p id="docs-internal-guid-0b87bb4c-7fff-478a-0cdb-3e5692244c0c" dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; text-align: center; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Fever dreams/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; text-align: center; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wise men have interpreted dreams, and the gods have laughed."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Somehow, the blackness of nothing transformed into the blackness of The Void. How she could tell the difference between the two, she had no idea, yet when she tried to focus her mind on the problem it infuriatingly scampered away into another part of her brain. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her attention wavered in and out until the flame returned and she found her astral self sitting cross-legged at the edge of the bonfire. The astral plane was somewhere she knew well but this time It was accompanied by the strangest sensations, something beating on her chest, air being pushed into her. Then cold air and water in her face, pressure at her side, hands moving over her body. Yet no pain, not anymore. That was always a plus. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It was easy to exist in the astral plane. So long as she stayed near the bonfire and didn't wander too far beyond it into the expanses of the void she could stay here as long as she needed. It was a useful trick her people used often to help teach focus when casting, or to heal from injuries. On some level she was aware that she was injured but her mind wandered again and she lost track of the thought./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her corporeal self tugged her back as the sensations changed. Cold air and hurried footfall. A creaking and a series of bangs. Old buzzing lights in caged domes and brickwork arches passing overhead came into focus as the blackness faded. A face above her was too difficult to make out it was talking to her she realised in bemusement. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Keep breathing. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Something was placed over her face. The air tasted funny./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That's it…Stay with me kid. You're not going to die on me now. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" The safety of the void called her back. She knew she was hurt, knew it must be bad… but it was like a fog had settled over her brain, it was so hard to think. She could feel her eyes begin to roll back and the thought crossed her mind of how easy it would be to just let go. Detach her astral self from her moral shell and just be…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She had so little energy…was so tired. The ease of detachment was like a soothing balm. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"No, no no not now. Hold on./spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Something about the detaching thought and the tone of the other voice called danger to her but it was a fleeting thought, difficult to hold onto. Tension returned. She felt her brow furrow. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…Have to stabilise her…Eric, the hypodermic…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The darkness was welcoming, like a warm towel after being caught in the rain. It was so easy just to go to it and not have to think. The external world was fading too, becoming duller and far off while the light from the bonfire and the safety of the void also began to ebb. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She was unsure where she was going when a dull Stinging sensation in her arm pulled her attention. Burning began, she felt the void rushing back toward her away from the easy dark into the heart of the bonfire itself. She heard drums and then… the world exploded into fire. Fire, white hot and all encompassing. Enveloping her. Searing her very flesh to her bones, she felt like she was going to combust. It burnt, a ravaging burning deep within, past her flesh and her mind into something deeper-seated. Into the fabric of not only who but what she was. She arched her back, all of her muscles tight and heard herself scream. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…Seizing/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Over and over she screamed, a deep feral sound, echoing back through time to the same yowling yell she had made with her first breath in this world. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…trying to…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her physical form was thrashing, she could feel forces struggling to hold her down. She couldn't see, couldn't think straight, everything was engulfed by the pain, as it coursed through her; threatening to rip her in two, it was literally ripping her in two. She gagged and wanted to vomit but there was nothing in her empty stomach save for bile which tasted acidic in her mouth. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her throat felt tight and she struggled to bring air in. The screaming stopped purely for want of oxygen to continue it. Her body went limp and her spiritual self detached from it, shrouding itself in the dark of the void. She curled up in the fetal position and wished for death. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Still…seizing…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…working on it…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"O2 stats are dropping.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Well, Don't just stand there get the bag…Ventilate her! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...you told me not to think like a paramedic, not to ventilate! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I said if the patient wasn't in any physical danger. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"If/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" they are possessed. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"So, She's not possessed?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm not saying she's not possessed/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"! But she /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"is/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" in physical danger. Now ventilate her before she damn well asphyxiates! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The air being forced into her was gentle now, her breathing easier. Her muscles were no longer tense, as if the strings holding her had been cut. However despite how relaxed her physical form was the burning agony still remained. Her internal self, the astral self, swamped her with the luck of unconsciousness as a means of protection. But on the edges of this, perhaps at the preconscious level she could hear people talking. They sounded so far away it was difficult to focus on the conversation. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...never done that before…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Mmm, looks like a Hypersensitive response of the immune system./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You mean She's Allergic...to water?!/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...this particular type of water, something is, yes. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"metaphysical or physical immune system?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That's just it…it would appear both./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Is that right?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I don't know. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...Her stats are all over the place. You don't know?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She's not entirely like anything I've encountered before. Even now there are wards and magic I'm having to counteract to treat her. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You mean while she's unconscious. Something's stopping you treating her? Does it want her to die?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It's complicated…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She's seizing again!/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Goddammit! Turn her…another 10ccs…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The voices turned into a mumble, a hum of sound so indistinct that she couldn't understand much more. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She's bleeding again, Doc.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That last one burst my temporary patch on the laceration… /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Pain became her focus, her existence. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A lifetime passed in agony, an eternity and just when she thought she couldn't take the pain any more, the ripping sensation from her spiritual self began to slow as if the sides of it simply refused to be apart. Were unable to be apart. Clarity came for a split second. She was under attack. She had to protect herself from the ones trying to hurt her! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She sought the veil between realms, sought the sources of universal power some called magic. It was tantalizingly close but just out of reach. She needed it. Desperation caused her heart to thunder inside her already broken form. Grasping, gripping and squeezing the meager thread of power she managed to gain hold of. She could not shape it, despite it being small enough for her to wrap around her forearm the tendril of energy fought her will. It surged through her untempered. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A Yelp of surprise? Confusion? Something went crash. Then the presence of another power so much like her own stifled her weak attempts. Like a wave crashing over a fire. It wrapped around her, pulling her further back from the veil. She tried again, straining, feeling her back arch in the physical plain, with a huge effort she managed to grasp another thread of power but found it impossible to hold, it slipped through her fingers like sand. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Agony once again and she screamed once more. Tasted blood. She collapsed, writhing and felt herself falling back into the darkness simply to make it stop. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It was sometime before the voices registered again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…it's safe, don't worry./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...safe? She threw me and that machine like I was a rag doll and it was made of cardboard. