Chapter 82: Sneaky little bites

Ray and Mitch scaled their way out of the elevator shaft, looking like two coal miners pulled fresh from a dark pit.

Brushing the thick grime from his trousers, Ray refused to offer Mitch so much as a second glance. "Get over there. Don’t stand anywhere near me."

Stiffening his neck, Mitch clutched his crotch with a face still burning crimson. "Who the hell wants to stand near you?! Bad luck, that’s what it is!"

The two put plenty of distance between them, radiating mutual disgust.

Ray turned to face Theo. "Theo, take Ace and May straight to the pharmacy. That’s our primary objective. Jack and Mitch will come with me to seal the windows at both ends of the hallway. We can’t let anything creep up from behind and cut off our exit—whatever made that weird noise, we don’t know what it is yet."

"Understood." Theo pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose bridge.

With the team split, Ray led Jack, Mitch, and Alex deeper down the corridor.

Mitch brought up the rear, his legs still far from recovered, forcing him into a hilarious, stiff-legged march where his left arm and left leg moved in bizarre tandem.

Watching his retreating back, May fought back a laugh until her stomach ached.

That wild dog Mitch is probably traumatized for the rest of his life.

Theo’s calm voice shattered her thoughts: "Let’s move."

The three proceeded along the emergency access path. A slanted sign hanging crookedly off the concrete wall read ICU Central Pharmacy. Dried blood splattered the floor, but the absence of fresh footprints suggested the lower-tier infected hadn’t breached this level.

Reaching the pharmacy entrance, a thick, heavy steel security door blocked their path. The electronic keypad had long lost power, but the mechanical deadbolts remained firmly engaged, biting tight into the frame.

"This door is solid," Ace stepped forward, tracing a slender finger along the seam before offering a pleasant smile. "Theo, lend me a hand."

Extracting a small lump of putty-like explosive from his tactical pack, he rolled it into a fine strip, wedging it neatly into the keyhole seam before inserting an electronic detonator.

"Cover your ears."

BOOM!

A low, muffled pop echoed through the hallway. No massive fireball erupted; only a fine curl of dark smoke rose into the air. A precise, fist-sized hole had been cut cleanly through the lock mechanism, shattering the deadbolt within.

Ace reached inside, giving a firm pull, and the heavy iron door swung open with a rusty shriek.

"Ace’s craftsmanship grows finer by the day," Theo remarked impassively.

"A trivial trick." Ace dusted off his hands, stepping aside with a slight bow. "After you, Sister-in-law."

May pulled her neck in and slipped inside.

The interior of the pharmacy was surprisingly pristine. Rows of metal medicine shelves stood immaculate, their glass displays packed with colorful pharmaceutical boxes. Evidently, this section had escaped both looters and wandering infected.

"We hit the jackpot," May’s eyes sparkled.

Stepping inside, Theo scanned the shelves, a rare flicker of satisfaction crossing his cold, analytical features.

"High-grade antibiotics, potent hemostatic agents, anesthetics, epinephrine... stored in flawless condition." Unzipping his tactical backpack, he began systematically sweeping essential supplies into his bag with practiced speed.

May sat down on an examination table resting against the wall, her legs dangling and swinging freely in the air.

Leaning casually by the doorway, Ace twirled a piece of steel wire around his fingers, his eyes periodically drifting toward May.

After packing one full bag, Theo’s gaze paused at a secluded corner of the glass display. Reaching out, he extracted a brand-new stethoscope, its silver metal chestpiece gleaming under the fluorescent lights.

Hanging the stethoscope around his neck, he turned his gaze toward May. Through his reflective lenses, his look carried a refined yet strangely intense pressure.

"Come here," Theo gestured to her.

May pointed to herself. "Me?"

"Yes." Theo walked up to her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder to keep her seated. "The scratch on your calf from the Ripper was only given superficial treatment back then due to poor conditions. Now that we have proper equipment, I’ll perform a deeper examination."

May looked down at her leg. The wound had indeed scabbed over, but a dull, throbbing pain still flared occasionally deep beneath the skin.

"Okay," she complied, rolling up her trouser leg to reveal her smooth, pale calf.

