Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 42

Angel's POV

I sat across from Thomas and gripped the edges of my tray. He stirred his coffee and stared into it like it held all the answers to life. I waited and tried not to show how nervous I was, how my heart was beating too fast.

"So, you've been here for a while now," Thomas began and stirred his drink. His eyes flicked up and met mine. "You must've noticed some weird things about the staff, yeah?"

I nodded, cautious. "I mean, yeah, but-"

"No, I mean... really weird." He leaned forward and lowered his voice, and I leaned in too. "Like the way they act around the patients. Almost too friendly, don't you think?" I frowned and tried to remember the times I'd noticed it but maybe brushed it off. "What do you mean?"

He leaned in further and I smelled the faint scent of his cologne. "They're really weird, Angel. They're not just here to take care of us."

I looked around and tried to see what he meant, even though I knew already. "Can you explain what you mean?"

Thomas took a sip and kept his eyes on me. "They're too friendly. Too touchy, especially with the patients."

I tried to brush it off, but something in his tone made me press further. "You think it's just part of the 'wellness treatment'?" I joked.

He didn't laugh. "Last week, I saw Nurse Stefan with one of the guys from my dorm. And I mean with him. Hands all over him, right in one of the treatment rooms."

I swallowed hard. "That's... maybe it's just part of her job? Some kind of therapy?"

Thomas shook his head. "It wasn't therapy, Angel. It was something else."

A chill went down my spine. "What do you mean?"

"There's more," he whispered and leaned closer. "I've seen Dr. Joe too. He's always watching, like he's waiting for something. And Dr. Nixon... she's always so stiff around him like she's scared."

My mind flashed back to that look on Dr. Nixon's face, that haunted, terrified look. "You think they're all in on something?"

Thomas nodded slowly. "It's like they're all part of some twisted game."

I stayed silent and let his words sink in, my heart pounding harder. "But why? What would they gain?"

seen enough to know

of the nurses and doctors behave," Thomas continued in a hushed tone. "There's this other nurse-I think her name is Nurse Layla. She's always

serious?" I whispered, my eyes

not just her. Dr. Jennings, you know him, right? The guy who's always smiling like he's in some toothpaste commercial? I

I always thought they were a bit too friendly, but this..." I trailed off and felt

at night and couldn't sleep. I saw two nurses making out

it all. "Are you

His words hit me like a punch to the

head,

me about it.

worse?" I muttered

seen him give patients these... weird pills. I asked one guy about it, and he said it made him feel hot, you know? Like really out of it, like he couldn't control himself." "What?"

something," he added and glanced around to make sure no one

The pieces started to fall into place,

me back, and I saw the way he looked at me intense, like he was searching for something. "I think... I think they're doing this on purpose. Whatever it is, there's something they want from us. Something more

lips parted to speak, but nothing came out. I was drowning in the

the strange things I'd seen too, all

eyes locked onto mine. "We can't be reckless, Angel. We can't just rush in. We need

to wait, to just

eyes softened and how he leaned in a little closer. "There's something else I

me for a moment and then asked,

beat.

mean..." He sighed and looked frustrated. "The way you look at each other. The way he looks at you.

hard. "We're close.

my question," he said

said quickly, too

leaned even closer that I was afraid he'd hit his head on the table. "I've seen it. The way he gets around you. How he

Thomas insisted. "And

looked away, my mind

said, and there was something raw in his voice, something that made my heart

but the words didn't come. What could I say? How could I

fingers brushed mine.