Painkiller

Missed calls and late messages were not often a cause for concern, but... When the source was someone as furtive, difficult to get ahold of, and 'independent' as Eris, they tended to set off an alarm.

Specially when attempting to call back proc'd a system error.

"Eris!" His voice rings through the apartment complex as he rushes through the halls, panting with every step.

The day had started off pretty bad, progressively got worse, had escalated into a deadly nuisance— and even now, continued to find ways to fill the young medic with dread.

Exhaustion clung to him as he made it to Eris' door— and the pit of worry gnawing at him from inside seemed to grow bigger, deeper, the moment he saw it. Left carelessly open, with stains of blood covering surface and doorknob.

"ERIS!" He shouted, stomping inside the apartment as he snatched his tiny flash light out of his case, shining alight on the dark living room, following the stains of blood left on the floor until—

"No...!" He muttered lowly, eyes growing wide as plates.

He was going to lose his mind.

"No, no, no." He muttered under his breath as he stomped towards her and Reiner, dropping to a knee besides her with wide eyes, examining her.

Painkiller

Everything was wrong. From Eris' state to Reiner's despondence, what relief he had felt upon leaving the AQUA meeting had turned to dread.

For a brief moment, he felt as a child again. Frozen in place, powerless to help those around him as destruction was wrought.

But he hadn't trained for 20 years just to break down when those he loved needed him the most.

"Don't worry, Reiner. I got this." He intones softly, his arms cradling the girl. "Eris... It's going to be fine. I'm here."

Eris didn't like to be lifted without warning, to be touched really, but this was an emergency that went beyond that.

"I'm sorry." He rose with the girl in arms, striding across the apartment swiftly, carrying her towards her bedroom.

As they entered, he laid her on the mattress; they would have to buy new sheets.

His pokeball was thrown, and from it emerged Garo. His long time Orbeetle companion— and a pokemon that had spent 20 years learning and practicing medicine alongside him.

"We're checking for injuries, Eris." He informed her. "It'll be a breach in privacy... I'm sorry."

But it was happening all the same.

The Orbeetle's eyes shone as its radar like senses were focused on Eris alone, slowly moving through her form like a full body scan.

Painkiller

His jaw locks as skin is revealed, and a tapestry of old cruelty is laid bare for him to glare into.

He can spot every injury that ever healed wrong in an instant— every scar created by malpractice, careless dismissal and apathy.

His blood pressure would surely make every artery in his body combust if it wasn't all held together by raw anger and the seemingly infinite wells of compassion he feels when faced with Eris' circumstances.

Enough with the flowery bullshit, though.

"General anesthesia." Doug ordered his Orbeetle, the pokemon's eyes glowing before the youth's case rose in the air, it's contents spilling out and swirling through the air as if in zero gravity.

For his part, Doug snatched some disposable gloves off the air, tugging them onto his hands as his palms glowed a dull magenta, before he ever so slowly let it pass over Eris' body.

In the meanwhile, several of the contents in the bag assembled together, an IV assembling itself at the Orbeetle's command.

The scales dancing along Doug's palm fell over Eris' form, not quite healing everything— but making the pain blend together other sensory sensations into a distant mishmash of cognition instead.

"I'm here, Eris." Doug said softly. "So... don't worry about anything... Just rest. I'll take care of you."

Painkiller

His brow twisted at the single, small word, teeth gritting together as he resisted the urge to grab Eris hand. It and the gnawing feeling in his chest, like a hole swallowing him inside out.

"You did nothing wrong, Eris." He whispered back simply.

His jaw locked together as his eyes were drawn back to the myriad of injuries— not just the broken wrist, not just the cuts and bruises, not just the hairline fractures beneath.

He regarded every small scar and injury.

"So don't worry." His eyes shimmered cyan and magenta, pupils shrinking to dots as the world around them took on a violet hue, glimmering particles rising off the ground and whirling through the air. "I'll fix it. I'll fix everything."

His hovering tools flew to him, his hands snatching two.

"Like it never happened." He said, before nodding to his Orbeetle. It was time for Eris to sleep.

"Beginning operation!"

Painkiller

And to that, Doug simply smiled at Reiner.

"Procedure complete." He says with a sigh of relief, looking over Eris briefly. "Nurse, draft a medical record."

His Orbeetle nodded in acknowledgement, its eyes glowing once again as it produced a notepad and pen from his bag.

Meanwhile, Doug tugged the disposable gloves off his hands and dumped them on a nearby trashcan, taking off his jacket before laying it atop the sleeping Eris.

"Don't worry, Reiner. She's just exhausted." He explained. "Healing doesn't take away one's fatigue— but it does make it easier for them to rest."

He moved over to stand near Eris' head, gently laying a glowing hand on her forehead.

"Sleep's also when the brain does maintenance. Cleans up and such." He said. "Let's make sure Eris gets the most out of it today."

Eris was gonna feel like she could fly by the time he was done.