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[Vash follows along with what Undertaker points out to him. Following some of it, but not all.] I had no idea it was between the ribs. I thought it was connected right to them.

[He scratches at his head when they get to his hip.] Yeah, that's another one where I sort of passed out and when I woke up the doctors had just put it in me. They did mention something about needing to fill space so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I've-- I've never really tried to heal bone matter before. Or well, I don't do any of the healing consciously. So it might? But it might not.

[He nods, flips back to the grate's snapshots that he took.] Just barely. It touches, but it's only scraped them and wedged against them. Likely why you haven't been able to really move it or just pull it out, if you've ever tried.

[That the doctors had shoved something like that in the man just to fill a hole, well. The look he gets is mildly horrified for that, coming from a man whose world had only just recently discovered photography and electricity was still up and coming.]

Yes, and there's the concern. There's another way we might go about it, and this might be the easiest. What I can do is see about reshaping that bolt to let it sit flush with the rest of your hip, so instead of taking it out completely and leaving you with a piece that may or may not heal over, we'll let the metal in you stay where it is and graft the skin to heal over it. Won't leave a pretty mark after, not for a long time, but there will be skin there again and it'll be easier on your clothing, I'm sure.

[He shrugs and offers the x-ray handheld for Vash to look over the images again if he wants.] You've done just fine this whole time with it where it is, so I'll leave it up to you. I would prefer the alternative myself. Less for that to get hung up on and it'll give you some comfort back once it's all healed. The only pain then is the grafting.

Once or twice, but it hurt so I tried not to pull after that.

[Vash listens to the explanation and thinks that option over.] I don't mind if it doesn't look pretty once it's out, but should I be worried about metal being in my body long term? Kitty seemed worried about lead poisoning.

[He spreads his hands in a shrug.] Well, there we have it. I wouldn't worry too much about lead poisoning unless any of that is made of lead. What I would worry about is it rusting and giving you a good bout of tetanus or some manner of infection. You would know by now if that was going to be the case. Have they ever been infected before, either of them?

Um. It's actually made from parts of an old space ship. I don't think it's made out of lead. I think it's made from something else. Steel maybe? Either way I know the ships were made to be rust resistant. And no. Not since they were put in have they ever been infected. None of my scars or ah, metal bits have been.

[He nods, taking this all in consideration.] Might well be that we can just cut off the part what's sticking out of you and work on a graft that will heal over and at least seal the skin in that area. So, the next question is, when do you want to start all of this?

I don't see any reason to wait, unless you do doc?

I suppose not. [He pushes away from the table and makes his way to a counter on the side of the room where a few bottles are kept in a storage cabinet with a glass door. From that, he removes one containing a clear fluid, and from a drawer, he removes an empty syringe. Before he does anything with either, he turns back and waves the needle.]

A bit of a reach, but have you ever been under anesthesia?

[Vash watches the needle a bit nervously. He had a feeling needles would come into play eventually, but he still hated shots in all their forms. Not as much as getting shot, but almost just as bad!] A couple times. I don't have any allergies that I know of.

[He keeps staring at that needle.] Please tell me that's going in my arm. [Not the butt. Not the butt. Please not the butt.]

[It's not something he ever liked in his world himself, but the technology here has improved syringes and their needles so very much. Not that he has tried one on himself yet - there was no need for him to waste one - but even he can see the needles are much smaller now.]

Good. This likely isn't the same formula that you've had used on you before, but we'll monitor you and make sure things go well. [He sets the two aside and gets a few things ready, a heart monitor, a blood pressure monitor, the essentials.]

Of course it is. Hits the blood stream faster when it goes into a vein rather than a muscle. You just lie back and try to relax. I'll have the tube in soon and we'll get the anesthesia to work on you and it'll be nighty night time before you know it.

[Good. No shots to the butt. But, ew, still getting shots.] Relax. Yeah, right. Of course. Relax. [Why is it impossible to relax once someone has told you to relax?] Tubes? How long do you think I'll be out for? Do you think I should have told someone to come pick me up? How long do you think it would take to heal on a normal person? Am I going to have to avoid showers for a bit? [He's going to keep on talking until they get started. Hopefully Undertaker didn't want to work in silence before Vash is out.]

[Wasn't it always like that? Vash is nervous, as anyone would be, but it won't last long once he has the drugs working on him. He hasn't yet, but only to address those concerns, and he can't help a quiet chuckle at them. This is actually quite pleasant, despite the anxiousness from his companion.]

Pre-operation jitters. I understand. You shouldn't be out more than a few hours at best. I'll just be removing the grate first, given where the other one is, I've decided. I'll have to move you to get at the other, but that won't do on a freshly opened wound. You'll be staying here until I'm sure you can tend to yourself. Don't worry about accommodations. I've already taken care of that. I'm not about to stick a knife in you and leave you to fend for yourself.

Jitters? Who me? HAHAHAHAHA! Okay, so maybe just a little jittery.

But I guess I should let my crew know they won't be able to get in touch with me for a bit. [He'll quickly leave Kitty a voice mail to let her know he was doing something and won't be in contact for a few hours and not to worry. If she really needed him or an emergency came up to contact Undertaker.] Okay. I think I'm ready when you are to get started.

