Up Against It - M. J. Locke [164]
“Pull the other vial,” Jane told Vivian, pointing at the apparatus. “The one that’s already in there. Now!”
A doctor came into the room. “What is the meaning of this?”
Jane gestured at the woman she had hold of, who was protesting. Jane gave her a look, and she fell silent. “Is this woman one of your staff?”
The doctor looked at the woman, and then glanced at her companion, an elderly man dressed in nurse’s garb, who shook his head. “I’m head nurse for this shift,” he said, “and I don’t know this woman.”
“Test this.” Jane tossed the vial to the doctor, who plucked it out of the air. “And that one there,” she pointed at the one Vivian was holding. “You’ll find that one of them contains a biological toxin. I just stopped this woman from inserting it into the apparatus.”
Ian looked at the vials in horror. “Gaaah!” He grabbed the tubes and monitoring devices and yanked them out of his arms and chest, and shoved himself out of bed. Small drops of blood and nutrients dribbled from the tubes and the holes in his arm and chest. He hung there, tumbling slowly, panting and trembling. The doctor came over.
“Careful there! Easy. You’ll be fine.” She guided him back into bed, resettled him, and staunched his bleeding. Vacubots launched from the walls and sucked up the spilled blood and fluids. “Don’t worry, we won’t put the tubes back in until we know they’re safe.”
Ian eyed the woman who had tried to kill him. She turned her face away. The doctor turned to one of the staff who had gathered in the hall outside. “Call the police.”
While they waited for the police to arrive, Vivian asked to see Learned Obyx. Jane accompanied hir.
The Viridian leader was in Intensive Care. Obyx wore a plastic body glove, goggles, and a respirator, and was suspended in a network of Regrow tubing. Vivian alighted next to hir leader. Jane hung back.
“Is ze going to be all right?” Vivian asked.
The nurse said, “He’s doing better.” Vivian winced—Jane was unsure whether it was the gendered pronoun, or the nurse’s deliberate dodge of hir question. “We don’t treat many people with, well, with his genotype. We’d appreciate any information you can give us on his physiology.”
“I’ll contact my colleagues and have them send you hir medical files. We have medical specialists who may be able to help you.” Vivian hesitated, eyeing Obyx with grave concern. “May I talk to hir?”
The nurse eyed the two of them, considering. “For a moment, perhaps. He won’t be able to answer questions, and he won’t really remember anything you say later on.” She moved in front of them as they started toward Obyx, and said, “Keep it brief. And don’t say anything to alarm him. He is gravely injured and needs to remain calm.”
Vivian went over, and spoke softly. “Learned?”
Obyx opened hir eyes and gazed blearily at them. “Waĩthĩra?”
Vivian carefully worked hir hand through the tubing and gave Obyx’s own plastic-gloved, gel-smeared hand a squeeze. “It’s me, Learned. You’re going to be OK. They’ve arrested Glease.”
“James?” Obyx whispered. “Where is ze? Is ze all right?”
Waĩthĩra looked across at Jane. “Everything’s going to be fine, Learned,” ze told hir. “You rest now, and heal.”
Obyx sighed softly, and closed hir eyes. Vivian gave Jane a look. Ze lofted hirself into the hall. Hir face was implacable, but ze dashed away tears. Jane followed.
The hospital staff gave them a nook in the staff lounge. The police commissioner called them. “You two have had an exciting evening.”
“I’m not sure how many details Aaron was able to share with you, Jerry, but this is Vivian Waĩthĩra wa Macharia na Briggs. Ze was also kidnapped by Glease and his cronies. Hir spiritual leader James Harbaugh was killed during the kidnapping, and Obyx has been severely injured.”
“Y-e-e-s. I heard about the fracas in the Badlands. Obyx was already on my list to get a statement from.” Jerry pursed his lips, looking harried. “Ian