Inserting the stethoscope earpieces, Theo brought the metal chestpiece forward slowly. The moment the icy silver disk touched her calf muscle, a sharp shiver ran straight through her body.

Wait... something is wrong.

Who uses a stethoscope on someone’s leg?!

"Eek—!" May reflexively tried to pull her leg back. "It’s freezing!"

Theo didn’t budge. His left hand clamped down onto her knee with a firm, measured pressure, keeping her leg pinned in place.

"Cold?" he asked softly.

Without waiting for her reply, he withdrew the metal disk and cupped it within his palm. Lowering his head, he brought his mouth close and exhaled a gentle breath of warm air over the silver metal. He rubbed the chestpiece between his hands a few times to gauge the temperature before reapplying it against the skin of her calf.

This time, the biting cold was gone—replaced by the soothing, lingering warmth of his palm against her flesh.

Holding the chestpiece in his right hand, Theo guided it slowly upward along the contours of her muscle. With every inch he shifted, his fingertips pressed down gently through the stethoscope’s tubing.

"Does it hurt here?" he asked.

"N-No..." May’s voice quivered slightly.

As the metal disk glided across the edge of the scabbed injury, the cool metallic texture combined with the warmth of his fingers made the fine hairs on her leg stand on end.

Theo’s fingers continued their upward path along her muscles, arriving at the soft hollow behind her knee. The skin there was exceptionally delicate, and he applied a fraction more pressure.

May’s toes curled inward tightly, gripping the insoles of her shoes.

"Hurts?" Theo lifted his gaze to meet hers.

"No... it just tickles," May bit her lower lip, clutching the edges of the examination table so hard her knuckles turned white.

"Tickling is a good sign. It indicates nerve recovery." Theo’s tone remained perfectly level, yet behind his glasses, his dark eyes held an intense, almost obsessive focus.

His fingers didn’t stop. Moving along the soft flesh of her inner knee, he glided another two inches higher.

May’s breath caught in her throat. It felt less like a medical checkup and more like he was lighting a slow fire along her skin.

"Theo... that should be enough, right?" May whimpered softly, her voice sounding like a gentle plea. "I really don’t feel any pain deep down, I promise."

Ignoring her plea, Theo maintained his grip on her knee with his left hand while tracing a slow, measured circle on her calf with his right.

"Hold still," he murmured softly. "The examination isn’t finished."

By the doorway, Ace’s hand twirling the steel wire came to a sudden halt. The gentle smile remained plastered across his face, but the warmth in his eyes had evaporated completely, replaced by an icy glare.

His eyes locked onto Theo’s hand resting on May’s leg. His knuckles turned pale from gripping the steel wire so tightly that the metal kinked into a permanent bend.

"You are certainly being thorough with your examination," Ace remarked idly, his voice drawn out and smooth.

Theo didn’t even lift his head. "Bone and muscle injuries require meticulous care. If we aren’t thorough and a lasting flaw remains, who takes responsibility?"

"Fair point," Ace smiled, strolling over to stop beside the examination table. Pulling a fuse from his pocket, he began peeling away the outer packaging with slow, deliberate movements.

"Though, Theo... hasn’t your chestpiece drifted a bit off course? The injury was on her lower calf—why are you feeling around the back of her knee?"

Theo’s fingers paused for a fraction of a second before he turned his head to look at Ace.

"Palpation," Theo stated plainly. "Besides, I’m not like certain people..."

"...who indulge in sneaky little bites on the sly."

The sharp remark instantly reminded Ace that this old fox had been awake the entire time that night.

May gripped the examination mat in sheer inner panic.

AAAAAH! Theo knew all along what Ace’s mouth was up to that night!

"Oh? I haven’t the faintest idea what you are referring to." Ace nodded smoothly, ripping open the fuse packaging with a sharp swoosh. "I’m merely worried your hand might slip and wander into the wrong territory."

The two men locked eyes, the silent tension between them burning thicker than the explosive powder used on the door minutes ago.

We’re in trouble now... Neither of these guys has an honest bone in their body—one refined hypocrite and one unhinged yandere! What am I supposed to do?!