“So Miss Park, for this week you will be in charge of checking on the patients located in rooms 301, 302, 305, 309, and 405” Head nurse Allegra gave me the files for the patients, on weekends and sometimes during summer I volunteer as a nurse at the memorial hospital of Santa Teresa, I looked through the files “Jackson, Lamar, oh Annita is doing better, and… Paolo?” I looked confused at Allegra, “Yeah he has been transferred to our wing starting today, I believe he goes to your school” I read through the file quickly “Patient has shown improvement in his condition, after waking up from his coma, make sure he has all the basic need and be sure to give the right medicines and blood tests” “Dona did you hear me?” I shook my head. “Sorry, I was checking the files. What happened?” “I asked if you know the guy.” I just know what he did to Ozwald and what really happened at the dance. I didn’t really talk to him. “No, we do have some classes, but I didn’t really talk to him. Have his parents come to see him?”
“No dice, they seem to be on an overseas trip that should last until the end of the year, poor kid.” “Yeah… at least he woke up from his coma. Has he said anything about his accident?” “Why all the questions, Missy?” Nurse Alegra asked me while pushing her glasses up “Well one does not get into a coma after making such a scene at a dance” “Donna you can ask him yourself, by the way, have you considered what I told you last week?” a few days ago Nurse Alegar asked me if I wanted to make a play for the kids at the hospital, some times we put on shows for them especially if they have a difficult procedure coming up, and this time I was asked if I wanted to do it but whit all the school, the team, and the Titans I′m not sure if I can, “well I-” “Donny!” and now my day just took a turn for the worst.
“Annie!” my sister came clad in a chic one-piece dress with a black leather jacket to match, gold earrings with shiny jewels, a bag that probably cost the same as some treatments the patients cant afford, and her hair cut into a pixie cut, she came closer to talk to me “Donny, I see you still do charity work here, Hello Mis.” “Oh, funny you didn’t mention you have a sister, Donna.” “Oh, she never does. I wonder why?” I sighed, there are so many instances of Anika Park being the worst that I could fill an entire house in Palm Springs, “Mrs. Alegra this is my sister Anika, and I don’t do charity, I volunteer here all the time, Annie why are you here?” she pouted her crimson lips “can′t a big sister com toe see her lovely baby sis?” I give her a look, “Fine, I′m sure there's a crying baby that needs you right now, would you mind?” I looked at Alegra, she crossed her arms and firmly said “Actually I do, I don’t care who you are, Donna has a duty here and she has patients to look after you can talk to her when her shift is over” my sister took a few steps on her stilettos and lowered her sunglasses “Liste,n honey, I don’t think you know who you are talking to so why don’t you-” “I believe I′m talking to a spoiled brat that thinks with her daddies’ wallet and not her brain” I snorted I didn’t know Alegra could give such a read to someone.
“Donna please go to your patients while I deal with this lady and her ego” I know I′m in for a storm after my shift is over but for now “Aye aye boss and yeah I will do the play” Nurse Alegra nodded as I left I could hear my sister yelling at her and compiling, the first thing you need to know about Anika park is that this conversation is not over, her determination knows no bounds and consider her already angry state whatever she has to say can't be good, “Nurse Donna look!” a very young girl with a bandana showed me a drawing she made “Annita I heard the news you are making a full recovery” she nodded “look when my hair grows back I want to have it just like yours!” she is such a sweet girl I was glad her condition was treatable “by the way girl, I′m in charge of the play for the kids this time” her eyes widen and she started to screech and jump.
Okay Donna you cant keep just walking around Paolo′s door I′ll just go in to check on him and try to figure out if he remembers anything, I was about to knock on the door when I heard him talking to someone “No, jejeje, you are so silly, the doctors said I have to stay for a few more days” who is he talking to? I looked through his file, to see if he had some check-up today, but he had it hours ago, “I feel better because you are here Ozie” My eyes opened like dishes, it cant be, Ozie would never cheat on Higen let alone with Paolo, he cant be here Paolo probably is having a lucid dream or something I opened the door and found Paolo near the window he looked disappointed when I walked in and returned to his bed, “hey Paolo, what were you doing near the window?” I asked him, “Am… wel,l I don’t think you′d believe me if I told you.” “Try me?” I told him as I served him some water, “… well, you know Ozwald Voloro from school, right? Red hair, adorable smile.” I nodded and placed the glass near him. “he comes to my room to chat with me and hang out with me, isn’t that sweet?” Okay, he has to be on a major trip ′cos Ozie was not here. Why would he leave through the window?
