Poem: "Thaw With Her Gentle Persuasion"
Dec. 28th, 2024 07:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the July 4, 2023 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from lone_cat and mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Mad Science" square in my 7-1-23 card for the Fireworks Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the Polychrome Heroics series. It follows "Bitter Ice" and "Desperate Measures" so read those first, or this won't make much sense.
"Thaw With Her Gentle Persuasion"
[November 2014]
Oskar Esser moved
as carefully as he could,
but he felt like every joint
had been filled with sand.
Just yesterday, he and
others of Skadi's crew
had been rescued from
the Übereis that he had
shaped to preserve them.
The day before that --
according to his memory --
they had been at war.
But according to the calendar,
that was almost a century ago.
Most of the men who chose
to take his gamble had survived.
Oskar mourned the loss of
Ruprecht Abeln, having
no idea why he died when
the others came through safe.
Conversely, Fritz Emmelmann
had got caught up in the field
by accident rather than intent,
and was furious to the point
of unreason over the incident.
Oskar couldn't blame him;
he blamed himself for not
getting the calculations right.
So here they all were, flung
into an uncertain future, and
his body felt gritty and miserable.
Dr. Doran had explained that while
most of the men were doing well,
Oskar's health was more delicate
because they needed to thaw him
on the Skadi since his hand had
been wrapped around the switch.
So he didn't argue with the medics
when they coddled him, and he used
the clever metal frame they'd given
him to shuffle to the head and back.
Exhausted from the minor effort, he
collapsed onto the bed and lay panting.
"Right this way, Dr. Infanta," said Dr. Doran.
"Oskar Esser is one of those worse off,
likely because he was the closest to
the device. He's their brain and
he had a hand on the switch."
But the person with her
was tiny -- a child, actually.
Why would anyone bring
a little girl here? It made
no sense, so Oskar looked
closer as they approached.
She had fair skin and brown hair,
standing out against the white coat
thrown over her clothes, and she
looked no older than seven or so,
but her eyes ... those were ancient.
And then he remembered.
"Kleiner Geist," he whispered, then
attempted English. "I heard of you."
"What have you heard?" she said,
cocking her head like a bird.
"Stories ... rumors," said Oskar.
"Classified, but people still talk."
She flicked a hand. "Likely true.
You needn't worry, though; the wars
are over," she said. "I am Dr. Infanta.
I've come to help, if you would like."
"You a doctor?" Oskar asked.
"I have medical degrees from
several of the oldest schools,"
said Dr. Infanta. "I'm also
a healer, which is what if
anything will help today.
May I touch you? That
would make this easier."
Anything that might get
the sand out of his joints
was all to the good, so
Oskar said, "Ja, yes."
Dr. Infanta put her hand
over his, and something ...
rippled through him, like
a warm breeze blowing.
"He has some cell damage,"
Dr. Infanta said, frowning.
"Concentrated or distributed?"
said Dr. Doran. "We thought
it might be something like that."
"Distributed, it's spread through
most of his body," said Dr. Infanta.
"Joints," said Oskar. "Feels like
sand. Gritty, grating. Hurts."
Dr. Infanta promptly picked up
his wrist and bent it gently, then
checked his elbow and shoulder
while Oskar huffed at the pain.
"Ah. Hm. Yes," said Dr. Infanta.
"Distributed, but more in the joints.
No wonder that feels like sand."
"Can you repair it?" said Dr. Doran.
"If he lets me," Dr. Infanta replied.
"What do you say, Oskar? This may
make you tired, but it won't hurt."
"Ja, bitte," he said, trying and
failing to offer a hand. "Fix it."
Dr. Infanta smoothed her tiny hands
along his skin, and heat bloomed
under them, melting away the sand
and the lingering cold that no amount
of blankets had managed to soothe.
Oskar sighed, basking in the heat,
and let her move his limbs however
she wanted to test the joint function.
He had gotten frostnip once, and
Hunfried Sachs had warmed him by
tucking him between two other men,
which had been embarrassing but
effective. This felt a lot like that.
When the hands finally lifted away,
Dr. Infanta smiled. "How do you feel?"
"Thaw with her gentle persuasion
is more powerful than Thor with
his hammer," Oskar murmured,
patting her hand. "The one melts,
while the other breaks into pieces."
He did feel tired, but on the whole
much improved from his earlier state.
She bent forward, touching her cheek
to his. "If I had known what happened,
I would have come for you," she whispered.
"I may not get along well with Germany, but
our organizations have long been allies."
Oskar had been amazed to learn that
something of their little rebellion survived.
"Do you feel well enough to visit some of
the other survivors?" asked Dr. Doran.
"You worked the Eislanze, so you
may have insights into their care."
