"Do you give permission for intervention?" I ask the routine question and without even waiting for a confirming nod, I place my hand on the forearm. Broken ribs, kidney failure, general intoxication... unfortunately, the man lying before me is already quite thin, and Amy's ability doesn't create organic mass from nothing. Well... I have to take what's needed for treatment from muscle mass - muscles can always be rebuilt, plus all the remaining subcutaneous fat and... while I'm at it, I break down and send into the furnace of biological processes a benign tumor in his intestine. That's the reason he's so thin. I remove my hand and nod, not listening to the thanks and blessings of his daughter, who's practically falling to her knees before me.
"Humans are such simple creatures," sounds the voice of teacher and senior comrade in my head. "Look. They react to simple impulses, they need stereotypes. Right now this girl adores you, but if she finds out who you really are - she'll be horrified. And if she finds out how many people you've already killed... yet nothing will change. You still healed her father, you caused her personally nothing but good, but there's no room in her head for complex emotions and reactions. Black and white - that's how they see everything in the world."
"This way please." The nurse leads me to the next patient.
"Do you give permission for intervention?" I repeat, touching the arm. This time there's sufficient subcutaneous fat, something to work with. I heal the consequences of barotrauma - the person was too close to the explosion on the beach, that same one the PRT declared as "Scion made a boom!" although there was no Scion anywhere nearby. Bakuda's bombs turned out to be extremely powerful, and to "not sow unnecessary panic," it was decided to hide this fact from the general public. Half the beach line was destroyed, sand turned to glass - good thing Eidolon pulled him along the edge of the coastline almost out of the city... otherwise half our city would be lying in ruins. As it is, windows blew out in a significant part of the city, even in the hospital the windows have some kind of gauze-like fabric - the glass fragments were removed quite recently. People who were on nearby streets got concussions. Today this is already the thirtieth patient with barotrauma. Plus brain concussion - I don't touch the brain, following Panacea's usual pattern of not touching brains. I fix polynephritis and restore the pancreas, curing type 1 diabetes. Done. There's no one beside this patient, no one falls to their knees, doesn't sing hosannas to me or thank me while bowing in half. Good.
"Next?" I turn to the nurse and see that she spreads her hands. Everything's clear - those who required my intervention are finished. I heal faster than Panacea because, unlike her, I planted my insects "for Panacea" on each of the patients in advance, which act as diagnosticians and begin preparation for healing long before I lay hands on them. I'm reluctant to stay in the hospital longer than necessary, and especially I'm not going to kill myself like Amy, who didn't want to go home or to school and wandered around the hospital allowing herself to be "persuaded" to heal other patients too. Actually, Panacea isn't here just like that - she has a signed agreement with the hospital, yes, yes. A parahuman can't, even such a renowned one, say, open their own clinic. No one knows how abilities work, so she heals in the hospital and under specialist supervision. With her abilities she could... but they won't let her. Because all these doctors, nurses and others didn't get their diplomas for nothing. They also need to earn salaries. So now every intervention by Panacea is considered a medical service provided specifically by the hospital, and requires either an insurance policy or full payment. Which again goes to the hospital.
Panacea has a license to provide field assistance - she's like a paramedic. So she has the right to emergency healing during Endbringer Battles or during cape fights. But other healing activity - only in the hospital, only under supervision. The situation is completely understandable - there are concerns that her ability might heal somehow wrong... if they knew what she was capable of, they'd all go gray. And secondly, Panacea alone could replace all the hospitals in Brockton Bay... and where would all the medics go? That's how many - almost ten thousand unemployed, and the city isn't exactly thriving as it is. And in general, what if Panacea later changes her mind about healing? Or someone kills her? And there are no hospitals left. No, no, no. No one would go for having an entire city depend on one girl with an unstable psyche.
So the list of patients for meeting with Panacea wasn't exactly large. Usually on ordinary days these were patients from other corners of the country, suffering from diseases incurable by modern medicine. Due to the battle with Leviathan, all roads to Brockton Bay are closed - you can only leave, and I've already healed everyone who was seriously injured, so paradoxically, today I was free by lunchtime.
Amy would have stayed in the hospital, healed someone else, but exactly such actions caused hidden dislike from the medical staff - she seemed to take their bread away, and did it casually, playfully, while also showing with her whole appearance what a favor she was doing. Understandably, the specialists didn't like her, though of course no one would say such a thing out loud. Out loud she's a savior. It's behind her back that they whisper about her and wish she'd break her own neck and not come to the hospital. Management doesn't care - the hospital gets its share of profit from insurance policies, but for the doctors themselves, whose salary depends on the number of patients specifically with them... this affects them not in the best way.
"Thank you. Well, since no one else needs healing - I'll go home," I tell the nurse and see slight surprise in her eyes. However, she quickly composes herself and nods in response. Thanks me for the work done. In her voice - relief?
