Silver Arm

As Nameless lay on the surgery table, his friends anxiously hoped he would live. This is what happened, according to them later over drinks.

The vagabonds watched as the forge master entered the double doors. As the crowd dispersed, the Vagabonds let the moment settle in.

“You’re not really ten years old, are you?” Aj asked softly, breaking the dead silence.

“This is a common ailment?” Professor Zion asked.

Spider slowly nodded his tiny head.

“We call them stuntlings,” Hera admitted softly. “We consider them an evil omen in Oasis.”

“That’s why you hated him so much,” Carla realized.

“S-s-s-stuck like-like this,” Captain Spider said softly, his voice quivering.

“We had no idea, Spider,” Sammy said.

“I think your perfect, Captain,” Julia said softly.

Spider looked at her with glistening eyes and smiled.

“Okay, but how old are you, little guy?” Aj asked.

“Y-y-you w-wouldn’t b-believe me,” Spider chuckled.

“Try me,” Aj said as the group walked back the way they came.

“G-guess,” Spider said.

“Twenty?”

“N-nope.”

“Thirty?”

“N-n-nah.”

“Holy, okay, thirty-five?”

Spider shook his head as they emerged back into the underground highway.

“Forty-five?” Aj asked confidently.

“F-f-f-five off.”

“You’re fifty?!” Aj boomed so loudly everyone nearby looked over.

“Sorry!” he said, raising a hand apologetically. “You’re fifty years old?”

“F-f-f-fifty-one-one n-next w-w-w-week.”

“Then we need to celebrate,” Sammy said kindly.

The vagabonds found a quiet alcove that led into a small med bay. Spider sat down at the operating machine and inserted his hands into it, giving it life as the robotic arms sprung awake. The overhead lights flickered.

Spider’s young face was quivering, his body trembling as he sighed.

“Ready when you are,” Spider said through the intercom, his eyes sad.

Julia sighed shakily. “You guys can leave; this will probably be messy,” She spoke hesitantly.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Carla said defiantly.

“So you speak for all of us now huh?” Hera jabbed.

Carla looked at her, her mouth downturned, her brow pushed together, her chest rising and falling rapidly as fists formed.

“Play nice, you two,” Julia sighed.

Sammy went to the corner and drug the waste bin over.

“What? I have a weak stomach.” She defended.

“Aren’t you the medic?” Aj chortled as Julia scooted unto the surgical bed.

“I mean, yeah, I guess I am now.”

“Damn good one, too; Nameless wouldn’t have made it otherwise,” Spider intercommed.

“Thanks,” Sammy blushed.

She twiddled her thumbs, looking at the ground. Slowly, Sammy took off her cap, letting her brown hair fall like a mess around her head.

“Thank you, seriously,” Julia said as she lay down.

Sammy grimaced, a tear forming.

“I just—” she started but stopped. Tears began running down her freckled face.

“What is it?” Carla asked gently.

“Such a fucking baby!” Hera spat.

“I feel horrible,” Sammy said softly, her voice cracking. “Everyone else got hurt; everybody always gets hurt! Everyone’s losing limbs and needs stitches or something crazy, and here I am with, not even a scratch.”

Carla pulled out her bandanna and handed it to Sammy. The girl nodded, half smiling, and blew her nose.

“Carla, I thought you got hit back at the camp battle?” Aj asked.

“Nah, just a piece of shrapnel that Sammy pulled out. Really just a big splinter, honestly,” Carla said, pulling her shirt up and showing a wide scar above her showing abdomen, barely any fat concealing them.

“But that’s what I’m saying, I didn’t even have that,” Sammy said defeatedly, flinging her arms.

The machine whirred to life, as the robotic surgical limbs twirled. Spider was now one with the machine, as lasers graphed and mapped out where to cut on Julia’s body.

Julia took off her Jacket, her blood-stained tank top loosely covering her torso, her stained bra patched and clipped together with safety pins. As she lay on the table, the pungent smell of the wound filled the air. The infection had set in, they needed to move fast. The group shifted their eyes, each unable to make eye contact with Julia.

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“We’re gonna have to start calling you lucky,” Aj chuckled nervously.

“Survivor’s guilt is natural, my dear; the important thing is you are okay and were able to save your friends’ lives,” Professor Zion said gently.

The Professor was standing in the corner, his foot planted flat against the wall, arms across his chest.

