Chapter 5

The morning light filtered through the thin curtains, painting the small room in muted gold. Ione Beaumontlay in her traction frame, body carefully aligned, arms trembling from the strain of holding herself. Dr. Emil Krüger moved around her with quiet precision, preparing the next stage of treatment.

“Today, we will take care of the legs,” he said, glancing at Rigg. “I will be using a new method. Cotton padding first, then plaster. It protects the tissue and reduces the risk of infection.”

Ione’s green eyes followed every movement, sharp and alert, though her lips twitched with faint discomfort at the thought of another procedure. Rigg stayed close, silent, watching the doctor work with meticulous hands. He had seen broken bodies before—but there was something about her, the way she endured pain without surrendering, that drew his attention more than duty allowed.

Krüger began by gently wrapping soft cotton around her legs, molding it carefully to the curves and angles. Ione flinched at first, then relaxed slightly as the sensation of care, precise and deliberate, replaced the initial sting.

Rigg’s gaze lingered, noting the slim lines of her legs, the way the padding highlighted the angles of her heels and the delicate shape of her ankles. Her toes, however, remained completely motionless, locked in a pale, rigid stillness that betrayed the severity of her injuries.