"it is broken," the old surgeon confirmed with a nod as his muscular fingers probed at Gina Marie's shin.

She sucked in air sharply as his nimble hands drew a line along the swollen skin where the pain was the most severe.

"Broken?" Bane barked from the other side of the examination curtain, for Gina Marie had refused him entrance or the sight of her bare leg.

"Quite so," the doctor confirmed, nodded his nearly bald head. Erratic white hair grew out in tufts over his ears and connected to the white beard that covered his face, while the very crown of his head shone bare.

He was a kind man, or at least Gina Marie had thought so until he'd poked her so hard. "I can set it here, or you can be seen by your family docotor..." he added, glancing at her over the top of his thick glasses to see which she preferred.

"I'd rather just have it done with," Gina Marie began, glancing down at the horrific thing. THis would put her plans all out of order. She'd never be able to survive on her own long enough to find Ben if she was bound by crutches and a ungainly splint.

"NO!" This coming from Bane as he threw back the curtain and barreled into the small space.

Gina Marie jumped, the doctor cowered a bit and Bane's eyes immediately went to her bare calf which was set between all of them like the main course of a feast.

"Bane!" Gina Marie screeched, hurrying to cover herself, irritated and embarassed at once.

"Sir -" the surgeon began, adjusting his glasses awkwardly, but he never got a chance to finish his sentence.

"How many legs have you set?" Bane demanded, Gina Marie's bare leg forgotten as he narrowed in on the doctor.

"Several hundred at last count," the surgeon said easily, with a shrug, as if this was a normal question for patients to ask, "I was a surgeon in the war, and then took a turn at a children's home... they had a very popular climbing tree there."

"Hundreds?" Bane scoffed, but still eyed the man as if he could be persuaded.

Tired of this inquisition, Gina Marie reached out and put her hand on Bane's arm in a soothing motion, almost reflexively.

"I'll be fine, Bane," she told him in a voice She'd used on Ben when he was smaller and been afraid. Odd, Bane didn't seem afraid, but She'd reacted as if he were just the same.

"Fine," her husband muttered darkly, glancing from Gina Marie to the doctor with a sour expression, "How long will it take? When can she travel?"

"should not take me more than an hour, young man," the doctor answered, "And your wife will be free to travel as soon as I am finished... though I suggest you travel by train or airship, not carriage."

"Airship?" Gina Marie echoed, her stomach dropping at the very idea of flying.

"Very well, I'll be back within the hour," Bane blustered before turning to leave again.

"Interesting fellow," the doctor murmured as they each watched him slam the door in his haste to depart.

"I am sorry," Gina Marie said as the only answer she could think of at the moment, "he is a bit... suspicious of doctors," she explained, a wave of compassion coming over her as she watched Bane's back disappear down the street.

"Is that how he came by the limp?" the doctor asked as he began to prepare the workings of a splint for Gina Marie.

"Yes," Gina Marie answered, almost absent mindedly as she considered the doctor's theory. Was Bane actually worried for her? Impossible.

"That should do it," the doctor declared less than an hour later as he finished binding the last of the stay's to Gina Marie's new splint. It was an awkward thing made out of plaster and a thin wooden splint, wound together with paste and fabric.

"Just be careful of water, and Don't put any weight on the limb for at least six weeks, he warned with a wag of his finger, peering over those glasses at her again. Gina Marie imagined she would not easily forget this man before her.

"So I can't even walk on my own?" she asked glumly as she worked to halfway replace her hole ridden stocking. She was able to pull it up to her ankle before meeting the plaster edge of the splint but no more.

"I would suggest crutches, my dear," the old man answered as he busied himself putting away his various tools from his work, "Though I do no have any in your size... I would venture to guess there might be a pair available in Kender," he suggested, mentioning one of the larger cities in the province.

Gina Marie sighed again... Bane would surely take issue with adding to their travel. He would surely take issue having her about for six weeks.

"And you're certain you Couldn't use my help around here?" Gina Marie ventured again, a timid smile on her face. The doctor eyed her as if he could see right through her facade altogether.

"Your husband - is he a harsh man?" the doctor asked, his face pulled together in concern. Gina Marie winced at the implication.

Now the man thought her trying to escape a tyrannical husband, and Bane being who he was had done no favors for himself.

Just as she opened her mouth to give a sideways answer, the bell of the office door chimed and a burly presence in a fur great coat entered. Bane had arrived.

"Bane -" Gina Marie began, blushing for the guilt she felt at implicating him, the doctor was staring at them, watching for signs of abuse no doubt.

"Here," Bane said it unceremonisouly as he tossed several brown wrapped packages onto the examining table beside her, puzzled, Gina Marie reached out towards them, letting the twine twist around one finger.

"What -" she began but Bane gave her no chance to finish.

