Chapter 8: Preparation and process

The bullet made a light tap in the glass dish as Liz set aside the offending metal slug. To think all of this grief was caused by a little bit of shaped steel. Looking so harmless in the tray of shallow water that was now tinged pink.

"Bullet removed from left ventricular, time 5:45 am. Subjects will be treated internally with a nano repair injection to the site of entry—estimated repair time estimated at five minutes. The subject's temperature is below decay, and no injury was detected except superficial defensive wounds to the arms and hands. Post-mortem bruising is noticeable, though I would certainly say their visual contrast is based on the subject's completion. No known genetic deformities or medication were in the subject's system at the time of death. " Liz spoke into the recorder, nodding to Travis to go ahead.

It was challenging to be so clinical for the recording, but it was necessary to keep things professional. She tried not to look at Williams's face and disconnected herself. Sometimes you have to do this work. It was easier to look at subjects like objects rather than something alive and breathing.

The problem was this wasn't a rabbit or chimp. It was a person, a man who had sat at her dinner table. A man that had made a speech at her wedding.

"Travis, administer Nanos." She said robotically. She had to stay professional.

The brunette held up a syringe of fluorescent pink liquid taping the side of the glass cylinder before depressing the plunger and bringing a bead of fluid to the tip of the needle. Nano repair technology, and its application in living patients, had less than satisfactory results. However, the team found that in dead tissue still within a healthy time frame, the repair proved remarkable. Since this was done while a subject was still slow, there were none of the side effects of excruciating pain.

"injection at 5:46. Closing to follow with a second injection to the surface incision." The man said aloud into the recorder.

Once they had completed, the pair left, tossing their gloves in the bio bin. Travis still had to move the body into the observation bay to begin phase one. LidThe lid had enough of this for the night; she leaned against the wall, looking up at the lights.

She allowed her eyes to unfocus, letting the blueish-white gleam of the inset lights above create a starburst pattern in her vision.

She hadn't even heard the tapping of the perfectly polished Oxfords on the floor or smelled the rich blend of the dark roast coffee. " You alright "

It was the voice that caught her attention. That posh accent, soft and concerned, the way he would speak to just her. The woman dropped her eyes to the shine of deep blue ones that regarded her from behind the small copper frames. She looked at him, her brows knitting slightly in a pitiful expression. Words were not needed right now; they both knew that.

Randal placed the Styrofoam cup on the window seal to the operating theater, stepping forward, wordlessly pulling his wife to his chest. She tucked her head under his chin and gave a tired little whine. Liz was the last person who would complain or say she couldn't do something. But even she had her limits. Even she could break under pressure.

They stood like that for a while, her husband rubbing circles on her back. Finally, the man broke the silence, "I'll help Travis from here; if Eva doesn't like it, that's too bad. Why don't you see how Felicia and Cassie are, hmm?"

"It's fine..I." Her words were cut off by fingertips pressed to her lips.

"No, it is not," he said as Liz looked away, she knew there was no point in arguing with him. "I can see it, and you know it. You did your best, and now you need to rest. Let me carry it from here, darling."

"Liz ." A woman's voice called from the doorway, interrupting the tender moment."Will you please help Travis with phase one?"

Randal answered, " No, Eva, I'll do it; Liz needs her rest, and I think it best; I assure you I am more than capable of performing the necessary duties. "

Eva smiled, as usual, giving no sign of any other readable emotion. " Very well. "

The man was somewhat surprised but assumed maybe even their leader was more than likely just as tired as the rest. Even if Eva would never show it, with the hours she kept in the lab.

He watched her leave, the door swinging slowly behind her. Even if Randal disagreed with what they were doing completely, the wheels were in motion, and he wouldn't be the one to stop them.

Liz entered the officer's apartment noticing Felicia asleep on the rollout with Cassie. However, Cassie has no longer numb; she sat with her head in her hands, looking up when the woman entered.

"Hey, um …is it ya know, is it done now?" She asked a bit sheepishly. Cassie honestly had no idea if what Conrad had told her was real or not. This all seemed like a dream or some Science fiction movie.

Liz smiled and waved for her to join her in the kitchen so as not to wake the sleeping Felicia. Although they both knew waking the sleeping girl was nearly impossible.

Cassie walked into the kitchen just as Liz was putting on some tea. She watched her a moment before sitting down on a stool at the bar. She could tell how tired Liz was; everyone was.

"They are starting the process now." She finally said.

"How" It was all the blonde-haired woman could think of; how was any of this possible? It just seemed so amazing she did not know if what they were doing was wrong or not. "If you can tell me anyway, I just...this is all so ..."

The green-eyed woman smiled and rested a gentle hand atop the trembling young girl's writing on the bar. "I understand that sweetie; I'll do my best to help you understand, alright?"

After she poured them both mugs of steaming tea to calm both of their fraying nerves, hopefully, she began.

"We do this in phases to ensure a successful reanimation. Right now, they will be beginning Phase One, Making sure William's body is back in a state favorable to start the essential functions that sustain life.

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Phase 1

Luke asked too. Usually, he would have been working on the monitors with Ed; Eva didn't object to this, so Travis took the man's place. It seemed only fitting to let William's family handle him in such a way.

"The lines are in place, yes?" Eva's voice came through the intercom in the observation room.

Intravenous Lines trailed along the dead man's spine, ready for the drugs for each phase. There were also electrodes in place to measure vitals and brain activity.

"Yes, we are ready for transfer. " Luke said, looking over at Randal, who was placing the wide black straps, each with a small metal ring at their crest on various intervals on his brother's body. This was for the lifting harness.

"Begin transfer into Oxygenated saline solution."

The two men nodded to each other, hooking a chain into each loop and hoisting the body up. Luke could help but reach up, holding his brother's head to keep it from hanging back as they moved over a large tank containing a heated faint blue solution.

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" He will be put into an oxygen bath that will also bring up his body's core temperature then the chemical compounds will be introduced through the spinal IVs to his brain. Each one stimulates the brain tissue in different sections one by one. During The first phase, we concentrate on the brain stem beginning with the Medulla."

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"Pushing compound A," Randal said as he began the first line, the fluid rushing down the tube.

Everyone was holding their breath, waiting, and watching the monitors. This first step was the moment of truth; they had been here many times with different results.

Luke felt his throat clench watching the screen, his lips silently pleading, ' Please, brother....'

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"What happens if the tissue doesn't respond ?" Cassie asked her heart, not wanting to think about that possibility.

Liz starred in her teacup; she hoped that wouldn't be the case. "Then, there is nothing we can do ..."

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The beep from the monitor echoed through the lab like a choir. Conrad let out a loud whooping cheer, practically jumping all over Eva.

"Let us not count eggs, Conrad.." The Russian woman smiled

"um...it counts chickens, but I get what you're saying babe, but still, this is great. I hope for Cassie that things keep looking up. " Those seconds ticked by, looking for that flare of life; this was the beginning of the end.