Mia's POV
I paced outside the pediatric ICU, biting my lower lip so hard I almost drew blood.
Eric was stable now. Barely. We'd managed to bring down the fever with aggressive cooling measures and an IV cocktail I'd tailored to match his unusual vitals. But the odd fluctuations in his bloodwork made zero sense. His white cell count dipped and surged without rhythm, his platelet levels were borderline inhuman, and—
Inhuman.
The word clawed at the back of my mind like an echo I didn't understand.
"Dr. Walls?" a nurse called softly from the doorway. "He's asking for you."
I hurried in, Lia already at his bedside, brushing damp strands of hair from his forehead. Her face was tight with worry and something else—guilt?
"Hey, braveheart," I said softly, kneeling down next to him with another plushie—a lion this time. "You gave me a scare."
He took the toy weakly. "You came…" he whispered.
"Of course I did."
"I don't feel… normal." His voice was small, scared.
I glanced up at Lia, who quickly looked away.
"You're just tired, sweetheart," I said gently. "We're going to get you better, okay?"
Eric nodded slightly, his eyes drifting shut.
When I stood, Lia followed me out. Once we were alone, she finally spoke.
"You're not like the others," she said carefully. "You see things. You ask questions."
I blinked. "Lia, what's wrong with him?"
A long pause.
"He's... different. He always has been. But you need to stop digging. For your own good."
I stepped back, heart pounding. "That's not an answer."
Before she could reply, Ryan's voice came from behind me, low and clipped.
"She means stop pushing, Doctor. You're in deep enough already."
I spun around. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, his silver eyes sharp under the fluorescent lights. But his presence still sucked the air out of the room. Powerful. Intimidating.
"You can't expect me to ignore what's going on," I said, folding my arms.
"I can. And I will." His tone left no room for argument. "This isn't your concern."
My jaw tightened. "He's my patient. That makes it my concern."
Something flickered in his gaze—anger, frustration, maybe even… fear?
He stepped closer. "You're treading in dangerous waters, Mia. Walk away while you still can."
And then he was gone.
Ryan's POV
I hated threatening her. But the closer she got, the more dangerous this became—for everyone.
She was smart. Too smart.
But I couldn't let her learn the truth. Not yet. Not about Eric. Not about Chloria.
And especially not about me.
Because once she found out…
She'd never look at any of us the same again.