"Warmer clothes," he said brusquely, looking at her from the corner of his eye, his hands shoved into his pockets as if he were a bit nervous, "And a coat to replace that pathetic thing," he added as an afterthought, "Can't have you going on public transport looking like a street urchin," was all he gave as an explanation.

Gina Marie carefully unwrapped the first package, her fingers brushed against the softest cashmere She'd ever seen, it had been dyed a rose color and trimmed with delicate eyelet lace.

"Oh," Gina Marie breathed out in admiration. The doctor cleared his throat. Looking up she realized both men were watching her reaction, Bane with a look of uncertainty you find in school boys who present freshly picked bouquets of wildflowers and the surgeon with a secret smile of his own.

"We shall give you the room, my dear," the doctor informed her with a smile as he waved Bane out ahead of him, leaving Gina Marie alone with the rest of the mysterious packages.

One by one as she unwrapped them she felt mixed parts of guilt and pleasure. They were lovely, soft, beautiful things.

The rose colored cashmere skirt, the white linen corset blouse and it is mother of pearl buttons that went from the nape of her neck down to the small of her back. There was a new pair of shoes, sturdy and warm, a pair of stockings made from soft wool.

Another of the packages held white leather cloves, and three linen handkerchiefs, the next was the largest, holding the coat Bane had spoken of, lined with fur and fashioned with bright brass buttons.

Gina Marie felt the breath leave her lungs as she pulled on the new clothes, it was a stunningly luxurious feeling to have pretty things again. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes as she took in the picture of herself in the doctor's examining mirror that was mounted against one wall.

She would pay him back, she promised herself profusely as she pulled the soft gloves onto her hands, the buttery softness encasing her fingers. "George?" she heard him call her name from just the other side of the curtain.

HUrrying, Gina Marie tucked the wad of bank notes She'd been holing away for so long into her corset where they wedged uncomfortably up against her ribcage. She'd planned to bolt as soon as Bane discovered the truth about her, now would've been the perfect time in fact... if not for the broken leg... now finding Ben would have to wait.

"I am ready," she answered, her voice catching ever so slightly with emotions that had surprised her. She leaned up against the examining table for support and realized she would not be able to move without help.

She was becoming more indebted to Bane by the second. Bane came through the curtain once more, that same frown always in place - until he looked up at her. Gina Marie blushed again under his scrutiny, waiting for his usual brusque anger.

Instead he seemed to falter, his mouth came open and then shut again. He cleared his throat, but didn't look away from her.

"Thank you - for all of this -" she began awkwardly making a motion at herself and shaking her head in disbelief, "I swear I will find a way to reimburse you -"

"No - it is -" Bane growled the words, his scowl now darker than it had ever been and Gina Marie smiled. So the Bear had a tell, she thought to herself. The angrier, the more uncomfortable he was. She would learn to watch for it now.

"We should leave," Bane was insisting, looking away from her to check his pocket watch as if it could tell the future itself. Gina Marie smiled wider, and reached for his arm.

"Lead the way," she answered quietly, staring up at Bane with new appreciation. He looked at her sideways then glanced nervously away again and it endeared him to her.

Together they hobbled out of the good doctor's office, and Bane immediately hailed a cab in the street. Gina Marie was keenly aware of how careful he was with her, moving slower than natural, holding her elbow as she hoisted herself into the carriage.

"Do you think people will stare?" Gina Marie asked, looking down at her leg where it made a boxy profile in the otherwise perfect rose skirt.

"What?" Bane barked, and Gina Marie looked up to see him blushing, eyes wide on her. She smiled again.

"So what's it to be? Airship or Train?" she asked, relieving the man of his discomfort.

"Airship," Bane answered quickly, nodding out the window as they neared the domed terminals that sat all together in a row on the edge of town, "I always travel by airship if I can."

"Oh," Gina Marie gave as her only answer, looking out the window now too. She'd never enjoyed flying...

"I've sent a telegram ahead to my family," Bane explained, changing the subject, "They will expect us by tomorrow evening."

"Did you tell them -" but here she cut off, blushing and looking down at her leather gloved hands in her lap.

She was the worst kind of person, she realized. Worse than Georgina Marie had ever been to the young men who fawned over her, at least they'd never become fully legally entrapped by her.

Now Bane was, for all intent and purpose of the law, bound to Gina Marie's provision and protection.

"No." Was all Bane said, and Gina Marie immediately let the subject drop, hoping to ease some of his anger towards her.

Imagining what he'd say if Bane knew her true intentions, she clasped her hands together tighter and prayed her leg would heal quickly.

They reached the air terminal with time to spare, and Bane left Gina Marie in the cab while he went to speak to the porter about procuring a room on the air ship.

Gina Marie watched him go and her mind wandered again to Ben... was he safe? Was he dead? Swallowing past the dryness in her throat that always came with that thought, Gina Marie prayed harder to the Saint and anyone else who might've been listening.

She needed to survive the next six weeks with the Bear, or all her planning would be for nothing.