Exam room explanations
"Explanations, like clarions, summon us to the land of the sane; if we would not go, we must shut our ears, or close our minds."
"99.6" Morrow said, looking at the thermometer in his hand. "You still have a temperature."
Harri sighed and leaned back with her hands behind her on the exam table. She had half a thought that from her current position, legs dangling over the side and Morrow in front of them that a good heft of her leg in its cast into his groin would probably do enough damage for her to run. She wouldn't get far on said cast however. While she had to admit she felt better than she had a few days prior she was still very tired and still in some pain. Instead she satisfied herself with rolling her eyes and retorting "1 degree, big deal."
"It's enough of a deal, if your DNA was 1% off then you'd be a dolphin." He grumped
She smiled and immediately tried to hide the emotion. Despite her insistence that she was not going to soften her resolve to escape she had to admit that after 4 days of their care the Doc and his associate were starting to grow on her.
As Morrow took her arm, pushing the sleeve of her robe up to her shoulder she eyed the strip of fabric in a bored sort of fashion. He wrapped it around her upper arm and began inflating it with a puff puff sound. She sighed as it tightened and looked around the small exam room thoughtfully.
Just over two hours ago when Eric had backed into her room with the heavy, ancient looking wheelchair she had no idea how the day was going to turn out. She remembered looking at it suspiciously.
"The Doc wants to have a look at you." Eric said by way of explanation "I'm to take you to him if you're done eating." He had grinned, good natured American hero written all over.
She had looked at the empty plastic bowl of porridge and the plastic cup of orange juice Eric had brought in for breakfast earlier. She hadn't much else to do and really could she say no? It was an illusion of choice she had thought as she pulled back her bed sheets and carefully moved the heavy ankle with the cast.
"Why the change of scenery?" She had asked as he moved to help her into a light blue robe he had brought with him. She pulled it on over the hospital gown and shorts she wore and then slowly lowered herself into the chair.
The notion of the Doctor wanting to look at her was not new. In fact in her time here while she had been conscious over the last four days she had seen Eric three times a day when he came in with meals and to check her vitals and the head honcho himself at least twice a day. Sometime around mid afternoon and during the evening (based on the meal timings, since she had no windows) Morrow with his dark disheveled hair and weathered features and mismatched eyes swanned in, checked her vitals and progress or came to ask her questions then left again.
Save for those intrusions and for the better part of the day she was left to 'rest'. She couldn't allow herself to recuperate the way she wanted of course, slipping into the astral plane of the void and sitting at the bonfire there, allowing it to regenerate her metaphysical self while her physical form healed in a sort of deep sleep. All of her energy therefore was being utilized to heal without that respite and it was taking its toll. She was weary and weak but she was healing, she knew this much by the facial expressions Morrow made when he checked her injuries or by the comments on "how much better" she looked Eric made.
Truth be told, her stay with them so far was not exactly what she had expected. What she had expected of being held by a mystic she couldn't say but boredom wasn't it! At least Eric had given her a book to read. "What's wrong with here?" She asked as they moved out of the room.
Eric had smiled as he pushed her along. "He wants to do a proper exam which means he needs access to more instruments so the exam room is best for that. I promise we aren't going far just to the end of the corridor."
With little choice and partly glad to have an excuse to see beyond the door to her room Harri had quietly complied.
The corridors told her what the wheelchair did and what she had already summised, the building was old, repurposed. Exposed brick and flaking paint gave the place a semi abandoned semi renovated kind of feel.
"It's not as creepy as it seems." Eric had said from above her as if reading her thoughts. His feet clicked slightly on the very clean looking floor.
They had passed a series of closed doors on each side of the corridor, a double door at the end led into another corridor with more closed doors. As expected there was no glowing 'exit' sign to help point her in the correct direction of escape. Eric pushed her a short distance further and into a room marked 'exam room' where Morrow waited.
She could feel his presence before the doors opened. The sense of his aura was familiar to her now. If she closed her eyes and concentrated in her room she could sense his presence in the wider facility. He paced a lot! Focused on it as much as she was, it had given a start when the day before it had begun to ebb and vanished completely. He had left, she reasoned eventually, probably following some lead on the creatures that had brought them together in the first place.
They had spoken a little more about that. About Morrow's deduction these things were being manufactured and his and Eric's attempts to find where in Arkham was capable of such a feat of engineering. He had listened to her insights and ideas on the things and questioned her about her people, her magic and her upbringing. She had stuck to basic answers where possible but she could feel the Doctor becoming more and more frustrated with her when she wouldn't answer specifics. She in turn was beginning to think what she had been told about mystics either wasn't exactly the whole truth or perhaps she was being played.
Eric had helped her onto the exam table, a leather and metal affair bolted down to the tiled floor, and wheeled the chair back towards the door out of the way before leaving to follow up on some tasks he had to do.
Morrow had asked how she was feeling and some specifics regarding her injuries and then brought out a cardboard file in which he made notes of her answers. He then explained what he planned to do and the process of him examining her had started. It was slow going, partly because he was being exceptionally thorough and partly because he was asking questions as they went. Questions he expected answers to. There were samples taken, electrodes stuck to her chest and temples for readings and a host of other tests. He also had had to sit and calculate for a few minutes minus the weight of her cast when he had put her on some scales. All in all the whole thing so far left her feeling mildly embarrassed and exceptionally exposed. But she had to play ball, and had no other choice. Part of her wondered now that if she did toe the line maybe he would let her go of his own volition when he got bored…whenever that might be.
