[FIN] And All is Mended [Callypso]

[Lucca]

Pink eyes still moved around the room, focusing on specific objects now and again; mainly he was just finding things to keep his mind occupied, because despite how well this doctor was presenting herself in his eyes...no Card was entirely trustworthy. If he were him, he wouldn't even trust himself. And just because 'Iso' (if that was her real name, and he had no reason to be entirely sure one way or the other) hadn't shown any signs of wanting to knock him out and experiment on him yet didn't mean she couldn't turn on him in a flash. He knew the elaborate lengths some Corvies went through to get test subjects.

And that was one thing he had no desire to ever fall prey to. That and anything having to do with unnatural magic...

His eyes flicked downward, though the rest of his head remained still, not even a hair of his beard twitching, and he absently took note of what she was doing. Cutting the hair, just as she said she would. Good.

Aberforth did wonder why she felt the need to say something before everything she did...perhaps she wanted to make sure he didn't startle if she went to do something he hadn't been warned about? He thought that more likely than Iso just wanting to fill the silence. She seemed the type to not mind it when things went quietly. "All right," he said, because he was actually unsure what he should say to that, but again he felt compelled to let her know he'd understood.

Was he actually developing some sense of social niceties, being in the Capital? What an odd thought...

[Callypso]

The Corvie took hold of a sterilized surgical needle from the plethora of physicians’ tools and threaded a surgical needle with medical-grade material.

First stitch.

Gently, she perforated the goat’s flesh and sent the eye through and pulled the stitch taught. She briefly paused again to see if her patient would react poorly (you never knew where an anesthetic might prove ineffective)- again, no negative response so she continued her task.

The infrequent announcement of her next action was automatic and somewhat unconscious. It was a habit she had formed quite some time ago as a result of various nervous visitors incessant questioning (Why are you doing that? What’s that for? Is that necessary?) during conscious operations. Not only had it set her on edge, but there had been one too many neurotic patients that surprised easily and tended to flail or recoil while she was doing delicate work- she’d had to knock out a Card more than once to keep them from bleeding out. Her announcements allowed for little surprise and kept the noise and potential mess to a minimum.

She eventually became too absorbed in her work to notice the goat’s eyes constantly roving, though she did notice that they were almost always focused elsewhere whenever she paused to check on her patient’s status. Iso had no intention of making her lab overly “comfortable” but she recognized that once all her renovations were complete the atmosphere would change considerably. Unfortunately for her realm, there were a lot of on-going - questionable – experiments at any given time. She would never consider going to a Corvie she didn’t trust or whose reputation she wasn’t aware of. Corvies weren’t bad people, most of them just had a skewed filter when it came to science. If Aberforth was at all nervous (and she wasn’t quite able to tell- he was keeping so still), he had good reason to be.

A half hour passed in which Iso intermittently inserted new stitches while simultaneously keeping the area clean and moist. With the finish of her labor, she stepped back to scrutinize her work. The stitches were even and left a neat little trail across the Card’s neck. Finally, she placed a light strip of gauze across the sealed up injury to soak up anything that might ooze through.

Finished.

[Lucca]

Despite all his outward calm, the Goat couldn't help but twitch, just a little, as the needle came into view. It wasn't that he was scared of them in and of themselves, no...he just knew how many unpleasant things were dispensed through needles, or which needles were dipped into. And none of those were things he wanted to get into or onto his person, especially so close to his neck. But as the needle hit his skin, he felt nothing, and after a moment of nothing odd going on, no dizziness or nausea or shooting pain, he inwardly relaxed.

Through the long process, he sat perfectly still, controlling the need to move with the same merciless rigidity he controlled all other aspects of himself. His eyes did indeed rove around the room, or else closed, so that he would almost seem to be asleep but for the fact that he still didn't move at all. He allowed his mind to blank, focusing on nothing...it was a habit he'd trained after too many sleepless nights, kept awake by restless paranoid thoughts and agonizing questions he could never answer.

That was all in the past. He knew better now.

