Post Injury Log

[failedcreator]

Who: Victor Frankenstein and Data/OPEN day in the infirmary life
What: Victor comes to in the infirmary and talks with Data. And possibly has visitors.
When: Day after Victor gets injured in Amanda's game.
Where: The infirmary.
Warnings: Nightmares, possibly some injury medically descriptions, references to torture.
Additional information: Open

Comments

[empirical_data]

"Victor..." Data turned in surprise, chair squeaking across the floor as he faced him. And he didn't care that half his face was covered in bandages, for a split second all there could possibly be in the android's expression was relief and that gentleness, not a hint of horror.

He settled the book pages down to mark his place, and reached under the bar at the side of his bed to grasp too cool fingers. He wanted to apologize for everything; for losing his faith, for not protecting him. For not just letting him run off in port.

Not that he would admit that one.

Sam had advised him not to become too attached. He had to remember that. It was a job, after all. Regardless of the reasons that he'd actually come to enjoy being Victor's warden, it was paramount that he remember that he was guilty of many things (such as the ones that currently cost him a privacy filter). He let go of his hand, and allowed it to rest on the bar instead. "I thought you would not be in much of a state to read what I had recommended, so I was doing it for you."

[failedcreator]

Victor smiled back at Data, relieved to see that Data hadn't responded poorly to his appearance. Some part of him, at the very back of his mind, had been concerned that Data would blame him for what had happened. If Data thought that he'd been stupid enough not to tell someone what had been happening, so it was somehow Victor's fault.

The brief hand touch melted most of those thoughts. Victor glanced down at it and was about to squeeze back, when Data moved his hand up to the bar. Victor looked at it for a moment, wondering, before looking back up to Data's face.

"Thank you." Victor managed to say. His voice sounded oddly forced, as if he hadn't used it in a long while. Yet if Data had time to read with him, a great deal of time must have passed. Had they found Amanda? Was she safe? Had the man in the red coat been caught and the machine taken apart?

"Amanda... safe?" Victor managed to ask, looking up at Data with an expression of pain and concern. "Caught the man?"

[empirical_data]

And there it was, the part he'd been dreading. "Victor... The man was a ruse... Amanda was the one who arranged the trap. She is the one responsible for what occurred. She is here because this is something that she believes that she should do to people."

He leaned forward, folding his arms on the side of the bed frame and staring at Victor. He pursed his lips as he considered.

"She is currently in Zero. ...I am afraid I made a fool of myself in my anger surrounding the incident. And I am sorry I was unable to prevent this. If you no longer feel comfortable with me as your warden, I would understand and arrange for you a new one."

[failedcreator]

Victor just stared at Data, not comprehending what he'd been told. The man couldn't be Amanda. That didn't make sense. That didn't make sense at all. It couldn't have been the work of a young girl, desperate and in pain.

"No." The first part was shocking enough, let alone when Data continued. Victor's breathing visibly quickened when Data started talking about getting another warden as a replacement.

"No. You cannot leave. I cannot-" Victor trailed off, words failing him, as he tried to reach for Data's hand. Having another warden would be horrifying. They could be anyone. They could be the man in the red coat. And even if it wasn't, if it was someone normal, that would not have been the same as Data.

[empirical_data]

This time he did take his hand again, as he appeared to genuinely need it. He wrapped both of his hands around Victor's, nodding to him and shushing him quietly before speaking. "I simply wished to let you know I was open. I will stay with you as long as you like... But I feel as though I let you down.

"As for Amanda, the only wound she had was a self-inflicted one to her hand. I have blocked communication between both of you so she can not repeat the attempt or gloat over her success..."

He decided not to mention the bandages, or anything that might draw attention to them. He made a pointed effort to ignore them completely, practically programming it in that he would regard Victor as he always did. Without pity and with respect, because he needed it right now. And he needed to help him graduate, just so he could see a human become better again.

[failedcreator]

"No, you did not." Victor manages, grasping Data's hand as tightly as he can. It's not an overly strong grip, but it's there. "Did not... know."

Victor wanted to tell Data about how it was his own fault. How he should have told Data where he was going, of Amanda's injury. If anything, Victor felt as if he'd let Data down, not the other way around. Although, the man in the red coat had made him pay for that. At least Data didn't appear to be bothered by the bandages or bringing attention to them. That was the last thing that Victor wanted.

"She..." Victor trailed off, trying to process this. He did remember how Amanda's hand was always held to her neck. He'd never seen the actual wound there, to the best of his knowledge. But even then, did that prove it?

