Chapter 28 Surgical Horror

Ryan Cross - POV

The surgical suite they've prepared looks exactly like any trauma operating room I've worked in, except for the psychic dampening fields that hum in the walls and the restraint systems designed for supernatural subjects rather than normal patients. My hands move through pre-surgical preparation automatically while my mind catalogs everything wrong with this situation.

"Patient preparation complete," announces Dr. Sarah Chen, one of the enemy psychics who apparently trained as a neurosurgeon before joining whatever organization is systematically eliminating conduits. "Subject exhibits stable vital signs despite enhanced ability suppression."

The first patient strapped to the operating table makes my photographic memory freeze with recognition. It's Marcus Torres, the government agent who transported Emma to this facility. But the scanning devices reveal he's not just a handler—he's been hiding his own psychic abilities, specifically empathic sensitivity that let him read enhanced subjects during transport.

"Agent Torres, classification: latent empath, enhancement level minimal," Chen reads from her chart. "Surgical objective: severing empathic connections while preserving cognitive function and motor skills."

Marcus meets my eyes with the kind of desperate recognition that makes my clinical detachment waver. "Dr. Cross. They told me you're going to save my life while destroying everything that makes me useful to Emma."

"The procedure will preserve your life," I state, because medical accuracy is the only anchor I have in this situation. "But psychic abilities will be permanently eliminated through targeted lesioning of neural pathways in the temporal and parietal lobes."

Chen activates monitoring equipment that tracks both vital signs and psychic energy levels. "Begin with mapping cortical areas responsible for empathic sensitivity. We need precise identification of target tissue before excision."

I pick up the neural mapping device, knowing that using it means participating in surgical mutilation disguised as medical treatment. But refusing means they'll find another surgeon, and Marcus will suffer through procedures performed by someone without my precision or medical ethics.

"Ryan," Marcus whispers as I position the mapping probe. "Whatever you're thinking, don't sacrifice yourself for people like me. Emma needs you functional, not martyred."

But as I begin mapping his empathic neural pathways, the monitoring equipment reveals something the enemy psychics missed. Marcus isn't just a latent empath—his abilities are connected to a broader network that includes other government agents across multiple facilities.

"Interesting findings," I tell Chen, my photographic memory analyzing readings that show far more complex neural activity than expected. "Patient exhibits connection patterns suggesting network integration with multiple other enhanced individuals."

Chen moves closer to study the displays, her surgical training warring with her psychic agenda. "What kind of network integration?"

"Government handlers with latent abilities maintain psychic connections with their assigned subjects," I explain, using medical terminology to hide the strategic information Marcus is providing through those same connections. "Severing his empathic abilities could disrupt monitoring networks for dozens of other enhanced individuals."

Through his empathic connection, Marcus shares flashes of information about other facilities, other captured conduits, other agents like himself who've been hiding psychic abilities while working within the system. But he also shares something more personal—glimpses of Emma's condition that make my clinical objectivity crack with rage I can't physically feel.

"She's alive, but they're draining her abilities slowly," Marcus communicates through our brief psychic contact. "Keeping her conscious while they harvest omniscient awareness in measured doses. Dr. Kane is supervising the procedures personally."

I position the surgical instruments with precision that masks my growing understanding of what's really happening. This isn't just systematic elimination of conduits—it's harvesting of abilities for transfer to the enemy psychics themselves.

"Proceed with neural pathway identification," Chen orders. "We need complete mapping before excision begins."

As I work, mapping areas of Marcus's brain that control his empathic sensitivity, he continues sharing information through our connection. Other conduits in nearby surgical suites, procedures designed to extract specific abilities while keeping subjects alive for repeated harvesting, and most importantly, the location where Emma is being held.

"Ryan, listen carefully," Marcus communicates. "The surgical procedures aren't permanent if performed correctly. There's a window for reversal if you know what you're doing."

My photographic memory records every detail of his neural mapping while he explains that the enemy psychics' surgical techniques deliberately leave scar tissue that prevents natural healing, but precise removal of that scar tissue could restore connections between damaged areas.

"Begin neural pathway severing," Chen instructs. "Target areas marked for empathic elimination while preserving all other cognitive function."

I raise the laser scalpel, knowing that the next few minutes will determine whether Marcus keeps his abilities or loses them permanently. But he's also shown me something crucial—if I can preserve the neural pathways while appearing to sever them, the damage might be reversible later.

"There's a technique for creating temporary disruption rather than permanent severing," Marcus explains through our fading connection. "Medical precision rather than surgical destruction. But it's dangerous—if they detect what you're doing, they'll kill both of us."

Chen monitors both the surgical site and my vital signs through equipment designed to ensure my compliance. "Psychological stress indicators elevated. Maintain clinical focus, Dr. Cross."

But as I begin the most ethically complex surgery of my medical career, Marcus shares one final piece of information that changes everything.

"The other conduits in the facility include Emma's roommate Jess and students from universities across the country. They're not just eliminating us—they're building an army of psychics enhanced with stolen abilities."

I make the first incision with surgical precision that hides my true objective. Instead of severing Marcus's empathic pathways permanently, I create microscopic disruptions that will appear complete on their monitoring equipment while leaving possibilities for restoration.

"Neural pathway disruption successful," I report, watching Chen's instruments show exactly what she expects to see. "Empathic abilities eliminated while cognitive function remains intact."

Marcus's relief floods through our connection before it fades completely, leaving him conscious but temporarily unable to access his psychic abilities. But his trust in my medical judgment gives me the confidence to continue with procedures that violate every principle of medical ethics while potentially saving the lives of enhanced individuals who don't deserve surgical mutilation.

"Excellent work," Chen says, reviewing surgical results that show complete elimination of Marcus's empathic capabilities. "Prepare for the next patient—conduit from Harvard University, abilities include precognitive awareness and reality manipulation."

As they bring in the next patient, a young woman whose terror radiates psychic distress that makes the monitoring equipment spike dangerously, I realize the scope of what I'm facing. Not just one or two procedures, but systematic surgical elimination of enhanced abilities from dozens of captured conduits.

But I also realize that my unique position as the only surgeon they trust gives me opportunity to preserve abilities while appearing to destroy them, creating possibilities for restoration that they won't detect until it's too late.

The question is whether I can maintain the deception long enough to save everyone, or whether my attempts to preserve what I'm supposed to destroy will be discovered before I can help Emma and the other conduits escape.

As I prepare instruments for the next procedure, knowing that each surgery puts both my patients and myself at greater risk, Chen delivers news that makes my clinical detachment shatter completely.

"After you complete the current schedule, Dr. Cross, your final surgery will be on Emma Stone herself. Dr. Kane has requested that you personally oversee the extraction of her omniscient abilities."

My hands don't shake because my neurological condition prevents the physical response, but my mind recoils from the prospect of operating on the woman I love while pretending to destroy everything that makes her extraordinary.

Either I perfect techniques for preserving abilities while appearing to eliminate them, or I'll be forced to choose between Emma's life and her power—knowing that the wrong choice could cost her both.