How It Should Have Been

Chapter 7: Moving Ahead of Schedule

Begin!

Universe*

~Normal POV

The operating theater was packed with spectators as Klaus and Isadora were pushed inside. However, the people watching from the stands were not the first thing that caught the two disguised teens' attention. Their eyes locked onto the horrific sight in the center of the room. On the surgery table, were Violet and Duncan. They were under anesthesia and had the masks over their mouths; likely to hide their faces from the public audience. Count Olaf was addressing the crowd. Klaus glanced at Isadora and saw that she had the same scared look in her eyes as they stared down at their respective siblings.

"Ah, now that Dr. Faustus and Dr. Byron are here we can begin the procedure. A cranioectomy is an extremely difficult surgery that involves the removal of the patient's head. There's even a strong possibility that the patient might die during the procedure. This young couple you see before you is the first ever to participate in this. So very in love they were, but now they must tragically undergo the same surgery. Dr. Byron will operate on the boy, and Dr. Faustus will operate on the girl. Now get to it before the anesthesia wears off!"

Esmé handed Klaus and Isadora a long serrated knife each with a sinister grin. They took their positions beside the two patients. It was too risky to try to whisper to each other with so many people around. Isadora was just barely able to hold back tears as she watched her only brother lying helplessly on the table. Klaus looked down at his beloved sister and felt his heart ache at the thought of losing her. They had to do something. Olaf was going to make them kill their own siblings. His cruelty truly knew no bounds.

Klaus brought his hand up and covered his mouth to look like he was stroking his fake beard and whispered to Sunny inside his coat, "What do we do?"

"Stall," Sunny suggested quietly.

Klaus gave Isadora a knowing look before starting his plan, "Ahem, before we begin the surgery, I feel we should talk a bit about the tools we're using. That's what a good doctor would do. As you can see, this is a knife."

Klaus leaned back on the machine by the table and subtly switched it to pump in oxygen as he casually explained the history of knives in surgery. Isadora smiled a little under her mask as she realized what he was doing. She carefully watched the two patients for any sign of them waking. After a while, Olaf and Esmé stopped him.

"You can make this stop now if you give me the thing I came here for," Esmé whispered holding out her hand, "I know you have it and I want it."

Klaus swallowed nervously, "If it will spare Violet and Duncan's lives, then you can have it."

He reached into his pocket and handed her the Snicket File. She gripped it tightly and clutched it to her chest with a grin.

"Oh, at last, I finally have it! Wait, this isn't the sugar bowl... What's the Snicket File?"

Olaf grabbed the film out of her hands and disappeared from the room. Klaus, Sunny, and Isadora opted to remove their disguises and took the anesthesia masks off their siblings. It was at this point when Violet and Duncan finally woke up, and Hal entered the room asking about what happened in the Library of Records. Klaus set Sunny on top of Violet on the gurney but as he and Isadora were about to push it out of the room, Hal stopped them.

"Children, I want an explanation for what you did," He said.

"We're sorry Hal, we really are," Klaus said.

Duncan reached out subtly and took something from Hal's pocket before Sunny bent down and bit the old man's hand to force him to let them go. Klaus and Isadora pushed the gurney out through the halls, being followed closely by Olaf's henchmen. Over the intercom, they learned that Olaf had set the hospital on fire. After reaching a safe enough distance the five of them hid inside a broom closet and barred the door.