Two days later, Hugo was carried down to the practice by the local men. Dr von Rohr commandeered the situation as he ordered Hugo to be taken into the makeshift operating theatre - next to the consulting room. He demanded the man be laid down on the table and the men did as they were told. Mathilda had been ordered to stay in the flat on Dr von Rohr's orders. He found women irritating enough as it was nevermind one that was wrought with worry and crying profusely.
The men left the room leaving Hugo alone with the doctor. Dr von Rohr stared at the man in utter fascination before walking over to close the door. As the latch clicked shut, the doctor swung his head back around to look at Hugo before his body did the same. He shrugged off his white coat and began putting on his surgeon's overalls and mask as Hugo looked on in horror. He then stalked over to the sink as he began to scrub up.
"H- h- Herr Doktor--", Hugo stuttered as he shivered with fright. The doctor stood by the sink with his back turned to Hugo before interrupting the terrified man.
"Nein! Do not talk. I am busy", Dr von Rohr hissed before turning off the faucet. The man jumped and remained silent as ordered. Dr von Rohr continued his preparations in silence. The cuffs of his latex gloves echoed against the walls of the room as they snapped against his wrists as he put them on.
After a few minutes, the doctor walked away from the panicking patient before rolling over a trolley containing forceps, scalpels, artery clamps and various other surgical paraphernalia. The doctor left the trolley stationed next to Hugo; who lifted his head and began whimpering when he tried to catch a glimpse of the equipment. His whimpering was short lived though as he jumped at the sudden jerk of the table moving beneath him.
The doctor had begun to raise the bed into a seated position. The bed was separated into three sections allowing it to turn into a chair or elevate the patient's legs as required. The stiff mechanism of the bed clanked and clunked as he manipulated Hugo into the correct position.
Once it had been achieved, Dr von Rohr walked around to Hugo who was once again eyeing the equipment on the trolley. Hugo was now able to see the contents much more clearly - triggering a panic attack. The poor man began to hyperventilate as his face went pale and ashen. The doctor rolled his eyes in annoyance before glaring down at Hugo.
"Mr Lang! Control jourshelf!" The doctor snapped irritatedly. Unsurprisingly, this did little in the way of calming the man down. Hugo continued to hyperventilate before Dr von Rohr quickly thrust a syringe into the man's arm and swiftly pushed the plunger.
As the suspension slithered into his veins, Hugo began to relax as his eyes closed and his face settled into a deep restful sleep. The reception was empty except for Johan who sat working away in the reception - seemingly unaffected by the sound of bone saws and the smell of cauterised flesh.
Dr von Rohr first removed a piece of skull to expose the brain before setting to work. His incisions were textbook and his hands moved with such precision as he meticulously removed every piece of shrapnel with the upmost finesse. The surgery lasted eight hours in total - including the extra work he decided to carry out on Hugo.
Later that evening, Hugo awoke with a groan. As he stirred in the makeshift hospital bed: his eyes opened. The initial flood of light revealed only the silhouette of a man seated at the desk nearby. When he heard Hugo, he stood up and marched over.
"Ahh, zhe patient is avake I shee!" The doctor sang happily. Hugo looked up to see Dr von Rohr before wincing in pain.
"V-vhy does my face hurt so badly? I zhought it vas just my head", Hugo slurred groggily.
"Do not vorry, I shimply carried out an extra procedure sheeing as jou vere shimply right zhere... all nice und prepped for surgery. I finished zhe procedure early too!" The doctor happily explained with a devious grin.
"V-v- vhat extra procedure?!" Hugo cried out in panic before being shooshed.
"Bitte, Mr Lang. Jou must rest. Zhe stress might interfere vith zhe healing process", the doctor cooed before returning to his seat. The desk before him was made from sturdy oak with a red inlay. The surface was cluttered with paperwork and patient files which were chaotically splayed out across it.
The only other space on the desk - reserved for something other than paperwork - was occupied by a brass name plate which sat at the front. It faced towards the seat opposite - in the direct line of fire of patients. The nameplate was machine embossed and read "Doktor Karl von Rohr M.D".
The next day, the local men were sent to collect Hugo and return him to his flat. His whole head was wrapped with bandages which obscured anyone from seeing even his face. Dr von Rohr would visit the flat every day to check the progress of Hugo's recovery as well as change bandages. Though, he made sure to do so only when Mathilda or the children were not present and frequently sent them away so he could work alone.