“Right, so how are you feeling?” he shrugged “My chest still hurts, I guess that’s normal for an emergency heart surgery, I think I wouldn’t mind if I could remember anything about the accident” he took a sip of the water “still noting?” he shook his head “bits and pieces but I can't recall the accident or what happened at the dance” he just asked me for regular things, like more sheets and how things were going at school, but now I can't shake the feeling that something really bad is going on, if its nothing he is just hallucinating because of his medication or side effects of Dr. Cambell′s emergency healing and the actual surgeries he had on the other hand, someone that looks or is passing themselves as Ozie is coming to see Paolo for a reason, I have a lot of things to worry about on m own, I better call in for help.
“So… Donna, what happened?” I called the guys for a meeting at Hig and Ozie's apartment. “Okay, one problem at a time, first I need your help,” I explained the situation about the play to them. “OH, OH, can I be the hero of the story?” Hig was very eager to help once I told him it was for sick children, “sure, it would make it easy on the acting, Ozwald can be one of your companions with me” Carter flicked his bangs with one hand “and I′ll be the wicked prince of darkness that want to kill you three” he let out a burst of deep laughter like a cartoon villain “you are having a lot of fun with that Part carter” Ozie commented, “I can make the costumes too” Ozie is such a lifesaver with his sewing skills “I can be in charge of controls and narrate, this is going to be the best show for those kids!” Niko added and now for the difficult part “Carter listen why don’t you hold this plushie I brought with me” I handed him a plushie of a TV mascot “Weard request but okay” “So my sister came to town and-” The plushie got contorted and compressed into a tiny ball some of its stuffing was showing “what just happened Marten?”
“This is stopping me from manifesting my gauntlet.” I was afraid that the sudden news would alter him to the point of losing control of his shackle. “Okay, so why is this news so upsetting for him?” Ozie asked, “My sister dislikes Carter a lot.” “That’s putting it mildly.” Carter′s fingers started to be covered in the red metal of his weapon. “Babe, deep breaths. When I say dislike him, and I mean hate his guts. “She tried to send me to jail trice” they all opened their eyes wide, “but… but… I mean you have an attitude but you are nice once you am… guys help me out here” Ozie said “Carter I do not consider you a criminal, you are a little mean to save face but other than that and not brushing your teeth each and every night I wouldn’t send you to that place” Niko looked at Hig and raised his eyebrow “and how do you know that?” “yeah, Higen how do you know that?” Ozie asked “am…” Hig coughed, “Donna, please continue with the explanation.”
“anyways she is in town and it can't be good for anyone I was lucky and didn’t have to talk to her with the help of my boss, but she never brings good things, she is The mean girl” “Right, we keep our distances and maybe she will leave with no mayor harm, what′s the other thing you wanted to talk about Donna?” Higen asked nicely as he does, I took the now mangled toy from Carter and handed it to Hig. “…Donna, how dear you?!?” he said with the toy in his hands. “I′ll have you know that I have total control over-” “Paolo is awake, and insists that he has talked privately with Ozie” REAAAAAPPPP!!! The doll seemed to burst with a popping sound as Hig clasped his hands. “So Ozie, have you been to the hospital recently and left through the fourth-floor window?” Ozwald lifted his hands in defense. “To the hospital, yes, I go when I need to see Dr. Campbell for medicine or to train with Divine words. I didn’t even know he was at Santa Teresa!” Hig nodded and put what was remaining of the toy on the ground, and hugged Ozie like he was afraid Paolo would fly through the window and steal him away “Okay so someone that knows Ozwald and what happened at the dances is after him” Niko said “someone that is also using his appearance to trick him into something but we don’t know what just yet” I said and looked at his files one more time trying to look for something I might had overlook.
