Satya receives an urgent call from Valkyrie telling her to come to a hospital. Valkyrie is much older here. Valduggery can be implied (FYI I don't ship it but I just think its an interesting route to go once all the Dead Men eventually separate and it's just those two solving crimes and shit).
Again, no relevance to my fic plotline. Just a random idea I had and decided to write but has no place in the fic :) Also, all I'm saying is Colin Donoghue
0000000000000000
Satya Eka parked her car, narrowing her eyes as she took in the sight of the small, slightly dingy hospital. She had driven for an hour to the middle-of-nowhere town as soon as Valkyrie Cain's urgent call came. She hadn't given any information, only just told her not to tell anyone and to come alone.
Satya walked into the hospital entrance, stopping at reception.
"Afternoon, how can I help you?" An elderly woman asked kindly from behind a desk. She had a badge that said she was a volunteer from the local community group.
"I'm here to see your newest patient," Satya said, "A John Doe that came in with a woman?"
The woman nodded, looking down at her clipboard - It was 2038 and she was still using clipboards? Get with the times, woman.
"Just down the hall, first left," She told Satya. Satya nodded, thanking her before pushing past the doors to the hallway, her heels clicking against the hospital floors.
She reached the room, peering through the window pane in the door. Valkyrie was sitting in a chair, her back to the door, sitting at such an angle that she blocked Satya's view of the man lying in the hospital bed.
Satya opened the door and walked in. Valkyrie turned immediately, her face tense but when she saw who it was, she immediately relaxed, "Satya, thank god."
The older sorceress said nothing as Valkyrie stood, moving slightly, allowing her a glimpse of the man.
"He Bhaghwan," Satya muttered, taking a step towards the bed.
"It's him, isn't it?" Valkyrie asked nervously, biting her lip, "It's really him."
Satya didn't answer her, instead moving closer to the man and placing her two fingers against his throat. She could feel the pumping of blood, his veins were faint hue of blue that contrasted his pale skin. His skin had a sickly sheen to it, almost waxy like a vampire as if he hadn't been in the sun for a while. The man was thin, too thin. Almost like he hadn't eaten in-
"Four centuries," Satya murmured, "It's been four centuries since I've seen this face." She stroked back a stray piece of dark brown hair from his face.
"What do we do?" Valkyrie asked.
Satya turned to look at her and almost smiled, "Nothing- Whatever the bitch did to him, we can't reverse. Unless, of course, your old friend Darquesse wants to come out and play?"
Valkyrie didn't answer this, choosing instead to watch the sleeping man.
"He's going to be insufferable," Satya murmured, checking the bags of fluid that the doctors had set him up with, "I mean, he was insufferable before- But with this face, it's going to get a lot worse."
"How do we get him back?" Valkyrie asked again.
"Dear, Valkyrie," Satya turned to her, "There is no "getting him back". This is him. This is the same man that you have known since you were twelve."
Valkyrie didn't look convinced, but her eyes stayed on the sleeping Skulduggery.
"This is your partner in crime- Before he was just a skeleton but now? He's skin and bone."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a raspy breath.
"Oh god," Valkyrie rushed to the man's side in a second. His eyes were open - a deep emerald green - and were flickering around the place, getting used to the harsh lights.
"My throat-" he rasped, "Water-" He let out a loud cough that seemed to vibrate through his body.
Satya moved quickly, pouring him a glass from the pitcher on his bedside table. Valkyrie helped him carefully sit up and held the cup to his lips as he drank.
After a few moments, he cleared his throat and she pulled the cup away.
"I'm sorry," He started, after a racking cough. His eyes focused on Valkyrie, "But who are you?"
Valkyrie paled considerably, gaping at him before pulling her hand away from him like she had been burnt.
Satya just frowned, "Don't be so cruel, Skulduggery," She chastised with a light smack. He yelped, pulling his arm away from her.
"I humbly apologise, Valkyrie," Skulduggery Pleasant grinned - It was a bright, charming grin, with shiny white teeth and boyish lopsidedness. The kind of smile she was used to seeing on Dexter Vex - not a living skeleton.
"I hate you," Valkyrie murmured with a glare. But Satya could tell she had relaxed considerably at hearing the familiar velvety smooth voice of the ex-skeleton detective.
"Oh, this is just disgusting," Skulduggery said, holding out his hands to observe them, turning them over before wincing, "I have a heart now- I can feel my heart. It feels like my chest is about to explode."
"Stop being dramatic," Satya told him, "Atleast you have hair now."
"There's that," he muttered before looking up, "Valkyrie," He said with considerable softness.
Valkyrie stood behind Satya, still slightly pale and unsure.
He reached out his hand towards her, "It's still me," He promised, "I swear I remember how annoying you are."
Valkyrie let out a small laugh at that, taking his hand, "I found your Grace Kelly autograph, by the way," She said, sitting on the side of his bed by his knee.
Satya smiled at the sight, "I'm going to see if I can get you some food- Any requests?" She asked, pulling out her phone, "Ghastly will be glad to see you."
Skulduggery tilted his head in a familiar way, "Get me everything," He decided, "I have four hundred years of food to catch up with."
Satya laughed at that and the last thing she saw before leaving the room to make her call was Skulduggery's pale hand reaching for Valkyrie's.
