This Chapter: In this chapter, we meet "Walter", the mystery benefactor that offered assistance. Is this guy for real? Find out! Also, as an executive decision, I'm shortening the average chapter length from 2-3000 to 1000-1500. This will help spread the story out. Please read and review. Then read lizziestar's stories! They are awesome!
We landed in the driveway and followed her into the humongous house through a door in the garage. It was considerably colder inside the house; enough to make us all shiver.
Just as I was about to ask Jessie about it, we heard movement upstairs.
"Sorry about the cold," a laid-back voice from upstairs yelled down, "But I can't stand the heat. Makes my air-conditioning bill skyrocket during the summer, but you do what you have to."
We all turned to the stairs to see a young man in what looked like a doctor's outfit, except that instead of a suit underneath his lab coat, he had a t-shirt and jeans. He ran a hand through his extremely short, spiked, dark brown hair while he walked down the stairs.
"I'm Walter Johnson, the one who sent you the message." He said with a laid-back, but professional air around him, "Just call me Walter though."
As I took in my surroundings and started cataloging possible exits, I noticed that Walter's house was huge!
"Do you own this entire house?" I asked.
"Yep," he replied with a warm smile, "My parents…no longer live here, and my sibling isn't planning on coming back anytime soon, so I take care of it."
The way he said "My parents" had an undertone of anger to it, which he had tried to hide. My eyes picked up the subtle clench of his jaw and tightening of his lips, and my ears could hear the strain in his voice to keep calm. It got me curious, but I didn't feel like being nosy, so I let it go.
What struck me as most interesting about Walter were his eyes. I only got a glimpse of it, but as he mentioned his family, under his wire-rimmed glasses, while his face was smiling, his eyes flashed a look that had an immense depth to them like the eyes of the Old Flock, eyes that knew things that normal people should never know.
But as soon as he saw that I was looking, it disappeared. I had no way of knowing how legitimate Walter was, but I had to admit he had piqued my curiosity.
Fang was apparently in 'really stressed out mode' and was reaching the limits of his patience with all of us for seemingly ignoring Max's wound.
"Can we please skip the 'so happy to finally meet you' crap!" he said darkly, "Max needs medical attention!"
"Sure, but you don't have to be in such a hurry," Walter said calmly, "I gave you instructions to make sure Max would be fine until she got here,"
His eyes flashed with realization and locked on Fang's.
"…you did put a clean bandage on it like I told you to, right?"
Fang said nothing, glancing at the bloody strip of his once clean shirt that we were forced to use as a bandage. Walter slapped his forehead and groaned loudly.
"God, you people really do need help, and not just the medical kind!" he said exasperatedly, "Jessie, could you get Terra changed and brought downstairs to the operating table please?"
"Sure love, I'll be down with her in a few minutes, so get everything you need ready down there." She replied.
While Jessie prepped Max for surgery, Walter brought us into his basement and showed us around while looking for medical supplies that were scattered around the entire floor. Walter's basement was really impressive; one side had a home theatre system with a HUGE TV screen with digital cable.
The other side looked like someone cut out a doctor's office and pasted it inside the basement. There was a large operating table, two hospital beds, and medical supplies galore.
Terra told the younger kids to go and watch TV while Max was being treated so they wouldn't see all the blood and stuff. No one seemed to dislike the idea, because the second Terra finished talking, they were all plopped on the La-z-boy couches watching some cartoon show called Naruto.
"So Walter, what makes you qualified to give Max medical treatment?" I asked Walter, "because if you say that you're just a medical student or something, I swear I'll kick your butt."
Walter laughed a little.
"We may or may not look like, but Jessie and I are both certifiable geniuses in the areas of Medicinal Science and Art/Design," Walter explained, "I have two degrees in special scientific fields. I have dual-doctorates in Human and Veterinary Medicine.
"While Jessie has assorted degrees in Graphic design and Art. Jessie is also a rising fashion designer and makes all of mine and her clothes, as well as the entire JesWic clothes line, so she'll make you guys some clothes if you need them."
"Don't put words in my mouth Waly," Jessie said, who was holding Max dressed in the 'hospital gown' patients wear.
"You mean you won't make the Flocks some new outfits?" Walter said, "and don't call me 'Waly', I am not a cube-shaped robot that saves a plant!"
I felt a personal connection to his suffering, with everyone calling me 'Taly' because they all know it irks me to no end.
"I never said I wouldn't do it," Jessie said, "I just don't want you assuming I'll do things."
"Fine, lesson learned" Walter groaned, "just put Max on one of the operating tables so we can get started."
"Okay," Jessie said with a smile, knowing her attempted tease on her boyfriend had been a success.
While Jessie was busy finishing the last of the prepping for surgery. Walter told us that because Max's leg showed no exit wound and the surrounding area was infected, he would have to surgically remove the bullet and try and stem the infection. Walter was looking frantically for something, mumbling things like "I know I put it down here", and "where the h-e-double 'L' did I put them?"
After moving some comic books (I saw the name Naruto again, must be pretty popular, or Walter's just a nerd), Walter held up a water bottle with what looked like worms in it and said,
"Here they are, the little maggots. Finally I can start the surgery; after of course I let these guys loose on Max's leg-"
Fang did not seem happy about the idea of Walter pouring bugs on Max's leg, which is probably why he grabbed Walter's collar and slammed him into a wall.
"You're going to put bugs that live in filth on Max's already infected leg?" Fang yelled. "WHAT KIND OF INSANE DOCTOR ARE YOU?"
Walter just calmly grabbed Fang's arm with a grip strong enough to make Fang flinch, and looked into Fang's eyes.
"I'll tell you what kind of doctor I am," he said normally, "I am the kind of professionally trained doctor who follows the procedures he has been taught all his life and not one who listens to a fourteen-year old who gets ticked off when I try to perform one of these said procedures that have proven effective every time they're used.
Fang stood there, silent.
"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get started with the surgery now, or would you like to make me listen to your rants on things you know nothing about until Max's infection gets so bad I'll have to amputate it? I'm sure Max will understand that the reason she lost her leg was because you didn't let me put the "filthy" maggots on her leg that would have only eaten the dead infected tissue, leaving only healthy, live tissue. Now I will ask nicely before I have to get nasty, get out of my way and let me save Max!"
I never thought in my life that I'd see someone be schooled that badly, but what really creeped me out was that Walter's voice had never risen throughout the entire schooling. He had given no indication that he had even gotten irritated. I was awed by Walter's perfect self-control, something I had never been able to grasp.
Fang silently let go of Walter's collar and stood.
Walter, completely unfazed by what had just happened, walked behind the curtain to begin the operation. I don't know what happened next, because Max's surgery reminded me of Terra's gruesome wing transplant, and I instantly blacked out.
Next Chapter: Dinner with Walter.
Author's Note: This marks the end of semi-daily uploads. I will now be uploading on a bi-weekly basis, one on Wednesday, one on Friday. I will also be requesting a number of reviews again :D That is all ^-^