Rest and Rehabilitation

Viktor entered the operating room carrying Ren's new leg.

"This is it?" Ren asked as he was presented with the prosthetic, "I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I thought you were going to give me an augmentation, not a simple prosthetic."

The limb Viktor held was exceedingly simple, crafted from wood rather than metal.

"You must relearn to walk before I construct you a proper limb," Viktor said, "until then, this wooden one will aid you."

"I understand. Again, I'm not ungrateful, but this wasn't what I had in mind when I knew a master of robotics would be making me a new leg."

"And your behavior is not what I had in mind for someone who had his life saved by an act of generosity. Now, do not move your leg. I need to make sure the prosthetic fits."

Viktor slid gloves over his fingers before peeling back the sock on Ren's stump. The stump, as well as the inside of the sock, was slick from drainage of the wound. Viktor tossed the sock aside for it to be disposed.

"Is that normal?" Ren asked, "All that blood?"

"The blood and swelling are to be expected. The majority of the discharge is clear. Your wound is healing at an average rate," Viktor answered.

"Swelling reduced exponentially since surgery," Viktor thought to himself as he observed the surgery site, "could remove drain to promote healing. The sooner the wound is healed, the sooner the prototype can be attached. Will remove drain."

Ren watched Viktor work silently. His mind buzzed with questions, but he couldn't get his mouth to ask any of them. It was one thing to see his stump in a sock, another to see it without, and yet another thing entirely to see a man poking around it with sharp objects. No question was worth distracting Viktor for. The thought of a misplaced jab had Ren preemptively flinching.

"Do not move," Viktor repeated, "I am going to remove the drain. You will experience some discomfort, so if you must, grip the table, but do not move your leg."

Ren nodded and closed his eyes in hopes that it would hurt less if he didn't see it. He gasped as he felt Viktor slide the drain out and he knew he was wrong. It still hurt like someone was pulling the world's largest splinter from his leg. Ren's clenched his teeth and held the table in a white-knuckled grip until he felt the last of the drain slide from him.

"Ouch," he whined through clenched teeth.

"You performed better than expected, N-12." Viktor said.

"Thank you?" Ren said as he opened his eyes again.

Viktor cleaned the wound and moved the prosthetic up to the stump.

"Made prosthetic too large, will need extra sock for cushioning and to fill space. Amend this for metal prototype. Prosthetic will fit, temporary anyways. Body almost ready for new limb. Keep it in clean socks until then."

"You will be on your feet in two days, N-12." Viktor said, "I will give you stretches that you are to perform. You have lost muscle strength from being sedentary for several days. You will need to regain it and your flexibility."

Viktor grabbed Ren's thigh and gently lifted it.

"You will lift yours legs three inches and hold it there for five seconds. You will then move it to the left and hold it for another five seconds, then the right and hold, and then center and hold. You complete a set of ten of each of these twice a day for each limb."

He placed Ren's leg back down and grabbed his ankle.

"There will be more exercises for your other leg. You will flex your ankle ten times each hour. Tomorrow, I will instruct you on additional exercises to aid in you regaining your strength. Do you have any questions, N-12?"

"About the stretches, no, that's all crystal," Ren said, "but Ren does have a question to what kind of leg Ren will be getting later?"

"N-12 will receive a prototype leg augmentation designed for mobility enhancements," Viktor said, "my legs currently operate at above average human performance. However, my work puts me in contact with those whose bodies are exceptionally above average human efficiency. I will continue to improve my limbs until they surpass even their abnormal bodies."

"That's a tall order."

"It is an inevitability."

"Is it? I have no doubt that you already surpassed most humans, but all humans? That's a lot of people, and some of them get their power from magic, those strength obsessed Noxian soldiers, and what about those-"

"It is an inevitability," Viktor cut him off, "and it is one you will be helping me to achieve, N-12."

Viktor's organic fist clenched and Ren shut his mouth. The sudden urge to back away crept up his back, but he never needed to act on it. As soon as the outburst happened, all traces of it vanished. Viktor relaxed his hand and turned away.

"Sleep, subject N-12. Tomorrow your rehabilitation will intensify."