Swords & Claws

Surgery

The waiting room is a long cold hallway. Metal benches span along one side of the wall, seemingly infinite. Every surface feels smooth and chilling. The longing only makes the cold pressure even worse.

Adalia is hunching over, hands on elbows, squeezing the little warmth she can get from and onto her arms. Her heart is pounding. Be it for the low temperature or because she's that nervous, there's this bone-chilling unease all over her body.

"You good, Addy?" Catrina pats Adalia on the back before going in for an embrace.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just really, really cold," she presses her head against Catrina's. There's a lot of warmth in Catrina's arms.

"You're nervous?"

"No, I'm not. Why would I be? I saw your surgery, you seem fine through it all." She is, in fact, nervous. She just won't admit it to herself. She knows she'll be fine, she knows there's nothing to be afraid of, but she's still nervous. It's nowhere near when she asked out Catrina for the first time, but it's a close second.

"Yeah, just relax and don't even worry about it. It'll be over sooner than you would feel," she kisses Adalia on the forehead. "Do you think you're gonna be taller than me again?"

"Probably. I'm gonna miss being the little spoon." She snuggles deeper into Catrina's embrace.

"You can still be the little spoon even when you're taller."

"Yeah, you're right. I won't be able to lean on your shoulder like this though."

"You still can do that too."

"But it won't be as comfy."

"Then I guess I'll have to be the one that's doing it." Catrina slides down and rests her left cheek on Adalia's shoulder and hugs her arm. "I can so get used to this."

One of the doors on the other side of the wall opens. "Adalia Volkova?" calls the doctor.

"Right here," Adalia responds.

"We're the only ones here," Catrina says.

Behind the door is the doctor's office. There's another door leading to the operation room. That's where they're heading.

The OR is big. Metal desks and sinks on one side. Glass shelves and cupboards and fridges on the other. An operation table, shaped like some twisted mad scientist workbench is in the middle. There's a chair in front of the bed. On each side are the other surgeons.

"Okay, we're gonna go over this once more. We will apply sedatives to your back. You will be conscious the whole time. We're going to put 16 injection tubes along your spine. They will stay there throughout the process. If you feel any itches or cramps, ignore them. That's the mutations happening. If you feel like you're going to vomit or if you feel like you need to use the bathroom, don't hold and just let them out. Understand?"

"Yes," Adalia nods.

"Good, now drink this." The doctor gives a beaker with some thick transparent blue liquid. Adalia drinks it all at once.

After taking off her clothes, Adalia lays prone on the table. The surgeons apply some cold gel on her back, making marks, and cover her with a drape. There are 2 long openings going along the sides of her spine, showing the marks. Soon her body becomes heavy. Her arms and shoulders become limp and her face falls onto the support.

Catrina is sitting on the chair, looking at Adalia's head. Normally, nobody but the surgeons and patient will be in the OR. However, it is mandatory for a helsing agent to watch their partner's stabilization surgery.

A few minutes have passed. "Do you feel it?" the doctor asks.

"No?" Adalia says, unsure what she's supposed to feel.