"I can try," said Oskar. "Hunfried
and I spoke. I tried to make it safe,
but --" He shrugged. "-- weapon."
"Yes, we have people working on
that angle already," said Dr. Doran.
"However, only you know what
you actually did to the thing."
Oskar couldn't argue with that.
They checked on Hunfried next --
once they found him, for inevitably
he had gotten out of bed again
to help another of the survivors.
This time it was Brendis Voss,
who had caught fire again.
Hunfried was patting him
with a blanket that put out
the flames without making
Brendis screech like he did
when doused with water.
"Oh dear," said Dr. Infanta.
"Traumatic manifestation is
awful, and getting trapped in
ice would be even worse for
a fire elemental. Dr. Doran,
do you have anyone who can
teach him about his abilities?"
"Not one willing to help with
this situation," said Dr. Doran.
"Most of ours specialize in
combat or in firefighting."
"I'll ask around my contacts,"
said Dr. Infanta. "Someone will."
"I am fine," Brendis mumbled
from underneath the blanket.
"You know, I used to claim that
you would say that even if you
were on fire," Hunfried grumbled.
"I had thought I was joking."
"Nope, supervillains really
do that," Dr. Infanta said.
"Will you two let me check
you for superweapon injuries?"
"Yes, please," Hunfried said,
eager to meet another medic.
Dr. Infanta touched him, then
smiled. "You are not damaged,
and you are recovering quickly
from your stay inside the ice."
"Here, please check on
Brendis too," said Hunfried.
"Nein," Brendis protested.
Hunfried argued with him in
German, trying to convince him
to submit to an examination,
even though Brendis was
worried about burning others.
"He can't actually kill me,"
said Dr. Infanta. "So what
if I get singed a bit? It'll heal."
Oskar didn't care that she was
possibly older than Germany
and probably more powerful than
the Eislanze. She still looked like
a little girl, so he pulled her behind him.
"If you get singed, miss, your Guardians
will chew our ears off," said Dr. Doran.
"Use the fire-safety blanket, it'll help."
Once Hunfried explained about
the blanket, Brendis agreed to let
Dr. Infanta slide a hand under it
so she could check his health.
"You're fine," she said. "It's just
that your energy is spilling over.
We'll find someone to teach you
how to control that better."
That was good news.
Oskar had been worried.
When they went to visit
Fritz Emmelmann, he swore
at them through the door of
the room where he was kept.
Dr. Infanta barked back at him
in perfect German, ringing with
enough authority to subdue him.
She went in, checked him, and
came right back out to them.
"He's upset because he didn't
expect or want to come with you,"
she said to Oskar. "I don't think it's
your fault. He's not injured, just
outraged." She sighed. "Hell, I
know how he feels, the future can
be maddening. Send for a historian,
and that may help him to feel better."
"That we can do," Dr. Doran said,
pressing on the blinking bracelet
that she wore around her wrist.
Oskar had a bracelet, too, but
his didn't do anything other
than tell them who he was.
He really wanted one of
those blinking bracelets.
Dr. Infanta giggled. "I
think that Oskar envies
your vidwatch, Dr. Doran."
"We have ordered a variety
of supplies," said Dr. Doran.
"Vidwatches, e-readers, clothes,
and the usual refugee comforts."
Oskar supposed that they were
refugees of a sort, cast adrift by time.
After that, they stopped to see
Gregor Baasch, who had become
the leader of the survivors because
their captain had died by his own hand.
Like Oskar, he recognized Dr. Infanta.
"Kleiner Geist," said Gregor. "Do as
you will with me. Spare my men."
"I have no quarrel with you or
your men," said Dr. Infanta. She
wrinkled her nose. "Even Fritz.
Will you let me examine you
to see if you are injured?"
"Yes," said Gregor. He sat
still while she patted over him,
frowned, moved her hands,
and frowned even more.
"Something seems ... stuck,"
said Dr. Infanta. "His body is
pouring out stress chemicals
for no reason I can find."
Dr. Doran nodded. "He's
afraid of death," she explained.
"He wasn't before, but as soon
as he came out of the ice, he
was like that. I've pushed it
down as much as I can."
"Stuck ... or frozen,"
Dr. Infanta mused.
"What do you think,
Oskar? Could the ice
have done this to him?"
"Damn," Oskar muttered.
"It might? A man is not
a machine. I can't see
inside him to know. But
the Übereis can make
things ... stay? More."
"I'll get Nanette to come
check him," said Dr. Infanta.
"She can tell us if he needs
a mindhealer, or what. Gregor,
would you mind if a telepath
takes a look at you too?"
Gregor shrugged. "If that
will stop the Kriegsneurose,
then I will try anything."
"It's much too early to tell
something like that, but she
can give us an idea of what
might help you," said Dr. Infanta.
