Disclaimer: I don't own any of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen characters. They belong to their respective owners.
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The Infirmary
Doctor Jekyll continued to look at Skinner. He was going to politely wait till the injured man fully came back to reality. The bandaged man let out a small smile that was partially seen, because of the bandages wrapped around his face. The Doctor put a large black medical bag upon the counter and took an examination seat near the bed where Skinner laid.
"Well, Mr. Skinner, I believe it is time for your hourly checkup on your wounds. The last two times I visited, your bandages were not in need of a change. This time however, they probably will need a change. I know how this is painful, so I wanted to prepare you. I brought more morphine for an injection to deaden the pain", the Doctor said. Doctor Jekyll stood up and went to the counter where the black medical bag was.
"Oh, come on doc' do you really have to change me' bandages? I mean, they were fine the last two times. Why don't you check the wounds over and see if I can get away with another hour? Be a good sport", Skinner looked into Doctor Jekyll's eyes trying to plead his case.
The Doctor's medical instincts won out over Skinner's pitiful glances but he would check the wounds just to show Mr. Skinner that they really needed to be changed. "Alright Mr. Skinner, I shall check your wounds just to show you the necessity of the bandages being changed. It is of my medical opinion that they need to be changed at this time though", Doctor Jekyll said as he walked towards the figure of the injured man.
Skinner grimaced and closed his eyes at the thought of the Doctor opening and pulling at the bandages which stuck to his stingingly painful burns. Lot of good that did though, considering that his eyelids were also invisible. One of the bad points of being an invisible man, you can never close your eyes when you need to not see something.
The Doctor pulled at the bandage tie that was on this right shoulder. The tie itself came out easy enough, but now was the matter of gently separating the cotton gauze from the wound. Doctor Jekyll pulled back slowly his left hand and the right hand held an uninjured area of Mr. Skinner's shoulder. He heard the bandaged man suck in a breath of air from the pain that the pulling away of the gauze caused him. Mr. Skinner let out his breath after it was temporarily over. The Doctor examined first the discarded piece of gauze then the burn itself. The gauze was covered with blood and excreta from the burn. On the exposed part of the shoulder, it was still heavily discolored with oozing from the burn. It was a far cry from the healthy invisible flesh that it normally was. He knew in his mind that such an injury took weeks to completely heal from. It was amazing that he initially survived with the extensive burns because of the great risk of infection. So far, Mr. Skinner had not become stricken with a potentially fatal infection. The Doctor would have liked to have thought that his diligent efforts so far had kept it at bay.
"Just as I thought Mr. Skinner, these bandages will have to be removed and fresh ones administered at once. On a positive note, you seem to be healing very well and hopefully well enough to attend Mr. Quatermain's funeral. Before I begin taking off the rest of the bandages, would you like a dose of morphine for the pain?", the Doctor asked Skinner as he was started to open his medical bag.
Skinner thought about the morphine. It would muffle all his senses so that when the all the components of the medical procedure was being done, he wouldn't be wishing he had died. Sure, it still hurt like hell, but at least he'd be more out of it. "I had been thinking about having some morphine since about half an hour ago. The pain in my right side had been shooting up again. You know, it's almost unbearable having to sit in this place all day by myself with the amount of pain I'm in", Skinner said as the Doctor filled the syringe with morphine.
Doctor Jekyll inserted the syringe into the bandaged arm. As the morphine was going into the patient, he couldn't help think about the last comment Mr. Skinner had made. He got the feeling that the pain was bad enough, but being alone was what was eating his patient. Mr. Skinner was rather covert in the ways he expressed himself. He didn't come out and say he would like company or some way to pass the time while he was alone in the infirmary. No, the invisible man would try to do things in a roundabout way, where he wouldn't seem overly needy, even in his time of crisis. A bit of ego involved. The Doctor glanced over at his patient and found that he already seemed more calm and in less pain.
"First, I have to take all the old bandages off, so just stay with me", the Doctor said as he began his procedure.
"Hard not to 'stay with you' because even with this lovely stuff, I'll still be wracked with pain", Skinner replied trying to brace himself for the removal of the gauze.
Skinner looked up at the ceiling. He could see the little lines, discolorations, and patterns all dancing before him. He breathed deeply trying to catch his breath.
"I'll give you a few moments before I start to apply the antiseptic. I know this is difficult for you", the Doctor said as he disposed of the soiled bandages.
