Out of the blue is elevated what I can only assume is a medical bed slash advanced tool to perform complicated examinations on the human body.
If I had to describe it to someone I would say it looks like a medical pod from sci-fi universe.
I don't trust it one bit.
Night Stalker waved her hand to communicate to me I should get in.
Stubbornly I pretend I'm not seeing it.
"Kid If you won't get in we can't get you examined. This whole effort was for nothing. Get in or I'm gonna shove you in myself."
Looks like Night has a short fuse. Usually I'm a pretty agreeable guy but this voice in the back of my head is practically shouting, "Don't get in".
"Can't you just take some samples of my blood. Make me piss in the jar and call it a day? Like doctors in hospitals usually do?"
She clicked some button on the side of the pod and suddenly a transparent cover popped up. Next she lays on the bed like it's demonstrating somehow how it's perfectly safe to be inside and I'm being a silly goose.
"Come on Kid, see I'm inside and nothing happened to me. We won't hurt you I promise." last line she added more softly.
"Okay, I'll do it." and I do like I say.
Bed is surprisingly soft for the overall harsh look of the contraption.
"Will it hurt?" My voice sounds small and vulnerable.
I can't help it. Something about this pod makes me feel on edge.
"Nothing will hurt. Whole idea of this pod is to use low vibration scanning for the most detailed examination without pain for the patient." Shadow butt in with explanation. "There will be only one little sting from collecting a blood sample. Pissing to the jar won't be needed."
Sounds like they have everything under control. I should believe them. So far at least Shadow had my back.
"Okay, you can begin."
"Atta boy."
Seriously, Shadow with how he talks could really be a middle aged man.
Night Stalker stands in front of a small station which seems to be controlling the pod. I hear clicking on the keyboard and on the big monitor shows up my silhouette in a weird ultrasound view.
"Now you will see short bursts of lights. Don't panic."
Like she said, a quick series of enveloping lights blind me now and again. Lovely.
"Interesting." This is the only comment Shadow uttered during the whole examination. And it's enough to make me nervous, again.
No one wants to hear during examinations that what they have is interesting. What if drug completely changed my insides?
"Something wrong? Your pulse is elevated." she say.
"Everything alright. It's just being in confined space making me nervous. Nothing serious."
Maybe it's stupid vein pride but I didn't want to appear weak before them yet again. It was easier to lie.
"You have to hold it in for a minute. Scan is nearly completed. There is only collecting samples left."
Lights stopped and the panel on the side of the handreast opened. Metal claw locked itself around my wrist and maneuvered my hand so it would be in the optimal position for the syringe taking my blood.
When the first test tube was full another mechanic claw came out to put the full tube to the designated place for it and screw into the apparatus the empty one. Everything was going smoothly.
Of course in the last twenty four hours my life is nothing more than a madhouse, so something has to go wrong. In one second everything went haywire. Light next to a full blood sample light up red. My second hand was clasped by metal claws and harder than before.
"This should be happening?"
I look at their faces for reassurance but I'm seeing none of that. Perplexed or bewildered would better fit description.
"No it shouldn't but please stay calm. It's a small error. Quick fix really."
She sounds calm and steady so I believe her and relax my tense body.
Somewhere in the blunder machine exchanged a test tube for blood collecting to a syringe with an unusually long needle full of light blue color liquid.
It obviously wanted to inject me but it didn't go for an arm or a leg. This machine wants to sick in this massive needle in my eye!
All my calm evaporated and my whole body started flailing. Head twisting left and right. Eyes shut tight.
"Take this away! Nooo! I don't want this."
"Can you stop it?" I hear Shadow ask.
"No, something is blocking my commands and doing what it wants. It's likely something in the main code."
"Don't stop trying. I take care of the rest"
Shadow flew to the wall with displayed weapons and picked up a big metal bat. Next thing I see he hits the glass cover of the pod.
At this point I'm sobbing. Syringe is floating above my head, probably waiting for the moment when I stop moving my head for more precise injection.
"Hurry! Huh..huh…It's really close!""
Shadow one more time winds up and hits the cover. In place he hits, weeb of cracks disperses. He hits again. And again. And on the third time covers breaks.
"Take the syringe away! Take the syringe away!"
Shadow immediately dropped the bat and with bare hands broke a metal claw with a syringe.
"Don't worry pipsqueak I got you!"
He breaks the claw from my second hand and lifts me off the damn thing like damsel in distress.
I would make a fuss about it but I am indeed in distress.
"What the hell was this?"