A Healer's War

Chapter 37 - Brotherly Love

Chapter 37: Brotherly Love

20:33. Wednesday - April 25th.

The MRI's vault door hissed, and Rory pressed it closed, dampening the steady clicks and chirps of the giant magnet within.

"She's asleep," he said. "I got the SAT probe on her finger."

"Did you pat her down?"

Rory nodded. "No metal." He glanced at the clock above the row of white cabinets. "I've been gone too long. The unit-."

"The unit is fine," Khloe said, lifting a bulging white plastic bag off the U-shaped computer desk. "So is Conner. I need you here. You sold the stomachache, right?" She set the bag on the ground, revealing a remote monitor behind it, and pressed the power button. Ding. The monitor flickered to life. "What did you blame it on?"

"Bad chicken."

"Then we're good." Khloe pointed down the narrow hall where dozens of clear supply bags held boxes of gloves, flushes, and sanitizer. There were so many in such a small space that mounds of plastic bags ran the length of the unwrapped suite. "Go make sure we're alone if you're worried." But her expression told him something else. Calm down.

"How are you not freaking out?"

"I am," Khloe breathed, plugging a series of cables into the back of a computer monitor. "Spiritus boni, right?"

Rory breathed, and the alarm in his head receded into the background. Through the window and into the MRI suite. Through the great machine's donut hole, he watched the pile of blankets atop Jacklyn rise and fall steadily. She's still breathing too.

Over Khloe's shoulder, Rory checked the black computer screens.

"I think I got it..." Khloe said, jiggling the mouse. The monitor turned blue, and a panel popped up, asking for a password. "There she goes! We're in business." She quickly typed in her credentials and a long, complicated password and punched ENTER.

An error message appeared. Your username and/or password does not exist in this system.

"What?" Khloe hissed, and Rory's stomach cramped. "Let me try..." She typed everything in again, but the same message appeared. She shook her head, stunned. "That should have worked."

Should have? Rory kept his breathing steady. "You don't have the password?"

Jacklyn's monitor began beeping in a steady cadence. Ding ding ding. Her heart rate increased but held a rhythm. Rory silenced the alarm.

"I did, unless they... shit!" She tried again, and this time the error message told her she only had one more attempt before it locked her out. "They reset the system for the opening."

"Let's get her out." 

Squeak, squeak.

Rory froze, listening. The sound grew louder. The unmistakable sound of sneakers on tile echoed down the hall. Squeak, squeak.

Khloe pulled open the nearest drawer. "Where do they keep the lab supplies-"

"Shhh!" Rory instinctively ducked and turned towards the suite's entrance. "Someone is coming. Hide."

"Where?" Khloe said and pointed down the hall towards the door. "There is only one way in here, and Jacklyn's on the table."

"Just... turn off the lights and get under the bags. It's probably the janitor."

Khloe quickly clicked off the monitor, and after a couple of attempts on the wall switches, she got all but the emergency lighting to turn off. Rory lifted two bags, and they slid beneath. He pulled another bag over their legs, and they tried to breathe quietly.