A disembodied echo reverberated around a dark empty space—a beep seemed to swirl like a distant feedback loop.
"I'm going to prepare the subject in room 413…" a rough voice resounded distantly inside of the dark space.
"Remir! You can't! The captain hasn't even approved…" Another female voice echoed with a strained plea.
"Silence! Have you forgotten your place? It's Second Lieutenant Remir to you…" the rough voice seethed as it bounced in the background. "You won't tell the captain anything, understand? I know all about how you have been handing off tasks—you're the exact kind of weak spine that costs this organization"
The gruff voice trailed as a small but distinct chuckle rang in the empty space.
"No… Teres… You won't speak" the rough echo spoke low and menacingly. "You will stay right here and watch subject 31… For the test of the day, you are not to leave this room"
"Sir!" The female voice resounded with a panicked please. "It's not necessary! Can't we just the kid the truth?!"
"Quiet girl! And follow orders!" the brusque voice overwhelmed the space with boisterous echoes. "Stay here, strap him down and keep collecting blood samples! Stop wasting my time!"
"Revlis… With me." The terse voice snarled curtly.
"Revlis… Please, don't let him do this." The female voice echoed a last quiet but desperate plea.
A softer male voice just returned a resigned but pained grunt offering only rejection.
Two sets of footsteps reverberated before the sounds of something clacking followed by the sliding of something—then a closing thud.
Outside an older woman in her forties with red hair and fair skin and wearing a blue sweater was seen arguing with two nurses. One was a large imposing man, dark-skinned with a dark-brown crew cut—the other still tall but less imposing with blond hair and a burly stature.
"What do you mean I can't see him?!" The woman shouted incredulously at the two looming figures.
The shouts bounced through the blue and white striped halls, snapping the attention of many guests and staff with alert curiosity and concern.
"Ma'am, we just need you to stay put, there's no need to raise your tone." The massive man spoke, his baritone voice calm and ensuring.
"Now you listen here!" Her arm shot out to grab the large man's scrubs before another hand intercepted hers with an iron grip.
"Look… Ma'am, my patience is wearing thin and now you're trying to assault my colleague," Samoth grimaced at her, his face betraying no amusement. "So how about you just sit down and wait before you get kicked out with battery sanctions?"
The woman gritted her teeth as she clenched her fists—knuckles turned white.
She pierced the man with a murderous gaze.
"Get your hand off of me…" she hissed with every word.
Suddenly, a soft gentle hand pressed against her shoulder.
"Ma'am, I don't know what's going on either…." A soft female voice spoke behind her wistfully. "But please, come sit, I've seen this happen before. I'm worried too"
"No!" Elira shouted, having had enough, she brushed the arm off her shoulder.
She spun her head furiously, her anger uncontrollable—until her eyes landed on the meek woman standing behind as her anger began to subside.
The petite young woman with dark-brown hair wore a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt sporting blue denim jeans—she was looking down with a gloomy expression as her face paled with sorrow.
The young woman began to sniffle; a tense expression etched on her face as her chest heaved.
"I'm sorry, it's just my brother is in intensive care too, so Iknow...", her lips perked downward as the bottom of her lip quivered— her eyelids pressing tensely as shimmering tears rolled down her cheeks.
Elira observed the meek young woman for a moment feeling a sense of shame as she became aware that she wasn't the only person in this hall that was worried about a loved one.
She smiled back meekly at the young girl before turning back to the blond man with a controlled expression that betrayed some annoyance and regret.
"Forgive me… I'm just worried," she spoke wistfully. "I'll just sit down."
The blonde man carefully released her arm, before she glared at him one more time and turned back to the young woman behind her.
On closer inspection, the petite woman was slightly disheveled. Her dark-brown hair was straight but not brushed, her clothes looked worn with scuffs all over her leather jacket, boots and torn jeans—the tears on her face displacing unwashed surfaces making it look like permanent rivers from her otherwise smooth-fair face.
"I'm sorry…" the young woman's voice cracked as it whispered quietly—another translucent tear split the dust on her face.
The older woman bent down to the disheveled teen to give her a warm embrace.
"No, I'm sorry...", the older woman spoke, her voice cracking a little. "... I guess I just forgot where I was for a moment there."
She pulled away, holding the young woman by both of her shoulders as warm smile spread to her cheeks.
"Thank you for that", the woman spoke softly to the petite young woman.
The petite woman's face then glowed into a smile of appreciation at the woman she just approached.
"I just wanted to help, I didn't mean to intrude, it's just I was watching you and I couldn't help but feel the same way and that reminded me of...', the girls' expression at that moment turned somber.
Noticing this, the older woman came to her senses and held the young woman's hands before pressing them gently.
"It's okay, it was my fault, I didn't mean to startle you...", she paused, realizing she didn't know the young woman's name.
"What's your name?", she asked curiously.
The young woman stopped at the sound of the question and smiled.
"Oh, that's right," her cheeks turned red in embarrassment. "My name is Rena."
"Hi Rena, I'm Elira," she held her warm smile at the young woman—then let go of her hands before reaching into a brown pleather purse around her to grab a pack of wet-wipes she was carrying with her.
