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Inside Castle Bleck Part 6: The Green Thunder P2

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Nastasia woke early this morning and had a simple breakfast before heading down to the infirmary. This would officially be Mr L's first morning here in Castle Bleck, she thought. A strange feeling of anticipation mixed with dread rose up as she approached the doors, for this would also be the day they used the Suspension Chamber for real.

"Good morning Mr L." She said to her patient, who was already awake and sitting up in bed. It was clear that the pain had kept him awake. Clearly she needed something stronger than those teashrooms that Dimentio had picked up on one of his trans-dimensional shopping trips.

"I need to change your dressings and see how those wounds are healing."
"Who are you?" Mr L said. He looked at her with an unsettling silvery gaze.

"My name is Nastasia. My master brought you here. You were unconsious from your injuries and were found outside the castle. I do not know who did this but we could not leave you to die."

The lies, the lies. For such a gentle man who used to cherish all of the worlds his lies are as fluent as flowing water. And so must I for the plan to create a perfect world to succeed.

Mr L's face showed a flicker of anxiety but he still held his gaze.
"You mean someone did this to me?"
"Yes, but I do not know. Now I must change your dressings and see how you are today." Nastasia changed the subject.

Although he looked better after a couple of days of bed rest, compared to that dreadful day when she had uncovered the full extent of Dimentio's abuse it was clear he was sick as well as injured. While she was able to use a novel skin-like material on his forearms and ankles,  the wound on his back was infected and it would risk trapping the infection. She would have to examine what antibiotics were available, having politely turned down O'Chunks' offer of a mouldy bread poultice.

"Can you please lean forward and breathe?" Nastasia asked as she lifted his nightshirt (one of Count Bleck's) and put the stethoscope on his back. Yes, fluid on the lungs. This was bad as they had two weeks at the most but the thought of putting a sick man in there made her shudder.

       "Now please hold still, I need to remove those bandages from your arms." These at least were starting to heal and were still clean. This made Mr L wince in pain as the skin-like material was meant to fuse to the raw wounds had come away in places. Mr L's face started to fall as he saw for himself how severe his injuries were.

"Who would do this to me? Why?" Mr L said, his voice low.
"I do not know, I have been given orders to make sure that you are safe."

Nastasia said, not meeting his gaze. She pulled out a sheet of the translucent skin-like material and cut out the pieces for his arms and legs. She started on his other arm.

"Ow! Nastasia! Please! It is enough!" Mr L shouted Nastasia removed the bandages.
"I have to change your bandages! Your wounds are serious"
"It hurts!"
Then the door went and Count Bleck entered the room.
"How is your patient, Nastasia?"
"Count?"
"Count who?" Said Mr L.
"He is my master."

"You look better today." Count Bleck said to Mr L. He had a strange look in his eye which unsettled Mr L still further. Nastasia couldn't help think that he was saying that for his sake, even he could see the twin rosy spots of fever on his cheeks and the wheezing on breathing.

"Thanks. Do you know me? I asked Nastasia but she doesn't seem to know anything about me?" Mr L said to Count Bleck.

Count Bleck then replied. "I have asked her to let me tell you what had happened and how you ended up here. You were tortured and were so badly wounded that you fell unconscious. Then we took you to my property. The only thing we found on you which had any hint of your identity was your black cap with what looked like an 'L' on it. This is why we call you Mr L."

"Tortured? Who and why? Mr L's face started to pale.
"You were kidnapped by a man so cruel and evil that he tortured you for no reason other than that you are stronger and smarter. I can help you find him if you want vengence but you must help us too."

"Of course I want to! The pain is so unbearable that over the night and day at times I wanted to die!" Mr L rasped, as his chest rattled.
"Good." Count Bleck gazed into Mr L's silvery eyes. "You will recognize him as he is known as the Man in Red.

Mr L slumped against the pillows, spent from the outburst.
"We can help you, but you must help us as time is short."
"How?" Rasped Mr L. "I cannot do anything, I'm not even good at sleeping! Just talking hurts!" Mr L sounded close to tears.

