"This kid… I thought he was… I saw it with my own eyes!"
Ethan stammered, unable to find the words. It was hard to string a coherent sentence together in the face of someone coming back from the dead.
"In early September, Felix was suddenly attacked by a strange Vampire during his night patrol. According to the crime scene photos taken by Royce and the autopsy done by Spring, the boy didn't even get a chance to fight back."
Autumn gave Ethan a quick explanation.
"So that means he didn't even get the chance to grow out his fangs to defend himself, right? That's why Royce lifted Felix's lips to check his teeth?"
"Exactly! You've got a sharp eye."
"How's his condition now?"
"Fortunately, they found him just in time. His body was still intact. His blood wasn't completely drained. The heart was… difficult to repair, but we have modern technology now. Spring implanted an artificial heart into him. His real heart is being treated separately using traditional methods."
"Traditional methods?"
"Normally, it would take a hundred years and a lot of human blood for a heart in that condition to regenerate on its own. But now, there's synthetic blood made from human stem cells. And luckily, Royce managed to gather all the heart fragments. That should speed up both the recovery and the cost. A real heart is still better than an artificial one."
"That explains why Royce was so careful not to step on any evidence at the crime scene that day."
The grisly details of the scene replayed vividly in Ethan's mind like a painting. But this time, he didn't feel the urge to throw up. So much had happened lately that his tolerance for horror had improved significantly.
"Looks like you didn't miss a single detail… You're dangerous, Ethan."
"At Felix's scene, aside from the strong smell of his blood, there was a flowery scent too. It was similar to the scent left by the female Vampire who attacked us in that dark alley last week. Do you think it's the same person? Could it be someone we both know?"
"Shh! Let's talk about that later. I need to get back to work."
Autumn smiled gently and offered a perfectly reasonable excuse to stop Ethan from continuing his line of thought. It seemed she was always trying to avoid suspecting THAT PERSON.
"How's my baby doing today?"
Ethan nearly fainted at the syrupy sweet tone Autumn used on Felix.
Baby? That fifteen-year-old kid?
Felix was at least fifteen centimeters taller than Autumn. And yet, she was doting on him like he was two years old.
Felix slowly opened his eyes at the sound of Autumn's voice. But his beautiful eyes, framed by long lashes, simply stared blankly at the ceiling. He lay still with his hands folded over his chest, looking exactly like the Gothic novel descriptions of a Vampire sleeping in his coffin.
"The heart transplant surgery was successful, but for some reason, he's been like this for an entire month. I think he's still in shock after the attack. Poor thing…"
Autumn explained as she measured Felix's blood pressure.
"Yeah. Poor thing,"
Ethan replied half-heartedly, watching closely as Autumn tended to Felix with delicate care.
(Hmph. It's just part of her job… That's all.)
"Shall I change my baby's bedsheet now?"
Autumn said this while deftly unhooking the corners of the fitted sheet from the mattress. With a swift motion, the sheet was pulled out from under Felix while he was still lying on the bed - like one of those magicians who yank the tablecloth off a table without disturbing the dishes.
After tossing the old sheet into the laundry bin in the corner of the room, Autumn pulled out a clean one from the wardrobe. She quickly tucked the elastic corners around two edges of the mattress.
"Do you want me to hel…?"
Ethan hadn't even finished the sentence when he saw Autumn gently lift Felix up - to slide the new sheet under his back.
"This little guy is heavier than he looks!"
Autumn stumbled a bit as she placed Felix back down, her petite figure leaning slightly over him in the process.
Suddenly, Autumn flustered and rushed over to the medical cart. She grabbed an infrared thermometer and pointed it at Felix's temple.
"Oh no! Forty degrees! Why does my baby always get a fever during my shift?!"
Autumn cried out, full of concern. Meanwhile, Ethan didn't feel sorry for Felix at all. In fact, he sensed something was off - but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Felix remained completely motionless. But his face, completely void of expression, was burning red - just like someone with a dangerously high fever.
"What exactly are you planning to do to that kid, Autumn?"
Autumn had just finished unbuttoning Felix's shirt. His flawless, well-toned torso - without even a hint of a surgical scar - was now exposed, showing off his defined six-pack. It was strange how someone could look so lean yet muscular at the same time. No wonder the girls at Harmony were crazy about him back when he was still attending school.
"I need to bring his body temperature down. I'll wipe him down with warm water first. Then I'll change him into clean clothes."
"Wipe… all of him? Everything?"
"Of course. From top to bottom. Especially the heat-trapping areas - underarms, neck, groin…"
"He's a boy, you know! And he's fifteen already. His body's not exactly small anymore!"
Ethan was doing his best to keep his voice calm and collected.
But deep down, something beastly and crude was stirring inside him - begging to break free and unleash all of its petty jealousy.
"So what if he's a boy? Boys are boys - whether they're Vampires or humans. What exactly are you implying, Ethan?"
Autumn had just wrung out the towel. Her clear brown eyes sparkled mischievously as she looked at Ethan, instantly reminding him of that track-and-field race they had during PE class. The memory of that moment in the infirmary - one he had tried hard to forget - came rushing back, staining his cheeks red once again.
"Here - let me help you with this! You worked all night, and you haven't had a wink of sleep, right, Autumn?"
Ethan snatched the damp towel from her hands, leaving her stunned. He had always been gentle and composed, but now he was acting strangely rash.
The moment Ethan pressed the towel against Felix's chest, the boy suddenly jumped off the bed. Then he started yelling like he hadn't been bedridden for an entire month.
"Noooo! Don't touch me!!"
"Oh wow! It's a miracle! My baby's awake! And it's all thanks to you, Ethan! Thank you so much!"
Autumn cheered with delight.
Ethan was also relieved - but for entirely different reasons. He was just glad Autumn wouldn't have to care for Felix like a baby anymore.
Felix, on the other hand, looked utterly defeated. He staggered back to bed and flopped face-down into the pillow like a sulking child. He didn't want to get up again.
And just like that, Felix's days of being pampered down to the last detail by Autumn were over - ruined by none other than that scrawny human boy named Ethan!