The noise of Morrow clearing his throat snapped her back to the present.
"Sorry what?" She asked and gave her head a little shake.
Morrow was looking intently at her, while he stood holding a penlight and a tongue depressor. He kept the wooden object in his hand and clicked the penlight on, bringing it up to her face he checked her pupils "I said, are you feeling alright?"
She closed her eyes against the light and drew back slightly, her forehead wrinkling. "Surely you'd know, isn't that what examining me is supposed to tell you?"
"I'm examining you so I have a full account of you and your kind in my files." He clicked the penlight off and considered her again. "You keep zoning out on me like that and I'm going to run another EEG."
Harri rolled her eyes but said nothing.
He made a note in his file and then brought the tongue depressor up and clicked the penlight on again "Now, if you'd be kind enough to open your mouth for me please."
"I think you'll find that I have exactly the same throat and inside as your kind." She said, heavily sarcastic.
"You'd be surprised at what I have found at the backs of throats of people who look human." He said unperturbed. He gave a small smirk at the thought of the last incident with the Girl 'Scarlett' and what had happened when he put the tongue depressor in her mouth…and the trouble it had caused. He waited patiently.
Watching the stick a moment longer Harri sighed and did as he asked.
"Say ahh." Morrow prompted, peering into her throat. He was frowning again.
Harri rolled her eyes but did as he had asked again "Ahhhh"
"Hmmm" Morrow said, still peering. "No tonsils. Scarring however suggests you had them at some point. They've been removed."
She found herself unable really to give him an answer. After about thirty seconds she felt the urge to cough or gag. She pulled back slightly when the noise did not make him remove the tongue depressor.
Noticing her reaction Morrow seemed to snap back to himself from his thoughts. "Sorry." He said and did remove the offending item.
Harri coughed to clear her throat in reply as he disposed of the stick and picking up his folder again began writing on the notepad. "You're being very good, you know." He muttered offhandedly
The glare that he looked up from his notes to find on the girl's face caused his eyebrows to shoot upwards. Racking his brain for what he had said that could possibly have caused such offense he gave a small sigh. "No need to get tetchy, I meant it as a compliment. Calm and cooperative haven't been my usual clientele for my in-patients for a while, remember."
He waited for her to regain her composure before bringing his hands to her neck. She leaned further backwards still and he paused, his gloved fingers still outstretched. A wry amused smirk crossed his features. "What? you expect me to strangle you now? If I intended to do something nefarious to you don't you think I would have by now?"
"I couldn't possibly begin to imagine what you might or might not do." She said stoically.
The amusement faded slightly and annoyance crept into the man's tone. "I just want to check your glands."
She moved back into the seated position and allowed him to move his fingers into her neck and jawline. She sat watching him with interest. In fairness he was fairly fascinating. The first real life mystic she had encountered up close. Maybe that was partly why she did as he asked, she mused because she found him just and intriguing as he apparently found her. She considered what she had been taught about mystics and the conflicts between the Hunters and them in centuries past, long before her lifetime. Now it seemed they had forgotten her people to the mists of myth and time.
Turning her attention back to Morrow she saw his grumpy expression had cleared and his mismatched eyes stared off at something above her right shoulder as he palpated her glands.
"The Scar tissue was present…minimal damage overall around the area, and not too old" he muttered, still moving his fingers in circles. He fixed his gaze on her "…how long ago were the tonsils removed?"
"Mine?" She asked
"Well I don't mean mine." He said. "And you're the only other one in here so make of that what you will."
She considered if this question gave him more information than he needed before answering. "When I was 12."
"Four years ago…" he mused, still palpating. "Recurrent infections?"
"Like happening a lot?"
"Yes, that's what recurrent means."
"No,"
"It is what it means." Morrow said "Like you had Tonsillitis, sore throats, that sort of thing."
"No, not the meaning of the word. I meant Not that I can recall."
He stopped palpating and dropping his hands frowned at her. "Your glands are fine. Do you get sore throats?"
"No." She shook her head.
Still frowning he picked up his pen and noted down again on the pad in his folder "Do you get sick a lot?"
"Nope" Harri said, watching him make a note. She gave him a sideways look "Do you really think I'd be out hunting monsters if I did?"
"I'm sure I couldn't possibly begin to imagine what you might or might not do." He smirked using her words against her but continued "How 'bout as a child?"
"Nope." She sighed, sounding bored.
Morrow paused in his notations "Can you remember the last time you were sick?"
"Apart from this time?"
"Obviously." He rolled his eyes.
"Are we including training or field injuries?"
Morrow paused to consider this. "No. Illness not injuries."
"Not really then," she gave a shrug.
"Come on, Coughs, colds, viruses...childhood ailments. I'm trying to establish a medical history here, give me something."
Harri occupied herself by swinging her hood leg over the side of the exam table "Sorry, I don't know what else you want me to tell you?"
"I want you to tell me if you have a normal relationship with illness or if you have some sort of magical immunity to things. I mean are you even vaccinated?"
