Carith: Diary of the Damned [another piece]

{new entry}  [the script is somewhat shaky, though there are no ink splotches from the pen being dropped and it is evenly spaced.]  [ADD DATE]  As was noted in my last entry, my condition had greatly improved, but I had not yet recovered fully as of its completion.  Unfortunately, though I did not yet know it, my condition had ceased to improve.  [red-out mark] when I ceased to heal, [red-out mark] grew concerned, and so he decided to take matters into his own hands.  I was lead to the operating room, but this time, I was strapped in face down; I noticed with disconcertion that there was an IV bag filled with a clear yellowish substance hanging next to the table.  [red-out mark] spread-eagled my limbs and strapped them into place.  I was already trembling, the weight of horrible memories pressing down on me.  After removing my shirt, [red-out mark] selected a scalpel from his tray, exchanged it for a finger, and began.  He made four incisions, roughly between my shoulder blades, which formed a square.  Then he selected another knife with which he carefully cut under the square, neatly removing it.  By that time I was somewhat used to the sensation of him cutting away my flesh, but I still whimpered and trembled as he cut it out.  Contrary to normal, he wasted no time in stopping the bleeding… by securing several tubes from the IV bag the larger blood vessels which he has severed.  I was somewhat surprised by the pain which I felt.  I had expected it to feel somewhat like the anti-aging serum: a prickling, burning sensation.  This was entirely different though.  It was a sharp, throbbing pain that spread with alarming swiftness throughout my body.  [red-out mark] explained that this was an experimental formula that a friend of his who worked for Virateck had come up with.  It would, theoretically, flush all the toxins from a patient’s body.  Some “minor discomfort” was to be expected.  The discomfort that I was feeling was anything but minor, however there was nothing I could do except to lay still and try not to concentrate on the pain.  As soon as the IV bag was emptied [red-out mark] removed the tubes and replaced the square of my flesh that he had removed.  It felt… strange.  He started out with a series of quick shallow jabs in various parts of my back with a knife similar to a very thin icepick.  As he made his last stab there was an electric sensation in my back, and my muscles relaxed completely.  It was an odd sort of paralysis, and though I retained a measure of feeling in my back, the sense was dulled.  I could tell that [red-out mark] was doing something with the square of flesh he’d cut out of me, but I couldn’t feel exactly what, though judging  by the pain which was making its way through my dulled senses, I was sure I would not be able to keep from tensing if my muscles had not been paralyzed.  Whatever it was must have been delicate work as it took [red-out mark] nearly twenty minutes.  When he was done, he made another intricate series of jabs into my back.  My feeling and muscle control came back with a rush and a spasm.  The procedure was over, but I didn’t want to move.  I wasn’t sure I could move.  I was unstrapped, hauled to my feet and supported back to my room.  Surprisingly, despite the fact that my whole body was a sharp throb, the pain from the incision on my back was minor.  It was similar to what I would expect after having several days to heal.  Thinking hurt though, so I gladly succumbed to the unconsciousness which awaited me in my bed.  They woke me after an indeterminate time so that I could write this entry.

 

{new entry}  [the writing is neat and well-spaced]  [ADD DATE] I feel much better.  Better than average actually.  Though painful, he “purging” serum was a decided success.  The wound is almost completely healed, though strangely I haven’t seen [red-out mark] since the surgery.  I’m told he’s personally preparing another batch of the claw serum.  I dearly hope he is more competent than the previous person.  My precision and control of motion in my prosthetic arm is growing better every day.  At this point I am very nearly just as proficient with it as I ever was with my original arm.  It is even possible that I will learn to be more precise then I was with my original arm, due to the fact that the prosthetic screens out things like twitches and shaking.  

 

{new entry}  [the writing is strangely angular] [ADD DATE] Today I tested the claw-enhancment serum.  As usual, I was brought into the operating room and strapped to the table.  It was the first time I’d seen [red-out mark] since the last operation, he seemed, how to put it…, off.  He moved more slowly and deliberately then normal and when he looked at me, it was as if he was looking through me.  That he was about to perform surgery on me was quite unnerving, considering the state he was in.  The serum was placed in a syringe and, as before, injected into the back of my hand.  As before, my hand went numb, but this time the numbness did not change to pain.  It spread steadily up my arm, dissipating into a slight tingle as it went, and disappearing completely at my shoulder.  When It got to my claws, the numbing sensation was replaced with an itch, similar to when my prosthetic arm was integrating, though less localized.  With the itch came the insatiable desire to scratch something and sharpen my claws.  Upon the success of the formula, [red-out mark] injected it into my feet as well.  Back in my room, I was given a large log to sharpen my claws on, and two guards were posted to ensure I did not hurt myself.  Not that I would have; by now I’ve realized that there is very little damage I could do to myself that [red-out mark] could not fix, and if I were ever caught inflicting harm on myself, I am sure the punishment would be severe.  Anyway, I’ve shed my claws seven times since, and with each successive shed, they’ve become slightly sharper, stronger, and longer.  The itch has decreased as of my writing this, as has the desire to claw, but I suspect that I will still shed my claws at least twice more before the transformation is complete.  At first I was some what worried that I would no longer be able to fully retract my claws when they had finished… eh… morphing, however it is now apparent that that will not be a problem as their sheaths are enlarging to suit their new size.  You may have been wondering about the angular quality of this writing, it is due to the fact that I am writing with my prosthetic hand.  I’ll end this entry here, the itch is becoming unbearable again, and I need to scratch.

 

{new entry} [ADD DATE] [the writing and spacing are normal, though there are some areas where it appears that the writer’s hand or arm spasmed, and they drew an unintentional line across the page.] [ADD DATE]  [red-out mark] decided to try a new formula on me today.  It was meant to optimize neurological muscle response, as well as strengthen the actual tissue.  As per usual, I was taken into the operating room, strapped to the table, and awaited the “treatment”.  [red-out mark] appeared to have recovered from whatever was ailing him, as he strode into the room with confidence in his bearing and a gleam in his eye.  I wasn’t too happy about the second bit.  The serum was a deep red, tinged with purple, which was divided into several small syringes.  [red-out mark] briefly checked each for airbubbles before injecting each into a different muscle cluster.  The sensation was strange.  It was as if he had injected true heat into my veins.  It wasn’t so much a burning sensation as it was the feeling of heat.  Not truly a pain, it was, none the less, very uncomfortable.  After observing me for a few minutes, to ensure all was going as planned, [red-out mark] had me taken back to my room.  I slept.  When I was woken to write this, the hot sensation had been replaced with the most intense soreness I’ve ever known.  The sensation is similar to that caused by overworking a muscle, but a thousand times worse, and present in every muscle.  

 

{new entry} [ADD DATE]  The ache in my muscles has faded almost entirely, and I’ve been being tested to see what effects the serum had on my strength.  So far it appears that the serum has enhanced my strength by roughly 50%.  The increase in strength effected a similar increase in stamina.  An unforeseen benefit has been the dramatic increase in my reflexes; my reaction time has been very nearly halved.  All in all, though I am still sore, the test has been extremely beneficial.