Axel's POV:

What the hell did I just witness? I knew that man was a horror show on two feet, but to do something like this? And to the family of the one girl I've ever loved? I couldn't stand the sight. I didn't want to break down, I wanted to be strong for her, to be her comfort when she cried, but how could I be that when I was the one who turned into a mess?

As soon as I got into my car, I drove as fast as I could - I didn't want to break down again. Watching that video, hearing her parents scream, hearing the nonchalance in his voice, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge. Does my mom know that the man she married is a monster? He's so lucky he's still in the wind, otherwise I would've gone and murdered him myself. I drove around aimlessly, taking every random turn. I was tired, but I knew that I didn't want to go home. I wasn't ready to face my mom, or hear any news about that sad excuse of a father.

I took the next right, and headed for my spot a little up the mountain. I remember bringing Sophia here when were first getting to know each other, even though it got cut short. Of course, I already had my eyes on her since before she started working here. People ask how could you fall in love with someone you've known for a few months? Well, honestly, it doesn't matter how long you've known the person for, what matters is how they made you feel in the time you've known them and honestly, she's the only one who's made me feel butterflies and had me giggling like a damn child. I knew that I would end up marrying her as soon as my  eyes landed on her over a year ago, but I also had to be discreet so as not to scare her away. God, I literally cringe when I think about how I almost did that.

I'm honestly not even sure what drew me to her. She came in with an oversized hoodie, jeans, and a messy bun. I don't know what it was, but I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I hate to admit it, but I might've followed her around that day. Seeing her interact so kindly and softly with people absolutely melted my heart. She helped out an old lady who couldn't read something on the box, she made a little kid stop crying by offering him candy, she even helped out a teen girl who thought she was being followed. I didn't even know anything about her back then, but I still kept an eye on the door in case that beautiful mystery girl happened to come. The rare instances when she would show up, I end up riding that high for a few days. She had that therapeutic effect on me, and from then on, I knew she was someone I wanted to have in my life, and not to sound egotistical or anything but I always get what I want.

Then one day, she walked in for orientation and my heart couldn't stop smiling. I might've made a fool of myself just to be able to talk to her, but the time it took to gain her trust -- well it was all worth it.

Well, right up until the God forsaken day she told me that my own father is a murderer. It's so typical how he's always the one at the center of every single catastrophe in my life.

I parked my car near the edge and went to sit on our special bench. It just made me realize that I haven't seen Marina is such a long time. She was always the one I turned in times like these back in high school and freshman year because she knew how to keep me grounded. She was the angel on my shoulder who kept me out of trouble for the most part. A shadowy figure caught me by surprise, and it took me a hot minute to register that Landon was already there, lying down on the bench. I could make him out because I was the one who got him that neon pink hoodie for his birthday - as a joke. I didn't see a car on my way up here though, how could he have possible come all the way up here?

Come to think of it, there were suspicious looking tire tracks that weren't mine.

"Hey man, did you lock yourself out of the house again?" I yelled out. He had a habit of inserting his key and then closing the door when he's leaving and leaving the key in the damn door. Did it since high school and he never stopped.

No answer.

I walked up to him, but he was absolutely still. He didn't move, his face was pale and he was barely breathing. He had his arms crossed, and his back was to the table, his body slightly shivering and lips a little cyanotic. His clothes were drenched which means he's been here for at least two hours. Idiot, that's how you get pneumonia and every other respiratory illness in existence. I crouched down and put my hand on his forehead - it was freezing.

"Landon?" I shook him once, twice, thrice - nothing.

"Landon, this isn't funny man. Wake up?"

He wasn't budging. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

Screw it. I unlocked my car and kept the door to the backseat open. It took me a while to haul this hypothermic statue to my car. When I got him leaning on my shoulder, I could distinctly smell something that could only described as medical. Like something you'd smell sitting in the waiting room of an emergency department. Worst thing -- it smelled too familiar.