"I…don't know how to answer that one."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning…I don't really know. I don't think so?"
"That is very important information that I will need to help treat you." He said sternly. He watched as she continued to sit, looking at him with her jaw set. Realizing he would be unlikely to get anything further in this particular line of questioning he filed the information for later and went back to his original point. "Fine. Let me try it this way, when was the last time you remember being sick enough to need medical attention and do you remember what the problem was?"
Harri rubbed her face with one hand but did look thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know. Like...when I was eight I had the flu?"
"You had the flu when you were eight." He replied, sounding almost disgusted at her response. "Are you serious?"
She gave him an innocent expression and he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. "You had the flu half your life time ago…" he repeated "I take it back you're not being very cooperative." He grumbled
"I'm answering your questions. It's not my fault they aren't the answers you want!" She bristled. "Why don't you try asking me exactly what it is you want to know."
"Fine! Why…" Morrow growled "…were the tonsils removed if you apparently can't remember suffering from recurrent infections?"
"I. was. 12." She said again, emphasizing each point as if this both explained it and he was being stupid.
"Yes." Morrow said with impatience. "You said that, I'm asking why, not when. "
Harri frowned. "I don't understand." She said, throwing her hands up. "I was 12...your tonsils come out when…"
What she was saying suddenly made sense "When you are 12…" Morrow finished for her, realisation and understanding dawning on his face. He put his hand on his forehead. Stupid he thought. At 12 they undergo surgery to remove them. Wait… He frowned at her then procured another tongue depressor and the penlight from the inside pocket of his lab coat, which he clicked on and pointed at her mouth "Open again."
"Why?" She asked.
"Indulge me." Morrow responded and this time when she complied he took his time examining the surgical site. "It looks like they were cut out using a hot method. The wound seared closed after the tissue had been excised. Properly done, not some hack job." He removed the light and the tongue depressor.
Harri coughed again, her throat now feeling dry and uncomfortable she swallowed a couple of times to rid herself of the feeling.
Morrow's eyes had lit up. "Right, ok. So you Hunters of Gerhman, all of you have your tonsils removed when you're 12…regardless of the physical state of them."
"Yes." Harri said carefully, unsure if this information was too much to share. She couldn't see how, however.
"Why?" Morrow demanded.
"I…" she bit her lip. "It's part of the…preparation." She gave a pained expression that had nothing to do with her injuries.
He recognised the look. It had happened a couple of times over the last few days as he touched on elements of her origins that she was unwilling to share. No amount of arguing with her or bribes had coaxed it out and each time he had forced the issue the conversation had closed down. "Ok. Ok. Say no more, let me figure it out." Morrow said. Leaning back against the cabinet he considered her, deep in thought.
After three minutes,when she was beginning to feel awkward he clicked his fingers. "I've got it." He said his eyes alight with excitement and a large grin on his face. "Your tonsils are removed at twelve years because at that stage of life it leads to a significant perturbation in further immune system development with the potential to impact a wide range of organ systems." Such a simple concept really but the sheer notion of it was almost like poetry. He could feel the excitement of what this could mean bubbling in him, a welcome change after the last few days' failures. He thought and looked up at the girl. It appeared his comments had not elicited the same response from his patient who it seemed did not share his excitement. His grin faltered slightly at her blank expression.
"That's to say, they do it to reduce the immune response for when they infect…" he started to explain. She glared at him and he caught her expression. "...pardon me…" he held up a hand in a placating gesture "...for when you undergo your ceremony, ritual, thing. It's to assist with reducing rejection from the infection."
"It's not an infection." Harri growled.
This caused Morrow to uncross his arms. He pointed his index finger into the palm of his other hand to punctuate his next point "Well it certainly seems like your body would treat it as such hence the measures taken to help reduce it!"
Harri clenched her fists. If not for the cast she would likely have gotten to her feet in anger. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not infected!!"
But another thought had popped into the Doctor's head, he held up his hands to stop her onslaught "Hang on a second…your shaman does this?"
"What?" Harri blinked at the change of track.
"The surgery. You told me you have healers and a shaman if things need someone more experienced, Not doctors. "
"Yes."
"So does your shaman perform the surgery?"
"Well…yeah."
"Using tools…sedation?"
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"What do you mean no?" Morrow asked looking annoyed again.
" I mean No. You aren't supposed to be sedated, you need to be awake for it."
"You were awake when they did this?" He blinked at her.
"Yes."
"Conscious, with no anaesthesia?"
"You kinda go into a trace thing… you take a potion and herbs beforehand to dull the pain."
Morrow stared at her. "For it to be done with that level of precision…that surgery would take about 30 minutes and would be very painful if you were awake."
Harri shrugged "Time has little meaning when it's happening, but yeah I can see it being that long. Why are you staring at me like that?"
"What, are you from the 1920s? Most doctors don't recommend doing it that way for decades. And with good reason! Wasn't it painful?" He fumed.
She looked thoughtful again. "Not really… not as painful as other things."
"Not painful…They held you down and burned your tonsils out?"
"I mean when you put it like that…"
"What other way is there to put it? " he asked, incredulously "This isn't a quick snip and tug with a tonsil guillotine we are talking about here, which would have been bad enough. Yours were cut with precision and the wound was seared shut to prevent hemorrhage and regrowth of the tissue…"
"Right and?"
