All the world is a stage, and everyone has their part

[kingofrooks]

Who: Jack Kelly [cowboy_newsie] and Batman [kingofrooks], Black Mask [ebony_mask] and Batman [see above].
When: The 16th, post-sirens.
Where: Black Mask's hideout.
Summary: Batman finally finds out where Black Mask is keeping Jack. He goes for a rescue. Then Black Mask comes back.
Warnings: Violence. Mentions/explicit descriptions of torture, gore, drugs and drug abuse. Stuff like

Comments

[kingofrooks]

[ Fear reeks off the boy, a scent sharper and heavier than the blood and vomit on his clothes. If Batman's strength is closer to Superman's, the wall next to him would have already caved in with how hard his hand slaps against it- with barely any sound, leather against concrete, a dull impact that sends painful shockwaves up his arm that he barely acknowledges.

Batman walks forward, and lets the anger he feels curl within himself, shoving it to the back of his mind. There is no use panicking or being angry; there is no use in feeling the hint of bile at the back of his throat, choking him and strangling his words until he can't even feel the edges of them. He no longer thinks in words, but only in pictures- in violence. ]

I'm not going away.

[ He can hear those little whispers, those little whimpers. Batman moves fast, and he's already taking the lockpicks from the slit in his armour, slipping them into the lock and pulling the chains away from Jack

[gaveherwings]

I'm not shaming you for it. I'm just stating fact.

[Daedalus points out gently, steady with the needle and catheter, now that he's absorbed in finding a vein, not in the burning rawness on his face from riding fast through the biting cold outdoors.]

I'm going to be clear on procedure, so you understand what's going on-

Fluids first, and then we'll try you on some solids. Food may be difficult, if you haven't been digesting much in two weeks, so we're going to start you easy. Meanwhile I'll run a blood sample down through the lab, (which I'm going to take right now), to rule out any infection.

If your blood pressure does not remain stabilized, then your regen ability is not acting fast enough to counteract the lost volume, and we may need to move to transfusion.

[cowboy_newsie]

I'd like to stick to fluids for a while, whether I can handle solids or not.

[He winces a bit as the needle slips into his skin, but keeps still. He pointedly glances the other way, though, nauseated at the sight of his blood leaving him once again.]

Once you're done, I'm goin'-- Jesus Christ-- I'm goin' to the bathroom. I need to get outta these clothes. How much blood do you need?

[gaveherwings]

I'm going to draw 20ml right now. [He's eying the syringe closely, replaces it with another- it's been awhile since he's done something so menial in the hospital hierarchy as playing phlebotomist, but it's a skill that you don't really lose.] Two vials.

And then you can go to the bathroom, if you keep the IV in.

[cowboy_newsie]

Well, thanks, Doc.

[He falls silent after that growled sarcastic retort, glaring at the floor.]

Is there--

[Jack hesitates, glancing around, making sure they're alone. It's something that's been preying on his mind for a week now-- and normally he would trust his ability, but since Roman's been playing hell with it who knows what sort of diseases he has?]

Don't look at me funny, all right? Don't look all horrified, don't get all funny, just answer the damn question. Is there any diseases I could have from eatin' another person?

[gaveherwings]

[A caveat like that, and Daedalus stills himself, prepares a neutral face- and when he's asked he just holds his breath an extra few uneasy seconds, breaking off eye contact.]

Any normal infectious agent, present in the ingested flesh of another human- yes, it could be transmissible.

[He nods, carefully blank.]

That's why I want to run this through now.

[The question is pressing- What happened to you, Jack?, but as with any other patient fresh out of trauma, it wasn't his place to demand those answers.]

[cowboy_newsie]

And I'll be fine til then? Til it runs through?

[The shaking in his hands has gotten worse, his face has gone paler-- but his expression is tight and steady, his gaze hard and focused on Daedalus.]

[gaveherwings]

[He nods.]

The primary symptoms you are experiencing now are due to shock, blood loss & dehydration. You would be feeling 'sick' now, regardless of diet.

If there are any other trace toxins or infectious agents present in the blood, we should know in a few hours.

Under close observation, with rehydration and you should be fine. I'm going to administer a general antibiotic, just to be sure, once we've put some electrolytes back in.

[cowboy_newsie]

[He nods curtly and pulls his legs up close to him, his arm still held out.

Quietly:]

You know who that doctor was? The one I hit?

Figure I owe him an apology or somethin'.

[gaveherwings]

Dr. Williams. [He sighs, casting a quick glance over his shoulder as he withdraws the second vial of blood, capping it with a different color and replacing the IV tube.]

And don't bother. He's what we call a 'prick in residency'.

[cowboy_newsie]

[Any other day, that would earn a startled laugh. As it is, Daedalus gets a flash of a smile.]

Yeah? Why's that?

[gaveherwings]

He's always speaking for the Chief Medical Director, as if they're great personal friends! But everyone knows that's not true. [He's shifting into conversational mode only to finish looking over his vitals, particularly pulse again.] I've seen Dr. Pyke roll his eyes fresh out of conversation with the man.

[cowboy_newsie]

Poor dumb hated bastard. Serves him right I clocked him, then.

[He shifts uncomfortably and glances over Daedalus' shoulder.]

Pulse ain't as sluggish as it could be, that ain't so bad.

[His own tone is growing more conversational, but there's a note of strangeness in Jack's voice, a falseness that isn't usually there. It's more as if he's imitating normal conversation than actually taking part in it.]

[gaveherwings]

Mm. [Daedalus looks him up and down, taking a step back to survey things as a whole with some relief. Yes, he is in rough shape, but not quite teetering the brink of death.] I admit, with the way I was brought here, I expected much worse.

[cowboy_newsie]

[A thin smile.]

That's regenerative powers for you. Give me a few days and you won't even know I was in there.

[gaveherwings]

[It reminds him of Re-l and her usual recovery times, in fact, which leaves him with an aside smile.]

In that case, I suppose we ought to make sure the sum of your injuries are documented now, so that they'll stand undersigned for the record, when they move to prosecute the offender.