There simply were no answers. Life meant nothing, and would continue to mean nothing, and the only thing to do was to survive, to show yourself beyond needing any purpose or meaning and stay away from that final joke played on all the living, and which all must eventually succumb to: death.

Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to truly go insane, for only insanity offered any release from monotony. Insanity let you see the joke of life and death, and to understand why they were funny...

Aberforth's ears twitched forward as Iso announced that she was done, the first he'd moved in what felt like hours, but he knew was really far less. His muscles weren't even very stiff. He looked down, but could not see where the wound was, and from the utter lack of physical feeling in the area he thought the numbing agent must still be active.

"Thank you, Doctor," he said, shifting around to get to something around his leg, nearly buried in the thick white hair. It would appear to be a money pouch, plain, brown, but well made and drawn tightly with string. "How much?" He opened it with his mouth, careful in the motion not to move his neck overly much, mindful of the stitches.

[Callypso]

((OOC: zomg, sorry for leaving you hanging! Spring Fever hijacked me and I have midterms next week, so I've been busy!))

Despite the exhaustion and sleeplessness that had plagued her for many weeks, the operation left Iso feeling rejuvenated. There was just a hint of lightness to her step as she busied herself with clean-up as Aberforth adjusted to his stitches. She brought her tools over to a large sink on the opposite side of the room from the desk she had been working at, poured a capful of clear solution into the tub and started the tap with a flick of the faucet’s lever. The ferret was feeling satisfied. The procedure had gone rather well. Her patient wasn’t obnoxious or twitchy. He had also known better than to try and aggravate his wound too much, which had minimized any potential infection or further injury.

The Spade returned to the goat’s side as he thanked her. She merely gave a brief nod, though her eyes seemed a little less bloodshot and little friendlier. Then he began to take out a pouch that clinked with the distinctive sound of coinage and her nose wrinkled with distaste.

Money.

Mere monetary compensation could not compare to the satisfaction of knowing an operation went well and the patient would heal quickly and comfortably. Though she was prone to keeping other Cards at a distant, there was still a crack in her stony demeanor that allowed preference for those she had taken care of. And though she wouldn’t describe herself as altruistic, she knew there were too many Cards out there, penniless or of unfortunate ranking that could not afford professional medical services. She may be cold or withdrawn, but she would never turn a patient away.

That’s not necessary. I receive grants from an academy in Esterberry.

True, she hadn’t completed any appropriate research lately, but surely that would change with the completion of her laboratory, and she showed enough promise that there were no foreseeable threats to her current income.

Hopefully, the Tulgey wouldn't protest. That was unbearable. Some patients would argue with her - patients who had nothing to give - worried mothers with sick children, Cards who would lose their livelihoods if she couldn't help them. She was not very adept at dealing with those situations. Bristling and eyes growing hard as they shoved trinkets or a few silver at her. If they insisted on leaving something, it would always find its way back to the patient's home. Physicians who acted otherwise were absolutely worthless as medical professionals.

She immediately changed the subject.

There are some care instructions I would like you to follow.[/b]

She glanced again at the gauze currently covering the Card’s stitches to determine whether any undue fluids were seeping through and then busied herself preparing a note and searching through various cabinets for the needed materials.

[Lucca]

The doctor's reaction to the money surprised Aberforth, and he wondered, in an odd moment of confusion, what the problem was. Was it that he was handling the coins with his mouth? But surely she understood the problems of dealing with hooves, even when one had learned to cope in all the ways he had. No, it had to be something else. But what?

Years as a blacksmith had taught him that some people could be a little...odd about money, but usually they'd at least accept coin for services given, and he'd met very few Cards who would turn down money, unless it was out of some misguided sense of 'high morality' (pure bunk. Such a thing did not exist, and the people who thought they had such a characteristic were only trying to gain 'friends' and would quickly wind up broke.).

He hadn't pegged this sensible doctor for the type, especially as it seemed she was still moving in and thus must have plenty of expenses. So he was immediately suspicious she must have some other sort of motive, and his hackles rose a bit, the ridge of fur along his back sticking up slightly.