Morrow threw his hands up in frustration " And? You underwent that for no physical reason. By your own testimony. They were fine."
"It's part of the preparation." She repeated tiredly.
"What are you? Roald Dahl?"
She gave a bemused smile "The author?"
"Oh so they have books where you're from but no vaccines or Anesthesia?"
Harri frowned. "It's not polite to be disparaging of other people's cultures even if you happen to disagree with them, we have a term for that."
"Oh yeah? I'm the bigot? I'm not the one insisting that mystics are the bogeymen."
"I'm not the mystic acting like a bogeyman!" She retaliated obstinately.
"Oh yeah? well…" he caught himself and took a breath before raising a hand. "Alright. Let's not get bogged down in that again."
Harri scowled at him, crossing her arms.
It was with a tinge of sarcasm that the dark haired physician continued "Anything else whipped out unnecessarily that I should know about? How about your Gallbladder, or the appendix?"
"You'd have seen that when you examined me before wouldn't you? And No, obviously I need my appendix."
Morrow stared at her. "I was being sarcastic. You need your appendix?"
"Yeah."
"You…realize the appendix is considered by many…"
"Yes I know but I need mine." She interrupted. "I'd assumed you needed yours too."
Again Morrow stared at her, "Ok, I'm going to regret this but fine I'll bite," he finally said "why?"
Harri considered him a moment thoughtfully. "I thought you were the Doctor," she said and when he simply raised his eyebrows and waved his hand in a gentle 'go on' gesture she shook her head and said "So the appendix is like…the lightning rod organ."
"The what?" Morrow looked amused again. He was grinning at her.
"I don't have to explain you know!" Harri fumed.
He gave a short chuckle "And here was me thinking we were becoming friends? Fine I'm sorry, please go on with your explanation."
She gave him a frustrated shake of her head but did continue. "In humans the Appendix is the organ which helps those of us who cast and do magic to channel and do so. It apparently also helps provide resistance to other magics used against us and some resistance to potions and things."
"That's...thats…" Morrow said, a smile of disbelief on his features. "That's not...possible. Everyone has an appendix. People who have had their appendix removed have no long term issues. What you are suggesting would imply that everybody could possibly wield magic." He laughed
"Well, that's because they can obviously."
Her words stopped the laughter, his amusement turning to suspicion "But not everyone does. If they could, we'd know. Mystics would know, they keep strict control on those mystical practitioners. They are registered and trained...controlled."
Harri gave him a pointed look. "Sure. That's working out well for them. Because you don't know anyone who wields magic but isn't affiliated with your old boys club."
He stared at her, his mind flashing to Cat, to Moonshine…to his latest charge herself. "Point conceded." Morrow growled.
"Anyway that's not the point."
"What is then?"
Harri sighed. "The point is that anyone can do it, but not everyone can do it well."
"That seems like semantics to me."
"It's not though." She gave him an imploring look.
"Explain it to me then." Morrow raised an eyebrow and waited as the girl leaned back and looked at the ceiling as if her salvation from his questions lay there.
"What do you want me to tell you? It's not like you believe me anyway?"
That kinda hurt, he had listened to everything she had told him so far. Did he believe her completely about everything? Of course not. Much of what she had said sounded like nonsense but who was he to decide that? She was a mythical creature supposedly after all so it stood to reason that some things she had to say would sound like nonsense to him but that didn't mean they weren't true for her. He tried to school his expression to neutral "Indulge me again."
"Fine, it's not like I have something else to do is it?" She looked back at him again as if it really were a question.
He rolled his hand in the air "Those that don't wield magic well…" he prompted
Another sigh but she continued " for those people…their power is weak, maybe strong enough to allow for like basic premonition. They know who's calling before they pick up a phone without caller ID, they have dejavu. Hell they have prophetic dreams or see ghosts I don't know but the point is they are still wielding magic."
"That's not magic really..."
"Says who?"
"Says me. That's just people in the psychic sphere. Not magic. It's not the same."
Harri raised one of her own eyebrows. "And how is it different?"
"It just…is." He shrugged as if explaining gravity.
Harri shook her head. "It isn't different."
"There's a huge difference." Morrow countered shaking his head
She grew irritated again "All I know is what I was taught and the difference you're insisting on is like the difference between water and rain."
Well that was certainly philosophical but still "Don't you think if that were the case, people would know? Don't you think of everyone I would know? Me who specializes in this stuff?"
She shrugged again. "I don't claim to specialise in anything, like I say all I know is what I was taught which is clearly not what you were taught. But to answer your question it may be a case that it is known to some but not others and forgotten about by the majority."
"Unlikely. If that's true and like you say the appendix is so important there'd be some note
of it that likely I'd have come across by now."
"Sure." She agreed "or it's written somewhere you haven't got access to. I mean it's not exactly likely to be mass reported is it? And it's even more unlikely in today's society where everyone needs proof of everything…" She gave him a meaningful look "…that a caster will want to be cut open to test the theory."
Morrow gave a slightly wicked grin. "Are you offering?"
Ignoring him but a note of frustration creeping in Harri Continued "That aside, somewhere along the line of human history someone's worked it out and passed it down. You might not know this but my people do. I mean you're supposedly a man of science, does it make sense that there is an organ in humans that has no purpose."
