JК
The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 171 из 234I sort of stumbled to the shore with his fingers still locked in my clothes. None of us fell. A second miracle. The first was that Aikensen was still alive. Staring at the raw bluish skin of the man, maybe the miracle count was higher than just two.
The medic with the pale hair knelt by the naga. She let out her breath in a great whoosh of air. The other medic threw blankets around me and the two deputies.
"When you get him pried off of you, you get your butt up to the ambulances. Get out of those wet clothes, ASAP."
I opened my mouth and he pointed a finger at me. "Clothes off and sit in a warm ambulance, or a trip to the hospital. Your choice."
"Aye, aye, Captain," I said.
"And don't you forget it," he said. He moved off to spread blankets and orders to the rest of the cops.
"What about the skin?" Titus asked. He had a blanket wrapped around him.
"Bring it to shore," I said.
MacAdam said, "You sure this is the only surprise out there in that sinkhole?"
"I think this is our only naga for the night."
He nodded and slipped back into the water with his partner. It was nice not to be argued with. Maybe it was the naked ripped body of the naga.
The paramedics had to pry the naga's hands from my jacket a finger at a time. His fingers didn't want to uncurl. They stayed bent like the fingers of the dead after rigor had set in.
"Do you know what he is?" the paramedic with pale hair asked.
"A naga."
She exchanged glances with her partner. He shook his head. "What the hell is a naga?"
"A creature out of Hindu legend. They're mostly pictured in serpent form."
"Great," he said. "Will he react like a reptile or a mammal?"
"I don't know."
The medics from the other ambulance were setting up a pulley system and directing everybody up to the warmth of the ambulances. We needed more medics.
The paramedics spread a warm saline solution on a soft cotton sheet and wrapped the naga in it. His whole body was an open wound with all that that implied. Infection was the big threat. Could immortal beings get infections? Who knew? I knew about preternatural creatures, but first aid for the immortal? That wasn't my area.
They bundled him in layers of blankets. I looked at the drill sergeant paramedic. "Even if he's reptilian blankets can't hurt."
He had a point.
"His pulse is weak but steady," the woman said. "Should we risk trying an IV or. ."
"I don't know," her partner answered. "He shouldn't be alive at all. Let's just move him.
The medic with the pale hair knelt by the naga. She let out her breath in a great whoosh of air. The other medic threw blankets around me and the two deputies.
"When you get him pried off of you, you get your butt up to the ambulances. Get out of those wet clothes, ASAP."
I opened my mouth and he pointed a finger at me. "Clothes off and sit in a warm ambulance, or a trip to the hospital. Your choice."
"Aye, aye, Captain," I said.
"And don't you forget it," he said. He moved off to spread blankets and orders to the rest of the cops.
"What about the skin?" Titus asked. He had a blanket wrapped around him.
"Bring it to shore," I said.
MacAdam said, "You sure this is the only surprise out there in that sinkhole?"
"I think this is our only naga for the night."
He nodded and slipped back into the water with his partner. It was nice not to be argued with. Maybe it was the naked ripped body of the naga.
The paramedics had to pry the naga's hands from my jacket a finger at a time. His fingers didn't want to uncurl. They stayed bent like the fingers of the dead after rigor had set in.
"Do you know what he is?" the paramedic with pale hair asked.
"A naga."
She exchanged glances with her partner. He shook his head. "What the hell is a naga?"
"A creature out of Hindu legend. They're mostly pictured in serpent form."
"Great," he said. "Will he react like a reptile or a mammal?"
"I don't know."
The medics from the other ambulance were setting up a pulley system and directing everybody up to the warmth of the ambulances. We needed more medics.
The paramedics spread a warm saline solution on a soft cotton sheet and wrapped the naga in it. His whole body was an open wound with all that that implied. Infection was the big threat. Could immortal beings get infections? Who knew? I knew about preternatural creatures, but first aid for the immortal? That wasn't my area.
They bundled him in layers of blankets. I looked at the drill sergeant paramedic. "Even if he's reptilian blankets can't hurt."
He had a point.
"His pulse is weak but steady," the woman said. "Should we risk trying an IV or. ."
"I don't know," her partner answered. "He shouldn't be alive at all. Let's just move him.