Vash reached in, hooked an arm under Sandra, and hauled her out of the ice water before laying her flat on the floor.
Sandra Dorsett was naked, her wrists and ankles cut up — restraints, torture, and a rush job. The cold had slowed the bleeding until it clotted, but that didn't mean she was safe. There weren't many obvious external wounds, yet her condition was ugly.
Her optics flickered in and out — hard stutter, unstable glow — like her body was already starting to shut systems down.
"Damn… what'd these bastards do to her? Turn her into mincemeat?" Jackie cursed, hanging back in the bathroom doorway.
"Jack." Vash asked without looking up, "You scared of this?"
"Ain't scared." Jackie answered, voice rougher than he meant it to be, "Back with the Valentinos, I cut people and got cut. As a merc, I've walked through gunfire and explosions. Seen plenty of bodies…" He swallowed, "Just can't stand seeing someone get tortured like this."
He was a big guy with a soft core — a rare thing in Night City. He believed most violence had rules: gangs fought gangs, factions fought factions, mercs fought for eddies, and the winner took what was left.
But this? This was hunting civilians.
That was why scenes like this always hit him the hardest.
"Did you find her? Is she still alive?" T-Bug's voice crackled through.
"We found her, but she's in bad shape." Vash said, keeping his tone steady, "Pulled her out of the ice bath. Cuts everywhere. I'm guessing the worst damage is internal. She needs a doc — now."
"V, jack into her biomonitor and check." T-Bug said, "Don't panic. If she lives, she won't remember any of it. Maybe some subconscious damage — nothing more."
"That's for the best." Vash said.
He used nanoparticles to spin a thin connection line and seat it into Sandra's neural port. The advantage was simple: any bad feedback from the compromised signal wouldn't punch straight into his own nervous system.
「Connecting to biomonitor panel…」
「 Sandra Dorsett | Age: 29 」
「 ID: NC570442 」
「 Blood Type: AB RHD+ 」
「 Trauma Team Membership: Platinum 」
「 Medications: N-HYDROXYZINE (170), TR2-TRAMADOL (720), DESVENLAFAXINE (300), AMOXAPINE (220), R7-LACTOBACILLIUS (400N), ACETAMINOFEN (2500), BUPROPION (540) 」
{T/N: Your beloved translator also brings you valuable information. For those wondering what all those medications in her body do, the meds in her system were a messy mix of strong painkillers and antidepressants that could make her barely conscious, slow her breathing, and raise the risk of seizures — exactly the kind of cocktail that can push a badly injured person over the edge. I'll leave more information at the end of the chapter.}
"Trauma Team Platinum?" Vash muttered, "They'd roll in if she lost a hair."
The biomonitor kept throwing errors, reconnecting, dropping out — like someone had taken a crowbar to the firmware.
"Scavs probably cut the transmission." T-Bug said, "Signal's been hacked — could be flashed firmware, could be a neural virus. V, pull the shard out of her port. Signal should recover."
Vash reached behind Sandra's ear and extracted a SIM-card-shaped shard. The moment it came free, the biomonitor stabilized.
「Hello, Sandra. If you are conscious, please immediately adjust to the recovery position.
Emergency evacuation team has been dispatched. Estimated arrival: 180 seconds.」
"Jack — airhypo." Vash said. Without it, she might not last long enough for extraction.
"V — catch!" Jackie didn't ask questions. Just tossed the green injector.
Vash caught it, drove it into Sandra's chest, and hit the trigger. Then he lifted her in both arms and moved out.
Jackie kept his gun up, scanning corners and doorways, "Scavs oughta be cuttin' their losses by now."
"They will." Vash said, "Trauma Team's evac unit hits like NCPD on steroids. Even Scavs aren't dumb enough to square up with that."
He carried Sandra to the balcony and set her down as the Trauma Team AV swept in — rotors whining, spotlights slicing through dust. The moment the medics moved, Vash stepped back inside, out of the beam.
"V." Jackie lowered his voice, "We're here to save someone — why you so tense, choom?"
"As a merc, you minimize exposure. Always."
"Alright." Jackie said, holstering his gun and following Vash's lead.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
「Incoming call: Wakako Okada」
The call came through while they were riding the elevator down.
Jackie deliberately shared the line so Vash could listen in — Vash's first real contact with Westbrook's top fixer.
"Jack — and your new friend. Your mission this time was perfect. The money is with me, you can come collect it anytime." Wakako's voice was measured: neither warm nor distant, like a knife kept politely sheathed.
"Ms. Wakako." Jackie laughed, "Told you we'd handle it — no problem."
"Mr. Jack has proven his reputation. I look forward to our future cooperation."
Not a word more, not a word less. The call ended.
Outside, once they were clear of the building, Vash spoke.
"Jack. Go grab the eddies from Wakako — just in case."
Jackie considered it, then nodded, "Alright. Saves us another trip." He glanced over, "But V — you sure you don't wanna roll with me, check in with the Tyger Claws?"
{T/N: Wakako is also part of the Tyger Claws gang. NINE of her sons were all high-ranking members. NINE…}
"I'll pass." Vash said.
According to the original plot, the Scavs weren't gone — they were setting up an ambush on the way out. So Vash sent Jackie to collect from the Claws… and planned to fly back himself.
Let those Scavenger bastards eat shit.
❖❖❖
Hydroxyzine (N‑HYDROXYZINE): A strong allergy medicine that also works like a calming/sleepy pill.
Tramadol (TR2‑TRAMADOL): A painkiller in the opioid family (a "strong pain med" similar in style to morphine-type drugs, though weaker).
Desvenlafaxine (DESVENLAFAXINE): An antidepressant (a mood medicine).
Amoxapine (AMOXAPINE): An older antidepressant that can also act a bit like a heavy sedating/brain‑affecting medication.
Lactobacillus (R7‑LACTOBACILLIUS): A probiotic ("good bacteria") used for gut/digestion support.
Acetaminophen (ACETAMINOFEN): Tylenol / paracetamol — a common pain and fever medicine.
Bupropion (BUPROPION): An antidepressant that's often more energizing (also used for quitting smoking).
Hydroxyzine + tramadol + amoxapine can all make someone very drowsy or mentally "foggy". Tramadol especially can slow breathing, which is a big risk if she's already in shock/hypothermia. Tramadol, amoxapine, and bupropion can all raise seizure risk, especially if the person is stressed, injured, or has too much in their body. Tramadol + desvenlafaxine (and possibly other antidepressant-type meds) can sometimes trigger a dangerous reaction where the body basically overheats and malfunctions: confusion, sweating, shaking, fast heartbeat, rigid muscles. Acetaminophen is usually safe, but high total amounts can damage the liver, and the worst symptoms may appear later, not right away.
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That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)