Reloaded 03/09/2005.
3. Crisis
Part Three
Sago waited until he could hear Kutall's snoring. He got up, dressed and went to the kitchen, where he made several gallons of tea, poured them into as many thermoses as he could find and filled a modest-sized bag with apples. He took all those and went to Mushra's room.
"What are you doing here?" frowned Emma, "If Triny catches you…"
"She won't"
"It's awfully sweet of you to bring me all this, really so, but…"
"The second will be tonight, won't it?"
"Most likely so". Her eyes narrowed, "My, you've been watching me considerably"
"True"
"Well, you brought enough supplies to last me two night. Thanks. Go to sleep"
"I brought enough for one night – for two people. Don't say anything because I won't hear it"
Emma gave the young Enterran a very long look.
"I mean it", he added.
"You may well stay awake all night. Zhane won't make it easy on you"
"I'll live"
She bit her lips. "Pass some tea", she said finally.
They waited silently until midnight, drinking tea and eating apples. Emma's eyes trailed between Sago and the monitors.
"It's starting", she said suddenly.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes"
Sago touched Mushra's forehead. "No fever"
"That's because it's going to be different this time". She set a liquid bag on top of a tall metallic stand by the bed.
"What's this?"
"IV drip. Fastest way for giving one his medications". She slid a thin syringe into Mushra's left arm and then reprogrammed one of the monitors. "Watch this, tell me if there is any change". Then she turned to her distillery.
"So what symptoms are we waiting for?"
"Considering that last time the symptoms matched Mushrambo's Venom, it's likely that this time the symptoms will match Shiera's blade: convulsions and hallucinations. Keep your eyes on that monitor"
So he did. He watched the monitor with keen attention while Emma worked on several different processes at the same time. None of the markers moved for what seemed like forever. Then one of them dropped slowly.
"Emma, something's moving here!"
She gave the monitor a quick look. "Open the plug just enough for the solution to flow, give him a third of that bag". She put several small phials on a plate. "Add distilled water to the top and put them in cooling"
"What would you do if I wasn't here?"
"Run more"
"We're out of distilled water"
"There's a jerrycan on the other side of the door"
"That marker is still dropping"
"How much did he get?"
"Almost as much as you said"
She drew some oily substance to a small syringe. "Add that to the solution, let it run to half and close the plug"
"There's another marker flashing!"
"Ignore it, check on the rightmost phial"
"No change"
"Argh!" She brought a fuming tube of the fire and plugged it. She grabbed herself an apple and threw him one too. "Eat, this may be our one and only break"
He finished the apple in several large bites and checked on that phial again. "There are crystals forming"
"But there's still liquid?"
"Yes"
"Wait for the liquid to disappear and bring it here". She closed the plug on the intravenous solution and replaced the bag with a new one. "It should happen pretty quickly". She covered Mushra with an extra blanket and shooed Sago away. "Go on, I'll take care of this"
"Do you mind not acting like I get in your way?"
"I'm not used to people"
"A healer who doesn't get along with people?"
"I didn't say that"
"Right, you get along with unconscious people"
"Shut up"
"Want some tea?"
"Lost case"
"I aim to please"
"So watch that monitor"
"There's nothing moving"
"Let's keep it this way"
"What are we waiting for again?"
"Get lost" with a smile. He shut up.
After a few moments, however, something seemed wrong. "Emma, he's shivering. There's nothing on the monitor, but… Hey!"
Mushra's body jerked violently. Sago tried to hold him down while Emma worked hurriedly at her distillery. Sago swore loudly: Mushra was every bit as strong as he was. "Emma!"
"Coming right up!"
Mushra's eyes opened.
"Mushra, hold still!"
Mushra didn't seem to hear him. The convulsions became more violent. The needle was torn from his vein. Sago pulled all his strength so Emma could put the needle back. Emma opened the plug fully and Mushra's body relaxed almost immediately.
"I am so glad I let you stay"
"I'm sorry you didn't throw me out"
"Are you ok?"
"A little bruised, no big deal"
She put two spoonful of sugar in a tea mug and handed it over to him. He emptied it in one gulp.
"Thanks"
"Have some more". She tightened the needle to Mushra's arm with generous amounts of sticky tape.
"There's going to be more convulsions?"
"Usually they just get worse, but I gave him lots of sedatives"
"Here he goes again!"
They held him together.
"How about we just tie him down?"
"We'll regret it when the hallucinations start. Let's set the bed bars and cushion them instead"
"Aren't those sedatives supposed to sedate him?"
"He's not a by-the-book patient. You really should be happy about it"
"And why would that be?"
"Because by the book, he should be dead several times by now. Ouch!"
Mushra's body jerked again while Emma was setting the bar, and the heavy object fell on her hand. Fortunately no harm was done.
"Why don't you give him more sedatives?"
"I gave him a dosage to put Kutall in comma". She pressed a sticker to Mushra's neck. "Ok, now this is weird"
"What?"
"With the drugs level in his blood being nearly lethal, this sticker should have turned red"
"Its color didn't change at all"
"Exactly. His system is neutralizing the sedatives really fast", She added more sedatives to the infusion bag, "Fast even for an Enterran"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, you know that Enterrans are supposed to be tougher than humans. It means that you don't get sick so easily, but you're also more resistant to various drugs"
"The three of us aren't exactly normal Enterrans"
"So I was told. Something about elemental affinities?"
"Partially. The gems enhance our natural abilities"
"Gems?"
"Yes, gems". He tapped the front of his helmet.
She stared at the three blue stones. "But of course! I should've know!" She stormed to her backpack. "If Melissa knew!"