Page 30 of Jump or Fall
“Shit, this one’s bad. Call the doc,” a feminine voice said.
Hard hands maneuvered him around, ignoring his feeble attempts to swat them away. They were impossibly strong.
A cloth tightened around his head. Were they going to finish him off?
Kill me. Make it stop.
“Come on, man. I need to cover your wound before we move you. It’s too fucked up for a stitcher to do anything.”
“Give me his arm,” said a masculine voice.
Gordon’s struggle was useless as the hard grip pinned his arm and a sharp prick punctured his skin.
His muscles loosened.
Why was he fighting?
Why is my face wet?
***
Gordon groaned and opened his eyes.
He couldn’t move his mouth.
“Mr. Rusu, please don’t try to speak. The SynThera infusion we get here is expired so it works more slowly. Please be patient.”
His vision gradually focused, but his mind was still in a haze.
White walls. A blue curtain to his right. A slight pinching in his left arm—an IV.
His gaze settled on a stern dark-skinned woman with a mottled pink scar that trailed from her chin down her neck.
“I’m Dr. Kaur. The bandage should be able to come off in the next thirty minutes or so. Until then, I have to insist you keep your face still.” She held out a tablet. “If you have questions, type and I will answer.”
He accepted the tablet and tapped:How did I get here?
“Scarlet Row always has eyes out. Enforcers Kimmie and Lyle brought you in.”
Another message:What's wrong with my face?
Obviously it had been cut, but there was a strange numbness that wasn’t fading with the brain fog.
“You have damage to your facial nerve. I was able to repair some, but the rest is up to the infusion. You may have lasting issues with numbness, facial expressions, and hearing in your right ear.”
He slumped back and closed his eyes.
It wasn’t enough to scar him; they had to fuck up a nerve?
“I understand this is difficult. I was a surgeon in Three before my accident. Eight takes getting used to, but you seem like a smart man. You'll make your way,” she said gently.
He sat up to ask another question:How did you know my name?
Dr. Kaur raised an eyebrow. “Whoever you upset in Surveillance didn’t bother taking your tablet.” She pointed to the table next to him.
An enforcer with short blonde hair appeared behind the doctor, helmet tucked under one arm.
The doctor turned. “Ah, Kim. It looks like this is a Silver case, so no investigation is needed.”