I laid him on the chair then went to the other side and pulled him a little higher so when I slammed the door, it wouldn't amputate his bony, chicken legs. I made sure all doors were closed and I practically flew this car off the side of the cliff. The nearest place was the Ronald Reagan medical center.

I drove so fast, almost running two red lights.

"Hang in there buddy. Hang in there."

What the hell was he doing out here by himself, and after a shift no less. Today Nate had him come a little early because the other person called in and we couldn't fill it in on time, and Landon would love nothing more than a good reason to miss uni and make money. Stupid jokes he'd make just kept popping in my head, his off tune singing when I'd be driving or on the phone. It bothered me to no extent when he'd turn the TV on so loud when I was trying to sleep, but I'd give anything in this world to not see him like that.

The memories of him automatically triggered memories of my brothers when they were younger and would bother me to no extent back when we would spend summers at my grandma's.

My grandma...?

My grandma is diabetic, and she takes insulin shots to regulate her blood sugar, which makes sense since she's a type one diabetic.

Wait...

That is why the scent smelled familiar! But why the hell would Landon smell like it? How can someone who's athletic smell like diabetes medication? I've known him almost all my life and I would know if he was diagnosed with anything other than being an idiot. I mean other than having the worst diet known to mankind, he doesn't have any medical conditions, so this whole things reeks. I can't google this crap right now, so while I still had a few minutes until I got to the ED, I called the only person who's smart enough to figure this one out.

"Axel? Are you okay?" Her voice was grainy and sad, dripping with worry. I hated hearing her like that. She deserves to be happy.

"Yes, my love. I'm fine, there's just a little problem..."

"What? What happened?"

"It's Landon. I came up to my spot up the hill to clear my head, but I found him there unresponsive and ice cold, he reeked of insulin, and he's not waking up. Did you ever come across anything like that before? He has absolutely no medical history and he doesn't know his biological family to know if he has any history."

"Damn, is he adopted?"

"Yeah, which is why he's my family. But back to it. What do you think it could be? Is it some kind of autoimmune thing? Or..."

"No, Axel," She sighed, then continued, "the only explanation would be if someone injected him directly with insulin. Did you see any puncture wounds?"

Inject him? But why...?

Then it hit me, Viktor Nikilson. He's tying up loose ends, and it is only a matter of time before he came for my girl.

I took a sharp left, and was only four minutes away.

"But why would anyone inject insulin into someone who isn't diabetic?"

"Remember when I begged you to watch those true crime documentaries with me? You would've learned something. Injecting insulin into someone who isn't diabetic reduces their blood sugar to the point of hypoglycemic shock, which if left untreated could lead to death and also all the other symptoms you mentioned. Female serial killers use it because it's easier than subduing a larger victim, but also because it wouldn't be ruled a homicide since fluctuating levels of insulin are a normal thing -- maybe rare. So during an autopsy, a low insulin level wouldn't raise any red flags and would just be ruled a natural death."

Things are starting to fall into place, that's why he was left up there and that's why there were tire marks. Whoever it was wanted to hurry out of there before they were caught, and if and when someone stumbled upon him, it would look like hypothermia or just a regular death.

"Axel, you have to be careful. Whoever orchestrated this elaborate scheme knew what they were doing, and I know for a fact that they would be watching whoever comes to that area. Keep an eye out for any tails. And make sure you're never in the middle lane in case you get cornered..."

"Soph, I think you just watched way too many action movies..."

"No! God, just listen to me, you idiot!"

Woah, that escalated quickly.

"What I did do was witness firsthand how a single spark can cause an explosion in my forensic physics class. We saw simulation after simulation and none of them ended well. There's never any survivors Axel. Please, be careful. For me, for Landon; we need you."

I finally pulled up at the emergency department entrance.

"Okay, I promise. I made it to the ED now, so I'll talk to you later. We're at Ronald Reagan Medical Center, so if I don't answer - don't send SWAT after me for the love of God. Later!"

She laughed a little.

"No promises, pretty boy."

