Big Bad Doctor

While studying the art of healing in my young adulthood I managed to achieve a small level of fame with various parties of adventurers who were very appreciative of my skills. It was also during this time that I found that although I could be injured even to the point of appearing dead I was quite unable to be killed.

Nobody I ever worked with cottoned on that I was funtionally immortal and given my dedication to making others well I never found myself with any particular group or individuals for very long.

This lack of human connection may be why I found myself taking a different outlook and trying to end the suffering of the people from the top down. I set about this goal with a thoroughly "ends justify the means" outlook and discovered that knowing how to put people back together also made me quite adept and taking them apart.

Within a few decades I had managed to attain a decent amount of control over much of the land and my identity had stayed mostly hidden through it all but as with all tyrants, a group I regretfully belonged to, someone rose to topple me.

This hero of the people was one of the most skilled fighters I had ever met, almost as good as I was, and as we fought they detailed my list of crimes. With each word spoken and each narrowly blocked blow I slowly came to the realisation that I had lost sight of what really mattered.

"You cannot heal society without first healing its people," was the mantra driven into me by my former teacher and it was only now, many years later I realised how wrong I had been to ignore them.

Thankfully, there was a way back for me. I allowed the hero to defeat me, clumsily missing a block in such a way that their only choice was the drive their blade directly through my heart.

After the hero left I made sure to escape and leave behind some evidence I had indeed been slain. This, combined with the fact that very few people had ever seen me close enough to commit my image to memory was enough that I had managed to make my travels around the lands helping people where I could without recognition.

Until today.

As I was talking to a fellow healer at a clinic in a mid-sized town that covered several farms and villages surrounding it I caught the sight of the very man who ended my reign walking through the door with a gravely ill child.

Wanting to avoid a confrontation I moved into the back rooms and prayed to whatever powers controlled fate that another person would be able to aid them.

Fate, as usual, had other plans and there was after a knock at my door they were let in.

I walked over, looked him as straight in the eye as I could and said, "Hello. I'm Dr. Kendall. How may I help you today?"

The instant look of shock and anger on their face confirmed that they did recognise me.

"YOU! I-"

I swiftly cut them off, "I know. It has been some time and I'm sure you weren't expecting to see me here but I am here to help."

"It can't be. I k-"

"Can't believe it I know. We had some less than great times but I assure you I hold no grudges. Everything from back then is firmly in the past where it belongs," I continued on in as tender I tone as I could, hoping I could still prevent a scene.

They started moving the weight of their child to one arm while the other moved behind them.

"But you're d-"

"Damn good at my job and have always been dedicated to accomplishing any task I set myself to," I said while tilting my head towards the child in a desperate attempt to steer them onto the more pressing matter at hand.

Thankfully their hand came back out from behind them empty and they looked less likely to drive whatever implement they were reaching for between my ribs.

"That is indeed something I recall about you. I don't remember those goals being all to noble or good though."

With a slight sigh of relief I said, "Thankfully I had someone who was able to show me the error of my ways and set me on a better path. My efforts are now redirected onto a much more individual level of work."

They settled down further and I could see most of the tension leave their shoulders as they lowered the child onto the bed and took the seat next to it.

"As long as my child receives the best care they deserve I can overlook past transgressions for now but we will surely have to revisit this conversation at a later time."

"I assure you I will try my utmost to have them back up in fighting shape as soon as possible and then we can have our talk."