Grand River Hospital's Emergency Room was bursting at the seams, patients filled every bed while others waited to be seen. Kenzie darted between gurneys, her curly red hair bobbing like a buoy. "Any word on Dr. Hamilton?" she shouted above the noise, met with only shrugs and a few groans.
"Still M.I.A.," grumbled a nurse as he adjusted an IV stand for an elderly woman clutching her chest.
"Unbelievable," Kenzie muttered, looking out over the crowd of patients waiting. The hospital clock ticked mockingly, the minutes dragged into hours.
"Kenzie!" Zack’s voice caused her to jump, she happened to see him make his way through the throngs of people. She turned to find him looking right at her, it was clear he had something he wanted to ask.
"Zack, not now," Kenzie said, waving him off without missing a beat as she checked vitals on a clipboard. "We're drowning here, and Dr. Hamilton—"
"It will just take a minute." Zack leaned against the reception desk, his eyes scanning the room. "I just need to know if there are any Jane does in this hospital,"
"Zack, seriously?" Kenzie's green eyes met his, a silent plea for understanding dancing in their depths. "Why do you need to know that?"
"We've been looking for Ethel..." Zack started.
"Zack, don't you think I would have noticed if she was here?" Kenzie shot back as she prepared a needle to get a blood sample.
He opened his mouth to argue but was interrupted by the heart-wrenching sobs of a child, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle. He sat alone in the small curtained-off space, watching doctors and nurses race by.
"Why aren't they doing anything?" Zack asked, his face softening.
"They've done all they can, our surgeon isn't picking up their phone and he is at the max for painkillers we can give children," Kenzie explained, looking over at the boy.
Zack hesitated before making his way over to the boy without another word, He knelt beside the boy, his hand tentatively reaching out. "Hey, buddy. I'm going to wait here with you until your parents get back ok?" he soothed, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"Are you...a doctor?" the kid sniffled, looking up at Zack with hope in his eyes.
"Something like that," Zack murmured, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, it was all he needed to do to share his aura. A faint glow surrounded them both; Kenzie saw it, watching the exchange quietly. The boy's pained expression melted away, replaced by a look of relief.
"Thank you." the child whispered, a small smile chasing away the tears.
"Don't thank me, I didn't do anything," Zack said, sitting back with a self-satisfied smirk.
Zack's moment of calm was quickly shattered when a familiar figure burst into the emergency room. Kenneth, his face etched with panic, headed straight for the check-in desk, cradling Leona's limp body in his arms. "Help! She's not breathing!"
"What happened?" Kenzie rushed over, pushing an empty wheelchair over for the girl.
"I don't know, I found her like this, she wasn't breathing" He sounded scared, tears welling in his eyes.
"Get her to Trauma One, stat!" Kenzie ordered, her voice authoritative as she took charge. They moved swiftly, Kenneth following the team of nurses deeper into the hospital toward the trauma unit. Zack also followed behind.
"How did this happen?" Zack started, but Kenzie was already checking Leona's airways, she worked quickly and carefully, a blur of determination and fiery curls.
"I'll let you know when we know. Right now we need space to work," she looked up at the boys, it was clear she wanted them anywhere but there, both of them took a few steps back, their eyes never leaving Leona.
Meanwhile, Kenzie was racing to save Leona's life as they waited for an available OR, she tried to clear the airway but there was something very large blocking it. Kenneth stood a few feet back, he watched Kenzie work without saying a word, a look of fear on his face. "She just—she couldn't breathe, I was late to our date and..."
"Sounds like Tension Pneumothorax," Kenzie deduced after listening to Leona's chest, she looked up at Kenneth and Zack. "Air is leaking into her chest cavity, putting pressure on her heart." The words were barely out of her mouth when Leona convulsed forward, a cascade of poker chips clattering to the floor from her lips as she vomited. Then she collapsed again. Kenzie raced back to her side.
"Her larynx is deviated," Kenzie noted, her mind racing as she wondered if Leona would make it to surgery. She knew she had to do something quickly, Leona was fading fast.
"I need to relieve the pressure in her chest cavity," Kenzie explained, heading straight for the nurse's station as Zack and Kenneth hovered nearby, their faces etched with equal parts awe and terror. With no doctor in sight, she started digging for a large needle; she wasn't going to let Leona on her watch.
"Kenzie, what are you doing?" Zack asked, looking over her shoulder as she brandished a syringe so large it almost seemed cartoonish.
