Doctor Abbott Read online

  Seeing him squirm in his chair the king could not help but laugh now. The pitiful human was hilarious and as he watched the puny thing get sucked off at his table he threw up the skirts of his victim.

  Ben watched helplessly, as her pain had just begun. Ormr was ruthless with her and his stamina seemed to endure a forever. Ben picked up the goblet of ale at his plate and downed it in a single chug while he fought to keep an erection for the poor girl in his lap. By the third one he was drunk enough to close his eyes and envision his wife.

  Throwing his head back and biting his lip to keep his sanity as he tried to envision their first night together. It seemed like a faint dream now. But the taste of the tea and honey on her breath. The feel of her soft wet lips. The image of the fire in her eyes for him, finally brought him the relief that he needed. Clenching the armrest and the goblet tightly he unloaded and with his own groan snapping him back into reality. He realized it was not his wife in his lap. Some blond trollop he felt guilty for even touching. He shoved her off not thinking about it and when he saw the king’s girl on the floor shaken but alive he was then relived he had made it through the experience.

  Ormr’s triumphant grin had Ben wishing he had a pistol. One bullet was all he would need. For himself or the king. The king toyed with the remnants of a still buoyant erection as he motioned to the woman he had just tortured. “You can finish with this one tonight. I want yours, she did very well by you.” Before Ben could even protest the king had the blond peasant girl by the back of her hair. He hauled her off the floor and shoved her towards the halls doors. “Do not have too much fun tonight. I cannot wait for my lesson in the morning.”

  Watching the king leave it took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts enough to peel himself off the chair, fastening his pants as he did so. Ben took one last swig off his cup. It landed heavily on the table and he squatted down in front of the teary eyed woman on the floor. She flinched when he took her chin, and let of a feminine warning growl; breaking his heart as he tugged her hand and helped her to her feet. The side of her face was very swollen. Her bluish skin glistened beneath the fur as it had pulled so tight from the damage.

  “I won’t hurt you. I swear. Will you join me for the evening? I promise to be gentle, and I would never force myself on anyone.” He swallowed hard not really sure she would accept the offer and feared what would happen if she refused.

  Peering out from her now messy black hair he could see she was at least curious. He helped her limp down the hallway as the guards showed him to his room. As soon as they were in the room he poured her a large cup of the potato spirits he had been sent home with from Young. Taking a pinch of the ground sedative out of the dish on the night stand he sprinkled it into the cup and handed it to her. “Do you drink?”

  She was hesitant to take it at first. She finally said the first words to him all night. “It is not customary for women to drink this.”

  “Is it customary for you to be beaten as you were tonight? It will ease your pain.” She shook her head and tried a sip of the potent drink coughing till her eyes watered and he kept watch on her breathing as she took another.

  A few sips later and she was giggling on the concoction and he knew he would have what he wanted soon. He took her wrist to keep track of her pulse, and her hand started to grow heavy from the drink. Not familiar with someone taking her pulse she let the cup slide out of her hand and into his. “Healer, I have never met anyone as loving as you.”

  He barely had time to put the cup down before he had to catch her head. The woman was dead-weight in his arms and he flopped her back on the bed, thanking the heavens that she would have no memory to report back to Ormr. He took off his shirt and pulled her into a more comfortable position.

  Abandoning her briefly he returned again with a freshly washed rag and some hot soapy water. He peeled off her garments and spent over an hour tending to every wound the king had left on her. By the time he had finished there was no way he was ready for sleep. He took a shot of the vodka and sprinkled the sedative in for himself. He sat on the chair watching her sleep as the potion took hold of his own senses. Before he could go for the next shot his hands were heavy and he was hoping the dose was enough to kill him.

  The next morning he found himself shocked awake by the icy water of a traditional Joutone bath. Ben thought for sure he was drowning and he surfaced to find the king sitting at the foot of his bed. The guard that had just deposited him, clothing and all into the bath was storming off impatiently.

  His memory of last night came flooding back and he wiped the cold water from his face to assess what came of the girl on the bed. There was no trace of her in the room, and worry set in quickly. “She was a lot of fun last night. Will I see her again, or do we have new toys tonight?” At this point playing by Ormr’s rules would be the only way to figure anything out here.

  “You liked her? I found her to be a bore after dinner, your girl was far more fun. We played all night.” Ben did not even want to know what that meant. He climbed out of the tub and took a towel offered from his master. The king was giddy with excitement as he nearly leapt from bed and paced the room. “I cannot wait for my lessons, dress quickly, I want you in the courtyard before breakfast.”

  “I do apologize, sir.” The comment stopped the king cold. He assessed his slaves mannerisms and all he saw was a well-toned but very shivering man before him. The king’s expression had a predatory appearance and Ben made sure to spit out his request quickly, “I have nothing to wear out there. Not only am I wet but without a coat I will freeze to death before I make it to the courtyard.

  That was not what Ormr was expecting to hear. The human had every intention on keeping his promise to the king’s relief. He turned to his guard, “Retrieve him some attire from my chambers. I want him in the courtyard immediately.”