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...She gave you a bit of a shake and…yes, destroyed the ultrasound. But I've cast a protection circle around the table, should stop whatever is throwing things from doing it again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…should? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Besides, it's not her fault. It was a reaction of some kind. Likely to the medication. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Reaction or not she knocked the wind out of me that's for sure!/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'll take a look at you when I get done with her, but that looks like it will take a while so unless you're really hurt you'll need to suck it up for now soldier./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm fine. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The seizures seem to have stopped. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What I don't get is it doesn't make sense…she was hurt but not this badly…the symptoms don't fit her injuries ...What gives?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It would appear, Mr Gast, that in trying to treat her injuries, I inadvertently caused a near fatal one./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…What? You did this? How? What did you do?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"… from what I can tell, The injection from the holy grail seems to have caused a widespread systemic reaction which has caused Avulsion of her metaphysical energy. In short we damaged her soul…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...her soul? Wait, her soul?! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...yes. The grail water regenerates and restores the body to its natural state. But her natural state seems to somehow /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"be /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"like this…interesting./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What does that mean? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It means she is unable to function independently of the diablosis. The infection appears to be deep rooted and OLD. It is more like a symbiotic diabolosis but I've never seen a presentation like this. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Jesus…we…we hurt her soul? Well...I mean...I guess that explains the screaming…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…I'd imagine so. This is complicated./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She frowned against the words, were they talking about her? Or someone else? They had hurt her soul? She could feel her breathing hitch and her heart start to pump. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Uh Doc, She's going into shock. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Mmmm…I'm surprised she hasn't before now, to be honest. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Shouldn't we be concerned? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hmmm?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Should we do something? for the shock…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What? Oh, yes…start a new IV, RL wide open, up the O2 as well, last thing we need is another cardiac incident. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"As she listened her physical body felt a poking sensation, then liquids flowing into her, cool and warm at the same time, one sensation in each side of her body. Her heartbeat began to slow to a more comfortable flutter in her chest. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hmmm there are Two spiritual auras... both are displaying signs of shock now not just the physical one…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That seems like something you should…you know…fix? Right? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Mmmmm/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She saved us Doc…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"And we pulled her out, what's Your point?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"My point is, complicated or not, she needs your help. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That much is certainly true. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Can you help her?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Well we are going to have to try aren't we? You've pretty much left me with no choice, we can't leave her like this …/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sorry for being a human being? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You're excused…Now that I get a good look at her, physically she is/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;", /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"put bluntly/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;", /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"a fucking mess…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She's just a kid…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Appearance is no testimony to true age./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Talking from experience?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…all of this is definitely not from tonight's endeavors. Even if we inadvertently made matters worse./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That looks infected. Great. We can add Infection to the list of issues. Eric…pass me the Penicillin...gotta pump her full of antibiotics, in fact, we could all use a course of antibiotics who knows what the sewers are teaming with...the garlic too, for her not us…let's treat both systems... And blood...she's lost a lot of blood…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Human blood?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Surprisingly Yes. 'A' positive /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...how'd you know what type?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...I could taste it, obviously. Pass that gauze./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...obviously. Wait, taste it? When did you taste her blood? And more to the point /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"why/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" did you taste her blood? Since when do we /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"taste/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" blood to find out its type? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Back in squid central and because it's quicker. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Right. Quicker. Unsanitary, but sure./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She lost track again and sank backwards. The last thought was a feeling of frustration and desperation to reach consciousness. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…Shes starting to look better.. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You think so? Humph well Better is clearly subjective…She /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"looks/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" like she's been wrung through a mill./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I meant her vitals are stabilizing, I'm not the one looking at her internally./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hmmm…then next time say that./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Right. So?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What a mess…Internal bruising. Scar tissue. That tibia break is only a couple weeks old…should still be in a cast... and it's been badly set. Hasn't healed right, Explains the limp…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Easy enough to fix? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Yes but I'll need to reset the bone and cast it. More healed breaks…those ribs are broken…a couple of new and healed cracks… soft tissue damage. That looks like it was a dislocation…bet that's giving her trouble. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hands probing her body called her attention and the voices became clearer as if someone had turned up the sound. She could hear a scribbling sound…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…stabbed here maybe? Short blade didn't go too far in. That's a claw mark. That's a bite wound…maybe a Wendigo or a Nure-onna, weird because they only tend to be edimic in Japan. And I still don't much like to looks of her Aura …it looks…abraded. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"From the Bloodmagic?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Maybe…dammit/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The damn laceration is bleeding again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She could hear an alarm of some sort. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;".../spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"so much for vitals stabilising.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"This kid's determined to keep me up all night./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"More probing hands, more urgent this time. Then a flare of pain. She heard herself groan./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" She's bleeding internally, the repair isn't holding no matter how much energy I put into it…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Why not?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…it also requires some of the patient's energy to continue working… /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…but she's not strong enough? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"No. Not with all the other trauma. I'm going to need to repair it the old fashioned way. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You don't mean what I think you do?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'll need to open her /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Again the probing and another cry of pain this time sharper. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You're going to operate? Should you wait till you're more rested?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"This can't wait. She's got a splenic rupture… and the two halves of her metaphysical system aren't responding to conventional astral therapy…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"And I thought you were stubborn. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I need to fix her spleen manually or remove it to give her a chance to heal the other wounds and…I'll have to somehow physically repair the other damage too …maybe metaphysical sutures would hold…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Do we even have metaphysical sutures?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Prep her for surgery, I'm going to scrub. And get Penny, I'll need sedation. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...you sure that's a good idea? Is Penny strong enough? Why not use an injection?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Not potent enough, I'll need both to be unconscious and we don't have the luxury of time ...get Penny./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"There was quiet. She floated in the void, her mind trying to pull away from the agony of the physical plain once more. Just as she sunk back into nothing, a presence not related to the two voices of her dreams touched her mind. She saw it clearly as if it was standing in front of her. A dark beastial like entity wrapped in mist and sharing the form of another. A girl slightly older than her with shoulder length dark hair and sad dark eyes. They watched as the void consumed her, a confused aura emanating from them both. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Baby? /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The abomination asked confusedly. It reached out a long sharp claw, pausing, shrinking back as if it felt her pain. It whimpered. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Penny…I know you're injured and tired but we don't have much time if she's going to survive, sedate her please. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The creature seemed to waver and she could feel the long claw penetrate her skin. A cooling sensation swept though her making everything heavy. Even the void began to vanish from her understanding. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Poor Baby.../spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" the creature said looking helpless, the girl however seemed to realise she was being watched and raised a hand to comfort the creature before looking at her and adding "the Doctor will help you…" then everything was gone and nothingness replaced the blackness. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Awareness buzzed like an annoying insect for her attention. There were hands inside her. In reality, there was no pain, but she could feel pressure and movement, the ghost of touch as something dug around inside her abdominal cavity. She gagged at the sensation. She felt like her essences needed to curl into the fetal position. Like she had to protect herself. She tried, pulling her physical self in as close as she could./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dammit…she metabolised fast! she can't move right now! Eric Restrain her…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm trying! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Use the restraints! Need more suction…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…her temperature is climbing…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We can deal with fever later. I'm nearly done...I don't want to remove the organ if I can save it…Penny, sedate her again. Then use the cuffs. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The creature was back, only for a moment then the same cooling stinging sensation In her neck and She lost herself once more./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She was drowning in water, waves knocking her over each time she came up to gasp for air. It was icy cold. The surface had turned hard. Her head hit against it with a cracking sound. Finally, she broke the surface through the layer of ice. Clawing, dragging herself up from the water she lay on her side, curled up in a ball. Her breaths, ragged and uneven puffed like smoke. The cold like knives in her skin. She shivered./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""C..ccc...Cold…" she groaned./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No," a low voice growled in response from somewhere, an actual voice. Not a vague hazy dream voice. "you're not." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Something inexplicably even colder and slightly heavy pressed to her forehead and rested there. "Shh, you're safe it's alright. You're not well but you're going to be just fine, don't worry," another said kindly./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Icy water trickled down into her eyes and she slowly became aware she wasn't lying on the ice after all, rather some sort of cool metal table. Blinding white light shone above her, bleaching everything of colour and definition. She was on her back, and she was naked. If she hadn't known better, she would wonder if it was death. But death was not light and unlikely to be as embarrassing as finding oneself naked, so that ruled that out. Besides, the seven-foot skeleton with the scythe hadn't shown up. And if he had, she very much doubted he'd want to sit down for a curry this time. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Shadowy figures were moving around, one at her side and one closer, looming directly over her. Its eyes were white, she could make out dark hair and a glinting disc covering one side of its face, glowing with energy. She felt a surge of panic. Shadows. The Creatures...a harried beeping sound emanated from somewhere, echoing the rhythm in her chest./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You need to Calm down," the looming shadow growled. "Can you understand me?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She struggled to think. English, it was talking English /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""…y…yes." She responded in kind/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good. Do you know where you are?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Where she was? Some instinct told her she was in danger here, she needed to wake but she couldn't seem to fully return to complete consciousness. Her body was so stiff and heavy and something else inside ached. She was so tired.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Can't...cold…" she said again, the only thought she could articulate. She shivered. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, you are not," the first voice continued. It was distracted, as if it was focused on something. "You are suffering from dual pyrexia."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She turned her head towards the white-eyed shadow, no tentacles, not a creature…the sense of danger didn't fade with this realisation, she tried to shirk away from it. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A hand on her shoulder stopped her movement. It was firm but gentle. "You need to be still. You're safe. I've surgically repaired the physical wounds that put you in immediate danger. I'm trying to repair the other wound now, but you've spiked a fever." it said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" She strained with all her might against the barrier cutting her off from the magic and succeeded in touching a tiny thimble of it. A sensation of leaking power, uncontrolled and unstructured, poured from her before she could stop it. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Uhh...Doc...the instruments are shaking…"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The being with the glowing eyes turned away, releasing her for only a moment from its gaze./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Shaking Inside the circle? Interesting…" the glowing gaze returned, the grip on her shoulder became harder as the face moved closer to her own. "Listen to me, casting spells is a bad idea. You're very very weak. You'll hurt yourself further. Do you understand? I won't harm you. I'm trying to help," the voice growled again. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She turned her head away, feeling the touch of power again but unable to keep hold of it. The shadow took her by the chin, smooth cool fingers against her skin. It tilted her head back, the face or at least one side not obscured by the disc came into proper focus. It was male, she recognised him from somewhere…he was frowning as if he were trying to look into her, past her eyes and deeper inside./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Look at me." He commanded. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She stopped moving, her blue eyes locking onto the glowing white one and the disc./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It was not my intent to hurt you, you were more injured and weaker than I realised. I thought it would help. I'm trying to repair the damage."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She frowned at his words. And saw the bushy eyebrow above her turn down further. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You're not well. I'm a Doctor. I'm helping you, do you understand?."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She was supposed to be dead…was this hell? The power began ebbing, it took everything she had to try and hold onto it. A wave of exhaustion was the reward for her efforts. It washed over her./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Do you understand?" The face repeated and gave her a little shake./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her eyes rolled and the last she was aware of was a small crash, like cutlery being dropped./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The darkness faded to grey and she felt herself being pulled upwards into a sitting position...her back felt wet, from the ice? Had there been ice? She couldn't remember. How long since the face? What was the crash?...something was pressed onto her back. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good girl. That's it," the dream voice was growling. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She wasn't sure how to respond to this. Her eyelids were too heavy to open, she felt wrung out like a used cloth. She wanted to call for help but who was there to help her? She was alone... /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm helping you… /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"she remembered the voice saying that...the growling one. Who was he? It was all so confusing and she was so tired. She just wanted sleep. Surely death would be better than this, this... purgatory of being woken, endless time, weird sensation, half memory and dream voices. She let out a deep frustrated sigh. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She doesn't seem to be able to regain consciousness." The other kind voice from before said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not fully, no."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Traumatic brain injury?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Traumatic injury, but I wouldn't say her brain," the voice said in a contrite tone. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The pressure on her ribs vanished and she could feel herself being lowered back down. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What's the prognosis?