I hung up, and got a wheelchair then dragged him inside. It took all but three seconds for them to rush us inside. Of course, that didn't sit well with the other patients who were here for shit like a runny nose, and oh, a frickin cat scratch. I'm 100% sure they cursed at me and the nurses who dragged my lifeless friend into a trauma room.

They rushed him inside, hooked him to machines and at some point his heart stopped. They called a code blue and before I could even blink, the room was filled with countless bodies.

"Let's get a crash cart in here please, and let's start chest compressions!"

They pushed me out the way as they went back and forth with equipment and medication and test tubes.

"Clear!" said one of the doctors, and then his chest rose.

Compressions.

"Clear!"

Compressions

My heart did a weird squeeze.

No.

He can't do this to me. Please don't do this to me. Please.

"Clear!"

No rhythm.

"Let's up the voltage a little, and push one of epi, STAT!"

The room felt like it was spinning around me, and the weight of the world sat on my broken shoulders.

God, please no. Not him. Anyone but Landon, please. He's my best friend, my brother. I can't lose him.

"We got a heartbeat!" I could hear them yell from inside the room. "Let's get him on dextrose, and under observation in one of the resus rooms."

My legs felt so weak, but somehow I found the strength to drag myself to a chair. I crashed on to it, my hands between my head. What this man cost me, I promised myself I would not let him get away with it anymore. I steadied my breathing after a while, but I was still shaking internally.

"Excuse me, Sir. Are you the one who brought this patient in?" I looked up to find a very young girl with an "RN" on her badge. She literally looks as young my seventeen year old sister.

"Yes, that's me. Is...is he okay?"

"Yes, he is don't worry. We're running some tests on him, but it would help if you told us what happened. It would help fill out his demographics as well."

"I... I don't know, I found him like that. He's not diabetic is what I know, but he smelled like insulin."

I had to be mindful of what I said because if the cops got involved, it wouldn't end well for anyone. But then again, I don't think they're allowed to call the cops -- courtesy of HIPAA and whatnot.

"So no new medical conditions that you know of?" She asked, writing things on her mobile computer.

"No."

"Okay." She continued typing. "His file said that his next of kin is one Axel Nikolson. Is that updated?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"Can you just confirm that this is your updated contact information?"

I looked at it and it had both my number and email that he made me as a joke.

What an idiot, got me chuckling at the absolute worst time.

"Yes, this is correct."

"Any allergies?"

"Maybe healthy food and common sense, but that's it."

She giggled like a second grader and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Okay, the doctor might be down to ask you a few more questions. But for now he's being given a dose of dextrose to lift up his blood sugar, it was dangerously low. We'll keep him under observation until he wakes up. You can feel free to join him in his room - but do realize that he will be unresponsive for a while. His core temperature was a little hypothermic, which is why you'll find his room is hot. We need his core temp to rise."

She lead me to his room in the resuscitation area of the department. His lips were slightly blue and his skin, excessively pale. He was attached to a vitals machine and an IV drip, but more importantly he was alive. I'm too scared to imagine what would've happened had I been a few minutes late -- or not shown up at all.

I promise you my friend that I will not let this slide.

I pulled up a chair and sat next to him. His knuckles weren't bruised and his face wasn't hurt at all - why didn't he fight back? I know Landon, and he's never lost a fight before, so how can he let someone do this to him? He didn't give in when they pressured him to give up Sophia's location, and tried to beat it out of him. He still refuses to talk about that day, and I didn't want to pressure him, but this has gone too far. Sophia was in her house, my father is out of the country, so what could he possibly achieve from doing this to Landon? Was this a jab at me? If he's tying up loose ends, that could only mean that he doesn't plan on coming back, and if he doesn't come back then there's no way we can catch him in the act, which means we need to act fast.

