"Careful." Leo carefully placed Evelyn in the seat, fastening her seatbelt securely. Once everyone was in the car, he gave Judy's seat a light tap. "Let's go."
"Hold on tight."
Later, after carrying Evelyn into Judy's apartment and laying her down on the bed in Judy's room, no one disturbed her. The group quietly exited, giving her space. Judy pulled out a cigarette, glanced at Leo with slight hesitation. "If you want to smoke, go ahead," Leo said calmly.
"Thanks." Judy lit the cigarette and took a deep drag.
Jackie asked, "Will she recover?"
"I don't know." Judy exhaled a cloud of smoke, shaking her head. Though Evelyn had been rescued, her current state was neither human nor ghoul.
Leo suggested, "Maybe we should take her to Trauma Team's hospital for a look?" Trauma Team's private hospital ranked among the top in Night City, both in terms of medical equipment and technology. Of course, the price was astronomical. If Evelyn had a platinum Trauma Team membership, most of the treatment costs—about 90%—would be covered. But corporations weren't stupid. If the cost of saving Evelyn was too high, even with platinum membership, they'd find ways to avoid covering it.
Judy was tempted but could only force a bitter smile. "I don't have that kind of money."
Without hesitation, Leo said, "I can cover it."
"Leo?" Judy wasn't the only one surprised; the others stared at him in shock.
In truth, Leo wanted to help Evelyn not just out of pity. There was a more important reason: in her current state, Evelyn couldn't tell Leo who had ordered her to steal the chip. On the ride back from Charter Hill in Judy's car, the more Leo thought about it, the more certain he became that Evelyn had been manipulated. That was the only way to explain why her neural link had been fried by a netrunner.
He needed Evelyn to recover, so she could tell him who was behind this. If someone had used her once, it was possible they would target Leo next if they found out the relic was in his hands. Or worse, if they couldn't touch him, they might go after the people around him. Leo wasn't the type to leave a known threat lurking in the dark. He wasn't someone who would pretend everything was fine while enemies gathered in the shadows. That's why he was willing to spend money to get Evelyn treated.
As for why he didn't let Lucy dive into Evelyn's neural link?
Netrunning wasn't a cure-all. Only a conscious, mentally stable person's neural link could yield useful intel. If someone's brain was already mush, the data inside would be the same—garbled and useless. Besides, Judy's feelings had to be considered. And for Leo, the so-called "astronomical" treatment cost wasn't really a big deal. His daily earnings from Padre's operations alone reached over 300,000 eddies—not counting other income. Covering Evelyn's treatment was well within his means.
Actions speak louder than words. Leo immediately called Trauma Team to arrange pickup. Ten minutes later, a Trauma Team AV hovered onto the apartment rooftop. Several fully armed operatives descended from the vehicle. The squad leader looked at the stretcher, now with Evelyn changed into clean clothes, and asked, "Is this the patient?"
Leo nodded. Two operatives lifted the stretcher and carried it into the AV. "Sir, the specific treatment costs can only be determined after a full examination. There will typically be several treatment packages to choose from. The better the treatment, the higher the price. However, there are also more cost-effective options, though their results are comparatively conservative. Regardless of the package you choose, you'll need to register a medical account and deposit no less than 30,000 eddies to cover fuel, labor, and other costs."
The squad leader pulled out a tablet displaying a QR code. Leo scanned it with his tactical optics, bringing up a registration page. After inputting Evelyn's full name, the remaining information auto-filled, sparing him the need to ask Judy.
A sudden thought crossed Leo's mind. "If there's unused money in the medical account, can it be refunded?"
"Of course, sir. You can trust our integrity and reputation."
Leo considered for a moment. Trauma Team might ignore non-clients, but for paying customers—especially platinum members—they were meticulous and reliable. They didn't just fire a few rounds in the air to justify your premiums. They really showed up when it mattered.
He nodded and deposited 500,000 eddies into Evelyn's account in one go. "This should be enough. If more's needed later, call me. My number is XXX."
The squad leader's attitude immediately became even more respectful. Everyone watched as the Trauma Team AV lifted off and disappeared into the sky. Judy was at a loss for words, tears streaming down her face as she kept repeating, "Thank you. Thank you so much."
After leaving Judy's apartment, Jackie couldn't hold back his question any longer. "Leo, I don't get it. Why would you do that?" Seeing Leo transfer 500,000 eddies to Evelyn's account had pained Jackie as if he had lost the money himself. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration—but he really didn't understand.
Neither did V and Lucy. They had kept quiet earlier out of respect for Judy, but their confusion was evident.
"Actually..." Leo explained his reasoning.
"So that's how it is." The group exchanged looks of sudden understanding.
"If it's really the Voodoo Boys, we need to act fast. Best to crush them in the cradle," Jackie said grimly.
The Voodoo Boys were notorious for assassinations. Jackie agreed that it was best not to let them take the first shot.
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