[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The nurse was the first to notice him, and though he couldn't quite make out the features of her face he watched as she alerted the Doctor, who dropped his clipboard in alarm.

"Where am I?" he croacked, lips dry and cracked and throat sore. "What's happened to my leg?" he asked, mind fuzzy and unsure of his recent memories.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"You're in the hospital close to the port" replied the Doctor; "Do you remember what happened to your leg?"

Iilanthys forced himself to nod, vision momentarily clearer before being blocked by tears. "There was an accident - something wrapped itself around my leg and pulled me down, but I managed to get free. We lost- we lost two men, brothers. Good men."

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The Doctor nodded, and Iilanthys succeeded in raising his hand high enough to wipe his eyes, clearing his vision.

"You'll keep the leg, but the scars have healed too much, and you'll likely always have a limp. The Captain did a very good job, if not a pretty one." Iilanthys nodded, and hissed as the nurse gave him an injection in his arm - he hadn't even noticed her standing there.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"What was in that?" he asked, dizziness causing his head to spin as he tried to turn it to look at the Nurse.

"Antibiotics, and a mild sedative - your fever hasn't quite broken yet, I'm afraid. Don't worry, you're in good hands" murmured the Doctor, and Iilanthys nodded, succumbing to the darkness as he closed his eyes.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

A few days of bed rest and he was able to sit up, though he still felt extremely weak and he was still being given antibiotics with each meal, though at least now he was able to take them in tablet form. He watched as the Nurse, a young male with gentle hands, unwrapped his dressing carefully so as not to disturb the stitches.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"It's scarring a hell of a lot" Iilanthys remarked, though he was grateful not to have lost his leg. The sudden noise made the nurse jump, and he winced as a jolt of pain shot through his leg where the nurse's hands had gripped a little too tightly. "Sorry" he muttered, as the nurse scowled at him and returned to bandaging his leg.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

He was bored, and frustrated, and just lying there was doing his head in. He sighed, and turned his head to the side, but the ward had no windows and the few other residents there were behind closed curtains for privacy, leaving him feeling very alone. He missed the ship, and the crew, and the cook who had sat by his bedside.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Iilanthys frowned at himself and shook his head; he had no right to feel sorry for himself. Somewhere, down below the surface, two good men had been lost, and he had the audacity to feel sorry for himself - he was safe, he was alive, he wasn't going to lose his leg, and he was in a warm, moderately comfortable bed in a hospital; he should be thanking the gods.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Many days passed in a boring manner, until finally the doctor advised he was well enough to begin learning to walk again. Iilanthys felt weak after being in bed for so long, but he was so ready to get out and get back to his explorations, to his life, he agreed without a second thought, disregarding the warnings about slow progress and not overdoing himself.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The first time he attempted to stand on his own, his legs crumpled beneath him, and if it hadn't been for the beefy nurse standing beside him who pushed him backwards onto the bed, he would have wound up on the floor. He cursed as hot pain shot through his injured leg, and the bandages were unwound by a pale-faced nurse, who only relaxed when they confirmed nothing had snapped or torn.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

His second attempt went a little better; this time, he leaned on the beefy nurse for support, and put the majority of his weight on his good leg, standing for a few minutes before collapsing onto the bed in exhaustion, hanging his head despite reassurances it would get better as the days went on.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Progress was slow, but every time he made a step, every time he was able to stand for a little bit longer, he clung to the hope that he would be out and back to normal soon.

He began training, with the nurse monitoring him; small weights that he would previously disregarded were almost too much after his illness and time in bed, but he forced himself to keep on.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Sit-ups were a challenge, as he could not use one of his legs as he would have previously done, but as his legs grew stronger and his muscles learned to compensate he slowly regained his core strength. His fur began to gleam again over time, he filled out his clothes properly and though he had a slight limp, he was finally able to go for short walks without a walking aide or crutch.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The day finally came when he shook hands with the Doctor and Nurses one last time, and made his way out of the hospital, long trenchcoat hanging slightly more on his frame than it used to but almost back to normal. His leg, scarred from the knee down, was a constant reminder of the dangers he faced, but he hated the way the bald flesh had knitted back together, a break in his otherwise colourful fur.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

A dingy sign caught his eye, indicating the shop beneath it was a tattoo parlour, and Iilanthys felt a lightbulb go off in his head. He strode towards it, keeping an eye on the ground around him, and pushed the door open, hearing a bell tinkle somewhere deeper inside the shop as he stepped towards the counter.