Chapter 3
London pulled into the familiar visitor parking lot of Mercy Hospital, the worn asphalt and faded paint lines a nostalgic reminder of his time as a medical student. He knew the layout well, the best parking spots, the quickest route to the ER lounge.
"Stella!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine warmth. "You look amazing! Have you lost weight?"
Stella, the elderly receptionist, beamed with pride. "Hey, Doc. Yeah, I've switched to zero-calorie drinks and dropped a few pounds." She stood up, striking a pose, and London couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, I'm off to see Allan. See you around," he said, blowing her a kiss.
"If only I were forty or fifty years younger..." Stella muttered, a wistful smile playing on her lips.
"If you were, the line would be so long, I wouldn't have a chance," London replied, grinning as he slipped through the employee entrance, his old student ID still granting him access.
Walking through the familiar hospital halls, London chuckled at the sight of new interns, lost and bewildered like mice in a maze. He navigated the labyrinthine corridors with the confidence of a seasoned pro.
He entered the doctors' lounge, finding Allan lounging on a leather couch, sipping coffee and scrolling through his phone.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the prodigal son," Allan teased. "They let just anyone in here these days."
"They never deactivated me after that tornado a few years back," London explained. "Linda in HR likes to keep me on the books as a consultant. Makes emergency paperwork easier."
"So, what brings you here? Bike accident?" Allan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ugh, not the helmet question again. You know I'd never ride without one after seeing what happens in this ER," London replied, a shiver running down his spine.
"So, you and the gang went to the bike park cave, and you took a tumble?" Allan asked, the clinical tone masking his concern.
"Yeah, something like that," London said, glossing over the details of his harrowing fall.
"Did you get checked out by a medic?" Allan inquired.
"I was, but I'd like a few scans on my brain, just to check for any swelling or something. I've been seeing some weird spots in my vision," London explained, trying to find a plausible reason for his strange hallucinations.
"Give me a sec," Allan said, pulling out his phone. "It just so happens the MRI is free this hour, and Willy's doing some calibration scans. What a coincidence."
As they walked to the imaging department, London and Allan caught up on hospital gossip. Once they reached the MRI room, London changed into a gown and lay down inside the machine. Allan watched the scans, a curious expression on his face.
"Calibration scans are done, and you look perfect," Allan said through the intercom. "You look exactly like the examples of perfect health in the guidebook."
London, still in the gown, joined Allan in the control room. He scrolled through the brain scans, searching for any abnormalities. But there was nothing.
"Well, I guess I'm glad I didn't admit myself for nothing," London said with a sigh of relief.
"I've never seen someone so down after a full bill of health," Allan teased, poking London in the ribs.
"You know how it is," London replied, slipping on his shoes. "Looking for answers with no clues."
"Well, thanks, Doc. I'm off to the bike park. Maybe I can actually injure myself this time," London joked, waving goodbye.
As he walked through the hospital, he passed a nurse pushing a patient down the hall. The young boy had a broken ankle, his foot twisted at an unnatural angle. A strange overlay appeared in London's vision, displaying the boy's health status: "Health 35%."
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He blinked, trying to shake off the vision, but the numbers persisted. A sense of urgency washed over him. He knew he had to help the boy. With a thought, he focused on the boy's injury. A surge of energy flowed through him, and the boy's foot snapped back into place. The health status changed to "100%" and then disappeared.
The boy stopped moaning and sat up, looking confused. The nurse was stunned.
London stood there, his mind racing. He had just witnessed something extraordinary, something impossible. A power, a gift, a curse, he didn't know. But one thing was certain: his life had changed forever.
"Come to the ER with me," London insisted, his voice urgent.
"Look, there's nothing wrong with you. Go ride with your friends and have fun," Allan said, a concerned look on his face.
"Just come with me," London pleaded, his voice low and serious.
"Fine, but you have five minutes, then I'm going home to sleep," Allan agreed, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
London walked into the crowded ER waiting room, his eyes scanning the room. He could instantly identify the injured, their ailments clear to him.
