# Chapter 26
My body's used to it by now
**2:20 PM**
**Blake Pharmaceutical & Medical Research Center**
The private medical room was unusually quiet.
The only sounds came from the occasional tapping of keyboards and the soft hum of the machines monitoring Krist's condition.
Harrison and Krist were hunched over their respective laptops,On their screens lay thousands of hours of encrypted security feeds. sifting through security footage. Krist had started more than two years back—focusing on the months leading up to his parents' deaths—and was slowly working his way forward. Harrison, on the other hand, was working backward from yesterday. Since Harrison had been at it while Krist was still unconscious, he had already covered significantly more ground.
Neither of them seemed willing to stop until they found something.
Then The door opened.
The quiet click of the latch broke their focus. Evelyn stepped into the room carrying a stainless-steel medical tray. On it rested a paper cup containing two specialized immunosuppressant pills alongside a glass of water.
She set the tray down beside Krist, handing him the pill cup first, followed by the water. Once he had swallowed the medication,
Then she placed a hand against his forehead and conducted a swift, expert check of his vitals—checking his pupillary response and pulse before noting his oxygen levels.
"How are you feeling, Krist?" Evelyn asked, her voice carrying a mix of maternal warmth and clinical precision.
"After eating, the dizziness cleared up," Krist replied, handing the glass back. "I'm still a little tired, but nothing a good night's sleep won't fix."
"That's good."
Evelyn gave him a small smile.
"I'll check on you again tomorrow."
She then turned toward Maya, who was sitting beside Krist's bed talking with Luna.
"Young lady. Time's up. Say your goodbyes. We're leaving."
Maya immediately pouted, crossing her arms.
"But Mom, can't I come back with Luna and Harry?"
"No.you can't," Evelyn said firmly.
"But—"
" And in case you forgot, I didn't sleep last night because of you guys. I need to get some much-needed rest, and Krist needs to recover too," Evelyn said, taking the empty glass back.
Maya grumbled under her breath, turning to give Luna a quick hug before hugging Krist. But when she reached Harrison, who had spread his arms in anticipation of a hug of his own, she merely glared at him.
"What? No goodbye hug for me?" Harrison asked, leaning back.
Maya's answer was a swift, sharp punch straight to his stomach.
*THWACK!*
"Ouch! *Cough!*" Harrison doubled over, clutching his stomach, his face contorting in genuine shock. "What the hell was that for?!"
"That's for being an insufferable jerk," Maya sniffed, adjusting her jacket. "And I'll be waiting for that apology." She turned and marched to where her mother stood by the doorway.
Harrison groaned, holding his midsection. "Unbelievable..."
He turn to Krist and say "Remind me never to ask for a hug again."
As Maya reached the doorway, Luna stood up from her chair and gave Krist's head a gentle pat. "Get well soon, alright?" She turned toward Maya. "Wait up, Maya. I think we'll join you guys."
Harrison straightened up, his brow furrowing.
"Wait. What?"
He pointed at himself.
"Why am I included in 'we'?"
If you want to leave, leave! Why do I have to get dragged out? There's still plenty of work to do
"In case it slipped your mind, we haven't been home since yesterday," Luna said, exasperated. "Even though Dad knows we're with Krist at the hospital, he's still going to worry. He's leaving for work soon, and I want to prepare something for him to eat." Luna replied, picking up her bag.
Harrison frowned.
"Why does Dad need you to prepare food? He can cook fine," Harrison grumbled, clearly reluctant to put his laptop away.
"Look, I didn't force you to come," Luna said, rolling her eyes. "If you want to stay, take a cab back home later. It's no big deal." She shrugged.
Harrison groaned. "Gosh, I hate you." shutting his laptop.
"The feeling is mutual," Luna replied smoothly.
"Hang in there, buddy. I have to follow my annoying sister home. before she manages to convince my father I'm a delinquent son." who doesn't care about his father."
"You *are* a delinquent son," Luna muttered, turning to Maya. "Honestly, why didn't you punch him harder?"
"I thought about it," Maya nodded solemnly.
Evelyn shook her head, utterly speechless at the trio, and gestured toward the hallway.
Harrison picked up his bag.
"Even though I haven't gone through everything yet," Harrison added, looking back at Krist from the doorway, "I've already amassed enough evidence to lock Bellatrix up for twenty-five years—and implicate Mr. Adams while we're at it. I'm sure we'll find enough to put her away for life once I finish. I'll organize the footage when I get home and send it over."
"Sounds good. Thanks, Harry," Krist said with a faint smile. "Stay safe, all of you."
"You too. Don't go pulling your IVs out," Harrison warned as the group filed out, leaving Krist alone in the vast, quiet suite.
Once the door clicked shut, Krist let out a heavy sigh, plunging the room into silence. He shut down his laptop, set it on the small bedside table, and rubbed his temples with both hands.
*I need to sleep a little to clear my head,* he thought, pulling his phone from his pocket to set an alarm for two hours. *Hopefully, the headache is gone by the time I wake up.* adjusting his pillow he closed his eyes.
---
**5:40 PM**
The sharp, piercing buzz of the alarm woke him at precisely 5:40 PM.
He sat up slowly, waiting for the room to tilt. The pounding headache was still there, but it had receded into a manageable dull ache at the base of his skull—ignorable unless he actively focused on it.
Checking his screen, he saw the time: **5:40 PM**.
