone can cut the Gordion knot for me, I'd be much obliged. I'll feel more secure about adding the rest of 1935 once this is looked at. (I'll be asking some other fans about this as well).

Revriley (talk) 13:30, November 26, 2017 (UTC)