Karen trembled in the chair. Her whole body shook from pain and fear. Blood poured from her foot as the doctor tried to clean it up. Her screams had faded into low sobs now, and her breath came in short, sharp gasps.
She looked up weakly at the doctor. His face was unreadable. He looked like someone who had done this many times before.
He didn't say anything to her as he worked. "Try not to move," he said in a calm, almost bored voice. "Or it will hurt more."
Karen clenched her jaw, trying not to cry out again as he cleaned the wound with alcohol. The alcohol stung like fire and her hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly, her nails digging into the wood.
When he was done, he wrapped the toe or what was left of it in thick bandages and used a strip of cloth to tie it firmly. Then he packed up his tools, wiped his hands, and left without another word.
