(It's all good!)
Vio practically bolted down to the care room. There was only so much of it that he had used, especially since he would have to take care of himself by himself. Although in a state like Puppetmaster's, he would have gone to the hospital; most heroes do, especially since their identities are protected. What would a hospital do if Puppetmaster went to one instead?
First aid kit, painkillers, bandages, wipes, towels, rags, iv fluids, iv bag carrier; anything he thought he needed, he took it. He's strong, might as well make the most of it even when he's not Zaharia. Once he had everything needed, he dashed back up to the room.
"Okay…okay…okay, I'm back," He announced, running through the doors. Setting most of the things down on the desk across from the bedside, he laid everything out. He ripped open a packet of rubbing alcohol then proceeded to wipe it onto Puppetmaster's arm. "I really should be taking you to a hospital or calling the Protection League to get a doctor. Do you want me to do that instead? Don't talk, just shake your head if you can."
"My name is Viorel, by the way. You can call me Vio for short." Gently, he got the iv bag ready then inserted the needle into Puppetmaster's vein. "There we go, that should help you a little. I'll administer medicine in a bit, but I should clean you up the best I can right now. How does that sound?"
Gabie shook his head. He couldn't go to a hospital, they'd kill him there or experiment on him or something terrible worse than what Mr. Brier had done already. He then ripped the iv line out of his arm. If Vio, as this man seemed to call himself, thought he was going to subject himself to more torture then he would be sorely mistaken. "No, no iv." Gabie restated, as If the action from earlier was not enough to prove his point. "No painkillers." he said, voice still so distant, dreamy even. He could take utter destruction or death in order to get off those horrible drugs.
He wasn't human, he probably couldn't die unless damaged beyond what most villains or even heroes could do. So who cared if he was still injured? Vio probably hated him for what he'd done to Zaharia. He hated himself, to be frank. "Just need rest." a weak smile, as if he wasn't contradicting everything he'd been saying or doing for the past three minutes of rushing around.
"Oh my-" His pupils widened as he reached forward for the needle. At first he was bewildered by the henchman ripping it out, but then he took a deep breath. "Oh oh oh….alrighty then." He nodded. Setting it down, he placed a band-aid where the needle was. If the henchman is in so much pain, why would he rip out one of the things that can help numb it? He didn't understand.
"Rest….just rest?" He repeated. Vio walked around the room, making sure that the curtains were drawn shut. He moved the iv things away, making note to keep them there just in case; everything else is staying where it's at for the same reason. Perhaps after some rest, he could treat Puppermaster. He pulled the covers up, making sure that they were not keeping the poor henchman tucked in too tight.
Vio was about to head out of the room. His right foot was adjacent to the corner of the door until it stopped. He looked over at Puppermaster then walked to the other side of the bed. "Here. I'll relax at your side in case you need anything or a shoulder to rest on." Removing his slippers, he got on the bed. "Don't worry about anything. Just relax."
Gabie nodded, weakly, feeling immense discomfort at the touch but at the same time leaning into it. "Mhm." he said, letting out a pained groan as he drifted off to sleep. He dreamed very little as a rule, but this time he dreamed about his fights with Zaharia, how he'd hurt the man and been hurt. He was aware, vaguely, of a constant reaching presence behind him, always on him, holding him in a way that repulsed Gabie. Jacob Brier. He woke up after he realized that, literally screaming and writhing in pain as his body convulsed and contorted uncomfortably, agonizingly even, in the torture that existing currently was. It was three in the morning. But if waking up like this, where the pain was too much to bear and yet, was what would get him off these drugs, Gabie would take the out.
Vio was actually awake for a good bit before eventually falling asleep. He ended waking up around seven in the evening. After looking through and responding to emails, he called Suho, who is also a part of the SVPL, to bring Matei the cat over. Once he had gotten the cat at the headquarters situated, he went back to Puppetmaster's side. He did clean the henchman up the most he could at the moment; he also bandaged up what he was able to as well. Then afterwards he changed into a gray t-shirt and black sweatpants before falling asleep again at eleven.
The screams made him jump then fall off the bed. His left side hit the floor, but he quickly got up, ignoring his glasses that also fell. His heart was thumping as if it had super-speed. Vio sat close to Puppetmaster, putting his arm behind him and using his free hand to rub the henchman's shoulder, hoping that it would be of some help and comfort.
"It's okay….It's okay. Are you sure you still don't want any pain medication?" He asked. "Is there anything I can do for you right now?"
Gabie didn’t notice the absence, just the presence that honesty hurt more than anyone leaving him alone to suffer. “N-no, no painkillers.” Gabie just managed to get out through gritted teeth, writhing as he tried to get away from the touches that felt like fire. “Thirsty,” water would help him, at least, if he treated this like a really bad cold he’d probably get through it just fine. It hurt to move, it hurt to not move, Gabie couldn’t find a happy medium between the two whatsoever, “water, please.” he was barely able to get that out before he let out another series of cries of pain, this was pain akin to what he’d experienced before but this time he knew he could opt out, which made it even worse. He could take the medicine, but it would cloud his mind and make him Jacob Brier’s toy again, make him something he didn’t want to be.
