Chapter 2-2: Emergency

He was awakened that night by guards banging on his cell door, yelling in a panic.

'Yes, yes, I'm awake and decent!', James said hastily. The door swung open and the youngest of the guards, Benjamin, immediately started dragging him to the OR.

The New York boy explained on the way. 'The new guy, he tried to escape. Electrocuted his beasts, knocked out guards who're in his way. Eight of the troops. None of us killed, but all the beasts bought the farm. Marya's close, though, so' s Abayoni.'

'How about the new gu-', James stopped talking as they passed a blocked corridor. He could see blood splatters and bullet holes on the walls, but not a lot of them. When he looked into the cell closest to him – the one where he knew Eggsy was usually tortured- he gasped. An arm of one of the interrogators peeked from under one of the tree body-blankets, red-blistered palm facing upwards and dripping water still.

Three corridors from the OR, he saw the naked body of a heavily wounded young man, slumping against the wall where he'd fallen. There was no movement, no breath, no blood flowing from any of his wounds. The body was pale and lifeless. Eggsy was obviously dead.

Thank god James hadn't put on the glasses. He wouldn't have wanted the boy's friends to see him like this, naked and undignified. He spared a moment of grief for the boy, shoving aside the horrifying image of his son lying there instead. He had enough nightmares already, he thought to himself.

'He got this far?', James asked. There was no need to keep from sounding impressed and sad. Among the forced workers, there was a consensus that the interrogators were complete, utter bastards (called "the beasts" behind their back, they were hated by everyone but the boss and themselves) and that anyone who could stand against them deserved their respect. None of them liked what they had to do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Of course, that didn't keep them from laughing at his soft heart every time Doctor Thorne fussed over his patients the moment they were in the OR, but at least they were respectful when he mourned the victims' inevitable placement in the morgue.

'Yeah, he got this far' Benjamin nodded, 'and without killing any of us though he got two or three guns by the end of it. Could have killed us- would have been faster, too, to get away. I was there, saw it all. I got floored like it was the easiest thing in the world. 'S insane.'

James snapped his head to Ben, and glared: 'And you didn't think to tell me?! Where are you hurt?'

'M fine', Benjamin dodged, 'Knock to the head, was out for a couple seconds. Only got a headache'. The New Yorker had the annoying tendency to leave out important information in his sentences, such as complete verbs and personal pronouns, forever sounding like he was composing a text message out loud.

He pointed at Ben and threatened: 'I'll see to you later when I'm done operating. Don't take booze or painkillers and for god's sake: don't fall asleep!'

They arrived at the OR, which was the busiest it had ever been. Workers with first aid diplomas were taking care of the five less wounded guards just outside the room. The OR itself was empty except for two gurneys on which Marya and Abayoni- Russian and Egyptian guards, respectively- were thankfully already prepped. It had probably been done by Shaohan, whom he beckoned to follow him into surgery.

The Beijing cook was incredibly level-headed during emergencies and James had trained to him help during the worst surgeries. That was something at least: assistance, however small, would be greatly appreciated. He would have to perform two operations at the same time, after all, him being the only certified doctor and emergency surgeon.

They entered the room alone and closed the soundproof door behind them. James and Shaohan became Doctor Thorne and assistant Liu: they dismissed the noise and bustle outside, calmly putting on their work clothes and observing the situation, working out how they were going to perform the two surgeries together. As soon as they were ready, they set to work.