She pulled one out before wiping the tears off the young woman's face. Elira didn't know why, but this young woman reminded her a lot of her son—her action felt instinctual.
Rena's expression turned to bewildered acceptance as the wipes cleaned the streaks on her face.
"You know…" she spoke kindly as she continued wiping the young woman's face. "You're too pretty for tears."
She finished wiping Renas now smooth oval face as the petite woman's lips quivered looking at the woman in front of her.
"Thank you… Ma'am." She said with gracious astonishment.
Elira just held her gaze firm at the young woman with an affectionate smile.
"Don't call me ma'am, just call me Elira," she grinned warmly.
Suddenly the glass door of a room labeled 414 opened as two men stepped out. One wore a white lab coat with light-tan skin with short, combed hair—the other with semi-short but straight auburn hair wearing blue scrubs.
"Revlis, stay back, just make sure she doesn't come out." The man in the lab coat commanded indifferently at the nurse next to him.
"Yes… Sir," the man in scrubs answered his voice betraying a hint of hesitation.
The man closed the door behind him patiently before making his way down the hall.
"Doctor Orlando! What's happening to Lyson?!" Elira shouted with expectancy in her voice.
The man in the lab coat turned around slowly, almost having expected the woman not to have been there at all. He gazed at the blond man disdainfully before turning back to the woman with a plastic smile.
"Ah yes, my apologies Mrs. Raitaurus, your son is just fine, he just seems to be tired due to all the stress…" he paused to consider something. "There seemed to be some kind of allergic reaction to his treatment, which is why I have to consult from a colleague."
He continued to walk indifferently as if that was the end of the conversation.
"Doctor!" Elira shouted through the corridor, raising many heads to the commotion. "Please! Just let me see him!"
The man just stopped, heaving an annoyed sigh.
"Your son needs rest… Mrs Raitaurus," he spoke holding back a snark. "A colleague of mine once told me to trust the process… That's what I suggest you do."
He continued to walk disregarding any further discourse until he reached the room labeled 413.
"Hey wait!" She called desperately before a large hand stopped right in front of her face.
"Ma'am, please don't disturb the doctor…" the colossal man's baritone voice trailed. "Your son is not the only patient he has."
"Hey! That's my brother's room! Does that mean I can see him soon?" Rena shot out behind the red-haired woman—expectancy in her eyes.
The large man scrutinized the young woman before letting out a sigh that betrayed a hint of regret.
"No miss, we can't let you see him yet, not until we get doctors orders," the bouldering man said—his eyes failing to meet the young woman.
Elira did not miss this though.
"What? You people are willing to be direct with me but not her? Look at her when you speak!" She lashed out indignantly.
The blonde man stepped forward, his face scrunched with annoyance.
"Look ma'am, do I have to reconsider my earlier decision?" he glared at her menacingly.
Elira however just grimaced at the man; her expression hardly contained her resentment.
"I just don't know why your colleague can't look her in the eyes when he speaks," she spoke containing her seething rage.
Samoth just glared at the giant before turning back to the woman in front of him.
"Because Nurse Enots here is a gentle giant," his eyes turned to glare at the large man once more before shifting back to the red-haired woman. "He hates to be certain."
Suddenly, quiet sobs began to echo behind the woman—her head turned to see what was happening.
Rena's body was shuddering as her body tried desperately to control her sobs.
"I'm not going to see him… Am I?" Her soft voice cracked as she spoke.
Elira just bent down to one knee, looking up to meet the young woman's face.
"I can't make those kinds of promises to you honey," she smiled warily at the young woman. "But you can't give up on him now, you're here for him and he needs you to believe in him."
Rena's sniffles subsided as she grabbed the inside of her jacket and pulled it up to wipe away her tears.
"You're right…" she sucked in a breath, containing her turbulent emotions. "I've been there for him this long; I can't stop now."
Elira stood, holding the young woman's shoulder, a genuine smile on her face as Rena looked up at her, hopefully.
"Let's just sit down." She spoke softly at the young lady—Rena nodded back at her.
Some time passed. A shadow as it fell closer to a large luminous window by a few inches.
"Wait, so what did you mean when your brother ate a cockroach off the ground? There's no way he actually did that?", her face showing mirth but her twitching eyelid showing a bit of concern.
Rena rubbed the back of her head in shy embarrassment, her cheeks blushing an adorable red hue.
"Well, since Euron was little, he's always been a fiery spirit, I'm usually the one to clean up his messes you see. Half the time I can't even find contracts because I'm trying to talk down a stranger from giving us a federation reprimand on our record..." she paused sheepishly looking down at the floor.
"He's difficult and very frustrating—that was actually a bet some of the other kids made, they told him that if he ate a dead cockroach off the floor that they would give him five ficles, which to us was alot..." the girl smiled wistfully.
"So, when they refused to pay up, he made them cough it up," she gave a faint smile before continuing.
"I had to nurse those kids back to health before sending them off back to their home, I love him I really, really do but he constantly finishes one task and leaves me for cleanup duty..." Her face twisted, showing an expression of both joy and resigned dispassion.
