Stillness filled the four corners of the room as everyone discerned who would enunciate first. Their eyes travel forth in his direction and watch him surveying the files before his sight. Lounging in his swivel chair, he glimpses at them, with his glare. Upon beholding the details from the records, he let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What do you want me to say about this?" He spoke, and his hoarse voice echoed in the room. He lightly brushes his hair with the tips of his fingers and takes another glimpse of the folder before his eyes.
"I dislike the occurrence." He continued, he threw a glare in her direction and her lips parted upon seeing his disgruntled complexion but it didn't lessen the captivating aura he has, the lady on the lab gown bit her lower lip and placed a gaze on him.
"You should have done something to prevent this, Hyra." He asserted and leaned over his seat. She remained at her seat, quiet. Yet the moment she saw him glaring at her, a sigh escaped from her.
"My apologies for not seeing this ahead, I was not at the event when it happened —" he cut off her words with a smile, a bitter one. She gulped upon seeing those expressions from him, she knows he's desperate.
"You know I hate it when you fail to take care of her, Hawthorne is a difficult one. She loathes men, yet her ailment does otherwise, which eventually makes it easy for her to catch her prey." He confirmed, she lowered her head, unable to utter anything as a response. She failed her job, and she's impatient about what may happen next.
"Where's Culzean? I need her here," he requested yet no one dared to answer him. They could not throw a look in his direction, they're frightened, he is the head of the team, his words would always be observed.
"She's at the field, Doctor." The lady in a lab coat replied and she took the folder from the furniture. She tucked her ombre hair into her ears and began to appear confident before his sight.
"Call her, she knows how to get Hawthorne's interest. We must bring her to this jailhouse or else, everyone will be lying lifeless." He ordered, and the psychiatrist and the physicians agreed.
"Hyra, any updates about Colson?" He questioned which made the rest of the team alarmed.
"... Not yet, Doctor. We haven't tracked her, I think we lost her." She almost stuttered. The board gasped as diverse reactions took place. Murmurs filled the entire conference hall, they heard him curse.
"Artless. Why do these sinners exist? They're staining the community, they're causing threats!" He gritted his teeth in resentment yet he let out a sigh before dismissing the forum.
"Meeting adjourned."
In an instant, they hastily went out of the room, deflecting his presence. A hostile smile escapes from his lips upon contemplating, "The five of you will be mine, I'll never let you flee once more." He whispered.
───────┄ ༺|༻┄───────
"You sure did enjoy your hobby," Astrid Hawthorne commented upon witnessing the aesthetic portrait before her. She let out a delightful smile and lightly touched the bruises on her arms, confirming if they were healed.
"... I guess it's the only aspect I am good at." Dorothy Scott responded and began again to brush the void space of the illustration. The compliment she received felt heaven to her, and a chuckle escaped from her lips.
"What about you? I saw you last night stitching something," The lass spoke and a sheepish smile escaped from her lips.
"I stitch dolls, it's what I usually do when I'm alone in my home. Aside from that, I love to capture beautiful things," Hawthorne retorted.
The two of them giggled and Hawthorne stood up and led her way towards the coating, she placed the aid kits on the cabinet and sat on the bed, positioned herself with a smile on her face, Scott ended confused yet somehow a compliment let go from her.
"You're way prettier whenever you smile…" she uttered, yet the lady in front didn't respond. Instead, she remains there and intensifies her poise.
"Okay, okay… I got it, I'm going to paint a portrait of you!" Scott declared with a cheerful voice.
Her hands progressed and traveled into the painting, with a smile on her face, she shaded her, adding a bit of tint and expanding a mass of shades as she aspired to clarify every detail of the art.
As the moment passes through, the cloudless glint that enters the framed window glass of the building beats the tiled floors of the hospital. Her sketch indicates that she's almost done, yet when she's about to speak, they were interrupted when familiar faces entered the room.
"Astrid!" Leo called upon arriving at the place. Her worried expression greeted the two lasses. The fact that they see them doing arts inside the hospital room made them have an awkward entrance.
"Mace? How did you get here? The warden didn't forbid you to come in? Impossible." Hawthorne got up on the mattress and darted into her friend's arms. "I miss you!" She added and gave her a tight hug but a stinging pain arose in her covering when her injuries dashed onto Mace Leo's.
"Ey, Astrid… looking good in that dress." Sullivan showed up, with her usual grin. Fear covered her yet she managed to behave like a cool badass. She brought in the paper bag with her and handed it to Scott.