I texted Sophia to meet with her family friend soon otherwise we won't be able to catch this man. This... monster. I've been trying to remember a single good memory with him at any point in my life, but I've been pulling a blank. Nothing he ever did was associated with anything good in my life. Everyone else in the world grew up with a loving father, but I grew up with a good mother who made sure I didn't even need to miss him. She has to know what's going on. She was on a business trip to London, but as soon as she's back, she and I will have a long conversation.

The watch on my  hand read half past midnight, and I knew that I would be staying here for a while. I looked at him to make sure he was breathing still and then I left the room to find me a coffee place. I took about fifty turns before I reached what I assumed was the exit -- surprise, surprise it wasn't.

"Hey, are you lost?" I looked behind me to find that same nurse from before.

"Yeah, I think I am. I'm trying to get to a coffee place."

She said something to someone in the nurse's office and came to me.

"I'm actually going there right now, I can take you!" She said so excitedly, tucking her stethoscope in her side pouch.

"Sure. Please lead the way."

 She walked a little in front of me and I noticed that she smelled really nice -- like coconut and strawberries. Unfortunately, girl's perfumes was my one weakness. 

You know, other than Sophia Grace.

"I'm Tiffany, by the way." She smiled kindly, a hint of a British accent.

"I'm Axel, but I think you already know that."

"Yeah, I do." She giggled.

"Is that a British accent I hear?" I said, trying to move past the awkward laughing.

"Yeah! I'm from Manchester, actually. Where abouts are you from?"

"My mom is from London but my dad is Russian."

"Me too!"

We took the elevators to the main floor and continued walking, her steps becoming shorter.

"Is your whole family here, or are you like a travel nurse of sorts, because you seem pretty young." 

She giggled again, and did a little hair flip and I caught a whiff of her green apple shampoo. It honestly smelled great, in contrast to the smell of medical grade sanitizers and vomit.

"I actually had to leave a very abusive household. This is the farthest place I could find, so I accepted a job here and took my mom and came here."

"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. But it's very brave of you. I hope you guys are doing okay."

We took a right and we were right by the front door.

"We're doing alright. My parents have been divorced for a while but he's so connected he always found a way to ruin our lives. Hey, I'd like a French Vanilla frappe with oat milk substitution, please."

"Hi. I'll have a large black coffee and a butter croissant, please. One payment thank you." I said, giving them my credit card before she paid for it herself.

"You didn't have to do that, thank you so much." 

"No worries at all - happy to."

She didn't say much until we got our drinks and sat on the tables adjacent to the coffee shop. Honestly, I didn't mind the company, at least it took my mind off of the ticking time bomb in my brain.

"Is it just you and your mom here?" 

"My older brother recently joined us here in LA. He left to study at Stanford the first chance he got ten years ago because he couldn't stand it there. And it's only the three of us here, me in nursing and him in investment fraud. What about you? You living here alone?

"No, actually my whole family is here. My mom and siblings are here while my grandma and cousins from my mom's side live in New York. My dad is also pretty absent so he doesn't count much. Landon has been my best friend since high school, which is how we knew each other. We go to the same university and we're roommates."

"Well, that's awfully nice of you." She put her hands on my arm, and for some reason I froze. This is not right. How do I politely tell her to calm down a little. I sat back further in my chair and slowly pulled my hand back, my cheeks warming up a little.

"And I actually have someone in my life; a beautiful girl you'll definitely see here soon."

Her smiled dropped for a second but she hid the disappointment with a nod.

"Very lucky girl to have someone like you in her life. You seem pretty nice Axel." She sighed and looked out the window into the parking lot, the sadness in her eyes dampening the aura around us.

Why the hell does she seem so sad? 

"Hey, everything okay?" I asked, genuinely concerned because something just seemed off.

"Yes. It's just been a long shift. I'm working a string of 4 12-hours and this is day three. But thank you for asking."

"Of course. Anyways, I should get back to Landon..."

She put her hand on mine again, preventing me from leaving.

"Stay. Please. He's going to be asleep for a while anyways." The urgency in her eyes pulled at my heartstrings, but I knew that this was wrong. I can't be her emotional person - that's not fair to Sophia. But on the other hand, what am I really doing? I'm just providing comfort to someone who looks like they really need it.

