The sterile hospital room felt suffocating as I surveyed the six unconscious patients before me. Officer Leo Kent lay motionless on the central bed, his face pale and drawn. His five teammates occupied the other beds, their breathing shallow but steady.
"The missing needle has disrupted the entire energy matrix," I said, my voice tight with controlled anger.
Aaron Wells, Leo's partner, stepped forward aggressively. "This is your fault, Hayes. You said you could save them."
"I can save them. Someone sabotaged my work."
Maya Vance crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. "How convenient. Something goes wrong and you blame sabotage."
I turned to face her directly. "Officer Vance, do you think I would risk six lives for some elaborate deception?"
"I think you're in over your head."
Aaron's face reddened with fury. "Leo is my partner. We've worked together for eight years. If he dies because of your experimental nonsense—"
"He won't die."
"How can you be so sure?"
