Fallout

[Ascendancy]

For some time, nothing appeared to be happening. Other than the creation of the monument, he really had little exposure to these channels of magic. He had no preconceived expectations, but he imagined something should be happening.

He kept the video raised when the door parted behind them. The Ascendancy's physician stepped quietly into the room and came up beside Viktor, confusion writ on his face.

"His vitals changed. What's going on?"


Viktor shook his head, frowning at the volume of the doctor's voice. The scene demanded a nearly religious sort of reverence. That morning, Nikolai ordered that he not be interrupted during the creation of the monument, and Viktor assumed Jensen needed similar concentration. Each feat were miracles in their own way.

"Watch."
Together, they maintained their vigil for long, tense minutes.

When the angry pink skin softened, Viktor's gaze widened, his jaw parting with shock. He hadn't believed this to really work, no matter what Ivan claimed. The bright pink faded to flesh, seeping away like dye washed from cloth. The sutures on his side pinched, closed and dissolved from the skin, flaked away like lint. There was little other outward evidence of healing, Nikolai was still asleep, still breathing on the ventilator, but the doctor rushed to the display wall. He swiped at graphs, studying the EKG, scrolling it back through time.

"It is done."

The doctor turned and looked at Jensen, then swung his face to Nikolai. He pulled a stethoscope from his neck, swung the drum to Nikolai's chest, waving at the others to stay quiet. His expression told Viktor what he needed to know.

A quiet sigh of relief was all of Viktor's reaction. He flipped the wallet to his messages screen, finding one about another nearby patient.

"She's awake."

"Find out what happened. I'll be there soon."

His instruction to the ZARS agent was to obtain the girl's story of events. Until Nikolai was awake, they would not stop investigating. The doctor interrupted the rest of his messages.

"His lung sounds are perfect. EKG shows normal rhythm. fMRI has restored functional connectivity in the brain. Even-"
he began to unwrap the bandages around his wrist, nodding when he found the skin free of the previous blisters. "It's a miracle. I don't understand,"
his gaze swung to Jensen.

Viktor stepped forward, "You saved the world, Mister James. We are in your debt. If you have the energy, there is another that needs your help. And doctor, it seems he no longer needs to be kept in a coma."


The doctor blinked and nodded in agreement. Soon, nurses were arriving to assist with extubation.