At the same time, my former body, Taylor Hebert's body, improved, more durable, resilient with all possible features and enhancements I could think of in a day - was still at the base. In this body I sat on the table in the briefing room and swung my legs in the air, listening to Lisa.
"...in any case, something will have to be done about Noelle right now," she says. "Trickster is simply going insane after Leviathan. Got it into his head that she's in danger. We can... you can - make it so the Travelers no longer pose a threat, but... that's not our method. Okay, not your method, I could. But the Travelers are quite strong, Marcy alone is worth something. And Genesis or Ballistic... overall quite a strong group of capes, and if you manage to heal Noelle, they'll eat from your hands. Worth trying... but I'll say right away that you can't touch her personally. Under no circumstances."
"That's solvable, I can do everything remotely - through insects," I reply. "I'll deal with it today."
"Excellent. In any case, first talk to Trickster - he needs to be calmed on one hand and slightly made to feel his place on the other. Put him in his place. Cool his head," Lisa says and massages her temples. "He has simply maniacal love for Noelle, all this is aggravated by her situation, and Leviathan and damage to the main base doesn't add stability to him. We have a contract with them and with the Faultline team, but I can handle Faultline myself, so as not to dump everything on you..."
"No, I'm with you," I shake my head. "I have two bodies now, so I'll manage more. Me-Amy got free earlier today, so I'll come here and continue working on projects. And in this body I'll go help you with Faultline and Noelle. What about Coil?"
"Went to visit Dinah's parents. The son of a bitch knows how to be charming when he wants to, and after Leviathan's attack many are starting to think that the Administrator and his team are the best guarantee of the city's safety. So I think he'll manage to negotiate cooperation... though at the thought of how much money will have to be spent - my hair stands on end. Coil's pockets aren't bottomless, you know. And we now have operational expenses just for existence - oh what expenses. New base, employee payments, equipment purchases, concluding contracts for humanitarian aid supply, generators, blankets, tents..." she sighs. "Much knowledge - much sorrow. Never would have thought that managing hundreds of millions I'd constantly feel a shortage of funds. We could use a couple billion... say from the government for purchasing your bio-medkits... and I didn't manage to prepare the documents. Sorry. My power is far from bureaucracy, my power and bureaucracy are direct opposites. But I also don't want to pay Accord - he'll break such a price for documentation."
"We'll take him as a partner," I say. "Contact him."
"As a partner? Seriously? Okay, okay, I understand your arguments - we really have too much on our plate. And yes, for future cooperation. But are you planning to meet with him personally?"
"Yes. We'll fly to Boston. Have some fun," I say. "Yes, I already have directional communication relays, something like a beam. A chain of relay-hives is already being built to Boston and New York."
"Cool," Lisa says listlessly, massaging her temples. "Road adventures. Hooray."
"Now..." I jump off the table and approach her. I move her hands away and touch her temples with my fingertips.
"Wow!" Lisa's eyes widen and she looks at me with a completely different gaze. "You can do this now too?! That's it, Taylor, I love you now! Removing headaches from using abilities... well that's it, let's get married."
"So you didn't love me before?" I fold my arms across my chest.
"What difference does it make what was before. You can't imagine what pains tormented me, painkillers don't help at all, as soon as I overexert myself, that's it - I suffer for two-three days. But here..." she jumps to her feet. "And now... I can think again! Come here, my terrible Administrator, you've earned a kiss!"
"Get away, Lisa!" I fight off her attempts to embrace me. Perhaps I'm not fighting very convincingly, but she doesn't have super strength. If I fight seriously, she won't be able to hug and kiss me, right?
"Ooh... such a shy girl... already got into Victoria's panties? No? Not yet? You're something else. You enhanced Panacea's body too, pin her against the wall at school and that's it. We need Glory... it would be great if we could lure her over too. Brandish can't be lured over - the old bag would rather die herself and kill us all... if she could. But her daughter is easily influenced. Just fix our team's image and... by the way - surely someone from the Protectorate will visit us soon."
"The Protectorate?"
"The Triumvirate. Most likely Legend. Or if they want to play hard - Alexandria." Lisa thinks, looking up at the ceiling. "I feel like I have some thought that I caught during Leviathan's attack, but I don't remember what it was about. It's just driving me crazy, there was a thought! Simple and explaining everything, but I don't remember and that's it!"
"I can help," I say. "Do you give permission for intervention?"
"Seriously?" she looks at me. "Well, let's try. I have nothing to lose - I already have your beacon inside me, you enhanced my body and implanted a direct control module, if anyone, I trust you completely."
"I appreciate that," I say seriously. "You're the only person who's willing to voluntarily..."
"Oh, don't sweat it, Taylor. I went for this because I know you're a typical tsundere. Threatening on the outside and soft on the inside. You'd rather die than play with my free will. The others don't know you - for them you're the Great and Terrible Administrator," Lisa smirks, folding her arms across her chest. "And if you can give me a burst of Thinker ability to overcome my block - I'll be grateful."
