The hospital was very new.

It was too clean, too shiny to much more than a few months old. Alex walked up to the second waiting room. He still couldn’t place how he knew this place, but there was something familiar that he couldn’t shake.

The view from the waiting room was spectacular. It was at the edge of the city and there weren’t many buildings around. It was mainly trees and an interstate. On the other side of the interstate was a small shopping mall. Smoke was rising out of the roof of one of the stores. Trucks were streaming out of the hospital parking lot, headed towards the fire.

“Something’s going on” Alex looked out the window

“The soldiers are leaving.” Paige pointed at the guard station. The soldiers manning it were running towards their vehicles, “In a hurry.”

“I see that.” Alex said, “Why?”

Paige pointed “The mall across the road is on fire.”

“This doesn’t feel right.” Alex closed his eyes and tried focusing on the surrounding area, but all he could feel was the prisoners. Or at least that was what he assumed. He couldn’t tell the difference between prisoners and soldiers.

“Whatcha looking nothing?” Paige asked

“Nothing.” Alex opened his eyes and came face to face with Paige.

“Gah!” Alex backed into the window. He pushed himself off of the warm glass, “Don’t scare me like that!”

Paige pointed out the window, “Wow, that’s a lot of smoke.”

“Yeah.” Alex turned around, “It is.”

“I’m finished.” Mettan’s voice rumbled, “Let’s go.”

Alex turned away from the window and stepped into the hallway. Mettan was already by the doors to the stairs. He stopped when he noticed Paige wasn’t following him.

“We need to go.” Alex touched Paige on the shoulder

“Something’s wrong.” Paige’s voice sent chills down Alex’s spine.

The elevator down the hall lit up.

“We have to find somewhere to hide!” Alex grabbed Paige.

Alex hit the door to his right, knocking it open. He jerked Paige into the room. With a quick glance behind him, he pulled the door closed behind him.

Paige grabbed Alex’s left arm, “I’m really getting tired of you yanking me around.”

Alex glared at Paige, “Move faster then.” His voice shouted the unspoken warning, be quiet.

Paige backed away from Alex and sat on the edge of the patient’s bed. “Sorry.”

Alex watched a tear well in her eyes and roll down her left cheek. He walked over and caught the tear at the base of her chin. He wiped it on his sleeve, then grabbed a box of tissues off of the nightstand next to the bed and handed it to Paige.

“We’re going to be fine,” Alex said

Paige wiped her face with the tissue. Red eyes glared at Alex, “You’re a jerk.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“But you’re safe.” Alex nodded at the lady whose bed Paige was sitting on, “You could always take the bed next to her.”

That’s when Alex realized that there wasn’t another bed.

“Mettan, I think we’re going to have a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” Mettan asked

“Paige and I are hiding in a room that’s missing a bed.” Alex answered, “One of those beds is going to be coming in here.”

Paige dropped the box of tissues. Wisps of her hair began to dance around her face as she stood up. “I’m not staying here!”

Alex stepped in front of Paige, “Don’t worry. I got you.” He turned to the door. “Is there anyone close?”

“Don’t engage anyone!” Mettan ordered, “Hide. I’ll come get you.”

Alex moved to the door. He opened it a crack. There were two beds in the hallway. One of them was coming towards him. He twisted the knob tight and pulled the door shut.

“We’re about to get blown,” Alex said.

“Hide.” Mettan ordered again, “I’m coming to you!”

Alex looked at Paige. She was biting her lip. Fear filled the room. The air was thick with it, or maybe it was thick was because Paige was spreading her focus into all of the air. He had to do something or it would get difficult to breathe very soon. Then he remembered something. He spun on his heels and cracked the door open.

Alex turned back into the room. He looked at the scared girl, “Paige.” Alex took a deep breath, “Run.”

Alex heard Mettan yell something, but he blocked it out. He pulled the door open and ran. The water in his suit snaked out and he shoved the water into the faces of the two doctors closest to him. He twisted the bed to the left. The girl in the bed rolled over and landed face first on the floor.

Alex stepped up to the third doctor and punched him twice in the stomach, then slammed his right fist into the doctor’s face.

He shook the pain from his hand as the doctor fell to the floor. He looked up the hallway at the three doctors around the other bed.

“Leave.” Alex flicked his hands palms face out. The water pulled away from the faces of the other two doctors. The doctors fell to their knees coughing and hacking.

The other three doctors backed away from the bed and ran to the elevator. Alex walked down the hallway. He heard an elevator open behind him. He turned and saw the other two doctors dragging their third friend onto the elevator. They would bring soldiers, but he couldn’t leave yet.

“Alex, what are you doing?” Mettan demanded

“I’ll be there in a minute.” Alex approached the bed. The man that was lying in the bed had dark hair and lightly tanned skin. He was just over six feet tall and had sharp muscled features that one would get from spending time in the gym.

Alex pulled the IV out of the man’s arm. He closed his eyes and began to center himself.

“Alex, get out of there!” Mettan ordered

“I’ll be done in a moment,” Alex said

“What are you doing?” Paige asked

Alex didn’t turn around. He already knew that Paige was standing behind him.

“I told you to run,” Alex said

“Mettan told you to hide.” Paige walked around the bed, “What is so important that you would risk everything?”

Alex closed his eyes and spread his focus into the man’s body that was lying in front of him. He didn’t have much time. Paige was still talking, but he had tuned everything else out. A sharp pain hit him just above his eye, but he didn’t stop. It was just a headache; he could deal with a little pain.

Blood was a mess. There were so many liquids mixed together. The blood slipped through his metal grip like water, but he wasn’t trying to manipulate the blood. He was there for the sedative. It wasn’t hard to locate the sedative, but it was like trying to grab a piece of pulp out of orange juice with his fingers. Every time he tried to grab some of the sedative it would squirt around his grip.

Alex’s heart began beating in his ears as he strained to tighten his focus. It was harder than it had looked when Mettan had been doing it. He doubled his focus. This time instead of trying to grab the sedative, he started scooping the sedative through the blood. That technique was working, and he began pushing the sedative out of the man’s hand.

“Alex!” Paige shook him out of his trance

“Huh?” Alex croaked. He was dizzy. Or the hall was spinning.

“You look dead!” Paige grabbed Alex as he fell. She managed to guide him to the floor, but she couldn’t stop his fall.

Alex’s arms and legs were going numb. His breath was heavy and his head was swimming. His eyelids were weighted with lead. Maybe he had pushed himself a little too much.

“Why?” Paige asked

Alex turned his head. Somehow he was lying in her lap, but he couldn’t remember how. “Why?”

“Why risk your life for that man?”

Alex grinned. His lips were numb and it felt more like a frown than a smile, “He’s my brother.” Now it was nap time.