~~~

Hospital smell was the worst in the world.

Some people would say only bad hospitals—the ones with rats and bugs and all that nasty stuff—smelled. Most hospitals were cleaned too well and too often with odorless chemicals to smell of anything. They were neutral. Only occasionally will a person get a whiff of disinfectant within their walls.

Those people didn’t know what the hell they were talking about.

It was that neutral smell that was so horrible! It refused to do anything. Be anything! It just… lingered. Filtered in through Tim’s nostrils and dug into his skull. Chipped away at his patience like a demented woodpecker!

Tim slapped his hands together.

The clap called the attention of the few people passing through the hallway, but Tim paid them no mind. He breathed in, taking in air until he couldn’t fit in any more inside him.

He let it out.

His whole body sagged. Deflated like a very pathetic balloon.

The white of his knuckles did not fade away.

Tap.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Tap. Tap.

Tap. Tap.

His feet tapped against the white floor. Under happier circumstances, his head would be bobbing to the beat.

Tap.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Tim had once gone to a tap-dancing contest with his mom many years ago. Not willingly, of course. Tim remembered being a brat about it. Complaining, crying, screaming. The works. It had seemed like such a stupid way to waste a Saturday.

“Tough luck,” his mom had told him. She was cool like that.

Tim’s scowl had lasted all of two minutes into the show. Not only because he was super bad at holding on to his anger, but also because the whole thing had been… fun. The dancers moved with style and grace Tim wished he had, and the sounds… The sounds! To turn noise into music! To play a melody by walking! How could he not like that?

Tim had left that contest wishing for tap shoes of his own, not that he’d ever told his mom that.

His mom…

Tim hid his face between his palms, his elbows resting just above his knees.

Unfortunate accident, they said. Probably drunk drivers, they said.

If they only knew.

Mr. Ezpinoza had offered to come to the hospital with him, but Tim had said there was no need for that. The police could take him there.

He’d be alright.

It had been a clear and blatant lie, but Mr. Ezpinoza had decided to be merciful. Some people wouldn’t call it that, but those people didn’t get it. The company of someone he knew was not what Tim wanted right now.

Just like hospital smell, being vulnerable in front of someone you knew was also the worst.

Strangers were always safer. Like the officers who’d taken Tim to the hospital. They didn’t know him well enough to know when he was lying. They had believed him when he said he’d be fine on his own, and that he had someone to call who’d pick him up. They weren’t like Mr. Ezpinoza, who’d probably have stayed the whole night with him. They had things to do. Perps to catch. People to save.

That was good.

It may not have felt good when Tim was filling out forms on his own and being asked about insurance cards by the hospital staff, but it was. Way better than the alternative. There was no one he knew to see him wipe away the tears with his sleeve. No one trying to reassure him or all that other stuff. Tim just had to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait.

It had taken a long time before he finally got to speak with a doctor.

Well, Tim didn’t really speak. The doctor said stuff, and Tim nodded.

The van had hit his mom pretty hard, but she wasn’t dead. That was good because of course it was. Totally good.

Yeah, it was good.

His mom was alive.

She just wouldn’t wake up.

It could be nothing. Only hours had passed since the accident, after all.

It could also be something.

They were going to do some tests to find out. Yeah. Tests.

Tim wasn’t worried. Not at all. His mom was going to ace those tests. Even if she hadn’t studied, she was going to ace them. Tim had always thought of her as the type who excelled at pop quizzes.

Yeah...

“Is this seat taken?”

Tim reflexively jerked his head up and met a pair of shockingly blue eyes that belonged to an impossibly suave-looking man in an equally suave suit. The man was tall with black hair and a jawline Tim immediately found himself envying.

He knew this person.

He’d seen him in magazine covers and at least one talk show.

“You are Arthur Cadogan.”

“I am,” said the suave-looking man.

“You want to sit next to me?”

“I do.”

Tim blinked.

Thrice.

“...Oookay?”

“Thank you.”

The CEO of Regum and one of the richest men in the world sat next to Tim. He didn’t say anything, leaving Tim wondering whether the stress of the night had finally gotten to him. Maybe he was starting to see and hear things.

A clock ticked and tocked down the hall.

It did so three hundred times before Mr. Cadogan spoke.

“I believe I am supposed to start by asking how you are holding up.”

“I…” Tim trailed off before he suddenly shook his head like a dog that had gotten out of the pool and put up a palm between himself and the billionaire. “Hold on! Time out!”

Arthur Cadogan did not say or do anything. He stayed in place, with his body turned slightly towards Tim and his back so straight most soldiers would envy him.

“You’re Arthur Cadogan!” Tim repeated, jabbing his finger at him.

“I believe we already established that.”

“But…” Tim looked left and right, trying to find anything that would make things make more sense. “You’re here!”

“We have also established that. I must say I will be quite disappointed if this is the quality of conversation I can expect from one of my interns.”

“That!” Tim kept pointing at the billionaire. His depression momentarily lost amid confusion. “That’s what I am talking about! Why are you here? Since when does the CEO show up to visit the intern!”

“You’d be surprised. I should have met you and Ms. Collins during your first day at Regum.”

Tim only blinked once this time. His finger went down. He cocked his head to the side.