"I don't need charity," he said, a bit more coldness entering his voice and pushing away the normal emotionless tone. He drew several coins from the bag and placed them on her table, pink eyes still calm as he tried to lock her into a level gaze, to show he was serious. "Think of it as a gift, if that makes you feel better about it. A show of my appreciation for seeing me on such short notice."

The care instructions, he didn't even acknowledge, not yet. This needed to be confronted first. And the fact that Iso tried to avert the subject so quickly made him even more wary of her intentions regarding her refusal.

[Callypso]

Until now, Iso had regarded Aberforth as a Card of her own kind. He understood the need for privacy, he spoke very little and had allowed her to work with minimal interruption. She had expected him to maybe keep her gaze an inordinate amount of time, perhaps gruffly nod, but the coldness- the insistence that she take his money surprised her. Her eyebrows slowly furrowed as she turned to face him. The doctor was more offended than she normally would have been. No tantrum was new to her but it certainly was unexpected from this particular man. She turned away and continued collecting the accoutremonts for the medical packet. The extra time was needed to contemplate an appropriate response as well as bridling her mounting anger.

When she had finished the doctor carefully made her way back toward her patient. His fur was just slightly raised which added to her consternation. He was actually angry. As the next few words left his lips her nose wrinkled again. Pride. She was almost disappointed. She had expected him to be above that, but then again, for some people pride was all they had. Aberforth was certainly a unique Card – a trait that, though interesting to Iso, may not have garnered much respect from others. Perhaps she would have to be rougher than usual with this one.

With a clank Iso slammed her paw on top of the coins and slowly raised her head to meet Aberforth’s eyes. She held his gaze. It’s not charity. Her teeth were clenched as she spoke the words. She forcefully slid the coins across the table back towards her patient.

I have other income. I don’t do this for money. The word had dripped out like venom, highlighting her disgust. Her eyes closed as a flitter of –was that discomfort or pain?- briefly crossed her features. She opened her eyes again to find his.

I have other income. I will never deny a patient. I have seen too much.

With that she turned away and grabbed a small bag. Calmly, she began filling the bag, one item at a time, with the antibiotics and utensils the Card would need during the healing process.

The only gift I desire is properly mended patient.

[Lucca]

Aberforth had very little pride. He viewed himself with the same cold lens he viewed every other Card, except that at least he knew his own thoughts. He knew he would never intentionally betray himself without his own knowledge and express consent. He couldn't know the same of other Cards. He couldn't know the same of Iso, and the more she raved and actually got -angry- with him, the more he was sure she was trying to pull a fast one on him.

"Then what do you call it?" he hissed, eyes growing darker as the Goat lowered his head a bit, a purely defensive posture. He also shifted, with a quick motion, to stand up. He frowned, seeming to radiate a sort of colder feeling now instead of the indifference of the rest of the night. A mantra began in the back of his mind, heavy with paranoia. You shouldn't have come. You shouldn't be here. See what comes of trusting even a little?

Aberforth's ears went back, and he listened closely to her words, ridge of fur on his back standing up more obviously now...until he heard her last words.

Something flashed in his eyes as he came to a conclusion. A motive. The reason she would deny to take money despite the time and effort she'd put in. I have seen too much, she'd said. So that was the answer. Guilt. It was just her way of coping with the evils of the world. Darkness and pain. Everyone had their own method, from pretending that good outweighed evil to growing numb to all feeling, and everything in between.

Slowly, the fur on his back fell back to its normal place, and some of the cold anger of mistrust faded. "...Very well, if that is truly what you wish." His voice was toneless again. But he made no move to collect the money he'd put on the table. If she truly wished to give it back, he would take it.

[Callypso]

((OOC: Baaaack! Sorry for making you wait so long!!))