She touched her blinking bracelet,
and soon a tall narrow-faced woman
came over to join their small group.
"Hello, Gregor. I am Nanette,"
she said. "Will you let me look
at your mind to see if we can help?"
"Please," said Gregor. "I am
so afraid. It does not feel like me."
"Ah," said Nanette. "That may
help me figure out the problem."
She put a hand over his forehead,
and Gregor lay quietly for a few minutes
before suddenly jerking away from her.
"The fear is real, and very stuck, but
it doesn't feel like his," said Nanette.
"He may have picked that up from
someone else, somehow, or perhaps
the Übereis took a normal fear and
just blew it all out of proportion."
"Can you fix it, or do you
think that medication might
work?" Dr. Doran asked her.
Nanette shook her head.
"I could try, if we had
no other options, but it
would be better to call
a real mindhealer, who
could figure out the root
of the issue," she said.
Dr. Doran made a note.
"Thank you," she said.
"I'll see who we can get.
Would you mind staying
to consult on another case?"
"Oh right, the one who hasn't
woken up yet," said Dr. Infanta.
"I agree, that would be useful."
"I will help if I can," said Nanette.
That was clear across the ward, though.
Partway there, Dr. Infanta detoured to
stop and talk with Penrod Vonnegut.
"You've twisted your right wrist
and your left ankle," she told him.
"Did you want to keep the reminders
not to overdo it, or were you planning
to ask someone for help eventually?"
"Ah ... um ..." Penrod stammered.
"No, he probably wasn't going
to mention it," said Oskar. "I know
Penrod survives hardship well, but
he doesn't know when to ask for help
or what to do with it if someone offers.
Hunfried always complains about that."
Dr. Infanta tapped the injured wrist
with a fingertip, just hard enough
to make Penrod flinch. "How about
you let us fix this for you, and then
consider how you feel about it."
"She's going through the survivors,
and it's your turn," Oskar said helpfully.
Sometimes you could get Penrod
to go along as part of a group.
"All right," Penrod said, nodding.
"I'll do the wrist if you do the ankle,"
Dr. Infanta said to Dr. Doran.
"Works for me," Dr. Doran said,
and Penrod was, if not comfortable
accepting help, at least willing
to go along with the suggestion.
Oskar would have to tell
Hunfried about this. Maybe
they could convince Penrod
to be a bit more open to help.
After all, a durable seaman
was no use if he got himself
killed from sheer stubbornness.
Oskar followed the ladies
as they cross the ward room.
Once Dr. Infanta paused
to check behind a curtain,
causing Bittan Hummel
and Edel Regenbogen
to jump apart as if scalded.
Oskar had glimpsed them
kissing just once before,
and they hadn't been doing
much more now, but he couldn't
blame them for being skittish.
"Don't worry about it, boys,"
said Dr. Infanta. "After all,
we're supervillains. We don't
care who you hook up with
as long as you're both willing.
You are both willing, right?"
Bittan and Edel inched back
towards each other, nodding.
"So, no problem," Dr. Infanta said,
and flicked the curtain closed again.
"I should probably send those two
some literature and supplies,"
Dr. Doran said, chuckling.
"Considering their information,
if any, is a hundred years out of
date?" Dr. Infanta said. "Definitely."
Oskar wondered what progress
pornography could possibly
have made, but he didn't ask.
Dr. Infanta raised an eyebrow
over Kasper Feigenbaum,
but Dr. Doran shook her head
and said, "Just ignore that."
"Ah. I see." Dr. Infanta
just nodded and moved on.
"Good idea," said Oskar.
"Kaspar always balks.
Hunfried complains about
him even more than Penrod."
"It's his choice," said Dr. Doran.
When they reached Wilmer Landau,
the sight of his still body gave
Oskar a wrenching sense of guilt.
"No change?" he whispered.
Everyone else had woken up
shortly after they had been
taken out of the Übereis.
Wilmer looked like he was
sleeping, but wouldn't wake.
"Not yet," said Dr. Doran.
"I don't want to risk forcing
him awake, so I'm hoping
someone else can help --
or at least, let us know that
the person is still in there,
beyond what scanners can
tell use about brain waves."
Dr. Infanta reached out
to touch Wilmer, but then
shook her head. "I can't feel
anything obviously wrong."
Nanette tried next, frowning
a little. "He's there. He's not
pushing me out," she said slowly.
"Something just feels ... odd."
"Do you have any ideas, Oskar?"
said Dr. Doran. "Why would he
respond differently than others?"
"I do not know," said Oskar.
"A machine is ... not simple,
straightforward. It does what
it does, ja? But each person
is different. So, sometimes,
that can change things."
"Like how most people are
wary of telepaths, but some
enjoy the touch," said Nanette.
