Need someone shot. Can anyone help?

[Brian G Turner]

I've decided on a bad leg wound, since the long-term damage from that would be particularly aggravating for this character

I may be preaching to the choir here, but don't forget the dangers of infection. As you're writing in the era before anti-biotics, surviving the initial damage from the wound was only the first battle. Even if a medic in your group is satisfied that the wound is not immediately fatal, they may likely worry about the prospect of gangrene if not properly treated.

 

[alchemist]

I think the psychological effect on chronic illness, mediated through the immune system and steroids, would be more pronounced than its effect on acute trauma where a lot is to do with a physics equation involving volume and blood pressure. But as everyone says, perception is king here for your writing.

With her leg wound, if the bullet shatters her femur you can have her stabilised at the front, while proper surgery for the bone can happen behind the lines.

 

[ralphkern]

A gun shot kills someone in one or a combination of four ways.

The first is hitting something vital (as in critical and kills instantly). This is actually the lowest probability. It happens very rarely.

The next is blood loss, fairly self explanatory. Someone bleeds out. Depending whether it's a vein or artery can dictate how quick this is. A major artery will empty the body in seconds.

The next is hydrostatic shock. The bullet entry will cause a compression shock wave through the body that crushes internal organs. Modern rounds are designed to utilise this mechanism for maximum harm.

The final way is through simple infection. Whether that that is through just the injury is treated in unsantirary conditions or through the vacuum effect as the round sucks in surrounding dirt as it goes through the result is still the same.

Bullets are also designed to tumble through the body. It can make it very difficult to find them. Someone might get shot in the leg and it's somehow worked through to the chest for example as it bounces inside.

Any of those four things can give you your lasting effect. Just don't use a tension pneumothorax... I used that (chest injury)

By the way infection is what kills the most people by far. Also apparently heavy metal rounds can cause cancer years later.

 

[Nick B]

Don't forget you are writing fiction, whatever you say happens, happens. People don't watch James Bond expecting a realistic portrayal of an MI6 operative.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I thought it might attract respondents with relevant experience.

You know I live in East London, right? I can 'ave a word round the Endz if you want

pH

 

[HareBrain]

No, you're OK, pH. I'm sure those chaps are very busy.

I'm now wrestling with what I can do plot-wise with a dangerous infection. Probably not something I should be doing if I want to keep any kind of rein on my wordcount.

 

[Susan Boulton]

No, you're OK, pH. I'm sure those chaps are very busy.

I'm now wrestling with what I can do plot-wise with a dangerous infection. Probably not something I should be doing if I want to keep any kind of rein on my wordcount.

Write it out, then edit later. Better to put your whole idea down than leave anything out and try and fit it in later. I always find I can shorten a scene better than I can expand it.

 

[Jason Burrell]

I'd say keep it simple. The leg wound is a good idea. No major orhans involved, but there's the potential for a lot of blood loss. You get the effect it seems you need without too much reason to overexplain.

 

[Appello]

Bullets are also designed to tumble through the body. It can make it very difficult to find them. Someone might get shot in the leg and it's somehow worked through to the chest for example as it bounces inside.

Your post was really informative, thanks. I'm intrigued (and kind of horrified) at the bolded. I'm trying to imagine a bullet 'bouncing' around inside a human body and having a hard time making it seem realistic.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by this?

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I'd rather not read it. But it's true. Soft bullets do a lot more damage.
Obsolete anti-personnel bullet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumdum_bullet
If a bullet hits a bone it depends on type and velocity as to if it ricochets or just passes through.
You really don't want photos.

1898:

Because the energy was roughly the same, the wounds caused by the expanding bullet of the .303 were less severe than those caused by the larger caliber, solid lead bullet used by the Martini-Henry.

So velocity as well as profile matters.
Velocity depends on:

• Distance
• Shell size/composition (power)
• To an extent barrel
• A silencer greatly reduces velocity, and never makes a shot silent.
• Any armour etc.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

You know I live in East London, right? I can 'ave a word round the Endz if you want

pH

I have been sitting on my hands not to respond that I'm sure I could find someone.

 

[Denise Tanaka]

Thanks again, all. I've decided on a bad leg wound, since the long-term damage from that would be particularly aggravating for this character (evil laugh). And the stuff about stress and shock has been useful. I think I'm pretty much there.

Two words for you... femoral artery. It is a large artery in the thigh. If that's popped, blood loss will be bad. Very bad. I bought a book years ago from Writer's Digest called "Body Trauma," by David Page MD and it has a whole chapter about what bullets do in a body. Yes they ricochet off bone. Yes they rip and tear into the flesh. Bullets are very dirty! Aside from bleeding out, infection is your biggest concern.

I agree with the other comments, the less specific you are in the narration, the less chance of your reader fixating on little details and feeling the urge to Google it and see if you've done your homework. If you KNOW this stuff, you don't actually need to put it on the page. You'll write the scene with confidence and your reader will be carried along with the thrill.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

I'd left my laptop sitting open with this thread on - screen when my daughter wandered past. She glanced at it, did a double-take and snorted. "Only on Chrons!" she said as disappeared off upstairs. I've always wondered what my family thought of my addiction.