Test Drive Tortures

[ωΘĿƒ]

Dr. Manner had said his goodbyes to Rehnquist quickly and left the catacombs before Professor Crane could have a chance to pop up again.

Crane was planning something. He could already tell. Training kids in the ways of their culture sure, but to toss them a troll on the first lesson? It was a little extreme, even for Crane. He'd never gone this far before, and as far as Manner knew, he'd never had injuries like those suffered from the group.

He'd been a doctor here for a long time, and he'd known his predecessor. Crane had never done anything like this.

Dr. Manner prepped for the kids' arrival. Two of them, if he remembered. Illia and Ezekiel.

Whatever Crane was planning, it seemed he and the kids were a part of it. Great. Children. That was all he needed... Sick, injured children...

He plucked obsessively at his lab coat, picking it clean. He focused on straightening the buttons as he waited for them to arrive.

[Iƪƪia]

Illia was making her way to the infirmary, which seemed a lot further away then she remembered. She pressed lightly on her injured side. Just what was the point of that class anyway? She frowned in thought. During class she hadn't thought to consider the purpose, but now... She looked up at the infirmary, finally. What are they training us for? She wondered as she entered.

She stopped in the doorway, looking at the new surroundings. The place was filled with medical equipment, as it should be. Illia wasn't squeamish, but that didn't mean she enjoyed going to the clinic. She set her sights on the doctor, the phoenix from the class. Far too fatigued to attempt to be friendly, she dropped herself into a chair, pointing at her side.

"Alright Doc, fix me."

[ωΘĿƒ]

Z was just able to catch up to her as she entered, exhaustion settling in after the adrenaline had left him. The sore feeling of being hit repeatedly with a mace was setting in too.

He sat down the next chair over, smiling wearily as was his customary "hello". He didn't feel fantastic, but he never felt too bad to make a smart comment.

"Fancy meeting you here." He snickered.

* * *

Dr. Manner brought himself to attention as the two students came in. Finally. Took them long enough. He gathered a few things from the table behind him, talking as he did so.

"Alright you two, what seems to hurt the most?"

* * *

Z wanted to pipe up, but he waited patiently for Illia.

"Ladies first."

[Iƪƪia]

She smiled weakly. Her injury was probably worse, but she still would have preferred if Z went first. With a sigh she pushed herself up, running a hand over her shoulder.

"Well, your little pet bashed me in my side," She clutched her side dramatically, "Shoulder too, but not as hard."

She wondered if her tone was a little too harsh. Well, she was injured and she wasn't nice enough to smile politely as if it's no big deal. She decided that it wasn't important right now as she rolled her shoulder in a small circle.

"Now my dreams of playing pro softball are over," She added sarcastically, as she often did when tired.

[ωΘĿƒ]

Dr. Manner sniffed. It was always the sarcastic ones, wasn't it? He gathered a few of his things together from the table behind him, sifting through needles and glass bottles of morphine.

She didn't need morphine. It'd knock her right out.

"Well, my 'pet' as you say, got the shorter end of the deal. He can't use medicine to fix his problems."

He found the right glass jar, threading the needle through the cap and drawing a few milligrams of the clear liquid.

"And he isn't mine. Professor Crane is the only one at this school that keeps trolls to my knowledge."

He flicked the syringe, clearing the air from it.

"Finds them interesting, I've heard. Arm please."

* * *

Z was having trouble sitting back, because it was his back that was injured. He settled with leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees for support.

"He keeps trolls? In the school? What does he do, set them on the bad kids?"

The lack of response from Dr. Manner made Z's grin shrink a little.

"Well... I can take another one. Just as soon as you stitch me up!"

"I'm sure, Damion." Manner replied icily.

[Iƪƪia]

Dr. Manner's response was able to silence Illia. Her brow furrowed in thought as she absentmindedly held out her arm. So Crane was behind this? As if the guy wasn't strange enough. She managed to pick up Z's comment. Using trolls for punishment? Maybe, but that couldn't be the case now. All Illia's ever done is break curfew... And vandalize the lake. But that unicorn looked as if she'd never been in trouble a day in her life.

So what then? She wondered as she watched Dr. Manner thrust the needle into her arm. Her curiosity drove away the apathy as she tried to piece everything together with little success.

"So, what's the purpose of our class?" She asked the Doctor, "What exactly are we being trained to do?"

[ωΘĿƒ]

"That is a very good question."

