---=Chapter 61: I'll Make It Quick---=

I woke up on the dirt patch outside the Gremlin's hut. It was impossible to know how much time had passed, but according to Sori, there should still be time in this loop to get things done.

I wasn't sure that it wouldn't be a better strategy to wait till the start of a new loop so I could act before Kay could organize her cultists, including Jon. Maybe another person would, and maybe I would too, if it weren't for Nia. She'd asked me to help her sister.

"Oberon nap done?" Mother asked, looking up from a hole she was digging in the dirt next to her hut. She was covered head to toe in mud, and it caked her clawed fingers.

"Yeah, I'm done napping for now," I said, Nia's light voice incongruously coming from my canine mouth. My mouth moved more or less in time with the words, but played no part in actually shaping the sounds. Instead, her voice emanated from the end of my muzzle, manifested through some power of Sori's. I just mouthed along with the words. Partly to make it more obvious that I was the one speaking, but it was also instinctual in some way—like a child mouthing the words while learning to read.

The Gremlin's head pulled back in surprise, and her head tilted side to side in confusion.

"Oberon? Titania?" Mother rumbled, looking between Nia and me. "Oberon eat Titania voice?"

"It's a long story," I said. "Titania is trapped in a dream. I had to borrow her voice to try to help."

Mother's dirty hands went to her face in alarm. "Oh no! Titania trapped? Poor trapped Lady! Oberon, help, yes!" she boomed, her surprised voice loud enough to echo off the hospital like a peel of thunder.

I half expected Father to come hurrying over at the exclamation, but he must have gone scavenging or something while I was out.

"I will help her, I promise," I told the Gremlin, my voice as incongruously high as hers was deep. "I can't take her with me, though; it's dangerous. Will you watch her for me? Make sure no monsters or strangers bother her?"

"I keep safe. You go help! You want Father help? He major big strong!" Mother said, looking around, trying to spot him.

It would almost be tempting. As giants, the gremlins were definitely intimidating. Unfortunately, in that form, Father would have to basically crawl through the hospital, and he'd be stymied by doorways. Maybe he could make it work, but I had a voice, even if it wasn't mine. Kay was almost certainly beyond reasoning with, but I should have a chance with Jon, Jessica, and the rest. That chance would dwindle if I came in with a giant monster lumbering behind me.

I stood up and dusted off my black scrub pants the best I could. I took a deep, steadying breath. "No. I have to go into the hospital. Better if he stays outside. He can help protect Nia."

Mother didn't look happy, but she nodded and huffed reluctant agreement.

The smart plan was to wait for the start of a new day and bring Father and Mother along. They'd be like giant bears lumbering down narrow corridors. Kay would retreat to my Shadow, and I could follow her and reclaim it.

'Please, save my sister' echoed through my memory. Nia was trapped for no other reason than she was trying to help me. More importantly, for better or worse, I had her voice. Having gone so long without one, I knew I had a responsibility to listen and hear.

I took a deep breath and looked across the parking lot at the hospital. The air was as still and quiet as it had been seen the first time I'd woken up as Oberon. For once, that stillness didn't feel ominous so much as it did… anticipatory.

After crouching to rest a paw on Nia's head in a promise, I stood and loped off across the parking lot.

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Kay had snapped, according to Sori. He started referring to her as 'Bogey-Kay.' It wasn't just Nia she'd attacked. Apparently, while I kept dying and Nia wasn't transformed, Bogey-Kay had been able to keep up a mask. But with 'Titania' making an appearance, she'd snapped again. Alice was in danger, the same danger Nia had tried to tell me about at the start.

I kept low as I crossed the parking lot. If I got very lucky, I could sneak in and make it to the Chapel without being seen.

Even if Sori was lying or confused about Alice being in danger from Kay, Alice was still in danger from Crowseph's spawn. And she wasn't the only one. I couldn't afford to wait, but I also couldn't afford to hold back.

