The chaos in the health centre’s ward settled as the police arrived. Dr Carter, still unconscious from the sedative, was carted away on a stretcher, his protests silenced by the drug Elias had administered. The senior doctor took charge, directing the police to gather statents from the patients and staff. Elias stood off to the side, his heart still racing from the confrontation, his white coat feeling too heavy on his shoulders. The air was thick with tension, the patients’ murmurs mixing with the crackle of police radios.
Dr Harris approached Elias, her expression a mix of concern and admiration.
"I’m so sorry, Elias," she said, her voice low. "I had no idea Dr Carter was like that. Are you okay?"
Elias nodded, forcing a small smile. "It’s not your fault, professor" he said, his voice steady despite the unease churning in his stomach. "I’m fine. Really."
Dr Harris frowned, her eyes searching his face. "You handled that well, but it shouldn’t have happened. I’m assigning you to a new doctor for the rest of the trip. She’s tough but fair."
"Thanks," Elias said, relief washing over him. Dr Layla’s no-nonsense deanour was a stark contrast to Dr Carter’s sleaze, and he felt a weight lift knowing he wouldn’t have to deal with another creep. "I’ll be okay with her."
Dr Harris patted his shoulder.
"Good. Take a break for now. You’ve earned it."
Elias nodded, heading toward the break room where a coffee machine humd in the corner.
.
The health center was still buzzing with activity, but the news of Dr Carter’s removal had spread like wildfire. Elias could feel eyes on him as he walked, the other students whispering as he passed.
His phone was back in his hotel room, so he hadn’t seen the group chat blowing up with ssages... so were worried, so were curious, others were outright shocked.
’Elias took down a doctor?’ one ssage read.
’Is he okay? That’s crazy!’
Jace and Rowan, who’d been swamped with their own tasks had seen the group chat and tried texting Elias, but got no response. Their worry grew, and during a brief lull in their work, they both ended up at the coffee machine, spotting Elias pouring himself a cup.
"Hey, man," Jace said, his voice tight with concern as he approached. "Why aren’t you answering our texts? We were worried."
Rowan leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, his expression softer but no less anxious.
"Yeah, the whole group chat’s freaking out about you. What happened with that doctor?"
Elias shrugged, sipping his coffee to buy ti.
"I didn’t bring my phone," he said, his tone casual but guarded. "No one important’s texting anyway."
Jace’s brows furrowed, his worry deepening.
"No one important? Elias, we thought your phone got stolen or sothing. You sure you’re okay?"
"I’m fine," Elias said, his voice sharper than he intended. He softened it, glancing between them. "I took care of it. Dr Carter was a creep, so I... handled it."
Rowan raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Handled it? You stabbed him with a syringe, dude. That’s next-level."
Elias managed a small laugh, though his stomach twisted at the mory.
"Yeah, well, he deserved it. He kept getting too close, touching . I wasn’t gonna let that slide."
Jace’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists.
"He touched you? Why didn’t you tell us? We could’ve..."
"What, punched him?" Elias cut in, his tone dry. "I handled it, Jace. It’s done." He checked his watch, the one that had been silent since his heat subsided. "My break’s over. I’ve gotta get back to work."
He turned to leave, but Rowan called after him. "Hold up, if you need anything. Make sure to inform ."
" too! You know where to et ," Jace added.
Elias paused, his back to them.
*I’m fine," he said, his voice firm. "See you guys later." He walked away, leaving Jace and Rowan exchanging glances, their worry unspoken but palpable. They hadn’t planned to check on Elias together... each had co on their own... but the sight of the other caring so much about Elias sparked a familiar tension. Jace’s jaw clenched, while Rowan’s eyes narrowed, both silently vying for Elias’s trust.
.
.
Back at the hotel, Nathan was awake and restless, his body aching but stronger than the night before. He’d showered, the hot water soothing his stitches, and had borrowed one of Elias’s hoodies and sweatpants from the bag on the floor. The clothes were comically small on his tall, broad fra, the hoodie stretching tight across his shoulders and the sweatpants ending above his ankles.
"This kid gotta work on his wardrobe," Nathan muttered, chuckling as he adjusted the sleeves.
He shuffled to the small cupboard by the bed, noticing Elias’s phone buzzing with notifications. Curious, he picked it up, his eyes scanning the flood of ssages in the group chat.
’Is Elias okay?’
’He took down a doctor?!’
’Yo, that’s wild!’
Nathan’s brows lifted, a smirk spreading across his face.
"So, Elias is famous, huh?" he said, his voice laced with amusent. He scrolled through the ssages, his curiosity piqued when he saw ntions of Elias catching a "pervert." "Damn, the kid’s got guts," he muttered, impressed.
He hesitated, his thumb hovering over the screen.
’I shouldn’t snoop,’ he thought, but his curiosity got the better of him. The ssages painted a picture of Elias as soone who didn’t back down, and Nathan found himself oddly intrigued.