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Physically she'll be fine in time. The wounds will heal."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's impressive even for you."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah well a lot of it is due to her physiology rather than my skill. If she had been a normal human girl she'd have died pure and simple."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"There was a grumble of assent and the first voice continued, almost exasperated. "Even with a heightened physiology, She's clearly exhausted, she needs rest...but her metaphysical immune system is still the issue. Each time I stabilise her it rejects my repair and sends her back into meta shock...look at the stats. It's already rejecting the last attempt."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why's that happening?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I don't know, it's like whatever treatment I apply to get rid of the thing is incompatible with her…I'm not sure she can survive being separated from the second Aura./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So you can't remove the infection? Whatever it is?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, I don't think so. It's too deeply connected. Both auras are tethered together. Trying to remove it is causing more issues…seems somewhat akin to transplant shock." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Except… she's not a plant, Doc."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Clearly. But I've tried removal and I've tried separation …"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So what? Do we leave her to recover from the surgery for a few more hours and then try again?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No. Until I can stabilize both systems she's going to keep circling the drain." There was gentle pressure on her forehead. A Smooth texture. "Both fevers are getting worse... We need to try something else, now. Pour that saline over her again and get the cooling blankets."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Sure, but that won't do anything for the psychic fever though, right? The illusion of heat." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, but the fever is a symptom not the cause. I need to figure out a different course of treatment and for that I need her brain not to poach in the meantime."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Medical or mystical?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Both likely." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"water splashed over her, cold and stinging but she was already being pulled back into darkness once more./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"This time when she became aware, she knew somehow not long had passed between the last spell of awareness. She was still wet, cold parts on her skin, sweat running down her neck and she felt so heavy. She wanted to sleep so badly. Why did she keep returning from the comfort of unconsciousness? Something was gripping at her. Rubbing painfully into her sternum. She flexed instinctively away from the pain and heard herself moan. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""There we go. Pain response is back."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She's coming around again."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good girl…Eric, get her up."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hands gently pulled her back up into a sitting position. An arm wrapped around her supporting the weight. Something that smelled heavily of menthol and something else she couldn't place wafted in front of her. She felt her eyes open and immediately begin to water in the light. A blurry glass beaker holding some sort of blue translucent liquid came into view. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on, Kid. Drink this it'll help," the growling voice was saying. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The beaker was brought to her lips. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on…We're nearly there." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She was aware that some sort of response was necessary from her but not exactly what. The light was too bright and she felt disoriented. The same cool smooth fingers from before cupped her chin. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Green...latex /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"her brain supplied looking at them, she closed her eyes again. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on...you can't give in…not now. Not after all these hours of work."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The grip holding her gave her a slight rough shake "Your not going to die because of a stupid mistake. Not when I have a treatment. Drink!..."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The body behind her, holding her, tensed as if it didn't like the shaking. The one in front moved forward until there was no space between them, oppressively close. It smelled of wormwood and ozone. Sharp odours of power, of protection...of magic but also then the smell of sweat and coffee…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"on…/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"drink this then you can rest." the voice growled again, pleading almost. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She felt like her head wanted to flop against the thing holding her but the grip on her chin kept her in place./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Doc...I don't think.."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The grip on her chin tightened, her neck extended as it was pulled upwards slightly. The liquid touched her lips. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Drink/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"!" the voice commanded this time, emanating power. There was a faint echo to it. The hairs on her arm stood on end as a little of the liquid passed her lips onto her tongue. It tasted like spearmint with a peppery sort of after taste. Strangely, even that small amount was refreshing. With an effort that should not have been necessary She did as bid, she drank. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The tension left the grip on her face and the arms holding her, though the support didn't waver /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good girl, that's it...that's right. " the growling voice told her. It sounded relieved. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" She drank another mouthful. It burned her dry aching throat. She began to cough and swayed but the growling voice and the hands held her upright./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It's alright. You won't fall, drink a little more." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The beaker poured again, slowly, into her mouth. She swallowed again, and again and again. Each mouthful had the same burning in her throat which continued down, spreading warmth through her, but not unpleasantly. It felt...good. It spread through to her fingertips and toes. A different heat than the heavy hot feeling she had been experiencing. It was refreshing, soothing. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Thaaaattts it. Eric, get ready…" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The grip holding her loosened slightly as the weight behind it shifted. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Now Eric." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A pumping sound like someone inflating something followed by a small flare of purple light. She shrank from it but didn't get far as the hand holding her chin, making her drink, held her in place. She gasped and choked as a sudden intense pain flared like hot knives in the back of her skull and down her spine. She tensed against it, the arms holding her tensed too but the pain eased almost immediately and she went limp. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The grip on her face released her. The beaker was removed, her mouth now tasted of metal. "There we go..." triumph was evident in the tone./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Another wave of disorientation swept through her. But she didn't feel the need to escape this time. The soothing warmth was again spreading inside. She could feel powerful magic in the background but it was comforting. Like behind at home. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""...easy now, lie her down." the growling voice said. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She allowed herself to be lowered back down. The hands supporting her head back into a pillow. One of the hands lingered on her neck, she was vaguely aware of a probing presence. Powerful. Her wards failed to respond but it was gone again as quickly as it came. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""The spell seems to be working, the Aura's are both responding, spiritual cohesion has kicked in."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""All of the…coloured… bits have turned on on the 'monitor'"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Good. Her chakras are responding, finally. It looks like we've managed to restart her system as it were…and her heart rate is better…"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You reattached whatever /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"it/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" is to her?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yes. What other choice did I have?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Now what?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We wait for the fevers to break. Then she should start to come around. The spell should keep working and repair the metaphysical damage giving her time to heal the physical wounds. " /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You think so?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It had better, I haven't got enough ingredients for another dose. And, frankly I'm all out of ideas." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her eyelids refused to stay open, she tried but could feel herself succumbing to a comforting wave of unconsciousness. As everything began to fade she look in the tangle of dark hair above her. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""And if it doesn't?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""In which case there will be nothing more I can do…"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" she felt the hand move and settle momentarily on her forehead again. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""...I'll have accidentally killed her." