Day 42 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a hospital preforming odd procedures.
Shannon: “So I see you’ve signed up for glitter eye infusion,” the doctor confirmed. “And I have you down for silver, is that correct?”
I nodded, excited and nervous at the same time. This was my first chance to add my spirit color to my appearance, and my first step toward defining my identity. It was a big milestone, and the rest of my peers had already taken on their eye colors. I was feeling left out, but before I could get too envious my parents had saved up enough money to begin my transformation.
“I’m obligated to run through the possible side effects…” he started before listing a long list of symptoms ending with loss of sight as the rare worst case scenario. “However, it still has happen to a few people. Are you still sure this is what you want? It’s not to late to change your mind.”
“I’m sure,” I nodded. “It’s worth it,” I confirmed without hesitation. I was going back to school with my color. The world wasn’t worth seeing if I wasn’t silver inside and out.
“Ok then, let’s get started. I’ll need you to drink this,” he handed me a cup and I downed it quickly. It was sour and bitter at the same time, and I gagged at the taste. That was the last thing I remember before waking up in front of the mirror. The silver circles looked only slightly different from the white of my eyes. My real colors were finally starting to show through, I liked it, and I wanted more.
Erin: “I have an appointment for disconnection,” I said to the woman checking in the patients.
“Okay,” she started pounding away at her keyboard and then handed me a clipboard with a piece of paper full of questions for me to answer.
“These seem kind of personal,” I shouted from the couch as I got further down the list.
“They need to be,” the secretary assured me.
“Why,” I refused to take that simple answer at face value.
“If you don’t pass this last questionnaire you will not be a good candid for the surgery.”
“Oh,” my heart started to sink. I concentrated more on trying to answer the questions with what they would most likely want vs what I would have said honestly. And it worked.
I was strapped into the operating chair. A gas mask was placed on my mouth and my heart fluttered before I was knocked out. When I woke up my heart never fluttered again. That knowledge made me neither happy nor sad. Nothing would ever make me happy or said again.
Before the surgery, they were concerned that patients were not fit for losing their hearts deciding pull on their life. But, after surgery that doesn’t matter. As someone who only thinks with my brain, I know that makes no sense. If the disconnected get our way, everyone will be able to experience our clarity.
What are they doing in there?
Pelky Sisters 
Kate:
Anise held on in the saddle for as long as she could, Nola holding on to the lead and walking in tight circles. Screaming, my little sister started to slip and she tightened her hold on the reins, confusing her steed. There was barely enough time for me to whisper the levitation incantation before she was hurtling toward Nettle’s enormous clawed feet. She hung in the air a few feet from the ground with her pink raincoat undone and one gumboot slipping off. As Nola walked forward, Nettle’s wings beating like a hurricane, I let Anise down on the grass gently.
I hurried forward to check my little sister over for bruises as she giggled gleefully, “That was soooo awesome, Nola!” Cheeks red from the terrifying ordeal she bolted upright and started forward before I grabbed at her coat hood. As she turned to complain I looked her in her mismatched eyes crossly.
Backing down she twisted to yank the slick fabric from my fingers and stalked back to the hut we had been staying in. With its straw roof and mug brick exterior the tiny building didn’t look like a dragon rider’s cabin; it would go up in a second if Nettle wanted to destroy it. But Ignis elements seemed to have the most gall when it came to dangerous situations and Nola was far from an exception. From a young girl she’d learned to fend for herself in a family of nine; she’d run away when she was eight, after the ninth kid was born, and had gone to the orphan’s house in Briarwood.
I just watched her for a few minutes; the tall girl’s figure was in bright red against the blue mountain range around us, leading Nettle around like a giant, scaly balloon. Suddenly the dragon’s scales shivered and she roared into the midday sky. Somewhere off in the distance a thundering, feral noise echoed through the mountains, setting my teeth on edge.
“It’s Nettle’s mate. He must be close by,” Nola shouted at me amid the powerful beating of the beast’s wings. Jerking the heavy chain around the dragon’s neck, Nola shouted at her to ignore the other dragon and she gazed down at her trainer with the eyes of an intelligent creature. Fussing quietly Nettle dropped to the ground, shaking the earth underfoot, and laid her head carefully at Nola’s armoured feet.
As Nola gave the giant pet a good rub and began to follow me as I sauntered back to the hut for some warm tea; though it was only September the air up here was frosty with snow on the horizon. I turned back just in time to hear Nettle whining as Nola caught up to me. Together we laughed at the loyal dragon as I turned the handle of the building.
When we stepped in the first thing I saw was a dragon’s egg whistling and jittering aggressively in an enormous nest of flames. The second thing I saw was Anise staring directly at the spectacle intently, obviously hoping to be the first to see the dragon emerge. Before we could say a word the rattling ceased and Anise turned to us expectantly.
As it broke through the last layers of stone shell and fell out onto the packed-dirt floor Anise squealed with delight. Tiny leathery wings stretched out as the reptilian creature crawled out of the flames. Nola stepped forward deliberately and cooed at it softly to attract its attention; it wasn’t terribly cute but the baby dragon was quite amazing to behold.
Without a second glance the petite thing hiccoughed and a small fireball shot across the room, grazing Anise’ arm. She screamed in terror and the beast mimicked her in its own way, just as horrified as my sister was. Bolting for Anise I dragged her from the cabin and sat her down outside. Suddenly my fingers were moving of their own accord about the charred flesh of her shoulder and a silvery spell was winding its way around the wound. Though I knew my enchantment wouldn’t heal the damage it would take away the excruciating pain; a dragon’s fire burn was nasty and took special equipment to mend.
Nola erupted from the hut and screeched at Nettle aggressively. The great dragon’s sharp head turned to us as she slithered toward us, staying low to allow us to get onto her back. After Nola said something to her, I was calming Anise down, the dragon set off with the three of us hanging on her massive back.
We arrived at the only clinic in Briarwood, on Nettle which likely helped with waiting time. When Anise was rushed into the operating room Nola followed to explain what had happened; my emotions had gone numb in the moment I saw my sister in trouble. I just stood pacing around the waiting room until a nurse, a squat troll who smiled genuinely through two rows of teeth, led me into an empty waiting room. If I had to guess, I was making the other patients nervous.
Arriving in the room I immediately hurried to the window overlooking the lot; Nettle was peacefully snoring among a small grove of trees, rattling the first floor shutters. With one of our company safe and sound I turned back to the two rows of uncomfortable chairs. In the far corner was a coffee table strewn with pamphlets and I dedicated myself to studying every single procedure until Anise was fine.
Sitting myself down I picked up the first; the cover showed a smiling man with shining emerald eyes waving at me and holding the hand of a little girl. Her eyes matched his perfectly. Until I opened the booklet I couldn’t have told you it was for a procedure to make both of someone’s eye colour permanently that of their element. There were many do-it-yourself spells that could be attempted that could, if done correctly, change the colour of one or more of your eyes but they were relatively dangerous. The booklet also had an advert to correct a spell like that that goes badly.
Slipping that one back on the table I picked up a second, which listed all the procedures at the hospital. This booklet was broken up into witch/warlock magickal medical procedures, fey and elven magickal procedures, trolls and other beings medical procedures and magickal creatures medical procedures. In the first section mending broken or missing limbs or bones took up a whole page; every body part had a different process.
An entire page was also dedicated to maladies like dragon fire burns, toad slime removal, various venom detoxifications and magickal creature bites. As I flipped through the numerous pages containing terms like lethal I could feel my heartrate climbing. I placed the pamphlet back with the rest to wait for Anise’ doctor to fix her; I’d just read it was a simple technique so it shouldn’t be too long.
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(Slightly behind, but I’ll get caught up. Today.)
Created to Write:
The building looked typical on the outside. Everyone that passes it sees a hospital passed it’s prime, but still could be functional. Yet everyone knew that it was not where you bring your kids for stitches or the flu shot.
Josh gulps. They have to go inside. He looks to his brother, leading this mission. The older brother instinct is to shield his brother from everything that could scar him, but he knows they need to do this. And they have to be extra careful, since neither Jacey nor Finn could come with them.
August looks at his brother. He sees the protective gaze. August sighs internally, then offers his hand. Josh hesitates, then takes it. ‘I’m with you,’ as always.
Nikki nods when the two look at her. “What’s the plan, Ghost?”
“We sneak in, find where the doctor is keeping the victims. Then we find where she is, and restrain her. Then Command will anonymously call the police. We get the victims headed toward the doors, then disappear.”
“If she puts up a fight?” Josh asks.
Nikki looks at him, “You mean when.”
“I’m optimistic.”
“It’s annoying.”
“Whatever Nessa.”
“Let’s go.”
August shoots his grappling hook, where it lodges into the wall above a window. The three take turns using the line. Nikki goes first, changing the lock on the window into a brittle element. She opens the window to let the ninjas in first. When they give the all clear, she steps inside.
The room has beds, but they haven’t been used in a long time. The door is on the opposite end of the long room.
The team cross the room and exit into the hall. It’s as dimly lit as the room. “We are not splitting up,” Josh decides.
“Three people can’t split with a buddy system,” August says, like it’s obvious.
“This is typically the part where people split up in movies,” Nikki points out.
“I wasn’t going to suggest it,” August whispers. He points down one side of the hall. The other two follow him, Josh taking out his brass knuckles, watching their backs.
Nikki sees a guard’s shadow, dragging Josh behind a wall. She figured August would follow, but neither see him. They hear the guard fall to the ground. Josh peeks around the corner. He only sees the guard for a moment, but then August de-shadows. He looks at them, then continues. Josh follows after him, Nikki on his heels.
They start hearing voices, then reach an intersection. There is one dominant voice to the left, while there are multiple faint voices to the right. Nikki looks to the right, and her face contorts when the voice is replaced with another voice, screaming.
Josh puts a hand on her shoulder, “Let’s get to the others first.” Nikki nods, then the three turn right. They follow the voices, finding a room that has bars in place of a door. Through the bars, they can see silhouettes of about a dozen people.
Nikki dissolves the bars, and steps through. The first person has parts of his leg missing, but bandaged. The person after him has one of his eyes missing, covered in bloody gauze. The other ten have some kind of injury as well.
“Let me guess, based off gifts?” Josh asks.
“Wouldn’t be surprised.”
“Who are you?” one of the people asks. They had cowered once the teens walked in. But since no one was hurt or dragged out, they are confused.
August crouches in front of the man, “We are here to help. The police will be here soon to get you to safety, but we need you all to promise something,” he stands and looks around, “you can’t tell anyone about us. We have a man sending a anonymous call, but you can’t tell them we were here. You found a way to escape on your own, or a guard helped but was killed. Anything but us that makes sense, okay?”
“…Are you… Nevering?” A girl asks. Josh turns to her. “No… that’s not it… Nettler…y? Umm…”
Another girl puts a hand on her shoulder. Looking up at the team, she says, “she had some of her brain taken. She means no harm.”
“No. There is this… this group. They’ve been helping gifted people, like us,” the first girl insists, “the… it starts with an ‘n’ I just can’t… They also stop gifted people from misusing their powers.” She looks up at Nikki and Josh, “Are you them?”
Nikki walks over, then crouches down, “We are called the Novelty. It is important we stay a secret.”
The girl nods, cringing at the pain in her head.
“Proton-ess, you stay here with them. Jade and I will stop the doctor.”
“There’s another gifted with her,” a man in the back says, “she’s innocent.”
Josh nods, “All of you are.” The ninjas leave down the hall. They follow the voice as it talks through a procedure. They arrive at the right door, then share a look. They run and kick the door down.
Dr. Beck turns around, scowling at the interruption. On the table before her, there is a girl. There is a saw right above her stomach, which looks to be made of a metal.
“Together,” August whispers. Josh moves his arm over, turning off the lights. August runs at the biologist, his hand brushing the panel on his wrist. He shadows, making his footsteps lighter. He flips over the doctor, then strikes. The doctor falls to the ground, unconscious from the pressure point. Josh takes one of the cuffs off the girl and tosses them to August. He cuffs Dr. Beck.
“Miss,” Josh says gently. The little girl, probably no older then eight, looks at him in horror. “We’re here to help you. Can you walk?”
The girl looks at the doctor, then back at Josh. She closes her eyes, turning her skin back to a dark color, almost as dark as Nikki’s. “I can walk,” she says. She hops off the table, a little shaky. Josh stays at her side. August walks over, then crouches in front of the girl. When she understands to not tell the police about them, they leave the room to find the other people. The girl is in the arms of one of the older men, which looks to be related to her.
Josh puts a hand to his ear, “Make the call, Command.”
“On it, Jade.” Josh hears dialing, then releases the comm. device.
“Alright, everyone, the police will be here any minute.”
“Thank you, Novelty,” a person says. Others attest their thanks as well. August nods to them, then disappears out the corner. Nikki and Josh follow, a little hesitant to leave the people where they are. The team stays on a rooftop nearby. When the police arrive and arrest Dr. Beck, they keep an eye on the front doors and Josh keeps his comm. device on.
“Police scanners say they found thirteen victims, all alive,” Rick says.
The three breathe a sigh of relieve. “Let’s go home, team.”
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