Doc and Chow hauled up frantically. Tom’s face was contorted with pain when they finally got him aboard and stripped off his mask.
44 THE ELECTRONIC HYDROLUNG
“Oh! How awful!” Phyl gasped.
Sandy cradled Tom’s head in her lap, and Phyl held his hand sympathetically, while Doc Simpson injected a hypodermic to ease the pain.
Chow steered the launch back to shore, and Tom was rushed to the base infirmary in an ambulance.
Here he was placed in a decompression chamber for several hours and later transferred to a hospital bed. Bud Barclay came to visit him.
“We’re a fine couple of fish,” he said.
Tom chuckled wryly, “Live fish, anyhow.”
“In my case, thanks to you,” Bud said.
“Forget it, pal. The score’s about even, I should think,” Tom said, recalling the many life-or-death adventures they had shared.
Bud was thrilled to hear of Tom’s electronic hydrolung. The young inventor spent the evening sketching out an improved design to eliminate future accidents.
“I’ll install a special device to remove the nitrogen as the wearer exhales,”
Tom explained. “Then a valve will feed in helium to replace it. Since helium doesn’t dissolve in the blood like nitrogen does, it will not bubble out when the pressure is reduced. Should have thought of that before!”
“But you’ll need a tank for the helium, won’t you?” Bud objected.
Tom shook his head. “Enough can be com—
AERIAL ATTACK 45
pressed into a small capsule to supply the wearer’s needs. Remember, it can be used over and over again.”
“Pretty neat,” Bud commented.
By morning Tom felt thoroughly recovered. He insisted upon flying back to Enterprises to make the necessary changes in his hydrolung. Bud accompanied him, eager to get back on the job.
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