"That sounds right," said Oskar.
"You mentioned ... scanners?
What do they show you?"
"We have medical scanners
that show many different things,"
said Dr. Doran. "Here, look."
She picked up a thing that
looked a bit like a picture frame,
but thicker and heavier, with
moving colors on the front.
Oskar was captivated.
He hadn't seen much of
the future's fancy tools,
since the staff had removed
most of that in hopes of not
overwhelming the survivors
with too many new things.
"Touch here, and you can
see information about the body,"
said Dr. Doran. "Touch here,
and these are brain waves
that tell a little about the mind."
Something flittered at the edge
of Oskar's awareness, teasing,
incomplete, out of reach.
Frustrated, he shifted back
and forth between the displays,
letting his mind skim over them.
There was a sort of ... loop, there,
in the brain views, that was it. Like
a plane circling before it landed,
waiting for the right response.
"I told them," Oskar said slowly,
"that rescue might take a long time
to reach us, and that the Übereis
would keep us safe until then."
"So, he doesn't realize he's
safe?" Nanette said. "Maybe
I can reach him to explain that."
She touched Wilmer again, but
after only a moment, jerked away.
"Now he's pushing me out."
"He didn't believe you about
being safe?" said Dr. Infanta.
"No, it was more like I wasn't
who he expected," said Nanette.
"Oh," Oskar said with a swelling ache.
"He expected that 'safe' would mean
waking up in a hospital, with family.
Wilmer has -- had -- many relatives.
He told us lots of stories about them
and his travels, to make us laugh."
And every one of those people
must be long dead by now.
Dr. Infanta perked up, though.
"All right, if he had extended family,
then someone probably survived
the wars. Dr. Doran, what have
we turned up in his search?"
Dr. Doran took back the device
and did something to it that changed
its display. "Over a dozen descendants
so far," she said. "Oskar, do you have
any idea who he might have expected?"
"His wife Resi or his daughter Alvinia,
most likely. He had a picture of them,
I've seen it," said Oskar. "His parents,
siblings, other relations -- they would
have been more difficult to reach."
"There's a girl here, Hollee Landau,
who is 7 years old. She would be Wilmer's
great-great-great-great granddaughter,"
said Dr. Doran. "Is that close enough?"
Oskar sighed around the tightening ache.
"Alvinia was 7 when we went into the ice,"
he said. He hated to think of that little girl
growing up without her father, growing old,
doubtless long dead now. "It's worth a try."
"We'll try to contact his living relatives and
see if they're willing to help," said Dr. Doran.
He couldn't help thinking of the worn picture
that Wilmer had carried everywhere with him.
They weren't Oskar's relatives, but everyone
had gotten so attached to Wilmer's stories
that they felt almost like family to the crew.
The room blurred out of focus, and
Oskar found himself swaying.
"Are you all right?" Dr. Infanta said,
her hand closing around his wrist.
"Not even close," Nanette murmured.
"Something about this is upsetting
Oskar enough to spill all over."
"The stories," Oskar choked out.
"Felt like we all knew them."
"I think we've imposed enough
on you for today," said Dr. Doran.
"Let's get you back to your bed."
Oskar nodded. His throat
hurt too much to talk now,
cramped around a cold knot.
Dr. Infanta kept ahold of him,
her power gently shoring him up,
and Nanette had her hand on
his shoulder from the other side.
They poured him back into bed,
and Oskar dragged the covers
over himself, wanting to hide.
Dr. Infanta perched next to him,
one hip on the edge of the bed.
"I know what it's like to lose
everything," she said, and Oskar
could see it in her eyes, echoes
of old pain. "We can't change
the past, but we can lift the weight
off you for a little while, if you let us."
Oskar nodded. He felt so miserable
that he would try anything now.
Dr. Infanta's warm power
rippled through him again,
and on the other side of him
Nanette's felt cool and soothing.
It was like a dimmer switch inside
his head, turning down the pain
slowly enough that he could
appreciate it fading away.
Dr. Infanta was humming
under her breath, and Oskar
felt the frigid knot in his throat
thaw with her gentle persuasion.
The soft humming lulled him to sleep.
* * *
Notes:
"Thaw with her gentle persuasion is more powerful than Thor with his hammer. The one melts, the other breaks into pieces."
-- Henry David Thoreau
"Bitter Ice" 1-8-18
Timeline: November 2014
"Desperate Measures" 1-8-18
Timeline: November 2014
Little Ghost
Kleiner Geist
lone_cat and mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Mad Science" square in my 7-1-23 card for the Fireworks Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the Polychrome Heroics series. It follows "Bitter Ice" and "Desperate Measures" so read those first, or this won't make much sense."Thaw With Her Gentle Persuasion"
[November 2014]
Oskar Esser moved
as carefully as he could,
but he felt like every joint
had been filled with sand.
