Chapter 41
TESSA’S POV
1 called out her name but I only received a chilling silence. Dread washed waves over me, had she been really that desperate to see her parents that she had escaped? Either way, she was in danger and so was everyone who may be exposed to her.
Adrenaline surged through me, pushing aside the growing fear. I had to act fast. Grabbing the communicator used for emergencies from my hip, I barked into it, “Code Red! Code Red! Missing patient from ward B! All available Sentinels report to the med bay immediately! I repeat Code red.” I shouted into it.
The urgency in my voice crackled through the device, shattering the relative peace within the pack compound. Within seconds, the familiar thrum of approaching footsteps sent a jolt through me. Relief together with a fresh wave of panic as the door to the med bay burst open, revealing a contingent of well–armed Sentinels, their faces etched with concern.
“Medic Tessa, what’s going on. What are the details?” Captain Liam, a steely–eyed man with a scar over his left eyebrow, stepped forward. His voice held a mix of concern and quict authority. He was a good old man with a knack for doing his job perfectly.
“Heather’s gone,” I blurted out, my voice ragged from panic. “She’s missing from her bed. We need to find her, now! She’s dangerous to everyone in the palace”
Liam didn’t waste a single moment. He barked out his orders immediately, his voice sharp and clear. Half the Sentinels were dispatched to scour the compound, their instructions echoing in the sterile hall search every room, every corridor, leave no stone unturned, and find the girl. The remaining Sentinels secured the perimeter, ensuring no one entered or left the compound without authorization. That is if she was even still in the compound. The thought of her already left scared me, she could be contagious, the plague worked in weird ways, sometimes, it wasn’t transmitted and sometimes, it was highly contagious which is why Gabe and I were the only medics who dealt with severe cases since we were fortified against the plague already.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched them go. Panic threatened to consume me, but I forced it down. There was no time for hysterics. I needed a plan. I needed to help them find her and quickly.
Suddenly, another thought struck me like a wave. Gabe. He was supposed to be covering for me, but exhaustion must have finally gotten the better of him. Rushing towards my adjoining room, I flung open the door, relief flooding me as I saw him fast asleep on the bed. At least, he was okay.
“Gabel” I hissed hysterical, shaking him awake. “Wake up! We have a problem!”
He bolted upright, his eyes wide with startled confusion. “Tessa? What’s wrong?, You’re back”
“Heather’s gone, I blurted out, my voice raw with worry. “She disappeared from the med bay and we can’t find her”
Gabe’s face paled immediately and his eyes seemed clear of sleep. “Disappeared? what do you mean? But… how?” His voice croaked.
He scrambled off the bed, guilt evident in his eyes. “I.. I must have fallen asleep. I’m so sorry, Tessa. This is all my fault. I’ll find ber
“No, it’s not your fault, I said quickly, cutting him off. “There’s no way you could have known she would do this. I didn’t also in the least suspect that she would be so desperate to do this
She wasn’t kidnapped and based on her behavior that morning, it made more sense that she had escaped to be with her family without knowing the repercussions of what she was about to do. She had done it already now the most important thing was finding her before anything happened, I wasn’t ready for another outbreak.
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10:39 Sat, 20 Apr
Chapter 41
Frustration gnawed at me. If she had just explained what was bothering her, none of this would have happened. But the silence, the secrecy it created a serious situation that could have disastrous consequences. She could have spoken to me about it, I was like a mother figure in her life why did she have to do this?
Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. “We need to find her, Gabe. And fast. This could turn into a major hazard if she’s contagious and comes in contact with someone outside.”
Already understanding the gravity of the situation on hand, Gabe sprang into action. He activated the compound lockdown protocol, a mechanical voice resonating throughout the palace, instructing all residents to stay indoors and secure their rooms. This way, if everyone followed the protocol, there would be less risk of her coming into
contact with someone.
“TIl contact Alpha Adrian and inform him about the situation,” he said, his voice grim.
I buried my face in my hands. It was also my fault, I had left my job and now look what happened.
“No doubt that Adrian would have been informed already,” I said under my breath.
Eva rushed in.
“What’s wrong?” She asked in a panic. I turned to her and just by one look at her tired face, I knew she was sleeping when she heard we had an emergency.
“Heather’s escaped,” I said simply.
Her siren blue eyes widened
“What?!” She exclaimed.
“No time to explain. I have to go do something I said, my mind already formulating a search plan. I still remembered every nook and cranny of the compound, every hidden path, and forgotten storage closet. But first, I needed to secure the med bay and make sure none of the other patients were exposed and things were ready
With renewed resolve, I threw on a medical gown and gloves, giving orders to Gabe and Eva. They moved with practiced efficiency, understanding the urgency of the situation. They were to get everything ready regardless of what the search turned out to be, I wanted us to be prepared.
