{"id":1032,"date":"2022-01-17T19:27:25","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T01:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=1032"},"modified":"2022-01-17T19:27:25","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T01:27:25","slug":"part3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode12\/part3\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 12: \u00a0Mr. Body Beautiful<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 3<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

The bright lights of the infirmary faded as the yellow Beetle flew into the black cavern of K\u2019s left nostril. With a soft bump, Nick felt the tires hit the ground. Next, he heard a harsh, metallic scraping sound, which he attributed to Red\u2019s tweezers releasing the car from their grip. He twisted around in his seat to see her humongous hand retreating from the hole through which they had entered. By the time he turned back around to face forward again, the car\u2019s automatic headlights had come on, adjusting to the sudden darkness. Nick\u2019s jaw dropped as he took a look around.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow…\u201d<\/p>\n

If he hadn\u2019t known better, he would have thought they were parked inside a large, pink cave. The walls were smooth, shiny, and reddish in color. They were covered in narrow black spikes, which Nick realized were K\u2019s nose hairs. He had even more than Di-Crapio did. Clinging to them here and there were big clumps of lumpy beige gunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is that stuff?\u201d he started to ask, and then it hit him. \u201cUh-oh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoogers!\u201d Jay and Styx both cried as they stared out the windshield. \u201cAghhh!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly K doesn\u2019t pick his nose often enough,\u201d said Nick, snickering as he snapped a picture with his phone, which had been in his back pocket when he was shrunk.<\/p>\n

Jay looked over at him with disgust. \u201cDoes that mean you do<\/em> pick your nose?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick shrugged. \u201cDoesn\u2019t everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDude\u2026 remind me never to touch anything he\u2019s touched without thoroughly disinfecting it first,\u201d Styx said to Jay, who gave an emphatic nod of agreement.<\/p>\n

But Nick wasn\u2019t embarrassed. Obviously he was the only one in the car being honest about his bad habits. Then he remembered that two of his favorite Carter Girls could hear everything they were saying through Pearl\u2019s three-way communication feed. He glanced down at the computer screen embedded in the dashboard to see Red Jewel giggling with her hand over her mouth on one side while Pearl shook her head on the other. Now she really wouldn\u2019t want him to put his hands on anything in her lab, including her<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026 I guess we should get a move on,\u201d said Jay, turning the key in the ignition to start the car\u2019s engine. \u201cThe sooner we find and deactivate the bomb, the sooner we can get the hell out of here. Bug, do your stuff!\u201d As the engine sprang to life, he shifted into drive and moved his foot to the accelerator.<\/p>\n

Nick expected to feel the car roll forward, but nothing happened.<\/p>\n

Frowning, Jay pushed the pedal to the floor. The engine revved. The tires squealed. But still, the car remained in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you forget to take off the parking brake?\u201d Nick asked, looking down between the two front seats. But no, the parking brake was pushed all the way down in the off position.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026 I think we\u2019re stuck.\u201d Jay\u2019s eyes darted from Nick to Styx in the back seat. \u201cOne of you is gonna have to get out and see what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, since I can\u2019t even get out of this small-ass car without one of you getting out first, it needs to be Nick,\u201d said Styx.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Nick agreed without an argument. Secretly, he was excited to explore K\u2019s nasal cavity on foot.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the spirit, Carter!\u201d Jay cheered him on. \u201cTake chances. Make mistakes. Get messy!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut maybe don\u2019t make mistakes on this<\/em> mission.\u201d Pearl\u2019s voice crackled through the car\u2019s speaker. \u201cOtherwise, K will kill you — if you don\u2019t kill him first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll try not to,\u201d Nick promised. \u201cBut God \u2018nose\u2019<\/em> I\u2019m probably gonna get messy poking around this place!\u201d<\/p>\n

The others groaned when they caught his terrible pun. \u201cCar<\/em>-ter!\u201d<\/p>\n

He just laughed as he reached for the door handle to let himself out. It was hard to push the door open. A powerful wind whistled through the cavern, changing direction every few seconds as K inhaled and exhaled.<\/p>\n

