Chapter 26 -Tissue Necrosis

Chapter 26: Tissue Necrosis

Zaer talked non-stop as they made their way to the clinic. His topics bounced wildly—from his first kill to why he was exiled, to what he had for breakfast.

Ghaz, half-listening, mostly ignored him.

The clinic itself was… not bad—by this world's standards. Compared to modern hospitals, though? It was a joke.

It had two rooms for patients, a large storage area for herbs and medical supplies, and a second floor where they could stay.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Ghaz muttered, inspecting the equipment.

Zaer scoffed. "What do you mean, 'not bad'? This belonged to one of the best alchemists in Breuthus. We only got it because he got drafted to the Kylon front."

Kylon. The human region bordering the eastern elves. The western elves had agreed to a treaty, but the eastern elves…

Well, they were much more capable.

Zaer gestured toward the shelves. "The glassware was expensive. Do not damage it. If you do, you'll be paying for it." His gaze shifted to Nila, who was fiddling with a pipette.

She immediately put it back.

"I know," Ghaz said, casually taking inventory.

Then, he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Zaer. "Sign here."

Zaer frowned. "What's this?"

"Proof that this is the exact amount of glassware I received. In case there's an issue later."

Zaer stared at the paper, then at the quill in Ghaz's other hand.

"Don't need it," he muttered. "I don't know how to read or write."

Instead, he bit his thumb, letting a small drop of blood well up before pressing it against the parchment.

"I'm trusting you that the details here are correct," Zaer said as he handed the paper back.

Ghaz folded it neatly. "You can trust me."

Zaer studied him for a moment, then asked, "Who taught you to read and write?"

"My mother."

That was all he said.

She had died giving birth to Druth. His father had died hunting a Night-Fur Wolf. Both the man and the beast perished in battle.

His mother had been different. A half-orc outsider. Whatever her other half was, it had to be closely related to orcs, because she looked nearly indistinguishable from the rest of them.

Zaer only nodded at the answer.

"I'm in charge of the herb supply as well," he added.

Before Ghaz could respond, a loud knock echoed through the room.

He sighed. "Nila, open it."

He folded the signed paper, tucking it into a small wooden box. He'd learned early that paperwork saved lives—or at least saved him from unnecessary blame.

She hurried over and unlatched the door.

Standing outside, with a smirk on his iron-plated face, was Gorrock.

"Like the place?" Gorrock asked, stepping inside like he owned it.

He immediately found a stool and sat down.

"It's great," Ghaz replied, pulling up his own stool.

Gorrock's smirk widened. "When will my treatment begin, Shaman?"

"Come tomorrow morning. Don't drink until then. Also, I'm going to need a sample of your rotting gums."

Without waiting, Ghaz grabbed a scalpel and tweezers and handed Nila a petri dish.

"Not drinking? That's hard."

Even as he grumbled, Gorrock unfastened the iron plate covering his left jaw.

Nila's breath hitched.

For the first time, she saw it—the full extent of the damage.

Gorrock's entire left cheek was gone.

It looked as if someone had burned it away, but only after letting it rot first.

The jawbone wasn't the problem anymore. The iron plate had been a quick, brutal fix, and the wound had already cauterized.

But the gums—

They were still rotting.

"Control yourself. Open your mouth."

Ghaz positioned himself carefully, examining the decaying tissue.

Gorrock chuckled. "Can't promise an—"

The moment he opened his mouth, Ghaz moved.

In a single precise motion, he grabbed a small portion of the rot with the tweezers.

"This is going to hurt."

Before Gorrock could react, Ghaz sliced off the infected flesh.

"I—CAM—HAMLE—PA—AAAAAGHHH!!"

Gorrock let out a muffled scream, his massive frame twitching as pain shot through him.

"Nila! Petri dish!"

She was already moving.

Like a trained nurse, she held the dish steady as Ghaz dropped the rotting sample into it.

"Don't drink, or it'll burn like hell," Ghaz said, setting down the tweezers and scalpel.

"I'll try," Gorrock muttered, spitting a mouthful of blood into a nearby beaker.

"You probably won't be able to drink at all during the treatment period," Ghaz added.

Gorrock frowned. "What? Healers can regrow limbs in hours, and you can't fix this?"

Ghaz sighed. "Your gums have rotted. I need to remove the dead tissue without damaging the healthy parts—and make sure your teeth stay intact."

Gorrock grumbled but didn't argue. "I'll try."

"Also, you need to replace that plate," Ghaz said, nodding toward the iron cover as Gorrock latched it back into place. "Iron can rust, which will make the infection worse. I'll tell you what metal to use after the treatment."

"Anything else?" Gorrock asked.

"No."

"Then I'll get going. Zaer, let's go."

Zaer nodded silently, stepping aside to hold the door open as Gorrock strode out.

As he reached the threshold, Gorrock raised his fist without turning around.

"Good luck, Shaman. Good luck."

Ghaz didn't respond.

That wasn't encouragement—it was a warning.

If he failed, there would be consequences.

He had |Soothe Pain|, but using it on Gorrock was risky. If something went wrong, he'd be in serious trouble.

With a sigh, Ghaz locked the door, then turned to Nila. She was still holding the petri dish, her nose wrinkling from the foul smell.

"Nila, you can put it down."

"Yes, Teacher," she replied, setting it carefully on the table.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, she asked, "What are we going to do with this?" Her wide eyes gleamed with curiosity.

Ghaz exhaled, his posture shifting.

"Tissue necrosis," he said. "That's the term for rotting flesh."

Something in his presence changed.

For a brief moment, he wasn't an orc in a makeshift clinic—he was back in his old world, surrounded by eager interns asking questions. Questions he had once considered stupid.

Now, he was teaching about necrosis—one of the most basic medical conditions—to a nine-year-old girl.