  The king practically waltzed out the door leaving a very perturbed guard behind with Ben. He rumbled as the human passed him, “Do I look like a chambermaid to you?”

  Ben dressed quickly leaving his sopping pants on the floor of the king’s chambers for the maids to tend to. He found himself outside a short while later with a courtyard full of warriors. All incredibly impressive in size even for Joutone. There was a large bonfire and while the king was laughing and joking with a few of them, the majority of them were impatient as they waited for the healer to join them.

  Ormr sailed across the courtyard, throwing an arm around Ben’s shoulder in a seamless motion. He was directed towards the racks as few warriors laughed and cheered him on, “I am so excited about this! I have the perfect warrior to try my new skills on!” He stopped, and flashed a thousand watt smile. As enthusiastic as Ormr was for this to begin Ben had a knot in his stomach that this was about to take a horrible turn. “Are you ready?”

  When the crowd around the racks parted all color left Ben’s face. Sorren lay strapped at all four limbs and spread eagle before him. The beast’s expression was haunting already, the fear in his eyes for the betrayal the human would now commit against him. Ormr shoved Ben out of his thoughts and towards his victim as a new found hate threatened to brim over and cost him his life. He was not sure the words even fell from his lips at first. “I can’t do this.”

  His mouth was so dry he wasn’t truly sure anyone heard him. Ormr most certainly did. He leaned in to hear it again. The rest of his deadly audience now silent to be sure they too were hearing what had just caught their leader so off guard. “Did you just deny me?”

  If he had to be tortured too he would not budge on this, his death would be worth it. “Ormr how old were you when you started training for combat?” He was damned sure he had his master’s eye contact for his answer.

  “I was but a cub. My father started my training at the age of five, two years younger than most cubs. I was to keep up with his warriors and it made me a great ruler.” There was a hint of pride in his eyes and still he licked his lips at the thought of skewering this would-be traitor along with Sorren
, who was a long time and vocal supporter of King Nathan.

  Ben answered, “I too learned my craft from a young age. My hands are precision instruments that have been fine tuned for twenty years. If you stopped training as you do today, what comes of you?” He pointed to a few of the overweight warriors in the crowd. “Slobbery…is that what you want from me? To mend your warriors with hands I have used to torture? I will lose the skills, and they will be replaced with the same sort of slobbery.”

  He had not expected Ormr to actually consider that pitiful argument, it was not one he believed himself. The twinkle in the king’s eye astonished Ben at first and hearing the words come out if the warrior’s mouth could not have been more of a relief. “The human is right. It is a risk I am not willing to take. I have a kingdom full of warriors capable of torture. I have but one healer.” The dilemma just resolved itself until he announced, “I will do it!”

  Before Ben could protest Ormr plucked a sledge hammer off the ground and spun his body to whip it around and swing full force into Soren’s leg. The merchant’s wail barely masked Ben’s own shocked yelp. Just up a muddy embankment Sorren’s son, Vaughn was there in chains and screaming for life as he watched Ormr take a second blow to the other leg.

  The sledge hammer was deposited on the ground next to the rack. The king sported a triumphant grin as he admired the weary disgust on the human’s face. “Now we each have a leg to mend. You show me on yours and I will practice on mine.”

  Ben’s medical bag was produced before he had a chance to consider the outcome of a refusal. Seeing his friend in pain and at the mercy of this sadistic beast, his only hope was to do the work and try to think along the way. He snatched his bag and pried it open. “I need snow and lots of it.”

  He took his hunting knife out and ran the blade up both pant legs, in fear of what he was to find. One leg may be savable. The other was most certainly not. Ben’s haunted expression thrilled the king. He was going to enjoy the torture, both on his victim and on the human repairing him. “What now?”

  “He will need something to bite on. I need a saw, and tools, the sharpest you’ve got.” He pointed to one of the warriors. “Boil me some water, and get me some spirits to sterilize with.”

  He packed both limbs in snow to try and fight the swelling and bloodletting. Both legs were already split open, a single bone protruded one, while the other was smashed beyond repair. The rich, dark blood welling in the open wound. That one had to come off, there was no way around it. He could not look Ormr in the eye as he said again, “He will need something to bite on, or he will lose his tongue.”

  His master laughed heartily, as he took the saw offered to Ben, then he sneered, “Let him lose it, he will have no need for it when I am through.” The king’s patience was starting to wear thin as he gestured towards his victim, and issued a warning growl, for this to get started.

  Ben ignored the reply and instead crammed a leather strap into Sorren’s mouth as he circled the rack, instructing one of the henchmen to hold it in place. Thus far his reasoning had worked. If Ormr truly wanted to learn this it would have to be on Ben’s terms. “I cannot have my concentration broken by his screaming. If you want this to work I need full cooperation.” He held his master’s gaze now as they both leaned on the racks. “The leg on your side needs to come off. I will instruct you as I work.”

  As the once impressive Joutone fought and flailed through the pain of the procedure, Ben muscled through it. Between instructions on removing the shattered limb and the intense surgery he was performing on the salvageable one, the work seemed to last forever. Sorren finally passed out from the pain giving Ben the break he so badly needed to finish the work.