As soon as Nick climbed out of the car, his feet sank into what felt like mud. Looking down, he realized he was standing knee-deep in K\u2019s mucus. He tried to lift his right foot, then his left, but the yellowish slime was too thick. He couldn\u2019t move!<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Jay!\u201d he called. \u201cI\u2019m stuck!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay rolled down the window. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said I\u2019m stuck! The car, too!\u201d Now he knew why they weren\u2019t going anywhere. All four tires were totally submerged. The mucus seemed to be slowly sucking up the small Beetle.<\/p>\n

Unbuckling, Jay crawled across the front seat and stuck his head out the window. He looked down, then up at Nick again. \u201cDamn. That is disgusting<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, dude; now get me out!<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll try — but it\u2019s \u2018snot\u2019<\/em> going to be easy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Styx shook his head. \u201cWill you two stop it with the stupid puns?! At my old job, we never joked around while we worked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, your old job sounds boring,\u201d Nick snapped at his shadow agent. \u201cRed? Pearl? A little help here, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the open window, he could hear the two Carter Girls discussing the best course of action. \u201cI could try to loosen the car with my tweezers,\u201d Red said, \u201cbut Nick\u2019s too tiny. I can\u2019t even see him with my naked eye; I\u2019m worried I would crush him!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d replied Pearl. \u201cI have a solution! Just put the car in hovercraft mode and use it to pull Nick out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a hovercraft, too?!\u201d Nick cried. \u201cPearly, have I told you lately that I love you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The camera caught the faint blush that flooded Pearl\u2019s cheeks, but she brushed his sentiments aside. \u201cOf course it\u2019s a hovercraft!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s a Bug<\/em>gercraft!\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n

Even as she rolled her eyes at him, Pearl couldn\u2019t hide her smile. \u201cJust hit the round button that looks like a fan, Jay, and you can blow this joint.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean, \u2018blow this nose<\/em>,\u2019\u201d said Nick with a grin.<\/p>\n

Everyone groaned again. \u201cCar<\/em>-ter!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay found the button Pearl had described on the dashboard console. \u201cI thought this controlled the air conditioning,\u201d he said, chuckling as he pushed it.<\/p>\n

Nick heard a dull humming sound and watched in amazement as a big propeller popped out of a panel in the back of the Beetle and began to spin. Slowly, the car rose out of the slime.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, grab my hand!\u201d Jay called, reaching out to Nick. Nick took hold of his arm with both hands as the car hovered just above the layer of mucus. \u201cHang on tight!\u201d Jay tried to accelerate again, and this time, the car lurched forward, jerking Nick right out of his flippers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy flippers!\u201d he shouted as he floated barefoot across the surface of the snot. \u201cI lost my flippers!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForget the flippers! Get in here!\u201d Jay helped hoist Nick through the open window. They both slumped back into their seats, breathing hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow my feet are all sticky,\u201d Nick whined, wiping them off on Pearl\u2019s floor mat.<\/p>\n

Jay ignored him. \u201cWe\u2019re free from the phlegm! Thanks, Pearl! Red, where are we heading next?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, you\u2019ll follow this passage all the way back to the pharynx, which is the part of the throat behind the nasal cavity,\u201d Red explained, pointing it out on a diagram she had pulled from one of her medical textbooks. She held it up to the camera so they could see the path she had drawn as she plotted their course from K\u2019s nostril to his heart. \u201cThe pharynx carries food to the esophagus and air to the trachea. It contains a flap called the epiglottis, which closes during swallowing to prevent food from going down the wrong pipe. When you come to the epiglottis, you\u2019ll want to pass through the open flap, which will take you to the trachea. Otherwise, you\u2019ll go down the esophagus and end up in K\u2019s stomach instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn other words, don\u2019t miss our exit,\u201d said Jay with a nervous chuckle. \u201cThanks for being our GPS.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red smiled. \u201cHappy to help navigate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing someone \u2018nose\u2019<\/em> where we\u2019re going!\u201d Nick chimed in gleefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive it up, Carter; it wasn\u2019t funny the first two times,\u201d he heard Leo complain, but Red and Lancy still laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least some<\/em> people like my jokes, which is more than I can say about yours, Lame-onardo!\u201d he called back. \u201cMaybe when we\u2019re done here, we can go inside you to look for your sense of humor. But I guess we would fail at that mission; we\u2019d never find it because it doesn\u2019t exist!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, leave him alone, Nick,\u201d Jay chided gently. \u201cLet\u2019s just stay focused on this<\/em> mission, alright? I\u2019m gonna need your full attention to make sure we don\u2019t miss that flap Red was talking about. Can you keep an eye out for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick nodded. \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat. Seatbelts, everyone!\u201d With a click, Jay refastened his belt, and Nick followed suit. \u201cTo the trachea!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Standing in front of the infirmary\u2019s video screen with her arms crossed, Red Jewel watched nervously as the Beetle made its way to the back of K\u2019s throat. Pearl had added another feed from a camera mounted on the front of her car, so they could all see what Jay\u2019s team saw inside K. To Red, it looked like the view she had during laparoscopic procedures, when she inserted a long cable with a camera on the end through a small opening to explore the body without creating a large incision. She was in control then. But this time, she felt helpless. All she could do from her current vantage point was watch and wait.<\/p>\n

