The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido

Chapter 16 - Made Right

Arc appears on the sigil in his parent’s room. Sighing, he pulls the plastic case from his pocket and looks at it a few moments.

“Let’s see what the others have come up with.”

Heading to the basement, Arc opens the door and walks down the stairs. His squad quickly stands out of respect as he does so.

“You guys don’t need to do that.”

Max looks at him soberly. “It kinda feels odd if we don’t though, sir.”

Xenos smirks. “Yeah. After all you’re a really big name back home.”

Viktor shrugs. “And even if this isn’t an official mission you’re still our commanding officer.”

Hugh chuckles. “Moreso someday even.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Huh?”

Hammer grins seductively. “We were just talking about what your new title will be when you marry the princess.”

Max nods. “While Equestrian law doesn’t actually say it, we believe that you’d become a ‘prince’.”

Hammer does a little twirl. “And I’d be something special too, I think!”

Xenos puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Probably not a princess though, right?”

Hugh nods. “Agreed. There would have to be some kind of consensus beforehand on titles though.”

Viktor sighs. “Sounds complicated.”

Max gestures to Hammer. “I’m guessing the commander’s other wives would be referred to as ‘lady’.”

“So I’d be Lady Hammer?!”

Arc chuckles. “Probably, yes.”

“ALL RIGHT!”

Max clears his throat loudly. “Yes, well... why don’t we get back to the matter at hand?”

Xenos smiles sheepishly. “Uh... what was that again?”

Arc places the case on the table. “This.”

Hammer opens it to expose the hypodermic needle before speaking.

“We’re going to use this to cure that Bloodletter fella.”

Hugh raises a hand as he looks to Arc. “I have a question, sir.”

“What is it?”

“Must we?”

“Yes.”

“Just asking.”

Hammer frowns. “It’s my fault he’s like that, you know. So I’m here to help make sure this gets to him.”

Viktor nods. “Then we’ll help too.”

Max grins. “That we will.”

Xenos sighs. “After we think up a plan, that is.”

Hugh groans. “Should probably start that then.”

Hammer rolls her eyes. “We were trying to come up with one before someone, whom shall remain nameless... Hugh, asked what my title would be after getting married.”

Arc chuckles as he sits down. “First things first, I suppose. But now that it’s done, let’s brainstorm.”

Max points to a shelf nearby. “Well, we still have the hospital scrubs you and Rose used later time, sir.”

Hugh taps a case at his feet. “And the personal surveillance equipment.”

Xenos nods soberly. “But you two can’t just walk in there.”

Hammer scoffs. “Why not?! I could just put on the nurse outfit like I’m legit, walk into the room, and jab him!”

Arc facepalms. “First of all, no.”

Viktor frowns. “Second, the patient’s room is kept locked at all times.”

Xenos shrugs. “Yeah. To say nothing for the staff watching him.”

Hammer pulls her weapon. “I could take em!”

Arc puts a hand on the gun and pushes down gently. “Let’s try to keep the weapons out of this please.”

Max nods. “Right. No reason for violence on this one, after all.”

Arc leans forward and smiles. “And I think I have an idea how we can pull this off.”

Sometime later, as the moon rises, Arc and Hammer drive up to the hospital and park. As he turns off the Jeep, Arc turns to her.

“You sure you’re up to this?”

Hammer grins as she takes off her seatbelt. “Hun, I make this outfit look GOOD!”

“It’s not a beauty contest here, Hammer.”

“Come on! You can’t tell me I don’t look HOT!”

Xenos calls out over the radio. “That she does, sir!”

Viktor gasps. “Xenos! That’s the commander’s future wife you’re talking about!”

Hugh chuckles. ““He’s not wrong though.”

Viktor groans. “Can we keep the comms clear please?”

Arc rolls his eyes as he looks to the back seat. “In any case, are you ready back there?”

Max nods as he leans forward. “Yes sir. But I must say that this outfit is a bit big on me.”

