Eyes Without A Face

Chapter 8 - Double Knots

- Elin -

Köln, Germany, 18th of February 2019

After I graduated nursing school in Berlin, I've never thought that I'll return to any form of institutionalized education. It was dreadful, stressing, and too much pressure for me. The hard work paid off in the end, as I managed to get the job, but still my despise for learning things in a so-called structured way hasn't vanished. I perfected my technique and studied much more on my own, but the system... I didn't think I'll ever end up in a university.

Yet, here I am, sitting in the back of the most imposing classroom I've ever been, acting like I'm taking notes and paying attention to the general surgery course.

It wasn't hard at all to get into the Evil School of Medicine. Franjo still has enough friends around Froschteich who are coming from everywhere. The evil world works like a chain. Someone knows someone who definitely knows the someone you need. This was my case too, as he managed to find me an amulet to be able to accesses the institution. Because, if normal people would use a student ID, these guys have personalized crystal pendants they wear around their necks. No amulet, no entry.

I don't even know why I wanted to be here. This has in no way any connection with my mission. Watching Alwin teaching the students who aren't much younger than us the basic principles of suturing was in no way part of the plan. But I came here to show him that I can do much more than he thinks.

He finishes explaining and I'm trying not to laugh. Alwin finds it necessarily for simple sutures to have a triple knot instead of a double one. It's hilarious how many precautions he's taking, even unnecessary ones. Which makes me realize it wasn't such a bad idea to come to his class and find out one more weakness of his. Perfection.

"Now, off to the practical part."

Normally I would've thought that we're going to receive the classical practice pad or some other animal meat. But in no way was I prepared to see he's selecting one of his students to come in front of the class and lay down on a wooden table.

"You're already incompetent," he mumbles while handing an amulet to a very scared boy, "it wouldn't be a loss if it won't work."

Alwin is tough. I'm not sure if that's his nature or the things he's been through have made him build so many barriers. But I know that he can't truly be like that on the inside. No one is. Some of us just have the unfortunate circumstances to become ice cubes.

"It's a pain amulet," he explains. "He won't feel anything during the procedure. In an hour the cut will close perfectly like nothing was there, so don't worry."

The poor boy's colleagues don't seem bothered at all. It was an useless information for most of them. Also, no one's having even the slightest reaction when the boy, after he unbuttoned his shirt and laid down on the table, falls asleep the moment he puts the amulet around his neck. For me, though, everything is beyond surreal.

Alwin opens his case with scalpels and removes one then approaches his subject.

"So who wants to do the suture?" their teacher asks calmly.

From the middle of his chest down to his bellybutton, the blade cuts into the boy's skin. Someone gasps loudly and it takes a while until I acknowledge the sound came from me.

Alwin's eyes widen as he finally reaches the back of the class with his gaze. The only person sitting alone in the shadow of a malachite column. There might be several rows between us, but I can feel that look stinging me from out there. The cold sensation. A shiver going down my spine.

The class is silent. Thankfully no one other than him looked in my direction. Perhaps none of his students are willing to take the risk and do the suture with such an exigent teacher. There are no volunteers yet.