GoodReadDorothy awoke with a start, the familiar warmth of another person conspicuously absent from her side.
Glancing at the clock, it read 7 AM — a time when Everett would normally be hunched over his desk, sifting through a mountain of paperwork. But now, he was nowhere to be found in the hospital room.
Concern knitting her brows, Dorothy rose to search for him. She checked the doctor's office, and the long, sterile corridors — no sign of him.
Returning to the room to grab her phone, she dialed Everett's number, only to hear his ringtone echo from within the room.
His phone was left behind.
Odd.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtVery odd.
"Dr. Quincy. Have you seen Everett around?" Dorothy inquired, her voice tinged with worry as she ventured out again.
The doctor shook her head. "No, he's not in his room?" "Nope. He was gone when | woke up." "Well, perhaps you should check the security room? If he left the hospital, he would have had to go through the main or back door," suggested Dr. Quincy.
Dorothy nodded, a bit resigned. "Guess that's the only option | have." In Swevia Country, she was out of her element. Other than calling Everett, she was at a loss for what to do.
As Dorothy made her way to the security room, Quincy called out from behind, "Ms. Sanchez. Mr. Lopez is at the front entrance.” Whirling around and peering down from the upper floor, Dorothy's eyes indeed caught the sight of Everett's figure at the hospital's entrance.
"Thanks." she called back, taking the stairs two at a time. She needed to find out what was going on, and why Everett had left the hospital so early in the morning.
From above, details were blurry.
Reaching the downstairs, Dorothy was taken aback at the sight of Everett up close — his complexion was ashen, and his lips drained of color, looking as if he were on the brink of collapse.
"Everett, what... what happened to you?" she gasped, instinctively rushing towards him, only to see him step back.
"I'm fine," he rasped, his voice a hoarse shadow of itself.
Dorothy frowned, her worry deepening. "Did you leave at dawn?" If he had only left the room in the morning, a mere hour or two would not have reduced Everett to such a state.
"I'm tired. | just want to go rest for a while," he said, his gaze avoiding hers, an unusual behavior for him. With long strides, he began to walk past her, further into the hospital.
This was not like him at all.
Dorothy took a deep breath, catching up to him and tugging at his sleeve. "Everett, wait." Despite his haste, he stopped at her touch, not wanting to risk pulling her along.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"What's going on? Talk to me," she implored, her lips pressed together, a knot of anxiety forming in her stomach.
She tried to look into his eyes for answers, but to no avail — he wouldn't meet her gaze.
"Nothing. I just felt like taking a walk, that's all.” "From dawn till now?" Dorothy stepped closer, reaching out to embrace him, when suddenly she caught a metallic scent.
Blood.
But the dark coat he wore masked the source.
"Yes, | lost track of time." His answers were short, his voice heavy.
"That's not it. You have blood on you," Dorothy said, gripping his coat more firmly. The dried, flaking bloodstains marred her palm, a dark crimson.
Everett pressed his lips together tightly, pulling his coat away swiftly, then hastened his steps even more.
Confused and concerned, Dorothy had no choice but to run after him. "Everett! You promised you'd never lie to me. What did you do? Why is there blood on your clothes?" He stopped, his silhouette halting as he half-turned towards her. "Dorothy, don't touch me, I'm filthy."
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