’He saved my life, and now he’s out there taking down creeps? Who the hell is this guy?’
Setting the phone down, Nathan’s thoughts drifted to his own situation. He needed to call his father, but the thought of the dia frenzy that would follow made his stomach turn. Instead, he rembered Viktor’s number... one of the few he’d morised. Grabbing Elias’s phone, he dialled, his heart racing as it rang.
No answer at first. Nathan redialed, and this ti, Viktor picked up, his voice sharp.
"Who is this?"
Nathan laughed, the sound weak but genuine.
"It’s , man. Your VIP."
Viktor’s tone shifted, surprise evident.
"Nathan? This isn’t your number. Is this a scam?"
Nathan chuckled, wincing as the movent tugged at his stitches.
"No scam, I swear. Look, I got into so trouble. I took a cab, got drugged, robbed, and stabbed. I’m at so cheap hotel in the middle of nowhere. Can you co get ? Or send one of your guys?"
There was a pause, then Viktor’s voice ca through, clipped but urgent.
"You’re serious? Where are you? Send the location."
Nathan grinned, relief washing over him.
"You’re my lifesaver number two, Viktor. I’ll text you the address." He hung up, quickly sending the hotel’s location from Elias’s phone. "I’m so lucky to have a friend like him," he muttered, falling back onto the bed, his body protesting the movent.
Boredom set in quickly. The hotel was small, the room plain, and Nathan’s stomach growled. He couldn’t order food without money, and his pride wouldn’t let him ask the hotel staff for help. His eyes landed on Elias’s bag again, the pile of snacks spilling out.
"Sorry, Elias," he said, grabbing a bag of chips and a candy bar. "You left these out, so I’m assuming they’re mine."
As he munched on the chips, his gaze fell on a package tucked in the bag... a toy designed for ogas, one he recognized from his father’s company prototypes. His brows lifted, a smirk spreading across his face.
"So, Elias is an oga," he said, his voice low. "That explains the vanilla sll." He thought back to the sweet scent that had lingered in the room, his mind wandering to Elias’s face... handso, sharp-eyed, kind but guarded.
’He didn’t fall for my charm,’ Nathan thought, his smirk softening. ’It’s the first ti that’s ever happened.’
He shoved the toy back into the bag, trying to pretend he didn’t see it. Elias was different... quiet, stubborn, not swayed by Nathan’s usual charisma.
It was... refreshing. Annoying, too, because Nathan couldn’t stop thinking about him.
"What’s your deal, Elias?" he muttered, popping another chip into his mouth. "Why do I want to know more about you? This has never happened,"
.
A few hours later, the phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was Viktor, asking for the room number. Nathan checked the door... 214... and relayed it. Monts later, there was a knock, and Viktor strode in, his expression a mix of irritation and concern. Nathan launched himself at Viktor, wrapping him in a hug.
"You’re here! Thank you, man!"
Viktor shoved him off, tossing a bag of new clothes at him.
"Get off ," he said, his voice gruff. "Put these on. You look ridiculous."
Nathan laughed, catching the bag.
"Fair enough." He changed quickly, the new shirt and jeans fitting far better than Elias’s clothes. Viktor glanced around the room, his nose twitching as he caught the faint vanilla scent. For a mont, he thought of Elias, but he shook it off, blaming his obsession and took much thoughts about Elias.
"I need to borrow so cash," Nathan said, pulling on the new jacket. "I’ve gotta pay for the bed I ruined."
Viktor nodded, his expression unreadable. "Fine. Let’s go. I can’t stay here any longer,"
Nathan hesitated, glancing at the door.
"I was gonna wait for my saviour... the guy who saved . But... yeah, let’s go. I’ll thank him later." He’d saved Elias’s number from the phone, planning to reach out when he was back on his feet.
They headed downstairs, where Viktor paid the hotel manager for the blood-stained bed, his deanor cold and efficient. The manager, wide-eyed at seeing soone as influential as Viktor in his small hotel, promised to keep their visit quiet.
"No one’ll know you were here," he said, his voice nervous.
"Good," Viktor replied, his tone sharp. They stepped outside, climbing into Viktor’s sleek black car. As they settled in, Viktor glanced at Nathan. "You want to track down the guys who did this to you?"
Nathan rubbed his chin, his expression thoughtful.
"Do I have to? If they hadn’t stabbed , I wouldn’t have t my saviour." His lips curled into a smile, his eyes glinting with sothing Viktor recognized all too well... infatuation.
Viktor’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, his jaw clenching.
"You’re already obsessed with this guy?" he asked, his voice dry. "I’m taking you to a proper hospital once we hit the city. Then you call your family."
Nathan sighed, staring out the window. "Just drop at the matching center," he said, his voice quiet. "I’ll figure it out from there."
Viktor didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the road. The drive was silent, Nathan’s usual chatter replaced by a pensive mood. He kept thinking about Elias.
’Why’d I have to leave now?’ he thought, his chest tightening. ’I definitely need to see him again.’
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