"Cap…" Gavin didn't know what to say as Allen was rolled through the front door. He was a shadow of his former self. His faded grey eyes were dim and bloodshot, with bags so dark they were almost black. His hair had greyed a little since he'd last seen him. There were more lines across his brow and around his eyes. He'd lost so much weight his clothes sagged, and he could see his bones. He was weak. Frail. Phck, he's in worse shape than I was when I got here…Of course he was. He'd lost more. Emotionally as well as physically. From the looks of him, Gavin was surprised they'd saved him at all. He was the definition of a no-hoper. It was a miracle he'd survived the blast, let alone made it through surgery and the first recovery stage.
It had taken him weeks to be allowed to travel. The risk of infection had been too high, and with both legs cut off above the knees, he didn't have much more that they could take. Gavin couldn't even comprehend it. Both legs. Above the knee. On top of the amputations, he'd suffered some nasty burns. They weren't limited to his freshly stitched stumps either. They coiled around the tender skin before rising up his back and across his right side. His right arm, particularly the forearm, had also been caught. The burns were still sore and raw, wrapped in bandages that had to be changed regularly. From what Gavin had heard, the shell had almost fallen on top of him. He'd been lucky to get off so lightly. Phcking lightly? He would have preferred death. He was pretty sure Allen felt the same.
Although he didn't show it openly, he must have been in fucking agony. Losing one leg had been painful enough, but both legs and all those burns? He wouldn't have been able to handle it. Especially not knowing that his lover was dead. He and Sixty hadn't exactly seen eye-to-eye most of the time, but he'd been a good guy at heart. A good guy that Allen had loved. Phck, there's no way he would have put up with his shit otherwise! He'd covered for that menace more times than Gavin could count.
"It's good to see you…" It was good to see him, but not like this. It would be a long road to recovery, if he ever recovered. Allen didn't acknowledge the greeting. He barely seemed to notice anything at all. He remained hunched in his chair, gazing vacantly at his knees. Gavin looked at Nines worriedly before kneeling down beside him. "Hey…" He would have rested a hand on his thigh, but the skin beneath was obviously tender and scorched, so he settled for the solid arm of the chair instead as he tried to catch his eye. He didn't even seem to know he was there.
"He's had a long journey…Perhaps he'll perk up a bit later." The nurse didn't even sound convinced by her own words. Gavin's lips thinned as he smiled and nodded his agreement, though he didn't believe it either. Before Allen could rest, Elijah wanted to examine him. He needed to see the full extent of the damage, and he wanted the wounds freshly disinfected and wrapped in case they'd been dirtied along the way. Nines agreed it was a wise precaution, though it would be painful for Allen, who was already worn and weary. Gavin and Nines accompanied him to an examination room on the ground floor.
"You've arrived! I'll bring Elijah. Perhaps you two wouldn't mind helping with the bandages?" Chloe added as she looked between them. Gavin's jaw tightened as he nodded. This wasn't exactly his area, but he could at least do what he could to help as Nines unwrapped the wounds. Nines lifted Allen onto the bed and started tugging off his clothes. Though he didn't say it, Gavin knew he was thinking about how light he felt. He'd lost both legs, and clearly hadn't been eating much. He was wasting away.
Even taking his clothes off was a painful process. Despite Nines' gentle touch, Allen flinched and blinked in pain, thinning his lips to take quick, panted breaths through his nose. His eyes filled until the tears trickled down his hollow cheeks. Gavin didn't know where to look. He knew Allen. He was the strong, silent type. The last thing he'd want is to be seen like this. By anyone. Least of all the men he served with. It was surely humiliating for him, being handled while his subordinate watched. Gavin did his best not to show the pity he felt.
"Gavin, I need you…The air is going to sting, and I don't know how easily the bandage will come away." Gavin didn't understand what he meant at first, and he wished he'd never learned by the time they were through. Nines started with his forearm. It wasn't so bad at first. He tugged the end of the bandage loose and started unwinding it as Gavin held Allen's hand to keep him still. Everything was fine until they reached the layer against his skin. "Sorry…I know. I'll be as gentle as I can…" Gavin felt Allen's hand tighten as Nines started tugging the bandage loose. It was pink with blood and weeping fluid. The burns looked raw and fresh, even after the past few weeks.
"Why does it look so bad? Is it infected?" Gavin asked worriedly as he returned the grip and held Allen's upper arm. It was raw and painful, stinging and burning like it was fresh. Allen flinched and jerked with each small tug. Gavin was surprised to even hear a helpless whimper as Nines reached the halfway point. Nines ran his eyes over the long burn as he worked, brow pinched with worry.
"It's not that it's infected, but because it needed to be kept covered, it's taking longer to heal. That's why the dressings are changed so often, to safeguard against infection and keep the bandages from sticking. If the skin dries to the bandage, it's painful to remove, and can tear the top layer of fresh skin." Gavin winced at the news. It was, unfortunately, already happening in a few places. Allen took deep breaths of relief as Nines finished his arm, but he knew what was coming next. Since he was sitting up, Nines unwrapped his torso next. It wasn't so bad near the top, but the lower he got, the worse the burns were.
Allen's grey eyes remained wide as he gasped for breath. Gavin could tell by looking at him that this was the worst part of his life. Being in the shell blast was nothing. He'd barely felt it at first, and he'd passed out relatively quickly afterwards. This pain was unreal. Sharp. Burning. Stinging. Throbbing. There was a constant hum of pain that lingered throughout his entire body. Unwrapping the bandages was worse. It was torture. Gavin winced at the sight of fresh blood on his lower back where patches of skin had come away with the bandage.