He must be partial cause of the pain himself. It only took him about a minute to realize this. Puppermaster felt even more stiff because of his touch. Thankfully Vio removed himself. Still, he felt terrible about it. "I am sorry," He muttered.
"Water? Okay, I will be back quickly." He nodded. Just like before, he zoomed out of the room then down the hallway. This time he went down the stairs into the kitchen area. He got a pitcher full of water as well as a nice plastic cup with cartoon flowers on it smiling. Yes, even as a superhero he loves the plastic cups with cartoons, video game characters, and animals on them.
As he went back up, Matei followed along. Vio just did not realize it as he walked in, poured some water for Puppetmaster, and handed it to him. The cat said nothing for it was silent and went to relax on the chair by the desk.
"Is there anything else I could do for you?" He asked. "Do you want me to leave or shall I stay?"
Gabie drank readily, when Vio returned. He managed to spill some of the water on his top, and it burned like fire as the cloth stuck to his skin. The rest of the water poured through the slit of his always unmoving lips, he swallowed without too much of an issue. This wasn’t pain Gabie hadn’t experienced before exactly, but the duration was new. Gabie could only expect that it would be on and off for the next week, with moments of relative achy peace in between. He sat up a little more as the pain waxed and waned, then settled on waning. “Thank you.” he said, it was a pathetic little croak that you could barely hear. “Vio, do you think Zaharia hates me? For what I did to him? Mr. Br- Ringmaster, I mean, he hates me for betraying him. I can only imagine what Zaharia will do when I am well enough to torture.”
Vio went over to quickly fluff the pillows as Puppermaster sat up. He added another just in case then walked back over to the opposite side. Sitting down on the corner, he kept his eyes on the henchman.
The question floated around in his mind. One minute he was there with Puppermaster in the resting room, and in the next, he was in a former fight as Zaharia, fallen and covered in blood. His mind filled with the Greater Council's words. All those times where he had to force himself to get up and to continue on, somehow winning in the end. Yet, he would be in a hospital or at home then having nightmares with Puppermaster and the Ringmaster. The horror never ending for days.
He didn't realize that his hand was gripping the sheets until he went back to reality. Relaxing his hand, he sighed. "No," He said, "He does not hate you, my friend, and he is not going to hurt you. Zaharia is not going to do anything to hurt or harm you in any way. I can guarantee you that, my friend."
Gabie nodded. “You’re very nice, Mr. Vio, but I don’t think you understand how much that hero must distrust me. He probably thinks I’m a monster.” he laughed, weakly, then moved back to lie down. “Thank you, though.” he said. His smile, permanently engraved on his face, seemed a bit more genuine now. He shifted a bit, trying to find a way to make the pain lessen and settling for lying on his back, head tilted to look at Vio. “Of what relation are you to Zaharia? Are you his manservant? Or perhaps, a friend or lover?” he asked, wondering what exactly Vio meant to Zaharia. Not to exploit that factor, but to make sure Mr. Brier wouldn’t be able to.
"I do not know. I mean, the only one who would know that is Mister Zaharia himself, isn't that so? Although, I don't think he sees you as a monster. He used to see himself as one, he was pretty scared at that time. Don't worry about it, okay?"
He is not going to reveal his identity now. He wants to, eventually he will have to, but just not at this moment. Vio does not want to Puppermaster to get upset at himself or anything or worry that he is going to torture him. Besides, the former henchman is in excruciating pain. Now is not the time.
Curling his bottom lip back, he gently bit down on it while in thought. No one really has asked him, Viorel, that sort of question before. Really the only person that knows is Suho, but his longtime friend is a different case. It's interesting to him. What should he even say? How should he respond?
"I suppose I am something like a servant to him. I have another job, I teach for the better part, but whenever Zaharia is not here, I keep the place warm and tidy," He smiled. "Well, anything he needs, I do my best to fufill."
A mere servant. Possibly a friend, but not to the capacity that they were on equal footing. Not someone to be missed. "I see." Gabie let out a pained groan, and shifted somewhat. He looked to Vio, and then down at his hands. He flexed a joint, then regretted that decision as pain flooded him again. Well, that was something to be wary of. "You must wonder why I hate the pain drugs. I regret that it ties into how I've hurt your employer. They cloud my mind and senses, make me bent to the will of my employer, Ringmaster. But they also keep the pain away. I wish I never got on them, wish I never had to deal with the pain. It's caught up with me, five years of excruciating deaths will do that to a man, even a shell of a man like me."
Vio slightly frowned. Not at Puppetmaster or anything, but rather himself. The slight difference in the henchman's voice alarmed him a little. Perhaps he should have worded his answer differently. It is difficult given that he normally does not have to go further than 'Oh I just work for the protection league' and flashing his ID. Besides, he is lying to someone he shouldn't be lying to, and yet for the time being, he has to.
Taking Puppetmaster's hand, he started to massage it as softly as he possibly could as the henchman spoke. His eyes squinted. Biting the inside of his cheek, he did his best not to show any signs of seething. All the times he has been thrown around, hurling over all the blood in his mouth, dragging himself up to stand….Puppermaster felt all of it too?
"You are a man. Probably more so than that utter disgrace who put you through this. You know, he isn't your 'employer', he took advantage of you," Vio stated. "And he isn't your 'employer' now, nor ever will be again. You will never have to associate yourself with him again."
