Peter walked down the dimly lit hospital corridor, a small bottle of medication clutched in his hand. It was the same targeted inhibitory drug as before.
Dr. Ryan had conducted another examination but found no significant changes in the alien embryo inside Peter's body. With no apparent abnormalities, he had simply prescribed more tumor-suppressing medication and, in an almost casual manner, advised Peter to consider dating.
Of course, Peter dismissed the suggestion outright. He had no time for such trivial concerns.
The discomfort that had plagued his body earlier had lessened somewhat, so he didn't linger at the hospital. Without a second thought, he turned and left, blending into the cool night air of New York City.
Christine's Suspicion
Meanwhile, Dr. Christine Palmer stretched her arms after finishing her shift.
Today had been relatively quiet—nothing like the chaotic shifts she had endured earlier in the week. She packed up the remaining files on her desk, closed her eyes briefly, and rubbed her forehead, trying to clear the mental fatigue.
A moment later, she moved toward the window, gazing absentmindedly at the streets below.
Then, she saw a familiar figure passing by.
Peter Parker?
Her eyes locked onto him. Peter, as if sensing her gaze, suddenly stopped and turned around, his expression unreadable.
For a brief moment, Christine felt a chill.
A strange, primal fear crept up her spine, making her shudder.
It was irrational—she knew Peter as a high school student, yet there was something about his stare that unsettled her. It was as if she wasn't looking at a teenager but rather a dangerous predator assessing its prey.
Why do I feel this way?
After Peter disappeared from view, Christine exhaled sharply, trying to shake off the eerie sensation.
She had always found Peter to be an enigma—too composed, too mature for his age. And now, something about him seemed... unnatural.
A nagging thought lingered in her mind, prompting her to sit back down at her computer.
Logging into the hospital's internal system with Dr. Ryan's credentials—an access code she had memorized over time—she began searching patient records.
Peter Parker.
No results.
She refined the search.
Peter. Parker.
Still nothing.
Frowning, Christine expanded her query.
Medication records. Issuance logs.
There wasn't a single mention of Peter Parker in the system.
She leaned back in her chair, gripping her chin in thought.
Why would Dr. Ryan go through the trouble of erasing Peter's medical records?
There was only one plausible reason—he was hiding something.
Her mind drifted to rumors circulating in the city. Some doctors, lured by greed, had allegedly collaborated with criminal organizations, selling medical records, corpses, and even human organs to underground markets.
Was Ryan involved in something like that?
Christine hesitated.
Should I report this?
Without hard evidence, the hospital wouldn't take her claims seriously. But ignoring it entirely? That felt wrong.
If Dr. Ryan was covering something up, Peter—and potentially others—could be at risk.
She made up her mind.
She needed to find out the truth.
A Secret Investigation
As midnight approached, the hospital grew eerily quiet.
Most staff had gone home, and only a few night-shift doctors and nurses remained.
Dr. Ryan had left earlier in the evening, driving home as usual.
Christine, however, stayed behind.
During the day, she had managed to swipe Ryan's ID card without him noticing. Now, she stood outside his office, swiping it through the electronic lock.
A soft click signaled the door unlocking.
She stepped inside, her pulse quickening.
Her first target was Ryan's computer.
She scoured through files, searching for anything unusual, but found nothing.
Frowning, she shifted her attention to his desk drawers.
After rifling through a few unremarkable files, she found a folder tucked away at the very bottom.
It was wrapped in plastic—as if someone wanted to ensure it remained untouched.
Christine carefully opened it.
Inside were several photocopied CT scan reports.
Her brows furrowed.
Why would he keep these?
CT scans were stored digitally; paper copies weren't typically necessary.
Something wasn't right.
She flipped through the pages, reading the diagnostic notes.
Her breath hitched.
This... This isn't normal.
The scan results didn't resemble any known medical condition.
At first glance, it looked like a tumor. But as she examined the images closely, a horrifying realization dawned on her.
This wasn't just an abnormal growth.
It was... connected to the body, integrated into the patient's organ systems like a second heart.
Her fingers trembled as she turned another page.
Her gaze darted to the patient's identification number.
She already knew the answer, but seeing it in writing made her stomach drop.
Peter Parker.
Her mouth went dry.
She flipped through more pages frantically, searching for some kind of rational explanation, but all she found was more evidence of something inhuman growing inside Peter.
Christine felt her heartbeat accelerate.
Then—
Click.
The office door creaked open.
She froze.
Dr. Ryan stood in the doorway, eyes wide with shock.
"Dr. Christine?" His voice was laced with both surprise and anger. "What are you doing here?"
Christine's hands clenched around the file, but she forced herself to remain composed.
Ryan had left earlier. Why was he back?
"I was looking for something," she admitted, straightening her posture.
Ryan's eyes flickered to the document in her hands, and his expression darkened.
"You've been erasing Peter Parker's medical records," Christine continued, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. "I don't know why, but I intend to find out."
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"You have no right to be here," he said coldly. "Breaking into my office like this—you're the one violating hospital regulations."
Christine crossed her arms.
"Maybe. But whatever you're hiding, it's not normal, is it?"
Ryan's composure cracked. His eyes darted toward the document she held.
Panic flashed across his face.
"You—You can't touch that!" he stammered, taking a step forward.
Christine took a step back.
For the first time since entering the office, she felt a genuine sense of danger.
Ryan wasn't just worried about breaking hospital policy.
He was terrified.
Of what, exactly?
Or rather—who?
To Be Continued…