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her eyes rolled. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; text-align: center; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wise men have interpreted dreams, and the gods have laughed."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Somehow, the blackness of nothing transformed into the blackness of The Void. How she could tell the difference between the two, she had no idea, yet when she tried to focus her mind on the problem it infuriatingly scampered away into another part of her brain. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her attention wavered in and out until the flame returned and she found her astral self sitting cross-legged at the edge of the bonfire. The astral plane was somewhere she knew well but this time It was accompanied by the strangest sensations, something beating on her chest, air being pushed into her. Then cold air and water in her face, pressure at her side, hands moving over her body. Yet no pain, not anymore. That was always a plus. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It was easy to exist in the astral plane. So long as she stayed near the bonfire and didn't wander too far beyond it into the expanses of the void she could stay here as long as she needed. It was a useful trick her people used often to help teach focus when casting, or to heal from injuries. On some level she was aware that she was injured but her mind wandered again and she lost track of the thought./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her corporeal self tugged her back as the sensations changed. Cold air and hurried footfall. A creaking and a series of bangs. Old buzzing lights in caged domes and brickwork arches passing overhead came into focus as the blackness faded. A face above her was too difficult to make out it was talking to her she realised in bemusement. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Keep breathing. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Something was placed over her face. The air tasted funny./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That's it…Stay with me kid. You're not going to die on me now. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" The safety of the void called her back. She knew she was hurt, knew it must be bad… but it was like a fog had settled over her brain, it was so hard to think. She could feel her eyes begin to roll back and the thought crossed her mind of how easy it would be to just let go. Detach her astral self from her moral shell and just be…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She had so little energy…was so tired. The ease of detachment was like a soothing balm. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"No, no no not now. Hold on./spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Something about the detaching thought and the tone of the other voice called danger to her but it was a fleeting thought, difficult to hold onto. Tension returned. She felt her brow furrow. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…Have to stabilise her…Eric, the hypodermic…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The darkness was welcoming, like a warm towel after being caught in the rain. It was so easy just to go to it and not have to think. The external world was fading too, becoming duller and far off while the light from the bonfire and the safety of the void also began to ebb. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She was unsure where she was going when a dull Stinging sensation in her arm pulled her attention. Burning began, she felt the void rushing back toward her away from the easy dark into the heart of the bonfire itself. She heard drums and then… the world exploded into fire. Fire, white hot and all encompassing. Enveloping her. Searing her very flesh to her bones, she felt like she was going to combust. It burnt, a ravaging burning deep within, past her flesh and her mind into something deeper-seated. Into the fabric of not only who but what she was. She arched her back, all of her muscles tight and heard herself scream. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…Seizing/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Over and over she screamed, a deep feral sound, echoing back through time to the same yowling yell she had made with her first breath in this world. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…trying to…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her physical form was thrashing, she could feel forces struggling to hold her down. She couldn't see, couldn't think straight, everything was engulfed by the pain, as it coursed through her; threatening to rip her in two, it was literally ripping her in two. She gagged and wanted to vomit but there was nothing in her empty stomach save for bile which tasted acidic in her mouth. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her throat felt tight and she struggled to bring air in. The screaming stopped purely for want of oxygen to continue it. Her body went limp and her spiritual self detached from it, shrouding itself in the dark of the void. She curled up in the fetal position and wished for death. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Still…seizing…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…working on it…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"O2 stats are dropping.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Well, Don't just stand there get the bag…Ventilate her! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...you told me not to think like a paramedic, not to ventilate! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I said if the patient wasn't in any physical danger. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"If/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" they are possessed. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"So, She's not possessed?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm not saying she's not possessed/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"! But she /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"is/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" in physical danger. Now ventilate her before she damn well asphyxiates! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The air being forced into her was gentle now, her breathing easier. Her muscles were no longer tense, as if the strings holding her had been cut. However despite how relaxed her physical form was the burning agony still remained. Her internal self, the astral self, swamped her with the luck of unconsciousness as a means of protection. But on the edges of this, perhaps at the preconscious level she could hear people talking. They sounded so far away it was difficult to focus on the conversation. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...never done that before…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Mmm, looks like a Hypersensitive response of the immune system./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You mean She's Allergic...to water?!/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...this particular type of water, something is, yes. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"metaphysical or physical immune system?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That's just it…it would appear both./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Is that right?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I don't know. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...Her stats are all over the place. You don't know?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She's not entirely like anything I've encountered before. Even now there are wards and magic I'm having to counteract to treat her. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You mean while she's unconscious. Something's stopping you treating her? Does it want her to die?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It's complicated…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She's seizing again!/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Goddammit! Turn her…another 10ccs…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The voices turned into a mumble, a hum of sound so indistinct that she couldn't understand much more. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She's bleeding again, Doc.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That last one burst my temporary patch on the laceration… /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Pain became her focus, her existence. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A lifetime passed in agony, an eternity and just when she thought she couldn't take the pain any more, the ripping sensation from her spiritual self began to slow as if the sides of it simply refused to be apart. Were unable to be apart. Clarity came for a split second. She was under attack. She had to protect herself from the ones trying to hurt her! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She sought the veil between realms, sought the sources of universal power some called magic. It was tantalizingly close but just out of reach. She needed it. Desperation caused her heart to thunder inside her already broken form. Grasping, gripping and squeezing the meager thread of power she managed to gain hold of. She could not shape it, despite it being small enough for her to wrap around her forearm the tendril of energy fought her will. It surged through her untempered. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A Yelp of surprise? Confusion? Something went crash. Then the presence of another power so much like her own stifled her weak attempts. Like a wave crashing over a fire. It wrapped around her, pulling her further back from the veil. She tried again, straining, feeling her back arch in the physical plain, with a huge effort she managed to grasp another thread of power but found it impossible to hold, it slipped through her fingers like sand. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Agony once again and she screamed once more. Tasted blood. She collapsed, writhing and felt herself falling back into the darkness simply to make it stop. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It was sometime before the voices registered again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…it's safe, don't worry./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...safe? She threw me and that machine like I was a rag doll and it was made of cardboard. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...She gave you a bit of a shake and…yes, destroyed the ultrasound. But I've cast a protection circle around the table, should stop whatever is throwing things from doing it again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…should? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Besides, it's not her fault. It was a reaction of some kind. Likely to the medication. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Reaction or not she knocked the wind out of me that's for sure!/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'll take a look at you when I get done with her, but that looks like it will take a while so unless you're really hurt you'll need to suck it up for now soldier./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm fine. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The seizures seem to have stopped. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What I don't get is it doesn't make sense…she was hurt but not this badly…the symptoms don't fit her injuries ...What gives?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It would appear, Mr Gast, that in trying to treat her injuries, I inadvertently caused a near fatal one./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…What? You did this? How? What did you do?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"… from what I can tell, The injection from the holy grail seems to have caused a widespread systemic reaction which has caused Avulsion of her metaphysical energy. In short we damaged her soul…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...her soul? Wait, her soul?! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...yes. The grail water regenerates and restores the body to its natural state. But her natural state seems to somehow /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"be /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"like this…interesting./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What does that mean? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It means she is unable to function independently of the diablosis. The infection appears to be deep rooted and OLD. It is more like a symbiotic diabolosis but I've never seen a presentation like this. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Jesus…we…we hurt her soul? Well...I mean...I guess that explains the screaming…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…I'd imagine so. This is complicated./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She frowned against the words, were they talking about her? Or someone else? They had hurt her soul? She could feel her breathing hitch and her heart start to pump. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Uh Doc, She's going into shock. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Mmmm…I'm surprised she hasn't before now, to be honest. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Shouldn't we be concerned? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hmmm?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Should we do something? for the shock…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What? Oh, yes…start a new IV, RL wide open, up the O2 as well, last thing we need is another cardiac incident. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"As she listened her physical body felt a poking sensation, then liquids flowing into her, cool and warm at the same time, one sensation in each side of her body. Her heartbeat began to slow to a more comfortable flutter in her chest. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hmmm there are Two spiritual auras... both are displaying signs of shock now not just the physical one…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That seems like something you should…you know…fix? Right? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Mmmmm/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She saved us Doc…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"And we pulled her out, what's Your point?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"My point is, complicated or not, she needs your help. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That much is certainly true. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Can you help her?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Well we are going to have to try aren't we? You've pretty much left me with no choice, we can't leave her like this …/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sorry for being a human being? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You're excused…Now that I get a good look at her, physically she is/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;", /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"put bluntly/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;", /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"a fucking mess…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She's just a kid…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Appearance is no testimony to true age./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Talking from experience?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…all of this is definitely not from tonight's endeavors. Even if we inadvertently made matters worse./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That looks infected. Great. We can add Infection to the list of issues. Eric…pass me the Penicillin...gotta pump her full of antibiotics, in fact, we could all use a course of antibiotics who knows what the sewers are teaming with...the garlic too, for her not us…let's treat both systems... And blood...she's lost a lot of blood…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Human blood?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Surprisingly Yes. 'A' positive /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...how'd you know what type?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...I could taste it, obviously. Pass that gauze./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...obviously. Wait, taste it? When did you taste her blood? And more to the point /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"why/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" did you taste her blood? Since when do we /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"taste/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" blood to find out its type? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Back in squid central and because it's quicker. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Right. Quicker. Unsanitary, but sure./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She lost track again and sank backwards. The last thought was a feeling of frustration and desperation to reach consciousness. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…Shes starting to look better.. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You think so? Humph well Better is clearly subjective…She /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"looks/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" like she's been wrung through a mill./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I meant her vitals are stabilizing, I'm not the one looking at her internally./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hmmm…then next time say that./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Right. So?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What a mess…Internal bruising. Scar tissue. That tibia break is only a couple weeks old…should still be in a cast... and it's been badly set. Hasn't healed right, Explains the limp…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Easy enough to fix? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Yes but I'll need to reset the bone and cast it. More healed breaks…those ribs are broken…a couple of new and healed cracks… soft tissue damage. That looks like it was a dislocation…bet that's giving her trouble. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hands probing her body called her attention and the voices became clearer as if someone had turned up the sound. She could hear a scribbling sound…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…stabbed here maybe? Short blade didn't go too far in. That's a claw mark. That's a bite wound…maybe a Wendigo or a Nure-onna, weird because they only tend to be edimic in Japan. And I still don't much like to looks of her Aura …it looks…abraded. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"From the Bloodmagic?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Maybe…dammit/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The damn laceration is bleeding again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She could hear an alarm of some sort. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;".../spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"so much for vitals stabilising.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"This kid's determined to keep me up all night./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"More probing hands, more urgent this time. Then a flare of pain. She heard herself groan./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" She's bleeding internally, the repair isn't holding no matter how much energy I put into it…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Why not?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…it also requires some of the patient's energy to continue working… /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…but she's not strong enough? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"No. Not with all the other trauma. I'm going to need to repair it the old fashioned way. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You don't mean what I think you do?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'll need to open her /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Again the probing and another cry of pain this time sharper. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"You're going to operate? Should you wait till you're more rested?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"This can't wait. She's got a splenic rupture… and the two halves of her metaphysical system aren't responding to conventional astral therapy…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"And I thought you were stubborn. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I need to fix her spleen manually or remove it to give her a chance to heal the other wounds and…I'll have to somehow physically repair the other damage too …maybe metaphysical sutures would hold…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Do we even have metaphysical sutures?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Prep her for surgery, I'm going to scrub. And get Penny, I'll need sedation. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"...you sure that's a good idea? Is Penny strong enough? Why not use an injection?