|
|
Post by Shadow on Jun 20, 2011 19:00:53 GMT -5
The air was cool and damp. The Hospital Wing was located pretty deep underground, so there was never any worry of uncomfortable humidity seeping down from the hot Arizona country above. As usual, a calm silence hung over the tunnels, broken only occasionally by the softest trace of voices, the tiniest pitter patter of feet passing by. One step grew louder as a young boy made his way towards the Hospital. He was lanky and rather small, his face bearing still the traces that childhood is reluctant to relinquish. His hair, the same sepia color as his eyes, fell in his face, masking most of his expression - though there was little there anyways. The boy's face was completely impassive, as still and stone-like as it would be if an uninspired artist had carved it from some smooth marble. The boy's white boots made soft noises on the stone floor of the tunnel, causing the air to crackle almost unnaturally with sound. Pausing, the boy glanced behind him once more before pushing his way through a large black tarp into the Hospital. It was a dreary room, lit with the blue crystals that worked best in the bowels of the hideout, where no light would naturally shine. Cots were set up in different stations separated by tall tan sheets. Each station was the workplace of a doctor. Some were full, others completely vacant of both patient and doctor, leaving the boy with few choices. He walked to one of the stations farther back, his shoulder raised slightly in an awkward position, suggesting that it was the cause of his presence. He cast a glance about for the doctor that manned that station, hoping he would find him soon so that he could leave and go about his business.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blood on Jun 20, 2011 19:14:28 GMT -5
A soft hiss in his ear alerted him of a presence at his desk. Turning around from the medicine cabinet, yellow orbs fixed on the petite body of the fourteen year-old. He seemed to be looking for the distinguishable white coat of the one who occupied that desk. Sighing to himself and accommodating Emily, who was slipping off his arm, he made his way to the boy. "What is it, Crucible? Emily asks." Said Snake, pulling back his chair as he took a seat at his desk, facing the boy. Oscar, the rattlesnake, slithered up his neck to coil about his head, pulling back that singular lock of incredibly pale blond hair that always fell across Snake's right eye. "You're looking thinner, Amelia says." Said Snake in a soft tone of voice, looking at the boy from toe to head as Amelia slithered up his leg, wrinkling his black pants and slightly tickling him as she moved up under his dark brown sweater.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shadow on Jun 20, 2011 19:25:39 GMT -5
Crucible's emotionless eyes found their target. The doctor he had come to was Snake, the pretty infamous mutant that always seemed to have slithering reptiles curled around his shoulders. Crucible only felt a tiny pang of fear as the snakes moved and hissed, but it did not register on his face. He inclined his head slightly to his left shoulder.
"My shoulder got pulled. That is all." He said, his voice monotonous and dull, though not otherwise unlike other fourteen-year-old boys'. The years had been hard on Crucible, but he rarely felt any form of pity. He had decided long ago that it was a fool's emotion, and hardly worth the energy it took to feel it. He preferred to encourage other emotions, ones that made him feel... better, if possible. The ghost of his past always seemed to be breathing down his neck, though, making any memory into something terrible. He was tired of feeling. He didn't care if others thought his dead face strange. He didn't care what they thought. All he cared about had died years ago along with his faith in humanity.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blood on Jun 20, 2011 19:47:52 GMT -5
"Hmm.." Snake turned in his chair and turned on the light that was on his desk. A small, white lamp that despite its size gave off plenty of light. The snakes loved it. "Sit on the chair, says Emily." Snake said, standing up to give the pale boy his chair. "And take off your shirt, says Oscar." The yellow-eyed doctor extended a hand to Amelia, who happily coiled around it. "I'll paralyze you momentarily, says Amelia, so that you feel no pain." |
|
|
|
Post by Shadow on Jun 20, 2011 19:52:03 GMT -5
Crucible let out a small breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He sat down obediently, drawing his shirt up over his head easily. It was too big for him, anyway, but he liked it like that. Three long scars ran across his chest, extending to his right arm, almost as if something had started cutting at him from the arm down. His scars were rarely seen, since he always wore long-sleeved shirts. The boy's eyes turned up to the doctor and his snakes. He wondered which one was Amelia. Probably the one wrapped around his arm. He thought.
"Okay, then." He said dully, waiting for the snake to bite him or whatever it would do.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blood on Jun 20, 2011 20:20:22 GMT -5
Snake narrowed his eyes disdainfully at the sight of the boy's scars, but as usual, said nothing. The snakes did, however, voice their surprise at the notion of what could have caused such battle scars. Snake silenced them with a hiss, allowing Amelia to curl safely around his wrist. "This will hurt a bit, says Amelia." Snake said, as he neared the blue and black snake to the boy's arm. Amelia quickly sunk her fangs in, swiftly piercing the skin and injecting a small quantity of venom. If she gave too much, she would paralyze his heart. Snake watched as little droplets of blood formed around Amelia's fangs, and gently withdrew her after she was done.
The snake placidly coiled itself along his arm, facing the patient. "You'll soon feel nothing, says Amelia." Snake voice, as he dabbed away the droplets of blood with a bit of cotton soaked in alcohol. He disliked the smell as much as the snakes did, but it was a necessary substance.