He opened his laptop to check his notifications. Harrison had already sent over the compiled security files, accompanied by a brief text message underneath:
Call me as soon as you get this. It's urgent.
Deciding to make the call on the move, Krist immediately powered the laptop back down. He scanned the private room until his eyes landed on his heavy tactical backpack—the one they had used during the break-in—resting on a single-seater couch.
Gait steady despite his fatigue, Krist stepped off the bed, grabbed the bag, and packed the laptop securely inside a padded compartment to shield it from impact and walked into the adjoining restroom.
He stepped into the adjoining private restroom. After washing his face with cold water, he wiped his hands and looked up into the mirror.
His dark curls were damp—but at the roots, near the base of his scalp and temples, striking strands of stark white and dull silver stood out distinctly.
Krist stared at his reflection, a bitter smirk playing on his lips. He touched the pale strands with his fingertips.
"Getting harder to hide," he whispered to himself. "Guess I'm due for another dye job before someone starts asking questions."
Exiting the restroom, he unzipped a small side pocket on his bag, pulled out a black hair warmer that matched his dark shirt and pants, and pulled it securely over his head. Slinging the bag over one shoulder, took one final glance around the room, and stepped into the corridor.
As he walked down the polished floor, he pulled his phone out, slotted a single wireless earbud into his right ear, and dialed Harrison's line.
"Hey! What's up?" Harrison's voice answered instantly on the line.
"Krist? How are you feeling?" Luna's voice chimed in from the background.
"I'm managing," Krist said quietly, keeping his face clear as he approached the private floor's dedicated reception area. "Harry, those clothes I was wearing during the break-in... where are they?"
*"Why are you asking?"* Harrison scoffed over the line. *"That shirt was practically drenched in your blood, man. Don't tell me you want to wear it again?"*
"That's *why* I need it," Krist replied smoothly. "So, do you know where it is or not?"
"Why would you even care? You're literally the richest kid in the country, man. Just buy a new one," Harrison scoffed.
"Harry, it's a simple question. Where is it?" Krist stopped in front of the reception desk.
This particular floor was reserved for VIP and private high-profile clients, clients, equipped with its own dedicated desk so patients didn't have to deal with the chaos of the main ground-floor lobby.
Sitting behind the counter was Mrs. Amara, a middle-aged woman with warm brown eyes and blonde hair pulled neatly into a bun. She had been a staff at the facility for as long as Krist could remember.
I don't know where it is!" Harrison protested. Then, a voice echoed in the background—Luna suddenly spoke from the other end.
*"What do you mean you don't know? Didn't you hand it to Maya?"* "Weren't you the one who gave them to her?"
"Oh, right!" Harrison remembered aloud. "I was going to give it to the nurse to incinerate or clean it, but Maya insisted on taking it. She said she was going to wash it herself."
"Got it," Krist said. "I'm about to sign out. Harry, add Maya to the call, will you?"
He muted his microphone, lowered his phone, and smiled at the desk. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Amara."
Amara looked up from her paperwork, her face brightening with a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Krist. How are you feeling?"
"Much better. That's actually why I'm here—I'd like to sign myself out," Krist replied.
Amara's smile faded into a look of immediate concern. "Are you sure about that?"
Positive. It's just my usual condition," Krist assured her smoothly. "My body's used to it by now. You know I don't stick around in hospital beds for weeks."
"Your 'usual condition'?" Amara muttered, her tone sharpening. "Krist, you were bleeding from your nose and your ears when they brought you in. You were *unconscious*—which I have never seen happen to you before. And you're telling me that's normal? You've barely been in that bed for a few hours!"
Krist unmuted his phone long enough to tell Harrison to hold on, then turned back to her, offering a gentle, reassuring smile. "I'm serious, Mrs. Amara. The doctors checked me over and said I just needed some rest. I slept for two hours, I feel fine, and I have things I need to take care of."
"No, you don't," Amara said firmly. "And who authorized your discharge anyway?"
Krist scratched the back of his neck, looking away. "Well... about that..."
"That's what I thought," Amara said, leaning back in her leather chair, crossing her arms. "You need a signed release form from Dr. Albert, or an adult guardian present to sign you out. Last time I checked the database, you're still under eighteen."
Krist let out a theatrical sigh. "Sucks to be me, I guess." He turned around, making a slow, exaggerated retreat back down the hallway toward his room.
Amara picked up a printout from her desk—a physical copy of Krist's admission sheet from the previous night. She glanced down at the clinical notes, frowning as her eyes scanned the unusual blood chemistry metrics logged by the triage team.
She looked up at Krist's retreating figure. Her frown deepened, and then her eyes widened as a memory clicked into place.
"Hey! Krist!" she called out.
Krist stopped, turning on his heel with an innocent expression. "Yes?"
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked suspiciously.
A look of exaggerated confusion flashed across his face. "To my room? Where else would I be heading in this direction?"
Amara narrowed her eyes. "You aren't planning on scaling down the drainpipe from your window like you used to do when you were ten years old, are you?"
Krist forced a laugh, coughing lightly to cover his sudden hesitation. "What? Me? Scale a building? No way. I wouldn't dream of it. Never even crossed my mind."
Amara exhaled sharply, shaking her head in weary exasperation. "Kids... they never change."
She picked up her desk phone and began dialing an internal extension. "Come back here. I'm calling Dr. Albert to review your charts myself before I decide what to do with you."