[LOCKED] Surgery Scars

"I would take it easy if I were you, those stitches popping would be quite bad for us both- as I'd have to restitch and I lack the anesthetic of sleep this time." He was covered in blood along his smock and some had gone to his rolled up sleaves. The water that was in the basin he was mopping water into a rag. His fingertips gently touched her forehead and he made to make her lay back some. He wasn't an amateur; he knew what he was seeing here and didn't really like it.

He was actually quite a lot stronger than he looked; those three fingers had the strength in them to gently force her back. But he seemed very inclined for her to allow him to do so, "So, tell me- what happened to you? The wound, they said; would not heal save through mundane means... While quaint and cute- I personally am not amused. Such a weapon is more than deadly in battle..."

"That is, unless it's all 'hush hush and secret' in which case I will not pry. I... Am Nicholas Dorne; I am sure you've met me already but I suppose introducing myself a second time should be of use." He sounded so very, very bored while talking, "Now, did you pop any stitches?"

"Ah, yes; well- they said you could not be healed by divine means... Likely meaning that they only tried one way, how pedestrian of them." He of course was taking a look at the wound that he'd stitched together with a curious eyebrow raised. His mouth forming into a slight frown as he made to set the cloth back in it's basin. Most curious was his glance at Juniper; he'd not had a chance to speak to the woman really- and at least she seemed far more realistic than most he'd encountered.

"Technically speaking this is a cult, if you want to get into the entire 'secret society' thing. But, then again- all religions start off as cults." This was said with a teasing manner the man's pale face was exceptionally wan and whitened this time around. As if he hadn't slept; which he tended not to if patients required more care than normal. He usually would refuse to allow it; as he had no nurses to truly assist him in this matter...

"Are you feeling any better?" This was a good question, "And, the blade that struck you was a 'Red Kissed Blade'- probably enchanted to force you to bleed for some mundane reason- like evil god worshippers a wont to do."

"At the most only a few days; truthfully you're not in nearly as bad a shape as I would assume; given that the wound was relatively minor." He did have a genuine grin on his face at that, "And feeling horrible is good it means you're alive! And that's more than I can say for that Jim fellow... From what I heard."

As it stood; he did offer the woman a flask, "It has some rum in it; a mild pain killer and maybe something that could insure you're not too rotten feeling. After all, surviving as long as you did was a shock; you'd lost quite a bit of blood."

"That changes. Trust me on this." His fingertips steepled a little bit as he thought to himself; that said, the flask was taken with a bit of quickness on his part. The alcohol itself was merely a numbing agent. In reality it wasn't meant to do more. Too much inhibitied the natural healing process and he knew this far, far too well. But, even so; he had to find it funny she was such a teetotaler. Even he had more of a resistance to the stuff.

"This, Jim, sounds like he'd be interesting to take apart and put back together... Much like most of these Zeen Corps men I've seen... Very interesting." He did have to give her a lopsided grin, "Other than my morbidity... I am thankful for you not having been too badly off... Mostly."

"Might I offer some sound advice? Whatever that Jim man said? I would not care for it, he obviously was malicious and had no intent but to harm." He didn't really seem to be bothered by her holding that symbol up. As an atheist at the worst he wasn't really one to argue religions and the like. But, he did have to shake his head, "I am a Doctor, a healer is one who can actually seal the wounds- I merely cause them to be closed."

Which was a fairly big difference when one looked at it. And it made sense really.

"You do seem to be suffering from a flagging spirit though; you probably need more rest and relaxation before being sent back out." He of course was very dry on that bit, "As it stands, none of the wounds I've had to treat were nearly fatal- so you're the first..."

"Much like many of the things being used; apparently we're 'unable to understand'- from what I can garner it's a sanguine weapon. Meaning it's meant to make you not heal. Thankfully I scoff at such limitations." He was, of course; just shaking his head, "Rather expensive to put on a knife if I say so myself. Pointless too." Even so, he was already starting to get the cloth moist once again. Moving to where he could gently mop at the now slightly seeping wound. It seemed whenever she tried to heal it? It tried to reopen again.

"To be honest, relaxing isn't really required. But rest is..." He didn't seem worried, "If we're in 'so much danger' we'd be warned to leave... Well, hopefully."

"When I recieved the most veiled death threat one could ever concieve. I was sent a letter saying that my services would be... Required. I chose to ignore it for a long time, I chose to pretend it never was sent. But for as to why I am helping?" He paused a moment, before continuing with the sanitation of the wound itself, "You see, I am not a very... Concise man, the tale is a tad arduous and I pray you care to listen. Not that you have much choice really..." This was said almost teasingly.