Hammer shrugs. “It’s close enough.”

Arc points to the badge. “That it is. And my picture is close enough that no one will question you either.”

“But sir, I’m a far cry from you!”

Viktor scoffs. “Just don’t let anything get a good look at the badge then.”

Xenos nods. “Yeah. But if you three are in and out like the commander wants it won’t be a problem.”

Hugh looks over his screen. “So don’t dawdle and get the job done fast.”

Hammer licks her lips. “Right. Then Arc and I can get back to his bedroom.”

Arc rolls his eyes. “We were supposed to be napping.”

“You said ‘resting’.”

“I figured that bit was implied.”

Hammer traces his face with a finger. “You can figure all you want. Just give me you and a bed and I’m happy as a clam!”

Max clears his throat loudly. “Should I get going now, sir?”

“Alright. We’ll be inside in just a few minutes. Not sure how long it’ll take us to complete phase one but just try to look natural.”

“Yes sir. Um... how would I do that though?”

Hammer groans impatiently. “Grab a clipboard and just kind walk around!”

“How would that help though?”

Arc grins. “A clipboard makes it look like you have a task. No one’s going to interrupt you to help with anything either then.”

“Are you sure?”

Hammer shakes her head. “Nope.”

“Then why...?”

Arc cuts him off. “Call it a calculated risk. Now get going and don’t forget to wear your mask.”

Nodding, Max puts on a surgical mask and gets out. Closing the door behind him he heads for the building as Hammer turns to Arc and grins slyly.

“Now we give him a five minute head start, right?”

“Yup.”

“Wanna make out?”

Arc rolls his eyes. “Gee, I don’t know. What do you think fellas?”

Xenos grins. “Go for it, sir!”

Viktor mouses over an icon as he speaks. “I can shut off the cameras for a few minutes if you want me to, sir.”

“Negative, Viktor. They stay on the whole time.”

Hugh calls out. “Nice! A show!”

Hammer leans toward him. “Let’s do it!”

Arc puts a hand on her face and holds her back. “Didn’t you get enough of me earlier?”

Hammer shakes her head as she pulls back. “Ain’t no getting enough of YOU, Arc!”

Arc sighs. “Please try to control yourself.”

“No promises.”

A few minutes later Arc looks at his watch. Turning to Hammer, he speaks.

“It’s time.”

“One thing first.”

Leaning forward she plants a kiss on his lips. Pulling back Arc frowns at her.

“Really, Hammer?”

“What? It’s not like that’s the first time I’ve...”

Arc groans as he pulls a napkin from his ring. “Your lipstick.”

“Whoops! Sorry about that. Don’t usually wear this stuff.”

“And check your hair before we get out.”

Turning the rear view mirror toward herself Hammer looks herself over momentarily before grinning.

“Looking good! But having my hair done up like this just don’t seem right to me.”

“The bun makes you look more professional.”

Hammer sighs. “I think I just look uptight.”

“Call it what you will. Turn your head away from me so I can make sure it’s still tight though.”

Hammer does so as Arc checks her out. Tightening a few of the bands he sighs and nods.

“That’s the best I can do.”

“Do me a favor when this is over, Arc.”

“What is it?”

“When we get back to bed tonight I want you to get behind me and pull my hair.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “Uh... why?”

Hammer grins slyly. “Think about it.”

Xenos grins. “Go get her, sir!”

Hugh chuckles. “We’ll stay in the basement! Promise!”

Viktor blushes. “Just be sure you take off those cameras first though please.”

Arc groans as he opens his door. “We’ve got to find you a way to blow off some of that steam, Hammer.”

Hammer gets out as well and grins hugely. “I can think of a few.”

“That don’t involve you and I having sex.”

“That narrows the list down to zero.”

Arc ignores her. “Radio check.”

Viktor nods. “Loud and clear, sir.”

