[ 79 ]
"You did well today." Dr. Aksel praised as he removed his glasses to rub his eyes. For someone who was only in his mid-thirties, he seemed to have aged due to the stress that seemed to be constant. And Hansel had been experiencing it first-hand, alongside the man.
Hansel had started his day by being plucked out of his bed for mandatory training. A penance for choosing to be both a soldier and a doctor. He wasn't permitted to slack off on either of the two, even when it did feel like his bones were going to break. Following the training, which was a long run in the horrible conditions that came with the micro-climate they were living in, he was thrown in the deep-end at the makeshift hospital; a queue of people waiting anxiously for a doctor to ease their minds.
They worked solidly. Which meant, hours upon hours later— far past their supposed finishing time— Hansel collapsed in the chief doctor's office. They were supposed to have some form of briefing earlier on in the day but it kept being pushed further and further down the line, until there was entirely no room for it.
"Are there usually that many people?" Hansel rubbed his face, slumping into one of the chairs as his feet throbbed. He could honestly say that he'd never worked so hard in his life; aside from almost coughing up a lung during physical torture training.
"People are becoming increasingly anxious as more flood through the gates. There's only a certain amount of supplies, after all." Such feelings were normal for human beings. They wanted to keep themselves, and their immediate circle, safe. At the chance of losing their supplies, ones which were shared equally and with care, people were willing to be violent in order to defend what they believed was entitled to them.
While many took solace in the fact that people were looking out for them, ensuring they got a warm meal and a bed to sleep in at the end of the day, there were more who questioned why it was those people who got to call the shots in the first place. Those resistant few, who placed themselves above others, were the intended targets of the previously conducted interviews. They were toxic to the natural flow of things.
And they were people Valentin, welcomed with open arms.
"Then we need to give some tough-loving treatment; better sooner than later." Hansel admitted, running his hands over his face. They couldn't leave anything to chance, not when they were only surviving by a tiny margin. With the worst still to come. If their supplies ran dry before then, then they might as well shoot themselves in the head.
"Meaning?" Dr. Aksel knew exactly what Hansel was talking about, but clearly wanted to hear his own exact thoughts spoken by someone else. He gestured for him to continue speaking as the older of the two ventured over to a table and grabbed two glasses. He brought them over along with a jug containing a water-filter.
Although it wasn't something stronger, something Hansel would have really appreciated as the remainder of his energy filtered out, he was more than happy to receive the cold glass of water. He only spoke after taking a few much-needed gulps.
"We need to prioritise those who are really sick from the hypochondriacs. Even those with minor sniffles, who we ordinarily shoot up with antibiotics and vital medicines before quarantining them, we need to work out a more efficient method. Yes, it was vital in the beginning when everyone was appearing from all different walks of life with who-knows what sort of contagions in them, but now we need to conserve. And if anything, we need to strengthen our immune systems. If there's a chance that in the future we actually leave these walls, then they're going to need to be strong enough to deal with the graveyard that's currently all over the world."
Dr. Aksel watched Hansel intently, and when the other had stopped speaking he took a contemplative drink of water. When he put the glass down on the desk in front of him, he clasped his hands together in front of him. Only then, did he nod. "You're right. Even now, we're consuming too much. The reason why we haven't previously cut-down on various drugs is out of apprehension of how people will react. Of course this matters very little to those in the inner-circles, but whether they realise it or not, the stability of this side means the continued happiness of their own."
"They really have it easy there, huh?"
Dr. Aksel blinked quickly, brought out of his own angry thoughts, clearly having forgotten that Hansel was someone who hadn't been at the safe-zone for very long. The tired chief of medicine smiled, it was a weak and pitiful one. "I've only been once, and it was when doctor's were limited. But when more experienced, well-known medical practitioners started to arrive, I was given the office here." He sighed deeply.
When Hansel didn't interrupt, or speak up after he had finished, Dr. Aksel's expression shifted slightly. What he had been waiting for, after letting it slip that he knew the workings of the inner-circle, was to be plagued with questions. The man that was considered to be a high-standing individual within their current section, was naturally privy to the information on each new arrival, so he knew that Hansel came from a shady group. But the young lad just blinked to show he was listening and sat calmly while running his fingertips over the condensation on his glass.
"Hansel, things that I've seen in the inner circle have never left my mouth before. If they did, I can't fathom the reaction of the people around us who are so desperate to survive. But I want you to know."
"Whatever you're willing to share, Dr."
Dr. Aksel looked to his clasped hands tentatively. "Any medical supplies that are found by the military are sent straight to the inner circles. They keep the soldiers quiet by allowing them use of it when necessary. Particularly expired or debatable-quality things are sent our way." Hansel felt a headache sprout from his tensely-furrowed expression.