So I sat back down, and I continued talking to her. We spoke for over an hour until her break was done. She was very kind and respectful but I got the feeling that she might've had her eyes on me. We threw our cups away and were on our way back to the emergency department. We walked to Landon's room but before we got there, she held my hand in hers and squeezed it.

"Thank you for being such a good listener, it really meant a lot. This Sophia girl is very lucky to have you." Before I had the chance to say anything or even take back my hand, she took a left turn into a long hallway and disappeared.

"That girl is so annoying dear lord." I heard someone say behind me. I turned around and it was a couple of hospital workers. I couldn't tell if they were nurses or doctors but they had on different colored scrubs and wore scrub caps.

"Honestly, I can't stand her and her annoying ass British accent. 'Oh look at me, I'm a descendent of the Bridgerton family, ooh I'm fancy'. God I can't stand her."

Jeez, why the hell are people so rude and mean. No wonder that girl needed someone to talk to, her dad is a menace and her coworkers are even worse. Mental reminder to get her flowers before she leaves, maybe that'll help cheer her up. 

Wait, no. That will definitely send the wrong message. Oh well, I hope the coffee is enough to make her feel better.

 I entered Landon's room again and he looked so much better. In that same instance, I heard people running to a room close to us, speaking all at the same time. I think a trauma came because they were far less stressed when Landon came. I poked my head out and sure enough, there was a whole entourage of Grey's Anatomy looking people standing over someone who was soaked in blood. Dear Lord. I shut the door and closed the blinds to let him rest more.

I grabbed the chair and realized my phone fell on the floor next to it. I had a few messages from Sophia and way too many from Lara - the last of them stating that if I don't reach out to her now (aka 29 minutes ago) that she would punch me in the throat so hard my British accent will disappear.

Good God that girl is aggressive. 

To: Lara G.

can u calm down? he's okay. just resting. no need for punches. u can come by during the day

She replied right away.

From: Lara G.

Should've answered when i sent it then....idiot

I'm not going to lie, sometimes this girl scares me, especially when it came to Landon. I know how much it broke him when Wesley came into the picture but he kept saying that if it's meant to be then it'll be. That couldn't be more wrong, if you don't fight for what you want then you'll never have it. I'm a walking example of that.

"Okay, you've been staring at that door for like way too long dude, it's kind of creepy."

"Landon! Oh my God, you're awake!" I lunged at him and hugged him very tight. I've lived a million lives in those past two hours thinking I lost him.

"Hey, man. I'm okay." He patted my back and his hand just dropped to his side.

I lifted his bed up a little so he's partially sitting up.

"Dude what the hell happened?"

"I don't really remember. Last thing I recall was leaving the store and getting into my car. Then the next thing I know -- I'm waking up here looking at my loser friend stare at the door. And I'm also so frickin hungry and my chest hurts when I breath. What the hell happened?"

"Well I found you up in our spot, passed out and smelling like insulin. I rushed you to the hospital where you flatlined but they brought you back. That insulin could've killed you and you would've been ruled a natural death. But you're back now, and I'm so happy."

He looked at the wall, too shocked to speak.

"We both know who it is, right? I'm sorry man, I know he's your dad and all but if I ever see him, I'm side-kicking his temple."

"I don't blame you buddy. He's putting everyone in danger and I can't wait to see him behind bars."

"I'm very tired, I'm going to sleep again, but do you mind getting me something to eat? Like a huge feast would be amazing."

"Okay, buddy. Just rest up. I'll get you whatever you want."

He gave me a fist bump with shaky hands and went to sleep like he wasn't awake three seconds ago, and just seeing him vulnerable like that and almost dead just by associating with me -- it changed something inside me.

I don't care if Interpol doesn't get him, I don't care if he was wanted by the FBi or CIA or even the Kremlin itself --I already have a bullet with his name on it.