Nexus Clinic (for if help is needed)

[mosaic_archive]

A one-story building sitting within shouting distance of the Wilybot Warehouse, the main room and entryway is easily big enough to drive a car into. More than one, actually, given that there's already a partly reassembled black trans-am in there, parked next to the CRs for various mechanical patients.

Comments

[lastest_ringbearer]

His mood is not much improved by their arrival, either.

[dee_lorean81]

Dee pulls into the entrance carefully -- she saw the Trans Am when she first found the place, and doesn't want to disturb what's going on there. She pops her doors and honks a couple of time to get the attention of whoever's nearest. "Hey! Hurt -- uh -- guy over here!"

(Doc briefly considers correcting her with "Hobbit," then reconsiders on the basis of a) who knows if Gollum even really is one anymore, after so much time with the Ring and b) even if he is, Gollum would likely not want to be called one since Bilbo and Frodo are Hobbits.)

[lastest_ringbearer]

The medic who comes over seems oddly unaffected by the fact that yes, this is Gollum that're dealing with. Probably not a world where Tolkien was a thing, then.

He does, on the other hand, talk an awful lot about long-term artifact damage and use of fire to destroy evil influence. He also has to dodge being bitten once or twice when Gollum gets sick of hearing it.

His hand is slowly getting better, though, so it's rather half-hearted biting.

[dee_lorean81]

Either that or the medic has been in the Nexus so long that they've seen just about everything and nothing surprises them anymore.

Most of the lecture swooshes right over Doc, Marty, and Dee's collective heads -- they're not really here to hear the nuances of how the Ring's influence was destroyed by the fires of Mt. Doom, or what's happening now. They're just here to try and do a good deed for somebody who could use one.

A nurse comes over to help out, carefully examining the affected hand and discussing with the medic whether removal of the gold should be considered or not. She personally doesn't seem to think it's a good idea, considering the damage to both hand and gold.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Not a good idea at all, in the opinion of both the medic and a most irritable Gollum. What remains of the Ring's power may be all that's keeping Smeagol alive in the first place, fire or no fire. At roughly 600 years old, he's outdone the eldest of his kind five times over at least and it's almost certainly because of the artifact he bore and eventually destroyed.

That's the medic's take, anyway. Smeagol mostly coughs and hisses about going down into the dust--he's not the most coherent even at his best, which this is anything but.

[museicalmarty]

"Yeah, that would explain a lot," Marty murmurs, looking down at Gollum as he grumbles and hisses. "Guess you and Precious are truly stuck with each other now."

The nurse ponders Gollum's hand. "Even if removing the gold is a bad idea, maybe we could find a way to -- shape it? Make it sort of like a glove? I'd just like to see if we can ensure him the use of both hands."

[lastest_ringbearer]

That gets rather more enthusiasm from the medic, at least. Gollum isn't so sure until he's reminded that gold is normally very soft indeed.

Then he relaxes and stops making noises like a kettle about to boil, and for just a moment he seems like a hobbit again--an old, exhausted, filthy hobbit, but a hobbit just the same. He even manages to smile a little, although his few and fang-like teeth are a nightmare of misshapen things.

[museicalmarty]

"Would be an impressive feat of engineering," Doc says, intrigued. "Gold being naturally soft helps, but you'd have to spread it thin enough so his fingers could bend through the covering."

"I'm sure we could find a way to manage," the nurse says, giving Gollum a smile back. Like the medic, she's either from a Tolkien-less world or has simply seen it all, here in the Nexus. "It was good of you to get him here."

"Hey, when a guy falls flaming through the ceiling, you tend to take notice," Marty replies with a shrug. "Didn't want to just leave him there."

[lastest_ringbearer]

"Nice Manses they are, yesss." He gasps a few times, as though the kindness is drowning him. Or perhaps as though it is fresh air. "Nice of the Men to think of him, to think of poor forgotten Smeagol, gollum . . ."

[museicalmarty]

"Well, by this point, we've had quite a few experiences with people who were treated rather unfairly by their home universes," Doc says. "So we try to be kind when we can."

"Yeah, exactly," Marty agrees. After all, when you've seen the JOKER reform, along with most of his fellow rogue's gallery, and heard in detail some of the shit they went through. . .you tend to worry less about "villains" showing up in the Nexus.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Not that poor Smeagol was ever much of a villain, truly. He was a victim, of the Ring and of his own weaknesses, and now he's safe at last.

[museicalmarty]

True enough -- Marty hasn't actually read the books, but he's heard plenty about them, and he'll agree that the real villain was the asshole who made that Ring in the first place. It's good to know that the vast majority of the taint is gone.

The nurse suggests to the medic that they bring Gollum (or Smeagol, whichever he would prefer to be called at this point) to one of the exam rooms and see about getting that hand into a more usable state. "Shouldn't take too long -- especially given that it's, um, still warm," she notes, smiling awkwardly.

[lastest_ringbearer]

It's not too hard to get him into an exam room, really--he's still enough in shock that he'll follow where they tell him to go, especially if they speak kindly and firmly. Kindness especially, since only Frodo really showed him any before.

[museicalmarty]

The nurse is good at kind but firm -- you develop a certain tone when you've treated things from simple bumps and bruises to "help I ate something I shouldn't have and now I'm an owl."