"But the vials I saw today—"
His boss shook his head, stopping him mid-track. The man got up from his seat and went to sit in the one closest to Hansel. Clearly the small office wasn't small enough for the information the man wished to share. "I have a friend in the next section, we trained together in med-school before he went into cosmetics. He knows about how poor our supplies are so he smuggles a tray of the basics to us monthly. Like us, he knows the consequences of an uprising."
"Cosmetics?" Hansel was baffled.
Dr. Aksel's smile was cold. "Why, of course. Don't think for one second that just because these people are amidst an apocalypse they won't need their regular fix of Botox." The knowledge made Hansel feel sick.
"People will find out." Hansel lamented "As soon as they see the huge gap between us and them, there'll be chaos." Instead of Dr. Aksel refuting him, as he currently wished he would, the man's expression appeared just as grim.
They mutually sat in silence, occasionally taking a drink but nothing else. They were panicking over the future that may or may not happen. The more Hansel realigned his thoughts, the more ridiculous he felt. Every progressing civilisation had its flaws, that was just the unfortunate nature of the human race. People needed that stability that may need to go hand-in-hand with control. It was only when they felt truly safe within their community, did they then become confidently ignorant and believe they're better than what granted them the safety in the first place.
Which is why it was necessary to keep secrets sometimes. "Dr. Aksel," Hansel turned to face the exhausted figure. "You obviously trust me enough to have told me what you have, so I hope you'd hear me out.."
With a shrug of his shoulders, "Sure, any idea is welcome right now."
Hansel shifted on his seat, putting his glass down. "Then I recommend we don't focus entirely on future problems. Right now, we have a bigger issue. As I said, we need to conserve what little we already have. The drugs are being consumed as regularly as water and clearly they're not what the people necessarily need since they keep coming back demanding more. Everyone's panicking and there's a fine line between it all. If we refuse to give them a simple injection there's likely to be a uproar, so we need to be smart."
"Ok. How?"
That was a good question, one that had Hansel wracking his mind along with the foreign memories that were always accessible. He tapped his finger on his knee as he took some time thinking of various methods they could use. But he had to remember that people weren't stupid, especially those who were more cautious now than ever, closely monitoring everything they consumed. So there was no way the prospect of giving up injections and pills in favour of vitamin powders would go over well.
When his finger stopped tapping, he looked at Dr. Aksel with a hint of excitement. "Placebo."
"They have to be created with the same shell as physical tablets, which we don't have access to."
Hansel shook his head, "If you asked people which they believe is a more effective way of getting their antibiotics, they would obviously choose through injection. This bodes well for us, because we can create a solution from sugar and water and decant it into empty vials we've saved. That way there's no secret swapping of bottles behind closed doors, we can have the vial right in front of their noses."
Dr. Aksel had his doubts, but hearing it put so plainly he couldn't help going over to his desk to jot things down. He had doctor's writing, so it looked like scrawls to Hansel. "Then that means we need a more rigorous process before the patient sees us, we need to clearly identify whether or not they need a proper injection or a placebo."
"Right. Dr. Aksel, I know you're aware of this but in the end it could backfire if we're found out."
The older man seemed to have shed his previous glumness and instead regarded Hansel with a determined expression, "Then we won't let it be found out. Other than you and I there will only be one other person who will know, and that's matron. As you know, she is intimidating enough to oversee everything as well as making sure the other practitioners are doing an effective job with the inspections before treatment."
Hansel felt some of the weight lift off his chest. "Sounds good. The main reason people are as fearful as they are is because they're worried about stock. They know that there's likely not enough to go around, and with that comes the troublesome prospect of looting. But if they see an increase in supplies as well as us remaining calm and opening our doors to everyone without worry, then that simmering tension could drop marginally.
"Mm. You could be right about that." Dr. Aksel gave a loud sigh of relief. He grabbed his glass and filled it up before holding it up in the direction of Hansel, "To underhanded tactics in order to save us from ourselves."
A bitter toast; but one Hansel also lifted his glass up to. Their glasses of water clinked and they took a drink, their risky decision being unanimously made.
Their meeting lasted for around an hour, so by the time Hansel made his way out, the sun had disappeared and a blistering wind took its place. Tugging his coat around him, he started in the direction of his shipping-container of a home that he'd been sharing with his least favourite people for far too long. Although Jakob was debatably easy to live with, Hansel still felt on-edge around the others.
"..Hansel."
Valentin appeared ahead of him, hands stuffed his pockets and clearly detesting the weather just as much. "I'm just heading back from the hospital." Was all he could think of saying as the man continued to walk over.
"I guessed as much, then you've likely not eaten?" Though it should have been a question, the man seemed pretty confident in his comment. But he didn't say anything else, only gesturing for Hansel to follow him and began walking off.
Hansel looked from left to right, left being the direction that Valentin was now walking in and the right was the confines of his much-needed bed. Cursing his own curiosity, as well as his own logic telling him to stick on the man's good-side; Hansel went left.
