Tinker's Sea by Stephen B. Pearl

Author:Stephen B. Pearl [Pearl, Stephen B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction
Publisher: Brain Lag
Published: 2016-07-30T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

Tabby moved from patient to patient, starting I.V.s, administering pain meds, and applying cell division accelerants to some of the worst burns.

“The surgery is set up like you asked,” said the mayor.

Tabby looked at the horse stall where her lights and other advanced equipment had been arranged around an old table. A set of wooden blocks sat on the floor outside the stall.

“Good. I’ll need two people with strong stomachs. Clean water for washing and two others strong enough to lift one end of the table with someone on it and put the blocks under the legs. I’ll also need ropes to tie people down.”

“I thought you had drugs,” gasped the mayor.

“I do, but I have belly wounds to deal with. I’m going to need to hoist them up so their guts fall up and out of the way while I work on them.” Tabby stepped back after administering an injection into a young woman’s I.V. The patient’s expression went from agony to dreamy to unconscious over the course of seconds. “Not to mention the head injuries that I can’t use pain meds on. If the drugs don’t control the intracranial swelling, I’ll have to go in. I don’t like their chances if it comes to that.”

The mayor nodded. “There’s no shortage of folk that will see the morning ’cause of you already.”

Tabby sighed. “I’ll start surgery on the sucking chest wound, the fellow by the door.”

“Richard Marryland, town’s cooper.”

“I’ll start with him as soon as I deal with the ones outside. Assuming I’m still alive.”

The mayor grabbed Tabby’s arm. “Hate to say it, but should we maybe leave them as are outside to their own bad luck? We lose you, we’re in a worse way than I can figure.”

Tabby nodded and her voice dropped. “I didn’t want to spread panic, but poison gas isn’t the only thing you can pack in an assassin round.”

“Ground out!” The mayor went pale. “I heard ’bout that plague out east. You’re not thinking something like that?”

“Could be. Could be lots of things. If it is a virus, it could spread even with them being out there.”

“Packer. I thought he were good for trade. We made a deal with that devil, and now we’re paying for it. Do what you need to do and may your god or gods go with you.”

Tabby nodded. Moving to the operating room, she picked up her surgical kit and a bottle from one of her bags. “I’ll need a straw bale cot and barrel of water set up halfway between the isolation station and here. I’ll want people waiting there that can carry each person back as soon as I’m done with them. They’ll have to stop at the closer station and wash the patient down.”

“Will they be safe after that?”

“Who knows? They’ll be a lot safer than they are right now.” Tabby headed out the door.

Andy met her on the path to the isolation area.

“Fred’s mother wouldn’t leave,” explained Andy.

“I didn’t expect she would. She’s a mother.

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