"I just wish he appreciated how much I do for him", she said regretfully, a tear swelling on the corner of her eye.
Elira put caressed Rena's shoulder, rubbing tenderly as she submitted to her maternal instincts.
"Honey, I'm the mother of two sons, trust me it's not an isolated incident, boys can be quite feisty at a young age and based on what you've told me he has a lot of reason to be feisty", her smile turning delicate as she solemnly considered her recent experiences.
Rena slowly raised an eyebrow curiously at the woman's statement.
"What do you mean? He's feisty? I'm feisty too!", she said in her petite figure with an adorable looking scowl on her face, her oval cheeks reddening but the bridge of her nose wrinkling in fierce determination.
Elira passively let out a humble chuckle at the petite woman's statement.
"I know dear, we're all fierce in our own ways, it's just boys just have a special way of getting themselves into trouble...", As she said, she grabbed a heart shaped pendant on her neck wistfully, clutching it like it was the last thing she had left.
"... It's just they always seem to internalize their feelings... " Elira bowed her head helplessly, her smile turning somber as she continued.
"My husband... His name was Orelius, it's only been a month since..." As she spoke her voice cracked slightly, a small glistening tear swelled in the corner of her eye, threatening to streak down her cheek.
Rena did not miss the shift in the older woman's tone as she turned an earnest gaze to the now hunched person trying to compose herself.
A warm compassionate smile stretched across the young woman's face as she leaned slightly to her right, wrapping her arms around the woman's shoulders as she started to shudder, sobs escaping her lips.
"It's okay..." Rena's tune shifted to one of unified solace with the red-haired woman.
"... You don't have to say anything else, we've both been through a lot this week and despite how freely my brother likes to get into trouble I know even now I really miss him..." she paused giving Elira a warm, beautiful smile that threatened to melt her heart if just for a second.
"... Just like you miss your son and your husband," she said tilting her head slightly.
Elira nodded her head with a jubilant but gloomy silence—a small glint of something brilliant fell from her face as it flickered against the luminous light of the window.
A small wet droplet condensed on the floor.
"... Yes", she spoke as her voice cracked a little—Nearly letting out a whimper.
Rena leaned in and hugged the woman a little tighter, her delicate embrace feeling warm and genuine, they sat there in silence in a scene of somber unity.
Elira composed herself before turning back to the young woman—a small hint of concern on her face.
"You kids seemed to have gone through so much…" She spoke hesitantly. "Where were your parents?"
Rena just looked down with a gloomy expression on her face.
"They're… gone." She smiled wistfully. "We've been on our own for the last two years."
Elira's face fell hearing the young woman—a pain settled in her chest.
She looked quietly at the young woman, almost contemplating something before squeezing her opposite shoulder tightly.
"Well, after all of this is said and done…" She smiled warmly at the petite lady. "If you kids need somewhere to stay, you can stay with us."
Rena just stopped in her place, turning slowly at the woman with disbelief in her eyes.
"You… Mean it?" She asked hesitantly.
Elira just nodded, her smile not wavering.
Rena's eyes became glossy as her breath stopped, her composure threatening to shatter by even a light breeze. She embraced Elira tightly with a stiff embrace.
"Thank you… So much!" The young woman sobbed quietly on Elira's sweater.
She just placed a gentle palm on the young lady's head with affectionate ease.
A minute later, the room to 413 finally opened as a tan-skinned man with glasses wearing a lab coat stepped out as both Rena and Elira stood with expectant expressions but the man paid them no mind as he made his way back to room 414.
"Doctor Orlando!" Elira called at the damn. "Can you please tell us what is going on?"
The man just looked at her with an annoyed expression before opening his mouth.
"I already explained the situation to you Mrs. Raitaurus." He sighed as he continued walking towards the room, not bothering to meet her gaze. "Just attending to other patients… That is all."
"But doctor! What about—" she started before being interrupted.
"You ever heard of the term 'working under pressure' ma'am?" He stopped reaching for the glass door's handle. "I doubt you want any treatment for your boy to be rushed."
With that, he opened the door again into Lyson's room before stepping inside.
Elira just stared at the space where the man once stood with disbelief etched on her face—she was not finding any of the man's actions professionally acceptable.
She wanted to step forward and give the man a piece of her mind but as soon as she thought about it two men stood by the door, giving her knowing look.
The woman turned back to the petite woman next to her that gave her an expecting look with worry etched on her face.
A moment later however, sounds erupted from inside the room as Samoth, Revlis and Enots looked at each-other with concerned expressions.
The blonde man turned to the giant with an uncertain scowl.
"Enots, you stay out here and stand watch." He commanded the towering man before turning to the auburn-haired nurse. "Revlis, you're with me."
The large man and the younger man both glanced at Samoth and nodded before Revlis turned to follow Samoth who had already opened the door.
Soon, both the men ran in, closing the door after them.
A moment later, more crashing sounds erupted from inside the room.
"What in the hells is going on in this place?" Elira asked the young woman uncomfortably.