Categories > Original > Drama > Separation
November 22, 1977
Considering the patient had been comatose to begin with, an uneventful surgery was perhaps unsurprising. Still, Karl had been nervous about complications. Neurosurgery was always tricky at best, even with the added benefit of X-ray vision. However, the moment of truth had yet to come and he, Julian Xerxes, and a few nurses stood ready just in case the worst happened. Should Julian’s little Rainbow function correctly, Ray’s body would begin acting on its own once again; the most notable symptom would be his choking on the respirator when his lungs began trying to press air in and out independently.
“Ready?”
Julian nodded. “When you are.”
“Now.”
Karl sensed more than saw the flicker of contact as Julian took a mental step back and reached to activate the rainbow. To Julian’s practiced Technopath’s ear, the rainbow’s petite hum blended perfectly with the harmonic whir of the other machines. It was working beautifully, though nothing happened. The body continued to lay inert and silent and then—
“Good God!” Julian exclaimed, Karl internally witnessing the reason for his exclamation only a fraction of a second earlier. Ray’s features contorted in pain and his body spasmed, twitching feebly where he lay. A dry gargling sound and trails of saliva began dripping from his mouth as his body fought the tracheotomy tube.
“Easy now,” Karl told him, hurrying to remove the lengthy piece of plastic. As soon as the tube was out of his mouth, Ray turned and gagged, heaving bile and blood onto the pillowcase.
"Shh..." Reaching, Karl gently began rubbing Ray’s back with one hand and signaled to one of the nurse’s with the other. After a minute of ragged coughing, Ray gathered enough oxygen to turn his labored breathes into agonized moans. He could feel the pain of his injuries.
“Gott danke…” Karl murmured to himself, nodding to the waiting nurse who emptied a syringe into the IV bag. Satisfied, Karl returned his attention to the sobbing young man, carefully laying a hand on his unbroken arm.
“It’s all right, junge,” he said softly, “Shh… Just rest.”
As the sedative took effect, Ray’s eyelids drooped and his tears subsided. In a few minutes he lay limp and quiet as before, the shuddering rise and fall of his bandaged chest permitting a fragile hope that after a few hours, he would awaken once more.
Considering the patient had been comatose to begin with, an uneventful surgery was perhaps unsurprising. Still, Karl had been nervous about complications. Neurosurgery was always tricky at best, even with the added benefit of X-ray vision. However, the moment of truth had yet to come and he, Julian Xerxes, and a few nurses stood ready just in case the worst happened. Should Julian’s little Rainbow function correctly, Ray’s body would begin acting on its own once again; the most notable symptom would be his choking on the respirator when his lungs began trying to press air in and out independently.
“Ready?”
Julian nodded. “When you are.”
“Now.”
Karl sensed more than saw the flicker of contact as Julian took a mental step back and reached to activate the rainbow. To Julian’s practiced Technopath’s ear, the rainbow’s petite hum blended perfectly with the harmonic whir of the other machines. It was working beautifully, though nothing happened. The body continued to lay inert and silent and then—
“Good God!” Julian exclaimed, Karl internally witnessing the reason for his exclamation only a fraction of a second earlier. Ray’s features contorted in pain and his body spasmed, twitching feebly where he lay. A dry gargling sound and trails of saliva began dripping from his mouth as his body fought the tracheotomy tube.
“Easy now,” Karl told him, hurrying to remove the lengthy piece of plastic. As soon as the tube was out of his mouth, Ray turned and gagged, heaving bile and blood onto the pillowcase.
"Shh..." Reaching, Karl gently began rubbing Ray’s back with one hand and signaled to one of the nurse’s with the other. After a minute of ragged coughing, Ray gathered enough oxygen to turn his labored breathes into agonized moans. He could feel the pain of his injuries.
“Gott danke…” Karl murmured to himself, nodding to the waiting nurse who emptied a syringe into the IV bag. Satisfied, Karl returned his attention to the sobbing young man, carefully laying a hand on his unbroken arm.
“It’s all right, junge,” he said softly, “Shh… Just rest.”
As the sedative took effect, Ray’s eyelids drooped and his tears subsided. In a few minutes he lay limp and quiet as before, the shuddering rise and fall of his bandaged chest permitting a fragile hope that after a few hours, he would awaken once more.
Sign up to rate and review this story