He was impressed Allen had lasted so long in silence, but as Nines moved to his thighs, he was openly sobbing. The grip on Gavin's hand was like a vice as he stared up at him, desperate for salvation. Because his back was so badly burned, they had him lying on his front. Gavin's lips thinned as he held him down on the table with a hand on his shoulder. Allen couldn't help squirming and flinching away from Nines' touch. There wasn't much they could do to hold him. The burns ran over his thighs and rump, especially on the right side. Gavin was hesitant as he rested a supporting hand across his left hip, which was relatively clear of burns.
"Sorry, phck, I'm sorry…Hold on, just a little longer…" Gavin hated the patronising shit he was spouting, and he was pretty sure Allen wanted to punch him out by the end. Even though the bandages were off, they'd only just begun. The open air was making the skin sting and dry out. Allen trembled, overstimulated with the constant thrum of pain. "Hey, I'm here for you, alright?" Allen's lips trembled as he looked up at him. His eyes silently pleaded for him to end it. End my suffering! Gavin hated that part of him was willing to do it.
"Hello, Captain Allen. My name is Elijah Kamski…I'll be your lead physician while you're here." Allen clearly didn't give a shit about Elijah's gentle words. He was in too much pain to speak. Gavin remained at his side, holding his left hand tightly as Elijah began his examination. He started with the stitched skin of his thighs and work his way higher, to the less serious burns. Hopefully, getting the worst parts done would make it more bearable. It certainly didn't save Gavin's hand. He swore Allen was gripping so tight he was going to crush his bones. "The stitches will take a while to heal properly with all these burns…" Elijah seemed less than impressed.
"Is there anything we can do to quicken the process?" Nines asked as he helped Elijah. He was doing his best to keep Allen still as Elijah pressed and prodded the skin. His regretful expression was enough to tell Gavin the answer before he even spoke.
"I'm afraid not…With burns like these, the best we can do is keep them clean and moisturised and hope for the best. They should be covered as soon as we're done to limit the risk of infection…It'll likely be this way for another week, maybe two. The regular changing should give the skin a little time to air, but we don't want it exposed for too long." Gavin didn't really follow much, but he was pretty sure two weeks was too much for Allen. He was still crying silently, keeping his face turned towards him so that Elijah couldn't see. It seemed crying in front of a civilian he didn't know was worse than letting Gavin watch. "I'm going to try a new salve for the treatment…The bandages have been soaked in a mixture of oils to help the healing process, and I'll add this paste to the wound directly…It's a little like wax. It's going to act as a barrier between the skin and bandage, but it will allow the oils from the bandages to soak through to the skin. Hopefully, it'll prevent the peeling." That's something, at least…
"Let me…My touch is lighter," Chloe insisted as she took the tub of waxy cream from Elijah, who smiled his thanks as he joined Nines in limiting Allen's movements. Despite Chloe insisting her touch was lighter, it was still agony for Allen. He openly cried and groaned as her soft hands massaged the creamy substance over his raw skin. Gavin gripped his hand while keeping him pressed against the table. Chloe worked on one limb at a time. She'd massage in the wax, then Elijah would take an oiled bandage and wrap the wound before finishing with a dry layer of bandages on top.
Gavin was surprised Allen hadn't passed out. He was clearly in agony. His eyes were wide and red rimmed with tears, and he was shaking like a leaf by the time Elijah and Chloe finished. His skin was pale. He was weak. He didn't put up a fight as Nines returned him to the wheelchair, ready to push him to a room down the hall where he could rest. Chloe went with them so that she could settle him in and give him some medication for the pain. It would be kinder than letting him suffer through it. He needed to sleep after the long journey he'd had.
"What's your opinion?" Elijah didn't need him to specify. He knew what he was asking. He sighed as he wiped down the examination table, ready for the next patient. Captain Allen had to be one of the most severe cases he'd seen, as far as amputations and burns went. He'd lost almost half of each thigh in their fight to stem the infection, and the burns were relatively serious. It was a wonder he'd survived the trip back from the front, never mind the surgery.
"He has a good chance of survival, so long as he remains clear of infection." Living was good. Sort of. Gavin waited for more, folding his arms worriedly as he prepared for the worst. "The burns should heal, though the scarring will likely remain in the worst areas. With any luck, the pain will ease within the next two weeks, and they should fully heal within a month." Okay, that sounded more promising. "I don't want to tempt fate, so I won't even begin assigning leg exercises until after that time." Sure, Allen was in enough pain without that on top. "But that will make his full recovery time a lot longer. You know yourself how difficult it is to adjust to prosthetics, and Captain Allen's journey will be far more complex than your own." That was certainly true. He'd only needed one half-leg prosthetic, and that had been bad enough. He couldn't even imagine having two. Not to mention learning to use the knee joints, Christ!
"What do you think, honestly? Will he walk again?" He felt a little more relaxed as Elijah smirked.
"So long as he recovers from the burns, I'll have him on his feet again within a year." Gavin huffed at the confident declaration. That was a ballsy statement to make. We have to get him through the first month first…That was a sizable task. He didn't just need to heal physically. He needed to recover emotionally, too. The loss of Sixty. Losing his legs. The constant pain. The helplessness. He needed to be given a reason to stick around and work things out. If he continued wasting away, he may never get back on track. Unfortunately, the one person who would have been able to get him on track was no longer there to do it.