/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Not potent enough, I'll need both to be unconscious and we don't have the luxury of time ...get Penny./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"There was quiet. She floated in the void, her mind trying to pull away from the agony of the physical plain once more. Just as she sunk back into nothing, a presence not related to the two voices of her dreams touched her mind. She saw it clearly as if it was standing in front of her. A dark beastial like entity wrapped in mist and sharing the form of another. A girl slightly older than her with shoulder length dark hair and sad dark eyes. They watched as the void consumed her, a confused aura emanating from them both. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Baby? /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The abomination asked confusedly. It reached out a long sharp claw, pausing, shrinking back as if it felt her pain. It whimpered. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Penny…I know you're injured and tired but we don't have much time if she's going to survive, sedate her please. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The creature seemed to waver and she could feel the long claw penetrate her skin. A cooling sensation swept though her making everything heavy. Even the void began to vanish from her understanding. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Poor Baby.../spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" the creature said looking helpless, the girl however seemed to realise she was being watched and raised a hand to comfort the creature before looking at her and adding "the Doctor will help you…" then everything was gone and nothingness replaced the blackness. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Awareness buzzed like an annoying insect for her attention. There were hands inside her. In reality, there was no pain, but she could feel pressure and movement, the ghost of touch as something dug around inside her abdominal cavity. She gagged at the sensation. She felt like her essences needed to curl into the fetal position. Like she had to protect herself. She tried, pulling her physical self in as close as she could./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Dammit…she metabolised fast! she can't move right now! Eric Restrain her…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm trying! /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Use the restraints! Need more suction…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"…her temperature is climbing…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We can deal with fever later. I'm nearly done...I don't want to remove the organ if I can save it…Penny, sedate her again. Then use the cuffs. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The creature was back, only for a moment then the same cooling stinging sensation In her neck and She lost herself once more./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She was drowning in water, waves knocking her over each time she came up to gasp for air. It was icy cold. The surface had turned hard. Her head hit against it with a cracking sound. Finally, she broke the surface through the layer of ice. Clawing, dragging herself up from the water she lay on her side, curled up in a ball. Her breaths, ragged and uneven puffed like smoke. The cold like knives in her skin. She shivered./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""C..ccc...Cold…" she groaned./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No," a low voice growled in response from somewhere, an actual voice. Not a vague hazy dream voice. "you're not." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Something inexplicably even colder and slightly heavy pressed to her forehead and rested there. "Shh, you're safe it's alright. You're not well but you're going to be just fine, don't worry," another said kindly./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Icy water trickled down into her eyes and she slowly became aware she wasn't lying on the ice after all, rather some sort of cool metal table. Blinding white light shone above her, bleaching everything of colour and definition. She was on her back, and she was naked. If she hadn't known better, she would wonder if it was death. But death was not light and unlikely to be as embarrassing as finding oneself naked, so that ruled that out. Besides, the seven-foot skeleton with the scythe hadn't shown up. And if he had, she very much doubted he'd want to sit down for a curry this time. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Shadowy figures were moving around, one at her side and one closer, looming directly over her. Its eyes were white, she could make out dark hair and a glinting disc covering one side of its face, glowing with energy. She felt a surge of panic. Shadows. The Creatures...a harried beeping sound emanated from somewhere, echoing the rhythm in her chest./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You need to Calm down," the looming shadow growled. "Can you understand me?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She struggled to think. English, it was talking English /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""…y…yes." She responded in kind/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good. Do you know where you are?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Where she was? Some instinct told her she was in danger here, she needed to wake but she couldn't seem to fully return to complete consciousness. Her body was so stiff and heavy and something else inside ached. She was so tired.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Can't...cold…" she said again, the only thought she could articulate. She shivered. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, you are not," the first voice continued. It was distracted, as if it was focused on something. "You are suffering from dual pyrexia."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She turned her head towards the white-eyed shadow, no tentacles, not a creature…the sense of danger didn't fade with this realisation, she tried to shirk away from it. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A hand on her shoulder stopped her movement. It was firm but gentle. "You need to be still. You're safe. I've surgically repaired the physical wounds that put you in immediate danger. I'm trying to repair the other wound now, but you've spiked a fever." it said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" She strained with all her might against the barrier cutting her off from the magic and succeeded in touching a tiny thimble of it. A sensation of leaking power, uncontrolled and unstructured, poured from her before she could stop it. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Uhh...Doc...the instruments are shaking…"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The being with the glowing eyes turned away, releasing her for only a moment from its gaze./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Shaking Inside the circle? Interesting…" the glowing gaze returned, the grip on her shoulder became harder as the face moved closer to her own. "Listen to me, casting spells is a bad idea. You're very very weak. You'll hurt yourself further. Do you understand? I won't harm you. I'm trying to help," the voice growled again. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She turned her head away, feeling the touch of power again but unable to keep hold of it. The shadow took her by the chin, smooth cool fingers against her skin. It tilted her head back, the face or at least one side not obscured by the disc came into proper focus. It was male, she recognised him from somewhere…he was frowning as if he were trying to look into her, past her eyes and deeper inside./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Look at me." He commanded. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She stopped moving, her blue eyes locking onto the glowing white one and the disc./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It was not my intent to hurt you, you were more injured and weaker than I realised. I thought it would help. I'm trying to repair the damage."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She frowned at his words. And saw the bushy eyebrow above her turn down further. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You're not well. I'm a Doctor. I'm helping you, do you understand?."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She was supposed to be dead…was this hell? The power began ebbing, it took everything she had to try and hold onto it. A wave of exhaustion was the reward for her efforts. It washed over her./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Do you understand?" The face repeated and gave her a little shake./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her eyes rolled and the last she was aware of was a small crash, like cutlery being dropped./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The darkness faded to grey and she felt herself being pulled upwards into a sitting position...her back felt wet, from the ice? Had there been ice? She couldn't remember. How long since the face? What was the crash?...something was pressed onto her back. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good girl. That's it," the dream voice was growling. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She wasn't sure how to respond to this. Her eyelids were too heavy to open, she felt wrung out like a used cloth. She wanted to call for help but who was there to help her? She was alone... /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I'm helping you… /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"she remembered the voice saying that...the growling one. Who was he? It was all so confusing and she was so tired. She just wanted sleep. Surely death would be better than this, this... purgatory of being woken, endless time, weird sensation, half memory and dream voices. She let out a deep frustrated sigh. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She doesn't seem to be able to regain consciousness." The other kind voice from before said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not fully, no."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Traumatic brain injury?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Traumatic injury, but I wouldn't say her brain," the voice said in a contrite tone. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The pressure on her ribs vanished and she could feel herself being lowered back down. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What's the prognosis?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Physically she'll be fine in time. The wounds will heal."