Marty decides to tag along at the back, just to be a friendly face in case something happens -- Doc and Dee stay behind in the main room, as to not crowd the doctor and nurse. (Besides, Dee seems to want to keep an eye on that Trans Am.)

[lastest_ringbearer]

*Nothing too terrible happens, just an old and broken hobbit getting a little less broken. The Trams Am doesn't even transform into anything, or whatever Dee might be thinking of.

*A friendly face is just more suspicious at first, but he soon gets used to it.*

[museicalmarty]

Dee was just wondering if anything was online yet, but it doesn't seem to be -- either that or the AI that was in it hasn't been reinstalled. She hopes everything turns out well for him.

Couldn't blame him, but Marty feels a touch responsible for keeping an eye on him, given he was the one who saw him fall. He's just glad that getting what's left of the Ring smoothed out so it's not keeping Gollum's hand permanently shut goes well.

[lastest_ringbearer]

*All goes well for all that need it, and soon Smeagol is even looking cheerful enough.*

[museicalmarty]

Marty gives him a thumbs-up as they finish up. "There you go! Feeling better now?"

[lastest_ringbearer]

Smeagol isss feeling better, my love!

*A suspicious sort of look.* . . . why'd you do it?! *Because niceness just sort of doesn't happen to the poor thing, you know?*

[museicalmarty]

Marty holds up his hands. "Hey, easy -- I did it 'cause I hoped somebody would do it for me if I, you know, crash-landed in the Nexus. On fire. I don't want anything from you, promise." He's not sure if Smeagol-Gollum will believe him, of course, but -- he'll put it out there. Something for the little guy to chew on.

[lastest_ringbearer]

People aren't nice to Smeagol, no. They tie him and kick at him and call him names, Precious!

*Well, better than him trying to chew on Marty.*

[museicalmarty]

"Well, nobody can tie you up and kick you, at least," Marty says. "There's a -- spell over the world that stops people just randomly trying to beat each other up."

"If two people want to fight, that's something different," the nurse confirms. "But generally violence is discouraged. Can't say the same about name-calling, I'm afraid." She gives the little fellow a sympathetic look. "Sounds like you've escaped a very bad situation."

[lastest_ringbearer]

*He blinks up at them feebly.* S-safe? Smeagol is safe?

No, no, Smeagol is never safe. Lying it is, it mussst be, we should bite it all over. *The little body shudders with held-back tears and sheer exhaustion.* But I'm tired, Smeagol is too tired, yesss.

[museicalmarty]

"Pretty safe, anyway," Marty says. "The Nexus isn't all sunshine and roses. . .but I guess you'll find that out for yourself." Can't convince him if he's not willing to listen. Though, to be fair, every time Gollum thought he was safe, something happened to make him not-safe, so. . . Can't blame him for not being willing to listen either.

Marty frowns as Smeagol shivers. "Yeah, you look it."

"We can get you a bed for the night," the nurse assures him. "We need to keep an eye on your hand anyway -- make sure it's healing correctly. After that -- well, there are places to live in the Nexus. I'm not sure what you'd prefer, but there's plenty of locations to pick from."

[lastest_ringbearer]

Sssafe for now isss better than nothing, if it ssswears to keeps usss that way. *Who he's asking the oath of is rather hard to say.*

Living? No, we were in the fireses. No living for Smeagol. Not after that.

[museicalmarty]

Marty glances over at the nurse, who shrugs. "I promise to never kick you or tie you up, if that helps any," Marty says. Without knowing yet what's going to become of him, he doesn't want to swear to more.

"And you'll have a nice bed here tonight, that I can promise you," the nurse adds. She frowns as Smeagol talks of being in the fires. "Well, you're alive right now. As far as I can see, anyway."

[lastest_ringbearer]

*A slow, thoughtful nod.* Sssleep soundses nice. Poor Smeagol don't get much of that, no he doesssn't!

[museicalmarty]

Okay, they'll file the "can't be alive" thing as something to possibly hash out later. "I can bet," Marty admits with a nod. "You should be okay here. At least for the moment. We'll drop by later, see how you're doing." He knows what it's like to be new to the Nexus. And Smeagol's got more to deal with than most.

"Let's get you to that bed, then," the nurse says with a smile. "Make sure you're nicely settled in."

[lastest_ringbearer]

*Smeagol nods back, relieved more than he can express by even a little kindness.* No more Lidlesss Eye watching? We be safe?

[museicalmarty]

"I have definitely not seen any Lidless Eyes around," Marty says, grimacing at the very thought.

"Nor me," the nurse adds. "It shouldn't be able to get you here."

[lastest_ringbearer]

I'm glad. *And he nods off right where he is, now and forever Smeagol.*

[museicalmarty]

"So are -- we," Marty says, hiding a chuckle as Smeagol just passes out. "Ooh boy -- yeah, you definitely needed that." He looks up at the nurse. "You've got him covered?"

The nurse nods, carefully lifting Smeagol to carry him to a real bed. "He's in good hands, don't worry."

[lastest_ringbearer]

*After Mordor? Yes, he needed that.

*He sleeps long, and asleep some few lines smooth out on his face. But the main change is the same sleeping or waking, and that is that the Ring can't control him anymore.*

[museicalmarty]

((Feel like this is a good ending place for this one))

[lastest_ringbearer]

(Agreed)