The next day began with an early shift. Selena took a ride to St. Luke the Evangelist Private Hospital, prepared on what they will encounter that day.

She entered her office briskly, finding most of her team already gathered, coffee cups in hand and charts spread across the table. Emily, however, arrived a few minutes later, her face betraying the fatigue of the night before.

Selena wasted no time. "What happened to the patient last night?" she asked.

Hooper spoke first. "Vitals stabilized after the second dose of epinephrine. Her blood pressure normalized, and the rash subsided. We continued the antihistamine drip overnight to prevent rebound anaphylaxis."

"I reviewed her chest CT from earlier," Anderson added. "No signs of pulmonary embolism or masses. No fluid buildup, either."

"The EEG results came back inconclusive for seizures originating from the brain. Whatever caused the seizures was likely systemic—anoxia, toxin, or metabolic disturbance," Chan answered. "Her electrolytes were off, so that could have contributed."

Selena nodded. "What about labs? Did we get an IgE panel back?"

Hudson responded. "Preliminary results suggest a heightened allergic response, but we're still waiting for confirmation on specific allergens. We also need to factor in the medications she's been on. There could be an interaction or a delayed hypersensitivity reaction."

Selena's eyes flicked to Emily. "And what about her history? Did we get anything useful from the patient or her family?"

Emily hesitated before answering. "Not much. She insists she's never had severe allergies before, but she admitted to having mild reactions to nuts as a child. Her family history is vague—her mother's cancer is still a question mark, and there's no known history of autoimmune disorders."

Selena sighed, her frustration mounting. "So we've stabilized her, but we still don't know what triggered this cascade," she muttered. "I want a full toxicology screen, and check for hidden environmental factors. If we don't solve this soon, we'll be chasing symptoms until she crashes again."

The team nodded and began to disperse when Selena raised a hand to stop them, her eyes narrowing as if a new thought had struck.

"Wait," she said sharply. "I think I'll have another chat with her first."

Emily glanced back, surprised. "You already grilled her when she was admitted. What more do you expect to get?"

Selena smirked, fixing her glasses. "Oh, you know, just a little heart-to-heart. Let's see if her 'motherly moments' hold up under pressure. People tend to let things slip when they're trying to look sentimental."

Hooper groaned audibly, shaking her head. "Great. Another episode of The Selena Hale Show. Should we bring popcorn this time, or are we skipping straight to the dramatic climax?"

Selena grinned, unbothered by the jab. "Make it caramel popcorn. I like my drama with a hint of sweetness." She turned on her heel, already heading toward the patient's room.

"Good luck," Luke muttered, half to himself.

"She doesn't need luck," Emily replied under her breath. "She is what she wants to be."

"Emily Weston!" Selena called from the hallway.

Emily groaned inwardly.

"Go with her," Chan muttered. "Before she makes the patient cry bloody tears again, but this time it's her fault."

Emily shot him a glare but knew he was right. With a reluctant sigh, she hurried after Selena.

Catching up with her boss just as Selena reached the elevator, Emily fell in step beside her.

The elevator doors slid open, and they stepped inside. Emily leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You need me to clean up your mess if you make the patient cry?"

Selena gave her a sideways glance, her smirk widening. "Precisely. Now let's go find out what else Kayla conveniently forgot to tell us. You're on emotional support duty."

Emily groaned again, but deep down, she knew Selena already has a plan.

Selena pushed the door open, stepping inside the patient's room.

"You'll either walk out of here alive or not at all," she said bluntly. "Now, let's get to the point."

Emily stepped forward, her voice softer, trying to balance Selena's intensity. "Kayla, just try to relax. This is just a simple chat."

"Where's your family?" Selena asked.

Kayla shifted uncomfortably in her hospital bed. "My mom died of cancer, my dad works abroad, and I don't have any siblings."

Selena raised an eyebrow. "And does Daddy have a new life out there?"

Kayla's face flushed slightly. "No, of course not, Doctor. He's loyal to me and my mother."