Just yesterday, he and
others of Skadi's crew
had been rescued from
the Übereis that he had
shaped to preserve them.
The day before that --
according to his memory --
they had been at war.
But according to the calendar,
that was almost a century ago.
Most of the men who chose
to take his gamble had survived.
Oskar mourned the loss of
Ruprecht Abeln, having
no idea why he died when
the others came through safe.
Conversely, Fritz Emmelmann
had got caught up in the field
by accident rather than intent,
and was furious to the point
of unreason over the incident.
Oskar couldn't blame him;
he blamed himself for not
getting the calculations right.
So here they all were, flung
into an uncertain future, and
his body felt gritty and miserable.
Dr. Doran had explained that while
most of the men were doing well,
Oskar's health was more delicate
because they needed to thaw him
on the Skadi since his hand had
been wrapped around the switch.
So he didn't argue with the medics
when they coddled him, and he used
the clever metal frame they'd given
him to shuffle to the head and back.
Exhausted from the minor effort, he
collapsed onto the bed and lay panting.
"Right this way, Dr. Infanta," said Dr. Doran.
"Oskar Esser is one of those worse off,
likely because he was the closest to
the device. He's their brain and
he had a hand on the switch."
But the person with her
was tiny -- a child, actually.
Why would anyone bring
a little girl here? It made
no sense, so Oskar looked
closer as they approached.
She had fair skin and brown hair,
standing out against the white coat
thrown over her clothes, and she
looked no older than seven or so,
but her eyes ... those were ancient.
And then he remembered.
"Kleiner Geist," he whispered, then
attempted English. "I heard of you."
"What have you heard?" she said,
cocking her head like a bird.
"Stories ... rumors," said Oskar.
"Classified, but people still talk."
She flicked a hand. "Likely true.
You needn't worry, though; the wars
are over," she said. "I am Dr. Infanta.
I've come to help, if you would like."
"You a doctor?" Oskar asked.
"I have medical degrees from
several of the oldest schools,"
said Dr. Infanta. "I'm also
a healer, which is what if
anything will help today.
May I touch you? That
would make this easier."
Anything that might get
the sand out of his joints
was all to the good, so
Oskar said, "Ja, yes."
Dr. Infanta put her hand
over his, and something ...
rippled through him, like
a warm breeze blowing.
"He has some cell damage,"
Dr. Infanta said, frowning.
"Concentrated or distributed?"
said Dr. Doran. "We thought
it might be something like that."
"Distributed, it's spread through
most of his body," said Dr. Infanta.
"Joints," said Oskar. "Feels like
sand. Gritty, grating. Hurts."
Dr. Infanta promptly picked up
his wrist and bent it gently, then
checked his elbow and shoulder
while Oskar huffed at the pain.
"Ah. Hm. Yes," said Dr. Infanta.
"Distributed, but more in the joints.
No wonder that feels like sand."
"Can you repair it?" said Dr. Doran.
"If he lets me," Dr. Infanta replied.
"What do you say, Oskar? This may
make you tired, but it won't hurt."
"Ja, bitte," he said, trying and
failing to offer a hand. "Fix it."
Dr. Infanta smoothed her tiny hands
along his skin, and heat bloomed
under them, melting away the sand
and the lingering cold that no amount
of blankets had managed to soothe.
Oskar sighed, basking in the heat,
and let her move his limbs however
she wanted to test the joint function.
He had gotten frostnip once, and
Hunfried Sachs had warmed him by
tucking him between two other men,
which had been embarrassing but
effective. This felt a lot like that.
When the hands finally lifted away,
Dr. Infanta smiled. "How do you feel?"
"Thaw with her gentle persuasion
is more powerful than Thor with
his hammer," Oskar murmured,
patting her hand. "The one melts,
while the other breaks into pieces."
He did feel tired, but on the whole
much improved from his earlier state.
She bent forward, touching her cheek
to his. "If I had known what happened,
I would have come for you," she whispered.
"I may not get along well with Germany, but
our organizations have long been allies."
Oskar had been amazed to learn that
something of their little rebellion survived.
"Do you feel well enough to visit some of
the other survivors?" asked Dr. Doran.
"You worked the Eislanze, so you
may have insights into their care."
"I can try," said Oskar. "Hunfried
and I spoke. I tried to make it safe,
but --" He shrugged. "-- weapon."
"Yes, we have people working on
that angle already," said Dr. Doran.
"However, only you know what
you actually did to the thing."
Oskar couldn't argue with that.
They checked on Hunfried next --
once they found him, for inevitably
he had gotten out of bed again
to help another of the survivors.
This time it was Brendis Voss,
who had caught fire again.
