However efficient, effective and safe the treatments are, the image of the bloodied room could be washed away no matter how much I tried to distract myself.
My body is unsettled, refusing to stop moving to the dismay of my caretaker.
I still know that it is unwise to move abruptly when they approach with something sharp, but my fight or flight flares up when seeing that tiny scalpel might be digging deep inside, possibly bathing the room and doctor in a torrent of blood.
Troubled by this thought, I got Nightingale to go bother Selinus. Despite seeming like a decent normal quiet introvert, she sure know how to pester people when put onto the task.
After disappearing for around an hour, she just brought back a one letter message.
'Trust.'
Not great.
An extremely abridge version of a one hour long discussion that I first thought was only between her and Selinus at first, but in fact was... technically still between her and Selinus but in front of the entirety of the Laurel family as well.
Once I got her to elaborate, I feel like I could just toss my jaw on the floor for how long it stayed open as the Duke himself make the decision to participate in the operation as a supporter.
Or as she calls it...
A distraction.
The Duchess apparently speed dial Olivia, Amber and Louis to make the trip back on the day off, and all of them agreed without hesitation. Of course, not without the echoing protest of their boss fading away in the background.
Everyone else who are willing to watch will gather at the storage room nearby which was renovated from scraps storage into a projected viewing room type thing. The image quality was rated a three out of ten by Nightingale but I guess any quality at this time is top quality.
And all of that happen within that one hour.
...
They didn't do much...per say.
And yet...
It is quite reassuring.
Somehow it felt even easy now.
The stark difference make me freeze a touch.
Confusion?
Gratefulness?
I can't truly find a word to name it.
Warmth akin soft sunlight, leaving behind the residual heat that settle into core. Giving ones comfort, like sinking into a soft cloud.
A forgotten feeling left buried in rubble.
This sort of companionship once felt so foreign, become normalcy with time.
Amelia has such a wonderful family by her side.
' Where did you disappear to?' I couldn't help but ponder, albeit fleetingly.
***
The day of is here.
Can't say my apprehension about it really changed at all.
I have just been pampered so much in the past few days that it felt almost... weird to fret at all.
Duke Ba-
...
Father walk with me the whole way over, talking about nothing in particular, asking about what I have been learning these past few days. My hand in his, held in a featherlight grip, like he was afraid of his own strength, leaving room for my to drew back.
Yet I feel my hold tighten around his by instinct. Feeling a change, he simply flashed my a small smile, delight hidden on the corner of his eyes as he return the action with a light squeeze.
Damn you, (๑˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥), leave me be you shitty emotions.
This is not the time!
We went to the library and pick out a few books before heading to the operation room.
Half of the family already pack into the viewing room with Nightingale standing by the makeshift projector, still tinkering around with parts to make the broken image a bit clearer. Mother was talking to the older three, scolding them lightly for the complaints sent to her though their boss's wife. Isolde is right by the corner, distributing this year's award winning mead to whoever want a taste. Some of the aunts and uncles are here, waiting in baited breath for the operation.
None missed the chance to coddle Amelia, giving her head pats and fixing her clothes.
" I could do it myself you know."
" But we want to do it for you."
Ah...
Dang, I can't protest that.
The younger ones weren't permitted to join so they just got shipped onto the streets with their knights, tasking them with buying a recovery gift for their youngest.
Selinus is waiting by the door, flipping through a few records as we approach. Opening the door for us with a simple nod before telling us to settle in our position first.
I were sat in a beach chair position with padding almost everywhere I could think of as father sit next by in a normal chair. My left arm was on an elevated table, a bit higher from my chest as they slid a divider in between me and the arm.
It was a mirror, along with a familiar friend, the fake arm that they have been performing pseudo surgery on. The cuts, holes and scratches were still visible on it as it was clumsily patched up by drawings and cutesy bandages.
Seeing the set up, I could recognize the trick they will be using.
Mirror therapy.
Although, it is use in therapy more then surgery. It was strangely affective for me.
Maybe it was because this has become somewhat of a field day compare to what I once imagine.
Maybe I have somehow mind hallucination bend convincing myself that this is fine.
I don't know.
Selinus stood in-between the divider as he began stimulating both hand and fake hand, until my brain fully aligned itself over the fake arm instead. This part took much longer than anyone in the room anticipated.
After sticking a syringe in both hand, the numbing agent is now in plays.
Father took that chance to steal my attention away, handing me some sheets of paper as he taught me how to draw magic sigils. Using the fake arm as a paper holder, I fully invested myself into this distraction.
Speaking over the makeshift mask and rustling isolation clothes, covered head to toes in those wrap thing that doctors usually wear. I could argue that it is a tad unnecessary since he is sitting where there is no slicing is happening but out of precaution for my own arm.
I digress.
Within the next five-ish hours, I have gone from drawing sigils to magic circles, playing hangman to chess, talking about plants to magic theories. At one point, I even forget that my left arm is now the fake one and tried to move it to scratch an itchy spot on my head.
This earns me a glare from Selinus, who had switched another doctor to take a short break.
He left to the corner of the room where a small station had been set to put all the extra equipment and changed into a new gown and gloves with the help of assistant doctors.
After taking a few swig of water, he took a seat next to the Duke and give him a tight smack on the shoulder.
" You almost bore the entire team to sleep with all your yapping on theoretical work."
He complained, yet his permanent scowl seem to have soften a bit.
Barrow didn't say much, just nodded along.
" How long more until the operation wrapped up, Doc?" I asked, feigning a bit of dramatic flare as I patted my sore shoulder and aching back like someone who got hit by a car.
" Aren't you quite the spark?" He roughed up my hair.
" Bleh."
I stuck my tongue at him with a smile.
" Since you are on this side already, than that must mean everything we planned for this operation should be done soon right?"
" Don't ask it if you already knows it."
Selinus answered curtly, his head swinging at the sky like the Duke's answered personally offended him.
" They are closing you up now, healing potions is currently being administered to ensure no scar tissues will be left behind afterward. We have complete the realignment process and extraction of all migrating poisons can be considered sucessful."
He plopped down the device worn over his eyes on one of the book, blinking a few time to get the strain out of his socket. The scope made by Nightingale seems to have done its work well then, but using it still got a few side effects.
[ Left arm potential had been recovered. ]
[ Reconfiguration initiated...]
[ Wait time: 3 days, 4 hours. ]
Holographic screens popped up one by one, sounding a jump in my overall progress.
Hell ye.
***
***
" This is DV, reporting in. Successful outcome confirms. Task phase 3 completed."
The rattling sound of voice came through with broken signals, a white ball emit pale yellow light connected somewhere far away.
" Report confirmed. This is O, keep on monitoring. LL will be back soon. Message shall be delivered promptly. Over."
" Understood. Phase 4 will maintain its original schedule until further notice. Over."
The sound immediately cut out as the orb fade to dust in their palm.
With a simple motion, they dust of their hand off of any evidence.
...
"... Did you hear that? Satisfied?" They look out of the grime covered window, peering into the sky's infinite expanse.
────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆────
▓▒░▓▒░▓▒░▓▒░▓▒░▓▒░
█████ ███, ██████ █████.
░▒▓░▒▓░▒▓░▒▓░▒▓░▒▓
────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆────
...?
Is the connection weak, or...?
────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆────
♡( ˶˘ ³˘˵ )
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Ew...