"Spoke with a different voice." Victor finally managed, looking at Data in confusion.

[empirical_data]

He leans forward, resting his mouth against his own fingers and sighing a warm breath heated by some mysterious machinery inside of him against their hands. His clenched eyes betrayed how much it had bothered him. That he felt so foolish.

"It was a machine, Victor. It is not difficult to manipulate a voice in modern times, as technology has been developed to protect the identity of a speaker if they so desire." He said, lifting away and staring quietly off at the pillow as if it were suddenly as fascinating as a lecture on gravity wells.

"You must believe me, Victor. I have no reason to mislead you. I simply do not wish to see anything even resembling this happen in the future."

[failedcreator]

Victor stared for a second, before looking aware. It was impossible to believe that Amanda had been the man in the red coat, but it was equally impossible that Data was lying to him. It had never happened before and was unlikely to start now, of all times. Even if Data seemed oddly uncomfortable about something. Probably the wounds, Victor decided.

"Machine." Victor said flatly, still looking at Data's face. "She..."

He trailed off, still thinking it through, watching Data as he did so. Amanda lured him there. Put on a coat and mask, made the trap. She did this? Victor sighed, heavily. This was the future, after all. It was not so very impossible. He would have questioned why, but Amanda herself had made that rather clear.

"She was found?" Victor said, picking up from where he had left off.

[empirical_data]

"She was," he assured him, releasing his hand and sitting upright once more. "She is currently in Zero. In the meantime, I am going to employ additional security measures to ensure your safety." He disliked that whatever he'd shown that was good about the future was being unceremoniously destroyed, just as his own beliefs in it were waning.

It almost felt useless to try, now. But he had to, didn't he? Not just to save Tasha, but because Victor needed someone to believe in him.

He doubted the reading would be very comforting now. He sort of hesitantly lifted the book, as if he might continue, but then placed it back where it was laying. "Whatever damage was done, we can have fully repaired."

[failedcreator]

Victor was unsure about whether the security measures were designed to keep Amanda locked up or Victor himself safe. Having both would be preferable. "Additional measures?" He repeated, hoping that Data would explain further.

He watched Data fiddle with the book and interpreted it as discomfort, especially with what Data said next. On one hand, there was nothing Victor would like more than for his face to be as it was. On the other hand, there was a cold feeling deep in his stomach at the idea of it. He had no idea what the medicine here would entail. It might be able to repair the damage, but at what cost?

"How do they repair?" Victor said hoarsely, concern spilling into his voice.

[empirical_data]

"Surveillance devices near the door of your room, another communications device other than a journal to contact me with in case of danger. I currently have your privacy settings on your journal deactivated." He reached over and attempted to futiley straighten his hair around the edge of the bandaging.

"It requires the cultivation of new skin. It is absurdly simple and should be relatively painless, and could be accomplished once your burns are healed."

He noted Victor's expression, and forced a gentle smile. "You know that it will not bother me either way. The skin you are wearing is not representative of the man inside of it. You loved your wife and your family, and they were wronged. Despite any of your prejudices, there is a good man in there and whether or not you approve of what I am, I consider you my friend. I care about you, not your face."

Data hoped that reassurance would help Victor tolerate his time here more.

[failedcreator]

Victor didn't catch most of Data's description of the security chances. He just decided to interpret it as safe now. That seemed easier. Simpler. It made more sense then trying to work out exactly what had happened. He was grateful for Data moving straightening his hair - some had been sticking ever so slightly in the inside of the bandage.

"Cultivation." Victor said. He tried to push down the feeling of dull horror that was quickly rising. "It is... grown?"

He swallowed. It wasn't rationally any different, preferable even, to getting the necessary skin off a dead body. But still, it was not something that he wanted to do.

"You are my friend." Victor decided to let the skin issue go for the moment. "I care also."

[empirical_data]

The ever-fussy android started tucking at Victor's blankets, and simply nodded to the part about it being grown. And there was something gratifying in knowing that, as foolish as it was to care about your inmate, that Victor cared about him. At least, if possible, it would make him easier to listen to.

"You should sleep some more... or would you prefer I begin reading you the book again. Perhaps from an earlier point?" Other than being there, he felt useless at the moment.

[failedcreator]

Victor tried his hardest not to think about the implications of what growing skin would mean. He didn't want to know how it was done. He was reasonably sure, however, that he didn't want it on his face.

"Could you continue to read?" Victor said, looking over to the book. He couldn't remember a great deal of it, if anything at all. But that wasn't the point. The point was that it would be Data reading it, his voice a constant reminder that Victor was no longer in that... room.