Chapter 14 I’ll Live.

Isaac ran down the street checking street signs. There was one specific street he was looking for. ‘Found it!’ He exclaimed internally as he found the street the Crimson Coins were based out of. He turned onto that street and continued for a few blocks before he came across one of the gang members. It was a lithe man without an arm. “I need your healer.” Isaac told the man as he slowed to a stop.

The gang member looked at him in confusion for a second before realizing who Isaac was. His face paled. “I-I don’t think I should be talking to you.” He stammered out.

“You don’t have a choice.” Isaac replied and started bleeding shadows. “One of my men is in critical condition and if he dies because of you I’ll take your other arm.” Isaac threatened. “Now, I need to borrow your healer. Where is he?”

The gang member gulped. “Th-this way.” He told Isaac and started heading down the street at a fast walk.

“Faster.” Isaac ordered and the man picked up the pace.

A few blocks later they were at a rundown clinic. The gang member took Isaac inside. “Hey, healer!” The gang member called out.

There was a crash and what sounded like bottles rolling around before a disheveled man staggered out from one of the rooms. “You guys getting into fights again?” He asked with some irritation and sleep in his voice.

“One of my men needs healing.” Isaac replied simply. “Come with me.”

The healer started blinking away sleepiness and looked around for his bag. He found it resting by the door. “How badly?” The healer asked while following Isaac out of the building. “Wait, I know you.” He finally recognized Isaac. “I could get in trouble if the boss knows I helped you.”

“Tell him I threatened your life.” Isaac replied coldly. “Hurry up.”

“Are you?” The healer asked as he tried to keep up with Isaac’s steadily increasing speed.

“Yes.” Isaac replied simply.

The unlikely pair continued hurrying in the direction of Westly’s, where Thomas was still suffering with Lenna watching over him, for a short while in silence. Eventually the healer was awake enough and had his thoughts enough in order to do his job. “How injured is the patient?” He asked Isaac.

“A bunch of broken bones, skull fracture and brain damage.” Isaac explained. “I’ll pay you based on how good of a job you do.” Isaac told the man. “So make sure you do it right.”

“I will.” The healer promised. “I’m still a healer.” Regardless of how disheveled the man seemed he appeared to take his job and the title that went along with it very seriously.

A few minutes later Isaac and the healer were in the room where Thomas was sprawled out in pain. Lenna was kneeling over him with a bucket of cold water and towel. She was replacing the towel that was on Thomas’s head with a new one. “He’s burning up.” Lenna told them. “The brain swelling is getting worse and I’m out of mana.”

“Okay.” The healer replied. “Give me some space.” He told Lenna who moved out of the way. The healer knelt down next to Thomas and quickly got to work. He started with Thomas’s head and then moved to his ribs. He ignored the spy’s broken wrist and only focused on serious injuries. Broken ribs could become a real problem very quickly. The room was silent for a few minutes while the healer worked. Eventually he sat back on his heels and wiped some sweat from his brow. “His life isn’t in danger anymore.”

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Isaac and Lenna both let out the breaths that they had been unknowingly holding in. “Good. Thank you.” Isaac replied.

“What happened to him?” The healer asked and looked up to Isaac and Lenna who were standing a few feet away.

“He got blown up.” Isaac replied simply. He nodded towards the wall. “He was tossed into the wall by that.” He gestured at the safe door that was tossed a few feet away.

The healer nodded. “Let his body settle for a while. His wrist still needs healing and three of his ribs are still fractured but that’s all I can do for now. The rest of the damage is gone but he’ll have major bruising across his chest, back, and wrist.” He explained to the duo.

“You’re out of mana already?” Isaac asked.

The doctor’s mouth was a thin line. “I have some left but if I use it now then I won’t have anything left in the event of another emergency.” He explained.

Isaac sighed. “Can the rest be healed with potions?”