“Really?”

“Indeed.” Arthur Cadogan nodded the most proper nod Tim had ever seen. “We would have had a few pictures taken. It would have been good PR.”

“Oh.” Tim frowned before quickly looking around. “Is this PR too? Do I have to worry about reporters coming in? Because let me tell you right now, I don’t feel like smiling.”

“Rest assured there will be none of that. It would be in exceedingly poor taste.”

“It so would.”

“My presence here is more easily explained. When you joined Regum, your name and that of your immediate family was added to our database. The moment your mother’s accident was registered by the police, we also received notice. I apologize for the intrusion, but considering the situation, I thought it was best I show up in person.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Mr. Cadogan said, not a single lie reflected on his blue eyes. “Now, I do believe I asked how it is that you were holding up.”

Tim opened his mouth.

“I advise against lying. You look terrible.”

Tim closed his mouth and frowned.

“If it’s so obvious, why ask… Mr. Cadogan, sir?”

“It would have been rude if I did not start with that, wouldn’t it?”

“I… don’t know? Maybe? I…” Tim sighed as he looked down. The surprise of meeting a billionaire was slowly fading away, and he was just so very tired.

“I’m... still processing or something. I think that’s how it’s called? Today was… It had been going super well. Well, maybe not super well, but it was definitely better than normal. Way better. Then I came back home, and the police were already there, and it’s like… what even is this? You know? I saw my mom this morning. Now it’s like… she’s just... there.”

Laying on the hospital bed.

Sleeping.

Not dead. Not dead.

Just sleeping.

“It just feels like...” Tim’s hands moved in a series of gestures that tried and failed to communicate anything. Sighing, he gave up and clasped them together. “I should have had more of a warning. More of... It should have all been more. You know? Just more.”

“Life is frail and sudden. We were sperm, are destined for decay, and will be worm feed. More is a privilege seldom granted.”

Tim stared.

“Where did that come from?”

“Sunday school.”

Tim kept staring.

“I am pretty sure they don’t say sperm in Sunday school.”

“Admittedly, mine was a little bit different.” The ghost of a smile appeared on Mr. Cadogan’s face, but it was soon replaced by something more serious. “But I digress. I have spoken to the doctors. Beyond a few cracked ribs, your mother’s condition is fine. At least, her life is not in any immediate danger.”

“When you say it like that, it just seems like you’re setting me up for a but.”

“That is usually how one delivers bad news.”

“Seems shitty.”

“I shall be blunt then. All preliminary scans show a high chance that your mother has fallen into a coma.”

His words were a punch to the gut. Had he not been sitting, Tim would have fallen to the floor.

“Okay. Okay…” Tim sucked in air through his teeth. “Okay.”

His feet tapped rapidly against the floor. There was no rhythm or beat to it. Tim just did it faster and faster as if that would somehow speed everything up.

“What does that mean? Is it going to be like those movies where I have to wait for years and years till someone tells me to pull the plug ’cause let me tell you right now, I’m having none of that! Nothing! Not a single thing! Nada!”

“Peace,” Mr. Cadogan said, and somehow that helped. He had a soothing voice. Strong and reliable. “Rest assured, cases like what you are imagining are the exception. Most comas do not progress into a vegetative state. Most likely, we are looking at a time frame of weeks or even days.”

“You were supposed to comfort me by saying how we’re still not sure she’s in a coma.”

“Is that so? I am afraid I am not good with social cues.”

“It’s okay. Me neither.” Tim sighs. “I… am not sure what I am supposed to do now.”

“That would be the reason why I am here,” Mr. Cadogan said. “I hope you will forgive the intrusion, but I am already aware of what type of insurance your mother is under. A long-term stay in a hospital would be quite costly. Furthermore, this place…”

The look on Mr. Cadogan’s face as he looked at the halls and floors was too polite to be called distaste but only just.

“It is not what one would call a first-rate facility. If you wish, I can have your mother moved to a much better facility tonight. All expenses paid, of course.”

Hope swelled in his chest.

“Tonight? Really? Wait!” Suspicion appeared on Tim’s face. “Is this meant to be a PR stunt to make up for the one we didn’t have?”

“Not at all. No cameras. No press.”

“I… that’s… Why?”

“I can, and you need it,” Mr. Cadogan replied. “What more reason do I need?”

So cool.

So damned cool.

“There is also the matter of your lodgings. Am I correct in assuming you don’t have a place to stay?”

“I have a home. I’m not eight. I can live by myself for a couple of days.”

Even as he said it, Tim’s mind recoiled from the thought. It wasn’t that he couldn’t live on his own. Cooking, cleaning, washing. All those things were stuff Tim knew how to do. There was enough food in the freezer for a couple of days. If not, Tim could buy some. It wasn’t rocket science. Besides, he ate most of his lunches at Regum, anyway.

However, he didn’t want to be home alone right now.

“You are not eight, but you are also not eighteen,” Mr. Cadogan pointed out. “Until your mother recovers, I recommend you stay at Regum Tower. This will also allow you to visit her more frequently.”

“I mean…” Tim hid his face between his palms. “If you phrase it like that, I’d look like an idiot for saying no.”

“That would be the reason why I phrased it that way.”

“Why are you even doing this? No, wait, you already said it. You can.”

“And you need it.”

Nuts.

“Can we at least get something to eat first?” Tim rubbed his belly. “I’m kind of really hungry right now.”

“We can get something to eat first.”

“You’re alright, Mr. Cadogan.”

