Uni's Unicorn

Chapter 17 - In the Air

Tyson watched the medical team lifting the stretcher up, ever so carefully, before walking with it up the beach towards the helicopter.

Turned the pod so that the cam on the front followed their path, he zoomed in on the stretcher. "They've put an IV in, Dad, it's in her neck." He zoomed right to the IV, asking, "Is that OK?"

"It's one of the best places for it; it's an intravenous central line."

"Why there?"

"Likely they've taken so long because she lost so much blood that they couldn't find one elsewhere." He followed quickly with, "But she'll be fine, Son. Any fluids going in will help keep her alive."

Tyson had nothing to say to this but realised that his dad treated this incident with the utmost urgency and care that he could muster. Nothing else mattered to him, and he realised his dad agreed with this sentiment. They were on the same page. Never before had he seen his father put Uni first before his so important work.

He zoomed back as a doctor leaned over Uni, checking her pulse. It seemed he was there forever...

"Do you think there's a problem, Dad?" Tyson asked, dreading the answer.

"It's only that Uni's heart will be beating at only ten to twenty BPM."

Tyson's brain couldn't seem to comprehend this and asked, "What are you saying?"

"You must remember that Uni had a heart condition when she was born and that it was reported she wouldn't live?" he queried, waiting. Tyson couldn't find his voice to answer. This didn't sound good to him.

"Her heart beats half the pace of your heart, Son. Twenty beats a minute is fine, good, considering her blood loss."

There was a silence, then he said, "We're almost over Coromandel now. We'll be waiting when you get there, it's to be Auckland Hospital Helipad. We'll see you there and the Hospital's Physician in Chief will be there as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the whole place. There might be others..."

"Like who?" Tyson asked, his eyes on the helicopter, still stationary.

"Not sure. We'll keep you posted, Son. You're doing a great job and I'm very proud of you. Here's someone who wants to say something to you..."

"We see what you see, Young Sir, Tyson. This is Chet, your flying instructor. I'll be following your flight path in a pod like yours. We've got backup plans to assure sure the helicopter stays on its set track and that no other crafts interfere with it. We've heard that the director from the Barassic is furious, but not yet has he heard about this. He will though. The professor, your father, will inform you as to what we can do, just as soon as we get it all together. We all agree that we can't allow your sister, Eunice, to enter a regular hospital."

"Wait, Chet. I've two discs that I used to download files from the Barassic. I discern that you've tapped into it already, but these will give you everything they have, well, everything that's worth having..."

An assembly of voices broke into his communicator, congratulating him.

"Put them in your computer port and send them here, Tyson. Do it now."

Taking them out of his inner pocket and inserting one, he asked, "How many crafts do you have out there, at the Barassic, Dad?"

"More than we've ever brought out at one time, Son."

"Tyson, this is Grant. I'm online to the helicopter's communications system and will determine from the account they forward to the hospital, just what must be done next. She will need blood, Tyson. I'm sure you'll agree. As you know, yours is the best match."