"Uh, hi, what's this?" Scott shyly asked and had the chance to peek at what's inside the heap. The bandages on her wrist were still attached, preventing the bleeding to worsen. The injuries she had were visible as well, confusion filled the faces of the two ladies who appeared in the room.
"I didn't know you got a roommate here, girl. So what's up?" Sullivan had her way towards the bed and observed the entire room. A usual tasteless pale paint coated the compartment. She snorted because of the typical smell of the building.
"Who are you?" Hawthorne questioned, giving Sullivan a rambling look.
"My name's Kyaellani, I'm a friend of Mace. It's nice seeing you here, I mean, seeing you safe and recovered." She flipped her creamy like white hair with the length over her waist. She fixed the hem of her dress and sat on the bed mattress.
"Old ladies shouldn't be here, why did you bring her with you?" Hawthorne asked, looking in Sullivan's direction, browsing her from the sole of her foot into the crown of her head.
"Excuse me?" She raised her brows and crossed her arms, glaring at the patient. She felt offended when Hawthorne referred to her as an old lady.
Astrid Hawthorne flashes an unusual smile which makes Sullivan gulp in fear. She averted her sight and went even closer with Mace Leo. Both of them were interrupted the moment Mace placed her glance on the other patient, her eyes traveling down her features. Despite her pale skin, it didn't lessen her beauty. "Hi, I'm Mace! I see that you're in the same room with Astrid… or perhaps, not? Anyway, what's your name?"
Scott feels so puzzled yet when she sees the calming smile of Mace Leo, the tension disappears. "My name is Dorothy… I'm from room 103, it's on the second floor." She introduced, feeling a bit timid.
"Oh, I see. I brought Astrid some snacks, good thing we bought a lot. Come and share with her," her eyes rounded when Leo took a huge burger and a frappe tea and handed it to her. With a shy smile, she accepted the grub.
"Thank you," she shyly mumbled and glanced at Astrid Hawthorne. With a teary eye, she sniffs and gently places the stock on the couch. A familiar sting arises within her chest, Scott lowers her head and waits for herself to calm down. 'Why do I envy the friendship they have?' She thought.
"You're supposed to be scared of me, Mace." The moment Hawthorne spoke, silence filled the entire room. Everyone threw a baffled look in her direction, Sullivan had a step rearward and signaled Leo, she impatiently walked out of the room, and the noise of the swung door contained the atmosphere.
"... Astrid, what do you mean? Why should I fear you? We're friends, and I know you can't hurt anyone." Mace comforted her, despite the wobbling knees, she got the courage to reach her.
"There's no friendship to be remembered the moment the urge in you to hurt somebody arises from your heart." She mumbled, which made Leo step back, she's coming to be hesitant.
"Possibly, you're mistaken," Scott voiced out. She reached for Leo's hands and whispered, "There is a nice garden in the yard, you should see it." Mace took a glimpse of her friend once more, before going out of the room.
"Are you fine?" Scott asked upon feeling that she's shaking. She thought of holding her hands, "I'm sorry for that, she's been behaving in such a way. A psychiatrist visited her last night and I've eavesdropped on their conversation."
"... What did you hear?" Mace Leo asked, the curiosity could be heard in her voice.
"They said she has a mental disorder. It quite affects her personality, you already know that, don't you?" A bitter smile beams on her edges, "I felt bad for her, she underwent such illness."
Mace let out a smile, "You know what? God allows something more painful in our lives."
"What do you mean?" Her brows met upon hearing the words from Leo's mouth. "What kind of God is He?"
A chuckle escaped from her lips, "As long as we are in this world, He allows pain and hardships to shape us." Those phrases distracted Scott.
"I think that's insane," she commented.
"It is if in the world's perspective," Leo replied,
"I really don't understand you," an awkward laugh fled from her lips and she sighed. She gazes at Dorothy Scott's expression, and she felt the abrupt compassion within her chest.
"I can tell you more about it if you let me."
"Well, I have many questions about Him." Scott lowers her head and stares into her feet. "My Mom said He's a bad guy." She mumbled.
"I see, well, Dorothy… let me share the truth with you." Mace Leo sighed and momentarily closed her eyes. "People in our generation don't usually trust Him, yes some know Him, but they don't have a relationship with Him. Perhaps that's the reason why their faith sometimes fails, and they blame Him for their failures and mistakes."
"I don't get you,"
She smiled, "God is good during the storm and the sunshine."