~~~

“Magnificent!”

For once, the doctor’s fingers were not typing. The lab was silent as his eyes moved from left to right and back again like an old typewriter. Every single line of information shown on the screen was being imprinted into his brain.

“Absolutely magnificent!”

The results of Tim Lewis’ little outing had far exceeded his expectations. Even before the kidnapping, the child’s body, perhaps recognizing the inherent danger of fighting muggers, had increased its production of SP cells.

Once the boy was kidnapped, even that inflated production rate had skyrocketed. Though his general body shape had not changed, the boy’s body mass had grown by nearly a third. The SP cells had reproduced to the point where formulating and suggesting battle plans had been possible! Such feats from someone whose progress rate was still below 15% were astounding!

Unfortunately, the reaction had been much like the adrenaline generated by the body during stressful situations. It hadn’t lasted. The hastily made SP cells were already degenerating. Soon enough, the boy would go back to his previous state, albeit severely weakened. It was a wonder he hadn’t collapsed by now.

A considering hum left the doctor’s mouth. The child was going to need a lot of food very soon.

Oh well, there was hardly any need for him to tell Arthur that.

Who didn’t know teenagers ate like pigs?

The doctor turned off his screen.

And speaking of pigs…

~~~

Joey woke up in a dark room.

“H-Hey?” His voice was barely more than a squeak. He tried to move but found his arms and legs strapped to a metal surface. “W-What’s going on? Where am I?”

Was this jail?

Had Tim called the cops on him?

Or was this… the boss Graham spoke about?

“I am sorry!” He immediately yelled. “I-I didn’t know it was going to turn out like this! I thought it’d be easy! I just wanted to pay! I swear!”

“Well, aren’t you a class act?”

Step. Step. Step.

Joey felt every single one of those steps echo inside his body until their owner appeared before him. He was huge. Larger than anyone Joey had ever seen and with fists like cinder blocks. His emerald eyes were visible even in the darkness.

“When you lead with an apology, I thought something different was going to come out of your mouth. Shows what I know.”

“W-Who are you? Did the b-boss send you?”

“My boss sent me,” the tall, menacing man replied. “I am pretty sure we’re not thinking of the same person.”

“T-Then can you let me out of here?”

The large man looked at him with pity.

“We both know that’s not going to happen.”

“What are you doing here then? To… to-torture me? You don’t need to do that! I can talk! I swear I’ll talk!”

“We don’t need you to talk. Your friends, if you want to call them that, are already doing that. You, well, normally, I would just kill you.”

A low, strangled whine came from Joey’s mouth.

“It’s the proper way of things,” the green-eyed man said. “Death should be meted out quickly and without delay. Trying to take pleasure in it is the mark of savages.”

“B-but you’re not going to kill me!” Joey said, desperately latching on to that hope. “You’re not, right?! You said it! You just said it!”

To Joey’s relief, the man nodded.

“Correct. My companions see a more practical use for you and your little friends. I thought I should at least apologize in advance.”

Apologize?

What?

“Is the subject already awake, Gerald?”

A new voice broke through the darkness. The tall man, Gerald, looked to the side.

“Just woke up, doctor. Ready to begin the experiment.”

What?

“I would have killed you and been done with it. That would have been merciful,” Gerald told Joey.

“Bah, you make it all sound so horrible,” the other voice said. A man in a lab coat had walked up to them. He had a remote in his hands. “He’s going to be contributing to something much greater than himself. It’s all rather karmic, really. Through his sacrifice, the children he inconvenienced will be better provided for in the future.”

Children? What was he talking about?

“What’s going on?” Joey struggled against his bindings, desperate to break free. “What are you even talking about! You can’t do this! Who even are you people?”

“Gawain,” came the reply from the tall man.

“Merlin, despite my many objections,” grumbled the man in a lab coat. “Now, do hold still. This will be unpleasant for you to go through and unpleasant for us to watch. The least you could do is not make it unpleasant to hear as well.”

A button was pushed. The sound reached Joey’s ears before he saw it,

It had been there all along.

A long, deadly needle hanging over his head.

The needle moved closer.

Joey’s screams did not end soon.

~~~