Chapter 343: The Lonely Fish In A Birdcage

[FROLO]

The General Hospital didn’t sleep. Never slept. It was just what their system had been like for years. Yet this was the first time they were waking up to a choked hospital.

Eight o’clock in the morning, a package was delivered at the gates of the General Hospital.

Wrapped well enough to be delivered, but carelessly enough so that the moment the package changed hands, the contents of the package would spill onto the ground.

That was what had happened in one of the busiest hospitals the city had over the years.

"For the nursing department," the delivery guy, a prosthetic-wearing Rastenkin, had said, and the guard had just nodded, while people walked in through the gates like it was normal. But theirs wasn’t at the main gate of the hospital. No.

It was at one of the gates that led to the gynecology department.

And then...

Chaos.

Screams from patients and guardians all the same. Shocked patients who were on the long quest to get into the hospital. It was like they were being reintroduced to what insanity was.

Because right there, on the floor, were different body parts. Sliced and trimmed like they needed to fit there perfectly. A bag of bones would have been better. But they were not just bones.

They didn’t even have to ask further to know who they belonged to.

The head nurse of Frolo General Hospital, who had been arrested and was never seen again after the courtroom session nearly a year ago.

Many had assumed that she had disappeared because of how much money she had spent on the doctors to ruin Katya Romanov’s life.

But now... this was different.

So very different.

"Nurse Milan?" one of the guards pointed out before he rushed to the nearby thicket to empty his guts.

This was the worst possible thing to wake up to, and it seemed like Frolo was a cursed city. Answers that they had been seeking were reappearing like someone was dripping them for the city to understand.

But the body parts weren’t even the end of it all.

The message was just as chilling.

"Healthcare for all without discrimination... Or I might just start a series of deliveries ~ the shopkeeper," the message on the delivery sheet read, and everyone stepped back, horrified by the sight itself.

It was almost like life was starting to change, but they didn’t even know where to start. What the fuck had Frolo turned into? What the hell was the city becoming for them?

But then again, forgiveness wasn’t exactly a major trait for many of those who were vocal enough in Frolo. And right now, they were seeing it all.

"The Devil of Frolo did this," the whispers began and spread as fast.

Because Sergei was the shopkeeper’s boss.

Soon the media picked up on the unfortunate events.

They hadn’t even had enough time to process the fact that the senator had been arrested. Now they were dealing with a dead head nurse who had gone missing and who many people knew only had one person to be terrified of.

Sergei Moskowsky.

And of course, the news spread like wildfire.

Katya Romanov was in his department when people started looking at him weirdly. He was used to the stares since he had come to work here, but today they were more intense. Were too cooped up in whatever memory they had of him.

Even his supervisor with a broken nose stared at him curiously.

He didn’t try to reach Katya, though; he had learned the hard way already. Another broken nose from Sergei Moskowsky was not what he was desperate for anymore.

"What am I being accused of this time?" Katya mumbled as he tried to stay focused at his desk. He really didn’t remember doing anything. Hell, even the news of Alek’s arrest hadn’t had him coming into the office with such stares.

People had just gone on with their business, maybe because they too believed that justice was finally catching up.

"Katya... you need to see this," Greg, Katya’s research partner, said, and Katya stared at him skeptically.

He knew it wasn’t any good, and he wondered for a moment if this was going to affect his father’s company too. He had managed to step out of the chaos at Moskowsky and still managed to find himself in it here.

Was this the kind of fate he was doomed for?

"Okay," Katya sighed defeatedly as he looked at Greg’s phone that the researcher was holding out for him.

Katya was so prepared for another scandal. For another accusation sent his way. But gods be damned, Katya Romanov had never expected the sight that met him. Not like this. Not in the way that terrified even him.

First was the message to the hospital.

Then the department the package had been sent to, then the package delivery.

Katya felt sick.

Instinctively, he clutched his belly, subconsciously rubbing his scars while he broke into a cold sweat at the sight. He had not expected this. He had not imagined that shit would be like this, ever.

Then again, given the way the other bodies had dropped before, maybe he should not have been surprised.

But fuck, seeing Milan chopped into pieces like that had his insides churning with disgust and a different kind of pain.

Katya just stood there, stiff, holding onto himself like he was scared he would ruin everyone’s day.

He struggled to stay steady.

"I... I didn’t do that," Katya mumbled before he fell to the ground, unconscious, his defense on his lips, determined to let everyone know that he hadn’t been the one to hurt Milan. He would never hurt Milan.

He had forgiven and let go months ago.

But damn.

Meanwhile, Mr. Romanov was in his office when he got the call from his son’s supervisor.

"Sir, there has been a situation in the research lab... regarding your son," the man said, and Mr. Romanov sighed exaggeratedly.

"Did that maniac come to bother you again?" Mr. Romanov sighed like he was too tired to be dealing with Sergei Moskowsky and his antics this early in the morning.

"No, sir. The young master has fallen unconscious—" The phone call ended before the researcher could finish his words.

And in minutes, Andre and Svetlana were on the research floor, and Mr. Romanov followed closely behind them.

"What happened?" Svet asked, her eyes focused on his supervisor, who was already shaking. They knew the reputation of the crazy omega, and this was most certainly not the time to be playing games with Svetlana Vasilieva.

"He was watching this..." Greg said, and Svet grabbed the phone and looked at it while Andre began first aid on Katya.

"Niceee, this is some cool stuff. Do you know who chopped her up like that? I should definitely take chopping lessons," Svet mused excitedly, a little lost in the way the bones had been cut clean and even the head wasn’t even as shabby.

"This little demon... Romanov is still out, you spawn of Satan," Andre huffed, making Svet snap out of her trance.

They gave Katya first aid for seven minutes. Those minutes felt like forever for the old man staring at his son and his friends who were trying to revive him.

When Katya woke up, his father went on his knees and pulled his son into a hug.

"You scared me, Michka," Mr. Romanov breathed in relief.

And Katya...

"I didn’t do that to her, papa," was what he said, desperate for someone to believe him.

"I know," Mr. Romanov said.

"I know, my sweet Michka," he reassured.

Katya breathed out a sigh of relief at his father’s conviction.