“I don’t know why you’re here,” Aj said flatly.

“Oh, leave him alone, will ya? The guy was ready to operate on Nameless with hand-me-down tools in a sewer, for the gods' sake,” Julia defended.

A bead of sweat ran down Julia’s pale face, as her legs twitched and squirmed.

“I still think he’s ignorant as hell,” Hera said darkly as she cleaned her fingernails with a knife.

“Oh, professor bullshit is definitely an Earther, but maybe not such a bad one as we thought,” Julia said as the Machine began to numb her shoulder.

Spider paused, looking up at all of them. “Last chance to get out before we do this,” he intercommed.

“Not going anywhere,” Aj said stubbornly.

“Indeed, I wish to ensure this procedure goes well,” Professor Zion nodded.

“Thanks, guys,” Julia said softly. “I just wish we could be in there with Nameless.”

“No, you don’t. My father has him cracked open like a tin can by now, most likely. Not a fun thing to see,” Spider buzzed.

“Poor guy,” Sammy said softly.

“Imma tell him we talked shit on him the whole time,” Hera smirked.

“Not gonna lie, I think it’d be awesome if he came back with a peg leg. But it’s actually a rocket launcher? Ya know, that’d be awesome!” Aj smiled.

“Aj!” Julia spoke.

“What?” Aj defended. His face turned green as the machine began the process.

The mechanical arm extended a razor-sharp surgical knife and entered her skin. The blood left Julia’s face as she made the mistake of looking. Aj grabbed her hand, squeezing it.

“Do-do you feel anything?” Carla asked hesitantly.

“Nah,” Julia said shakenly. “I mean, it tickles, but talking to you guys helps.”

“Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, my dear.” The professor said, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead as he watched.

The group fell silent as the blade withdrew, and a small circular saw gently descended into the open gap of flesh. Spider checked and rechecked, then began cutting. Metallic buzzing rang out as the bone and sinew was severed. Sammy grabbed the bucket, and wretched into it. Carla grimaced, and stood up, rapidly coming over with a cloth, and helping lap up the escaping crimson tide that the chems hadn’t mange to hold back.

The seconds dragged by like hours, as the buzzing and sawing continued, blood spattering unto Carla.

Julia’s head bobbed; her face completely bloodless. Aj squeezed her hand harder, as Sammy stood up. Sammy came over to Julia, and patted Julia’s thigh. The Professor’s face turned green, as he looked away. With a snap, the arm detached from the body.

Carla put on gloves and picked up the arm. She held it for a moment, gazing at it, then put in in a medical bucket. As she did so, Spider began cauterizing the wound, the chemical agents binding the nerves and veins closed.

“Any chips or modifications in there you want me to dig out before we dispose of the arm?” Spider intercommed gently. Julia shook her head. “Okay,” He spoke. Captain Spider unlinked, swiveled in his stool and pulled up the forge computer. He pushed a combination of buttons, and a few moments later, several spiders walked in with small crates full of wires and scrap metal.

“I didn’t know you could make prosthetics at a medical station.” Professor Zion said, amazed.

“I-I-I-I’m a-a f-forge master’s s-s-s-son.” Captain Spider quipped, taking the materials and putting them next to the bed. He looked back up to see the help spiders staring at Julia’s stump.

“F-f-f-f-fuck off!” Spider spat, pointing to the door.

The spiders nodded abashedly and hastily withdrew.

With a concerned look, Spider relinked to the computer, utmost focus on Julia.

The machine came back to life, this time moving in a dizzying blur, using multiple torches to bend and manipulate the metal, connecting wires, and forming all sorts of mini compartments in the new arm.

“All the fun stuff is downstairs. I can add them in after we attach the arm,” Spider affirmed.

“I’m just glad to have an arm,” Julia sighed. She looked down at the detached metal arm, then her stump.

Her chest rapidly rose and fell, and tears ran down her face. Spider immediately withdrew from the machine, startled, holding his hands up.

“D-d-d-d-did I d-do s-s-s-s-something w-wrong?” He blurted frantically.

Julia shook her head, covering her mouth as she sobbed.

Aj hugged her, Sammy and Carla rising. Hera grimaced, looking at her knife, as the two other girls came in to hug Julia.

“We’re here for you. We’re all right here,” Aj groaned softly, patting Julia’s head.