"Okay. Strip and lie on the table," I say, making a gesture with my hand. She looks at me with a skeptical gaze.
"Seriously? I know that you just need to touch any exposed area of skin. What kind of cheap moves, Taylor? Haven't you seen something in good old Lisa's body yet? Especially since this body is now enhanced by you. Thanks for the boobs, by the way."
"Don't mention it. After all, I was trying for myself," I respond. "Fine, you can sit. Pull your hair back."
"Trying for yourself?" Lisa raises an eyebrow, pulling her hair into a ponytail at the back of her head. "Well yes. Exactly. What am I talking about. This is your property. Look whenever you want. Shall I bring them to you tonight, oh Mistress?"
"Stop making yourself out to be a victim of abuse." I place my fingertips on her temples, feeling for the fine mechanisms of brain adjustment. "Now it's going to tickle a little..."
Lisa suddenly opens her eyes wide and arches backward - I barely manage to catch her so she doesn't fall and hit the back of her head. She freezes just like that - arched back with open eyes, a trickle of saliva running down from the corner of her mouth.
"Lisa! Lisa!" I shake her, while frantically examining her entire body with Panacea's inner vision - everything's normal, only hormone levels have shot above normal, as if she'd snorted cocaine or had an orgasm.
"Taylor." Lisa's eyes turn, pupils focus on my face. "I understood... I think I understood everything, Taylor! Give me your hand, I'll get up..."
At the same time, Me-Amy exit the ward and stretch sweetly after several hours of work. In the corridor I notice a small, hunched figure. Vista. Rather - Missy, she's in civilian clothes. Short skirt, white blouse, brown vest, purse over her shoulder. She stands leaning against the wall with arms crossed on her chest. Upon seeing me, she separates from the wall and moves forward.
"Missy," I say, looking at her. I don't have Panacea's memory, I don't know what their relationship is, how exactly Amy usually talks to her. So I choose a dry and official tone - if anything, I can say I'm tired after this whole Battle with Leviathan and all. Half the city looks depressed here, so I won't stand out.
"Amy," Missy says and looks away. Well... apparently I chose the right line. Amy was never particularly famous for friendliness - if not for her ability, no one would have given her a second glance. Plus everyone always wanted something from her.
"Did someone from your family end up in the hospital?" I ask. An obvious reason for her presence in the hospital - injury to someone from the family. If that's the case, I'll help her. Need to make allies.
"No. I... to visit. Gallant. I mean - Dean Stansfield..."
"Ah..." I remember that Gallant, Victoria's ex-boyfriend and member of the Wards, got brain damage and fell into a coma. I fixed his other injuries, but the brain... Panacea demonstratively refused to affect the brain. Interesting that Missy is here, while Victoria is somewhere flying around now. Or whatever she's doing.
"I... know that you don't work with brains, Amy. And that we had... disagreements. But surely something can be done?" she asks and clasps her hands in front of her chest. I see how white her knuckles have become and sigh. Really, what's the point of having power if you won't use it? Besides... it was Amy who was afraid of being exposed, but I... I don't care. Let them expose me. I'm already a villain - one who has fallen into the river doesn't fear the rain.
"Where did they put him?" I ask her. She startles and blinks rapidly, then pulls herself together and leads me further down the corridor, then up the stairs to the floor above.
"I... understand that this is hard for you," she says on the way. "Probably. Maybe it won't work. But if there's even a small chance... Dean saved me."
"What?"
"Yes. When that big explosion went off, the one Scion exploded - he covered me with his body and some stone fragment hit him in the head, broke his helmet. I thought he was okay, but he..." Missy sobbed. "But he..."
"Alright. I understand." I open the door to the ward. On a gurney-bed under an IV and with connected devices lies a young man with a bandaged head and bruises under his eyes.
"I won't ask for permission," I say dryly and place my hand on his forehead. "All complaints can be addressed to you later."
"What? Yes! Of course!"
"Well... God willing." I close my eyes and fix everything that should be fixed. In every cell of every person's body there's an imprint of what a healthy organism should be - including the brain. Perhaps I can't restore memories, but I can definitely restore everything. Before me will be a healthy person... only memory... I can't read memory, I can only change physiology, and personality is largely just memory. So... I restore everything and take a step back. I critically examine my work. The bruises under his eyes have disappeared... he breathes deeper and finally opens his eyes. Looks at me.
"Who are you?" he asks and I sigh. Well, there it is - memory's gone.
"If you don't remember who I am - it's nothing terrible. Memory will definitely return to you," I lie. I don't know if memory will return, but gathering new memories isn't a problem. They'll teach him. In any case, this is better than lying for years in a vegetative state, being a wound in everyone's chest, plus a burden.
"No, my memory is fine," he replies, casting a quick glance at Missy. "There was a Leviathan attack, my name is Dean, this is Missy, and you're in Amy's body. But who are you really?"