(Taking a small break from my "Final Fantasy" fic to write this twoshot!
Which was originally going to be a oneshot... but had to be split up due to me not wanting to write a million-word chapter.
Alright, fine, not a million... nine hundred thousand. -shot-
Before I forget- Greg gets blood test results from the lab. The weight, height, that kind of stuff- that was in the file before the lab technicians got a hold of it. They're not THAT good. XD
No summary here, because once you start reading, you'll know what it's about right away.
Characters © Nintendo(or Atlus. GAH. I'll just keep saying Nintendo until I get sued, how's that?)
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The Catalyst
Chapter One- Strange Results
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"Dr. Kasal, here are the lab results you asked for."
"For Miss Reid?"
"Yes, sir. Also, we drew too much blood when we took the sample for testing... we have about fifty cc's left over. Should we dispose of it?"
"...no, don't throw it out yet. We might need it later. Tell the technicians to hold on onto it."
"Yes, Dr. Kasal. I'll go let them know, and then I'll check on Miss Reid."
"Thank you."
The nurse left Dr. Kasal's office. Dr. Kasal sat at his desk, carefully reading the paperwork.
Patient Name: Reid, Linda
Age: 17
Height: 69.2 inches
Weight: 92.5 lbs
Blood pH: 7.4
Glucose levels: 96 mg/dL
Everything looked okay so far... she could stand to gain a few pounds, but Dr. Kasal wasn't so worried about that.
WBC: 12,000
Hemoglobin: 13.6 g/dL
She had probably been sick a little while ago; her white blood cell count was on the higher side. She was also a bit anemic... but not dangerously so. She wouldn't need a blood transfusion...
Seeing that everything looked fairly normal, Dr. Kasal let his eyes drift down to the technician's comments.
Unusual reaction when in contact with physostigmine. 600 mg of syprohedrine found. Not 60; 600.
...six hundred?! Dr. Kasal checked it again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating... but the technician had even confirmed that it wasn't a mistake...
"...but... this is... it's not even possible...!" he muttered, glancing over the lab report one more time. "Even if she could be taking this..."
Dr. Kasal slowly stood, leaving his office, taking the file with him.
Derek had to know about this.
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Dr. Kasal walked into Derek's office to find the young surgeon and Angie Thompson doing paperwork.
"Derek, we just got some strange test results back on Linda Reid," Dr. Kasal spoke, attracting the attention of Derek Stiles and his blonde assistant.
"...do they explain the bleeding in her lungs...?" Derek asked, putting down his pen.
"I'm not sure it's directly related," Dr. Kasal frowned slightly as he handed the file to Derek, "but they found extremely high levels of syprohedrine in her blood."
"Sypro...?" Derek's eyes reflected his confusion. "What's that?"
"It's a new antihistamine, Doctor," Angie piped up. "They're usually used to treat allergies."
"...I know what antihistamines do," Derek replied. "But... why didn't she tell us she was on medication?"
"Because she wasn't."
Derek turned to face Dr. Kasal.
"Drugs including syprohedrine are still in clinical trial..." Dr. Kasal explained. "Also, our tests indicated twenty-four times the suggested dosage."
"Side effects from overdose include headaches and emotional distress..." Angie recalled.
"In extreme cases, the mood swings can be serious enough to prompt suicide."
"That explains her death wish," Derek muttered.
"It may have contributed, but I doubt that it's the primary cause," Dr. Kasal commented, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "Still, I've never heard of syprohedrine being synthesized within the body. ...whatever's creating it may be what caused those lacerations--"
The door to the office flung open; the nurse who had given Dr. Kasal the file with Linda's lab results burst in, a frightened look on her face. She turned to face the senior surgeon.
"D-Doctor...!"
A worried frown crossed Dr. Kasal's face.
"What is it?!"
"Miss Reid's condition is getting worse! She's complaining about excruciating chest pain!"
"What?!"
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Linda Reid was sobbing with pain, gasping for breath as she clawed at her chest.
"It... it hurts...!" she cried out. The supervising nurse attempted to placate the teen.
"Please, Miss Reid, hold on, they're on their way--"
The door to room 107 opened; Derek rushed in, closely followed by Angie and Dr. Kasal.
"Linda!"
Linda looked up to see Derek standing near her.
"Doctor... I... I want... to live," the young teen choked out. "I want... to live, Doctor... please...!"
"We're going into surgery!" Dr. Kasal barked to the supervising nurse. "Get her down to the OR! Derek, you're doing the operation; Angie, alert the staff. Hurry!"
"Yes, sir!"
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"Her blood pressure is dropping at a frightening rate... we suspect hemorrhaging in her lungs again..."
Dr. Kasal quickly briefed Derek as they headed for the operating room.
"There has to be some sort of explanation for this... Derek, you should have two objectives for this operation; treat any wounds in the thoracic cavity, and, if possible, find out what's causing the lacerations. I'll be working as your assistant... just stay calm, Derek."
"...she wants to live... I have to save her! I will save her!" Derek vowed as they walked into the OR.
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(End chapter one.
So, who can guess what this is about? XD
I think I've found my chapter-typing-band; White Stripes all the way, baby!
Ahem... I wasn't aiming for direct, from the game text. There's no originality in that... :D
Chapter two should be up soon, as well as another chapter to my "Final Fantasy" story. Please review and let me know what you thought!)