After allowing a few seconds for the poison to do it's job, the pale doctor took hold of the boy's arm with one hand, and of the shoulder with the other. "Now hold on, says Oscar." Snake said through gritted white teeth, as he moved the arm into an odd angle so he could pop the shoulder back into place. He pressed and pulled, only letting go of that pale skin when he felt the comforting little "pop!" under his fingers that told him the shoulder was back where it should be.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shadow on Jun 20, 2011 20:27:25 GMT -5
Crucible didn't react when Snake mentioned pain. He'd felt enough pain. But he wouldn't try to shove it off onto the snake that bit him - he could, yes, but he wouldn't. He didn't want to harm the animal when it was only trying to help. He let it sink its fangs into his arm, watching it with his normal uninterested expression. It hurt, yes, and he felt uncomfortable as the poison began to do its work. But he didn't react, but it was difficult. Despite being somewhat adverse to pain, it still discomforted him as it did anyone. He waited and watched with only a slight interest as Snake grabbed his shoulder and then jammed it back into its rightful place. Crucible started at the feeling. It didn't hurt, but it left a weird tingling sensation in his joint. He looked up at Snake with a slight look of surprise on his brow, but the expression vanished pretty quickly.
"Thanks," he said, wondering if he could get up and leave soon. It made him uncomfortable to be around anyone, let alone someone who reminded him of some bad experiences in his past.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blood on Jun 21, 2011 18:53:42 GMT -5
The doctor looked passively at the patient, then nodded. "Our pleasure, Oscar says." Voiced Snake, turning to the cabinet to look for bandages. "Stay where you are, says Amelia." His pale, scaled white hand reached into the upper cupboard, withdrawing two rolls of thick bandage. He may have put the shoulder back into place, but the muscle tissue would need some time to heal itself. He couldn't have Crucible moving it for some time.
Snake approached the boy again, the dim blue crystal light making him seem more vulnerable and childish. He unrolled the first bandage roll. "Raise your arms, says Emily." The yellow-eyed mutant said. |
|
|
|
Post by Shadow on Jun 21, 2011 19:15:45 GMT -5
Crucible obeyed the doctor's command, resting his hands on his dark black pants as he watched one of the snakes move. It was a mysterious creature, that was for sure. Crucible had never been fond of any animals, and snakes were definitely not high on the list of ones he tolerated. But he had to admit there was a certain air of intrigue about them. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, to have Snake's power instead of the one he'd been given. Crucible would never have said it, but he feared his power. It was difficult to control at times, and even when it wasn't, it required a great deal of emotion on his part. He tried not to use it around others, because the usage of his power always took its toll. When Snake turned back towards him, Crucible looked up, realizing he'd been losing himself in thought again. When the doctor made his petition, Crucible raised his arm obediently, wishing that he could go sit out on the canyons and watch some of the sparse clouds float by. That seemed like a better option than sitting in the hospital with snakes staring at him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blood on Jun 21, 2011 19:31:20 GMT -5
Snake couldn't help but notice the scrawny appearance of the boy, and he was reminded of himself as he deftly wrapped the bandage around his ribs. He narrowed his eyes, pushing away unwanted memories and focusing on the task at hand. "You need to eat more, says Amelia." Snake murmured, now moving up wards and wrapping bandages under his arm and over his shoulder, down his collarbone and chest and then back under his arm. This was going to take a while.
The pale doctor put a clip at the end of the first bandage, attaching it to the rest of its cottony body as he finished it. He then reached for the second roll, moving Crucible's arm and putting it right next to his side in a bent position. "Don't move it, says Oscar." Snake voiced, starting to wrap bandages around his arm and torso together. |
|
|
|
Post by Shadow on Jun 21, 2011 19:38:57 GMT -5
Crucible's temper flared a little at "Amelia's" comment. He knew that he'd lost weight again - it happened when his stress levels fluctuated. Plus, his powers took a great deal of strength, and reigning in his emotions didn't help.
"Tell Amelia to mind her own business." He muttered under his breath, showing the first genuine emotion he had in days. Then he sighed and tried to relax as Snake finished bandaging his arm. He glanced down at his bound arm and then sighed.
"Will do," he said in response to the doctor's instruction. He'd really rather not have to deal with the whole busted arm thing, but he figured it could be much worse.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blood on Jun 21, 2011 19:49:50 GMT -5
Amelia hissed at the boy's comment, and curled herself tightly around Snake's arm. Ungrateful boy.. The doctor heard the female snake hiss again. "Calm down, Amelia, says Emily." Whispered Snake, as the other female snake slithered across his shoulders, her white and pink scales shining under his desk's light. Only Oscar remained quiet as he looked at Crucible from the top of Snake's head.
"You may clothe yourself now, says Emily." Snake said, turning his desk's light off and letting his area fall back into the pleasant crystal blue light. |
|
|
|
Post by Shadow on Jun 21, 2011 19:56:25 GMT -5
Crucible nodded, reaching down to grab his black-and-grey-striped shirt from the floor. He slipped it over his head, wincing as his old scars acted up again. It was hard living the caves, sometimes. The dampness often got to him, and made breathing especially uncomfortable. Perhaps leaving his stomach empty was also a form of avoiding pain. He didn't like to be reminded of the scars. If there was one thing Crucible hated, it was reminders. Too bad he never forgot. It was a defect that came along with his powers - he never forgot anything. Any event that he'd ever experienced was locked away in his head, as easily accessible as it would be if his memories were books in a library. He looked up at Snake, knowing that he should muster up some form of gratitude. But he was weary and the venom was making him groggy.
"Thank you for your help. Thank Amelia for me, too." He said, the corner of his mouth twitching a little in the faint beginnings of a smile.
|
|