“we can use the play to investigate the hospital and make sure nothing else is going on” Carter suggested, is a good plan as we need to rehearse for a few days and have everything together for the day of the play “We should also talk to Mrs. Lulu and Dr. Cambell” Ozwald added “Ozwald is right, if we go up against Otis and his camaraderie we will be in danger, the times we have fight them we have not vested them, but rather they have retreated” Hig added “and on a hospital were they can put a lot of innocents in danger we will be outmatched and forced into a corner” Carter jumped in, I nodded and finish the conversation “if he is targeting Paolo… we might be having to face Luxura again”
“Oh Donna, I see you brought your actors” Nurse Alegra was at the front desk when I and the guys appeared to start to set up and rehearse, HIgen let the boxes on the ground and vigorously shook the hands of Nurse Alegra “Good day Miss, My name is Higen and I wanted to say that your work is very impressive and amazing” Nurse Alegra fixed her glasses “My, your friend is quite the charmer, here” She handed Higen a piece of candy she keeps on her for the kids “yeah he just loves the medical field, this is Ozwald and Niko and you already know Carter” they all waved, Alegra showed us the way to the amphitheater, normally it works as any regular amphitheater, but for the next few days it's going to be empty, we are going to use it to set up and investigate the person that is reaching out to Paolo “Mrs. Alegra, is Dr. Cambell in his office?” Ozwald asked her, “I believe he has a meeting with some patients right now, but in about half an hour, he should be free.” She unlocked the door to the amphitheater and informed us that we could be there until working hours were over.
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“Alright, team, listen closely!” Higen got our attention and drew in a whiteboard “While I understand we all want to be involved in the investigation, we also have to give those sick kids a good show, so, we can investigate two at a time while the other three work on the play” he divided our names into groups and continued “Donna and Ozwald can move a little bit more freely so you can investigate first” we nodded “I′ll go to Cambell′s office and inform him about what is happening here” “I′ll go to Paolo′s room and see if I can get more information on the Ozwald doppelganger” Carter nodded and said “ask him how he talks you know how the pipsqueak talks when hopelessly in love” Ozwlad stomped on the ground “I don’t do that Carter!” Niko scratched the back of his neck. “You do have a very… peculiar way of talking when you are into someone, dude.” Ozwald tried to argue, but he quickly found out he was hopeless, “once you return… I don’t like the next part of the plan…” Carter took the marker from his hand. “Buuu-huuu Banna, we have to do this. I′ll distract whoever is on the desk while Nikky-dude sees if he can get the recordings of the cameras on the fourth floor to see if, in fact, Ozie enters through the window like a creepy vampire would.”
After a while of Ozwald protesting for the relentless teasing we were inflicting on him, we put into motion our plan, sadly, as Higen has no business at the hospital nor knows how to lie or use computers he said he would do the heavy lifting in the props department and try to eavesdrop on conversations near his position, at this hour this wing of the hospital is pretty quiet, and even though I don’t have to I keep picking through the corners instead of walking like a normal person, “Nurse Donna… what are you playing?” Annita was holding a soda can and was looking curiously at me, “Oh… I... you know was making sure little kids were on their floor, so the question is what are you doing here?” she laughed and took a sip of her drink, “the bending machine at our floor is busted so I ask if I could come here" she walked next to me and held my hand “I saw a huge guy with like seven boxes earlier, is that your boyfriend?” I choked for a second as I walked to the nearest elevator “Oh, no he is my friend Higen, actually my friends are around why don’t you see if you can find them before you have to go back to bed?” she was happy with the idea of spot the gang so much so that she pressed the first-floor button a billion times to get there faster.
