"I told you - he needs help." Allura said simply.
The man eyed her and then he looked at the darkening sky.
"Come on. It's getting dark and God knows how many more of them genetic
monsters are about. They come out at dusk. You can explain it inside."
He led her to the dilapidated building and once they were inside he opened up
a door that was in the floor, which led to an underground tunnel. It had a
rather sophisticated lock upon it. Allura smiled. This seemed to be no different
from the Castle of Lions with it's network of underground caves.
"You can get him down here." the man led the way and the narrow dirt
passageway gave way to a large cave. The cave however, was not ordinary at
all. It was fully equipped and Allura knew that Dr. Gorma would be green with envy if he saw all the equipment.
She eased Lotor's bed over beside a familar looking diagnostic table. The man
was unwrapping his head covering. When he turned, Allura gasped. This man had
to be related to Commander Hawkins despite what Dr. Gorma had said. He looked very much like him except for the gray in his hair and the tired looking face.
"Recognize me do you?" He smiled and his smile was the same.
"Y - yes. You must be Dr. Hawkins."
"That's right. I am, Princess Allura. Dr. David Hawkins."
She smiled. "Seems like you're not so much of a hermit after all. I was told
that you weren't related to Commander Hawkins, but you must be - you resemble
him very much."
"I've been told that. He is my cousin as a matter of fact though I do not
push the relationship. You may call me David if you wish."
"All right, but only if you call me Allura." she smiled.
"Agreed, Allura. Now then, tell why you happen to be here with your worst
enemy, Prince Lotor of Doom?"
"I - well - it's a long story but the war with Doom is over. They surrendered
after Voltron defeated Zarkon and Lotor's fleet. Lotor's flagship exploded,
which is why he is like he is. He survived and was taken to the Garrison
hospital on Centres."
"I know of that hospital." David replied. "I once practiced there before I got tired of the bureaucracy crap."
Allura nodded but continued.
"They were going to do surgery on him - a Dr. S'Vantes, I believe. We kept track of what was going on, but we really didn't pay close attention to what
they were going to do. It didn't matter as long as he either died or lived
and went to trial."
"So why did you take him from there - a sworn enemy?" Dr. Hawkins raised an
eyebrow.
"I - I don't know..no, I do. They were going to butcher him! Something told
me something was wrong and so I went to the hospital. I'd been there before,
checking up on things. There were also Alliance victims that I would visit as
well, but this time I went to see him. He was just about to go into surgery.
I went into the room and I saw these "things" on the table - not just
surgical tools but robotic parts."
"Parts?" Dr. Hawkins frowned. "No one in the profession uses foreign parts in
the body anymore."
"I know, but there was this one part - it was an arm that was very long. It
had no flesh on it and it looked like something off of a farmbot."
"And you say it was Dr. S'Vantes who was to perform surgery? That was a bad
choice."
Allura had just then noticed that his speech was no longer slangy, but more
cultured. Perhaps that had been an act as well.
She said, "Oh?"
"Yes. His wife had been pregnant with their child when Lotor's troops
attacked the planet they'd been living on. His men ran rampant through the
cities doing the usual looting, pillaging, and raping. His wife was one of
those that were raped and then killed. After that Dr. S'Vantes was a bitter
man. He kept his doctor's license and he was a capable doctor, but he hated
Drules - hated them with a vengance. If what you say is true, then it is
possible that he would have taken delight in maiming Prince Lotor."
"Could you help him?" Allura asked.
Dr. Hawkins sighed. "I stopped helping people awhile back - after the Doomies
and then the Alliance tried to bomb me out of existence."
"What!?" Allura cried. Doom she could believe, but the Alliance?
"I treated both sides, Princess. No questions asked. I had a full-fledged
hospital here - above ground. This planet didn't really have any resources,
so it wasn't worth anything. There were others like me who hated the war and
only wanted to help people. We hoped to end the war, make people see what it
was doing, but both sides - not just Doom, mind you, seemed to want it to go
on and on. Total victory - total destruction more like it." he frowned.
"What happened?" Allura asked, half-knowing the answer.
"Both sides wanted the hospital for it's own men. They each could have came
in and simply took the place, but the equipment was irreplacable. So at first
they each "courted" me, and when that didn't work, then the tactics became a
little more brutal."
"I can understand those tactics from Doom, but the Alliance?" Allura's eyes were troubled.
"Yes, the Alliance. Allura, you must realize that war brings out the worst on
both sides. The Doomians released these mutant creatures - like the one that
I shot. I suspect that they were genetic experiments - probably poor slaves.
They killed a lot of my people, the rest left. Despite that I tried carrying
on. I still treated lone Doom soldiers. Sometimes they turned from the war
and tried to help end it. When people changed it made me feel like I was
doing something worthwhile. Then Alliance forces came and bombed the
hospital above ground. These buildings had been here for centuries, and in a
span of thirty minutes they were gone, reduced to rubble. Fortunately by then
I was here, underground. It was partly because of those things running around
outside and partly because I was getting paranoid. These tunnels I discovered
when I first came here. They shielded me from sensor readings and so when
they bombed above, they thought that the hospital was destroyed. After that,
I stopped treating anyone. To everyone this was a dead planet and I had faded
from existence. By the way, who told you of me?"
"Dr. Gorma."
"Dr. Baile Gorma?" A smile crossed his face. "Ah, the scrapes we got into in
medical school. Yes we kept in contact for awhile but then of course things
got in the way."
"Dr. Hawkins - David..could you help Lotor? I can't take him back to be made
into a monster. I mean he's a monster inside but - "
"But you believe in your heart that making him that way won't solve anything.
In fact, it may make the sitiuation worse."
Allura nodded. "I know that the Alliance wants to know what has happened to
some some lazon that was missing from known Doom storehouses. And although
Zarkon - " she said the name with a slight twist of her mouth. "Surrendered
all of Doom's known assets, the higher ups are convinced that it and even some of the Alliance treasury is unaccounted for. They think Lotor knows
where it is and they are willing to make a deal. But I don't think he would
make a deal - not if they do that do him."
"So you are doing this so the Alliance can get a deal?"
"No..I - I don't know why I'm doing it. Lotor is - I don't know."
"Still a person despite what he's done?"
"Yes."
Dr Hawkins smiled wearily. "That's the best answer I've heard in awhile. I
will treat him."
Allura smiled. "Thank you so much!"
"Don't thank me till we get started. You'll have to help me."
"Help you?"
"Yes, can you?'"
"I will." Allura's eyes were determined.
"Good, then let's get started."
Blind Faith - Chapter Eleven
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