Minures bled into what felt like hours as I searched every corner of the med bay building again after the sentinels, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Just as despair began to creep in, a flicker of movement in the far corner of the corridor caught my eye. There, huddled in the fetal position, her back pressed against the wall, was Heather, her hair over her face in fear. Relief washed over me in a tidal wave, momentarily pushing aside the anger simmering beneath the surface.
“Heather?” I called out, my voice a mix of relief and exasperation. “There you are. What in the world were you thinking?” I said rushing towards her.
Heather didn’t respond, her body shaking with silent sobs and her eyes were red and puffy.
“Heather,” I said again, kneeling down in front of her. “We need to talk. Come on, let’s get you back to the med bay and take care of you. I know you want to see Mama and Papa but you’ll only see them once you’re done with your treatment.” I urged her
I reached out a hand, but she flinched away, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and defiance.
“Don’t touch me, I can’t go back there. I want to see my mama and papa” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Anger flared within me at her words, a stark contrast to the overwhelming relief of moments before. She was grating on my fractured nerves and my patience was snapping fast
Chapter 11
“Look, Heather, I understand you’re scared. But running away doesn’t solve anything. You could have gotten yourself killed, or worse, infected someone else!” I almost yelled at her.
Heather’s shoulders slumped further, and a fresh wave of tears streamed down her face. “L. I had to get out of there,” she stammered. “I couldn’t stay. Mama and Papa would be so worried”
I felt a headache coming on as I reached for the device by my thigh.
“She’s been found. Stand down everyone and abort the search” I said into the device while I kept my eyes trained on Heather as if scared that she would escape again if Laverted my eyes.
“Is there another reason you didn’t want to stay?” I asked her softly whole gripping her arms.
Still, no response. Heather’s silence was infuriating to me, but beneath it, I sensed a deeper fear, something she wasn’t willing to talk about, something she wasn’t comfortable saying to me.
I muttered something inaudible as I scooped her up in my arms and took her back to the med bay. The others were already prepared and I saw relief full their eyes as soon as I walked in. Zed was already there also and I appreciated their sacrifice after their hard work yesterday.
“Where was she?” Eva asked, her voice muffled.
I took Heather into her ward and placed her on the bed.
“In the corner” I muttered.
Heather was looking down at her feet
Gabe came to the door.
“Has she been in contact with anyone?” He asked worriedly.
“That’s what we’re about to find out I muttered licking my lips.
Heather behaved like she wasn’t listening to our conversation.
“Did you leave this building. Heather?” I asked nicely.
She hesitated and nodded
“Yes, I had run into the meeting hall before I got scared and ran back here” She murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
My heart caught in my throat, so she left the building and went to the meeting hall? Oh no, there would have been a meeting today, what if she came in contact with someone? No, Adrian didn’t go to a meeting so there could be no meeting.
“Who did you meet?” I asked sternly
She kept mute.
Suddenly, the med bay door swung open, revealing a frantic–looking Adrian. “Tessa,” he said, his voice sharp with urgency. “Gabe told me about Heather. Is she alright?”
Heather flinched at the sound of his voice, burying her face deeper in her knees and sniffling silently
“She’s here,” I replied, my voice tight. “But she’s not talking. Adrian, maybe you can…. we need to know if she met with the Elders from the meeting hall”
Chapter 41
Adrian ran a hand through his hair.
“They did have a meeting today but I wasn’t there” He muttered and my heart jumped. Could this day get any
worse?
“Well, she’s not…”
Π
Before I could finish my sentence, Adrian was kneeling beside Heather, his voice soft and reassuring. “Heather,” he began, “I know you’re scared, but you need to tell us what happened” he urged.
She broke down into tears at his voice.
“I met them when…they were
ll of them, I met them” She stammered.
My head went blank and I heard Gabe gasp, the only words I could register were “all of them“. Shit! She had been in contact with all the elders.
Just then, the door burst open again, this time with a Sentinel rushing in, his face pale with grave news
Medic Tessa,” he panted, “we have a situation. Three elders have collapsed in their quarters. They’re showing- symptoms,” he reported.
I was dazed for a short while then I let out a tiny ugly laugh to show how absurd I thought the situation was.
It was happening quickly already and I wasn’t sure if I could handle this. Dread washed over me in an icy wave. The worst–case scenario was unfolding before our eyes.
Panic threatened to consume me, but I forced it down. Now was not the time to crumble. We needed a plan, and fast. If we wanted to save people’s lives, we had to think fast.
“Alert all available medical personnel,” I barked out, my voice laced with steely resolve. “We need to quarantine the affected areas and start treatment immediately. Sentinel, secure the elders‘ quarters, and ensure no one enters or leaves. No one is to go near the suspected victims, I’ll come to them myself” 1 barked out.
The outbreak was no longer a contained threat. It was spreading, and fast. The question wasn’t “if” we could control it, but “how many lives would be lost before we did?”
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