Hammer appears confused. “Not sure why you did that. They’ve been hearing this ludicrous excuse for conversation the whole time.”

Arc motions with a wave of his hand. “Let’s go.”

They walk towards the hospital building. Arc is wearing a button down shirt, tie, and dress pants. Hammer is dressed very professionally in a skirt, dress blouse, pantyhose, high heels, and her hair done up properly. Arc stays three steps behind her and to the right as they near the building. Stopping to look over something on a clipboard, Hammer steps in front of a bush as Arc walks behind it. Looking up at the moon he transforms into his Crimson form. Placing a surgical mask over his face he pulls a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket before rejoining Hammer. She looks him over and winks seductively.

“Ready to go, underling?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Hammer shudders happily. “You make that sound SO GOOD!”

“Just trying to maintain my cover. Let’s go.”

“Hey, I’m supposed to be in charge here!”

Arc gestures to the doors. “Then lead the way and let’s get started.”

“Alrighty then.”

“And try not to talk like that in there.”

“Not to worry. I can be serious if need be. Remember, I was a Sergeant before I joined up with you.”

“Currently a Lieutenant I might add.”

Hammer smiles hugely. “So I’m eminently qualified!”

“If you say so... ma’am.”

Hammer grins as she walks inside. “Love the sound of that!”

Entering, she walks over to the wall directory. Looking it over, Hammer puts a hand to her chin as she speaks.

“Let’s see here... where is it...?”

Arc points. “The security office is over here, ma’am.”

“Then let’s get moving.”

As she starts walking Hammer turns down a corridor. Arc clears his throat loudly as he turns the opposite direction. Hammer frowns as she hurries to pass him.

“My bad.”

Coming to the security office she looks inside the darkened room through a window next to the door and frowns.

“Closed?! How the heck are they CLOSED?!”

Arc points at a nearby clock. “Well, it IS after normal business hours.”

“Well how are we supposed to get this train a moving then?!”

“Read the sign.”

Looking at a paper next to the door Hammer reads aloud.

“For after-hours service please call... blah, blah, blah... extension number... okay, we’re in business!”

She looks around before continuing.

“Now all we need is a phone.”

Viktor calls out. “There’s one in the break room over there.”

Hammer frowns. “How do you know?!”

Xenos chuckles. “Because the commander took break in there when he was a nurse.”

Hugh gasps. “There’s someone!”

Seeing a guard step out of his office through a window in the door Hammer waves him over. Unlocking the door he opens it and looks to Hammer.

“Something I can do for you, ma’am?”

Hammer nods. “Yes, I’m with the Department of Health and Human Services.”

“You are?”

“And I’m here to perform a surprise inspection.”

“At this time of night?”

“Correct.”

“I didn’t hear anything about an inspection.”

Hammer rolls her eyes. “That’s why it’s called a ‘surprise’.”

The guard motions for them to enter. “Right this way then.”

Entering the outer office they stand at the receptionist’s desk as the guard walks around to the opposite side of it and sits down. Waiting for the computer to boot up he calls out to Hammer again.

“Now then, I just need to see your credentials before we get started.”

“Very well. My assistant has them.”

Arc steps forward and waits for the guard to finish typing something in. As he looks up, Arc lowers his sunglasses and looks him in the eye. A long moment passes before Arc smirks and makes a small wave of his hand.

“You don’t need to see our identification.”

The guard repeats the line in a drone-like voice. “I... don’t need to see your identification.”

Hammer grins. “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”

Arc turns to her as he raises his sunglasses. “What?”

“Funny, huh?!”

“Where did you hear that?!”

“Television.”

Arc groans. “Seriously?”

Hammer shrugs. “What? I didn’t have much to do when I was hiding out at your place.”

Turning back to the guard, Arc clears his throat as he again speaks.

“Our credentials check out. You will tell anyone whom questions us that fact.”

The guard nods as Arc grins.

“Now then, you will call the Intensive Care Unit and inform the nurse on duty that we are coming to inspect them now.”

