Directing the Dictator
Victor had felt triumphant at least for the duration of the journey home. However, that satisfied feeling was not to last. The reality was, that he had returned to the fortress to be immediately mired in despair and trouble. His Lord had taken violently ill in the doctor's absence, and the skill of Victor's understudy Merton had not been nearly enough to combat the septicemia that had manifested in Lothar's pressure sores and had gone as far to infect the underlying bone.
The awkward young man in a panicked, glazed-eyed state, clearly denoting many sleepless nights, met Doctor Krosse on his arrival in the courtyard. Merton was terrified as he stood trying to swiftly impart his concerns to a man he plainly feared. After all, he had on occasion assisted Victor in his lab of horrors and well knew what the Doctor was capable of.
Victor tired and cold from the journey was not happy to hear this news. He longed for some quiet, a hot bath, and the ministrations of his lovely slave girl. He stared down from under his black and silver Death's head cap, eyes cold as ice. There was no pity there or any discernible emotion. He didn't answer Merton directly and left the frightened man standing in the courtyard in the cold wind.
*****
The weeks following had been difficult ones as Krosse fought to save his Lord's life. It would not be expeditious to Victor's cause should Lothar succumb. Victor was not popular here, only feared, he was smart enough to recognize he could never rule effectively in his own stead. The disabled man was the perfect sock puppet, a mask of transference for his own agenda. This was how it had to be regrettably, and Lothar could not die.
Victor with his great medical genius spent many sleepless nights and long days worrying over his patient. He must repair him to health. The man was listless and mostly delirious and required serious surgery to remove bone and necrotic tissue. The procedure was long and risky, but somehow Lothar made a steady recovery, under Victor's expert care.
*****
As his charge recovered his lucidity in the following days Victor had to 'regrettably 'inform his Lord of the situation regarding his new bride. As expected he took the news badly and plummeted into a dark aura of hopelessness and revenge.
Always swift in his mental acuity, Doctor Krosse decided to harness this to his advantage. After the fall of the black rain and the beginning of what seemed like brighter skies, Victor used Lothars' morose feelings to generate policies to his liking. Further prodding the man to wish revenge on the farming settlement, and Stephan who had so openly betrayed them. After all, peace held no interest for a man like Victor. War meant injuries, and bolstered his importance to the community here, and it also meant captives. Poor wretches who filled Victor's days and nights with experimentation, and joyous cruelties in pursuit of medical science.
*****
One evening when his charge had felt somewhat better Victor and his Lord had dined alone. Lothar was still too ill to rise from his bed and get about in his wheelchair. So Victor had dined by his bedside. He was relieved to see his Lord slowly recovering, the skilled surgeon had been very much afraid he could not stem the rampant infection that was beginning to devour his Lord's body and bones. Yet by some miracle, he had.
Though very much an atheist Krosse had to confess he wanted to thank some a higher being this evening for his fortune. He took a grateful sip of the piping hot tea, it was excellent and he looked over at his Lord who was half sitting, propped up against numerous pillows in his great bed. At least today his skin had a pinkish color, the man looked the best he had in many days.
Lothar tentatively nibbled on some lean white chicken breast, constantly stopping to wipe his hands and mustache on the napkin."There was sun overhead today you say? The servants spoke of it."
"Yes, my Lord, and what a fine sight it was." Victor answered, placing his fine china tea cup down and taking up the heavy silver fork. "The weather should start to clear, I imagine that Stephan could proceed to plant our crops soon. The bio-diesel is getting precariously low my Lord."