"Needle thoracostomy," she replied prepping the syringe. "I'll need to relieve the pressure or she won't last much longer."
With a steadying breath, Kenzie positioned the needle over Leona's left pectoral. There was no time for second-guessing. Leona's breathing had stopped. With a swift motion, Kenzie put all of her medical training to the test, the needle pierced the skin, the valve hissing as the trapped air escaped.
There was a collective pause as the hissing stopped, every eye trained on Leona's pale face until, with a shuddering gasp, she jolted awake. "Thank you," she managed, before passing out again.
"That was amazing," Zack muttered, looking right at Kenzie in awe.
"Hardly," Kenzie countered, her cheeks flushed with exertion as she dapped some of her sweat away. "Just another night in the ER."
As Zack watched Kenzie check Leona's vitals again, he realized just how strong she was. She had seemed so scared when she saw his vessel form, but now she didn't seem scared of anything.
The rhythmic knocking jolted Dr. Michelle Hamilton from her slumber, it took her a moment to realize where the sound was coming from. Groggy and disoriented, she fumbled for her phone, only to find it was dead, causing her to curse. With a sigh, she tethered it to its charger and shuffled towards the knocking, not even a glance spared for the clock whose hands danced dangerously close to one a.m.
Dr. Hamilton reached the door, her hand pausing on the knob as she tried to peer through the peephole. The porch light was out, making it impossible for her to see the person on the other side. She felt a shiver run through her not noticing the pair of glowing red eyes behind her. She pushed open the door, a chill nipped at her skin as she peered through the darkness, but no one was there, no neighbourhood kid playing a prank or someone asking for help.
"Not funny" she yelled, grumbling to herself as she turned to go back inside.
That's when she saw him, the man gripping his side in pain. "Please doctor..."
Dr. Michelle Hamilton took a few steps toward the man, "How did you..." from upstairs her phone began to buzz nonstop from the flow of missed messages. She turned to look at the stairwell, feeling conflicted. As she turned back to the man, their eyes met, a sinister look playing across his face.
"Who are you?" she demanded, as he dropped the act and straightened up.
"Just a man who wants to place a wager," he replied, his tone chillingly calm.
---
At Grand River Hospital, an OR was finally available for Leona and Kenzie wheeled her away. Kenneth sat in the waiting room, Zack took a sweet next to him. "I didn't do anything to her," he insisted, not even nothing to look at Zack.
"I know, but why her?" Zack asked as he tried to get a read on Kenneth. "You're part of Greed's covenant so why are you and Brian even pretending to be in relationships?"
"We were told to get close to you. Danny wanted us on the inside," Kenneth said, his eyes narrowing. "We thought dating would get us there, I didn't know I would actually fall for her."
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Before Zack could dissect his words, the phone at the reception desk rang. "Dr. Hamilton, where are you?" the receptionist asked, but instead of words, an ear-piercing scream filled their ears, causing everyone in the waiting room to fall silent. He exchanged a look of dread with Kenneth before dialling Rob.
"I think Lust might not have moved on like we thought," he said, trying to keep his voice low.
"I know," Rob said, seeming unphased by this new information. "I heard them over the radio, another body was just found."
Zack paused for a moment, surprised at how quickly the police discovered the body. "They found Dr. Hamilton already?" Zack whispered.
"NO, the guy they found was Robert Sanders. Who's Dr. Hamilton?" Rob asked, pausing a moment before repeating. "Who is Dr. Hamilton?"
"She was an on-call surgeon. She never showed up and we just heard her screams broadcast over the phone," Zack informed him, "If two people have already been taken then that means there is still one more," A look of fear spread across Zack's face, they thought Lust was gone. They let their guard down.
---
Outside the crime scene tape, Brian and Danny pushed their way through the sea of onlookers. Brian's brow furrowed. "Should we be concerned about this?" he murmured, watching the body bag being loaded into the ambulance.
"No, Lust has always been one for theatrics," Danny remarked cryptically, his usual amused smile slipping ever so slightly.
Jessica also stood among the bystanders, her focus more on the crowd than the crime scene. She caught sight of Danny, and he gave her a small knowing nod. She offered him nothing in return, though it was clear to her Greed was tied to these killings in some way.
---
Back in Ethel's apartment, the door flung open as Ethel pushed her way through it. Ashley rushed to her side, concern etching her features. "You're ok, you're alive!" She hugged her Supreme.
"We'll have time to catch up later," Ethel breathed, her voice laced with urgency. "We need to pack up everything and get out of here before Greed comes to finish what he started."