She alternated between observing the mission\u2019s progress and monitoring her patient. K\u2019s vital signs remained stable as he rested in a state of semiconsciousness. She kept an especially close eye on his heart rate and respiration, ready to intervene if he showed signs of distress. Depending on how long the mission took, he might need another dose of the sedative to keep him from waking up, but too much could cause him to stop breathing.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s Kevin doing?\u201d Brian asked. He kept his voice casual, but she could hear the quaver of concern in it. Of course he was worried — they all were, but this was K\u2019s cousin. He had known him all his life. The fear of losing him had to be weighing even heavier on The Rok than on the rest of them.<\/p>\n

Red glanced up at the bedside monitor, noting the numbers on it. All were within the normal range. \u201cHe\u2019s good,\u201d she replied firmly, watching the cardiac waveform, which showed K\u2019s heart beating in a regular sinus rhythm. \u201cSo far, everything\u2019s going according to plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian nodded, his lips pressed into a tight smile. \u201cLet\u2019s pray it stays that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Nick held his breath during the perilous descent down K\u2019s nasal passage. He hated the bouncy feeling of turbulence created by air collecting under Pearl\u2019s car-turned-hovercraft. It was almost as bad as flying.<\/p>\n

He inhaled sharply as a gust of wind seemed to grab the tiny vehicle, flinging it upwards like a pizza chef tossing dough. He felt his butt fly off his seat when the Buggercraft suddenly dropped again, his lap belt catching him hard across the middle.<\/p>\n

He heard Jay chuckle. \u201cYou okay, Carter? You\u2019re awfully quiet over there all of a sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick let out a nervous laugh. \u201cYeah\u2026 all good.\u201d His heart hammered in his throat. He swallowed hard and hitched in another deep breath. \u201cYeah, I\u2019m free\u2026 free falling,\u201d<\/em> he sang softly, both to help himself calm down and because he knew Jay would expect nothing less of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your eyes peeled for that flap Red told us about,\u201d Jay warned him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt should be coming up ahead of you,\u201d Red advised as the steep tunnel they had been traveling down seemed to level out.<\/p>\n

Nick looked around, expecting to see some sort of doorway in the shiny, pink walls of the cavern, but there was nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait,\u201d said Styx suddenly, leaning forward and poking his head between the two front seats. \u201cIs that it up there?\u201d He pointed through the windshield.<\/p>\n

Following the trajectory of his finger, Nick spotted a flesh-colored protrusion that looked like it could be some kind of trap door installed in the ceiling. It was positioned over the mouth of a dark tunnel, which seemed to have been built on top of a ledge. Beneath the ledge was a second tunnel, even darker and narrower than the one above it.<\/p>\n

Red\u2019s face filled her side of the screen as she leaned closer to the monitor in her infirmary, studying the video feed from the front of the Bug. \u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d she confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut which one do we take?\u201d Nick asked, eyeing the two tunnels. One had to be the esophagus, the other the trachea, but he couldn\u2019t tell which was which.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want the one on top,\u201d said Red, to his relief. It was the wider of the two.<\/p>\n

