Page 280 - Demo

280%u201cOkay. She%u2019s not under but about in the right place,%u201d Henry declared.%u201cHazel. Toe test, please.%u201d Cecil instructed her. %u201cKatie, please check the door%u2019s locked.%u201dHe waited to see Hazel prick Matilda%u2019s toe. She didn%u2019t jerk as such, but there was a muted whelp from her mouth. %u201cUm...%u201d Cecil said. %u201cPush it in all the way.%u201dHazel did and there was a deep groan of misery from Matilda. %u201cOkay. Take it out, Hazel. Henry, she%u2019s too deeply out of it. I want her to the state where she is more aware but more or less immobile. The needle did not cause enough of a reaction.%u201dHenry adjusted the gas and nodded at Hazel who pushed the needle in again. Matilda never moved her foot but her eyes opened and she let out a muted kind of gurgling scream.%u201cThat%u2019s more like it. Hazel, push it all the way in and keep wiggling it until I say stop.%u201d Cecil instructed her. Matilda opened her mouth and in a mumbling, urgent, frightened voice said, %u201cI see devils. They%u2019re taking me to hell. Please, no!%u201dCecil whispered in Matilda%u2019s ear. %u201cYou%u2019re just dreaming. I%u2019m about to do an insertion. I think you will have missed it and you will enjoy it.%u201d He looked at Hazel and said, %u201cGood. Take it out.%u201dAs Hazel did as instructed, and Matilda closed her eyes again, Cecil put his hands into his pocket and brought something out. He called his team over. %u201cI took these from the canteen and cut one of them. They are the proverbial straws. Each of you pick one.%u201dReluctantly, they all did. Katie looked at the shorter straw in her hand and went white. She looked up at everyone as Hazel went to the end of the operating table and pulled with all her strength to open The Surgeon