Ashley nodded, knowing Ethel wouldn't flee from a fight unless there was no chance of winning. Together, they began gathering boxes and packing what they could, Ashley only stopped a moment to text Kristian about the return of their Supreme.
---
Kenzie returned from the OR exhausted from the night already, she spotted John and Zck still hanging around the waiting room. Their faces made it clear they were worried about something, but she didn't have time to deal with it right now.
"Leona is going to make it," Kenzie announced as she made her way over to the pair. "Now go home and get some rest, you have classes tomorrow, don't you?" Her curly red hair bobbed as she shifted her gaze between them.
"What if the person who did that to her comes back?" Zack replied, looking very worried. "I mean you don't just swallow poker chips on your own,"
"Kenneth is with her, I don't think he will be going anywhere," Kenzie retorted, trying to put their minds at ease. "There was no need to call for backup on this one."
"Well if a Supreme is looking after her, maybe we should go home," John added, looking at Zack, who relented with a nod.
"you'll call us if anything changes?" Zack asked, as they got up to leave.
"You know I will," Kenzie confirmed, guiding them out of the hospital doors.
---
The next day brought a sense of eerie calm to the University of Waterloo, as a new professor introduced herself to the organic chemistry class. Zack wasn't paying close enough attention to catch her name, his focus was more on connecting the new set of Lust victims.
"So I did some research last night and I think gamblers are up," Rob disclosed to Zack in a hushed tone as they sat together at the back of the class. "Robert Sanders had this massive scandal last year where he gambled away the life saving of his clients. And did you see where Michelle lived, on a surgeon's salary she shouldn't even know where that neighbourhood is,"
Zack nodded along, only interrupted by the buzzing in his pocket. He pulled his phone out to see Paulina's name flashing on the screen, he looked over to Rob, who shrugged. Zack answered the call only to be greeted by her hushed voice. "I'm so sorry Zack, there is a lot about me you don't know. I'm afraid Lust is here now, and I don't think I will be able to stop myself from playing his game."
"What? Paulina? Where are you?" Zack urged, shooting up from his seat, but the line was dead and no answers came.
---
Meanwhile, at Ethel's apartment, John arrived, panting from their haste. Ethel's place was almost fully empty now, only the faint scent of old books lingered in the air.
"You're late as usual," Kristian said, lifting some heavy boxes out of the room. "We're almost done here, we're moving to a safe house. Apparently, only Ethel's family can access it."
"Sorry man, I had a midterm this morning" John explained, looking over at Ethel, who didn't say a word to him. "But whatever you need, I am all yours for the afternoon,"
"What I need is help setting a trap for those assholes that killed Olivia," Kristian whispered, looking over at Ethel, hoping she didn't overhear them. "This empty apartment is perfect and all it will take is them over hearing about Ethel's return to get them here," Kristian seemed excited for the opportunity to finish off the Supremes, but John wasn't sure it would be that easy.
Kristian led John to the electrical room, a determined set to his jaw. He flicked off the circuit interrupter with a decisive click.
"The plan is simple, we electrocute them," he stated. "You see being caught the those exorcists was good for one thing, they taught me how to kill us."
"But how do we electrify the entire covenant at once?" John responded, rubbing his chin. "If even one of them survives, they could kill us both."
"I know, which is why we will flood the apartment with a little water to help with conduction," Kristian asserted, smiling to himself about his plan. John nodded hesitantly, looking up at his friend.
With Ethel and Ashley gone, driving the moving truck to their new home, Kristian started clogging the drains. John followed behind him starting all the water and filling the apartment with its deadly potential. the two men exchanged looks as they finished, their trap was set.
---
At the club, Zack burst through the doors to find it crawling with law enforcement. Lindsey and Officer Mark were discussing something at the bar, faces grim.
"Did you get here in time?" Zack managed to ask, even though he knew the answer.
"I'm sorry Zack," Lindsey started, trying to sound comforting. "We got here as soon as we could but she was already gone."
"Damn it!" Zack cursed, slamming his fist against the wall, Lindsey watched him silently.
"Easy, mate," Officer Mark interjected, placing a reassuring hand on Zack's shoulder. "We'll find her."
Zack felt defeated, this time being late meant someone he knew was going to die. Rob came pushing through the door a moment later, and their eyes met. "I need to take a breather," Zack muttered.
"Of course," Officer Mark released his grip on him and Zack motioned for Rob to follow him out the back.
