A Conversation On Pain (1)

The group walked up a flight of stairs that was indented into the left wall of this underground colosseum. The two people in front, Fjoroft and Sinthia, walked with a steady gait. Behind them trailed two injured men with weak footsteps. Bultear could not feel his hands while his entire body was numb and shaky, on the other hand Milek was bleeding from everywhere, his body looking like a porcupine from all the shards sticking out of him.

"Rest for the night, tomorrow we shall continue."

Said Fjoroft without turning his head. Entering the infirmary, Bultear could see the a room with a multitudes of beds sprawled, the metallic sheen of the various medical instruments glowing under the light of the gas lamps. Reaching his bed, Bultear plopped down with a thud, barely being able to move from the effects of [Nerve Death]. Brock approached him with swiftness and a smile.

"You revealed quite an ability Bultear. There seems to be glimpses of an all-rounder from you. Your ability to smell delicate details and changes in people would make for a good spy\interrogator, while your long range ability could make you a formidable long range fighter."

Praised Brock while putting his palms together. Bultear looked on with curiosity as tree vines sprouted from his hands. The vines captivated Bultear as they gently settled on his body, they then grew numerous as one split into two, two into three...

"[Spring's Mercy], my ability. Usually an Evolver would have three abilities per evolved organ, but I'm a special case since the only thing that evolved was my skeleton and nothing else. As you can see my bones turn into tree vines and as they pierce my skin they spread where I want them to, healing the person in question. In this case I'm using the bones of my palms to heal you. Rather interesting, is it not?"

"Very." said Bultear almost completely covered by wooden wonder. He could feel the pain and tension easing, the feeling of numbness slowly fading.

The wooden cocoon was complete, only his face was left uncovered by Brock. When the vines ceased their movement, Brock's hands were a sight to behold; saggy, wrinkled skin dangling, almost falling. His fingers no longer had the the shape fingers should have. Truly horrific.

"Does it hurt?"

"It does hurt, a lot, since those tree vines are, in the end, my bones. I can never get used to the feeling of twisting bones piercing my skin; the agony of having to be conscious for the entire process doesn't help either. "

"Then why do you do it?"

"Seeing my comrades in pain hurts that much more."

In the room smelling of medicine and metal, this man who with mangled, trembling hands, spoke with the outmost love, care and affection for his comrades. Stunned was Bultear at this sight. His face, sweaty with misery, was showing a character laudable and worthy of respect.

"Amazing, your character is beautiful."

"Do not praise me too much, the others are in a worse state than I am. Milek, for example, lost the ability to feel pain, constantly living in a state of great numbness. It helps him fight crazily as he isn't obstructed by it, but in my opinion as a healer, it is much more of a problem for him. I am grateful I feel pain, that I suffer as it reminds me of my humanity. I know that if I pull through the pain a healthy friend will be the result of it. It is the currency I must pay. Milek does not have that, as such, the shade of insanity follows him closer then it does me."

"But how can that be? Is pain not the main driving force of insanity, would people not be happier if it ceased to exist all together?"

"I believe that the pain we feel is ours for the as a light on our muddied path called life. To some it lights up a way forward. For some it sheds a light on experiences they would do well no forgetting. It is a universal teacher and guide. The child that has touched a hot stove will never touch it again lest it experience the pain again. Milek, sadly, is a child that knows not how to move his hand away from the stove. His hand is burnt, skin is falling yet he keeps it there, unmoving until it is no more."

"How are you two different? In my opinion Milek is in a better position"

"What do you mean?"

"One destroys himself for his comrades while aware, while the other does the same while unaware, in the end both of you are keeping your hands on the stove. So is not better to not feel it then?"

"The stove that will destroy my hand will feed those important to me, the stove that burns his will eventually burn the house down with him. As you said the difference is in the awareness between him and me. An aware person is ready and knows what to do, while the other is not."

"I see, so you're saying that he's a ticking time bomb because he doesn't now pain?"

"That is my belief, yes."

"Does he not feel emotional pain?"

"It has been observed that his emotions have dimmed greatly in the past year as well."

Bultear thought back to the shocked scream Milek produced when he jumped to save him from Sithia's attack, he also remembered the ashamed face he showed when they made fun of him.

"I still can't agree with you. He's a close range fighter, I believe he would have been more of a ticking time bomb if he was able to feel pain."

"Time will, fortunately or unfortunately, tell who was right."

As Bultear opened his mouth to answer, Fjoroft alongside Sinthia and Pax came from the other side of the room.

"Milek's wounds have been tended to. Howe are you feeling Bultear?"

Asked Fjoroft with a calm gaze.

"I'm feeling fine, the pain is mostly gone, Brock is an amazing healer."

"The best in the division. Probably the best in E.S.O.P"

Brock smiled sheepishly to the massive praise, as tried say something he was stopped by Fjoroft's out stretched hand holding a vial. It was a healing potion that speeds up the natural healing of Evolvers. A potion created for emergencies in which no healers are present to help.

"Go rest and heal, then heal Milek."

"Sir, I can help him right now."

"No need, he's fine, nothing critical. Go help yourself first."

"I agree with the captain, a man can't give a helping hand if his is burnt by the stove."

A startled Brock turned his head to see Bultear brightly smiling at him.

"Fine, fine I'll go. Bultear we'll continue this conversation at a later date."

Then he left while chuckling under the perplexed gazes of the trio.

'Stove?'