He recognised the direction of being on the way to the cafeteria. Though it was still open, for those who worked alternate shifts, there was a strict procedure in place so people couldn't just waltz in. Other than the time when he was with Niklas, who was undoubtedly able to pull rank, Hansel was sceptical as he followed the yellow-eyed man.
Stepping inside, the sudden warmth made Hansel's skin prickle. He shuddered lightly as he adjusted. "Cafeteria is closed to those who haven't previously booked for after-shift." A man in greens, obviously given the boring task of making sure everyone entering was allowed to be there.
"We did book. Just finished a shift at the hospital." Valentin surprisingly announced. He didn't specifically say who had just finished their shift, but following the first part of his sentence it was very clear he intended the man to believe he worked with Hansel.
Though unacceptable, it was far from what Hansel would expect from old yellow-eyes. As well as relieved the man trusted him enough to do these petty crimes right in front of him. "Names?" The man followed up by asking.
"Hansel and Valentin." The soldier raised a brow. Perhaps it could have been that he recognised them, but on the other hand it also could have been because of how flowery their names sounded side-by-side.
Jotting something down, the soldier gestured for them to go ahead. Valentin led them up to the counter where food was laid out. It was rationed of course, but warm and substantial. Beside that was a thrumming machine— hot chocolate!
Hansel was secretly more than delighted to see it. Whatever scraps he was able to eat whilst on the clock came courtesy of one of the staff picking up their food for them. But by the time he always eventually got round to eating it, it was cold and practically inedible. So Hansel wasn't shy when he grabbed a mug and filled it up.
By the time they sat down, Hansel had glossed over the fact that he was sitting opposite Valentin who had lied his way to getting food. Instead, he focused on wrapping his icy fingers around the warm beverage in front of him. The swirls of steam kissed his cheeks as he took a sip.
"I feel like it's been some time since we last spoke." Valentin announced after watching Hansel smile softly to himself over a drink.
It's a shame the expression disappeared when their eyes met. "From being crammed in vehicles every day to being thrown into a job almost immediately.. it's a bit of a shock to the system." Hansel tried to make light of it. He didn't like the sound of we.
Valentin scoffed. Looking at the tray in front of him. He initially poked and prodded at the food and then scooped some into his mouth. Only after a few cherished sips of his hot chocolate did Hansel then move onto his food. His stomach gurgled, a reminder of how many hours it had been since he last ate. "Jakob's useless with details, so I wanted to ask you instead about how things were going." Valentin said amidst forking food into his mouth.
Hansel ate as well, his sudden appetite coming from his reluctance to answer the question. "Well, training is hard. It's getting better as my stamina improves and my aim isn't abhorrent."
"And your medical work?"
"Tricky. People are scared and want that reassurance that we struggle to give. Any joint ache or sore throat has people thinking they're going to die." Hansel shared what he could. Valentin would see straight through him if he lied and said everything was hunky-dory.
Valentin listened carefully, "That does sound problematic."
"What about you and Bjorn, is the training difficult?" Hansel tried to shift.
But the almost white haired man wasn't really listening, he was likely mulling over the real reason he intercepted Hansel on the way from the hospital. The latter didn't bother asking again, preferring if the man remained lost in thought so Hansel could enjoy his dinner.
"Hansel, the thing is that with us already being trained to a certain level, we're now being authorised to take on tasks outside of the safe-zone." Hansel was quick to try and hide his delight.
"You saw how volatile it was out there, and whilst I would happily go on any other occasion, I'm afraid that I've potentially hurt my leg. Though nothing dramatic, it could hinder me if I was trying to escape for example."
"Why haven't you gone to the hospital?"
Valentin smiled, "I don't want to be like those people, Hansel. I can deal with my own aches and pains. But with that aside, a small injury like mine can be considered fatal outside of the walls." Hansel gradually understood what was going to come of the selfless speech.
"No injured personnel are permitted to go outside of the walls on mission." Hansel recited from the list of rules that they had been presented on their first day of training.
Valentin quirked his lips, his yellow-eyes fixed on Hansel's. "That's right."
"Would you like me to check your leg?" Hansel already knew the answer to his own question.
"No, it's ok. It's probably a bad sprain or something pathetic like that. I'd just hate to be a liability to the team and even though it might be selfish, I don't want to die so early."
Hansel knew there was no escaping it, "You need a doctor's form. But it also has to be signed by a practitioner and the soldier's will probably be sceptical if I sign yours."
Valentin's smile didn't falter. Obviously he knew the procedure. His hand stretched across the table and landed gently on top of Hansel's, which had returned to holding the warm drink. "I know how selfish it sounds. I'm sorry I'm asking you to do this, dear."
His thumb ran softly over Hansel's knuckles. So his target was Dr. Aksel from the beginning.
[ TBC ]
[ A/N: Open up a dictionary and under the definition of 'manipulative !@£$%^&' there's a picture of Valentin. ]
[ A/N 2: If you're interested in reading ahead then feel free to check out my Patreon. All links are in my bio. <3 ]