Chapter 39 - Recovery
The Nautilus, Coast of Island X: September 30th

As soon as the League made it back to the Nautilus, Quatermain hurried out of the automobile to tell the crew that they needed a stretcher. They already had them at hand, anticipating such. The two automobiles made their way back onto the ship and from there Ishmael was whisked off to the infirmary with the help of a crewman. Lupin was taken next on a stretcher. They kept the coat over him to keep him warm.
"He should have woken up by now," Nemo mumbled to himself. His concern for Lupin's wellbeing grew.

Sawyer came to get Skinner to help him up to the infirmary. As blood dried around his wounds, they became visible, and he was badly marked. Everyone was shocked at the number of injuries he had. He tried to insist he was fine, but a dizzy spell told Sawyer otherwise. So even with Skinner grumbling, Sawyer took him to be looked after.

Nemo stayed in the automobile for a moment to rest his tired body. Mina looked at him from behind. She could see the exhaustion entering his frame, the emotion eating away at him.

She placed her hand on Nemo's shoulder and squeezed it very gently. Nemo's hand fell on top of hers for a moment and he sighed. He turned his head so he could see her hand out of the corner of his eye before he patted it, a gesture for her to let go. Mina acknowledged his request and understood why when she saw some of his men coming to collect Pavan's body. She climbed out of the car, not bothering to wait for someone to open it.

Nemo climbed out of the driver's seat and as he did his mask of control came back. To the crew around him, it looked as though nothing had happened to the captain over the last few weeks. He didn't hide his grief, only his personal pain and anger. Once he was standing he had to steady himself by putting one hand on the roof to help take the pressure off his throbbing leg. He looked at Pavan's body as some of the crew carried him away. After a moment Nemo looked away and blinked hard.

Mina walked around the automobile to meet him, put his arm over her shoulders and helped him to walk. Nemo tried not to lean on her too much but the further he walked, the harder it became. Nemo tried to walk towards his room but Mina wouldn't allow it.
"I'm taking you to the infirmary."

"Mrs Harker, I assure you, I will be fine."
"I wasn't asking, Captain. Your leg needs to be treated."
"It is unnecessary. Jekyll will be busy enough without my contribution," Nemo insisted, though his wincing didn't strengthen his side of the argument.

"Jekyll isn't the only one with medical training on this ship. All I ask is you stay here tonight," Mina continued. At that Nemo did not try to argue and so allowed himself to be guided away. He had to admit it was a relief to finally be back, even with the horrid and cruel circumstances.

It didn't take Mina and Nemo long at all to get up to the infirmary. The infirmary wasn't huge, but it was enough. There were two rows of ten plain beds at either side of the room. Each bed had the option of a curtain to offer some privacy. Some of Nemo's crew were about, helping where they could. Mina helped Nemo to a chair and left him to check if Jekyll needed help.

Sawyer and Quatermain had left the infirmary for the time being to get changed into dry clothes. Mina and Jekyll would have to get changed later once the injured had been seen to.

Upon returning to his side, Nemo insisted that Mina saw to the others first. Though he had tried to hide it, the captain was tired and felt drained as he internally grieved. He needed undisturbed time to think. Mina decided that what the captain had said was wise, but she asked one of the crew to see him briefly.

The captain didn't need much care for the time being at least but Mina wanted to keep an eye on him. His boot was removed and his ankle had ice applied to it, which Nemo held in place himself. To finish it off, he was given a blanket to wrap around his shoulders to help keep him warm from the bad weather.

Nemo didn't like the attention, but he couldn't deny he was chilled to the bone and his ankle throbbed. His clothes were still wet but Sawyer went to collect him some dry ones. Nemo didn't really have the energy to get changed into the few sets of clothes he had left but, once Sawyer drew the curtain for him, he managed. After that Nemo was left to sit quietly in a chair, grateful for the closed curtain.

Mina helped Lupin, moving the wet coat off him and covering him with a blanket. She did not like the fact that he was still asleep. He reeked of blood, and Mina was glad she'd already drunk her fill, she assumed it was from his nose and didn't care that much to check. As she looked over his head she saw no large bumps, but she was drawn to small speck of blood on his shoulder, and a few drops of blood almost at his neck. An injection?

