Every Breaking Wave

02

Doctor Strange woke up in a hospital bed and saw his hands in traction. Christine was next to his bed as she said, "It's okay. It's going to be okay."

Doctor Strange asked hoarsely, "What did they do? Where's Madison?"

"They rushed you twobin a chopper. But it took a little while to find you two. Golden hours for nerve damage went by while you were in the car. Madison is in critical condition and we don't know if she'll make it."

"What did they do?!"

"11 stainless steel pins in the bones. Multiple torn ligaments. Severe nerve damage in both hands. You were on the table for 11 hours."

"Look at these fixators."

"No one could have done better."

"I could have done better."

"No. No."

LATER

All of Doctor Strange's wounds were gone, except for the shaking in his ruined hands.

"Give your body time to heal," the doctor said.

"You ruined me. How long until I'm..." Doctor Strange trailed.

DOCTOR STRANGE'S APARTMENT

A team of doctors were gathered around his table.

"Doctor Strange... those tissues are still healing," the first doctor said.

"So speed it up," Doctor Strange told him. "Pass the stent under the brachial artery under the radial artery."

"It's possible," doctor two replied. "Experimental and expensive, but possible."

"All I need is possible."

Doctor Strange had metal around his hand, pulling his fingers in, and he was excercising his weak hands by trying to fight against them. He was being supervised by a young doctor.

"Up," the young doctor instructed. "Up. Show me your strength."

Doctor Strange groaned in frustration, and his hands closed. "Ah! It's useless."

"It's not useless, man, you can do this."

He tried again, but was annoyed; and still arrogant. "Then answer me this, bachelor's degree. Have you ever known anyone with nerve damage this severe to do this, and actually recover?"

"One guy, yeah. Factory accident, broke his back. Paralyzed. His leg wasted away. He had pain in his shoulder from the wheelchair. He came in three times a week. But one day he stopped coming. I thought he was dead. A few years later, he walked past me on the street."

"He walked?"

"Yeah, he walked."

"Bullshit. Show me his file."

"It can take me a while to pull the files from the archive. But if it proves your arrogant ass wrong, it's worth it."

Doctor Strange was having a conversation with an elite doctor through his tablet. As he did so, he began writing his name with his trembling hand.

"I looked at all your research," Etienne said. "I read all the papers you've sent, but... none will work. I... I don't think you realize how severe the damage is, I..."

Doctor Strange cut her off. "Look, here's the thing, I..."

"At best, I'd try and fail. Look, I understand. Here's the thing. I... What you want from me is impossible, Stephen."

"Come on..."

"I've got my own reputation to consider."

"Etienne, wait."