I approached the patrol car at a decent speed. There'd be no avoiding avian eyes, but if I was quick and kept low, I might get supplies together before raiding the hospital.

I popped the police car into neutral and pushed it forward. In less than a minute, I'd opened the trunk, loaded the shotgun, thrown on the vest, and rushed onward.

There were several ways into the hospital. If Kay knew anything about me, she at least knew my spawn, which meant the lobby entrance would be watched. If I were the only threat, the front door would be a good choice, but that entrance was very near the Chapel; no doubt it was also guarded.

The ER wouldn't be guarded by Kay's cultists, but Crowseph's hive wouldn't likely let me pass unremarked. Plus, I didn't need to make this more complicated than it was.

When running from the unknown gunmen in Surgery, I'd come to a four-way intersection. I'd chosen not to go straight since it wouldn't break line of sight. Instead, I'd turned right and set things off with Crowseph. If I had gone straight, I'd have run through a small reception area, then through an exit. It was a smaller entrance and would hopefully get less attention than other entryways.

I ran with the shotgun held tightly to my chest like I'd seen in movies. Presumably, there was a reason they ran like that, but I was just copying something I only half recalled. I shouldered my way through the automatic door while it petered along, then loped through another doorway into the outskirts of Surgery and ER.

Hopefully, the fact that this was basically no-man's land would give me a little cover. I didn't pause to find out. I couldn't risk going through the ER again, so unless I wanted to trap myself or turn back, my path was set.

I sped down the hall, only stopping to look in Surgery's waiting room. Not even Mr. Peterson was inside.

My guess that they'd all set their spawn in or near the Chapel seemed to have been spot on, or at least, they'd set it somewhere else.

I skipped past the elevators. The last time I'd used one, I'd opened the door to be shot by Aquarium Guy. If he and Hands were playing it straight, that was probably done by Kay using my Shadow in some way to control Guy while his mind was elsewhere. Whether they were being honest or not, neither were my allies in this endeavor. Besides, elevators were noisy kill boxes. If they were even kind of watching for me, an unavoidable ambush would likely wait at the bottom.

They might be ready by the stairs, too, but at least I'd have space to maneuver.

Or at least that's what I told myself as I closed on a stairwell I hadn't seen anyone use yet. If I remembered right, it should also open up right next to the Chapel.

I hit the push-bar at speed and shouldered the door open. The door slammed against the wall and echoed throughout the brick stairwell, sounding like a gunshot. It made me wince, but I knew speed was more important than stealth. There were too many approaches and not enough people to play guard. Or maybe just not enough guns. Either way, they couldn't watch everything without cameras, and they wouldn't have radios to direct people. At least, the patrol car radio was only static. It was a gamble, but gambles were all I had left.

Still, however quick I'd moved, whatever cleverness I thought I'd used, it didn't stop Jon from finding me.

I was barely through the door, still cringing at the sound of my own rush, when gunfire rang out. I was lucky I was wearing a vest because one of the shots took me in the chest just above my shotgun. I rolled to my left, braced the gun against my shoulder, and pointed it down the stairs. It took all my self-control to keep from squeezing my eyes shut at the pain in my chest. Vest or not, getting shot sucks.

"Goddamit, Jon!" I yelled, laying with my back against the stairs to the third floor, gun pointed down the length of my body. I didn't want to shoot Jon, but to be fair, he'd shot me several times first. I'd only caught a glimpse of him before he shot, too. He didn't seem to be hesitating much himself.

"Shit, it talks. I was told you were mute." Jon called up the stairs, his voice even, calm, almost smug. The shots had been loud enough that my ears still rang, but maybe Jon knew a technique to avoid that. Or maybe he wore earplugs. Either way, he didn't seem to be having any problems hearing. "But that's not Sam's voice; I think we both know that. In fact, I'd put money on that being Nia's voice. Which tells me you had something to do with that little girl's disappearance. I guess Alice was right. Fucking monsters. Why don't you pop your head up, and I'll make it quick."

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