"Hm, no. I don't think so, Princess. As I said, he is being prepped and we
must keep things sterile."
"I see." She frowned slightly. Everything was normal. Everything looked
normal.
So why did she have the nagging feeling that she was needed? That something
wasn't right?
Mr. Lancaster smiled and said, "If that will be all, Your Highness, I really
must go. I could have some arrangements made for you if you would like to
stay longer."
"No, no. I don't want to keep you from your duties." She smiled. "I will see
myself out."
They both parted ways and Allura did indeed let herself out - but not out of the
doors. That nagging feeling was intensifying, and she had learned to rely on
it in the last few years because it was usually right. Lance liked to
jokingly call it women's intuition and Keith used to dismiss it, but now even
they knew that those nagging feelings were valid. She wasn't about to ignore
them now.
She ducked into a supply closet to avoid being seen and looked about. There
were the various towels, sheets and bedpans. There had to be something she
could put on to -
Oh Allura, what ARE you doing?
She shook her head as she spied some
surgical scrubs - or at least she hoped they were. She put them on over her
uniform. They seemed to fit all right and the half mask that molded to the
bottom of her face would hide her features. She put a surgical cap over her
head,and peeked out the door to make sure all was clear. Now to blend in.
So far so good. She went up to the nurses station and said, "Excuse me, I'm
one of the nurses scheduled to assist Dr. S'Vantes in surgery. I am supposed
to get the patient over to the OR, but I've just arrived from Terra, so I don't
- "
The tired looking nurse, a middle-aged woman, said, "Yah, it's a sad day when
you have to ship nurses from all over the galaxy just because of a nurse's
shortage."
~Thank goodness!~ Allura thought.
The nurse said, "You must mean HIM - that Lotor. He is in - " she punched a
few buttons on her wristcomp. "Room 52A - Pre-OP. He should be ready
actually. Course we have much better facilities than on Terra, you know.."
"Yes, I'm aware of that. 52A is where?"
"Sheesh! They didn't even give you a wristcomp to wear yet? You ARE new!" she
said irritatingly. "Listen, you better get over to OR 2 - that's where it's
scheduled. A techie will get him down there with no problem. You better get
down there now. Dr. S'Vantes is a bastard when it comes to promptness, and he
won't be in the most cheerful mood having the operate on a Drule. Drules
killed his wife, y'know."
The nagging feeling in Allura seemed to intensify.She wished the woman would
give her directions!
"Um could you give me directions?"
The nurse said, "Go down this hallway." she pointed to the left. "Take the
lift to level 5 and when you get off, turn right. Go through the double doors
and you'll see sets of doors all along the hallway. OR 2 is on the right hand
side."
"Thanks!" Allura started to walk off in a brisk pace.
The nurse shook her head. "It's a sad day when ya have to ship nurses from
Terra of all places."
Allura made it to the operating room. Again she questioned her actions.
This was crazy! She had no business doing here!~
There was no one in the room except for someone lying on on a semi enclosed
surgical table. She walked over and saw that it was indeed Lotor. Her heart
turned over as she saw just how badly hurt he was. His skin on the side of
his face looked no better than it did the day she saw him being pulled out.
Although the curved diagnostics array covered most of his body from the chest
down, she noticed that his left arm was a twisted horrible mess. It was in a
sort of localized stasis field. The rest of his body was covered in a sort of
plastic looking substance. Allura knew this was used to prevent infection.
She creased her brow. Surely they would have started some sort of tissue
therapy? She didn't know that much about medicine, but she had heard Dr.
Gorma talk about such things from time to time.
All right, Allura, he's safe now. You got your answer. Now get out before -
It was then that she saw what was on the table besides Lotor. There amongst
the surgical equipment lay a - a thing. She couldn't quite call it an arm
exactly. It looked like it came from one of Hagar's old robeasts or perhaps
from an old bot. It was hideous looking!
"Is that what he's going to put on you?" she gasped.
Surely that was barbaric! She had seen enough amputees during the war, and
she knew that even Dr. Gorma had access to prosthetic limbs much better than
the monstrosity she saw there.
Allura why do you care about what happens to him? Look what's he's
done in the past!
She looked along the other tables. Various pieces of what had to be
cybernetic implants, muscles and the like were on them. She also saw a half
mask for his face and a myriad of other parts.
~Dear god, they're going to make a cyborg out of him!~
Something in her turned at the thought. He was cruel, horribly so. He had
killed for pleasure and he had killed without regard. He put her people
through pain and suffering. He tried to either capture her or kill her - all
because she would not willingly become his wife.
But something in her rebelled at the thought of someone butchering him like
this. Even the lowest prisoners were treated better than this. She had to do
something and she had a feeling the doctor who was to perform this surgery
would not be too pleased.
Allura turned back to where Lotor lay and hoped upon hope that the
diagnostics table was one that was portable. She noticed with satisfaction
that there were holding clips on the ends of the table which meant that more
than likely this table was taken from pre-ops like an old fashioned gurney.
She uncliped the restraining clips and the table rose a few inches in the air
hovering. Allura checked to make sure his readings were as they had been
before, which they were. She took one end of the table and moved it out of
the way. As an afterthought she draped a sheet over his face, knowing that
the plastic-looking stuff would protect him, but the sheet would cover his
face.
She quickly moved the table out of the room, the lifts moving quietly and
silently. She passed other doctors and nurses, but they did not notice her.
She simply looked like anyone else in the hospital, transporting a patient.
A dark haired man - a doctor stopped her.
"Nurse, just where are your clearance tags?"
"I - ah" Allura stammered a little. "I just transferred from Terra Prime, doctor. I wasn't issued any."
"Damn bunglers." he scowled. "I suggest you go to HRM to get your tags,
nurse. This is not TP you know. We do not tolerate slackness in anything."
"I must take this patient down to - ah Recovery first." Allura said
nervously. She had seen the name tag on the doctor's coat. It said Dr. Davin
S'Vantes...
"That is obvious, Nurse!" he snapped. Damn idiots! A nursing shortage and
they had to call ones from Terra that didn't know a damn thing about
efficiency. He had no time for this. He had to work on the Drule and then
soon he'd be with Gina in peace.
"Go on, and next time remember you are not on Terra, Nurse.." he turned on his
heel and walked off.
Allura breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to the lifts. It was as the
doors closed that she heard a yell.
"Stop that nurse! Stop her!"
The lift closed and Allura prayed she would make it.
Blind Faith - Chapter Five
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