Emily chimed in. "What she means is, has your father ever mentioned any health issues?"

Kayla sighed. "He has diabetes and high blood pressure."

Selena narrowed her eyes. "What about cancer?"

"It was my mom who had cancer," Kayla answered quickly.

Selena leaned back slightly, her eyes scanning Kayla like a lie detector. Something about the answer didn't sit right. She could taste the bitterness of a half-truth, the same way she always did.

"Right, you've already said that," Selena replied. "But what kind of cancer specifically?"

"I already told Doctor Weston about it yesterday," Kayla answered, her tone growing defensive.

"Oh, really?" Selena's voice dripped with skepticism. She leaned in, her gaze unrelenting. "Let me ask you something, Kayla. Do you even care about your mother? Did you love her?"

Kayla's eyes widened, and her voice cracked slightly as she replied, "Of course I loved her."

Selena tilted her head, studying the woman closely. "Then how is it possible that you don't know what kind of cancer killed her? If you were by her side, if you were there when she passed, surely you heard something. A diagnosis, a word from the doctors, anything?"

Kayla's lip quivered slightly as she looked away, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her blanket. Emily placed a hand on Selena's arm, a subtle attempt to rein her in.

"What if I told you I can taste lies? And yours—yours is bitter," Selena said as she locked eyes with Kayla. "You can't lie to me, Kayla. This is an important matter, and here you are, lying about your mother's death. If you loved her, why lie?"

Kayla's expression twisted with a mix of confusion and defiance. "You what?" she asked, her voice rising, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of the accusation.

"You heard me," Selena replied coolly. "I can tell when someone's lying."

Emily cleared her throat gently, clearly uncomfortable with Selena's aggressive tone. "Kayla, we just want to help you. If there's something you're holding back, you can trust us. This is about your health."

Kayla's gaze flicked nervously between the two doctors. "I... I'm telling the truth," she stammered.

Emily glanced at Selena, concern etched on her face. Selena tilted her head slightly, a subtle signal for a sidebar. Without a word, Emily followed her boss to the corner of the room, lowering her voice.

"Selena," Emily began softly, "maybe we're pushing too hard. She looks terrified. Not everyone responds to... this." She gestured vaguely to Selena's characteristic bluntness.

Selena raised an eyebrow. "If she's scared, good. Fear has a way of forcing out the truth. And right now, we don't have time for her bedtime stories."

"Are you sure she's lying?" Emily whispered.

"I'm certain," Selena replied without hesitation. "She's hiding something."

Emily arched an eyebrow. "Sure it's not just the coffee messing with your senses?"

Selena's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Very funny. You know I trust my instincts, and right now, they're screaming at me."

Emily exhaled slowly, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Alright, let's dig deeper. But maybe without scaring her out of the room this time."

The two returned to the bedside. Kayla's face was pale, her fingers nervously twitching against the IV stand. "Am I clear to leave? I feel fine," she pleaded.

"Ms. Jefferson, this isn't just about feeling fine. We're here to help you, but we need the truth. If you're not honest with us, we can't save you," Emily explained.

Kayla swallowed hard, her gaze dropping to the blanket draped over her legs. "I... I told you everything I know."

Selena stepped closer, her voice softening just enough to keep Kayla engaged. "I don't believe you. And if you keep lying, I won't be able to do my job. So, I'm going to ask you again. What aren't you telling us?"

Emily chimed in. "Kayla, if there's anything—anything at all—you've left out, now is the time to say it. We're not here to judge you. We're here to help."

Kayla's eyes widened, and her voice cracked as she finally spoke. "I... I didn't tell you everything because I was scared. My mother didn't die of cancer. She was poisoned."

Emily's jaw dropped slightly. "Poisoned? By whom?"

"I don't know," Kayla whispered, her voice trembling as tears began to spill down her cheeks. "But I think it's happening to me, too. I don't want to end up like her."

"Well, at least she's not lying about that one," Selena said.

Emily shot her a disapproving glance. "Selena, not the time."