But his relief was short-lived. As they approached the tunnels, Nick saw the trapdoor start to lower over the entrance to the trachea. \u201cFloor it!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

Jay slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and the Bug shot forward like a bullet, bounding up and over the ledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cMust go faster\u2026 must go faster,\u201d Styx chanted from the back seat as they raced toward the rapidly shrinking opening.<\/p>\n

Nick closed his eyes and tried to brace himself for a collision, but the car ducked under the door just in time. When he opened his eyes again, they were inside the pitch-black tunnel, brightened only by the beams of their headlights. He let out the breath he had been holding in a shaky sigh, his whole body trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhew\u2026 that was close.\u201d Even Jay sounded rattled that time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must have triggered the swallowing reflex,\u201d said Red. \u201cK\u2019s body thought you were food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I am quite the snack — right, Jewel?\u201d Nick joked, feeling more relaxed now that they were out of harm\u2019s way and, for the time being, back on solid ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot now, Nick, we\u2019re working!\u201d she hissed, her cheeks blushing bright pink.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right, though,\u201d he heard Lancy say in the background. \u201cI\u2019d like to nibble on that delicious piece of–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTHAT\u2019S ENOUGH, LANCY!\u201d Nick said loudly, drowning out the rest of Lancy\u2019s sentence. He felt his own face flush.<\/p>\n

On the other side of the split-screen, Brian raised his eyebrows at Pearl. \u201cDon\u2019t y\u2019all have a sexual harassment policy in your workplace?\u201d<\/p>\n

She sighed. \u201cIt\u2019s not enforced as much as it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the Bug made its way down the long tube, Nick looked around. The walls of this tunnel had a different texture than the cavity they\u2019d been in before. They were ribbed with ridges, like the bendable part of a drinking straw. It was even more blustery inside. He could hear the wind whistling through the tunnel and feel it rocking the car, blowing them forward whenever K breathed in and backward when he breathed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich way, Red?\u201d asked Jay when they came to a fork in the road. The wide tunnel split into two smaller tunnels, one veering off to the right, the other to the left.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhichever one you want,\u201d the doctor replied. \u201cThey\u2019re both bronchial tubes, which lead to the lungs. It doesn\u2019t matter which lung you go into; you can get to the bloodstream through either one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay glanced at Nick. \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged. \u201cRight feels\u2026 right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was gonna go left, but okay. Right it is.\u201d Jay turned the wheel toward Nick, taking them into the right bronchial tube.<\/p>\n

This smaller tunnel seemed to narrow the further they traveled down it. To Nick, it felt like the walls were closing in on them. He started seeing openings in them as the tunnel branched off in different directions. \u201cAll the vampires\u2026 walking through the valley,\u201d<\/em> he sang softly, \u201cmove west\u2026 down\u2026 Ventura Boulevard. And all the bad\u2026 boys\u2026 are standing in the shadows\u2026 and the good\u2026 girls\u2026 are home with broken hearts…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re getting into the bronchioles now,\u201d said Red. \u201cYou can follow any of them to the alveoli, the air sacs where oxygen gets absorbed into the blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just when Nick began to worry that they would get stuck in the increasingly tight space, the tunnel suddenly opened up into a spacious, spherical room. \u201cWhoa!\u201d he gasped, gazing around the chamber. The curved walls were pink and cushiony. He wanted to jump out of the car and hurl himself into one to see if he bounced back off it.<\/p>\n

Styx leaned forward to get a better look through the windshield. \u201cWhere are we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick could hear the wind howling louder than ever outside his window. \u201cI think this is K\u2019s lung,\u201d he said, listening to the whoosh of air.<\/p>\n

