25 Years Ago
The first light of dawn spilled through the tall, narrow windows of the hospital’s emergency wing, slicing the dimness with streaks of pale gold. The scent of antiseptic mingled with the faint, acrid tang of old sweat and fear, settling heavy in the stale air. Somewhere beyond the sterile corridors, muffled voices and the distant whirr of machines formed a restless hum. Then, piercing through the quiet, a wild scream shattered the morning’s fragile calm.
“AAAAAAHHHHHHHH! What’s that medicine? AAAAAAAHHHH AHHHHAAAAA!” The voice tore through the walls, ragged and raw with terror, reverberating down the hallways like a banshee’s wail.
Lady El stood statuesque near the nurses’ station, her dark hair pulled back into a taut bun that revealed the sharp angles of her face. Her eyes, cold and steady as winter ice, flicked toward the source of the commotion with practiced ease. Beside her, her assistant, MD, a young man with anxious eyes and a nervous twitch, clutched a clipboard as if it were a lifeline.
“Lead doctor! We need the lead doctor here immediately!” MD called out, voice strained but controlled.
Lady El’s lips pressed into a thin line. Without hesitation, she strode toward…