The guard nods as he picks up the phone. “Yes, master.”

“And don’t call me, master. Instead refer to me as ‘sir’.”

“Yes... sir.”

Dialing, the guards speaks into the receiver.

“This is security. I have two officials from the Health and Human Services in my office that wish to make a surprise inspection. Yes, their credentials check out. I’ll walk them down there now.”

Hanging up the phone he looks to Arc silently as he waits for further orders.

“Very good. You will now take us to Intensive Care Unit. After we arrive you will follow us to assure the nurse that we are on the level. Then you will return to this office and continue your duties.”

“Yes sir.”

Hammer turns to Arc. “What if we still need him though?”

“In this state he’s a liability. Better to just send him back here.”

“How about with a code word, or something?”

“A what?”

“A phrase that will tell him to carry out that order. Just in case we need him to reassure the nurse, or something.”

Arc sighs. “Fine.”

Looking to the guard again, Arc speaks.

“After we arrive at our destination you will remain with us to help convince the nurse of our sincerity. Do not carry out your order to return here until I say... ‘thanks for the escort’. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good.”

Turning to Hammer, he continues.

“Did I forget anything?”

“How about having him forget that he ever saw us after the fact?”

“Ah! Good idea.”

He looks to the guard again before speaking.

“After you return to this office you will not remember any of what transpired after we came, or even that we were here.”

Opening the door, Arc points.

“Take us to the Intensive Care Unit now.”

“Yes sir.”

Walking down the mostly deserted corridor they come to their destination. A nurse behind the counter looks up as they approach.

“Hello, Bob.

“Hey.”

“Um... is this for real?”

“I’ve already checked their credentials.”

“That may be, however...”

Hammer steps forward and interrupts. “Miss, I don’t like being here after normal office hours any more than you like entertaining and inspector. So could we please move this along?”

“But Director Morales went home hours ago.”

“We won’t take long. That and I’ll send her a copy of my report to her office.”

The nurse sighs. “I suppose I don’t really have much of a choice. What do you want to see first?”

“My superiors wanted to know about the conditions and treatment given to a particular patient. Apparently there’s been some complaints forwarded to our office.”

“Which patient would that be?”

Hammer looks at her clipboard. “A mister ‘John Smith’. We were told he’s been restrained and unable to move for an extended period of time in addition to being kept purposely sedated.”

“That may be true. However his case is far from typical.”

“Explain.”

“He’s attacked several hospital personnel in the past. Every time he wakes up someone is harmed.”

“I’d like to see the situation for myself. Would you please take me to the patient’s room?”

“Very well. This way please.”

As they head for the room Arc motions for the guard to follow them. The nurse pulls out her keys and unlocks it. Opening the door they find an orderly sitting in a chair next to the panic button on the wall.

“We’ll take over for a bit. Have a break.”

Hammer looks to the young man. “Hold on just a moment. I’d like to talk to you first.”

“Oh?”

The nurse gestures to Hammer. “This is an inspector from the Department of Health and Human Services. They’re... investigating the treatment of this patient.”

Hammer nods as she looks to her clipboard. “Right. Reports say that he’s being treated... differently than the rest of the patients treated here.”

The orderly groans. “Every time he wakes up it takes a small army to put him back in bed though. And it causes someone to be harmed in the process most times.”

Shaking her head, the nurse sighs. “He’s caused six workman’s comp claims in the past two weeks.”

Hammer pretends to write. “Any of them severe?”

“The worst case was the time he pushed an orderly so hard they cracked their skull on the door frame.”

“I see. Thank you, you may go now.”

The orderly leaves the room as Hammer and Arc approach the bed together. Turning to her, the nurse speaks.

“We should keep our voices down. Especially when this close to him. Anything could set him off.”

Hammer raises an eyebrow. “But he’s restrained.”

“Only to slow him down.”

“Oh?”