There was little she could do for that aside from telling the other medics to monitor him. If, if, he woke up, she had no clue what Nemo wanted doing with him. She wanted to help Skinner first, rather than an enemy.

Helping Skinner wasn't easy. Mina had to clean and sew wounds that she could not see. Her vampiric abilities seemed to help her somewhat and with a great deal of care and guidance from Skinner, she managed. Burns had been easier to treat. The skin was dead and she could tell what she was working with, but this time it was much more difficult with only the slowly drying blood that she had to wash away.

What concerned her was how quiet the thief was. He hissed at the pain but didn't really say anything. He was sitting straddling a wooden chair so he could lean on the chair's back whilst Mina could see to his shoulder blade. He didn't squirm half as much as what she expected. He seemed to have suddenly steeled himself up and was able to tolerate the pain somewhat.

"Rodney, are you alright?" she couldn't help but ask, frowning in concern.
"Me? I'll be fine. Just tired," Skinner answered. He ended up yawning and seemed to be trying to go to sleep.
Mina kept him awake long enough to bandage his shoulder, with the invisible man's guidance. She didn't believe him one bit in terms of his welfare but understood that he didn't want to talk. Unfortunately, she wasn't done yet.

The process was repeated for his arms by which point they found themselves in the later hours of the night. Nemo had drifted off to sleep and Skinner seemed keen to do the same. He was glad when it was finally over. Mina helped him to bed and left him to sleep, drawing the curtains that surrounded the area around his bed to give him some privacy. By this point, the rest of the crew had left the infirmary, so Mina assumed that all of the badly injured had been seen to.

Mina could manage very well with not sleeping for a night, but for Jekyll staying awake wasn't as easy. He was still with Ishmael who was left to heal now the wound had been mended. His wounds were not bad, but it had taken more time than he'd expected to help him. The curtain had been drawn. Mina quietly entered to see the doctor was asleep in a chair beside the first mate. He was a light sleeper which was helpful in these circumstances. If she needed help, she only needed to call.

There was nothing Mina could do for Nemo, not until the morning. The swelling in his ankle was going down and it didn't look half as angry. With a very gentle shake, she woke the captain and helped him to a bed where he could sleep comfortably. Mina left the ice off, but she put a pillow under his leg to raise it up a bit. The captain fell asleep again quickly after asking if everyone was alright and receiving the answer he hoped for.

After there was only one left to tend to properly; that was Arsène Lupin- she recognised him from Belgium. He still hadn't woken up. The crew had wiped the blood off his face and cleaned him up a bit, though his face was still badly marked. Mina didn't think his injuries were serious but she decided to check properly all the same. He still needed to get changed out of his wet clothes. He hadn't woken up and unconsciousness for this long was a massive cause for concern. His nose was broken which would need fixing, but initially, Mina expected that was all. The strengthening scent of blood around him as she approached, however, was cause for concern. It shouldn't have been there, not now the blood had been cleaned up...

Lupin's arms were resting on top of the blanket by his sides, though as he slept his hand had crept up to his chest. Movement was a good sign at least. Mina found it unusual to see that his hands were covered in so much dry blood. She moved his arms and pulled the blanket away that covered him. She couldn't shift the feeling that something was wrong and her instincts proved to be right. Upon opening his blazer which was wrapped around him, Mina found something no one had noticed, what no one had wanted to notice.

Mina walked over to Jekyll and shook his shoulder. "Dr Jekyll," she whispered.
Jekyll shook himself awake and followed her to see what was wrong. Blood was still sluggishly oozing from the wound and it was a sore sight to behold. It was a long and deep gash.

"I didn't see that he was hurt," Jekyll muttered in alarm as went to collect his things. "I thought it was just blood from his nose."
"Nor did I… There was so much blood in the air I didn't realise... I only thought he was unconscious," Mina replied, as she unbuttoned the remains of his shirt to reveal his battered chest and torso.

