Doctors

**The Doctors**, otherwise known as **Plague Doctors**, are the skeleton crew of medically trained or physically available people self-tasked with finding a cure to a new strain of the Bubonic plague that infects the city.

## History

While plague doctors have existed throughout European history as far back as the 12th century to the 16th century, plague doctors as they exist in The Plague Appalled only began appearing in the early 19th century.

During the 1860s, it was decided by most that the city was done for and 65% of the population left their homes in a mass evacuation. A remaining 15% would evacuate several years later. The last fifth of citizens left behind would consist of medical professionals, the Doctors, and sick civilians with nowhere to go.

## Operations

The Doctors consist of both schooled doctors and trained former civilians. They are essentially a skeleton crew left behind to nurse the sick left behind in the city. Their base of operation is a camp turned hospital outside the direct north of the city, but many still live within the city. Due to their importance to everyone’s health, Doctors are highly respected and generally are welcome to wander wherever they please, at worst being kept under supervision while travelling through others parties’ territories, impeded usually by their own wariness.

The structure of society throughout unclaimed and doctor-claimed territory is maintained by them. They have systems of paperwork, procedures, trade deals for services between Hellcats and unaligned citizens, and a form of justice system. Uniforms are issued waxed leather coats, filtered mask-cowls, and black brimmed hats standard but customization and some substitution is allowed. Hats are not required at camp but recommended outdoors and heavily suggested during house calls and bunker checks. Death or job termination is grounds to reclaim the uniform and give it to a trainee doctor or store for later use.

The current age to volunteer to become a doctor is 17 but some want it lowered because help is needed now, with current shortages on staff. Gender is recorded but almost meaningless during application. Pseudonyms are highly encouraged by their levels of anonymity are not regulated, i.e. they can range from made up names, fictional characters, to religious figures, to the applying doctors' initials. Anyone is allowed to become a doctor, except for Red Doctors, and the softer discouragement for Flies who may want to join. Usually, being a Red Doctor is grounds for punishment, even capital, by the Doctors.

## Types of Doctors

### Ordinary Doctors

A typical plague doctor is trained in general medical care such as wound dressing, disinfection, stitching, bone resetting, etc. Naturally, they are given a somewhat up-to-date course on Bubonic plague diagnosis and treatment. Further specialized training is left up to individual doctors in their down time, with literature kept in the camp's offices or material at home.

### Judiciary Doctors

A select group of older and respected doctors who are trusted with the oversight of legal proceeds, papers, and trials of captured criminals. They moonlight as lawyers, judges, and various other judiciary positions. They typically do their work in the offices and maintain the camp's records of doctors and patients.

### Executioner-Doctors

Executioners are plague doctors tasked with executing captured and tried criminals. They carry out normal medical practice like all other doctors but when called upon, string up wrong-doers.

## Trivia

* Doctors with particularly edgy names are maintained on papers in the offices. Doctors with unfriendly names have an observed trend of being troublemakers or not being doctor material.
	+ Dr. Burke is on this list.