Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Sixteen (Patreon)

With my testing done and a new increase in my response time and overall travel speed, it was time to move on to my second objective for the day. Getting my phone number into the hands of whoever was in charge at the local hospitals. 

Despite my rather unfortunate experience with Panacea and whatever drama had resulted from that, including what Glory Girl was dealing with, I had been telling the truth when I met them. I absolutely wanted to help the hospitals during emergencies and with cases that Panacea couldn't handle. According to what I could learn online, Panacea couldn't heal anything to do with the brain. That was a rather large hole in her abilities, one that confused me greatly. It was an odd place for a healing power to suddenly stop, but from what else I had learned, having weird limitations on some of the more powerful abilities wasn't uncommon. 

Still weird, in my humble opinion, but definitely not uncommon. There was a name for it, apparently, but I couldn't remember what it was.

I ran across the city, heading towards my target, focused on getting another item off my list. I made good time, only stopping once to scare off a bunch of kids with spray cans from putting graffiti on the back of a laundry mat. When I got close to the Brockton Bay Central Hospital, I sat down at a nearby bench and pulled out my phone.

It took a few minutes to negotiate, but eventually, I got an appointment of sorts. A doctor had agreed to meet me and allow me to prove who I was. If that went well, they would introduce me to one of the Medical Directors. I was honestly surprised it was that easy, but apparently, I had underestimated the waves I was making. News of my trip to the PRT had spread, as had my help among the homeless. Also, Dr. Pilota, the doctor whom I had met with alongside Panacea and Glory Girl, spoke well of my politeness, even in the face of what they were kindly calling a stressful day for the wonder healer. 

Once everything was set, I made my way to the hospital itself, this time making use of a secondary entrance usually reserved for staff. A doctor let me in before taking me to an office nearby and shutting the door. We talked for a while, and I demonstrated that I was, in fact, a parahuman, though I explained that my healing ability would only work on an injury. He also confirmed, through the number I was given by Miss Militia, that the people I had healed as part of the accreditation process were still undergoing observation, but no abnormalities had occurred as of yet. 

I was then passed off to a Medical Director, an older man with gray hair, a full mustache, and thick glasses. His office was considerably nicer than the previous doctor's, a perk of success, I assumed.  

"Arcanum? It's good to meet you," He said, holding out his hand, which I shook before taking a seat in front of his desk. "I wanted to thank you for coming in despite the… Issues with your last visit." 

"I'm not concerned about it, Sir," I explained with a shrug. "Whatever the situation is, I want to help where I can." 

"And we appreciate that," He said with a nod, focusing on me for a long moment. "What exactly are you looking to accomplish?" 

"Well, I understand that Panacea cannot repair brains?" I asked, the man nodding slowly in response. "That isn't a limitation for me. So, in cases where she cannot help, I'm more than happy to come in when necessary. Especially for life-threatening issues. I'm also available for large emergencies." 

I spent about ten minutes describing exactly what I am capable of fixing and how some of my healing spells work. The Director seemed surprised by some of the details I was able to give. He even ended up taking a few notes on my limitations and abilities. He also called the PRT number. He had a much more in-depth discussion with the head of their medical department. I assumed they knew each other because he called him by his first name. Eventually, we started discussing exactly what I wanted to be called in for and what I wanted in return.

"I am not dedicating a hundred percent of my time to the hospital," I emphasized, the older man nodding in understanding. "I am more than willing to stop by every other day or so to spend an hour or two healing all brain injuries, and I am happy to be called for specific cases that require immediate attention. I will heal anyone eighteen or under for free, as well as any life-threatening emergencies. For everyone else, if the person has insurance that covers it, I expect the usual parahuman rate. I will be making the exceptions to that rule personally.

"The usual rate?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Please," I said with a scoff. "If you're trying to tell me that the American health care system hasn't completely internalized, categorized, and created a full paperwork trail for parahuman aid in a hospital setting, then I would like to meet the real Director, please. Besides, you have Panacea here. You must know how to pay her."

The man chuckled and nodded, leaning forward to put his elbows on his desk with a nod. 

"It's a bit complicated, but the hospital can put you on staff as a specialized consultant. We would pay into an account held by the hospital that you could withdraw cash from or attach a card to," He explained. "Though I would point out that Panacea refuses all payment, as is her right." 

"Seriously? Why? What do her parents say about that?" I said with a frown, which turned into a scowl when the man wince. "Wait, are you saying that her parents refuse payment for her?" 

"I… believe that is all I will say on that subject," he responded, now looking upset at himself for having to stay quiet.

The room was silent for a moment before I shook my head. It wouldn't be fair to blame whatever cluster fuck was swirling around Panacea on him, especially when he likely had no control over the situation. Well, unless he had direct proof of abuse. As a medical professional, he was a designated reporter, meaning it was his responsibility to report it.

Either way, I was now fully invested in the situation. Between what Glory Girl had said and what I was now learning, I was beginning to suspect the source of Amy's issues was a lot closer to her home than I first thought. Where I was once satisfied with Glory Girl knowing something was up, and her agreement to do something, it was now time to follow my own advice. I would check in with Glory Girl sometime within the next few days. If nothing had happened, I would be kicking the problem up the chain. 

I did not know who exactly was higher up the chain, but I would figure it out.

"Right. Well, the consulting account system would be fine for me, assuming it all works," I confirmed with a nod, breaking the silence. "I would offer to heal people now, but I assume you can't allow that until my verification goes through."

"You are, unfortunately, correct," he responded, looking out of the windows that lined his office, his face pulled down in a frown. "I wish..."

The man trailed off, and I could feel there was something he wanted to say, so I stayed silent as he worked through whatever it was he was struggling with. Eventually, he turned back to his desk, opened a drawer, and started to search through it.

