strap him down to do it. The things he screamed. He knew swear words I didn’t even know. They had to restrain me from going in to stop the doctor working on him. Fuck, I wanted to kill that Doctor.”
“ Back in his room, he begged me to just kill him. Fuck Lucas, I considered it. How was he supposed to take that? Later, I’m sitting outside, trying to figure out what to do, and Victoria sits down next to me. I unload on her.” Nick raises remorseful eyes to Lucas. “Shit, what was she fifteen, sixteen max? I reamed her as I’ve never reamed anyone in my life. She just sat there and took it. When I was done, she started telling me what was happening, why it was happening, what still needed to be done, if Tanner as going to be able use his hands again.”
“Then she told me they were working on a new protocol, and she’d like to try it with Tanner . It involved the administration of different meds at different times to help control pain, having his hands submerged in a special solution during the manipulation to help ward off infection and speed up muscle regeneration.”
“She was honest with me Lucas . Told me it would hurt like hell. That there was no way around it. The muscles and tendons in his hands were badly contracted. There was no guarantee she’d be able to get them back to normal, but she’d do everything she could. Do you believe that, after I just tore into her, she was still willing to help.”
“That’s Victoria.”
“Yeah it is. Anyway, she took Tanner on. Every day for eight hours, she worked on him. I don’t know how she did it. I never made it through a whole treatment. Couldn’t take seeing him in that much pain. After about three weeks, it was starting to get better and I run into Victoria and Selfridge arguing in the hall. Selfridge was demanding she stop the treatments. I couldn’t believe it! You know me, I jumped in yelling, telling them they couldn’t stop. Selfridge slammed me back, made me look at Victoria’s hands.”
“What?”
“They were raw Lucas. The solution that was helping Tanner hands, was eating hers . Then there’d been a self-termination. A twenty two-cycle intern couldn’t take it anymore. Selfridge was worried about Victoria. Victoria argued back she was fine and would wear gloves, but she wasn’t stopping. Fuck that girl is a sight to see when she’s defending what she believes.”
“Yeah.”
“Anyway, she worked him, worked him hard. Tanner hated her, it never fazed her, or things he said. By the time I left, Tanner was feeding himself.”
“It took him two moon cycles to feed himself again?” Lucas can’t hide his astonishment.
“Yeah.”
“But he understands now why she did what she did.”
“Yeah, but Lucas, while he understands, he’ll never thank her, never consider her a friend.”
“That’s…”
“The way it is. I tried to get him to thank her before I left, fought with him about it. He wouldn’t, so I did for him, telling her that one day he would too. She got this really sad look in her eyes for a minute, then she told me flat out, that no, he wouldn’t. He’d always associate her with pain, and you don’t thank someone for giving you pain.”
“But she helped him.”
“I know. I’m just glad she doesn’t remember me reaming her.”
Lucas looks at his friend , deciding not to tell him Victoria remembers everything .
Victoria finally surfaces at 0700. She’d known she’d been tired but really, ten hours. Climbing out of bed, she heads for the comm. No, Dodge would have called if there was a problem or he had to leave. Turning, she heads for the shower, letting the heat sink into her sore muscles. It’d been a while since she’d done this much manual manipulation. Usually if it was needed, it was only for a treatment or two to get the patient ready for the rehab machine. Looking at her arms, she’s happy to see only a few raw spots, all above the glove line. That was to be expected.
Drying off , she
“ Back in his room, he begged me to just kill him. Fuck Lucas, I considered it. How was he supposed to take that? Later, I’m sitting outside, trying to figure out what to do, and Victoria sits down next to me. I unload on her.” Nick raises remorseful eyes to Lucas. “Shit, what was she fifteen, sixteen max? I reamed her as I’ve never reamed anyone in my life. She just sat there and took it. When I was done, she started telling me what was happening, why it was happening, what still needed to be done, if Tanner as going to be able use his hands again.”
“Then she told me they were working on a new protocol, and she’d like to try it with Tanner . It involved the administration of different meds at different times to help control pain, having his hands submerged in a special solution during the manipulation to help ward off infection and speed up muscle regeneration.”
“She was honest with me Lucas . Told me it would hurt like hell. That there was no way around it. The muscles and tendons in his hands were badly contracted. There was no guarantee she’d be able to get them back to normal, but she’d do everything she could. Do you believe that, after I just tore into her, she was still willing to help.”
“That’s Victoria.”
“Yeah it is. Anyway, she took Tanner on. Every day for eight hours, she worked on him. I don’t know how she did it. I never made it through a whole treatment. Couldn’t take seeing him in that much pain. After about three weeks, it was starting to get better and I run into Victoria and Selfridge arguing in the hall. Selfridge was demanding she stop the treatments. I couldn’t believe it! You know me, I jumped in yelling, telling them they couldn’t stop. Selfridge slammed me back, made me look at Victoria’s hands.”
“What?”
“They were raw Lucas. The solution that was helping Tanner hands, was eating hers . Then there’d been a self-termination. A twenty two-cycle intern couldn’t take it anymore. Selfridge was worried about Victoria. Victoria argued back she was fine and would wear gloves, but she wasn’t stopping. Fuck that girl is a sight to see when she’s defending what she believes.”
“Yeah.”
“Anyway, she worked him, worked him hard. Tanner hated her, it never fazed her, or things he said. By the time I left, Tanner was feeding himself.”
“It took him two moon cycles to feed himself again?” Lucas can’t hide his astonishment.
“Yeah.”
“But he understands now why she did what she did.”
“Yeah, but Lucas, while he understands, he’ll never thank her, never consider her a friend.”
“That’s…”
“The way it is. I tried to get him to thank her before I left, fought with him about it. He wouldn’t, so I did for him, telling her that one day he would too. She got this really sad look in her eyes for a minute, then she told me flat out, that no, he wouldn’t. He’d always associate her with pain, and you don’t thank someone for giving you pain.”
“But she helped him.”
“I know. I’m just glad she doesn’t remember me reaming her.”
Lucas looks at his friend , deciding not to tell him Victoria remembers everything .
Victoria finally surfaces at 0700. She’d known she’d been tired but really, ten hours. Climbing out of bed, she heads for the comm. No, Dodge would have called if there was a problem or he had to leave. Turning, she heads for the shower, letting the heat sink into her sore muscles. It’d been a while since she’d done this much manual manipulation. Usually if it was needed, it was only for a treatment or two to get the patient ready for the rehab machine. Looking at her arms, she’s happy to see only a few raw spots, all above the glove line. That was to be expected.
Drying off , she
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