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's impressive even for you."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah well a lot of it is due to her physiology rather than my skill. If she had been a normal human girl she'd have died pure and simple."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"There was a grumble of assent and the first voice continued, almost exasperated. "Even with a heightened physiology, She's clearly exhausted, she needs rest...but her metaphysical immune system is still the issue. Each time I stabilise her it rejects my repair and sends her back into meta shock...look at the stats. It's already rejecting the last attempt."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why's that happening?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I don't know, it's like whatever treatment I apply to get rid of the thing is incompatible with her…I'm not sure she can survive being separated from the second Aura./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So you can't remove the infection? Whatever it is?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, I don't think so. It's too deeply connected. Both auras are tethered together. Trying to remove it is causing more issues…seems somewhat akin to transplant shock." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Except… she's not a plant, Doc."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Clearly. But I've tried removal and I've tried separation …"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So what? Do we leave her to recover from the surgery for a few more hours and then try again?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No. Until I can stabilize both systems she's going to keep circling the drain." There was gentle pressure on her forehead. A Smooth texture. "Both fevers are getting worse... We need to try something else, now. Pour that saline over her again and get the cooling blankets."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Sure, but that won't do anything for the psychic fever though, right? The illusion of heat." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, but the fever is a symptom not the cause. I need to figure out a different course of treatment and for that I need her brain not to poach in the meantime."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Medical or mystical?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Both likely." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"water splashed over her, cold and stinging but she was already being pulled back into darkness once more./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"***/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"This time when she became aware, she knew somehow not long had passed between the last spell of awareness. She was still wet, cold parts on her skin, sweat running down her neck and she felt so heavy. She wanted to sleep so badly. Why did she keep returning from the comfort of unconsciousness? Something was gripping at her. Rubbing painfully into her sternum. She flexed instinctively away from the pain and heard herself moan. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""There we go. Pain response is back."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She's coming around again."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good girl…Eric, get her up."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Hands gently pulled her back up into a sitting position. An arm wrapped around her supporting the weight. Something that smelled heavily of menthol and something else she couldn't place wafted in front of her. She felt her eyes open and immediately begin to water in the light. A blurry glass beaker holding some sort of blue translucent liquid came into view. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on, Kid. Drink this it'll help," the growling voice was saying. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The beaker was brought to her lips. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on…We're nearly there." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She was aware that some sort of response was necessary from her but not exactly what. The light was too bright and she felt disoriented. The same cool smooth fingers from before cupped her chin. /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Green...latex /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"her brain supplied looking at them, she closed her eyes again. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on...you can't give in…not now. Not after all these hours of work."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The grip holding her gave her a slight rough shake "Your not going to die because of a stupid mistake. Not when I have a treatment. Drink!..."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The body behind her, holding her, tensed as if it didn't like the shaking. The one in front moved forward until there was no space between them, oppressively close. It smelled of wormwood and ozone. Sharp odours of power, of protection...of magic but also then the smell of sweat and coffee…/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"on…/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"drink this then you can rest." the voice growled again, pleading almost. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She felt like her head wanted to flop against the thing holding her but the grip on her chin kept her in place./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Doc...I don't think.."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The grip on her chin tightened, her neck extended as it was pulled upwards slightly. The liquid touched her lips. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Drink/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"!" the voice commanded this time, emanating power. There was a faint echo to it. The hairs on her arm stood on end as a little of the liquid passed her lips onto her tongue. It tasted like spearmint with a peppery sort of after taste. Strangely, even that small amount was refreshing. With an effort that should not have been necessary She did as bid, she drank. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The tension left the grip on her face and the arms holding her, though the support didn't waver /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good girl, that's it...that's right. " the growling voice told her. It sounded relieved. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" She drank another mouthful. It burned her dry aching throat. She began to cough and swayed but the growling voice and the hands held her upright./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It's alright. You won't fall, drink a little more." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The beaker poured again, slowly, into her mouth. She swallowed again, and again and again. Each mouthful had the same burning in her throat which continued down, spreading warmth through her, but not unpleasantly. It felt...good. It spread through to her fingertips and toes. A different heat than the heavy hot feeling she had been experiencing. It was refreshing, soothing. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Thaaaattts it. Eric, get ready…" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The grip holding her loosened slightly as the weight behind it shifted. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Now Eric." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A pumping sound like someone inflating something followed by a small flare of purple light. She shrank from it but didn't get far as the hand holding her chin, making her drink, held her in place. She gasped and choked as a sudden intense pain flared like hot knives in the back of her skull and down her spine. She tensed against it, the arms holding her tensed too but the pain eased almost immediately and she went limp. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The grip on her face released her. The beaker was removed, her mouth now tasted of metal. "There we go..." triumph was evident in the tone./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Another wave of disorientation swept through her. But she didn't feel the need to escape this time. The soothing warmth was again spreading inside. She could feel powerful magic in the background but it was comforting. Like behind at home. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""...easy now, lie her down." the growling voice said. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She allowed herself to be lowered back down. The hands supporting her head back into a pillow. One of the hands lingered on her neck, she was vaguely aware of a probing presence. Powerful. Her wards failed to respond but it was gone again as quickly as it came. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""The spell seems to be working, the Aura's are both responding, spiritual cohesion has kicked in."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""All of the…coloured… bits have turned on on the 'monitor'"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Good. Her chakras are responding, finally. It looks like we've managed to restart her system as it were…and her heart rate is better…"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You reattached whatever /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"it/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" is to her?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yes. What other choice did I have?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Now what?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We wait for the fevers to break. Then she should start to come around. The spell should keep working and repair the metaphysical damage giving her time to heal the physical wounds. " /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You think so?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It had better, I haven't got enough ingredients for another dose. And, frankly I'm all out of ideas." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her eyelids refused to stay open, she tried but could feel herself succumbing to a comforting wave of unconsciousness. As everything began to fade she look in the tangle of dark hair above her. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""And if it doesn't?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""In which case there will be nothing more I can do…"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" she felt the hand move and settle momentarily on her forehead again. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""...I'll have accidentally killed her." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Her eyes rolled. /span/p