Supposedly? Cheeky little… Morrow thought but out loud he said "Suppose I believe you…the appendix exists in stark contrast to both evolutionary theory and intelligent design so in that vein you're right, there should not be something that does nothing." He held a finger up "But Evolution means adapting and changing to the environment and as society changes so it's likely that the organ was once used and it's now no longer needed. Years from now people will be born without it altogether." Morrow said dismissively but he began rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"And wasn't that what they said about magic? Many more people did it when the earth was still fairly young. Teaching each other by passing down different styles and ways." Harri countered, she seemed to take on an almost quotation sort of tone as if this was a conversation she had already had or heard many times "But magic wasn't easy to master and powerful mages were rare because of the time and effort it took to learn, and if we are being frank probably the short life span in those times etc. That's also without factoring in the dangerous reactions people had to magic users."
She pulled her robe tighter around herself before continuing "So the world found a simpler way to get by and slowly over time those of us who were normal became those of us who were 'gifted'. People forgot they had magic and instead started to call it science which again was easier and to put the things they knew they could sense and see into scary stories because their worldview told them it couldn't possibly be real. Not anymore anyway. They evolved out of it."
There was silence when she finished. She watched him observing her quietly and gave a tired sound. Leaning back again she pondered if it would be bad form to lift her legs up and just tilt sideways onto the table and go for a nap.
The silence stretched and It was some time before Morrow continued, "Ok, suppose I say that you aren't making this up. Say you're right."
"I am." She said tiredly
He scowled at her, making sure she wouldn't interrupt again before continuing "Following that argument, we assume that the appendix is an organ of magic. Now if that is so how does it function? Are magical energies channeled through it? Are the magics stored in it? Or does it create an enzyme allowing other organs such as the brain to work the magic?... Is it a sacrificial organ, usable for only a certain magnitude of magics with damage accruing after each use?" Morrow trailed off as that thought took hold.
Harri watched him with interest as the cogs in his head worked. She pondered his thought herself. How did it work?
"Which in terms of those with low level ability...could theoretically account for acute and persistent causes of appendicitis…" Morrow was muttering, he looked at her as if just remembering she was there "where does the organ channel the magic from?"
Harri jumped slightly and tried to think of a way to explain it, they were reaching the ends of her understanding of the matter and she wasn't sure how much else she should say. "I'd assume the plains where magic comes from." She ended up with.
"Magic comes from the user,not some eternal plain of existence." Morrow said dismissing the thought with a shake of her head.
"Yes and no. Magic just is...the ability to wield it comes from the user, that's different. The more you can pull in the more powerful you are but you don't generate that magic yourself. You don't store it like a battery...it's…complicated."
Another short silence between them before Morrow broke it again "You are lucky you still have that temperature." He grumbled. " I can accept what you're saying if you're delirious, because you realize if what you say is true and not either a deliberate ruse or a delusion then you are potentially shaking some of my core beliefs on magic right?" He asked, running a hand through his hair, "Anyway, semantics again...store or wield, it doesn't matter magic is magic and in the end if they want they can take your magic like they can take your limbs, so it's got to come from the person for that to happen."
"No." Harri said scowling darkly. "They can't."
Morrow stared at her "uhh yeah they can. They can burn the magic right out and remove your abilities. Trust me I've had MWB threaten me more than once with that."
Scowling deeper Harri said "why would your own people threaten you with that?"
Morrow considered her, his expression slightly guarded "Let's just say we don't always see eye to eye and they need me more than I need them. But explain what you mean."
"I seem to be doing an awful lot of explaining things to you and sitting here to boot. It's cold."
"I can get you a blanket if you like but remember Free medical care kid, that was the deal. Unless you want me to bill you for the surgery, the meds, the tests, the cast and the 4 days of convalescence so far?" He waited and felt a smug satisfaction when she broke the stare down first and looked away. He did however reach into a cupboard and handed her a faded blue cellular blanket.
She took it and folded it over her legs. Morrow waited a moment "Now what do you mean they can't take your Magic?"
"I mean I don't know what mystics are threatening you with, but what I've been taught is that no matter who it is they can't take your magic from you. I mean I guess they could do something to damage your chakras badly and that could stop you using your abilities but they can't remove them from you forever. You can eventually heal from that if given the right attention and someone who knows what they are doing to treat it. But that would be a horrific act of torture to do in the first place!" She shuddered.
Morrow didn't answer. He stared at her, his mouth had gone dry. This information couldn't possibly be true. There was a way of healing…he shook his head. It couldn't be true of course, If it were…"Are you serious?" He asked her.
She watched him warily as if not sure she should trust him with her answer aloud and simply nodded once.
He searched her face for some indication of duplicity or some sign she was making it up.
"Please don't ask me anymore about this. I don't know anything other than that and I've never seen it down so…" She gave another shudder, why anyone would even threaten such a horrible thing…it was possibly the worst injury she could think of, if you survived such an ordeal…it was too horrible to comprehend. "Please…" she said in an almost whisper.
Talking about it made her uncomfortable. That was interesting in and of itself Morrow mused. There was silence between them both again for some more minutes before he decided to file the information away and research it more later. He cleared his throat and continued the conversation as if the segway hadn't happened.