Even if it makes my friend's work a little bit difficult I prefer she is as far away from the floor as possible, I walked to Paolo′s door and pressed my ear against the door to see if I could listen if he was alone or not, I could hear his IV dripping… and no heart rate… no shuffling, and that’s when I summoned my weapon and kicked the door open, “Paolo!” he was halfway out of the window I rushed to pull him back in, and I was met with Ozie′s face glaring at me “Let him go!” I demanded and pulled harder the other Ozie laughed and let go, and we tumbled back, Paolo was unconscious but in my arms, I stood up as fast as I could and held my ground Ozie′s double was levitating in the window staff in hand “hey Donna” he said in the same tone Ozwald would “Who are you?” he tilted his head and bit on his lip “Donna is me Ozwald, you know, red hair, cute, your friend” I shook my head “no, you can't be” he sighed and dropped the act, with a wave of his staff he turned back to his normal appearance, long black hair, silver framed glasses and a heavy tome in his hands “well, wasn’t big on theater, now I need that guy”
Otis extended his hand as if he was expecting me to just hand Paolo over to him, “You really don’t think I will just give him to you, right?” I raised my arms ready for a brawl, he made a sound with his mouth in exasperation and opened his book to a random page “I was been nice you know” he pulled from the page a vibrant royal blue core I wanted to take Paolo and sprint as hard as I could away from whatever he was about to unleash, but he pointed behind me and with horror, I realized that Annita was shaking near the door frame “what's the matter Mrs. Knight?” Otis said as he let the core fall to the ground “Annita ru-” but before I could finish my sentence a labyrinth formed trapping the four of us inside it, the forced labyrinth was miss shapen in a state of half Paolo′s room, hallway and the actual labyrinth walls of stone with banners lined the walls torches that made this place to resemble a castle, the Titan was standing next to Otis holding a shield as big as Higen′s tower shield behind it Otis was smirking and fixing his glasses “Nurse Donna!!!” Annita rushed to my side and clung to my leg. I needed to think, I couldn't defend them both; my only hope was that the guys would notice I was late and would come find me. “Annita, why are you here?” I asked as calmly as I could, If I lose my temper on her, things are just going to get worse, “I… I… was curious about where you were going, so I… I… I” I placed my hand on her head, “It′s okay, I′ll figure something out, I swear I′ll-” Otis smiled.
“There's one thing you could do…” With a harsh tone, he said, “SWAP!” Annita yelled as she was now in Otis' grasp The Titan slammed me back with Paolo and took his place back in front of his master “Let's make an exchange, you give me Paolo, and I won't kill this child” My heart sunk I can't let him do that, Annita is terrified, big tears rolled down her cheeks, she tried to brake free form that bastard′s grasp bet she couldn’t I try to grab her but the Titan hit me back again “Come on Nurse Donna” Otis said mockingly “Sharpness” he said in a somber tone as one of his nails grew longer and pointier “tick-tock Donna, you have to choose the stalker, aggressor that harassed and forced himself on your friend? Or” he placed his nail directly near Annita′s jugular “or this innocent child?”
I bit my lip until it bled, I picked Paolo up and said a muffled “sorry…” The Armor let me pass. “Good girl, here,” he let her go, and I took my chance, with a guttural roar, I kicked Otis, and before I was slammed with a shield again, I pushed them towards the door “DONNA!!!” Annita cried, “Go!!! Girl, I'm going to be okay, just-” The Armor pressed its shield, trying to crush me to death. “Why must you be this courageous?” Annita darted out of the room. Maybe she could find my friends before it was too late. “Interesting.” Paolo was standing at the door, but he was not running. “Paolo uhhhghh RUN!” his eyes were tearing. “What he said was true, Donna? I… I really did that?” “Want to see it?” Otis offered with a wicked smile on his face, “Paolo, no, it wasn’t you, he ughhhhhhhhh.” The armor pressed harder. I think I heard a rib-cracking under the pressure. It was true, I had been hit worse before, but right now I didn’t have my barriers. “Let her go…” Paolo uttered, “Let her go!” he yelled, Otis lifted his hand to the armor, and let me breathe. Paolo unbuttoned his shirt. “This is what you want, right?” Otis nodded, “Why yes, that Calamity core in your chest is mine.” Paolo took a step forward. “Then take it and let Donna go, please!” Otis motioned for Paolo to come closer to him. “Paolo, don′t!” I pleaded.
