Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed. Also to Maria Rene and Lynnutte who have helped edit and review this chapter.
Hazy images appeared in Artie's mind. Flashes of Pete and Myka opening up the ambulance door and finding him left behind after everyone rushed to care for Claudia. Pete yelled for help while Myka climbed up into the ambulance. She spoke to him, her voice spiking high with nerves, but he couldn't make out what she was saying.
Behind his agent, Artie saw that Claudia was gone. His eyebrow twitched with the effort it took to focus. Before he could try to ask about her, his head fell and his eyes closed.
Lights and tiles made a square pattern on the ceiling. A white wall and a dull faux wood door rolled by. Then, a woman's face came close to Artie's.
"Sir? Sir? Can you hear me?" A brunette with her hair pulled straight back raised her voice to him, even thought she was a foot from his face. "Sir? Can you tell me your name?"
Artie tried to swallow and failed. He got his lips to work and spared a breath that he desperately needed and breathed out, "Minerals." The woman instinctively turned her ear towards him to better hear his faint voice. "Minerals."
"What? Miracles?" The lady gave Artie a look, wondering if that was a request.
Artie pressed his eyes closed. He knew that he had to get the information to her to save himself. "I- iron. I need… iron. Minerals-" He cringed and let out a short scream in the woman's face, reacting to a pain deep in his midsection. The woman pulled back, alarmed. She yelled something that he missed because a dark nothing came to claim him with a vengeance and he fell into blackness.
Myka and Pete watched the activity around their boss from outside the ER room. One, then another partner would look in only to be escorted out. It was evident to both agents that the medical staff was frustrated over how to help their boss.
Myka returned from her turn of checking on Artie. Pete looked to her, hoping for some good news, but Myka shook her head. Pete sighed and stood up stretching. Releasing a breath, he blurted out, "I hate being helpless!"
Myka bit her lip, trying to think of some way to help the situation. "Maybe we can check on the girl, Claudia."
Pete nodded, happy for something to do, but just then Joshua walked into the room. The young man looked stressed and his hair was wet with sweat. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, holding his vest in his hand. Joshua cast his eyes around the room and found Pete and Myka. "You were the two with the Professor."
"Who?" Pete said.
Myka looked from Pete to Joshua and said, "You mean Artie?"
Joshua shook his head a bit at the redefinition. "Ah, yes. Artie. The professor. How is he doing?"
Pete said, "Not well. How's Claudia? Your sister right?"
A faint smile crossed Joshua's face. "Yeah. She stabilized."
"That's great." Pete said.
"Yeah." Joshua looked relieved. He ran his fingers through his kept, but longer brown hair. "Listen, they were both affected by the teleportation process-" Pete looked at a passing nurse, then shushed Joshua who moved closer and lowered his voice. "They were both affected. We figured out what helped Claudia, I bet it'll help the professor."
Myka reacted first. "Do you know what he needs?"
Joshua held up a sheet of paper with minerals and dosages on it. "Just has to be adjusted for his body weight."
Pete grabbed Joshua's arm and pulled him to the emergency room that Artie was in. Myka brought out her badge and ran interference for them, intimidating or flashing her credentials at anyone in their way until Pete pushed Joshua in front of the doctor.
Joshua glanced uncomfortably at a lump of shirtless flesh that he barely recognized as the professor. A machine was attached to him attempting to force oxygen into his lungs, the mask on his face colored with his blood. Other boxes displayed numbers or beeped around the room. Tubes and cords were everywhere. Joshua focused on the middle aged man in the doctor's coat. He was ordering a cocktail of medications to try to bring down Artie's blood pressure before the old man could have a heart attack or an aneurism.
"Wait, wait. Doctor!" Joshua interrupted.
"Who are you? You can't be in here."
"I know, but you have to listen to me. This man's life depends on it." Joshua's conviction, along with Myka and Pete looking tough right behind him made the doctor pause long enough for Joshua to explain himself.
He showed the doctor the missing minerals and what percentage was needed. "That's why he can't process oxygen."
The doctor frowned. "I'll have to verify this with the lab results."
"He doesn't have time for lab results! My sister and he both telep-" He was but off by Myka poking him from behind. "Uh- they both were in the same experiment. The side effects are the same. Use your medical knowledge! Look at his symptoms! It fits with chronic low iron." Joshua knew that he got though to the doctor by appealing to his scientific side.
"Listen, the risks of giving him too much iron are low. You can save his life." Joshua said. Pete and Myka exchanged worried looks, wondering if the kid did enough to convince the doctor.
The doctor looked at the list of missing metals. He took an excruciatingly long time, but then he turned to the nurse and said, "Get an iron infusion into his IV." The nurse looked at the intruders suspiciously, but left to fulfill his order.
The doctor looked to the agents and Joshua. "I'll get enough iron into him. But I'm going to cross check this list with his blood results before adding the rest."
Joshua nodded, relieved. "Thank you, doctor."
The doctor said, "Thanks for the information. Now get out of my ER."
"Of course." Joshua stepped back and left with Myka and Pete.