As Kalvin burst through the doors of the med bay, carrying the unconscious Melvin, the medical team sprang into action.

"Get her on the table, quickly!" Tara ordered, gesturing to the nearest exam bed. Kalvin gently laid Melvin down, his hands trembling slightly. The medical staff immediately began attaching monitors and IV.

"We need to know what gas she was exposed to," Tara said, turning to Olivia who just entered the room.

Olivia stepped forward, her expression serious. "I'm working on identifying the gas now. I'll need to run some tests in the lab."

"Do it, and do it fast," the doctor replied. "We need to counteract the effects quickly. Start high-flow oxygen and prepare antidotes, just in case."

The nurses acted, carefully placing an oxygen mask over Melvin's face and setting up the necessary medications. Kalvin stood back, watching helplessly as the medical team worked to stabilize his sister. His heart raced with worry, his mind filled with a thousand questions and fears.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Tara turned to him, her expression grave.

"We're doing everything possible, but the next few hours will be critical. We need to identify the gas and administer the right treatment."

Kalvin nodded, swallowing hard. There wasn't much he could do more than praying. The room was filled with the steady beeps of the monitors and the hustle of the medical staff as they worked to save Melvin's life. Kalvin could only stand by, his hands clenched at his sides, hoping their efforts would be enough.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Meanwhile, Carl was sprinting down the corridor towards the submarine. As he turned a corner, he suddenly collided with someone, crashing into their shoulder.

"Whoa, slow down there!" a voice exclaimed. Carl stumbled back, regaining his balance. To his surprise, he found himself face-to-face with Marcus.

."Marcus! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Carl said, his words tumbling out in a hurry. "I need to get to the submarine, it's an emergency!"

Marcus raised an eyebrow, taken aback by Carl's frantic demeanour. "What's going on?" he asked, placing a hand on Carl's shoulder to steady him.

"It's Melvin, she's in trouble," Carl explained, his voice laced with concern.

"We need to check the submarine, something's not right."

"Why? What happened?" Marcus asked puzzled.

"No time to explain, I need to go," Carl said walking down the corridor.

"I'll come too," Marcus said walking down the corridor.

"Hurry!"Carl said rushing down the corridor. Carl's heart pounded with worry, his mind racing with the implications of the missing keys and Melvin's difficult situation.

Carl and Marcus, their pace quickening, hurried down the staircase towards the lower decks where the submarine was kept. Suddenly, they heard the sound of additional footsteps echoing behind them.

Carl glanced over his shoulder, his brow furrowed. "Did you hear that?" he asked Marcus in a low voice. Marcus listened for a moment. They heard someone's footsteps sound coming closer and closer.

Marcus nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the stairwell. "Yeah, I heard it. Someone else is following us." The sound of the mystery person's footsteps grew closer, the rhythm of their stride suggesting they were in a hurry. Carl's heart raced as he considered the implications. Was this person a friend or foe? Were they also heading for the submarine? No one comes this down on the ship unless it's for a technical check-up or for the submarine. They listened for a while.

"I got an idea," Carl said looking at Marcus, Even in the low light Marcus could see the glisten in Carl's eyes which meant he had gotten some bright idea.