"Allan, I bet you a bottle of Pappy I can clear this room in five minutes," London said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"I can too, just give them a hundred bucks each to go home," Allan replied, a common joke among ER staff.
"That guy with the broken collarbone wouldn't leave for a thousand dollars without pain meds," London pointed out, referring to a man clutching his chest and rocking back and forth.
"How...?" Allan asked, stunned.
London focused on each patient, a number appearing above their heads, indicating their health status. With a silent command, he activated his newfound power, healing each one.
Allan's jaw dropped as the patients, one by one, stood up and left the waiting room, their ailments miraculously cured. Only one patient remained, a woman writhing in pain, convinced she was dying.
"That one doesn't count," London muttered, "I can't cure crazy, I guess."
A notification appeared in his vision: "Ding! You have reached Level 2, 2 stat points awarded, current stat points available 4."
"Did you hear that?" London asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Hear what? That woman rolling around like she's dying? Or what did you just do? Is this some kind of setup?" Allan asked, his confusion evident.
"Okay, it's just in my head," London said, trying to calm himself. "Take me to the ICU."
Allan, still bewildered, led London to the ICU. As they walked, London mumbled something about “I have to make the numbers go away!”
They walked through the ICU, a maze of rooms filled with patients. London, with his newfound ability, scanned the room, identifying those in need. He focused on each patient, silently healing their ailments.
As the healing energy flowed, patients began to stir. Those who were awake stood up, their illnesses miraculously cured. Nurse call lights flashed and alarms blared, the nurses overwhelmed by the sudden recovery of their patients.
"What... you couldn't have organized this," Allan stammered, his jaw dropped. He had just rushed a patient into surgery for a burst gallbladder, only to find the patient, now fully recovered, dancing in their room.
"I need to go to the clinic," London said, rushing out of the ICU.
"What, how did you do that? Answer me!" Allan exclaimed, following his friend.
London paused, pulling up the weird log window in his vision, scrolling back to the very first line "Cadium Procured, One unit consumed," he read aloud with amazement.
The realization dawned on him. The Cadium, the mysterious substance that had awakened his powers, was the source of his extraordinary abilities. His prayers were finally answered, he could keep them all alive now!
"We can talk later, I have to go to the clinic NOW!" Allan shouted, breaking free from London's grasp. He sprinted out of the hospital, weaving through traffic as he raced to Hughes Cancer Group.
Bursting into the building, he rushed up the stairs, healing every patient he encountered. The waiting room was a scene of chaos, patients who had been suffering for months suddenly feeling a surge of energy.
Allan reached the chemotherapy ward, but the door was locked. Frustrated, he peered through the window, healing the patients inside. He slumped onto a nearby sofa, his mind racing.
“I can heal them, but cannot cure it… How is that fair???” London says quietly to himself as chaos stars all around him with disbelieving Cancer Patients all the sudden feeling much better.
A news report blared from the television, capturing London's attention.
"BREAKING NEWS! Some are calling it the Cadium Miracle at Mercy Hospital in Bentonville, Arkansas. We have reports of over a dozen sick and injured people instantly cured. Our onsite reporter, Bob Greengas, is on the scene, Bob?" the news anchor announced, a look of excitement on her face.
The screen switched to a reporter standing outside the hospital. "Excuse me, Doctor, can you tell us more about what just happened here at Mercy?" the reporter asked a nurse.
"I... I don't know. I've worked here for over a decade, and I've never seen anything like this. All of our patients just walked out, completely healthy, no matter their ailment. The only thing I can tell you is that someone mentioned the word 'Cadium,'" the nurse replied, her voice filled with confusion.
"You heard it here first on LIGHTNING NEWS 8, THE FASTEST NEWS WITHOUT THE WAIT!" the reporter exclaimed, before the screen returned to the telenovela.
London sat there, stunned. His secrets are out in the open. The horrible feeling of not being able to cure the disease compounded now with the impending doom of his secret exposed on live Television.