damned_institute | NIGHT 64: DOCTOR'S OFFICE 1

Landel’s Institute had a special way of plucking at your nerves; she supposed it was only by the grace of long practice that tension hadn’t overcome her. She could still feel it, prickling along her spine as she and the stranger made their way inside. It was only when he finally laid down on his side that she finally felt it dissipate a little.

The admission that he was infected wasn’t really her major concern, though he must have thought it was something to be afraid of if he’d thought to warn her. No, her fears stemmed from the fact that this was the Institute and anything could happen. Someone so badly injured would be especially susceptible to any surprises the Head Doctor sprang on them over the course of the night. At the root of it all was the desperate, piercing impulse to help--after it felt like she had done so little helping these past few days.

Next to her concerns that she wasn’t going to be able to protect him, his remark was even more preposterous than it normally might have been.

What, leave? “No way,” Tsubaki said in surprise. Are you crazy? “You’re hurt.”

"It isn't like there is anything else you can do," Scar clarified, shifting to get more comfortable. "And the madman on the speaker made it clear that there is something more sinister going on with this... disease." It wasn't this girl's job to take care of him. He felt like he would pass out at any moment, anyway.

"You've done what you can, and I am thankful. But I'm sure there is something else you need to get to." By Scar's logic, he was about as safe as one could get during the night time, and he was only going to wake in his room again tomorrow morning.

“Of course there is!” countered Tsubaki. How could anyone just run off and leave an injured person on their own? She thought that this definitely took precedence over her own goals for the night. “Those bandages aren’t going to last. I have more supplies in my room--I can run and get it. And the supply rooms upstairs aren’t too far, either.”

And if the man was was one of the prisoners with worsening symptoms, there was no way she could just leave him and pray nothing bad happened. She wasn’t afraid of what could happen… and since she had been the one to find him, didn’t that make her responsible in some way?

Scar couldn't say that he hadn't tried, at least. The girl was adamant.

"Do what you will, then." When Lust had gotten hurt, she had woken up with her hand properly cared for. Scar assumed that the same would apply to him, and he wasn't in the mood to be fussed over. Tsubaki didn't understand how much being ripped to shreds by Lingormr bothered Scar. He felt like being alone right now.

"Don't go to far out of your way. I'll live until morning"

Scar was right about one thing: Tsubaki had her moments of stubbornness, and now was one of those times when she wasn’t about to follow along with the advice of her companion. The man might have felt more comfortable on his own, but Tsubaki wasn’t at all comfortable letting him. Better to be a nuisance than to sacrifice someone’s health!

And… well, she would just have to deal with things as they came. Lingormr was still out there, but she couldn’t help his victim and help him all at the same time, no matter how much it went against her instincts.

Reality was harsh that way.

“Don’t worry,” she said as she tightened her belt. It wouldn’t do for stuff to start falling out of her clothes when she started running. Time was of the essence here. “At least we can make you more comfortable. I’ll be back as soon as I can!” On the way she paused, hand on the doorframe. Glancing back over her shoulder, she added, “I’m Tsubaki, by the way. I’ll close the door and when I get back I’ll knock once--that way you’ll know it’s me.”

Hopefully he’d still be conscious when she did return, but she supposed she didn’t need to tell someone as tenacious him the dangers of falling unconscious in his state. She would just have to be quick and get back before anything like that had a chance to happen.

In the next second, she was gone.

_{[to here]}

Scar only nodded weakly as Tsubaki left, wincing and shifting on the couch once again to try to be more comfortable.

Then she was gone. The Ishbalan wasn't sure if he wanted her to come back or not. He certainly didn't want her to come to any harm. Not with Lingormr on the loose.

It was a struggle to keep awake, his vision threatening to fade to blackness. Never more had he wished for morning to just arrive and to let this be done.

_{[from here]}

Hurrying back toward the Medical Wing wasn't as easy with the first aid kit bouncing at her side, but Tsubaki thought she made good time. The hallways were just as deserted coming back as they had been going, so there hadn't been anything to get in her way.

The run itself hadn't been that hard, either, so she was only a little out of breath when she knocked on the office door. "It's Tsubaki," she said quietly.

She gave him a moment before she lowered her hand to the door knob and pushed the door open. The gesture was cautious as she didn't want to surprise the man unnecessarily.

Scar had been in a strange state of half consciousness when Tsubaki knocked. Lifting his head off the couch a fraction, he double checked that it was indeed Tsubaki. Secured in the fact that the coast was clear, the Ishbalan let his head rest limp back on the couch. He sounded pained and weak as he spoke.

"That medical kit... Where did you get it?" If the young woman had already mentioned it, Scar had forgotten already in his struggle to keep awake.

Poking her head into view, she saw that the man was indeed awake--she could see the movement of his head from where she stood and how he fell back against the couch. It made something twist inside her to see, to know that Lingormr had been the one to put him into this state.

Hopefully… hopefully people had seen the evidence of the fight and avoided confronting him. Or had found a way around him.

