No Turning Back

Chapter Three: Dr Karl von Rohr Pt. 2

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.