In the Intensive Care Unit of the local hospital the doctors on duty were stumped. 24 hours had passed since a Mr. Ryan Morris had been admitted and they were no closer to determining what had caused his condition or how to reverse it. The chief resident had made calls to the regional hospitals and the even the medical colleges for help. Mr. Morris’s body was working perfectly fine and showed no signs of any illness or trauma. Even his brain seemed to be in perfect condition. He wasn’t running a fever, there were no tumors or abscesses, besides for being a little out of shape he was in good health overall. On the surface there were no clues as to what caused his sudden seizure and coma.
It was a bit of a surprise then when the medical staff received a visitor from the Vatican, curious about the case. Dr. Lorenzo Benzini had impeccable credentials with degrees and fellowships from the finest medical schools in Europe. He was a giant in the field of Neurology despite the fact that he was also a priest. Dr. Benzini used all his well learned charm and knowledge to secure permission to inspect the patient. While it was a minor breach of protocol, the chief resident was desperate for any help he could receive.
Dr. Benzini asked for privacy as he reviewed the readings the different machines were giving out. When he was sure he was alone, he drew the curtain to block the view from the hallway and took a swab from inside Mr. Morris’s mouth to the back of his throat. He took the swab and dipped it into a small vial filled with an off color yellow liquid. As soon as the swab touched the liquid, it turned bright red. It was just as he had suspected when his google alert had alerted him to the case. “Stregorneria” the old priest muttered, “Sorcery.” Benzini pulled out his phone and made a call, “Your grace, its me,” his call had reached his intended recipient, “the warlock is here, and he has completed an intercision.” The person on the other end spoke briefly, before Benzini replied, “Then I shall await here for the hunters and exorcise the evil that is here.” Benzini hung up the phone and left the hospital exchanging some polite words with the staff doctors on his way out before heading to the local cathedral.