"Right, so...if you have a dominant genetic ability to wield magic your appendix lasts longer and may never burst at all...if it's a recessive trait you have limited to no power...the organ doesn't last as long and bursts more easily…" he finally muttered.
"...something like that." Harri agreed, seemingly relieved at the return to this line of conversation. "Which is why people who cast and wield more often have slightly bigger Appendixes than people who don't."
Again, as if she had just spoken in tongues the Doctor stared at her. He moved from the position against the cabinet back to the exam table. "Lie back." He demanded moving to remove the blanket and lifted her feet and the cast onto the table.
The momentum spun her slightly, her stomach dropping as her body naturally leaned backwards so she was almost lying flat on the padded surface of the table. "What? Why?" She tightened her core and tried to sit up again. A stab of pain from the surgical site distracted her.
"I'm in the middle of an examination or had you forgotten? Such a declaration seems like the perfect time to check your abdomen."
She sighed again, her teeth clenched as the pain passed. "Aren't you getting tired of examining me?" She asked but did push herself back. Hardly was she flat when his hands were palpating her abdomen around the right hand side. "Ow! careful." She said glowering at him as she automatically sat back up.
He glowered right back "You're gritting your teeth. That wasn't supposed to hurt…where was the pain?" he asked using his right hand to push against her upper torso to lie her flat again.
"I'm not in pain! You were being too rough!" She said as the view of him was replaced with the ceiling once more.
"I was not! You are in pain, I can tell by the reactions and the tenderness. I'm a doctor, remember? You think I'm not going to notice? That I'm that dense?"
"Well if the stethoscope fits!" She muttered
Morrow resisted the urge to purposefully press hard into the tender spot he had found. "Just Hold still!" was all he said through clenched teeth of his own and began to examine her again. He could feel her tense as he worked. "The other part of the deal was you are supposed to tell me if you're in pain or unwell so I can do something about it." He admonished.
"It's not as bad as it was. It passed." She said to the ceiling
"That's not your call kid. I'll get you something for it when I'm done." He said disapprovingly and treated her to an extra thorough examination of her abdomen and ribs both to satisfy his curiosity and check the pain was as minimal as she said.
Just when she thought he was done, she pulled her elbows up under her in time to see him fold the Oculus out and put it on. His eyes went white and glowy and with another disapproving frown he reached over and gently pushed her flat again. "I said to hold still." With the device on he began to examine her internally.
She pulled a face at him but did lie still. "You know it's creepy that you can do that." She said quietly.
Morrow ignored the commentary, "Those ribs are healing nicely. Remind me to give your lungs a listen next." he honed in on the appendix. "Now will you look at that, didn't notice before…It is slightly larger than text book but not large enough to be obvious or mistaken for inflamed…that's why I missed it." he said more to himself than her.
Feeling like she should say something Harri tried for "yay?"
"Shhh." Morrow scolded and pressed firmly on the organ a few times before removing his hands. "Good news, looks like you get to keep the appendix." He quipped and turned his gaze down to his own abdomen with the oculus still on.
After a few seconds, just to be sure it was safe this time, she sat up watching him. "Huh…that's the strangest thing. But now that I come to think about it it would explain the differences in size…if only I had a control…" he said, paused as if an idea had hit him, then turned the oculus off again.
He turned towards the door and before she knew what he was doing yelled "ERIC!" Loud enough that it echoed around the exam room and caused her to jump slightly, startled.
Morrow looked at her slightly sheepishly. "Sorry." He muttered and helped her sit up properly while the sound of footsteps outside drew louder, it only took a few seconds before the paramedic appeared.
His head came around the door and sighing longsufferingly said "You bellowed my captain?"
Morrow took three steps towards him, more or less dragging him into the room. "Take off your shirt… lean back on the bottom of the table." He said, directing him to the exam table where Harri sat looking bemused now. "Harry, move your feet. Give Eric room."
A slight smile around her lips Harry did better; she carefully got down from the table tentatively testing the weight on the cast. It held with a small flare of discomfort. She limped a step back towards the wall.
It was then she noticed the door. The one Eric had entered through was slightly ajar, He hadn't had time to close it before Morrow had seized him. Her heart thundered loudly on her ears as she glanced back, hardly daring to breathe. Was this it? Was this her chance to escape? Turning her head she watched the two men and took another step towards it, trying to be as quiet as possible.
Meanwhile the confused and tired looking paramedic pulled himself from Morrow's grip. "I'm trying to get us an appointment with the last company on Drew's list. Can't this wait?"
"For what?" Morrow asked, seeming genuinely surprised by the request.
"Uhh? For later?" Eric was somewhat irked it seemed. "It may have escaped your notice Doc but not all of us can pose as investors by day, stalk multinational companies for demonic activity by night and work a normal job on top of it like you're trying to do. It's past time we took a break."
"What? We have today free."
…Another step…
"Yeah but see we weren't free, because I've been dealing with your inmates and trying to get you to eat lunch then attempting to speak to someone who isn't a damned automated message or can actually answer my questions!" Frustration was evident in his tone.
"What are you hard done by? I've been there too and held Clinic this morning. I saw patients. I'm treating Harry now…I'm working too."