Doctor Jekyll went over to his medical bag again and produced a dark tincture bottle of the antiseptic and the proper swabs with which to apply it. He glanced over to see how his patient was faring. Mr. Skinner was still staring upwards towards the ceiling. "I need to get some more swabs from the medical supply room, I shall return in a few moments", the Doctor said as he made his exit.
The Doctor made that excuse just so Skinner could have a few more moments to recover sufficiently enough. The steps involved with caring for his burns were getting less painful with each step. Skinner kept going over in his mind about how this was going to be significantly less painful than what he had just gone through. The Doctor cleared his throat, signaling that he was back.
"Can I start applying the antiseptic now?", the Doctor asked.
"Now is as good time as any", was the invisible man's reply.
The antiseptic stung for sure, but it was much preferable over what had just gone on earlier. The opiate numbed his senses but only to a certain point. He could feel the stinging sharp bites that accosted his burns and smell the acrid scent drifted toward his nose. After a few minutes, Skinner broke the silence.
"Oh doc', I can't wait till I'm in a bit better shape. I want these damn torture sessions to cease. But for a doc', you're alright I guess. Never did much like docs' when I was younger. My mum went to see one once, and she never returned. Do you mind if I were to call you 'enry?", Skinner said slightly slurred from the opiate.
The Doctor froze in his application of the medicine. Not one of the other members of the league had asked to call him by his Christian name. Now, of all people, the injured thief asked to do that. He considered it for a moment. "Yes, I suppose you may call me Henry", Doctor Jekyll answered with a smile then resumed his application of the medicine.
"Good, good. We're mates know, you know. Been through battles of life and death, we 'ave. You can call me Rodney if you like, since I'm calling you 'enry", the patient said between breaths.
The Doctor looked at his patient while still applying the antiseptic, "Yes, I'd like that. Thank you, Mr. Skinner....Rodney".
The Doctor was almost done with the application of the medicine when Mr. Skinner spoke up again, "What did you think when you had first heard that I had saved young Sawyer from being killed?"
Doctor Jekyll didn't look up but answered, "I thought that you had done a great act of courage, considering that you were not protected from the flames in anyway. You frankly surprised me. I had thought you to be a selfish and self centered man. I believe that you have more character than I initially judged".
"Yes, you didn't think much about at first did ya 'enry. I was in the room when you said, 'You've seen the way the sneaky blackguard operates'. I felt the malice in your voice, although, I really up to that time given you a good reason to trust me. I was an uncommon gentleman thief, but a thief when it still came down to my profession. How could ya really trust me? I was there the whole time when the league had set their judgment that I was the traitor", Skinner said slightly slurred.
The confident professional guise of the Doctor faded back to the uneasy nervous man that the rest of the league was used to. He stopped in mid stroke and let the swab hang in his hand. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard deep monstrous laughing.
"You should tell your patient how you wanted to do nothing more but kill him at that moment. You wanted to wring his neck with YOUR bare hands, not mine. Oh no, you can't blame this one on me. The good doctor has a dark side, and it's not just me", Edward Hyde bellowed in Doctor Jekyll's mind.
"I would have never done that. I could never do that. I'm a good man", the Doctor mumbled to himself.
Skinner knew who that response was for. The Doctor was having an internal conversation. "Ah Doctor, could we finish this. I want to rest soon", Skinner said with the Doctor snapping to attention and again putting on his protective coat of medical professionalism.
The inner bandages were in place and the outer layer was being put on. The morphine was wearing off again, so Skinner was thankful that the most painful parts were over. He glanced over at the Doctor. The Doctor was still wearing his neutral expression since when he had momentarily slipped back into the nervous uneasiness. "You know 'enry, I don't blame ya. If I was in your position, I probably would have reacted the same way. I can still call ya 'enry, ight?", Skinner said.
The Doctor stopped and swallowed. "Yes....yes, you still may call me Henry", the Doctor let out a nervous reply.
"Yeah, and you can still call me Rodney. But it's funny because almost no one calls me that. Even my old mates back on my street where I grew up called me Skinner. Funny, eh? Seems like I came into this world where no one called me by my first name. I suppose it could 'ave been worse. All the kids could 'ave teased me with some god awful name like Rodney the Rat", Skinner said slightly grinning.
A smirk crept its way onto the Doctor's face. The uneasiness was defused. The Doctor continued to finish bandaging the injured man.