Jay snickered. \u201cThink he\u2019d kill me if I had a smoke in here? I sure could use one right about now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick laughed, too. \u201cHe definitely would if we don\u2019t end up killing him first. But we\u2019re so tiny, I doubt one cigarette would do much damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl\u2019s voice came through the speakers: \u201cJay, if you light a cigarette in my car, I\u2019ll<\/em> kill you before K gets the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Pearl; I don\u2019t have any with me anyway. I left my pack in your lab, in the pocket of my pants,\u201d he said with a sigh. \u201cAh well\u2026 might as well keep going. How are we gonna get out of here, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe walls of the alveoli are really thin. You should be able to go right through them to get to the capillaries on the other side,\u201d replied Red.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo through the walls?\u201d Jay repeated. \u201cWow\u2026 we\u2019re gonna be like Harry Potter going to Platform Nine and Three Quarters!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh god\u2026\u201d Leo groaned. \u201cNot another Harry Potter reference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red giggled. \u201cBest do it at a bit of a run, if you\u2019re nervous,\u201d she said in a passable British accent.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut don\u2019t forget to put my baby in submarine mode before you get into the bloodstream,\u201d added Pearl.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich button do I push for that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one with the music note on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d Jay chuckled. \u201cI thought that was for the radio. Why a music note?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPush it, and you\u2019ll find out,\u201d was Pearl\u2019s mysterious reply.<\/p>\n

Jay sucked in a deep breath. \u201cHere goes nothing. Bug, do your stuff!\u201d Gripping the wheel tightly, he pushed the pedal to the floor and sped toward the pink wall. A second before they reached it, he punched the button as Nick closed his eyes, preparing for a crash.<\/p>\n

But the crash never came. The car passed through the wall as if it were made of paper, and as it emerged on the other side, a Beatles song began to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the town where I was born<\/em>
\nlived a man who sailed to sea.<\/em>
\nAnd he told us of his life<\/em>
\nin the land of submarines.<\/em>
\nSo we sailed on to the sun,<\/em>
\n\u2018til we found the sea of green.<\/em>
\nAnd we lived beneath the waves<\/em>
\nin our yellow submarine\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPearly! Yes!\u201d Nick shouted, punching his fist in the air as his eyes flew open. He found himself in a completely different world. The car hurtled through a thin tube that reminded him of a water slide. The enclosed walls were pale purple, almost translucent, though they were traveling too fast for him to see anything through them. In front of them was a line of what looked like red innertubes, moving single file through the tube. \u201cWow\u2026 the bloodstream!\u201d<\/p>\n

But that wasn\u2019t all: Pearl\u2019s Beetle had been transformed, too. Looking out his window, he saw fins protruding from where the wheels had been. A periscope had lowered itself from a panel in the ceiling between the two front seats. The other end must have popped up out of the roof, for when Nick put his eye to the lens, he could see above it. Two more propellers were turning where there used to be taillights, powering the yellow submarine — no, Bug<\/em>marine — through the capillary.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is pretty amazing, Pearl,\u201d Jay agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo is this view!\u201d said Red, her eyes growing larger as she gazed at her screen. \u201cAre you guys seeing this?\u201d The blood vessel gradually widened, allowing more and more particles to pass through it at once. \u201cRed blood cells, white blood cells, platelets\u2026 Isn\u2019t it beautiful?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick laughed. \u201cOnly you would be this mesmerized by blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beside her, Leo made a face. \u201cI\u2019m fine with it as long as it stays inside the body.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAww, are you a little squeamish, Di-Crapio?\u201d Nick teased him. \u201cMaybe you should sit the rest of this one out.\u201d He hated the thought of that guy hanging around Red. It was bad enough that he\u2019d already dug his hooks into Diamond.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine with you staying inside K\u2019s body, too, Carter,\u201d Leo fired back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough!\u201d shouted Jay, sounding remarkably like K. \u201cQuit bickering! We need to concentrate. We\u2019re in the circulatory system now, which means we should be coming to his heart soon — right, Red?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d she confirmed. \u201cYou\u2019re heading there now with the newly-oxygenated blood cells. You\u2019ll enter the left atrium and pass through the mitral valve into the left ventricle, which will pump you back out into the aorta. Then you\u2019ll circulate through K\u2019s body before coming back to his heart, but this time on the right side. That\u2019s where–\u201d<\/p>\n

