Exiled to a Lesser World Ch. 05

Behind me, I heard, "I didn't expect laughter here, more like an armed truce at best with your histories." "How is my patent doing Anita?" asked Dr. Creeds, smiling, as he walked into my sight.

"Steve is doing well with no problems or setbacks, but his memory is not returning. I think he is ready to start doing more. I told him what you wanted to do today." answered Anita

Dr. Creeds asked me if we could do his examination here or go inside. I told him here was fine.

He checked my leg first and he told me it was healing well and with the "Bone Knitter" he had injected into me the first night it should be healed to where I could walk on it unaided in about a week, but he was putting a light cast on it that would open and come off in about 7 days by its self.

Checking my head and face for a long time, he stated "Steve, I like the healing I'm seeing here. We got the bleeding stopped and you stitched up quickly, so there shouldn't be any lasting problems. However, the saliva you put on your head, neck, and side stopped or slowed the bleeding and caused minor changes in your features, voice, and your side. Your face and throat have stabilized into a new pattern and they will never be like they were before. I'm not going to bandage it again. A little salve would be better for it now. Have you seen your new face yet?"

"No, I didn't know anything had changed, but I don't think I remember my face from before," I answered. "So I guess this will be something else I have to learn." I continued.

"You're taking this well, so far", Said Dr. Creeds. Then he said," Let's take you inside and check everything else".

He started rolling me inside thru the open doorway. Once inside he carefully removed the bandage from my arm and tested it. "The arm is healing well too. I'm going to do 3 things to it today.

First, we're going to put the BMID back into your arm before you heal too much for me to do it without too much pain.

Second I will re-inject you with a new dose of "Bone Knitter" to be sure that your arm isn't weaker than before the accident and it will help with your rehab.

Third I brought a harness for you to wear that will allow movement, but protect the arm. I want you to wear it for at least 2 weeks and then you can try working without it slowly and carefully. Any questions before I start?

Isn't everything moving at an awfully fast pace? I've only been a little over a week since the accident and already it seems like I'm almost healed so far. Why so quick? "I questioned.

"Yes, your right. Normally your healing would take much longer, but the saliva and the drugs we quickly gave you have sped up your healing to an amazing rate. I don't know why, but I am happy about it and I will be checking to see if this is an unknown fact about the saliva or a fluke with you. In two months you should be back to your pre-accident health barring unseen problems."

"OK, what about my side? I asked. "I will do your side after I can get your arm moved out of the way to better examine it. OK?" the doctor answered. "Yes, go ahead. I just wondered. Thank you." I said.

After a shot, which cooled my entire arm and left it feeling like it wasn't there anymore. The Doctor and Anita worked on me for the next 45 minutes. Part way thru Dr. Creeds told me I would feel a little pulling on my side. My side went cool too. In the end, they sat me up fully and worked at putting me in a t-shirt with one long-sleeve-like brace.

"Well, we're all done and everything went great. I checked your side and it is healing very well too. By the way, as I checked you I checked all your stitches and they are starting to show signs of dissolving too. They should be entirely gone in about three weeks both the inside and outside stitches"

"I put a special bandage on your side. It has a chemical sensor in it, if the area started to heat up from an infection it will let you know. It doesn't need to be changed again. In about 4 weeks it will slough off by its self.

Showers, baths, quite calm working out, and some sun light would be helpful and won't cause any problems. Your arm is in the special harness, which has the same limitations as the bandage IE none. Work with it, but don't push it too much." He explained to me.

"One last thing I'm going to do for you. I'm going to remove all the excess plumbing you're hooked up to and give you a crutch. Take it easy. You are healing fast; don't mess up all our hard work. OK? He said as he worked under the bottom covers. He was quickly finished, but not without a few tugs and pulls.

"Try moving around in here or just outside today. Do more every day. You'll heal faster that way." he stated.

"One last thing, I want to see you in the village on Friday next week in the morning, and then you'll pay for my lunch plus my bill. That is 10 days from now. If something happens send a message with Drago to Wilhelmina she will let me know and I'll be here ASAP.

Before he walked out the door he turned and said "You've had what the Elders would have called a "Reboot". Don't mess it up and make us sad about all we did for you. Also, everyone close to you knows you've lost your memory." He turned again and left.

After he left I sat thinking about what he and Anita had said about "my" past. What I could do to make life more workable.

Quite a while later Anita returned and asked, "How are you doing after the doctor's full-body assault?" "Physically I think I feel better, but mentally I feel beat up." I answered and added, "The doctor and you both have referred to my past not being that good and I heard things from Drago. She nodded in agreement.

"How about continuing the 5 W's," I asked.

"After you walk around the house as much as you can take. I'll help you up now," she answered. It wasn't as hard to get up and move around as I feared. The hardest part was using the crutch, but I quickly mastered that. I went around inside the house about three times before stopping.

I was even able to use the bathroom. It wasn't what I expected, which was a one-hole outside toilet. There was a wide niche cut "grown" I heard in my head" into the wall with a door that dilated open and closed. A wide wooden knob coming from the floor dilated open for my use and then closed. Afterward a flow of fluid started over in a basin in the wall for me to clean up. Looking at the mirror showed my puffy face reddened around the stitches and scrapes but mostly it was my face with a beard.

When I came out of the bathroom Anita invited me to sit on the couch and to put up my leg on a footstool. After I got comfortable she asked, "What do you want to know now?" "Everyone so far as I've seen doesn't seem to care for me or what I had done. Why?" I asked.

EXILED TO A LESSER WORLD 5

Word Count: 1,321