"Do not worry Mr L. We can help you. We can heal you but you must help us. All you need to do is to enter the Chamber." Count Bleck gestured towards the white and chrome of the Suspension Chamber on the other side of the room."

"What is that...machine?" Mr L asked. "Can that heal me?"
"Nastasia knows how to use it and has tested it on herself. You are very important to us and we need to ensure that you are fit for purpose. This machine will help speed up healing and make you fit for purpose in a fraction of the time it would ordinarily."

"Urhm, why are you looking so nervous? Will it hurt?" Mr L said, feeling the tension in the room. Then there was a knock at the door.
"O'Chunks, glad you could join us." Bleck said in response.
"Aye, I came as fast as I could Count!"
"It is your choice, Mr L. By doing this it will help our cause and yours."

Mr L looked around. Why was everyone so nervous? It was not like they were injured. He looked at his wrists and winced at the hot, bubbly pain which was present everytime he breathed in. What choice did he have?

"I will do it Count. I cannot let the Man in Red go away free if this is how he treats people?!"
"Excellent! I will leave you know in the capable hands of Nastasia and O'Chunks." The Count then left the room.
"Now Mr L, I will need to prepare you for the Chamber."

Nastasia went to work dressing Mr L's wounds. O'Chunks, notes in hand set to work adjusting the gurney within the chamber and filling the chamber up to the half-way point. While Mr L dozed fitfully, Nastasia worked through the checklist, making sure that the waste removal lines and the filters were in full working order, alongside the connectors to the monitors.

"O'Chunks, you have the checklists. I have the medication and supplies. I will start with the supplies." Nastasia said. She had double checked it already but she knew she was stalling as this was the first time she had used all the functions in the Chamber. That and the fact she had to insert a canula into his neck - there was no way any vein in his arms would take it.

"Ok Mr. L I need to put a small tube in your neck. You will feel a small scratch as I am giving you some anasthetic." Following the injection she tapped his neck to raise the vein and then drained the blood by applying pressure. Quickly she made an incision and inserted the canula. There was a small trickle of blood but it held when she removed the finger. The placement of the canula was critical as this was how Mr L was to be fed and medicated for the next two days.

"Very good" She said, as much to reassure herself as Mr L.
"Now you need to put this on" She handed him one of the coveralls. "They are meant to be skintight." She helped him wriggle the sleeves and legs over his injured lower limbs. He was able to grip the rest of the coverall with the tip of his fingers, but found that movement hurt too much such that Nastasia finished putting it on him.

"Do you think you can walk to the Chamber?" She asked Mr L.
"Yes, if you take my arm."
"Very good, oh and here is a towel to wear." As Nastasia wrapped it around his waist. The door went and Count Bleck entered the room.

"Count! We are about to start! Where is Dimentio by the way?"
"I sent him on another shopping trip to get those other supplies you needed. For once he didn't sulk. Plus I don't want to be around him right now."

Mr L looked up. Now he was starting to feel nervous. Why was everyone else being nervous if they have used it before? Nastasia took his elbow and he started walking slowly towards the Chamber. This time, O'Chunks had the presence of mind to put some sturdy boxes at the side of the chamber to act as steps.

"O'Chunks, help Mr L into the Chamber. I have to set up the monitors."
"Right you are, Nassy."
O'Chunks took Mr L's elbow and helped him climb into the tank.
"Uh Is it supposed to have all this water in there? Is it some sort of bath?" Mr L said.
"Yeah, its like a healing bath, isn't that right Nassy?"
"Yes, like what O'Chunks says."
"Right you are Nassy, Now Mr. L, just step into the bath and sit on that seat. It's heated by the way.

Feeling somewhat self-conscious he sat on the seat on the internal gurney, up to his knees in tepid perfluorocarbon. He held onto the towel around his waist.

"OK, you can keep hold of the towel for now. We need you to lie down. There is a rest for your head and your arms and legs. Just put your feet in the hollows and your arms can rest on those pieces on your side. Your head should fit comfortably in that larger hollow when you lie down. You are not feeling too cold in there are you?