The rest of her words were drowned out by an ominous drumming sound, which grew louder and louder with each passing second. Lub-dub\u2026 lub-DUB\u2026 LUB-DUB\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Nick looked at Jay. \u201cDo you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cThe heart\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Styx stuck his head between their seats to get a better look as the three of them stared out the windshield, waiting. Nick held his breath as they approached K\u2019s heart. From their vantage point, all they could see was a dark, gaping hole at the end of the tube they were traveling through. Each heartbeat was deafening; they could hear nothing else. The current seemed to be picking up, carrying them faster and faster the closer they got to the heart.<\/p>\n

As they passed through the hole, Nick caught a glimpse of a cavernous chamber. But before he could get a good look, the submarine was suddenly pitched forward. He heard Jay and Styx scream as he felt himself flying backward against his seat.<\/p>\n

Ahead, he saw another opening, only this one was covered by two large doors that closed like a pair of snapping jaws. As they hurtled toward it, completely out of Jay\u2019s control, the doors opened wide. Nick cringed, expecting them to close again before the amphibious car could clear them, but they stayed open long enough for the Bug to be sucked through. A split second later, they slammed shut, narrowly missing the propellers.<\/p>\n

As they entered the next chamber, the whole vehicle vibrated with the force of another heartbeat, which sounded like a sonic boom and felt like an earthquake. The current shifted, and the Bugmarine rolled sideways as it was swept out of the chamber through a different hole. Nick closed his eyes and clung to his seat, silently praying for it to be over. He felt like he was on a rollercoaster ride straight to Hell.<\/p>\n

Finally, the turbulence calmed, and the current slowed down, the thunderous heartbeats fading as the car drifted further away from the heart. Nick opened his eyes and peeked at Jay, who was pale white and looked like he wanted to throw up. \u201cEveryone alright?\u201d he asked, glancing back at Styx, who appeared just as shaken.<\/p>\n

They both nodded. \u201cThat was way worse than I thought it would be,\u201d Jay admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d asked Pearl, frowning. \u201cYour camera feed cut out for a second.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey just passed through the left side of the heart,\u201d said Red. \u201cIt looked like a rough ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s an understatement,\u201d Nick replied, forcing a shaky laugh. \u201cIt felt like we were caught in a hurricane!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow the hell are we supposed to deactivate a bomb in there?\u201d Jay demanded. \u201cEven if we could get to it, there\u2019s no way we would be able to do that kind of intricate work in those conditions. I couldn\u2019t tell which way was up or down, let alone which wire to cut. This is a fucking disaster!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick wasn\u2019t used to hearing Jay sound so defeated. He was always so confident and cool-headed, even in a crisis. It was one of the qualities that made him a good agent and leader. If Jay didn\u2019t think they could do it, the mission was doomed.<\/p>\n

That meant K was doomed, too.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Red Jewel\u2019s mind raced as her eyes darted around the room, from the nervous faces of her friends on the video screen to the motionless body of her boss on the bed. It was hard to wrap her head around the fact that Nick, Jay, and Styx were circulating through K\u2019s bloodstream, even though she was the one who had navigated them there.<\/p>\n

Ever since Pearl had suggested using the shrink ray, Red had been so focused on plotting a course to K\u2019s heart that she hadn\u2019t stopped to consider how difficult it would be for them to disarm the bomb embedded inside it while it was beating. In hindsight, it seemed obvious that the turbulence created by each contraction of the heart would be too intense to work in. Why hadn\u2019t she thought of that before?<\/p>\n

Jay was right: This was a disaster.<\/p>\n

Lancy was all in a dither. \u201cWhat are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?!\u201d he cried frantically, flapping his hands as he paced in his pink-striped pinafore.<\/p>\n

