Guide POV
Waking up to the same ceiling I had seen a thousand times, I looked around The Association's hospital ward and saw Elliot on the bed next to mine.
Pressing the button to call a nurse, I started to pull myself up in bed.
The same nurse—an older, no-nonsense, hard-hitting type—came through the door.
"Guide Gabriel, thankfully you've woken up just after two days this time."
Looking shocked, I replied, "It's only been two days? Normally when we're that bad, it lasts at least a week. What are the stats, Nurse Lovely?"
She gave me a sharp glare for using her nickname.
"Yours was 72% contamination when you came in and Elliot was at 78%. We were expecting the high 80s again. You've also come down a lot—you were at 53% when I checked you at lunch. You're waking up faster with better stats than normal. Tell me the secret."
A vague memory flashed in my mind—hugging someone, someone warm and comforting—but I shook my head. It couldn't have been Elliot. First off, we were best friends, practically blood brothers—and not in the secret-lovers way. Our tastes ran too similarly to ever be interested in each other.
Looking back at her, I replied, "I've got limited memory. I know someone spiked Gabriel's drink and he started to overpower. When I tried to calm him down, I got hit by the same side effect. I can't remember anything else important."
She nodded. "I've already called them. They should be here any second."
Smiling up at her, I winked. "My dream girl. You're everything I look for in someone."
She gave me a side-eye. "If I were four decades younger, I'd chew you up and spit you out."
Clutching my chest dramatically, I gasped, "You're already tearing my heart out! I thought we were forever."
She let out a light laugh as she walked over to check on Elliot.
"He's gotten even better—should wake up by this arvo, I think. He's at 59%. I'll come back in a bit to check on you both. Call me if he wakes up in the meantime."
I nodded and gave her a small wave. Looking over at Elliot, he looked absolutely wrecked by what had happened. He'd only just recovered from the last mission, so the timing was awful—especially with one of his many admirers deciding to take their obsession to a whole new level.
Not that I didn't have my own admirers, but I was a little less gullible than Gabriel. He still hadn't fully accepted his new status after we awakened six years ago. He treated everyone the same and took their words at face value. Which, unfortunately, gave me a lot more work.
Lying back in the bed, I actually felt... refreshed. A first after any incident. A face flashed in my memory, but I couldn't focus on it long enough to picture them clearly. The warmth and calmness I'd felt made me yearn for it again.
While my mind wandered, I heard heavy footsteps down the hall. As they rounded the corner, I nearly groaned—of course it was John. Overzealous, energetic, and completely unbearable. He'd had multiple complaints filed against him for harassment and abuse of power. And as usual, one of his lackeys followed him like a shadow, never using his own brain.
John's face was serious as he looked around the room. When he spotted me, he marched over, stopping at the foot of my bed with his goon falling in behind him, saluting stiffly.
"Guide Gabriel! We're here to help you seek justice against the person who targeted you and Esper Elliot!"
I waved a hand, exasperated. "At ease. Thanks for getting us to the ward. Has the guide who spiked Elliot's drink been isolated?"
"Guide? What do you mean? He was a normie. We've got him confined to his room."
"That term is not politically correct, officer. Referring to anyone as a 'normie' is inappropriate." I frowned. "And to correct you, the person who spiked Gabriel's drink was a guide. There were several around him in the cafeteria, and one gave him a drink. I wasn't there when it happened, so I'm not sure who it was. I'm assuming you've pulled the tapes and have the guide isolated for investigation?"
John looked confused. "Sir, we believe the person we've secluded is the culprit. He was acting suspicious. You were hugging him, so we thought it was an aphrodisiac he'd given you and Esper Elliot. He works in the kitchen—we've got him in lockdown and scheduled for interrogation."
"No," I said firmly. "I'm sure it was a guide who caused this. We didn't eat or drink from the cafeteria—we use the special service because of previous incidents. Elliot told me himself a guide gave him the drink. Who exactly are you referring to as the kitchen worker?"
John gestured and handed me a pad. I was already contemplating whether hitting him would knock some sense into him.
The pad played footage from a security camera in the corridor, showing me and Elliot heading toward the conference room.
On screen, Gabriel began to falter and pant as I tried to steady him. From behind, a staff member pushing a trolley toward the kitchen door paused when he saw us. As Gabriel and I slowly crumbled together, he appeared to radio for help and rushed over.
I watched as the staff member prevented Gabriel from hitting the floor, then caught me too as I collapsed. The shock on his face was visible, even from behind. His neck flushed bright red.
He carefully helped lay Gabriel on his side, then struggled to untangle himself from me while I hugged him tightly.
I was stunned. When we're that contaminated, touching anyone is painful. Even basic medical intervention is nearly unbearable.
The video showed his clear panic as he tried to remove my arms. From the side, I could just glimpse his face—young, scraggly light-brown hair, too thin, definitely shorter than me and Gabriel, and probably a few years younger. But determined.
Then help arrived. The medical team and John rushed in. I watched John yelling at him, and saw the staff member's shoulders slump, tears starting to fall as his body trembled.
Fury, hot and sharp, rose through me—rage I hadn't felt since Elliot was last hurt. My powers started to stir, static crackling in the air as my eyes burned.
"John," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "How, in the world, could you watch that and think he was the culprit? He helped us when he didn't have to—and you yelled at him? Tell me, right now, that he's being treated with the utmost respect. That man risked himself for two people in contamination."
John paled. "Sir, we thought he was the one behind it..."
"We'll talk later. Review the cafeteria footage. Create a list of all the guides around Elliot before the incident."
His lackey saluted and ran off. John nodded seriously. "Yes, sir. I'll return after reviewing the cafeteria."
Waving my hand dismissively, I leaned back. The stress made me sleepy again. I glanced at Gabriel and drifted off into a light doze.