After a month of intensive wound management, the doctor finally announced to Hugo that the bandages could be permanently removed. He excitedly but carefully unwrapped the gauze to reveal the healing incision sites. The doctor sat back in awe as a smug grin crept across his face. After composing himself, he leaned forward to inspect everything.
"Mein gött!" The doctor cried with joy before removing a small mirror from his doctor's bag and presenting it to Hugo. The man gingerly took the mirror before turning it to his face. As his face came into view; his eyes widened with shock.
"Vhat?! J-jou...did zhis?!" Hugo cried in shock.
"Oh, ja. 'Tis mein own handivork", the doctor replied nodding his head. Mathilda was waiting outside when she heard her husband's voice. The shrill tone worried her; causing her to instinctively enter the room as she rushed to his aid.
"Hugo! Vhat is zhe matter, my love?!" She exclaimed before her arms dropped by her sides. The doctor looked around at her - beaming with egotistical pride - as he revelled in the woman's reaction.
"It is beautiful-- isn't it?!" The doctor replied breathlessly.
Hugo looked at the doctor before his eyes filled with tears. Mathilda ran over to him before holding him close to her.
"Mathilda, my dear. Look at vhat zhe doctor has done!" Hugo proclaimed through his sobbing.
"Ahhh, mein vork here is done", the doctor whispered to himself as he gathered his things and slunked his way out the door.
Hugo's wounds successfully healed and he returned to the factory. His facial disfigurement had been so profound that small children were often scared of him. He had become so extremely self-conscious about it that he would allow the soot and ash of the day to accumulate on his face in order to try and obscure his disfigurement.
However, the first day he returned to work, everyone turned their heads in shock. Hugo was clean shaven without a speck of dirt on his face - he was a new man. The locals began to gossip as word got around about Hugo. Rumours began to fly about the doctor's work and patients began to flock to the practice.
Dr von Rohr had been known as a highly unprofessional doctor with an appalling bedside manner. But one thing was indisputable - he was an extremely talented surgeon and his work was impeccable.
Whilst Hugo had on the operating table, the doctor had challenged himself to work on Hugo's facial disfigurement. He had done such an impressive job painstakingly reconstructing and restoring the facial bones - especially given the extent of the disfigurement.
And Hugo allowed Dr von Rohr to showcase his capabilites for all to see. Word spread like wildfire and people from all over the city began to make their pilgrimage to the practice. On top of his usual patients, many would also come requesting cosmetic procedures - which the doctor would do for a price.
It wasn't long before the elites of the day caught wind of the doctor's work and quickly ditched their wealthy surgeons in favour of him. After a few years, Dr von Rohr was elevated from a back alley plastic surgeon to a highly sought after medic. He eventually left the poverty of the East End as he was welcomed into the inner circle of the aristocratic elite of the Weimar Republic.
He soon made enough money to furnish a lavish apartment in the West End of the city and attended many extravagant parties. During such parties, he was always flanked by an entourage of patients who followed him around and worshipped his every word.
Dr von Rohr mingled amongst powerful and influential people and found himself hosting dinner parties for magistrates, politicians and criminal kingpins alike. The contacts he had previously acquired in the underworld were mere minions compared to these people.
They all had their vices, be it: drug abuse, pedophilia, human trafficking or organ trade. Yet they remained in positions of power without question - because they were above the law. They allowed Dr von Rohr to finally embrace his own vices. And, most importantly, they elevated him above the law.
Many of the elites of the time advocated eugenics which allowed the doctor to carry out all manner of experiments with warped justification and immunity from the law. They didn't just approve of his work - they encouraged it.
This kept Dr von Rohr firmly out of the reach of any ambitious police detective or gavel thumping judge. He swiftly shed his alias and began practicing under his real name - Doctor Edward Richtofen.
After Richtofen left behind his life with Hans and Dr Roth; he had wormed his way back into the seedy underworld. Only a week had gone by since his departure and he had already established the medical practice. The dimly lit basement flat he had chosen was a fitting choice.
Once again, he had found himself amongst the poorest in society. Though, it was a step up being in the city this time rather than the simple-mindedness of rural life. He had worked for a while in the medical practice before he saw his opportunity in Hugo.
Richtofen had assumed the identity of Dr Karl von Rohr - the surname paying homage to the Bavarian count he believed to be his father. His alias had allowed any potential repercussions from the authorities to quell as the underfunded police force quickly closed the case.
By 1930, Richtofen routinely carried out sadistic experiments on his unwitting victims - safe in the knowledge that everything would always be covered up.
End of part three...