Vows Promised

Hours turn to days. The days slowly turn to weeks as Marcus lays in a bed lost in his thoughts. As the morning light shines through the curtains, a knock at the door grounds the trek of his mind back to his room in St. Kiev Hospital. Marcus turns his attention to the doctor at his door with a weary and tired appearance as he walks into the room. The guest is bald with a gray beard, his eyes showing signs of exhaustion. He wears a brown suit and carries a large backpack with one arm while holding a notebook in the other.

"Hello, Marcus. My name is Dr. Niwrad, Lorien Niwrad, as you have still most likely failed to keep in your memory," the suited gentleman professionally yet sarcastically stated.

Marcus nodded in acknowledgement. "Hello. So, what will you be doing?"

Dr. Lorien pulled a chair closer to the bed and lowered himself into it so as to seem personable to his ailing patient as he reached for a device from his bag. "Well, for starters, I want to see just what's keeping you in that bed. Beyond the damaged Tendons and bones in your legs?" Dr. Lorien inquired.

"Go ahead. I don't think there's much left to break anyway," Marcus replied with a flat affect.

Dr. Lorien gently placed the device he retrieved on Marcus's injured leg and began scanning.

"Hmm, it seems you've sustained quite a few injuries -- multiple fractures, burns, and lacerations. Despite that, you may still walk again. That is if you have the desire to." Marcus remained silent, his gaze still fixed on the window.

"But before we proceed with the treatment, I want you to know that you're safe here. I will get your leg working again. I just need your permission to test out a few things"

Marcus finally looks at Dr. Lorien, his eyes filled with a mix of vulnerability and skepticism.

"Can you fix me, doctor? All the others just said I would struggle to place any weight onto my left leg again, but you say I can walk?"

"Healing takes time, Marcus. But with the right care, experimentation, and a willingness to confront the pain head on, I believe you can find your way back. It won't be easy, but I'll be here to guide you every step of the way to chase your goals to the fullest."

Marcus's expression softened slightly as he began to contemplate Dr. Lorien's words. "Okay, doc. Let's get started then," he said, nervously glancing around the now dimly lit room, the shadows dancing on the walls.

"What's that contraption supposed to do?" Marcus inquired, eyeing the strange device in the doctor's hand.

"It's a little thing I picked up during my travels, kid. It's an X-ray device. This gives me a clear look at what's going on inside those bones of yours," Lorien explained, as Marcus winced at the X-ray image of his injured leg appearing on the screen.

"Looks like your bones are akin to sand then bone. You're physically a mess, but I can see something's troubling you more," Lorien observed, narrowing his eyes as he studied Marcus.

"You can't run away from your demons forever, kid. What's really on your mind?" the doctor pressed, sensing there was more to Marcus's unease.

Marcus turned his gaze towards the rain-soaked window, the city's oil lights flickering in the distance. "If it was not for my body holding me back, Doc. It's a dame. She's got me twisted, my home down on 34th is a mess, pilfered and tainted. Everything I cared for is gone," he confided, revealing the weight of his troubles.

Lorien raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Marcus's confession. "That's too bad. So after I administer this new drug, where are we going? Consider it a house call; I can't very well let my patient leave my side," Lorien said, ever the curious physician.

Marcus taking a drag from his cigarette, contemplating the doctor's words. "Well, I want to go home, Doc," he replied, the burden of his emotions evident in his weary voice.

---

The house was dark and cold, The emptiness now a plague to the mind. Marcus walked the rooms lost in the haze. Reviewing every detail of every case and every day he could remember, searching for where he slipped up. The entry to the house was clean, The door hadn't been forced. The kitchen was untouched except for the two chairs that had been pulled out, and the safe under the counter was open with papers strewn about. The empty table under the painting in the hallway reflected the missing life in the house. The uncanny quiet of the house made every detail seem mundane.

"Was I too zealous? What did I do to not be able to protect her?" Marcus stared down at the floor."Do I still have what it takes to go on? Can I even move from this spot? Does it even matter who did this to me? Do I continue?" Drops of water scattered across the floor as if a gentle rain was passing overhead.

The bedroom once a place of reverence, now the floor lay desecrated and sullied. A large muddy red stain soaked into the floor and the chair. The body was taken away when discovered. Marcus lay there unmoving and silent.