“a novel sacrifice, this will hurt… a lot” REVOKE Otis yelled, Paolo started to scream in pain as his chest opened slowly, he was shaking his body as if he was trying to stop whatever was happening but was unable to do so, the core bloomed in his chest,t not like mine the orb-shaped core in my shackle, the one on his chest was a similar orange color but instead of an orb it looked like a lotus flower that was fully bloomed “t…tttteell” Paolo cried strands of blood coming to form his mouth “te…teelll Ozie” “Paolo no!” “I…′m… sorr…” the core was fully severed from his body, and the light scaped his eyes, Paolo fell to the ground like a rag doll that was just tossed by a kid, I crawled to him and slapped his cheek hoping he would wake up but he wasn’t moving anymore, I stood up, my sides hurt but I didn’t care I sprinted forward, the Titan tried to smack me away “GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!” I kicked as hard as I could, slamming it against the wall and charging again against Otis. I will not let him do what he wants. I will take that core back.
He lifted his tome and a black colored barrier formed, it sent a shock through my body but I was not going to give up “Impressive for a novice warrior, your will is formidable however, you are way out of your league against me” he pushed forward and made the barrier stronger I was sent back with a lot of force I thought I was going to go through the wall “FEATHER!” my crash was broken by a soft wall made out of pillows “Ozie… thank god… huh?” I was expecting Ozie and the guys but instead “Hey Donna, I′ll patch you up as soon as I′m done with him” Dr. Camblle was standing next to me “How?” he flicked his fingers and pure platinum cigarette holder appeared on his hand, I didn't know he was a smoker “normally Lulu and I are forbidden from entering labyrinths… a side effect from surviving the fight against titans, but this time, a nobody entered my territory” “the Orchestrator” Otis scoffed “I love to see my reputation is still holding up” they looked at each other sizing up and waiting for the perfect opportunity to start the fight.
A torrent of words came crashing down quickly. Otis was on edge as Dr. Cambell was throwing down words quicker than him. By the time they ended, the room was destroyed. “So should we kick it up a notch?” Dr. Cambell said, “Power of light words of right, smith the malevolent sorcerer in my sight!” Otis didn’t have time to use divine words or incantations as unlike Ozie, Dr. Cambell didn’t have to gather power to use a divine incantation the rhyme came naturally quickly and a ray of light pierced the Titan Otis was forced to tank the hit, when the labyrinth down Otis put his hand into his book and pulled a cylinder from it “Donna get down!” instead of an explosion of fire the grande made a blinding light when the dust settles Otis was gone, Paolo was still on the ground but something was wrong “is… is he…” his legs were breaking and turning to dust “Otis took the core?” I nodded as the guys ran through the door. “Ozwald, do not try to imitate this yet,” Dr. Camble said. He took off his Doctor coat and moved his lips at high speed. A circle of light formed under Paolo, ribbons of light encased his body, his legs repaired, and he was placed back in his bed.
“What the hell just happened?” Niko demanded, Carter ran to my side and helped me, he was so worried for me. “Sweetheart, are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up? Am… do you taste copper???” I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “You are really cute when you are worried.” I coughed some blood, Ozie used his staff to patch me up, the pain was greatly diminished, Hig placed his hand on my shoulder, “You fought the imposter?” I nodded and trembled a little. “I… I did, but… Paolo… he” my voice was caught in my throat, I had to force myself to say it “he, sacrificed himself to save me, I was going to die.” Dr. Cambell sighed, “unfortunately… Otis took the core from his body, and well, he is not waking up anytime soon. “Why?!?” Higen asked angrily, even if he disliked Paolo, hearing that he was selfless probably changed the way he saw him. “The core that was grafted onto his flesh was also grafted into his soul, to remove it means that he has no soul.” Ozie held his staff and walked in front of the doctor, “but… but you saved him! He woke up, and all” the old man just shook his head. “I did, but I was only able to seal and lessen the effects. I thought he would have a chance at a normal life, but without it… Well,” Dr. Campbell connected the IV tube and his heart rate monitor to Paolo again. “he will be waiting like Sleeping Beauty to be wakened up."