"I am a doctor; a scientist if anything- but you know my ilk as... Alchemists." He continued on with the wound itself; humming a little as he made sure to gently touch the scarring tissue and the stitchwork, "My current calling was one I have always had; to heal... But I never was able to get bombs to work- well, properly anyway. They were always weak and the man who taught me said that they were; for lack of a better word? Pathetic."

Even so, he was a diligent man, going through practiced motions with little pause in his speech, "I dabbled in the arcane sciences, that of flesh; for I was a healer- I thought; but what if I could do more? What if I could create life anew? What if I could laugh in the very face of nature and snatch life away from it's circular cycle and proclaim I did so... And thus my art took a darker hue; necromancy- not forbidden in study as you would think; but frowned upon... The study of the bounds of life and death, disparity of the condition that is being... Alive." He of course had that small, wistful grin on his face. "I miss the days I had such youthful tomfoolery in me..."

"However, as we all know- Necromancy, or rather it's power to 'do as you please' is a very corruptive, especially to an alchemist's craft. Unless one sticks to the specific school of life? One never is good for long. The very nature of the craft itself is what set me on an idea; since- if I were to truly do what I wanted; to snatch life away? I would need the supplies... Not just the supplies for my practice- no..." He gave her a bland glower, "I needed the supplies of blood, flesh, and whatever else was called for by the books to create something that I could call mine... I didn't need much; some blood here, flesh from an amputation here- hence why the Mercy district was the perfect place to set up a shop. They got free surgery and medical care, I got what I needed..." It really did seem like this would be a long story...

His continuation of the narrative didn't stop as he insured the wound was clean. But, he did pause to take a seat once more. Only to relax a little more before motioning slowly, "My practice was in the Mercy, as I did say... And my father was against it. He said that no one would come to me there; that only the poor and slave-like serfs would ever show. However, when one is a doctor? One makes ends meet... A thug for one of the criminal gangs is sewn up and ready to fight again in half the time- you get some money..." He smiled thinly, "A reticent informant needs to speak... Well, let us say that there is a reason I know particularly well the anatomy of the male body. Although... Women were often times equally brought, lessons needing to be taught; such is the nature of funding." He continued on as his fingers steepled; his legs now crossing at the knee.

"But, for each criminal act I did? Equal good was done, I saved children from lethal illnesses and injury... Who otherwise would be refused or have forced their debtor parents into more servitude. I delievered babies; I insured that teeth were not a problem, that one was not in pain- while in the back room? I might have a man who wishes not to divulge what he knows... The very nature was painfully appauling to me- but it was what I had to do. Or, rather; how I justified it at the time." He sucked in his breath a little with a bitter; harsh, laugh, "The blood, the tissue samples; muscles, even arms from those who had me amputate them due to need or simply through torture... I kept these preserved with the Arcane Knowledge of Alchemy." He leaned himself forward, "And I failed, indeed; I failed, and I failed; with each failure my notes became more meticulous; more spanning- to where I might spend hours upon the simplest description of a result that I had seen a hundred times before."

He nearly spat that last bit... Almost, his lower lip was bitten now, "Yet- it was when that meticulousness started to seep into even my work as a doctor; not an alchemist, that things started to get... Bad." His eyes now downcast, "I took a little too much blood; leaving a man confused and woosey, when he needed to have some blood removed. I started to observe pain thresholds in a more meticulous manner- instead of immediately helping those I was supposed to care for. I began, in irony; to become sloppy due to my meticulousness. My sin of over analysis."

"But... I had not failed them, until a woman- a... Tan Su; miscarried due to my negligence. When that happened; I took the dead child; spirited it away... Instead of allowing the mother to know that i- he had died due to his umbilical cord wrapping around his neck. Something that I could see but had not prevented due to how I was unfamiliar with it and not wishing to compromise a fresh specimen or the mother. I purposefully let the child die. For what? For the corpse? Yes... Unfortunately." He now sighed...

"She screamed, she raged; her husband threatened me- but; I had connections. I knew how to silence them." His tone was grim, "And I did- all the while I was using the eldritch knowledge of my near volumatic notes to do something I had never done. I wished to create life... However..."

He paused now, his eyes closed as it was obviously difficult for him to deal with right now. Trying as he might; he couldn't apparently continue without pausing a little longer to gather his thoughts! How utterly curious...