Invasive Procedures by Aaron Johnston Page B

finger still resting on the trigger.
    Galen pointed a stern finger. “Put that away, Lichen, before you shoot someone else.”
    “Yes, sir.” He pocketed it.
    Monica knelt beside Galen and opened her pouch, which he had instructed her to bring with her from the clinic. She took out her stethoscope and listened to Jonathan’s heart. It was beating fast, but that was to be expected—he’d been running at top speed. Monica was simply relieved his heart was beating at all. She looked at his face and cleaned a cut on his forehead. There were probably scratches elsewhere, maybe even a broken bone, but she wasn’t about to begin a full examination right now.
    “He’s alive,” she said. Then she slowly turned his head and removed the dart. “What was in this?”
    “Ketamine,” said Lichen. “It’s a tranquilizer.”
    “Of course it’s a tranquilizer,” said Galen. “And it was completely unnecessary. You put everyone in this lab at risk chasing him in here. You could have damaged the sequencers. That was foolish.”
    It was obvious Lichen hadn’t intentionally led Jonathan in here. Jonathan was the one leading, not the other way around. But Lichen said nothing.
    “And you frightened Dr. Owens as well. I doubt she appreciates that.”
    “Forgive me, Doctor,” said Lichen, bowing his head.
    “Here am I trying to give her a nice introduction to our work,” saidGalen, “and you go and scare her silly. What kind of impression does that give? Look at her. Now she’s all flustered.”
    “Again, my apologies, Doctor,” said Lichen.
    Everyone in the lab had stopped what they were doing and stood staring.
    Galen stood, raised a hand, spoke in a loud voice. “Go on now. Back to work. All of you. Don’t be distracted. We have much still to do.”
    As the workers obeyed and shuffled back to their stations, Galen lowered his voice to Lichen and pointed to Jonathan. “Pick him up. I want him back with the others.”
    Monica tensed. Others? There were other people here like this boy? Other people being held against their will? Other prisoners like me and Wyatt?
    She watched as Lichen bent down and lifted Jonathan as if he weighed nothing.
    “Come, Doctor,” said Galen, “I’ll introduce you to the others.”
    Monica followed. Then came Lichen, carrying Jonathan. It made her nervous to have Lichen walking behind her. Not only was he large, but he also carried a weapon, one he clearly knew how to use with deadly accuracy. After all, Jonathan had been a moving target. And from Lichen’s reaction, Monica could tell it hadn’t been a lucky shot.
    Then there was the issue of ketamine. It must have been a dangerously high dose to knock the boy out so quickly. It made her wonder, What would a dose that high do to a smaller person?
    She put the thought out of her head. No one was going to shoot Wyatt. Not if she could help it. She would do precisely what Galen asked, anything and everything he wanted. If men like Lichen and Stone were at Galen’s disposal, then Monica wasn’t about to take a single risk.

8
PATIENTS
    Monica drew a map in her mind as she followed Galen down another series of corridors. Wyatt’s room was a good distance away now, and Monica wanted to know exactly how to return to it unaided if she had to. It was doubtful, she knew, that Galen would allow her to go anywhere without an escort, but the opportunity might arise. And even if it didn’t, she couldn’t stand the thought of not knowing precisely where Wyatt was in relation to her. The map was a mental string tying the two of them together. To lose herself in the labyrinth of the building was to lose Wyatt. And that was not going to happen.
    “What is this place?” she said. “This building, I mean. Before you came here.”
    “Not too much look at, is it?” said Galen.
    It wasn’t. Most of
these
halls, unlike those nearest the Core, were not under renovation—although they desperately needed it. These were old walls. With peeling