"Do you smoke, Arcanum?" He asked, pulling out a very old, crumpled pack of cigarettes. 

"Do I… no, I don't," I said with a frown. "My uncle passed away from lung cancer when I was two. I always hated them." 

"Well… I would consider it a personal favor if you could take these and smoke them," he said, reaching across the desk to hold them out to me. "There is space for smoke breaks in the back of the hospital, outside by the employee parking lot, where you entered."

I frowned, sitting still and looking at him for a long moment before my brain finally connected the dots. I nodded and reached out, the older man pushing the pack into my hands. I took them and stuck them in a side pocket. 

"Thanks, I've been looking to form a habit," I said. "I'll probably be out there for a good thirty minutes, making sure it really sticks." 

"You're welcome," He said, sounding very much like he was the one saying thank you. "If that's all, I will call you when your accreditation goes through, and we can talk in more detail." 

"Sure, that works," I responded, standing and reaching out to shake his hand. 

"I look forward to working with you," He said with a nod, before guiding me out the door, a bit of energy in him that was absent before. "Enjoy your smoke break." 

I nodded and made my way down and out of the building, letting Alya guide me to my destination. I stepped out into a small cordoned-off area, empty save for a couple of chairs, a picnic-style table, and one of the tall cigarette bins. I picked a chair and sat down in it, pulling the partially crumpled carton out. I pulled one of the death sticks out and used a crackle of sparks between my thumb and pointer finger to light it. 

"Keep this lit for me, please," I asked Alya softly, a breeze blowing across me. 

My soul-bound familiar did more than just keep it going. She pulled air through the cigarette, somehow gathering the smoke up and making it look like I was breathing it out again. All this was in spite of the fact that my mask did not have a hole to breathe through. After a minute, she spoke up, whispering into my ear.

"What are we waiting for?" She asked, curious. "Why are we here if you hate smoking?" 

"Because he was trying to tell us something without actually saying it," I explained quietly. "You have to read between the lines." 

"I see…" She said, clearly not understanding fully. As advanced and understanding as she was, the signs that she wasn't really human still peeked through occasionally. 

We sat I'm silence for another ten minutes, pushing my first cigarette into the ashtray and starting another. I had just barely made it halfway through that one when a woman came bursting through the door. She was older than me, maybe by eight or nine, and had the weathered look of a woman under an incredible amount of stress and suffering. Her hair was unkempt, her clothes stained, and she looked like she hadn't seen the sun in days. Wrapped up in her arms was the child, a girl maybe three years old, dressed in a hospital gown, unconscious and covered with bandages.

The woman looked around rapidly before spotting me, her eyes wild. 

"You! Are you Arcanum?" She demanded, crossing the distance between us. 

"Yes, is everything alright?" I asked, standing from my seat and jamming the cigarette into the trash. 

"No! My baby, she has … We were in an accident, and she hit her head," She explained, tears pouring from her eyes. "Please, Panacea can't do anything, and they said she was inoperable."

"It's okay, Ma'am, I'll take a look at her," I told her confidently, guiding her to the table. "Lay her down here." 

The mother nodded and quickly laid her on the table. By now, a pair of nurses had come out, and while one looked around nervously, the other simply watched. 

"Do I have your permission to heal your daughter?" I asked, looking into the woman's eyes. 

"Yes! Please! They said she might never wake up!"

For a moment, the woman looked as if she was about to collapse, but the nurse who was calmly watching came forward to help her sit in one of the chairs. With her permission, I turned to the child, quickly doing a scan and frowning. The poor kid was in a heck of a state. I could tell that at one point, she had a cracked skull and a damaged spine, along with a crack along her femur. Now, though, all she was suffering from was a brain bleed and some rather acute malnutrition issues.

“Cerebrum sedes est animi, sana hanc mentem, et eius potentialem restitue!” I shouted, pouring my magic around the young girl. 

As I chanted, my magic wove itself into a complicated web around the child's head, forming into a many-sided polyhedron. Arcane symbols lit up in seven different panels of the polyhedron. After the smallest lull, the spell flared, pulling on my mana as it poured healing energy into the child. I could feel the tendrils of magic as they reached into the girl's head, healed the internal damage, cleaned up the blood, and wiped away almost any trace of the injury. 

As the spell finished its task, it shimmered away in a sparkle of light, fading away into nothing. 

"Did… did it work?" The mother asked. "Is she going to be okay?" 

"Yes, it worked," I explained with a smile. "Your daughter is completely healthy." 

The woman almost shoved me to the side to reach her daughter, but I could only smile as she hugged her closely. The daughter, confused and probably a little cold, quickly woke up in her mother's arms. I stepped back to give them their privacy.

"Should I start another?" I asked the calm nurse quietly, already reaching for the nearly empty pack of cigarettes. 

"No, there's no one else as urgent as her," They responded, watching the touching scene. "We are already risking jobs here. No reason to do that for some concussions and a tumor you can't fix."

"Alright, in that case, I'm off," I said, giving the nurse a nod. "If you need me, your boss has my number." 

She nodded as I turned around and walked away, my hands in my pockets as I crossed the parking lot. The happy sobs of the woman and the confused questions of the young daughter followed me until I rounded a corner of the hospital.

"Congratulations," Alya said, warm wind rushing through my hair. "That was well done."

"Yeah, thanks," I responded with a shrug. "Just glad I could help"

"You saved that young girl's life. You did more than help," She pointed out. "I also now understand what you meant by reading between the lines."

I snorted and shook my head, crossing a street and making my way down the main road.

"I'm glad I could help you understand," I responded. "Now, what's next?"