The world didn't just go black; it shattered.
The cold, sterile air of the hospital stairwell felt like ice against my skin, but the heat radiating from my shoulder was a different kind of monster. I looked down at the red staining my white lab coat. The bullet had taken a chunk of flesh, a jagged reminder of how close I'd come to never seeing my son again.
But I didn't feel the pain. I felt the vacuum left behind by Leo's absence.
"Doctor! Chloe!"
The heavy steel door burst open. Marcus stumbled through, his face a mask of sweat and agony, followed by Miller. They were both leaning on each other, their guns still drawn, smoke still curling from the barrels.
"They're gone," Miller rasped, his eyes searching mine. "We took down three. The rest fled toward the parking structure."
