It had been too quiet that evening at the ER. Even for a wealthy neighborhood the overflow from the surrounding burbs would cause more people to come in. Dr. Talor stood next to the young constable. Listening to another story about an entitled shelfy drinking too much and swerving around.
"What about my concert" the patient said as the second stitch was sutured shut.
The constable humphed as he stood in the door to the waiting room, like a golem.
"Well your pipes are fine" Talor murmured as he cut the thread.
"Why didn't you want the glue?" he quizzed the popstar.
"Theres no story in glue, only in stitches, its the real thing" the stars brown eyes twinkled with glamorwear.
The constable humphed again and put his hands on his belt, shifting impatiently.
"We all done here, I need to get back out, theres a whole bunch of them"
"Sure" Talor said and pulled out two lollipops. While his hair might be graying, he prided himself with his bedside manner.
"What is this pediatrics?" the constable shook his head. The popstar swiped the lollipop out of Talor's hand.
"Sugar, your the real thing." the star leaned back on the patients table.
Talor held the other one up.
"For my son" with grace the constable plucked the lollipop and tucked it into his belt.
The constables radio came alive, "Trauma alert" we got a priority coming in.
"What the hell" Talor jumped up, "I didn't hear of anything on the dispatch"
The constable swept over and locked the popstars arm to a pull on the table in one swift practiced action.
Talor poured out into the main entrance room. His tongue brushed against his lips. Was it tonight he thought?
"These Billos, they don't use normal ER calls and just bust in" the constable started to complain as the primary ER doors burst open.
"Push epi" yelled a tech who was on top of the cart as it wheeled in. Two other fellows were pushing the emergency cart.
"Whats the status?" the nurse at the front desk barely got out.
"No time No time" yelled one of the ER techs. "Asystole, we have a flatline"
Talor looked up and saw the yellow in the mans eyes, it felt like an eternity since he had last seen those eyes.
"Dr. our patient needs the Chamber" the man yelled at him.
"All right let me see his tag" the nurse started to run out with the scanner.
"No time for that lass" the yellow eyed man yelled as one of the ER techs pushed her aside. The yellow eyed ER quickly pulled the mans sleeve up.
"Oh fuck is that O'Mailey?" the constable said reaching out.
"Neh" the yellow man started but Talor interjected "Yes it is, Caleb you better watch the door"
"What, no" the constable said "O'Maileys the town saint I'm going in with you."
Yellow's eyes shot daggers at the Doctor.
"I need to scan him" the nurse continued trying to push past the techs.
"Doctor" Yellow continued.
Talor shook his head and snapped back into the moment.
"Shelly, just leave them we need to get him to the Chamber"
"No pulse, get me the crash cart"
"Hes a No Code" Talor yelled at the nurse holding up a hand. He wants the Chamber, that was his wish.
"You sure" Caleb asked frowning at the doc.
"Go go go" Yellow screamed at the ER techs leading them into the Chamber room in the back.
The small group pushed into a silvery room with what looked like a large MRI machine and a number of piston type objects protruding from the top of the table. Caleb stumbled around a bit as the ER techs rapidly put O'Mailey on the table.
"Stable" "Stable" "Stable" the techs said in unison as they placed O'Mailey on the table.
A junky lurched into the ER room and started making his way towards the Chamber room.
"Sir, Sir, Sir what are you doing" the nurse called out. Caleb turned away from the commotion on the table.
"Shelly thats Greg, O'Mailey's nephew" he called back. The only man Caleb wished he wasn't on a first name basis with. Greg took out more shrubs and cats than any of the local coyotes, it was pure miracle that the worst damage was a submerged SUV in a private pool.
Talor could feel the adrenaline rising in him. He rubbed his face a bit. More time, he thought he had more time before this night was supposed to happen.
"Code him" Yellow sneered holding up the scalpel.
Talor, hands trembling reached out and took the scalpel. "Caleb, get me a ginger ale" he said smoothly.
"What?"
"Get me a ginger ale, helps calm my nerves"
Caleb looked at the shady ER techs and Greg. "All right" he said as he walked off towards the vending machine.
Talor quickly rolled O'Maileys head to the side. His hands hadn't held a scalpel consistently in years, he had practiced on an orange months ago, but with the machines these day the only time you would need to do this is if it was offline or off the books.
He cut quickly into O'maileys neck, removing a small plastic ball. As he pulled a silvery thin wirey web started to come out. Talor wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. A submesh they had called it.
"My Family" Talor asked Yellow as he tossed the Submesh into the bio bag.
"As promised. Now Nephy" Yellow waved Greg over.
"He, he didn't want Code, No Code" Greg complained. Yellow grabbed his loose collar on his shirt and pulled him over.
"I don't think any of us have options" Yellow said pulling out the small CypherLock.
"Say the phrase"
"I"
"Say the phrase"
"Your the real thing"