Crossing over to his resting place, she set the bag down, kneeling beside it. Where…? The question gave her pause. The attack hadn‘t left the man as unscathed as he might have wanted her to believe. As indomitable as he seemed, he was only human (in a manner of speaking, anyway, if he happened to be something other than human). If she’d gotten to the Medical Wing a little quicker, maybe all of this could have been avoided…

“I went to my room,” she said, keeping her voice low and soft. “Go ahead and rest, I’ll tend to your wounds a little more.”

Slowly and painfully, Scar rolled over so Tsubaki could access his wounds.

"Originally, I mean... Has it always just been in your room? Or did you get it somewhere else first?" His voice was weak and groggy. If there were supplies to be found in his room, Scar certainly hadn't come across them. Then again, he wouldn't have found his flashlight either if he hadn't been told where it was.

It was still a struggle to keep awake. The lightheaded feeling wasn't getting any better.

“Easy, easy… Don’t push yourself.”

Tsubaki didn’t exactly have a wealth of supplies to work with, but she could try and make him more comfortable for the time being. Starting with the cuts that had already bled through their makeshift bandages, she gently lifted off the used material and began to replace it with fresh gauze and bandages, using more tape to keep the wound secured.

“In town, remember?” she answered, though truthfully she didn’t really expect him to. Pulling out a plastic bag, she deposited the bloody refuse inside. That was a start.

Telling Scar not to push himself was about as effective as kicking a mountainside. Thankfully, there wasn't much he could really do in this situation.

"Dammit... Right..." he murmured, grimacing and tensing a bit as Tsubaki peeled the blood soaked bandages from his body. Fading in and out of half consciousness wasn't doing anything good for his focus and short term memory.

“It’ll only take a little longer,” she said as she stood up to continue her work. “Then tomorrow I’m sure it’ll be taken care of much better and you can start to heal. The good thing about the hospital is that it takes care of your injuries in no time…”

She wasn’t talking for the sake of an audience, but that the sound of her voice might provide an anchor for the man, instead. All things considered, though, with the bleeding mostly under control (or at least control enough to get him through until morning), rest was the best thing for him, whether he was able to stay conscious or not.

“Should I get something for the pain?” If he slipped unconscious, that was one question he wouldn’t be able to answer for her.

Scar shifted into a more comfortable position when Tsubaki finished re-wrapping the gashes. He had to move his legs with his hands, the muscles damaged beyond useful function. Scar closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"I'll be fine."

He wondered, exactly, healing worked in this hospital, exactly. In Amestris (especially if he were on the streets) wounds like this would be crippling, if not fatal. Scar was damn lucky Lingormr hadn't severed his spine. His legs, though...

"Do you know if they can fix something like this?" It was a rare moment that a touch of uncertainty could be heard in Scar's voice. If he had received an injury like this back home, he would probably never move properly again. An Ishbalan had neither the money nor the social respect to get any sort of decent medical care- especially not an outlaw.

Watching him was painful--not in a physical way, not in the way he must’ve been feeling with Lingormr’s wrath stamped all over him, but in an intangible sense. Every time she saw the results of Landel’s callousness, it hurt in a dark, distant way. A familiar ache, like an old battle wound.

And alongside it, there was a feeling of helplessness. She couldn’t help him the way he needed to be helped, regrettably enough. But reassuring him that he would be fine--that was something she could do whole-heartedly and without question, because it was the truth.

“Yes, of course,” she replied unhesitatingly. She had settled back on her knees, but she leaned closer now, blinking in the darkness. “From what I know, it’s very rare for wounds not to heal up completely! And I know someone… she’s a healer. She can--” and talking about Rapunzel and her abilities only brought back memories of that night in the desert, when Tsubaki herself had been in such need of them, though she squelched them down as quick as they came, “heal wounds as bad as yours in a matter of minutes. Either way, we’ll get you back on your feet. Don't worry, you'll be fine.”

Scar only nodded, his eyes still closed. From Tsubaki's words, he felt less nervous about the long term effects of Loki's attack. That had been his number one concern. Amestrian medicine could never fix something like this 100%.

"Wait- who can... heal?" Like alchemic healing? How did that work?

“She’s my friend,” Tsubaki supplied. “Her name is Rapunzel. I’ll ask her about you the next time I see her.”

If the man wasn’t interested in painkillers or any other supplies she could think to get to make his wounds more bearable, then… the only thing left to do was keep an eye on him, wasn’t it? Tsubaki didn’t dare go too far otherwise. If the worst of his cuts needed tending again and no one was around, that would be majorly dangerous.

Oh yeah, and there was one more thing--

“By the way, I… never got your name…”

"Alright..." He didn't understand how someone could heal another person, but there were a lot of people from strange worlds here, he supposed.

"You may call me Scar." It was the answer he was starting to get used to offering. Very... very few people had actually asked him his name during his time in Amestris. He had his own reasons for not offering it.

Somewhere inside he knew it was foolish, but so were many of his little 'methods' of keeping people at a safe distance.

“Okay, Scar-san. I’ll keep watch now while you rest.”

And think about her game plan in the mean time. Tomorrow… well, who knew what tomorrow would bring. With sunrise, Lingormr would at least be back in his right mind and Scar would have the nurses to take care of him.

NIGHT 64: DOCTOR'S OFFICE 1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject