Chapter Three
The Resort
Gogi slowed and turned into the entrance to the Hillside Inn.
The sign for the Hillside Clinic was larger, with all the symbols for automated clinic and Cyborg Treatment.
He got a lot of business, because so many places refused to treat Cyborgs.
The Inn, on the other hand, was too far away from the really scenic trails to pull in much business. Which was the main reason he’d bought it.
He eyed the big expensive vehicle outside the clinic and bit his lip. “Umm, do you mind if I stop and see if the medic needs help?”
“No problem. I do have considerable aid training.”
“Well, frankly it is mostly sprained ankles, but so many places won’t take Cyborgs that sometimes we wind up treating serious injuries, because no one else will.”
“Yeah, even on Solzhenitsyn, the capital’s got one hospital and two clinics in the whole city that’ll treat Cys. Even us cops.”
Gogi pulled off the driveway and turned everything off.
“Come along if you want, and, umm, are you sufficiently out of cop-mode to not scare anyone.”
“Me? Scary?”
“Well, I don’t scare easily. But some nice little kid . . .” Gogi led the way around to the back and took a peek in through the back door.
Sam was swabbing at a Cyborg’s head, the putrid smell, sufficient diagnosis.
Plate infection.
He caught Nine’s wince out of the corner of his eye.
Stepped quietly in. A man in hiking gear was with the patient, looking distressed.
“We thought the last antibiotic had done the trick.”
The door to the front was open, a woman and two kids looking in. The little girl crying. The boy looking devastated. The woman trying to usher the kids away . . .
“The doctor said that was the last approved drug . . .”
Sam nodded. “And my Impressions aren’t touching it.” He looked at Gogi, then above him, at Nine.
Gogi nodded.
Sam straightened. “There’s another protocol. Not approved. And a serious brain infection, at this point, even if we cure the infection there may be residual damage. His hand and arm control may be a little off. We’d need to keep him overnight.
“Now are you coming or going?”
“Oh, we just got here, we were going to hike and camp out for two nights . . .”
“Well, if you want to try, the cost is low, three hundred for the whole treatment and monitoring. Now, this is an aggressive treatment, and sometimes the patient is sufficiently debilitated that the additional strain kills him.”
“He’s going to die if he doesn’t get it, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Do it.”
“Right. So why don’t you and your family take a warm-up hike. There’s a trail past the right side of the inn, up to a pretty picnic spot. By the time you come back we’ll know if he’s going to be all right.
“The main reaction is . . . well, very similar to being howling drunk. The reason we keep the patients overnight is that their judgment is absolutely gone, and he’ll have no idea of what’s dangerous, for close to twelve hours.”
“Umm, so, if you will all step out . . . Twenty-two, do you understand that this is a dangerous treatment?”
“Yes, just . . . make the pain stop! Please.”
Gogi slipped into the office. The secret compartment below the window with a single dose in a little squeeze bottle. Stepped back. “Open your mouth, swallow.”
A pause . . . “Oh . . . it doesn’t hurt. Whoo weee! Ah feel fiiii . . . Hey, where’d the lady go? Come back! I love you! I love everyone. I want to kiss the whole world!”
The man stepped back inside . . . “Uh . . .”
“Hi, Sivvy! You’re the bess owner evaah!”
Sam, trying to get a stethoscope on the Cyborg’s chest grinned. “He’s going to be really embarrassed tomorrow.”
“I’ve never been that drunk in my life!” The lord was half laughing.
“Hey, can we get some prrrutty ladies to go hiiiiking wif us?”
“Oh. My. God.” Lord Sivvy started laughing and retreated.
Nine grabbed Twenty-two when he tried to follow, and Gogi grabbed the wipes as the nasty stuff started pouring out.
An hour later, Twenty-two was snoring on the treatment table, color better, no more oozing, heartbeat monitor absolutely normal.
The trash bagged and sealed and much scrubbing done.
Everything was peaceful by the time the family marched back down from the picnic spot.
The kids listened to the snores and started relaxing.
“Come pick him up any time after noon tomorrow, or if you want to go camping, Wednesday . . .”
The father nodded. “Tomorrow.”