[He sees that and reaches out to pat the man's shoulder, going for reassurance, before he moves a cloth pad doused in cleansing alcohol to the bend in Vash's arm to sanitize the area.] You're going to be just fine, lad. Tell me a little about who you just spoke with. I'm curious.

[It's meant as a distraction, of course, but he'll wait for Vash to get started and get into his story before giving his arm a tourniquet and a quick poke to get the IV line going.]

Oh, Kitty? She's actually my girlfriend. It's a somewhat new thing between us. I'm a little nervous about messing it up and hurting her if I'm being honest. [For all his jitters and nervousness about the needle Vash doesn't even flinch when it goes in. It doesn't really have much to do with the distraction so much that he can take a needle without being a big baby about it when he wants or needs to.]

[He hums and with the line in, he'll tape the immediate length to Vash's arm so as not to jostle it and set about getting the anesthetic ready.] Oh? I believe we've met once or twice. She seems like a good woman, for all I know. I'm sure you two make a lovely couple.

[As he talks, he'll slip the drug in and wait for it to take effect. This part is going well enough, but the fun part has yet to come.]

She is. Too good sometimes. Definitely too good for me. [He says it as a joke, but there is a clear level of seriousness to it as well.

Taking a deep breath as he watches Undertaker work he tries to tell himself to relax. To let the drugs take him away. There was less to worry about this time. There was no bounty after all. He was probably very likely to wake up again. It was just so hard to not add that 'probably' to his thinking.]

Do I at least get jello when this is over?

[He can hear that self-depreciation in it, but he won't comment on it.] They always are, aren't they? You think you have a good life, not a care in the world. The next think you know, they're right there beside you and you wonder how you ever lived without.

[He's not a romantic under all of the dark clothes and odd humor, not at all.] You'll have all of it you can eat if you can stand it. But we'll see what you can put on your stomach once you wake up. Might not want anything at all.

Yeah. How did I think I had a great days until after I met her? [He agrees.] Those days seem so dull and lifeless now without her in them.

[Vash resists the urge to pick at his IV. It's a bad habit of his.] Don't you doubt the power of my stomach.

[He hums, pushing the anesthetic into a line. Now it's just a waiting game.] Oh, it can't have been that bad. You're here, after all. Isn't that something?

[He'd better not pick at it or he'll find Undertaker patting that hand.] Should I? That sounds like a challenge, one I'm not willing to accept. I've no doubt you're a growing boy and all, but let's let you enjoy the nap first and then we'll talk about your eating habits.

Edited 2019-06-27 16:02 (UTC)

It is, but things could have been even better if I met her sooner. [Said with a playful wink.

He stops after the first pat. It was just hard not to touch it, okay?!] My eating habits are just fine! Now my friend Milly claims to have a separate stomach just for cake and ice cream. [He's joking. She doesn't really.] Now that sounds useful. I want to get me one of those!

[Vash will chatter on about his favourite donuts. He has a lot of them. As he talks his words begin to slur. His eyes start to grow heavy. This is it. He thinks before the sedatives fully take over. The last clear thought he has before he drifts off is that actually this wouldn't be a overly bad way to die. Peacefully drifting off while thinking of the people he loves and donuts.]

It may, it may. But just think of how much time you'll still have with her. Maybe take her to enjoy some of those sweets, eh? [It's still just idle chatter, and he's still indulging Vash until the man succumbs to the drug in his veins. Before he starts cutting into that flesh, he'll run his fingers over Vash's eyelashes, making good and sure he's out when the man doesn't flinch.]

[Then the real work begins. It takes a little time, but he's able to work the grate free, thoroughly flush the wounds, then agitate the skin enough that it will heal back on its own after he sews it back together again. It's a little tricky, given how long the flesh has been separated as it is, but he does eventually make it happen. That done, his work is finished on this side, so he sets a clean bandage on the area and puts a second drug in the IV line to start waking Vash up again.]

[Vash tries to keep up with the conversation, but his words eventually start to slur. He doesn't seem to be aware of it at first then his eyes begins to droop until they completely shut. Breathing softly as he sleeps and doesn't react at all when the Undertaker tests his eyes.

Slowly Vash will begin to stir once the job is done. Part of him enjoying the forced sleep and being forced to relax, but he knows he can't stay that way. He blinks sleepily his eyes feeling heavy and body still feeling slightly numb and groggy.] Wait... we done? [It feels like it's only been five minutes for him. Without thinking it through Vash will try to push himself upright unless the good doctor stops his attempt.]

[Though his "patients" were all only ever deceased, save one, Undertaker has watched over them all and cared for them until they were safely locked away under the earth, or alive and more or less well. It is the same with Vash. Undertaker has been sitting nearby, reading a book to wait for the man to come back around.]

[When he sees Vash is trying to sit up again, he reaches out to those shoulders to ease him back down again.]

Now now, easy there. You're fresh out of surgery. Let's take it one step at a time before you go running a marathon so you don't pull those stitches out.

[Vash puts up no resistance and allows himself to be eased back down into the bed.] Really? It's already over? [He certainly felt tired, but it all seemed so fast.

He tilts his head down and stares for a moment at the bandages across his chest. He reaches up a hand and moves as if he's going to touch them, but stops before he does. Fingertips hovering a safe distance above his chest.] The grate... it's really gone. [It seemed impossible to believe even as he looked at the space where it should be. Those bandages were laying across his chest. No telltale lump of the metal plate was to be seen.]

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