He applied a second shot to her side, then after waiting for the numbness to take effect, he began to clean and dress the wounds, plucking at the cotton and gauze that he'd lain out earlier for the occasion.

"Usually, it has something to do with ancient secrets. Everybody's got secrets, especially the nonhuman races, and you'd be surprised at how useful they are."

The troll had got her pretty good, he observed, but didn't say anything about it. He doubted it would get infected. Just in case though... He dipped a few pieces of cotton into a solution in a large mouthed jar.

"This will sting."

He applied the cotton, wrapping it up and continuing.

"...For example, there is a certain way to use our magical skins so that only those of our kind can see us as we truly are. The rest of the blind little humans remain none the wiser. Usually, there are a few classes on things like that. Reading mostly. Dusty old books. Nothing too interesting. Only the senior class members are allowed to ever fight anything."

He pulled the gauze tight, and caught a glare from Damion as he did so. Obviously he was growing into the overprotective, controlling creature that his parents were. Dr. Manner did not look forward to parent-teacher night...

"The point is, the class is one on theory. We aren't supposed to unleash a troll for the first lesson. Things like this happen if we do." He motioned toward Illia's injuries disdainfully. "It's a class, not a bar fight."

He decided to leave out the part about Crane specifically ordering him to set the troll on them. They were smart kids. If they wanted to know, they'd figure it out.

[Iƪƪia]

Illia winced as Dr. Manner worked on her side, but she refused to make a sound. Just what was going on here? Something was obviously wrong. Not even the staff knew what to make of everything. For a moment, she contemplated skipping her new class, but she quickly pushed that thought aside. She cast a glance at Z, offering a small smile.

"Nothing like a good mystery," She said confidently, hoping he didn't notice the edge of concern in her voice.

[ωΘĿƒ]

Z smiled back, but he felt a similar strain in doing so. Just what he needed. A bar fight class... He could handle himself in a fight, sure, but every week? And with trolls? He looked over his shoulder at his back, grimacing as he thought about it. That'd be two teachers he got to know really well. Mike and now this Doc Manner guy.

And what was up with all the teachers anyways? If Crane was so out there, why not refuse to do anything? Z was no expert, but the Doc looked like he wasn't having fun with Crane's new style of things.

He ended up leaning back, his hands up over his head, defeatedly.

"Just call me super sleuth." He sighed, then realized he was lying back on his injuries, and jumped up with a yelp.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dr. Manner had finished up on Illia.

"There you are. Try not to tear the wound open."

He knew it was useless to say this most of the time, but it wasn't worth a try every now and again.

"Your turn, Damion."

"Right Doc." The dragon stood, waiting for the doctor to check him.

[Iƪƪia]

Instead of heading out, Illia returned to the chair and sat down as Z got up. She leaned forward, her head in her hands, still trying to figure everything out. Obviously, Crane was the mastermind. Everyone else was pretty much clueless. So if she wanted to know what's going on she'd have to talk to the man himself... Yeah, that isn't happening. Apparently, they're on their own in this. Her mind returned to the class and she became curious about the next one.

"So do you know if there will be any surprises in store for our next class?" She asked the Doctor, "Fighting ghouls, maybe?"

She had meant to sound serious, but it ended up sounding sarcastic again. She decided to try that again.

"I mean, are we going to be fighting like this every class?"

[ωΘĿƒ]

Z got up, making a big show of limping over to the examination table and generally being difficult, as was his way.

"I'm dyin' Doc!" He snickered. Manner only glanced at him coldly and found a little more of that soaked cotton he'd used on Illia. The effect was instantaneous. Pain shot through Z's back, and he clutched the sides of the table, his grin slumping.

"Hey! Watch it!" He snarled.

"Sorry." Dr. Manner did not sound sorry. He continued inspecting Z's wound as he brought himself to answer Illia.

* * *

"I'm not the one you should be asking."

Derek Manner had a naturally severe voice, one that could be easily mistaken for being cruel. He had never thought it a problem. His colleagues knew him to speak this way and his patients shut their traps if he asked them to. But, in Illia's case, he tried to stifle this natural severity and speak candidly.

"I'm not even a teacher, you see. I'm just the doctor here, and I haven't known Crane as long as some of the other staff. Rehnquist, now he might know. He and Daniel are good old friends, and he was put in that room to monitor you. I was just there in case the troll got a little too aggressive." He stopped to think a second. "Yes, I think if you have any questions about it, Rehnquist is your man. You won't find Crane. He comes and goes. Sometimes right out of the school and back. The man is a conundrum, I'm afraid."

