Note: Credit to Meian16 for his input and ideas for this chapter.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The next day in Mutopia James was sitting in his medical bay at his desk.
It was early, or rather late given that the Mutopians were nocturnal.
He was often an early riser as he liked to do some of his work before the rest of Mutopia rose.
In fact, given he was such an early riser, more so than Louie and Patch or Cam and Barry, he had his own kettle and coffee machine along with the essentials for tea and coffee as well as a fridge where he kept milk and other items he needed to stay cold until the breakfast rush began.
Taking a sip of coffee he looked down at the papers on his desk.
Since becoming Mutopia's doctor he kept records of all his patients, those who had been mutated when they arrived, and those who hadn't, even though Jake was the only human resident, there were the other humans he had tended, like Tyroth and Amber's parents, and Kemeko and April and Casey back in New York.
Looking at them, he came across Jun and Dahlia's records, from when they first arrived, as well as some papers Hugh had given him about their previous lives.
When he had read about Jun's or rather Samuel's life as a human and how he was so resilient, it had baffled him.
"How can a human be so acostumed to pain?" he had asked himself, but then he had remembered how some people could get used to pain that it hardly bothered them, and also which did almost sicken him, some people found pain arousing.
Some years back, he had had a friend who had worked in dentistry and how a man had kept coming to them complaining of problems yet when they worked on them, they never took the anesthetics and the dentist would work on them, and they would walk away thankful, but then come back again for more, and it turned out they actually got off on the pain they received.
James winced as he remembered.
"How can anyone get off on pain?" he asked "It's just mad!"
He looked again at Jun (previously Samuel's) records and shook his head.
"That boy truly is a machine, might even give Tyroth a run for his money when it comes to dealing with pain."
He pushed those papers aside then came across Dahlia (Previously Alexandra's) papers.
"I don't get it." he said as he took another sip of his coffee.
"A young nurse, dedicated to helping people gets sucked into the world of Underground fighting, well rather drawn to a fighter and finds love with him, and is exposed to such a dangerous world…"
He looked at the papers again then as he ran his finger down to the latest notes, tears filled his eyes.
"Oh Dahlia…" he whispered "I hope you'll never know…"
He sighed as he looked over the notes as a memory from when Jun and Dahlia were brought to him came back.
Flashback
James stood in his medical room preparing some beds with Tania's help, he had been informed earlier that some people were being brought down to the sanctuary.
He hadn't been given the full story of what happened but he wanted to make sure he was prepared.
"James!" a voice made him jump and he looked behind him to see Leona the Fox at the door "They're here!"
James nodded frowning.
"Send them in!" he said gesturing with his head and Leona stood to the side and James saw Cam and Barry running in with a couple of human bodies, an African American male which Cam carried and a caucasion female which Barry carried, both bloodied up and covered in bullet wounds.
"Holy cow!" James exclaimed and Tania gasped in horror "Jesus!" she said.
Cam and Barry said nothing but placed the bodies of the two humans on the beds.
"They were shot at by the Mafia." Barry informed "The Chicago Outfit if I'm not mistaken."
"The Chicago Outfit?" James asked "Why?"
"We'll explain later! But right now, they need help!" Cam shouted.
James nodded and quickly set to work on looking at the bodies.
He pulled on some gloves and started to remove the clothes, having to use some scissors to cut the bloodied up material so he could see more clearly.
He could see very clearly where the two humans had been shot and how so many internal organs would have been damaged beyond repair and the fact they had lost a lot of blood between them.
"Holy shit!" he said as he looked them over then put the clothes aside. "There's so much blood and so many wounds! Survival at this rate is a million to one!"
"You mean?" Tania asked with wide eyes as she watched.
James nodded.
"They need to be given the water from the well!" he said before running over to a table of tools and medications and he picked up a bottle of clear water before pouring it into a couple of paper cups and walking over to the bodies of Alexandra and Samuel.
"Its the only way they'll survive." he said sadly.
Tania watched in worry as she knew only too well how she felt when she had awoken in her new mutant body.
Cam and Barry looked on with sadness.
"Man," Barry said "They sure didn't deserve this."
"They seemed so happy when we saw them at the tournament." Cam said back as he watched James pour the contents of the water into the mouths of the wounded humans then stood back.
"I hope we weren't to late man." Barry said as he took hold of Cam's hand.
Cam squeezed his hand back.
"Me too mate, me too." he said.
No sooner did James pour the water into the mouths of the two wounded humans than everyone stood back to watch and they waited to see what would happen.
At first, nothing happened and the Mutopians started to wonder whether they were too late.
