A child character in my book was caught stealing food for their parents and the people who caught them chop off their right hand with an axe as a lesson to "keep their dirty hands off". I've fortunately never had a body part decapitated so I don't know what it's like. I want to know how I would describe the pain and image of what it would be like. Morbid, I know, I just want it to be realistic. Also, approx. how long would it take for a child-sized human to bleed out after that? If their hand is cut clean off, the blood would drain from the veins and arteries and stuff (or maybe it would just clot, I'm not sure) How fast would that happen and what's the best way death could be prevented? And lastly, the character is supposed to survive and get aid by another. This part doesn't have to be answered, but how would the process of stitching or surgery work? -Please excuse my english, I'm a native russian but I hope it is understandable.
1 Answers
This site can't answer your questions. But, you are on the right track. As a writer, we have to imagine the consequences -- both the physical and the psychological -- of events in our story.
Then, we have to figure out where to seek our answers. Medical professionals and trauma care training manuals will contain some of what you want to know. Also, forensic sciences might have some data on bleeding out and stuff like, associated with empirical research into causes of death.
You also need to account for the impact of that moment on someone's mind. How to they experience it. That sudden loss of limb. Seeing a long time part of them separated, laying on the table/stump/battle field, no longer a part of them. Will the fear be overwhelming or will they rationalize what is happening -- it's a dream or it not real.
All that kind of stuff is a function of the character, and what the story needs. If the story needs the hero to keep on fighting, they can't pass out, and stuff like that.
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