He had wrapped Z's entire back up with gauze. The damage wasn't deep, but it was widespread, and it needed a little while to heal. He tightened up the gauze, fixing it up so it wouldn't fall, and Damion gave a little grunt.

"You need to work on your bedside manner, Doc."

"You need to work on your code of conduct, Damion."

The dragon tilted his head to the side, frowning.

"Ya got me there."

* * *

So, Rehnquist? The old stuffy guy? He'd like to know what Rehnquist was hiding, just as much as Illia seemed to. He didn't like it when people kept him out of the loop, and this Crane guy was definitely doing that, and throwing dangerous critters his way.

"Where does gramps hang out then?"

"The teacher's lounge, mostly," Manner replied lightly. "Though you kids aren't allowed inside."

Z smiled at that.

"Why? Because there's a locked door? I can get through a locked door."

To that, the doctor only shrugged.

"It's not the door you should be worrying about. It's what's behind it."

[Iƪƪia]

Illia flinched when she saw Z's wounds, wondering if hers were like that. She had decided it would be best if she didn't look. The Doctor gave her more to think about anyway. Normally, she wouldn't dare risk getting into trouble by breaking into the teacher's lounge, but this was different. Her mind was set on solving this mystery and nothing was going to stop her.

What's behind it, Illia shuddered at those cryptic words.

What was behind it? Considering this school... Heck, it could be anything. She looked up at Z. She knew he was as curious as she was, and he was probably thinking about sneaking into the lounge as well. Even if he was weary of the Doc's words, he would still go with her if she asked him. She smiled at this, all concern suddenly disappearing.

"Well if I see him, I'll have to ask him," She said, hoping Z was able to take the hint.

[ωΘĿƒ]

The dragon caught Illia's trail of thought like a bloodhound on the scent of a convict. He did so because she was thinking exactly what he was. Whatever was behind that door... He needed to know. No matter what it was, he needed to find out what this whole thing was. What Crane was up to.

Ooooh, his parents would roast him if they found out he was planning to raid the teacher's lounge. He'd only done it once ever before, and it had got him kicked out faster than he could even explain why he'd done it.

Oh well. He'd learned since then, and he had a few tricks up his sleeve this time.

Besides, he absolutely would not let Illia go alone. Not after what he'd seen with the troll. This school was way too dangerous. They needed to make a plan, and they needed to stick together.

That Crane guy could pop up at any time, and he wanted to be ready.

"Thanks Doc." Z smiled, inching off the table. "I'm a new man."

"If only." The doctor sighed, sarcastically. "now get out of my infirmary with those suicidal thoughts."

"What thoughts, Doc? Z made sure to put on his 'good student' look. Manner gave up on it.

"Never mind. Just don't break anything while your in there."

Z knew Manner was contemplating telling Professor Crane. He also knew that the doctor was as confused as he and Illia were about the odd classes. That being said, maybe Z wouldn't have to distract him while he made a break for the lounge. Maybe he wanted to find out just as much as they did, but didn't want to get in trouble for it. Maybe this was his chance to, without taking any of the fall.

He thought and.... he didn't say anything about it.

"Out. Both of you."

He went to go collect the remnants of the gauze and cotton, leaving the two in their seats.

[Iƪƪia]

Illia chuckled to herself. Of course the Doctor knew what they were thinking. Well, at least he didn't seem like he was going to rat them out. At least not yet... No, Illia had a feeling he wouldn't say anything. She turned toward Z and smiled. Grabbing his hand, she led him out of the infirmary, stopping down the hall.

Not many students roamed the halls right now. Well, it seemed that classes had ended by now. She turned to face Z, batting her eyelashes.

"So, ever done anything like this before?" She kept her voice low, "Are you up for it?"

[ωΘĿƒ]

The dragon grinned a little, but he could already feel himself dreading the thought of it. Oh great. Another teacher's lounge raid..

"Sure I have." He tried to not let Illia see his apprehension. "I've done tons of break-ins." He didn't want Illia to worry about it. He did have the experience, but there was always that chance that things wouldn't work out well.

"The thing is, you kinda have to have a crew for it though. It's not as easy as it sounds."

Yup. He'd got a few others kicked out as well on that fateful night. He'd tried to take the blame for them all, but faculty can be cruel. He'd sent six good men to their parents that night, all without futures.

He really didn't want to repeat that.