I engage with
you Hilary?"
Hilary stepped forward and pointed to her
ear, "You will have a tiny ear piece dear, so that I can communicate with
you audibly and you'll get special contact lenses to replace your existing
ones. They're much better than yours and won't need replacing from day to day.
They will allow me to give you a heads up display of anything I choose, or that
you might want to see."
"And how do I communicate with
you?"
"Aaah, now that's your next
appointment. We need to get you to the STEIN Traveler; Ham does all his
dentistry there."
Charlotte slowly paled and opened her mouth
to speak but before she could protest there was a small 'pop', and she was gone.
The remaining women looked at each other
and exchanged smiles. It was Leah who finally broke the silence.
"Hmm, that went well."
Hilary laughed delightedly . . . and disappeared.
* * *
Regan also wasted no time and with Leah, immediately
displaced to the Medlab to check on Jared. The operation itself had gone well, however
he was typically proving to be a difficult patient while resting in recovery. He
was a teenager not used to sitting still and knowing the two women were on
their way Ham had taken matters in hand, using a small arm to reach up from
under the gurney and jab Jared's buttock as he rolled to get to his feet. It
was a painful jab, coming totally unexpected and the boy hardly had time to
consider what hit him before collapsing back comatose. Now, as Regan and Leah
emerged in the room he lay somewhat askew, clearly having lost whatever fight
he had tried to put up. A sheet covered most of his body however from the chest
up he was bare, along with his arms.
Regan's eyes were immediately drawn to the
familiar coating on Jared's head, the clear plastic like film that covered the
boy's skull and revealed skin beneath that seemed unbroken. It was only then
she noticed the coverage of the film extended further than she expected.
"Leah?"
"He looks good doesn't he babe?"
"Leah, why does the film extend down
over his chest and arms?"
"You didn't know about that?"
Leah looked surprised.
"I didn't know about what?"
Regan stepped forward to gently pull back the sheet. She was careful to
preserve his modesty but the extra area uncovered showed the film extended down
over the stomach. A tug at the feet and she could see there was more covering
one leg; she didn't bother checking the other one. Her eyes rising to the
ceiling, a non specific searching look that burned with anger.
[Ham!]
He didn't respond.
Now it was Leah who had the concerned look
and she reached out to gently take Regan's arm. "Babe, Ham said you'd
discussed this."
" What has he done Leah?"
She looked nonplussed. "Hell, I don't
know, there's something implanted under his rib cage, and those are fibers
extending down the limbs, but I've no idea what they're for; it all seemed to
go in so easily. Ham said they executive incisions or something."
Regan growled knowingly, "He meant
decisions . . . executive decisions . . . so help me Ham, I know you're there,
what - have - you - done, I should have been consulted on anything like
this."
"Like what Regan?" And the
beautiful man materialized with a shimmer, looking as if he didn't have a care
in the world.
"This . . . this!" She gestured
wildly at the head, the shoulders, and the arms and then flicked the sheet off
the boy's legs, " . . . and this! We did not agree on this!"
"Regan, we agreed that this was
Jared's body and that he should decide for himself, and he did. I fail to see
what the problem is here."
"Ham, he's thirteen. He's not old
enough to make decisions like this for himself."
"I cannot agree with you Regan; I was
most impressed with all the research he did and the consultations he entered
into before coming to the decision."
Regan stopped there and exchanged
incredulous looks with Leah who just shrugged her shoulders in resignation.
She rounded on Ham again, "Research .
. . consultations?
you Hilary?"
Hilary stepped forward and pointed to her
ear, "You will have a tiny ear piece dear, so that I can communicate with
you audibly and you'll get special contact lenses to replace your existing
ones. They're much better than yours and won't need replacing from day to day.
They will allow me to give you a heads up display of anything I choose, or that
you might want to see."
"And how do I communicate with
you?"
"Aaah, now that's your next
appointment. We need to get you to the STEIN Traveler; Ham does all his
dentistry there."
Charlotte slowly paled and opened her mouth
to speak but before she could protest there was a small 'pop', and she was gone.
The remaining women looked at each other
and exchanged smiles. It was Leah who finally broke the silence.
"Hmm, that went well."
Hilary laughed delightedly . . . and disappeared.
* * *
Regan also wasted no time and with Leah, immediately
displaced to the Medlab to check on Jared. The operation itself had gone well, however
he was typically proving to be a difficult patient while resting in recovery. He
was a teenager not used to sitting still and knowing the two women were on
their way Ham had taken matters in hand, using a small arm to reach up from
under the gurney and jab Jared's buttock as he rolled to get to his feet. It
was a painful jab, coming totally unexpected and the boy hardly had time to
consider what hit him before collapsing back comatose. Now, as Regan and Leah
emerged in the room he lay somewhat askew, clearly having lost whatever fight
he had tried to put up. A sheet covered most of his body however from the chest
up he was bare, along with his arms.
Regan's eyes were immediately drawn to the
familiar coating on Jared's head, the clear plastic like film that covered the
boy's skull and revealed skin beneath that seemed unbroken. It was only then
she noticed the coverage of the film extended further than she expected.
"Leah?"
"He looks good doesn't he babe?"
"Leah, why does the film extend down
over his chest and arms?"
"You didn't know about that?"
Leah looked surprised.
"I didn't know about what?"
Regan stepped forward to gently pull back the sheet. She was careful to
preserve his modesty but the extra area uncovered showed the film extended down
over the stomach. A tug at the feet and she could see there was more covering
one leg; she didn't bother checking the other one. Her eyes rising to the
ceiling, a non specific searching look that burned with anger.
[Ham!]
He didn't respond.
Now it was Leah who had the concerned look
and she reached out to gently take Regan's arm. "Babe, Ham said you'd
discussed this."
" What has he done Leah?"
She looked nonplussed. "Hell, I don't
know, there's something implanted under his rib cage, and those are fibers
extending down the limbs, but I've no idea what they're for; it all seemed to
go in so easily. Ham said they executive incisions or something."
Regan growled knowingly, "He meant
decisions . . . executive decisions . . . so help me Ham, I know you're there,
what - have - you - done, I should have been consulted on anything like
this."
"Like what Regan?" And the
beautiful man materialized with a shimmer, looking as if he didn't have a care
in the world.
"This . . . this!" She gestured
wildly at the head, the shoulders, and the arms and then flicked the sheet off
the boy's legs, " . . . and this! We did not agree on this!"
"Regan, we agreed that this was
Jared's body and that he should decide for himself, and he did. I fail to see
what the problem is here."
"Ham, he's thirteen. He's not old
enough to make decisions like this for himself."
"I cannot agree with you Regan; I was
most impressed with all the research he did and the consultations he entered
into before coming to the decision."
Regan stopped there and exchanged
incredulous looks with Leah who just shrugged her shoulders in resignation.
She rounded on Ham again, "Research .
. . consultations?
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