Selena raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Time is exactly what we're running out of, Weston. If her story checks out, we've got a new playing field—potential poisoning, likely chronic exposure. That changes everything."

—

In the hospital cafeteria, Selena typed furiously on her laptop, documenting both the surreal events of the day and notes for her latest crime fiction novel. Across from her, Emily sat quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Selena didn't look up at first, her focus unbroken until the sniffles grew impossible to ignore. "What's wrong?" she asked, finally closing the laptop with a soft click.

Emily wiped at her face with the back of her hand, her voice trembling. "Do you remember Marcus?"

"Your boyfriend?" Selena asked. "What happened?"

Emily hesitated, her words barely above a whisper. "We broke up this morning before the shift. He lied to me, Selena. About everything."

Selena leaned back, crossing her arms with a look of vindication. "I told you he didn't deserve you."

Emily shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "You told me he wasn't lying when he said he loved me. But it turns out... you were wrong." She shrugged weakly. "It's okay if you misdiagnosed. We all make mistakes, right? After all, we're only human."

Selena's stomach twisted violently, nausea rising like a wave threatening to engulf her. She pressed a hand to her abdomen, trying to steady herself, but the sensation only grew worse, a cold sweat beginning to bead on her forehead.

Emily watched her, concern flashing in her eyes. "What happened to you? Something about what I said?"

Selena forced herself to breathe evenly, her voice flat as she muttered, "It's nothing. Just the coffee." She flashed a weak, smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. The lie tasted bitter on her tongue, much like the drink she blamed. But there was no room for weakness, not in front of Emily, not now.

Emily didn't buy it. She leaned forward, her gaze narrowing. "Selena..."

Selena held up a hand, stopping her before the conversation could veer in a direction she didn't want. "It's not important. Let's focus on the patient, alright?"

Emily hesitated but then nodded, choosing not to press further. "Alright. But if you need—"

"Later," Selena interrupted. "We have work to do now."

It was only then that both their pagers beeped rapidly, making them rush back towards their patient.

Both arrived at Room 204, the scene a frenzy of activity—nurses rushed back and forth, the stench of vomit and blood hanging heavy in the air.

"Dr. Hale, Dr. Weston, she's having severe vomiting and seizures," Nurse Aaron said.

Selena's eyes narrowed, a flicker of recognition flashing behind them. Her mind worked quickly, snapping together fragments of a puzzle she had been staring at for weeks now. This... this felt like one of those cases.

Emily was already beside the patient. "What's the last thing she ingested?" she asked.

Nurse Jane, breathless, answered. "Prescribed meds. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Selena's jaw clenched. "Get me her full medical records now," she ordered.

Emily administered the epinephrine, her movements quick and decisive. "Her vitals are crashing. We need to intubate if her airway compromises."

Selena nodded sharply, her mind racing through possible scenarios. "Prep for intubation, but expedite toxicology reports. We still need to know what we're dealing with, and fast."

Suddenly, Kayla's body convulsed violently, her limbs jerking in an uncontrolled spasm. Emily and the nurses worked in tandem, fighting to stabilize her as the room descended into a frantic blur of motion.

"Hold on, Kayla," Emily whispered, her voice a tight knot of hope and fear. "We're not losing you."

Despite their best efforts, the monitor's beeping began to slow, each pulse weaker than the last.

"No!" Emily exclaimed, her eyes wide with panic as she pushed more epinephrine into Kayla's system, desperately trying to reverse the decline.

But it was too late. The beeping flatlined, and a cold, oppressive silence filled the room like a heavy fog.

Selena's gaze hardened, though there was no emotion in her face—just the cool composure of a doctor who'd seen this too many times before. She took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving the lifeless form of Kayla. "Call it."

Emily, her voice barely a whisper, nodded as the weight of the moment settled in. "Time of death, 2:57 PM."

Selena didn't say a word. She just turned, her mind already shifting gears. There was a puzzle to solve, and this was far from over. The truth had to be out there, buried beneath the lies and the mystery. And she would find it.