The doctor nodded. “I’ll put his arm in a splint so you can move him when he wakes up. As long as he gets the potions within the next twelve hours the healing should be perfect.” He told Isaac and then got to work pulling out a series of different sized and shaped sticks as well as cloth padding and string. He splinted Thomas’s arm and then rose to his feet while grabbing his bag.

“What do you normally get paid for something like this?” Isaac asked the healer.

The healer looked down at Thomas and seemed to do some math. “A hundred gold plus ten more for the splint. I healed him as much as half a dozen potions and splinted his arm.” He nodded to himself. “A hundred and ten gold would be the normal rate but you drug me the whole way out here so, a hundred and fifty.”

Isaac pulled twenty platinum coins out of a ball of shadows and handed them to the healer. “Thanks.” He told the man. “I trust you can find your own way back?”

The healer looked at the coins in his hand with surprise. It was rare that he got overpaid. “Yes. I can find my way back.” The healer replied with a nod. He started towards the door. “If you need anything else, you know where to find me.” He said and walked out.

Isaac looked at Lenna. “I take it we are out of healing potions?” He asked.

Lenna nodded. “He drank two of mine already, James got the other one.”

“We’ll need to pick up some more for next time.” Isaac thought aloud. “I hate not being able to heal them.” Their allies, friends. Isaac wouldn’t say it out loud but that is what he thought of them. Sure, James and Lenny were subordinates and not exactly willing ones at that but Isaac was still fond of them. Thomas had been more than cooperative when he was tasked with keeping tabs on them and now that they had done, most of, a job together Isaac was more than willing to work with the spy again.

“Agreed.” Lenna replied and took a seat leaning against the wall a few feet from Thomas.

“We can’t wait here too long.” Isaac told her as he walked over to the blown up safe. “We still need to check on the brothers.”

Lenna nodded. “Agreed. We should wait until he wakes up.”

“Yeah.” Isaac replied and picked up a platinum bar that was sitting in the bottom of the blown out safe, it was warped slightly from the explosion but still usable without needing to be melted down. He tossed it into his Inventory and felt the weight come down on him across his body. “I’m getting a drink.” He said to Lenna as he rose to his feet. “Want anything?”

—

Eventually Thomas started to stir. Isaac handed him a mug of water. “What happened?” Thomas groaned out and then his face contorted in pain. His eyes slowly found Isaac sitting next to him. “I feel like a building got dropped on me.”

“The safe blew up in your face.” Isaac replied honestly. “You’re lucky to be alive.”

Thomas groaned in pain again. “I don’t feel that lucky.” He said and coughed before wincing in pain again. He tried to sit up and Isaac helped him. “Thanks.”

“The healer ran out of mana before he could completely fix you up.” Isaac explained. “You won’t die but you should visit a healer once you are good enough to walk.”

Thomas nodded. “Alright.” He drank some of his water and then looked around. “You had a healer here?”

Isaac nodded. “Yes. The one from the Crimson Coins. He didn’t ask too many questions.” Isaac replied.

“Thanks.” Thomas said again.

“Well, now that you’re awake, we need to check on the brothers.” Isaac told the spy and rose to his feet. “James was beaten to the hells and back.”

“Were you two the only team that didn’t get ambushed?” Thomas questioned.

Isaac smirked. “What? You think they have a dragon hidden in one of their buildings or something? Who’s going to ambush me or Lenna?”

Thomas shook his head. “This shit’s unfair.” Thomas grumbled under his breath. “I’ll live.” He told Isaac. “Go make sure those kids are alright.”

“Glad you’re alive Thomas.” Lenna said from a few feet away. “Keep it that way.”

“Yes ma’am.” Thomas told her with a smile. “That’s the plan.”

Isaac shook his head and started walking towards the door. “Is this what I sound like?” He asked Lenna as he walked past her.

“Yes.” She replied evenly.

Isaac scratched the back of his head. “I think I understand why you’re shaking your head at me all the time.” He confessed.

Lenna shook her head at him. “You don’t know that half of it.”