Page 35 of The Hollowed
A few moments later, the door creaked open and Carly, his nurse, slipped inside, datapad in hand. She gave Jace a quick smile and greeted Myra before moving to check the monitors by his bedside.
“Hey,” Myra said softly, pushing off the couch. “Can I ask you something?”
The nurse glanced up and nodded. Myra gestured toward the hallway and together they stepped just outside the room, out of earshot.
“They’ve started the transplant process, right?” Myra asked, her tone calm despite how nervous she really was.
Carly hesitated, her eyes darted past Myra, making sure Jace couldn’t hear before she leaned in closer. “He…he’s been taken off the list.”
For a moment, Myra couldn’t breathe. Her voice dropped to a low growl. “What the hell do you mean, taken off?”
The nurse’s grip tightened on the datapad as though it could shield her from Myra’s fury. “He’s ineligible because his priority status was changed without permission. They’re saying there’s a big punishment coming for Dr. Castillo because of what she did. Admin wants to make an example of her. I guess they’re extending that punishment to Jace so no one will think of doing the same.”
Myra’s jaw clenched so tightly it hurt, and she could hear her pulse in her ears. “So they’re punishing an innocent kid because of something someone else did?”
“I’m sorry,” Carly whispered as her eyes dropped to the floor. “But if I were you, I’d keep this between us. If they knew I told you…” She trailed off, swallowing the lump in her throat.
Myra stood in silence for a long moment and watched the nurse retreat back into Jace’s room. When she finally followed, she forced her expression back into something Jace wouldn’t question. But inside, rage filled her.
It had been Myra who had asked that Jace was moved up on the list. She thought she’d been doing something good, something that could save Jace before it was too late. But now, she’d put both of them in danger.
“Pass me the other remote.” Myra said, taking a deep breath and shaking off her anger as she settled back into her seat.
Jace quickly shifted in his bed, looking for the remote before tossing it to her and muttering something about how he planned to demolish her in the game.
On any other day, Myra would have shot back a quipped remark, but right now she could only focus on one truth.
If the Institute wanted to take out their rage on Jace or Luci, they’d have to go through her first.
Chapter 15
Myra
Myra waited until Jace’s breathing evened out, the mixture of medications coursing through him soothing him to sleep. It didn’t take long, exhaustion clung to him like a second skin these days. Still, the waiting was unbearable. It wasn’t just the patience required, it was the war in her head and the guilt whispering her name. She hadn’t let herself feel something like this in years. But Prometheus had a way of reminding her that allowing yourself any weakness always came at a cost.
She should have remembered how merciless they were at their core.
That mistake had nearly cost her everything.
Once she was certain Jace was asleep, Myra silently slipped away from his room. She headed for the elevators, a plan slowly unfolding with each step.
Luci had claimed with such unshakable confidence that Doc would cover for her if things went south, that his word could shield her decisions from consequences. Maybe he had tried, but it had clearly not been enough. Myra had only met Doc a handful of times, but he didn’t seem cruel enough for this. Still, she knew if the Collective wanted someone punished, even Doc couldn’t protect them.
She knew it without question because before the outbreak,when she’d barely crossed the threshold of adolescence, Prometheus had drilled simple rules into her and her peers.Complete the task. Obey the orders. End those who have strayed from our ideals.Mercy had never been a part of her curriculum.
But Myra had to try to find a way out of this. And she had to trust that Luci’s moral assessment of Doc was accurate because he was the only person who could help.
Her hand remained steady as she raised it to knock on Doc’s office door. By now he would have finished his morning rounds and would likely be there looking over the information he’d collected. The sound of her knuckles against the wood seemed louder than it should have but Myra was vaguely aware that that could simply be a result of the anxiety thumping in her chest.
The door opened a crack before swinging wider to reveal Doc’s face. A nervous smile tugged at his lips. “Ms. Lopez,” he greeted her. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon. Come in.” He stepped aside and closed the door behind them. The click of the latch only made her anxiety worse.
“Would you like some tea?” he asked, gesturing to the chair across from his own. Steam curled from a chipped porcelain cup on his desk, its herbal scent lingering in the air. Myra hesitated before declining with a shake of her head. It was rude, she knew that, but her stomach twisted at the idea of swallowing anything at the moment.
“Alright then,” Doc mumbled, lowering himself into his chair. He studied her from across the desk for a moment before he spoke. “Is there something I can help you with today, Ms. Lopez?”
Myra leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “You can help me by telling me what the hell is going on with Jace.”
Doc’s smile faltered. He adjusted the pen on his desk, straightening it until it was parallel with his notepad. “Jace?” he echoed, as if he needed clarification.