  When it was through Ben turned to a couple of the guards that had aided in the procedure. “He will need someplace more suitable to heal. These racks will not do.”

  Ormr tossed his tools to the side and washed the blood from his hands laughing, “He will be put to death later, why bother?”

  Through gritted teeth and closed eyes Ben replied, “How will you know it worked?”

  The question drew pause. It was a good one. This would all be for nothing if the warrior did not actually heal and they had spent hours out here in the cold. Still the issue he had put bounty on the merchant for was at hand. “He is a traitor. Traitors must be put to death or they will do it again.”

  “You just saved his life, why would he betray you now?” Ben wiped the blood from his own hands, his eyes now fixed on the boy in chains across the square. What would come of him if his father were to die? “How about a little insurance?”

  Ormr followed Ben’s gaze, turning around to see the boy there, “The cub? What good is he other than bait?”

  “He is young, healthy, intelligent. Let me train him. If he starts young he will be like me, and will be loyal to the bone if you spare his now crippled old father. What good is the old merchant now? He will not be able to fight or betray you on your own soil. And with his son under my guidance I can insure obedience from his mouth.” Ben offered his hand for the king to take or refuse. The work they had done was a lot to absorb. Would the king let the man die for the sake of his pride?

  Ormr snatched it up eagerly to reward his slave for the work he had just done. “I like you human. I like how you think.” He turned to his guards. “Release them both and bring Sorren to the palace. Give them a room in the dungeons till we can find a woman or elder to dump them on.”

  As soon as the king disappeared into the palace Vaughn was released. The cub sped across the courtyard wrapping himself around Ben’s waist. “Thank you! You are so merciful. I am forever in your debt, human! I will be a good student I swear, if you just teach me to heal my father as you did.”

  It took him a few seconds to pry the boy off, “It’s alright. I will check on him as soon as I can. I must join the king and we will start on your lessons in the morning.” Ben followed the king into the palace, wondering how he was ever going to learn to cope with the bat-shit crazy leader.

  Chapter 17

  Within weeks Ben had established a very rigid routine of dragging Vaughn with him on rounds throughout the village. His day started with the most acute patients and he worked his way through the day to those who could least afford his services.

  By the end of the day his two guards were so ready to end their shift that they did not care what he took for payment. They would snatch up grain, weapons and tools whenever possible, but towards the end of his shift, they no longer cared and he could get away with knickknacks and even stale bread from one elderly widow. He would split his rations with Vaughn most days, being sure to leave enough for the boy to take home for his father as well.

  Ormr enjoyed the human’s company but his fondness for hunting and visiting various traders around the islands drew him away from home enough to warrant the human being granted a cottage. It was far cheaper to house him in a one room building than pay a full staff to cater to one slave.

  Ben’s home was in the village square, and right beside the dreaded racks. The screams rattled his nerves all day and the groans of pain and fear haunted him throughout the nights. Finally an elder whose only crime was not paying tax, lay bound and helpless. The damage to him was far beyond repair and the thought of them dragging his death out for another minute was not something Ben could swallow anymore.

  When his two guards fell asleep for the night he climbed out of his back window stumbled through the darkness heading towards the racks. There the elder lay, he was in far too much pain to know Ben was there, not fully awake, yet unable to pass out, the fur and flesh had been burned along the beast’s arms and legs. His fingers gone with the exception of one and his pants had been removed for the warriors to begin their work tomorrow. The elder’s bowels had let go and he lay on the racks in his own waste. A sad and pitiful way to die.

  Despite the fact that he knew he would be giving them man relief the deed was not easily done. If he were home there is nothing that would stop
him from saving the soul in front of him. No effort exhausted. Pain relief and help were so easy to grant in his former life. Here there was no such thing. His Hippocratic Oath was little more than a fairy tale wish in this world. To these people the only oath that mattered was the unsaid oath you take to serve your king.

  Ben would spend the rest of his days fighting that oath in any way he could. Even if it meant spending his own last days strapped to these racks. The strength to put the old man to death did not come from the pity he had for that creature. It came from the will to deny Ormr the right of watching yet another victim suffer. He wound a rope around his wrists. Closed his eyes and swallowed the pain of what he was about to do.

  Pulling it tight Ben dropped to his knees and whispered into the ear of his victim, “I’m so sorry. If there was anything I could do to save you I would. I won’t let you suffer another breath of torture.”

  The moaning stopped for all of a second. The steam from the elder’s breath disappeared from the air. He could not see who was by his ear, but the words brought a tear of relief, and the only word of Joutone he knew, “Phomia, human.” His thanks came through gritted teeth and a pitchy whine. There would be no other sound. Ben could not risk it drawing attention. He wrapped the rope around the elder’s neck, and drew backwards throwing all his weight into it.

  The warrior’s limbs shaking as his life left his body, the only way to silence him was to snap the neck and it took everything Ben had to do it. When the man’s body went limp Ben collapsed to the ground, laying on the cobble stone till he could muster up his will to move, and taking with him the evidence of the crime he had just committed.

  The guards found the lifeless corpse in the morning, and to Ben’s relief they assumed he had died of his own wounds. Considered weak for not lasting another day of pain and humiliation.