A part of Athena’s world came crashing down around her as Finn’s words pierced her like a dagger.
The phone slipped from her grasp, falling to the floor with a faint thud. Her hand trembled uncontrollably, as if it had a mind of its own, and her thoughts spiraled wildly out of control.
More than twenty-five patients dead in a single day? It was unfathomable, unless... unless the gang was involved.
The thought sent a chilling shudder down her spine as a mixture of panic and anger bloomed in her chest. She couldn’t seem to stop the shaking of her hands or ease the sharp, painful throbbing in her head and heart.
"Ma’am, are you okay?" came Jake’s concerned voice, but it felt as if he were miles away.
The buzzing in her ears drowned out everything else, and in her desperate bid for clarity, she bowed her head to her thighs, gasping for control. She clutched her ears, trying to stop the relentless ringing, but it was futile.
When her phone rang beside her, the sound became unbearably loud, and she inadvertently shoved it aside, overwhelmed.
"Ma’am?" Jake probed again, but when he saw Athena’s detached demeanor, he quickly dialed Aiden’s number, knowing the latter needed to intervene.
Meanwhile, Athena was attempting to focus on her breathing patterns, reciting them in her mind like a mantra. She couldn’t allow herself to fall apart ; she had to regain her composure, clinging desperately to the fraying thread of her sanity.
By instinct, she reached beside her for her bag, eager to search for her medications. But her hand met only emptiness, and an icy realization washed over her. She had left her bag with Aiden, and her emergency drugs were even safely tucked away in her private cabinet. She hadn’t thought to travel with them.
"Breathe, Athena," She murmured feverishly to herself, gripping her thighs tightly as she strove to steady herself, taking long, deliberate gaps of air. The source of thɪs content is Novᴇ(l)Fɪre .ɴᴇt
Minutes later, she looked up, feeling slightly better, the haze of anxiety starting to lift.
"Drive through the backyard," She instructed Jake hoarsely, gesturing with trembling fingers toward the back entrance.
Jake didn’t hesitate; he had never witnessed his boss in such a fragile state. He drove the car quickly to the area, stopping at the entrance where three nurses could be seen whispering among themselves.
Gossiping, it seemed. Athena muttered under her breath, stepping out of the car, her presence commanding the attention of the nurses, who stopped their hushed conversations upon catching sight of her.
"Good afternoon, ma’am..." They greeted too eagerly as she passed, but Athena was too shaken to respond.
Jake followed her closely behind. He didn’t think it wise to leave her alone in her current condition, and Athena didn’t feel the need to shoo him away.
Instead of heading to her office, Athena walked directly to the doctor’s lounge, knowing it would be crowded with medical staff discussing the catastrophic turn of events. She halted at the door, eavesdropping as she caught snippets of conversation.
"Do you think Doctor Athena is losing her mojo? How could those patients die like that? Was it a willful act?"
Athena recognized the voices and kept silent, yearning to hear the opinions of her lesser colleagues.
"I don’t think it’s a willful act. What would she gain from killing those people? She’s not that kind of person. Maybe she made a mistake..." One doctor speculated.
"A mistake? That’s a costly one! More than twenty patients dead! Do you think their families will take kindly to being told it was a mistake? She should have tested the drugs on a specimen first! Isn’t she supposed to be a brilliant doctor, or was she just feeling overconfident?"
Athena’s anger simmered just below the surface, but she remained silent, listening intently. Behind her, Jake pursed his lips, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Probably, but she’s going to reap the consequences now, along with the hospital. I think I should resign at this point because I’m sure the media won’t let this rest. An incident of this magnitude at one hospital is a blockbuster news story," Another voice chimed in, thick with disdain.
"And let’s not forget the police to consider... oh my God, this situation is a disaster!"
Silence enveloped the room like a thick fog.
Then, an exclamation broke through it. "But how did the families get wind of this?! It’s barely been hours since their deaths. Who informed them? We all agreed to keep it under wraps until she returned."
"It’s clear one of us betrayed the group, and now we all have to face the consequences."
Athena couldn’t bear it any longer. She thrust open the door and entered, her presence silencing the room like a sudden blackout.
"Finn, follow me," She commanded immediately, disregarding the startled faces that quickly turned to her.
Finn, who hadn’t uttered a word while the gossip flowed, stood up promptly, following her out of the room.
"Show me the corpses," She ordered as they strode through the corridor.
Finn nodded quietly, his own demeanor subdued and crestfallen, and led her into the dimly lit room where all the bodies lay.
Athena felt a lump rise in her throat as the sheer number of dead bodies overwhelmed her. She steeled herself against the wave of grief threatening to crash over her. She couldn’t afford to break down here—not when her colleagues might start viewing her as a mental case, in addition to a suspected mass murderer.
"Where is patient 409?" She asked, her voice strained as she fumbled with the cloths draped over the faces of several corpses.
"She should be here... somewhere." Finn muttered, averting his gaze as he rushed from row to row, pulling back the sheets with shaking hands as he searched for patient 409.
By the tenth attempt, Athena’s patience began to wear thin. She was about to urge Finn to check the last corpse by the window when the door to the room burst open, and three police officials strode in, holding a warrant.
"Doctor Athena..." One of them announced, his voice firm and devoid of compassion.
Athena turned to confront them, surprise flitting across her features. "I am she. What can I do for you?"
The officer’s expression twisted in disgust. "You are under arrest for producing a mass-killing drug. You are expected to remain silent, or anything you say now will be used against you in court."