OOM - part two

[gods_that_haunt_me]

[Part One]

Early in the morning, Helga wakes up and carefully slips out of bed, not wanting to disturb Floki. She cooks breakfast for the both of them, porridge, as it's the only thing Floki can eat at the moment. Gently waking him, she helps him sit up, and she spoonfeeds him, sharing the porridge out of the same bowl.

Later, with the assistance of a servant, Helga changes Floki's bandages and applies a fresh healing paste to his wounds. The gouges in his side still ooze blood, but they don't seem infected. Helga only worries that they're too deep to close up properly.

For Floki, sitting up to have the bandages removed and the clean ones wrapped around him is painful, as his ribs still feel as if they're stabbing his lungs with every breath he takes. But he is determined to do some things on his own. Like standing. With the help of a wooden staff, of course. But not for too long because the bed is really quite comfortable and lying down is good.

Sometimes, with a silent plea to the gods, he tries to move the fingers of his right hand. And tries not to panic when he finds that he can't.

He would truly go out of his mind if not for Helga. And this idea of Athelstan's is the next best thing to divine intervention.

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan returns, pushing a small and light wheelchair. "We have to be quick so no one sees this - are you ready?"

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki stares at the thing. It looks way more complicated than it ought to, with flaps for the feet and armrests and all sorts of rigging and whatnot.

"Yes, yes, I'm ready," he grunts, setting his jaw as he pulls his weight up by the staff to stand up at least partially.

When he sits down, it feels as if he's sitting in a child's chair. His elbows stick way out over the armrests and there's no way he's using those footrests without his knees nearly touching his chest.

"Really? You couldn't get a bigger one? Was this made for Saxons?"

He grabs his staff.

"Never mind. Go!"

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan wastes no time pushing him through the door and closing it behind him, trying not to run over Floki's feet.

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki holds the staff like a spear and it knocks against the side of the doorway.

"Be careful!"

Once inside Milliways, he brings the staff over his lap and the end of it tips a barstool over and halfway drags a small table along. There might have been some spillage of an unfinished drink or two.

"I said careful, priest! Who taught you how to push a wheelchair? A blind mule?!"

[athelstanthescribe]

"No one", Athelstan says pointedly. "If you think you can do better, use your good hand to turn the wheel."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"Don't be ridiculous! This is your idea, and besides, I'm running out of intact limbs!"

He awkwardly braces his feet on the footrests to keep his toes out of harm's way.

"Hurry up! This is the most uncomfortable chair I've ever sat in. I thought things were supposed to be more comfortable in the future!"

[athelstanthescribe]

"This is the one I was given", Athelstan retorts as calmly as he can, reminding himself Floki's in pain and probably afraid. "We're almost there."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki has no idea what these future machines can do, or what future healers are like. He doesn't even know why he's trusting Athelstan to begin with.

But deep down, he's desperate. And he can't bear to think of life without the ability to do what he does best. He would rather let his wounds fester and have sickness claim him than go mad with uselessness.

"Do you know the healers here?"

The end of his staff knocks a waitrat off its feet with a startled squeak. It was an accident. No, really.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Be nice to the rats", he says automatically. "I've met one of them who's often here."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"It was an accident," Floki insists innocently. He can do innocent!

As they approach the infirmary, the unfamiliar sharp smell of disinfectant wafts out and he wrinkles his nose in disgust. He's never smelled anything so unnatural.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan doesn't like it much either. He prefers the smell of herbs, but he'll put up with it to get Floki's arm fixed, for Ragnar's sake.

"Dr Sandhu?"

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy is around, checking the expiry dates on some of the medications.

"Hey Athelstan, you okay?"

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Athelstan may be perfectly fine, but here, have a cranky Viking with an arm in a sling, sitting awkwardly in a too-small wheelchair.


[OOC: Guppy-Floki-Athelstan?]

[athelstanthescribe]

"I'm fine", Athelstan says with a nod, "but I've brought you a patient needing a broken arm mended."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Oh sure, hi there." Guppy smiles and comes over. "What's your name? How did it happen?"

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki sort of snarls and grips the wooden staff in his good hand, intending to get up.

"My name is Floki. My arm and my wrist were broken in battle. I have other injuries as well," he says, as evidenced by the bruises on his face and jaw and the cloth bandages around his middle, "but my hands are my livelihood. I must not lose the use of it."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Floki makes boats", Athelstan explains. "The most inspired boats we have."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Has Athelstan explained about the technology here?" Guppy asks. "I can fix the bone with the fuser, but you'll need to be gentle with it for at least a week."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"I know nothing of your-- technology," he says slowly. "I should not even be trusting Athelstan, but...he has been coming here longer than I have, and knows more about your future machines. So frankly, I don't care how you mend my bones, only that you can. At home I will need to pretend that my arm is still broken, in any case, so I won't be using it."

[athelstanthescribe]

"If it helps", Athelstan says dryly, "Ragnar would have brought you here if I hadn't first. We talked about it. And I want you whole for his sake."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Are you injured anywhere else, before I fix this?"

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki only flicks Athelstan a narrow-eyed glance before turning to the doctor.

"My ribs. I don't know how many are broken, but the pain makes it difficult to breathe. And there are the axe wounds. Helga says they are deep. But if you fix those, too, she will think it some kind of sign from the gods that I have healed so suddenly."

[athelstanthescribe]

"The arm healing can be concealed", Athelstan says with a nod. "The rest, less so - and the other wounds should heal well enough on their own."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Okay. I'm going to have a quick listen to your chest and make sure those ribs aren't causing your breathing difficulties, if that's okay." Guppy says. "Then I'll fix your arm."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki nods, leaving things up to the doctor now.

"Fine. Do what you must."