Acme Time Travel Incorporated - Volume 2

SEG002

“Carry her into the aft cabin,” Ship said.

In the former empty space now stood a piece of equipment that looked like it had been drafted in from a futuristic hospital surgery. Gabriel walked towards it and the canopy opened, allowing him to lay Ginny on the bed.

Ginny had stopped screaming. Her skin had gone a waxy pallor and she was moaning quietly.

“Take off her clothes, Gabriel,” Vicky said.

Carefully Gabriel started to remove Ginny’s suit.

“I don’t think that I can get the suit off her legs,” Gabriel said forlornly.

“Ok, Gabriel. Let’s use the MED unit to help,” Vicky said. “Please step away from her for a moment.”

As Gabriel stepped away, the lid closed, and a fine crimson ray shone down from somewhere in the lid of the MED unit. The ray worked down each of Ginny’s legs. As it moved, the fabric of Ginny’s spacesuit peeled open.

The MED unit lid opened again, and Gabriel slowly peeled the suit off Ginny. She screamed as he turned her on her side in order to pull the fabric clear. She was wearing a bra and panties under the suit, but he left those on her. He turned and threw the spacesuit into the corner of the cabin, and whilst he did so the MED unit lid closed again. What appeared to be a fine mist seemed to be filling the MED unit ... a mist that seemed to glow like afternoon sunshine streaming through a window.

“The MED unit will provide pain relief and measures to control and manage the burned tissue and risks of infection,” Vicky said.

As the mist rose up and surrounded Ginny, her face seemed to relax a little.

“We were lucky,” Vicky said. “Ship managed to get hold of this MED unit.”

“Yeah ... lucky,” Gabriel said.

In the golden mist, Ginny was evidently still in some degree of pain; her face would show intermittent grimaces, and she would stretch her fingers and clench her fists spasmodically.

“What do we do now?” Gabriel asked.

“She has been given pain relief, Gabriel, and she has been checked for crush injury syndrome.

“What is ...?”

“It is where skeletal muscle is damaged... by being crushed. The damaged muscles create breakdown products, notably myoglobin, potassium and phosphorus. When the crushing pressure is released, these products will be suddenly released into the bloodstream, with acutely harmful effects. It was a common cause of death for people injured during an earthquake. The medical services would commonly pump trapped survivors with painkillers, such that they would be smiling and jolly even though they were still trapped. But then they would be released from the compression, and the crush syndrome would kill them within minutes. They would die smiling.”

“So, has she got the ... the syndrome?”

“No, thankfully we got her out before her body started to produce the breakdown toxins. Typically, they are produced after the crush injury has been sustained for fifteen minutes or more. We managed to get her out in four and a half minutes. We have reasons to be grateful that we were able to get the lifters.”

Gabriel nodded.

“So, what can we do now?” he said again.

“We should transfer her back to the MEDI-CARE facility at ACME INC,” the Ship suggested.

“We can’t,” Vicky said. “ACME INC’s teleport is almost certainly out of action. There would be no way of knowing where she would be sent to, in which case her situation could become even worse.”

“So, what do we do?” Gabriel asked again, his voice tinged with pleading.

“Gabriel?” Vicky said.

“Yes?”

“The injuries to her legs are very severe, Gabriel.”

“What?”

“The MED unit’s diagnostics suggest that her injuries are not repairable. The crush and burn damage is beyond the scope of the equipment that we have available.”

“What does that mean?”

“We do not have the means to repair the severe damage to her legs.”

“Oh God.”

“I think that we are going to have to amputate both of her legs, “said Vicky.

“No ... no, we can’t.”

“We need to amputate the limbs above the point of the crush and burn damage. In both instances, that is somewhere above the knee.”

“But how ...?”

“Gabriel ... I do not believe that we have any choice in this matter.”

Gabriel looked horrified.

“I know it is a difficult decision for you, Gabriel, but I do not think that we have other options.”

Gabriel looked down at Ginny’s comatose form. She had only wanted to experience a storm, holding hands under the trees. How stupid could he have been?

Her face contorted slightly, and her fists clenched. She was making a noise, almost a whisper. He leaned closer towards her, his head touching the transparent canopy.

She was calling his name. Very faintly.

Over and over again.

“How ... how would you amputate her legs?” Gabriel asked.

“The MED unit can do it. We are lucky to have it. Otherwise we could have used the small lifters. They would have been able do it. They have tight-burst laser cutters as part of their equipment. But if they had done it, I would have had to supervise the cutting. And then we would have had no easy means to seal the ...”

“Seal what?”

“So, it’s lucky in a way. Now we have a device which is designed for dealing with medical emergencies. It will identify the point on each leg where there is healthy tissue; it will amputate at that point; then it will seal off the blood vessels and nerves. Then it will cut and shape the muscles and bone so that ...”

Gabriel listened in growing horror.

“That is so that it will be possible to grow new legs, Gabriel.”

“New legs? You mean that maybe ...?”

“Yes, Gabriel. ACME INC’s technology could enable them to construct new legs for Ginny. Matched to her skin type. With full sensitivity.”

“Yeah, sure,” Gabriel said. “That’s if we can ever get her to the ACME MEDI-CARE facility ... if indeed it still exists ... if it still operates.”

“Indeed so, Gabriel,” Vicky said, “but first we will need to make sure that her condition stabilises after the amputation. It will likely take several days.”

“And then what?”

“When we are sure that she is in no danger, then we place her in a CrYO-POD and she will sleep. She should be in no pain. She will awaken, as will you, and you will then both go on to the ACME INC headquarters ... as you planned.”

“Yes,” said Gabriel, resignedly, “but Ginny will have no ...”

“She will, at least, be alive,” said Vicky.

Gabriel looked at Ginny as she lay in the MED unit. He rested his left hand against the transparent canopy, near her head. He felt that maybe if he concentrated that he could pull some of her pain from her and into himself. He would have done it gladly.

“So, Gabriel, shall we take the MED unit’s advice and carry out the amputation?”

“I love you Ginny,” he whispered to her.

She winced. Probably only coincidentally, but he had no way of knowing.

Gabriel turned and looked around the cabin, as if looking for advice.

“Gabriel?” Vicky asked again.

Gabriel nodded, his face a mask of anguish.

“Will you ever forgive me, love?” he whispered to her.