Jekyll returned and the two set to work. It was a slow process but Lupin gave them no difficulty by moving in his sleep. Once his chest was treated, they checked him over for any more injuries. There were plenty of cuts and scrapes though most needed no stitches. There was however, a very bad scar on his side, but that was long healed. Mina wondered where he collected such a mark. Lupin's left wrist looked to be badly bruised and swollen. A strain, no doubt - perhaps from a fall?

An hour passed but by then all of Lupin's injuries were seen to, including his nose. Mina and Jekyll changed him into clean clothes and put him under fresh blankets. The thief had lost a lot of blood, but he had hopefully avoided any danger. Mina had to stay with him for half an hour to keep some ice on his wrist.

In truth, Mina knew why no one had noticed he was wounded. No one wanted him here, no one particularly wanted to help him to pay enough attention. He was an enemy and Mina did not understand why he was here. The only explanation she could supply as that Nemo wanted him here, and she had every intention of respecting that wish, or so she thought she had.

Then all that could be done was to wait.

The Nautilus, Indian Ocean: October 1st,

Lupin slowly pulled himself around into consciousness. He expected himself to be trapped, suffocating in heavy darkness. For great rocks and boulders to be crushing him. He thought the dust would be wrapping around his throat, slowly choking him and squeezing all the air out of his lungs.

It was quite the reverse.

Lupin found himself in a soft warm bed. It was not the bed he lay in on Island X. No, he could tell the difference, although the change was subtle, he could tell this bed was softer and it eased the pressure off his aching muscles. He tried to sit up to move the pillows further up, but his body protested and kept him down, that, and the shackle on his less sore hand which he guessed was fastened to the bed frame.

"Wake up, Lupin. Come on," someone said gently. English? That left Lupin feeling just as confused.
"By Jove," he muttered, cracking his eyes open. "I must have gone down harder than I thought." The thief swallowed hard; his throat was dry and sore.
"Indeed you did. You've been unconscious all night. We doubted if you were going to ever wake up."

Lupin slowly opened his eyes; even such a gentle light that the lamp provided in his area was enough to aggravate his stinging eyes. He had heard the voice before, but he was too tired and dizzy to focus properly. He could only wait for his eyes to calm down as he blinked hard. His head was pounding and he could not get it to subside.

He wanted to go back to sleep but understood that this needed immediate attention. Lupin knew the voice did not belong to an inhabitant of the island but in that case what had happened? Where was he? Though he did not know the answer, the thief decided to put on his little act. The Arsène Lupin that the newspapers knew and loved to report on. The careless man whose intelligence could not easily be beaten. The cunning thief who feared nothing- not even death. He could ill afford himself to be seen as anyone else.

Now his eyes had settled, he found Dr Jekyll to be sitting on the edge of the bed. He was wrapping a bandage around Lupin's left wrist. The thief found himself in the infirmary of the Nautilus and couldn't deny that he was a little surprised.
"My my, it seems I have missed a great deal. Tell me, doctor, just how badly damaged is my poor arm- and the rest of me of course."
Jekyll sighed, tying the bandage off. Lupin yelped at the extra pressure on his hand.
"By Jupiter, be careful over there! Come now, surely you aren't still mad at me for borrowing a few bottles of formula?"

Lupin silently studied the doctor, he knew just how far he could push him before he put himself at risk. Jekyll definitely seemed to be quite red raw one way or another.

"I'm much more annoyed at other factors but as a matter of fact, yes. Do you realise just how dangerous those vials are?"
"Quite so."
"You could have killed someone. You very nearly killed Nemo."
"Hence the reason I thought the vials would have been well guarded. If it makes you feel any better about this whole affair, then I am truly sorry. However, orders are orders."

Just then the curtain surrounding Lupin's bed moved to reveal Nemo. Lupin wasn't sure what had happened but Nemo was using a walking stick. He seemed more relaxed now he was on his ship. He was glad to see it.

Oh how quickly the tables can turn, Lupin thought to himself with a weak smile. It was almost as though they had switched places.

"Is everything alright?"
"Yes, Captain, he's in a far better state than I expected. I do believe your friend's personality is still in check. He'll recover quickly, given he rests. Although he did manage to badly cut his chest. I suppose anything could have been in amongst the rubble. Luck seems to be on his side," Jekyll explained.