"No, only what is this stuff, it feels too slimy to be water now I'm in it? I am a bit cold, I am only just lying in this stuff and the air is cold in here."
"Don't worry about that Mr L, it will help speed up your healing. We will add a little more fluid to the tank and lower the gurney - this should help make you feel warmer.

Mr L felt the tepid fluid lap around his ears, looking down he could see that most of his body was submerged, it didn't feel too bad but he couldn't shake that feeling of unease.

Nastasia came over and pressed a button on what Mr L guessed was a control panel. A series of restraints came up out of the chamber and fastened around his neck, chest, upper and lower limbs.

Mr L looked around in alarm "Nastasia, what's going on! What are these for!"
"Mr L, worry not! I need you to keep still for this part as it might be a bit uncomforable. I need to connect you up to your IV  and the monitors"
First, she clipped on the main restraint which went over the lower abdomen and the top of the legs. There was a series of whirring noises.

"Ow!" Yelped Mr L as the waste removal lines clicked into place.
"Sorry about that, you must keep still, this next part won't hurt."

Count Bleck said nothing but watched intently as Nastasia worked on hooking up the IV to the neck canula, and connecting up the electrodes to the connectors on the chest and the ports on the wrists and ankles.

O'Chunks said to Mr L. "Nassy's told me what a wonderful piece of kit this thing is. We are wiring you up so you get a workout in here when you are well without having to do anything yerself! You'll be a lean, mean fighting machine when your outa here Mr L!

Nastasia looked back at the chamber with Mr L inside it, almost floating in the fluid, which she noted was a very pale yellow, wired up with the IV attached and all the restraints in place. His eyes darted nervously, even after O'Chunks' assurance. She looked at the monitor screens and scrolled through them. No surprises there. Pulse is raised and respiration up, but that's hardly surprising - he is probably as nervous as I am. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

"Now, Mr L the next bit will be a bit...strange. The fluid you are floating in is not water, as you correctly guessed. This is a special fluid which you can breathe like a fish. It will help your chest and help you heal. You have to not be afraid and take it down. I have done this before - it can be done."

Mr L's face went pale, his eyes bulging. "You mean you are going to drown me?!"
"No! Please trust me! I have done this before! I wouldn't have you go in there if I didn't know it was going to work!" O'Chunks, shut the lid!
The lid clicked down. Mr L was shouting but it was muffled.
Nastasia licked her lips. About the only upside of this situation was that he was conscious at least.

"Commence filling operation. O'Chunks, flip that switch".

The three of them steeled themselves to watch as the fluid rose over Mr L's face. The look of anger quickly turned to panic as he held his breath. He struggled against the restraints, the veins bulging in his neck, such that Nastasia feared he would lose the canula. Finally he breathed out and started to suck the fluid down, his whole body jerking against the restraints. Finally, his mouth open and closed like a fish but then finding that he wasn't starving for oxygen his breathing became more even.

The look of panic changed to that of pure hatred.

"Why didn't you tell me this was to happen in here!?!" His voice sounding strangely deep and muffled.

The Count replied. "If we did you would not have gotten in. It is imperative you are fit to fight within the next two days. This is the only  way!"
"This had better work! Or else I will wish the wrath of the Man in Red on you!" Mr L retorted.
"I have heard enough!" The Count said. "We will meet again in 48 hours." He said as he left the room.

Nastasia and O'Chunks went behind a screen away from the tank. "O'Chunks, please hold me that was terrible!"
"Hey there Nassy, you did fine - I remember seeing you do that!"
"I'm not finished!" Nastasia said, battling to hold her  composure. "I will need to administer sedation, his anger and stress levels are masking the markers from the infection he is battling. Plus it will slow the healing."
She went over to the IV bag and injected the tube leading into the chamber. Mr L's expression relaxed.

Nastasia then returned to O'Chunks behind the screen, fell into his arms and wept soundlessley.
Mr L is still sick and injured and time is short - what can they do to make the Green Thunder a lean mean green fighting machine?

Link to part 5: Inside Castle Bleck 5: Blood on the walls

Link to Part 7:Inside Castle Bleck 7: Rise of the Green Thunder
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dolphin2's avatar
Oh those fanfics are so good!! loved it!!
wil you submi more parts?