𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ➢ ɪꜱᴀᴀᴄ ʟᴀʜᴇʏ / ꜱᴄᴏᴛᴛ ᴍᴄᴄᴀʟʟ

Ch. 98 - GENOTYPE

"You could damage his brain, maybe even more than that bullet already has." Azalea said and Lydia nodded making Malia look slightly relieved by this answer and gingerly returns Halwyn to the prone position before beginning to pace around the room.

"How did it work last time?" Malia asked and Lydia sighed, "Last time, I was unconscious." Lydia said and Malia nodded slowly. "Unconscious..." She mumbled as she looked around the room, eventually finding a large steel surgical hammer and smiling, "Okay, we can work with that!" She said making Azalea's eyes widen and look at her horrified as Malia banged it against the autopsy exam table to emphasize her point after explaining her idea.

"See? It will be quick!" Malia said and Lydia shook her head, 'No. Mmm-mmm. Not like that." Lydia said making Malia frown. "You want me to knock you out, right?" Malia asked and Lydia shook her head, "Render unconscious. Preferably without pain." She said before an idea popped into her head.

"Okay, this is what we're gonna do. You're going to press against my chest- hard- constricting the flow of blood and oxygen to my brain. It'll drop my blood pressure and render me unconscious." Lydia explained and Malia and Azalea looked at her wide eyed, "That sounds totally unsafe." Azalea said and Lydia nodded in agreement.

"Oh, extremely." Lydia said and Malia raised her eyebrows, "Are you sure?" She asked. Lydia sighed and closes his eyes for a moment, clearly conflicted about this plan, "No. But let's go." She said before clearing her throat and takes several deep breaths to psychologically prepare herself.

"No, no, no. Absolutely not." Azalea said making them look at her, "I have a spell that could knock you out. One that you have a 100% chance at waking up." She said and Lydia nodded. "Okay, let's do it." She said and Azalea walked over to her, her eyes turned her smokey grey-silver as she gently grabbed Lydia's face, looking into her eyes.

Azalea mumbled something in Romanian before Lydia's eyes slowly rolled back and fluttered close. Azalea gently lowered her to the ground before turning to Malia. "How long does that last?" Malia asked, looking away from Lydia and at Azalea who shrugged slightly, "Five to ten minutes." Azalea said and Malia nodded.

About ten minutes later Lydia suddenly gasps awake making Malia and Azalea run over to help her up. "He's not dead!" Lydia said then pauses briefly to catch her breath, "Halwyn's not dead..." She said. She leans on the autopsy table for support as she looks down at Halwyn's motionless body. "And I know how to save him." Lydia said, glancing over at her friends.

⚔

Azalea, Lydia and Malia, in navy blue scrubs, masks and cap, wheel Halwyn on a gurney into the radiology wing. When they make it into the room where the MRI machine is located, they remove their masks and caps while Azalea checks the hall before giving them a thumps up to signal no one suspected them.

"Step one, complete." Azalea said as she walked over to Lydia and Malia, "Now, how do we turn this thing on?" Malia asked. Lydia pulls out her phone and holds it out so that Malia and Azalea can see the screen, which reads MRI Technical Operations Manual. "We read the manual." She said and Azalea shook her head, "No need, I remember how to work this from medical school." She said.

After a few minutes they move to the observation room, where Azalea typed something into the computer. Malia and Lydia watch over Azalea's shoulder as she uses the controls to put Halwyn's body into the MRI machine. After a moment, imaging of his brain comes up on the screen, which Azalea uses to show them the bullet.

"Look- see that image artifacting? That means the bullet is ferromagnetic. Probably steel. It'll react in the MRI. We'll increase the magnet's power, and the machine will pull the bullet right out." She said and then turns to look at them wide eyed, "Ready? It could get messy." She asked and Malia huffed.