Iso paused only a split second while placing some gauze in her patient’s mending kit - it would have been easily missed if one weren’t watching her paws- then continued her calculated motions of filling the packet. The goat’s hissing combined with the swift movement and lowering of his head had caught her completely off guard. Her neck began to prickle as her fur threatened to stand on end as the Card’s emotion exuded an iciness that permeated the room. The ferret couldn’t afford to betray the slight fear tingling in the base of her spine. The Club was clearly larger than she was- she might be able to outrun him, but that would mean leaving the lab. No. The lab meant everything. Those long sleepless nights weren’t going to be for naught, and she certainly wouldn’t abandon it to this ungrateful man. She blinked slowly and fixed her eyes back on his. Her voice was level and assertive.

I call it adhering to my Hippocratic oath.

It had been hard to leave it at that. The doctor wasn’t normally one to taunt but the vague feeling of betrayal lurked somewhere in the back of her mind. She had thought he understood. Instead, he seemed to be almost suspicious. Perhaps he was judging her for her Realm. Understandable, to a degree, but she was angry- at herself for allowing his earlier calm and complacence to lure her into dropping her guard for even a second, at him for his abrupt anger and questioning her intentions. She was a doctor for Suits sake.

The only hint of her inner turmoil displayed itself as a brief narrowing of her eyes. Though she was incensed at being threatened in her own home, she wasn’t about to let personal affection bring her harm. She didn’t have much use for most feelings of pride or honor, but she did demand respect – after all, her skills as a physician were impeccable. If his wound healed improperly, it would certainly not be her doing.

While Iso internally debated how she wanted to proceed, Aberforth seemed to have heard something that calmed him. His fur settled back and the eerie chill began to dissipate. Though anger still roiled within her, she knew not to push the situation any farther. Instead of further addressing the topic, she merely slid the coins into the packet. Iso considered that gesture as the end of the discussion. She doubted the goat would upend the pouch’s contents to prove a point. If he did, it would merely lower her current impression of him.

A mild mixture of disgust, disappointment and anger gave way to fatigue and practiced professionalism as she steered the conversation elsewhere.

Are you ready for your care instructions?

[Lucca]

Aberforth could tell that the doctor was still angry with him, though he had no idea why. What must she have seen, in order to carry a weight that heavy on her shoulders? That the thought of being paid for helping someone was like a stab to her conscience? Mentally, coldly, he crossed her off his (very short) list of people he could at least trust to do their job with proper compensation. It was too unsure and she was too emotional about it all for him to ever come to her again. But for tonight, she seemed to have done what he needed of her.

His pink eyes followed her motions as she slipped the money back in the packet of supplies, but he made no move to upend it. If she wanted to be a bleeding heart fool (or at least pretend to be one to appease her guilt) and make a charity case of him, then so be it. The Goat nodded to her question, shouldering the packet easily, his face now back to its calm neutrality.

[Callypso]

Iso's gaze was almost too calm as she awaited a response from Aberforth. Internally, she was still bristling at his insinuations. She didn't blame him for not fully trusting a Corvie, but he had insulted her professional integrity. Although she would never have admitted it, even to herself, the sudden loss of a potential acquaintance struck a chord deep within her. The goat would most likely never know the reasons behind Iso's stubborn refusal of payment. Those incidents had been pushed to the back of her psyche. Unfortunately, her recurring nightmares forced the issue, and so she might have reacted toward Aberforth's gesture with more hostility than usual. Regardless of personal feelings (or lack thereof) the young doctor was determined to perform her services to the best of her ability.

You'll need to keep your stitches completely dry for the first 24 hours. After that, if you need to wash simply dry the site as quickly as possible. I've provided you with cotton swabs and an antibiotic ointment. Apply that twice daily by swabbing outward from the center of the stitches. If you notice any pus, itching, swelling or strange odors, seek attention immediately as those are signs of infection. The wound might ooze the first day- there is extra gauze in your packet.

She paused briefly before continuing. Somehow, she doubted she would be seeing this Card again, however, she had a duty to treat this man and would do so accordingly.

If all goes well, the wound should be healed within 10 days. You'll need to return for their removal. Any questions?

Again, the spade doubted Aberforth would return, even to remove the stitches. Their recent exchange had been rather unpleasant. If he chose to see her again, though, she would be more than willing to do her duty.