Hunfried was patting him
with a blanket that put out
the flames without making
Brendis screech like he did
when doused with water.
"Oh dear," said Dr. Infanta.
"Traumatic manifestation is
awful, and getting trapped in
ice would be even worse for
a fire elemental. Dr. Doran,
do you have anyone who can
teach him about his abilities?"
"Not one willing to help with
this situation," said Dr. Doran.
"Most of ours specialize in
combat or in firefighting."
"I'll ask around my contacts,"
said Dr. Infanta. "Someone will."
"I am fine," Brendis mumbled
from underneath the blanket.
"You know, I used to claim that
you would say that even if you
were on fire," Hunfried grumbled.
"I had thought I was joking."
"Nope, supervillains really
do that," Dr. Infanta said.
"Will you two let me check
you for superweapon injuries?"
"Yes, please," Hunfried said,
eager to meet another medic.
Dr. Infanta touched him, then
smiled. "You are not damaged,
and you are recovering quickly
from your stay inside the ice."
"Here, please check on
Brendis too," said Hunfried.
"Nein," Brendis protested.
Hunfried argued with him in
German, trying to convince him
to submit to an examination,
even though Brendis was
worried about burning others.
"He can't actually kill me,"
said Dr. Infanta. "So what
if I get singed a bit? It'll heal."
Oskar didn't care that she was
possibly older than Germany
and probably more powerful than
the Eislanze. She still looked like
a little girl, so he pulled her behind him.
"If you get singed, miss, your Guardians
will chew our ears off," said Dr. Doran.
"Use the fire-safety blanket, it'll help."
Once Hunfried explained about
the blanket, Brendis agreed to let
Dr. Infanta slide a hand under it
so she could check his health.
"You're fine," she said. "It's just
that your energy is spilling over.
We'll find someone to teach you
how to control that better."
That was good news.
Oskar had been worried.
When they went to visit
Fritz Emmelmann, he swore
at them through the door of
the room where he was kept.
Dr. Infanta barked back at him
in perfect German, ringing with
enough authority to subdue him.
She went in, checked him, and
came right back out to them.
"He's upset because he didn't
expect or want to come with you,"
she said to Oskar. "I don't think it's
your fault. He's not injured, just
outraged." She sighed. "Hell, I
know how he feels, the future can
be maddening. Send for a historian,
and that may help him to feel better."
"That we can do," Dr. Doran said,
pressing on the blinking bracelet
that she wore around her wrist.
Oskar had a bracelet, too, but
his didn't do anything other
than tell them who he was.
He really wanted one of
those blinking bracelets.
Dr. Infanta giggled. "I
think that Oskar envies
your vidwatch, Dr. Doran."
"We have ordered a variety
of supplies," said Dr. Doran.
"Vidwatches, e-readers, clothes,
and the usual refugee comforts."
Oskar supposed that they were
refugees of a sort, cast adrift by time.
After that, they stopped to see
Gregor Baasch, who had become
the leader of the survivors because
their captain had died by his own hand.
Like Oskar, he recognized Dr. Infanta.
"Kleiner Geist," said Gregor. "Do as
you will with me. Spare my men."
"I have no quarrel with you or
your men," said Dr. Infanta. She
wrinkled her nose. "Even Fritz.
Will you let me examine you
to see if you are injured?"
"Yes," said Gregor. He sat
still while she patted over him,
frowned, moved her hands,
and frowned even more.
"Something seems ... stuck,"
said Dr. Infanta. "His body is
pouring out stress chemicals
for no reason I can find."
Dr. Doran nodded. "He's
afraid of death," she explained.
"He wasn't before, but as soon
as he came out of the ice, he
was like that. I've pushed it
down as much as I can."
"Stuck ... or frozen,"
Dr. Infanta mused.
"What do you think,
Oskar? Could the ice
have done this to him?"
"Damn," Oskar muttered.
"It might? A man is not
a machine. I can't see
inside him to know. But
the Übereis can make
things ... stay? More."
"I'll get Nanette to come
check him," said Dr. Infanta.
"She can tell us if he needs
a mindhealer, or what. Gregor,
would you mind if a telepath
takes a look at you too?"
Gregor shrugged. "If that
will stop the Kriegsneurose,
then I will try anything."
"It's much too early to tell
something like that, but she
can give us an idea of what
might help you," said Dr. Infanta.
She touched her blinking bracelet,
and soon a tall narrow-faced woman
came over to join their small group.
"Hello, Gregor. I am Nanette,"
she said. "Will you let me look
at your mind to see if we can help?"
"Please," said Gregor. "I am
so afraid. It does not feel like me."
"Ah," said Nanette. "That may
help me figure out the problem."