Julia rested her head on his barrel chest, snot and tears staining his clothes as she let it all go. Professor Zion was quiet, his mouth fluttering, but no words leaving as his eyes glistened.

“I’m sorry, I’m so fucking stupid,” Julia sobbed.

Aj shushed her.

“Girl, you just lost an arm, there isn’t anything to be sorry about,” Carla said softly.

“I say tough shit,” Hera shrugged.

“Who the fuck asked you Hera?!” Carla roared.

“Gods above Hera, how would you like it if you lost an arm?” Sammy seethed.

Hera smiled.

“I’d replace that bitch with a machete,” She grinned.

“Ignore her my dear,” Professor Zion nodded.

Julia shook her head.

“She’s right,” Julia sobbed.

The whole room exclaimed.

“I lost an arm, Nameless could be dead. How much is he gonna lose?” Julia sobbed.

“Dude, priorities man,” Aj chortled.

“So, when are you gonna marry him?” Hera jabbed.

Carla whipped around, and punched Hera in the face. The two sprawled on the ground, fighting and jabbing at each other. Aj groaned, stepped around Julia, and picked both girls up like kittens. Sammy and Professor Zion came over and consoled Julia as she wiped her tears away.

“You are all extraordinarily tough people. You and Nameless will be just fine my dear,” Professor Zion smiled.

Julia nodded and tearfully smiled. She wiggled her stump.

“Look pa, no hand!” She giggled.

Sammy’s face turned green again while Zion forced a chuckle. They turned and saw Spider clacking his metal fingers together, his face pointed to the floor, his eyes looking at them, his face torn in a twisted pitiful expression.

“You did nothing wrong spider, I’m sorry if I startled you,” Julia sighed.

Captain Spider slowly emerged from his corner, his metal limbs clacking.

“I-I-I c-can d-do m-m-more p-pain gone,” He said softly.

“You’re doing just fine buddy,” Sammy sighed.

As they talked, Carla swung her weight, swinging towards Hera, her fist smashing into Hera’s jaw. Hera howled, grabbed her knife, and started stabbing the air. Aj let down Carla, and pinned Hera against the wall, his forearm pressed against her throat.

“Stop acting like a dumbfuck, or you’re gonna get a really long nap,” Aj growled.

The veins popped from Hera’s beat red face as she struggled, but she relented.

Aj turned to Carla.

“Sit the fuck down!” He shouted.

Carla held both hands up, shrugging, as she retreated.

Spider reinserted his metal hands into the console, his body twitching and contorting as he became one with the machine. The metal surgery limbs spun, picking up the metal limb. With precision, over the span of the next hour, spider slowly reattached nerves, planted synthetic tissue, and attached the metal arm to Julia.

After a long hour of buzzing, smoke, and the smell of burning flesh, Julia looked down. The fingers of the arm moved, forming a fist. She sat up, holding the silver arm up, gazing at it in wonder.

Captain Spider delinked, keeping a single finger in the intercom, clapped once, and grinned.

“All done! Do me a quick favor and bend the joints; I can fix anything I may have missed or need to adjust while we’re here.”

Julia studied her new arm. It was the exact size of a normal one, but the joints were a beautiful steel and aluminum mixture, the forearm an intricate maze of wires sheltered by a sturdy silver metal outer layer. As Julia twisted and stretched out her arm, the gears seamlessly whirred and moved flawlessly.

“Not my best work-” Spider spoke.

“It's perfect,” Julia said with a smile. She held the captain’s hand and nodded. “She’s beautiful, thank you.”

“Nameless is gonna flip!” Aj boomed, excited. His excitement died immediately at the realization that most of Nameless was probably going to be silver in a few hours.

The group was silent.

Spider nodded solemnly and patted the bed.

“Your turn, big guy. I wanna take a look at that gunshot wound,” Spider intercommed.

“That’s right!” Professor Zion realized. “How on Earth did you make it this long?”

“I had a damn good medic,” Aj said proudly as he scooted onto the table.

“You had damn good chems,” Sammy chuckled, blushing.

“On Earth?” Hera asked. “Wait, do people just say what on, and insert whatever planet they’re from?”

“Well, to be fair, your people adopted the phrase from us,” Professor Zion said in an educative tone.

The whole room groaned and jeered his nickname as Hera crumpled up a piece of paper and chucked at the professor.