James bit his lip and looked to the others before taking a breath to speak, but as he did, some squeaking sounds came from the beds and they all looked over to see the bodies start to convulse and fit as they began to change from human to Mutant.
"Holy shit man!" Barry said "I really thought it was too late!"
"Me too!" Tania said as she watched the bodies change and flop around on the bed.
They winced as they saw fur grow through the skin and their faces change yet they were surprised to hear no screaming from them as they knew very well the mutation process was painful.
After a few seconds, the bodies stopped moving and they lay on the beds still unconscious, yet they could see the changes more clearly.
"Whoa man," Cam said "We got another wolf!"
"And a tiger!" Barry said "Interesting!"
James meanwhile walked over to check the bodies again and he put on his stethoscope.
He placed it on the chests of the wolf and tiger and he was relieved to hear a few heartbeats.
"They're alive…" he said.
"Thank goodness…" Tania breathed "How long will we need to wait til they wake up?"
"Hopefully not long." James said as he took the stethoscope off and looked at the mess of bloody clothes on the side.
"We best let them rest until they wake up on their own." he advised as he started to check over the clothes, as he did, he picked up Alexandra's trousers and something caught his attention.
Cocking his head he looked at the crotch area and saw how it was stained heavily with blood.
At first he believed it was from the bullet wounds until he had a proper look at it and how he saw there was some cell tissue mixed with it.
"Oh my god…" he whispered as he quickly gathered the clothes and took them to the side and into a linen bag that was on the side.
He quickly tossed them in and took a few deep breaths.
"No….oh no…" he tried to compose himself "It wasn't two lives…" he thought "It was three…"
He was soon brought back to Earth quickly as he heard voices from the beds.
"Doc! Doc! I think they're coming round!"
James sucked in a breath and he composed himself before turning to the beds and the occupants who were starting to stir.
End Flashback
James shook his head as he read the notes her had taken again.
In a way he was glad that Jun and Dahlia hadn't found out at the start, but he had been plagued with wondering whether to tell them, and he thought about talking to Old George or Tyroth about it.
"I suppose ignorance is bliss." he thought "If they were to know the truth…I have no idea how they would react and given Jun and his human past as a fighter….oh God, it was bad enough when he found out he and Dahlia had been almost killed by the Mafia and were mutated, if they found out this…it would kill them…"
He sighed again then he heard footsteps outside the medical room and he quickly put the notes away in a folder before placing them in a drawer.
"Looks like the sanctuary's waking up." he thought to himself.
After five minutes, the door opened and Dahlia walked in dressed in her purple scrubs and Jun was with her dressed in army pants and a black vest top.
Upon seeing them James quickly wiped his eyes and looked up.
"Ah good morning!" he said brightly.
"Good morning James." Dahlia smiled.
Jun meanwhile nodded at the Chimpanzee.
"Dahlia told me you've taken her on as an apprentice." he said as he had one arm wrapped around his girlfriend.
"I have yes." James said "I have been looking to take on an apprentice, and after what Dahlia here showed me with Rattletrap and Percy, she's perfect."
Dahlia blushed a little as she heard that.
"I'm just glad I might be able to use my skills again as a mutant." she said.
Jun gave a small smile.
"I'm happy for you babe." he said then he thought again about his own skills and how he could use them for Mutopia's benefit.
After what Tyroth and Dahlia said about him joining the Chicago Knights or teaching them his skills, he started to see the appeal.
Just then, there was a knock at the door and the Chimpanzee, Wolf and tiger looked over.
"Enter!" James called and Sephie appeared.
"Hi James." she said "I was looking for Dahlia, and now I've found her along with Jun." she looked at the tiger.
"What for?" Jun asked.
Sephie chewed her lip.
"I was coming to let you know that Hugh's here, he's got news for you."
"He does?" Dahlia asked, her eyes widening.
Sephie nodded.
"I'm not sure what the news is, he didn't tell me, but he's in the mess hall." Sephie reported "I'll take you now."
"Thanks." Dahlia said gratefully looking up at Jun who was wondering what it was Hugh wanted to talk about and he nodded at her before walking with Sephie to the door.
James watched them go and he felt for the couple.
"If I'm correct, Hugh might either have news on the whereabouts of the ones who killed them, or an update on their families after they were informed." he thought to himself "It never gets any easier…"
He looked back at the drawer where he had hidden the notes and the sadness again pinged at him.
"Just as things never get easier in the life of a doctor…"
It seems James had made a rather heartbreaking discovery when Alex and Sam were first brought to him.
He's now and is still torn on whether Jun and Dahlia should know or whether to keep to himself.