She put a hand over his forehead,
and Gregor lay quietly for a few minutes
before suddenly jerking away from her.
"The fear is real, and very stuck, but
it doesn't feel like his," said Nanette.
"He may have picked that up from
someone else, somehow, or perhaps
the Übereis took a normal fear and
just blew it all out of proportion."
"Can you fix it, or do you
think that medication might
work?" Dr. Doran asked her.
Nanette shook her head.
"I could try, if we had
no other options, but it
would be better to call
a real mindhealer, who
could figure out the root
of the issue," she said.
Dr. Doran made a note.
"Thank you," she said.
"I'll see who we can get.
Would you mind staying
to consult on another case?"
"Oh right, the one who hasn't
woken up yet," said Dr. Infanta.
"I agree, that would be useful."
"I will help if I can," said Nanette.
That was clear across the ward, though.
Partway there, Dr. Infanta detoured to
stop and talk with Penrod Vonnegut.
"You've twisted your right wrist
and your left ankle," she told him.
"Did you want to keep the reminders
not to overdo it, or were you planning
to ask someone for help eventually?"
"Ah ... um ..." Penrod stammered.
"No, he probably wasn't going
to mention it," said Oskar. "I know
Penrod survives hardship well, but
he doesn't know when to ask for help
or what to do with it if someone offers.
Hunfried always complains about that."
Dr. Infanta tapped the injured wrist
with a fingertip, just hard enough
to make Penrod flinch. "How about
you let us fix this for you, and then
consider how you feel about it."
"She's going through the survivors,
and it's your turn," Oskar said helpfully.
Sometimes you could get Penrod
to go along as part of a group.
"All right," Penrod said, nodding.
"I'll do the wrist if you do the ankle,"
Dr. Infanta said to Dr. Doran.
"Works for me," Dr. Doran said,
and Penrod was, if not comfortable
accepting help, at least willing
to go along with the suggestion.
Oskar would have to tell
Hunfried about this. Maybe
they could convince Penrod
to be a bit more open to help.
After all, a durable seaman
was no use if he got himself
killed from sheer stubbornness.
Oskar followed the ladies
as they cross the ward room.
Once Dr. Infanta paused
to check behind a curtain,
causing Bittan Hummel
and Edel Regenbogen
to jump apart as if scalded.
Oskar had glimpsed them
kissing just once before,
and they hadn't been doing
much more now, but he couldn't
blame them for being skittish.
"Don't worry about it, boys,"
said Dr. Infanta. "After all,
we're supervillains. We don't
care who you hook up with
as long as you're both willing.
You are both willing, right?"
Bittan and Edel inched back
towards each other, nodding.
"So, no problem," Dr. Infanta said,
and flicked the curtain closed again.
"I should probably send those two
some literature and supplies,"
Dr. Doran said, chuckling.
"Considering their information,
if any, is a hundred years out of
date?" Dr. Infanta said. "Definitely."
Oskar wondered what progress
pornography could possibly
have made, but he didn't ask.
Dr. Infanta raised an eyebrow
over Kasper Feigenbaum,
but Dr. Doran shook her head
and said, "Just ignore that."
"Ah. I see." Dr. Infanta
just nodded and moved on.
"Good idea," said Oskar.
"Kaspar always balks.
Hunfried complains about
him even more than Penrod."
"It's his choice," said Dr. Doran.
When they reached Wilmer Landau,
the sight of his still body gave
Oskar a wrenching sense of guilt.
"No change?" he whispered.
Everyone else had woken up
shortly after they had been
taken out of the Übereis.
Wilmer looked like he was
sleeping, but wouldn't wake.
"Not yet," said Dr. Doran.
"I don't want to risk forcing
him awake, so I'm hoping
someone else can help --
or at least, let us know that
the person is still in there,
beyond what scanners can
tell use about brain waves."
Dr. Infanta reached out
to touch Wilmer, but then
shook her head. "I can't feel
anything obviously wrong."
Nanette tried next, frowning
a little. "He's there. He's not
pushing me out," she said slowly.
"Something just feels ... odd."
"Do you have any ideas, Oskar?"
said Dr. Doran. "Why would he
respond differently than others?"
"I do not know," said Oskar.
"A machine is ... not simple,
straightforward. It does what
it does, ja? But each person
is different. So, sometimes,
that can change things."
"Like how most people are
wary of telepaths, but some
enjoy the touch," said Nanette.
"That sounds right," said Oskar.
"You mentioned ... scanners?
What do they show you?"
"We have medical scanners
that show many different things,"
said Dr. Doran. "Here, look."
She picked up a thing that
looked a bit like a picture frame,
but thicker and heavier, with
moving colors on the front.
Oskar was captivated.