Harri froze after the next step as Morrow waved a hand in her direction. He didn't turn to look at her however and Eric didn't look up either, too engrossed in their argument. She ground her teeth and made another step.
"How about sleep?" Eric asked.
There was a beat of silence before Morrow said innocently "I don't see the issue."
Eric sighed tiredly, deflated. "You wouldn't." He muttered. He now stood at the bottom of the exam table and looked at it a second then held his hands up. "Whoa whoa whoa...what am I doing anyway? What is this?"
"I need a contrast group. Shirt. Table." Morrow said impatiently as though the debate had not happened "I want to check your appendix, you still have yours, I remember checking your medical records…"
"Yes I still have mine..wait you accessed my medical records?!"
Morrow waved a hand. "That's not important right now. Lean back." He crossed his arms and drummed his fingers on his arm impatiently. "Haven't got all day Eric."
"What happened to this being a free day a minute ago? Surely you have all the time in the world by that logic?" The paramedic asked and sighed again but did shuck his shirt before sitting on the table and then leaning himself back slightly stiffly, as if his entire being could use a long hot soak in a bath, lay flat.
Harri glanced at Morrow's back and took another almost soundless step, gritting her teeth again, her eyes darting to the door as the Doctor moved in to begin the same examination process she had just endured.
It was only another step or so away, this was her escape. Already she was planning her move, out the door and then left or right, which way would she run…could she get the cast off first if she slammed and locked the door on them somehow. Magically sealed the door closed and run for an exit. It would hurt to run on the ankle, she knew but she would be quicker. She was tired and heavy but when would her chance come again? And the facility was huge. How long would it take to find an exit? Would locking them in that buy her time?! She took a breath, readied herself to make the move…
…a small weave of energy made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, the door quivered as if an invisible hand had pushed it. It shut with a forceful click ending her escape plans.
"You stay right there where I can see you young lady." Morrow's voice said sternly. He had turned his head to look at her and was glaring meaningfully at the door "You're not well enough to go wandering and besides I'm not finished with you yet"
She stared at the now closed door and shook her head, damn him. Damn her for being so slow. There was a moment when she pondered making the break for the door anyway. She turned back Her blue eyes locked onto the mismatched ones of the Doctor who's expression was the most serious that she could remember seeing.
Morrow watched her. Part of him was waiting to see what she would do, part of him not relishing the idea of having to give chase and having a random alteration within the halls of his own facility…again. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Don't do it kid. He thought. Don't try it…
Harri watched him and felt her body sag slightly. She glanced at the door again then back to Morrow and Eric who was now also sitting up watching her too, reasoned she wouldn't get very far bare foot with them both after her anyway and chose instead to sit down in the wheelchair.
Morrow let loose a slight sigh of relief and returned his attention partly back to Eric whom he pushed flat onto the table again. Working to finish quickly. He kept his personal wards up however, watching her from his periphery.
Eric turned his head so that he could watch Harri while Morrow finished whatever it was he was doing. She turned the hand rims on the wheelchair experimentally once or twice and rocked back and forth on the spot.
After some minutes, Morrow laughed.
"Smaller…well will you look at that."
"What?" Eric asked looking at him
"Your appendix is actually smaller than mine and Hers." He said ponderously he grabbed his file and made a note "Oh…" he added pointing his pen at Eric "…and there are signs of prior inflammation. We should probably keep an eye on that. I wonder if a sample from each will…"
"NO!" Both Eric and Harri said together at the same time.
"Spoil sports." Morrow huffed as he put the file down and Eric started to get up.
"Fine I'll look into that later, now in the meantime. You." He turned and clicked his fingers at Harri, "Back onto the exam table with you." He said and waited for her to comply.
Tiredly she sagged in the chair. "Do I have to? I'm tired, can't I go back to my room and sleep."
Crossing in a few strides to her, Morrow began pushing the chair back towards the table again. "Not yet, I'm not done with my examination, now let's go."
Harri spread her fingers slightly near the wheel. A slight greenish glow emanated from her fingertips and the chair, with Morrow pushing it, stopped dead.
The good doctor made a slight ooft sound as his stomach and abdomen came into contact with the back of the chair as it became an immovable object. He saw the glow "The deal was you don't cast and I don't restrain you." He said warningly "Between this and the door You are making it hard to trust you right now." He growled and stood warily watching her as if waiting for her to strike.
"I'm tired, I want to sleep and being here with you is making that very difficult right now." She retorted. Turning to glare at him.
Eric stood shouldering his way into his shirt looking uneasy as if he was unsure who to help. His eyes darted between both figures.
"We also had a deal there too." Morrow responded giving the wheelchair another shove. The old thing creaked an inch or so forward with great difficulty as though the break was on and stuck tight. "Free medical care but I get to dictate what and when."
"I've fulfilled my part of that bargain." Harri said through clenched teeth as she forced the chair to stay put. "I've sat here for over two hours letting you do whatever. I'm done"
"You're done when I say you're done." He said, annoyance clear as he squared his feet and put both his body weight and some magic behind the shove. The chair roughly shook and inched forward again.
Harri made a slight noise as the effort to keep the chair in place doubled suddenly. "I'm done when I say I'm done! You're not in charge of me! You can't force me!" She yelled at him.