"It wasn't the rubble that did that," the thief muttered.
"Lupin?" Nemo inquired.
"I was attacked, I hardly had a chance to fight back. He was too strong, too fast. He injected me with… with something." For a moment the thief seemed lost in his memories, thinking things through.

"Lupin, who is responsible for this?" Nemo asked curiously, limping to the end of the bed and consequently drawing his attention.
Lupin looked down. "It was Nyctalope. I was wrong about him, but I could have sworn he was innocent."
"Try not to concern yourself with it until you recover. Still, I have to ask, when was this? Nyctalope was at the cells before I escaped. Sawyer and I struggled to leave."

Lupin shrugged, a movement he immediately regretted but continued with a hiss. "I do not know, Monsieur. I must have time to think this through… Whilst I have your attention, however, may I be so bold as to ask why I am here and what is to become of me?"
"You may. I am returning you to France. You have the chance to get away from the Mysterious Men. Though, whether you leave or not is your decision."

Lupin pulled a face of doubt. "Just like that? I find it incredibly hard to believe."
"Whether you believe it or not does not concern me. You have about two weeks on board before I drop you off at Marseilles. After that, you are on your own. In the meanwhile," Nemo produced a key from the bedside table.
"Give me your word of honour that you won't try to escape or disrupt this ship in any way, and I will allow you the freedom to move around as you please on board."

Lupin studied Nemo for the slightest of seconds. Nemo had reclaimed all the authority the position as Captain gave him. Nemo seemed a little blunter than expected. The thief sighed with a grateful nod. "Very well, you have my word. Merci."
Nemo released his hand, and Lupin stretched it, rotating his wrist around. "Go against your word and you will be confined to your room."
"I understand. I'd much rather use this time to heal."
Jekyll and Nemo looked at each other with a small nod. They both left.

Lupin was about to settle down and give in to sleep, but he was interrupted by Skinner coming to see him.

"Well don't you look as rough as a badger's backside?" Skinner remarked half-heartedly.
"You probably aren't in top form either," Lupin pointed out, opening one eye. Lupin could not see him fully, only a large floating mass of bandages and a pair of pyjama trousers. Skinner stood at the bottom of the bed, leaning against the metal bed frame with his arms folded.
"No thanks to you lot anyway," Skinner grumbled.
"If you're going to blame me for all this and expect an argument, at least get me a drink of water first," Lupin said defiantly, knowing fine well where this conversation was leading.

Skinner tutted, but moved forward and handed him a glass from the table beside him. Lupin took it, drinking it down in a draught, the pain in his throat increased, but it would soon settle once more.

"If I had it my way, I'd have left you on the island or at least locked you up. You're lucky Nemo is the one in charge."

"How very kind… Who else was injured when you came for your captain?"
"You and me. Nemo hurt his leg again, Mina was almost killed and Ishmael nearly got crushed… We lost one too. The acting captain," Skinner answered quietly, so the others couldn't overhear, it was harder to tell how he was feeling with only the tone of his voice to go on. It was still clear he was internally upset though he was channelling it out through anger.

The news took Lupin aback. He was silent for a few seconds before he found his voice. "I'm sorry… Our entire mission clearly came to be blown out of proportion. We didn't want anyone to be hurt through this."
"Well, that went out the window, didn't it? What did you even want with Nemo?" he asked somewhat harshly.

Mina Harker drew the curtain back quickly. "Skinner, back to bed," she ordered.
"Queen's orders," Skinner muttered, leaving the thief alone. The amount of blood that had been spilt throughout this greatly weighed on both of the thieves and no doubt would for a long while.

"Do you need anything?" Mina asked Lupin, taking the empty glass from him
"No, thank you, Mrs Harker," Lupin answered politely, knowing fine well not to annoy the vampire- especially with the news he had just heard.

With that, she left him to sleep. Her expression remained cold as she drew the curtain. Lupin decided to take full advantage of the opportunity of the privacy he had and went back to sleep. What else was there to do after all? The more he slept the sooner he could hopefully heal, which sounded promising to his battered body. He knew this was going to be a very long journey.