It took most of the afternoon for Kraft to help David V settle on a treatment plan. Then he set up the Ether Production Device in the clinic's backyard.
The whole fragile contraption had been brought here earlier in a Velvet-lined Box so they could make the ether on demand. They had chosen the location with safety in mind: it was best not to perform an operation with a risk of explosion indoors beside the wards.
Having learned enough lessons the hard way, they could be certain of one thing: the most reliable solution wasn't to perfect the process or improve the technology. It was to have a sturdy table, good ventilation, and somewhere to take cover if necessary.
So they had put up a canopy in the yard, where they could bring the equipment out whenever they needed to work.
Green watched as Kraft added Green Powder bought from the Ink Shop to a vessel. He heated it until it turned red, distilled the pungent gas as it bubbled through water, then concentrated it and mixed it with some strong liquor before heating it again.
The transparent glass apparatus made the entire process easy to see. The clear liquid was poured back and forth, then finally concentrated until there was just enough to fill a small bottle.
There were no strange symbols, no ritual gestures, and no suspicious materials. As far as the process went, it was cleaner than anything those alchemists did. It involved no arcane elements or theories about souls and bodies, either.
The only thing they could question was its reliability. That was answered after Kraft demonstrated a case of Artificial Pneumothorax under general anesthesia.
"Does it work like this for everyone?" Green picked up the small bottle and watched the liquid cling to and run