Caleb had told himself this was going to be easy, he'd have the advanced healing and then be back to work in no time, well that's what he told himself. What he hadn't expected was the five minute 'lecture' from Beckett about what he could expect and was he really sure he wanted to go through with this because it wasn't going to be easy? Caleb had nodded his head, the words stuck in his throat, he didn't want to say that this would be a walk in the park compared to what the Genii had done to him, he had noticed the pity looks some people gave him when he said things like that.
Not Claire though, since there heated disagreement a few days earlier, he noticed it wasn't pitying looks she was giving him, it was encouragement, he did however sort of stop when she couldn't stay with him. Throughout everything that he'd been through so far Claire had been there, had told him what was going to happen, why they were doing it and this time, this time she wouldn't be there, he very pointedly ignored the words exchanged between Beckett and Claire, it wasn't his place to say.
Even as he squeezed her hand once more before she left the room, and then it was straight down to business, the nurse Hannah he thought her name was instructed him to lay down, and did he want anything to help him relax. No he most certainly did not, he didn't need to be put under for this, he was going to damn well stay awake through the whole thing, before both the nurse and Beckett disappeared behind some kind of screen.
Then it had started, at first it was just a warm tingling running up and down his body, he could feel as it travelled across his body feeling cold when it moved to a different part. If that was the worse it was going to be then he could deal with that, he relaxed himself more into the hard platform, he was definitely going to suggest the doctor get a pillow for the damn machine for his next customer.
Of course he wished he had never thought that, wished he had never even considered this was going to be easy, as the machine seemed to suddenly spark to life, the whirring seemingly getting louder in his ears. The heat seemingly getting hotter, it was beginning to feel like he had been sitting in the sun too long, he was beginning to really want a drink and also regretting the breakfast he'd had.
It was the first time since he'd woken that he had actually felt hungry that morning and well the Athosians had shared some of their food again and well, despite Claire's warnings he had kind of eaten more than was normal, but still less than what he would normally have put away, and it had been lovely. Every taste was as though he had never tasted it before and was discovering it again, he could still see the soft smile on Claire's face as he'd eaten his breakfast. If it had been any other morning on any other day he would most definitely have made some innuendo, some comment that would have that soft smile turning into a dirty one.
As it was that hadn't been the case and now, now he was laying there the warmth turning into heat, the heat turning into something more burning and then, then it hit the ribs. The ribs that were still expertly broken in two places, the ribs that still didn't let him turn onto his side when he was sleeping, the ribs that he could feel were beginning to knit themselves back together rapidly and it was more than fire.
He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything, he wouldn't say anything, his hands clenched into fists so tightly he was sure there was going to be marks on the palm of his hands. His whole body tensed, and he tried his hardest not to move, to not squirm away from the heat and the pain, tried to keep still. They had to do this, had to heal him, his eyes squeezed tightly closed, if he didn't see the machine moving maybe it would be better.
Yet closing his eyes was the wrong thing to do as the world swam with blackness, the heat rolled through him, the pain getting to that unbearable part again, he tried to stand it, tried to put up with it and he didn't know how long he lasted, until he had to sit up, words coming out his mouth but he had no idea what he'd said.
Before he was sat hunched over, the breakfast he'd consumed splattered across the floor, as his stomach tried to twist its self inside out. He didn't really remember pushing himself up right, didn't really remember emptying his stomach onto the floor, he did however remember the nurse leaving the room to fetch Claire and then Claire being there at his side, as he spat out the remaining vomit in his mouth.
The arm around his shoulders was nice, was soothing, his arms were shaking a bit with the aftershocks of being sick so suddenly and he gave her a small smile at her comment.
“Am fine,” he said voice scratchy, it wasn't like he was going to admit anything in public, he did however find himself resting his head on her shoulder as the energy he'd had earlier had been taken from the damn machine. “Sorry 'bout the floor,” he whispered.
He vaguely heard another door open, the nurse that had fetched Claire had seemingly taken her time to get back and out the corner of his eyes Caleb spotted her handing something to Beckett, something that didn't register until Beckett was stood in front of them, needle in hand.
“Let's give you this lad, something to settle your stomach, give you chance to eat something later on,” Beckett said, smiling sympathetically at the two of them.
All Caleb saw was the needle, he didn't really register what it was for, that it would help him, because he found himself sat up straight, he didn't need to be in a vulnerable position when someone with sharp objects was near him. His hand covering the yellow bruise at the crook of his arm, where the Genii had taken something and shook his head, getting lost in a memory that seemed to want to make it's self known....
Caleb was laying in a pool of, well he really didn't want to think about was he was laying in, all he knew was that everything had gone beyond pain, there was no pain no more, just numbness, just nothing and he felt like laughing at the thought. The Genii had managed to break him so damn much that even the gun shot wounds, the punches and damn knows what else didn't hurt him any more.
He did huff out a laugh, feeling a fresh wave of blood leave his side, he always knew when that happened, his side would go warm and although he knew it was blood and knew it was bad to loose so much, it comforted him on the hard, cold floor. It gave him comfort to know he was still alive, he still had a chance and wasn't in some kind of hell.
Of course he heard voices, opening his eyes he saw two Genii soldiers come in, they always stopped speaking when they saw him unless they were interrogating him, there was never any 'chit chat' between them. They came in, marched over and yanked him up right, slammed him against the wall, his head kindly bouncing off the wall with a thunk – thankfully it didn't knock him out – before they reached for his arm, shoving his jacket up – or what was left of his jacket now – and were none to gentle about sticking a damn needle in him.
He sort of passed out as they crouched in front of him, the needle seemed to be in him for a really long time, before they pulled it out, ripping his skin as they did so, pushing him back to the floor and left the place....
“No!” Caleb said forcefully, making his voice sound louder than what it needed to be, his hand out now to stop Beckett, “I'll be fine, honestly,” even as his stomach gave an ominous noise again and he had to swallow thickly to keep the insides, inside.
“I can manage, I don't need anything,” he said, before looking at Claire, “Please?” he explain later, he wouldn't explain now, wouldn't put himself on more of a show than he already was. He didn't want it, he could manage, they could manage.
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