Another Hunt Completed *OTA*

[hunteroffreaks]

All in all, it had been a very successful hunt, much better than the fiasco with Evan. Final score was one dead acid-creating mutant, one mutant hunter with burnt clothing and skin, and one hysterical hypnotizing mutant with a concussion. Jack, despite now being burnt (again), was feeling quite happy with this outcome. When he got back to camp, he

Comments

[a_soul_awake]

On her way to the Med Lab for her shift, Hope noticed with mild interest that one team had returned from some business or another. She didn't much care, unless there was a new sample but if there was someone would bring one to her or the other doctor.

Still somewhat paying attention, she noticed Jack and noticed he was injured again.

"You're going to get someone to look at that aren't you?" she asked, fully intending to escort him to the Med Bay herself.

[hunteroffreaks]

"Of course," Jack said with a small wince. His chest felt like it was on fire from where Talia's acid had burnt the skin.

Ideally, he would have preferred Dr. Milbury, but he could tolerate Hope. She had proven herself intelligent and well-spoken. Plus, anyone who had the patience to deal with his moody behavior was a saint. "Can't keep you without a patient for too long. You'll get bored."

[a_soul_awake]

She chuckled and gestured for him to follow her to the medical lab.

"I'd rather have no patients, actually," she said and opened the door for him to proceed her. "Care to tell me how you got that burn?"

[hunteroffreaks]

He proceeded into the medical lab, and took a seat on one of the tables. This place was becoming a little too familiar for his tastes.

"I think it was some form of acid. My clothes took the worst of it, but this ain't no sunburn either." There was a slight wince as he took off the burnt clothes.

[a_soul_awake]

"A chemical burn?" Hope frowned as she pulled on some gloves and leaned in to take a closer look at the burn.

"Well, this will make clean up a little more interesting." She turned away to get the things she needed.

[hunteroffreaks]

"Yeah, whatever Talia Moretti's mutation was." He wondered if she would pick up on the past tense of the word. Exposed to the cold air, the burn had begun to sting more than he had anticipated.

He watched as Hope gathered her equipment together. "How long will it take to heal?"

[a_soul_awake]

She did, but made no comment on it. That wasn't her place, after all. She was just here to heal.

"Well, you're a pretty good healer," she said, considering as she got to work cleaning the wound with a solution that would stop the chemical from spreading. "But with chemical burns it's a little harder to tell and burns in general heal slowly. I'd say perhaps a month on the outside."

[hunteroffreaks]

Jack grit his teeth, and let her work on his chest. Whatever she was using on it seemed to dull the pain. Her estimation of healing time, however, left the hunter seething.

"What?! A month? You have got to be joking." There was no way in hell he was staying in this sterile white room for a month. He would go stir-crazy.

[a_soul_awake]

Hope didn't glance away from her work but did a scowl a bit that he wouldn't stay still.

"No, I'm not. This isn't a terrible burn, but you've lost skin and skin keeps germs out. I wouldn't send you on missions or let you go off base in this condition." And her tone left no room for argument.

[hunteroffreaks]

Jack snorted, clearly unhappy with the prognosis, but unwilling to argue the point. He knew Hope was right. Jack longed for the days when he could be on the mend in a matter of weeks, or even better yet, come back from a hunt without a scratch on him.

"Better tell everyone not to try and fly the coop then. The Major don't trust anyone else enough off base long enough to bring them back."

[a_soul_awake]

"I don't think the Major values my opinion on military matters," Hope said, somewhat bemused.

In her opinion the Major didn't value anyone's opinion but his owns. That was a matter for another time though. She was done cleaning the wound and began to bandage it.

"You'll come check in if it starts to bother you, won't you?"

[hunteroffreaks]

"Yeah, but he's going to want to know he has a broken mutant hunter on his hands." He sighed, tone bitter as a cup filled with vinegar. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed help here. One mutant hunter and over fifty mutants, the odds were just a little skewed. Jack was in over his head, and he knew it.

"'Course I will, Doc. I want to be back to one-hundred percent ASAP."

[a_soul_awake]

"You're not broken," she scolded lightly. "You're just temporarily indisposed. A few weeks, a month and you'll be fine. Another new scar, but right as rain."

[hunteroffreaks]

Jack looked at the woman incredulously, but then, what did she know? He knew if he was broken or not, and this certainly qualified. Frankly, he was just tired of being a punching bag for whichever mutant had the notion to use their mutation on him. "At least that's something."

[a_soul_awake]

She raised an eyebrow at his incredulous look. Of course he was going to get better. The majority of her patients recovered nicely, she made sure of it. "Something? Your health is more than something."