In the quiet alleyway Zack turned to Rob, "We need to tell Lindsey everything, Rob. We need her to find Paulina," he insisted, running a hand through his blonde hair in frustration.
"We can't do that," Rob shot back, upset by the idea. "Paulina was the one who talked me out of it to begin with."
"We don't have a choice here," Zack countered, leaning against the door. "Lindsey is the best investigator we know, without her we won't be able to find Paulina."
Rob's face contorted in conflict, his brows knitting together. "But what if she gets hurt?"
"She won't get hurt" Zack threw his hands up, exasperated. "She survived Sloth didn't she and you know she is losing sleep over these murders."
"I know..." Rob's voice softened, but a deep-seated fear flickered behind his eyes. "But humans don't really seem to last long in this world, I can't—"
"Can't what?" Zack pushed, though he already knew the answer.
"Can't see her folks mourning the loss of their last kid," Rob whispered, staring at the ground.
Zack's stance softened, understanding dawning on him. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be," Rob muttered, his internal struggle giving way. "I get it, this is Paulina we're talking about,"
"We'll find another way," Zack looked up at Rob, offering him a weak smile.
They re-entered the club, greeted by the sight of a dishevelled Ms. McLeod. She was holding onto Lindsey as if she were the last lifeboat on a sinking ship.
"Save my sister, please," she implored, gripping Lindsey's arm.
"I'll do everything I can," Lindsey assured her.
Once Lindsey hurried off, Ms. McLeod turned to the boys, making her way over to them. "Law enforcement won't find Paulina in time. Someone you know can though."
"Who?" Rob asked aloud, trying to think about who could be helping Lust.
"Come on, I thought you were the smart one," Ms. McLeod said, unimpressed. "I believe your friend can see things others can't,"
A look of realization spread across Zack and Rob's face, "Ahmed," they said in unison.
"And the slowest horse crosses the finish line," Ms. McLeod said dryly, "Now go, you won't have much time." She turned from the pair and left out the back door.
---
Meanwhile, in Coach Reynold’s office, Ahmed and Brian were lost in their embrace, they tossed aside the belongings of the desk as Brian laid himself on top of it. Ahmed leaned over him and they continued making out until a fire alarm cut through the silence.
"What timing," Ahmed noted, tearing himself away and adjusting his shirt.
"It's probably nothing," Brian protested, his voice husky, attempting to pull Ahmed back.
"Um yeah, even if it is the fire department will be on their way," Ahmed retorted, already halfway to the door. "I have no intention of getting caught with my pants down,"
"Damn," Brian conceded, letting go with a reluctant sigh. "You're right. Let's go."
Brian slipped through the door first, his figure disappearing around the corner as the alarm blared. Ahmed lingered for a moment, making sure it didn't look like they had been in there together, when Ashley appeared before him, blocking his escape.
"You have terrible taste in men," Ashley sneered, arching a brow at Ahmed's messy hair and twisted clothes.
"What do you want? I doubt you came all the way here to tell me that," Ahmed asked, not masking the annoyance tinging his voice.
"You're right, Ethel wants to talk to you," she said, fulfilling her mission. "But you should stop seeing Brian, or I'll pull your tongue out of your head next time."
"I survived Gluttony and stared down a familiar," Ahmed shot back while fixing his hair, staring right into her eyes. "I'm not scared of you."
Ashley grabbed his wrist, ready to make good on her threat. Until Rob's firm voice cut through the tension that her fingers reluctantly unfurled, letting Ahmed pull away from her.
"Enough, Ashley. Let him go."
---
Meanwhile, Dr. Michelle Hamilton's body rested on the table in the Grand River Hospital morgue. Lindsey stood over it, with Kenzie reading over the chart.
"Before the mummification, she was suffocated," Kenzie revealed quietly, pulling back the sheet with a practiced hand. "They found some fibres in her lungs, they don't match anything we know."
"So I have a missing person and no leads" Lindsey muttered, her mind racing as it tried to connect the dots.
"I'm sorry," Kenzie replied, that is all we have.
"Can I see those fibres?" Lindsey's eyes narrowed, the cogs in her mind turning. Kenzie gave her the small vile with several golden fibres tangled together in it.
"I've seen these before," Lindsey declared, her memory linking them to her case. "There was a glass beaker in Paulina's office, something like this was in it,"
"Are you sure?" Kenzie asked, moving to get a better look at fibres.
"I'm positive, I need to go back to Night School," Lindsey announced, she rushed out of the room, leaving Kenzie alone and confused.