Reaching into a nearby drawer she pulls out the remains of some leather straps.

“He ripped through these in ten seconds.”

Hammer looks them over. “I see. And without aid or tools I would imagine?”

“Correct.”

“So you can see that these methods, while extreme, are completely necessary.”

Hammer motions to the rack holding the IV bags. “How often is his bag changed?”

“Upon emptying.”

“Is that... safe?”

“The lab results showed that his body is filtering it out very quickly. The doctor has authorized constant IV sedatives for the safety of the patient as well as the staff.”

There is a small knock at the door. Max enters carrying a fresh IV bag on a tray. He approaches the nurse.

“Sorry to interrupt, but the doctor just called and ordered the patient’s saline solution increased.”

The nurse appears surprised. “I didn’t hear the phone ring.”

“He called it into the pharmacy. They ordered it brought over immediately.”

She nods as she takes the bag. “Flow rate?

“Wide open.”

“Thank you. Would you please stay by my phone in the meantime?”

Max nods and turns to leave. “Yes, ma’am.”

Hanging it from an empty hook, the nurse inserts the needle into Bloodletter’s arm and opens the valve. However as she does so a small hole in the bag allows a steady stream of fluid to pour onto the floor. Arc calls out to the nurse.

“Looks like you’ve sprung a leak.”

Turning, the nurse spies the fluid, grabs the bag off the hook, and pulls the needle from Bloodletter’s arm. Groaning, she turns to Hammer.

“I’ll need to call the pharmacy for a new bag. Might I suggest we continue this conversation outside the room?”

Arc shakes his head. “We’ll wait for you here.”

“But...!”

Hammer interrupts. “I want to look over a few things on the patient’s chart before we finish. Carry on with your call. That and we do have a security guard here in case things go south.”

Sighing, the nurse does as Hammer says. She turns to Arc and holds out a hand as he pulls the plastic case from his ring. Handing her the syringe, she walks over to the bed and looks down at the unconscious man sadly.

“Sorry for all of this, big guy. But this is all I can do for you now.”

Plunging the needle into a vein, Hammer depresses the plungers. The contents of the syringe flow into the man as she pulls the needle out and steps back. Handing the used needle to Arc she looks to him soberly.

“It’s done.”

Arc takes the syringe and places it back into the case before speaking. “Good. Now we just need to seal the deal.”

Meanwhile, the nurse walks over to the desk and Max. He turns to her as she approaches.

“The pharmacy just called. They said the doctor changed his mind about the extra saline solution.”

The nurse shakes her head. “Doctors. Always making more work for the rest of us.”

Max stands as he speaks. “Yes, well... I should probably return to my duties.”

“Very well.”

She returns to the room and looks to Hammer. “Now then, did you get everything you needed for the report?”

Hammer nods. “As much as I believe these methods to be quite extreme, I have to admit that they are warranted.”

“We don’t want to do it this way. However our staff’s safety needs to come first.”

“I’ll write up a report tomorrow detailing what you told me and recommend that this matter be dropped on the grounds of ‘medical necessity’.”

“Thank you. I’m sure the Director will be pleased to hear that.”

Hammer turns toward the door. “No need to bother her with this matter. We’ll be in touch.”

“I’ll stay with him until the orderly returns.”

“Alright. Good luck with your patient.”

As they leave the room Arc turns to the guard.

“Um... thanks for the escort.”

The guard nods and walks away. Hammer motions for them to get moving. As they pass Shelly’s room Arc spies Max standing at the end of the bed pretending to write something on his clipboard. Looking up at Arc the pair share a silent moment for a time before Arc silently nods and closes the door behind him. Hammer frowns as he does so.

“What the heck are you doing?!”

“Giving him some time alone with her.”

“But why?!”

Arc sighs as they walk down the corridor. “Because Max deserves it.”

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Bloodletters got chimpanzie kidneys?

[Kamahido]

11445739
If the treatment worked he should soon have normal kidneys.