Scene 8: The General Surgeon

AARON: General!

A bloodied apron is put on a nail and
an old man turns around in shock to see Aaron.

DOC: Ar-

AARON: We're not among friends!

Snapped awake to the severity of the situation

he steps more lively and dawns another apron.

DOC: Right.  What seems to be the trouble?

RUNE: Our friend got shot.

A lot.

DOC: It wasn't him?
(he indicates Aaron)

RUNE: No.

DOC: I see.  

Ellan stumbles in with Ross.

DOC: At any point did 

your friends consider

getting out of the way?

TULIA: It was an ambush.

ELLAN: With multiple levels to it.

The doctor scans for a split second
between the two women.

DOC: Why... is there anyone else

that I should know about?

AARON: None that made it.

DOC: Oh dear.

TULIA: Can you help him?

DOC: I always say I can help.

I never say that I can save everyone.

AARON: Look, he'll be alright.

We came here for a reason.

Let's give him some space

and wait outside.

The crew starts wandering for the door.

DOC: Now wait a minute.

If one saving grace can come

from your violent occupations 

it's that you would have had to

patch each other from time to time.

Scrub up.  All of you.  And start

tending to the minor complaints

that come in.  If any of you are

competent please take the more

serious cases.  I get a lot of 

customers coming through here.

In the next moment the likes of Tulia and Aaron are
elbow deep in crimson gloves with thread and needle.

TULIA: Mr. Miles, I'm using thread

to close a wound right now.

I thought your man was the best.

AARON: He told me once that

this wasn't just any thread.

It's an organic material that

is supposed to repair the wound

and will later break down in the

body without needing to be removed.

TULIA: And are you lying to me?

AARON: I might be lying about

this being that thread.

Tulia's previous patient is carried away on a stretcher
and the new one is able to climb up on the table under
her own power.  She presents an arm with stiches to be
removed.  Tulia admires how faded the scar is.

TULIA: He does good work.

The young woman nods in agreement, but fails to smile.
Her hair happens to fall away from her shoulder and
Tulia can see a gauze patch on her neck that is blackened.

TULIA: I'm sorry, dear.

You came to me for that.

The young woman rebuffs her hand.

WOMAN: No.  Just... remove

the stiches, please.

RUNE: (from across the room)

What's the matter?

TULIA: Pay attention to your

patient, please.

Who did this?

WOMAN: The doctor tried to help.

He just got his place attacked

for his trouble.

TULIA: The Doc's a do-gooder,
but I don't think he's equipped
to help with the situation you're in.

AARON: It helps to knew
a few do-gooders.

Aaron has finished with his patient 

and come up beside them, removing

his gloves.  

The doctor glances up from his surgery.

DOC: These people don't have 

time for your socializing.

Do what you can and 

move on to the next one.

People around here understand

that.  That's why they come to me.

Tulia and Aaron exchange a glance

and Aaron returns to his table behind her.

Tulia turns back to the young woman.

TULIA: Do you see my 

friend over there?

She cranes to look and nods.

TULIA: I owe the Doc a favor.

And more importantly
can't pay him.

WOMAN: Well, he isn't

finished yet.  Don't you 

wanna wait?

Tulia bows her head with a laugh
and looks back up at the young
woman with glittering eyes.

TULIA: Just tell me a name.

Aaron is finishing a checkup with
a young boy jump down from the
table and running to his mother with
a clean bill of health and a smile.

AARON: Sure glad these cases

are getting easier.

Then Tulia passes him with a graze of his
shoulder and hers.  He glances up at Ellan
who is holding a couple of medicinal bottles
while standing on the other side of the room. 
She watches with suspicion as Aaron proceeds
to follow Tulia to the back of the clinic.

AARON: You got what you need?

TULIA: An out-of-work mercenary

who frequents a fine establishment

that recently had it's name changed

to the Grim Grab.  We are looking

for the gentleman who misplaced

the former owner.

AARON: Really?  What was 

it's name to begin with?

TULIA: (she hesitates)

Doc Spencen's Waiting Room

AARON: Well... I'm not sure that

it's not an improvement.

TULIA: What will your friend

have to say about it?

AARON: Well he's not gonna

want to hear about anyone

who was unarmed, but

I don't think he would

mind if this character didn't

make it to his operating table.

TULIA: What's that you said

about needing to know a

do-gooder... or two?

AARON: Why? 

Do you know any?

Tulia points for the door and the two of them
start to weave through the orderlies.  Rune tries
to head them off and Ross tries sitting up.

RUNE: Where are you going.

TULIA: Keep an eye on

things here.

She places a halting hand on Ross's chest and
another on his shoulder to recline him back.

TULIA: You still need to recover.

Watch 'em.  I don't like the way

that she looks at them.

They all glance over and Ellan turns away.

RUNE: What if she tries

something on me?

TULIA: In your dreams, Starling.

AARON: You'll think of something.

The two of them go to leave and he taps
Tulia on the shoulder at the door and points
at the reptilian patient.

AARON: What is his name?

TULIA: We don't know.

He always said that we 

couldn't say it.

They slip out of the clinic without
a word from Spencen.








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