Red felt her face heat up as her own heart began to hammer against her ribs. Through the pounding of blood in her ears, she heard Pearl say, \u201cCouldn\u2019t you slow down K\u2019s heart rate, Red? That would give them more time between beats to get their bearings. They could use the Bug\u2019s built-in grappling hook to anchor themselves to the heart and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Red nodded slowly as she considered the plan. \u201cI could, but it would only buy them an extra second or so — not enough time to reach the bomb.\u201d She could only think of one way to get around the problem, but it was so drastic, she was afraid to suggest it as a possible solution.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to stop his heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Brian who said what she had been thinking. Pearl\u2019s eyes widened as she jerked her head toward him. On the other side of the split-screen, Nick and Jay reacted the same way. Red looked around the infirmary: judging by their expressions, Leo, Lancy, and Archie were just as stunned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do it in open-heart surgery, right?\u201d Brian continued. His face was somber, his voice surprisingly calm. \u201cStop the heart so they can repair it\u2026 then restart it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d she replied, her mind racing again. \u201cBut that requires the use of cardiopulmonary bypass — a heart-lung machine to keep oxygenated blood circulating while the heart is still. We don\u2019t have that kind of equipment here, nor the personnel needed to run it. This is an infirmary, not an operating room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCould you call the hospital?\u201d Jay suggested. \u201cHave them do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

She considered this option. Himitsu Takana had a secret arrangement with the closest trauma center, which had agreed to accept and treat critical cases that she was incapable of handling on her own, no questions asked. But they had never had to use it, and she wasn\u2019t sure now was the best time to start. They wouldn\u2019t just be putting K\u2019s life in a different pair of hands; they would also be putting an entire hospital full of innocent people in the line of fire. If something went wrong, and the bomb exploded\u2026 Red shook her head. They couldn\u2019t take that kind of risk. But she didn\u2019t see how they would succeed without some degree of danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s another way,\u201d she said reluctantly. \u201cWe could induce cardiac arrest without bypass, but it won\u2019t give you much more time — a few minutes at most. Would that be enough time to take out the bomb?\u201d<\/p>\n

Slowly, Pearl nodded. \u201cIt\u2019ll be tight, but I think we could work within that window. We know where the bomb is, and once we have eyes on it, it shouldn\u2019t take long to defuse it. What do you think, Jay?\u201d<\/p>\n

He hesitated. \u201cI dunno\u2026 maybe I should just go to Vegas and turn myself in to Rough. That\u2019s what he really wants, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way, dude,\u201d said Nick, shaking his head. \u201cYou\u2019re not gonna give him what he wants. We don\u2019t negotiate with terrorists, which is exactly what he and Drums are. They\u2019re trying to terrorize us. We can\u2019t let them get away with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate to admit it, but\u2026 I agree with Carter,\u201d said Leo. Red saw Nick raise his eyebrows, mirroring her own shocked expression. \u201cIf K wanted you to go to Vegas, he would have sent you himself. We have to follow his orders and finish this mission the way he wanted us to. Sure, Red\u2019s plan sounds risky, but we\u2019re all a bunch of risk-takers, aren\u2019t we? We wouldn\u2019t be here right now if we weren\u2019t. So I say we go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just wanna see me die, don\u2019t you, Di-Crapio?\u201d Nick muttered, rolling his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not you I\u2019m worried about,\u201d Red admitted. \u201cIt\u2019s K. Without circulation, his brain will be deprived of oxygen. It only takes four minutes without oxygen for permanent brain damage to occur, followed by death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cSo\u2026 what you\u2019re saying is… we\u2019ve only got four minutes to save the world?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shrugged. \u201cTo save K, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what are we waiting for? Time is wasting!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHang on a second,\u201d said Jay, holding up his hand. \u201cK hasn\u2019t consented to this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can\u2019t consent; he\u2019s unconscious,\u201d Leo inserted matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but nobody said anything about stopping his heart before he was sedated. If we can\u2019t wake him up to ask him what he wants, then we should at least ask his next of kin for consent. Which, I guess in this case, would be his cousin, The Rok. What do you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian\u2019s steely blue eyes stared straight at the screen. \u201cI say we do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 4<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 12: \u00a0Mr. Body Beautiful Part 3   The bright lights of the infirmary faded as the yellow Beetle flew into the black cavern of K\u2019s left nostril. With a soft bump, Nick felt the tires hit the ground. Next, he heard a harsh, metallic scraping sound, which he attributed\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1005,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1032","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-gE","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1032"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1033,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1032\/revisions\/1033"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}