Act III - At the hospital

[black_harry]

When Harry slowly regained consciousness the first thing he did was balling his hands to a fist. It was an automatic movement, not to beat anyone, but to keep the shaking out of them. It was only after a second that he realized they weren't trembling at all

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[savedthatjaffa]

"Hey," Lam said in a soft voice. It wasn't her clinic shift, but she was in here anyway. Couldn't seem to stay away, which was usual. Didn't hurt to check up on patients while she was wandering through.

"I'm Doctor Lam. Can I get you something? Water? Ice?"

[inktest]

Walter didn't like doctors. They would inevitably try to shoot him up with some medicine or solution to mask pain instead of fix it because they were all wealthy, spoiled liberals and gluttons who made more money than they deserved. He lived long without doctors. He could handle pain. He could handle it himself.

Water would be nice. And ice would to. Walter scanned the room to see if there was anything useful here. Walking was a chore, but if he could find something to....

"Water. Lots of ice."

[savedthatjaffa]

Lam rose and padded off to fill a glass with a great deal of ice and water. She would up with a bowl of ice chips as well, along with the ice water. Setting them down within his reach, she peered at the man.

"How's the leg feeling?" she asked.

[inktest]

Without hesitation, Walter reached his hand into the bowl of ice and shoved the cool shapes into his mouth. He crunched down, hard, still with aggression in his body. Right now he couldn't work out a strategy to kill his attacker, but later, when he found his mask, he'd plot.

When his mouth was numb with coldness and ice, he drank the water. He intentionally gulped it down in one breath. It prolonged the answer he'd have to give.

"I feel fine," he lied.

[savedthatjaffa]

"Lie number one," she murmured wryly. "We're off to a good start."

She'd fixed his nose earlier, which had been broken but easily straightened and taped. He almost had a mask, really, as the taped sections extended just between his eyes and down to his cheek bones on each side. Lam had a look at the leg and elbow injuries as well, both of which now needed their dressings changed. The elbow was going to need some therapy, most likely, though it hadn't been broken, and the leg simply needed to be cared for so the wound wouldn't become infected.

"I'm going to change your dressings and re-wrap them," Lam said in a quietly brisk voice. "I'd strongly advise that you let me do that unless you'd like to run the highly painful risk of infection and improper healing."

Her lips pursed and her face was serious, but she didn't move.

"May I?"

[inktest]

He realized that he didn't have much of a choice. Didn't mean he had to let her, though. Walter sat, quiet.

"You do this to my nose?" he asked after a moment. If she fixed up his nose, then he'd let her change his wrappings.

[savedthatjaffa]

"Mm, I did," she said quietly. "I took the time to make sure everything that could be fixed was fixed. It was a decently clean break, no bone splinters." Like her smile, her tone was warm and easy.

"You might actually have a straighter nose, now."

[inktest]

He didn't care about the look of it, just as long as he could still breath. Which he could; labored and painful, but breaths none the less.

"Go ahead," he told her. For added measure, he turned and met eyes with her for the first time.

"I can't control where my fists go if it hurts, though."

[savedthatjaffa]

"It will hurt," she said simply. "I'll be as gentle as possible, but I haven't given you anything for pain, nor will I unless you request it. If you want something for it, now is the time to ask."

She met his eyes unflinchingly.

"Otherwise, if you must, try not to aim for my midsection," Lam said in a focused, quiet voice. "I'd rather not lose my child."

[inktest]

Walter turned his eyes away from the woman.

"I don't need anything for the pain. I'm fine." There was a silence in the room and Walter felt the blood move through his body. It felt like fire, hitting against all the nerves and aches it could find.

Then she mentioned her baby. Walter let out a gruff laugh which sounded like a low mutter.

"Poor kid. Coming into this filthy world?"

[savedthatjaffa]

"It could always be worse," Lam said, studying his leg intently.

Since he denied the offer of pain medication, she carefully started to work on his leg dressing after washing her hands and making sure she had the necessary equipment and dressings available. Lam peeled the current wrappings back and away from the wound.

It was still oozing, which was to be expected.

"This will sting," she said crisply, "a great deal, but I rather it sting than you wind up with an infection."

Lam soaked the towel with disinfectant and first wiped down the surrounding area, then wet the other end and pressed it along the line of the wound. She knew from experience it was a sharp sting and then a low, lingering burn.

[inktest]

Walter remained still, remained focus on a spot off on the wall. Each time he felt the sting of the disinfectant, he hated his attacker more and more. He needed his mask. Though if he thought about the possibilities as to where it could be, coupled with the stinging from the liquid, he would jump from the bed in a violent, destructive rage. Instead, he took deep breaths and clenched his fists.

"Felt good. Got any more?" He asked in his deep, monotone, not really desiring more of the sting.

[savedthatjaffa]

"Just a few more moments," she murmured, patting down the excess moisture, spreading the Neosporin antibacterial ointment from her first aid kit over the wound itself, before carefully placing the pad down over the wound. The ointment itself had a mild analgesic in it, which would soothe the irritation. Lam deftly re-wrapped his leg and secured it properly.

"Give it a few minutes and it ought to start feeling a little better. If I could make disinfectant that doesn't sting, I would have used that," Lam said quietly, already moving to inspect the injured elbow.

[inktest]

Though he didn't show it, Walter relaxed at the dressing change. His leg would stop itching the painful, irritating scratch that drove him crazy and for that he was glad.

He knew his elbow was next, though, and this would be a bit different. He moved it. Wanted to show her that it worked just fine. He extended it and then relaxed it.

"Fine. Don't need anything here," He told her quickly with mild force. She would try and make things more complicated than need be and he needed the use of his joints. For when he got out of here and needed to go punish his attacker.

[black_harry]

Harry looked at his hand, balled it into a fist and extended it again. No shake. Only then did he look to the doctor. "I have anything broken?" He asked, void of any emotion.

[savedthatjaffa]

"Your wrist is fractured, but not too badly," she said in a quiet, crisp voice. "Other than that, nothing else is broken. You got lucky with that nose."

Lam stuck her hands in her coat pockets and watched him for awhile.