"Right now I am and I can!" He found himself yelling back and gave the chair another shove towards the exam table. It shook again and shot forward a foot violently, threatening to tip.
Harri felt her hold on the wheels slipping, the effort now causing sweat to bead across her forehead. As the chair shot forward she made a grab for the arm rests of the thing, gripping them so hard her knuckles turned white.
"I'm not giving you any more information!" She scowled darkly at him. "I told you before that I am not a lab rat!"
"And I already told you, I'm not a mad scientist, I'm doing this for your own good!"
"So you say!"
"What's the matter with you?! You were fine before I called Eric in here! why are you acting defiantly now? I'm nearly done!"
"How about because I'm tired and I said no! It's not my fault you got distracted with the stupid appendix thing."
He scowled back at her "You only told me that nonsense to distract me didn't you!" He accused coming around to the front of the wheelchair to face her, he pointed a finger accusingly, apparently unconcerned about the danger of her casting at him now that he was gripped by the moment.
"Then why bother calling Eric if you don't believe me anyway!!" Harri yelled in frustration.
He didn't answer, instead he scowled back at her "That's not the point and you know it! You were purposefully distracting me."
Harri gave a bitter laugh. "Oh yeah sure that's my grand plan, distract you with fairy tales of organs and run for my life when you go to check it out."
"Given what I've witnessed from you so far that's not exactly a leap of the imagination now is it!"
"I have been nothing but honest with you! You and your stupid deals!" She argued
"Yeah right! You clearly don't think much of my trust. You were going to make a break for that door!" He shouted waving generally at the door.
"A break for the door? Do you even hear yourself!!" She asked "You're the one who brought me here!"
"I had no option! You would have died! Do you understand that!" He growled dangerously, his fists clenched and his voice rising to match hers.
"Maybe!! but I didn't and now you're keeping me locked up like I'm some sort of test subject!" She screamed at him. Her breathing had become faster as she got more and more aggravated.
"That's because you are!" Morrow bellowed right back at her and then stopped dead, breathing heavily as though he was only just aware of the words after they had left his mouth.
Her mouth dropped open. The only sound, both of their ragged breathing. The air in the room felt charged.
"Ok!!!" Eric said coming to stand between them both. "Emotions running high here let's everyone just take a breath and take a moment to calm down and we can come to a compromise that benefits everyone. Don't you think Doc…" He turned to face Morrow, his back to Harri and held his hands up in a placating gesture.
"Eric…"Morrow said warningly, his voice low he wasn't watching the paramedic, however, his eyes were fixed on the girl in the wheelchair. "Step away… slowly…"
Eric turned quickly, stepping back towards Morrow. "Harri…" he said "…what are you."
Harri did not respond, she felt the frustration and anger swelling inside her like a flame engulfing and consuming her. Eating her from the inside out. A hot sick feeling rose up from the pit of her stomach and with it a surge in energy. Weaves of power that for the past 4 days had been impossible to hold onto or to shape flooded to her. It was almost too much, her injuries screamed in protest, pain blossomed and grew as it boiled up inside desperate to be unleashed. Her eyes turned green and began to glow.
For the first time since he had met the girl, Morrow mused in the seconds before her fury unleashed, she truly did look possessed. He groped for his bag, for his sword, the umbrella something to act as protection against what was about to come. The bag was out of reach. Her hands were glowing again. Behind him the bolted down exam table began to groan and glow with the same light as the girl's eyes. He watched, transfixed almost, as it twisted free of its fastenings and only had the presence of mind to dive for cover seconds before it was thrown at him.
He heard Eric give a yell as he too sought cover but didn't have time to do anything more than look for his bag. Need a damn sedative, he thought. He ducked again as one of the cupboards in the wall splintered from the tile and hurtled off towards him.
His hand closed around a hypodermic that rolled over to his hiding spot. He glanced at it and couldn't believe his luck, it was some of the sedative from Penny's stingers. Just as he was considering his next move he realised that on closer observation of the room in general, while his papers and some tools and general paraphernalia whipped around as if caught in a gale it only appeared to be those items near him.
Eric on the other hand crouched in a space with his arms over hisbhead looking around for some way to help was in a semi-circle of nearly perfect calm. Morrow cast a glance at the upturned exam table and back at Eric. The maelstrom seemed to be directed at the Doctor himself, not randomly at the room at large. Now that's interesting… he thought.
The tips of her fingers felt like they were burning. This magic was not the comfortable pulsing of energy she was accustomed to, the normal kind she used without thinking. She was not in control of this. The energy was too raw to channel properly. It was like the spiritual echo of the blood magic, ancient and massive like holding back the tides. She wrestled with it but could do nothing than try to keep it focused on Him and his stupid face, hopefully sparing Eric some of the brunt.
She found herself standing unsure of how that had happened, her injuries protested the pain becoming unbearable, sweat ran down her forehead and neck and she fought the urge to vomit. Like a scream of rage; it ripped through her loud and devastating but was gone just as quickly. Leaving her feeling exhausted and wrung like a dishcloth.
The sound of things falling across the room where Morrow had ended up became distant as she felt the power let her go and a wave of dizzying vertigo took her instead. The room swam slightly then went dim around the edges, she felt her eyes roll and her body falling forward. Distantly she could hear the sound of drums. Everything went black before she hit the floor.
