Claudia moved away and Jack sat up as the doctor came into the room. He wasn't looking forward to this. The pain in his hand made him wince every time he moved and he figured that having the doctor reset his fingers would be pretty much as painful as the torture had been. He knew that this doctor didn't believe in painkillers and he didn't have a very steady hand. Jack had been called in to help hold down the last guy that was treated at the Salazar ranch. And, of course, it wouldn't be a private pain. Both Salazar brothers would expect to be entertained by this. The doctor nodded at the brothers and then at Claudia, before walking across to his patient.
'Looks like you're gonna need a few stitches' he said, pulling unsympathetically at the cut on Jack's head to assess the damage there and then prodding indelicately at the deeper of the wounds on his stomach.
'Trust me. I know that.' Jack said, the expected soreness of the doctor's initial ministrations giving an edge to his voice' But I'd like you to deal with this first' he said, nodding at his left hand. He had decided that it would be better to get the most painful part of the operation out of the way first. The doctor sucked air in through his teeth, apparently wishing to indicate that it looked like a difficult procedure.
'It's very sore' Jack added, deciding that it was worth stating the obvious in an effort to minimise the pain of the treatment.
The doctor didn't answer him, but instead looked round at Hector. 'I'm going to need some help with this' he said.
Claudia moved first but Hector shook his head and smiled at her as he stood up and approached Jack.
'Nothing's too much trouble for Hector' Jack thought bitterly as he realised that Hector's role would be to hold him still.
'Let's try it first without his help' Jack said looking at both Hector and the doctor - 'If you don't mind'. Hector shrugged and returned to his seat while Jack leant forward and placed his injured hand on the table next to his beer. The effort involved in stifling an involuntary groan at the small movement brought beads of sweat to his forehead and, with a feeling of discomfiture, he realised that his attempt at courage might have been misplaced. He blinked away feelings of pain and indignity and called Hector over.
'No – I'm sorry. You're right I think. I will need Hector to hold my arm'
Jack hoped his pain tolerance would allow him to endure this operation in silence. He thought that he was more likely to manage it if he didn't have to concentrate simultaneously on keeping himself still. Hector came over immediately and pinned Jack's left wrist to the table. Ramon leaned forward for a better view and Claudia sat back in her chair looking apprehensive with her hands clasped to her mouth.
'How are you going to do it?' Ramon asked
'I'll just snap the fingers back into shape' the doctor said. Two of the fingers look to be broken in at least two different places – but this one is pretty straightforward.' He took Jack's discoloured and grazed ring finger in his fist and smiled, apparently pleased with his diagnosis and treatment plan.
Jack disguised his anxiety and looked at the doctor in much the same way as he had stared back at Carlos earlier. He knew that Ramon was extending the preliminary discussion in order to intimidate him and he wanted to show them that it wasn't working.
'Are you two ready?' the doctor asked Jack and Hector together. They both nodded, and Jack felt additional pressure on his wrist as Hector anticipated the inevitable flinch. The doctor placed his left hand tightly around Jack's hand and then used his right to sharply manipulate the finger into its original position. Jack's breath came in short gasps and multiple beads of sweat were visible on his brow. He closed his eyes as the worst of the pain subsided and then opened them again, preparing himself for the next onslaught.
The next two fingers took longer to manoeuvre but Jack had a measure of the pain and he found he could get through it. Finally, the doctor released Hector from his duties and took Jack's hand in his own to feel for broken bones in the hand. The bruising made this process more difficult to bear than Jack had expected but he was pleased to hear that the hand was functional. The doctor bound the hand and fingers tightly and then moved on to stitch the cuts. Jack jokingly asked for anaesthetic and Ramon obliged by passing him a bottle of Tequila, which he accepted willingly. He hoped it might just dull the throbbing from his hand and help him to get through the stitching and the night ahead. He knew that Ramon would be expecting to party to celebrate the end of such an interesting day – and that he would be the guest of honour.