He hadn't seen much of
the future's fancy tools,
since the staff had removed
most of that in hopes of not
overwhelming the survivors
with too many new things.
"Touch here, and you can
see information about the body,"
said Dr. Doran. "Touch here,
and these are brain waves
that tell a little about the mind."
Something flittered at the edge
of Oskar's awareness, teasing,
incomplete, out of reach.
Frustrated, he shifted back
and forth between the displays,
letting his mind skim over them.
There was a sort of ... loop, there,
in the brain views, that was it. Like
a plane circling before it landed,
waiting for the right response.
"I told them," Oskar said slowly,
"that rescue might take a long time
to reach us, and that the Übereis
would keep us safe until then."
"So, he doesn't realize he's
safe?" Nanette said. "Maybe
I can reach him to explain that."
She touched Wilmer again, but
after only a moment, jerked away.
"Now he's pushing me out."
"He didn't believe you about
being safe?" said Dr. Infanta.
"No, it was more like I wasn't
who he expected," said Nanette.
"Oh," Oskar said with a swelling ache.
"He expected that 'safe' would mean
waking up in a hospital, with family.
Wilmer has -- had -- many relatives.
He told us lots of stories about them
and his travels, to make us laugh."
And every one of those people
must be long dead by now.
Dr. Infanta perked up, though.
"All right, if he had extended family,
then someone probably survived
the wars. Dr. Doran, what have
we turned up in his search?"
Dr. Doran took back the device
and did something to it that changed
its display. "Over a dozen descendants
so far," she said. "Oskar, do you have
any idea who he might have expected?"
"His wife Resi or his daughter Alvinia,
most likely. He had a picture of them,
I've seen it," said Oskar. "His parents,
siblings, other relations -- they would
have been more difficult to reach."
"There's a girl here, Hollee Landau,
who is 7 years old. She would be Wilmer's
great-great-great-great granddaughter,"
said Dr. Doran. "Is that close enough?"
Oskar sighed around the tightening ache.
"Alvinia was 7 when we went into the ice,"
he said. He hated to think of that little girl
growing up without her father, growing old,
doubtless long dead now. "It's worth a try."
"We'll try to contact his living relatives and
see if they're willing to help," said Dr. Doran.
He couldn't help thinking of the worn picture
that Wilmer had carried everywhere with him.
They weren't Oskar's relatives, but everyone
had gotten so attached to Wilmer's stories
that they felt almost like family to the crew.
The room blurred out of focus, and
Oskar found himself swaying.
"Are you all right?" Dr. Infanta said,
her hand closing around his wrist.
"Not even close," Nanette murmured.
"Something about this is upsetting
Oskar enough to spill all over."
"The stories," Oskar choked out.
"Felt like we all knew them."
"I think we've imposed enough
on you for today," said Dr. Doran.
"Let's get you back to your bed."
Oskar nodded. His throat
hurt too much to talk now,
cramped around a cold knot.
Dr. Infanta kept ahold of him,
her power gently shoring him up,
and Nanette had her hand on
his shoulder from the other side.
They poured him back into bed,
and Oskar dragged the covers
over himself, wanting to hide.
Dr. Infanta perched next to him,
one hip on the edge of the bed.
"I know what it's like to lose
everything," she said, and Oskar
could see it in her eyes, echoes
of old pain. "We can't change
the past, but we can lift the weight
off you for a little while, if you let us."
Oskar nodded. He felt so miserable
that he would try anything now.
Dr. Infanta's warm power
rippled through him again,
and on the other side of him
Nanette's felt cool and soothing.
It was like a dimmer switch inside
his head, turning down the pain
slowly enough that he could
appreciate it fading away.
Dr. Infanta was humming
under her breath, and Oskar
felt the frigid knot in his throat
thaw with her gentle persuasion.
The soft humming lulled him to sleep.
* * *
Notes:
"Thaw with her gentle persuasion is more powerful than Thor with his hammer. The one melts, the other breaks into pieces."
-- Henry David Thoreau
"Bitter Ice" 1-8-18
Timeline: November 2014
"Desperate Measures" 1-8-18
Timeline: November 2014
Little Ghost
Kleiner Geist
(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-29 04:30 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2024-12-30 10:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-29 10:47 pm (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2024-12-30 10:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-30 03:17 pm (UTC)"Alvinia was 7 when we went into the ice,"
he said. He hated to think of that little girl
growing up without her father, growing old,
doubtless long dead now. "It's worth a try."
If Alvinia lived long enough to grow old, she might not be so long dead that no one living would remember her.
Yes ...
Date: 2024-12-31 10:31 am (UTC)Re: Yes ...
Date: 2025-01-01 06:32 pm (UTC)wilkommen aus die neue jahrhundert, gute menschen
Date: 2024-12-31 10:46 am (UTC)