Phoenix Breath Serum

While Dr. Silva tucks the covers around LiMei, he can feel Rui’s burning gaze fixed on his every movement. This makes him more curious how an obviously possessive man like Qiao Rui allowed his girlfriend to be in the company of Henri Armand and in particular a dangerous man like Nikolai Naralov. He motions to Rui to leave with him, Rui hesitates as he stares at LiMei’s fragile appearance, he doesn’t want to leave her side for a second. Rui’s heart tightens, LiMei …how did this happen?

Dr. Silva glares at him not wanting to speak fearing the sound of their voices might disturb her even in her unconscious state. When Rui doesn’t respond as though he is in a trance, Dr. Silva roughly pulls his arm, snapping Rui back to reality.

Once outside the room Rui decides to ask a few pertinent questions. He sets aside his anger and politely inquires, “Dr. Silva as one physician to another can you detail the extent of her head injury. What is her prognosis in your opinion?”

Dr. Silva noticed her chart in Rui’s hand before he approached LiMei as she was being wheeled out of the operating room. He smirks, “You had her chart in your hand, what is your determination.”

Rui had folded the paperwork and put it in his back pocket, unaware Dr. Silva had witnessed his actions. He decides to be honest and not deny the fact, “I haven’t had a chance to look it over.”

“Answer a question of mine first and I will tell you. Why was the patient with Henri Armand and the other man? Although he knows the other man is Nikolai Naralov he doesn’t want to say it. Most people wouldn’t know his identity. Why was she shot?”

“I don’t have the answers to those questions.”

“…” Dr. Silva can see by the complex emotions fleetingly crossing Rui’s face he isn’t lying.

Rui calmly continues, “Right now my only concern is LiMei. I know you disagreed with me when I mentioned taking her back to China but in my professional opinion being in my hospital, under my care would be her best chance of a full recovery.”

Dr. Silva doesn’t want to discuss this in the hallway. “Come to my office.”

They silently walk down the hallway to the elevator. When they are on the way up to Dr. Silva’s office, a pretty woman in a white coat enters. She has a crush on Dr. Silva and smiles as she steps then stands next to him. He frowns, Qiao Rui must have got the patient’s chart from her. He can’t resist the urge to reprimand her, last week she refused his request to share information on a patient.“Dr. Turino, I am surprised you would give one of my patient’s charts to an unknown person without my permission. I thought you had more propriety than that.”

Dr. Luisa Turino’s face turns red at the accusation, with a shocked look on her face she swiftly denies the accusation. “Dr. Silva I have no idea what you are referring to, you know I follow the rules to the letter. I would never!”

The elevator door opens to the 20th floor where his office is located, he and Qiao Rui exit. She hurries behind them anxiously wanting to clarify what he is talking about. Raising her voice she calls out,“Dr. Silva..stop!”

He turns around as he does he deftly pulls the paperwork out of Rui’s back pocket and tosses it towards her. Rui could have stopped him easily but doesn’t care, so he ignores the situation. He has no use for the chart now, he wants to discuss LiMei’s condition with Dr. Silva.

Dr. Turino bends down picking up the paperwork as the two men continue down the hallway towards Dr. Silva’s office. What is this? I sent Nurse Rossi to the fourth floor to give this patient’s chart to Dr. Knight. She clenches her fists and rushes down the hallway to Dr. Siva’s office to explain. I will have that little bitch fired! He didn’t even give me a chance to explain!

Across the city Henri  arrives at his villa immediately heading up the stairs to his bedroom. After he takes off the face mask he looks in the mirror at the red rash on his cheeks. Fuck! He washes his face then applies the healing lotion while thinking about LiMei’s condition. I need a new mask. He throws down the towel, I am so fucking sick of being Henri Armand!

He walks back into the bedroom to call Xinghi . When he answers Kuang Bo asks, “Xinghi, how are you doing after the operation?”

Xinghi has been trying to get a hold of Kuang Bo, he tightens his hand on the phone. “Brat! Why haven’t you called me until now! Do you ever look at your phone! Little Daiyu is with that devil Naralov!”

“I know. She was shot. That is why I am calling, Daiyu is in the hospital in Milan.”

Xinghi is eating his dinner with Dr. Woo, “Explain! I will have them get my plane ready and fly there immediately!”

Dr. Woo can hear their conversation, he has a worried expression, Feng LiMei was shot? Why is she with that maniac Naralov! Where is Rui?

Kuang Bo explains the situation and the veins on Xinghi’s neck bulge out as he listens. “Bo, I am going to contact Dr. Lumbert. He is in Milan and was supposed to draw blood from Nikolai Naralov but he wasn’t able to see him when he went to his villa. “I will send him over to examine Daiyu and give her an injection which should initiate her third level of genetic enhancement. I will arrive tomorrow in disguise and take over her treatment.”

“Are you recovered  enough to withstand the trip?”

“I am at 80% so it won’t be a problem. Woo Xixin will also accompany me.”

Kuang Bo breathes a sigh of relief, “Good. Knowing Daiyu will be under your care sets my mind at ease.”

“I need to prepare, call me if there are any new developments.”

“Can you bring me a new face mask for my identity as Henri Armand? I left in a rush last month and never picked up the new one when I was at your compound.”

“En.”

After he hangs up Kuang Bo calls Scorpion to find out about the gunman.and there is no answer. What is going on? He should have called by now.  Kuang Bo decides to shower and return to the hospital. When he is putting on fresh clothes his phone rings, he wipes the water dripping down from his hair onto his face then picks up the phone. Private caller, hmm..he answers, “Speak.”

The caller has a slight German accent as he speaks in fluent Chinese, “Xinghi said to contact you concerning Subject 456’s hospitalization.”

“ Where are you now?”

Dr. Lumbert lies, “I am outside the city on my way to the Blessed Spirit Hospital to examine 456 and contain the situation.” He wants time to process the best course of action. He was surprised when he heard she was in the hospital, he thought she was staying at Nikolai’s villa.

“What the fuck do you mean contain the situation?”

“I mean give 456 an injection and monitor until Xinghi arrives tomorrow. He said to have you meet me at the hospital to facilitate matters.” He shakes his head, I don’t know what Xinghi is thinking.Once I inject 456 with the newly developed Phoenix Breath Serum, 456’s body will immediately attempt to repair damage at the cellular level. The results will be too shocking and cause too many questions to arise.  We can’t lose 456 she is our most successful test subject. The woman needs to be immediately transferred to my personal lab, I will deal with Xinghi when he arrives in Milan tomorrow.

Kuang Bo doesn’t like Dr. Lumberts attitude treating Daiyu as a test subject..a number..not a person. He sounds annoyed,“Stop calling her 456, she has a name Qin Daiyu.”

Dr. Lumbert responds in an emotionless voice,“I wasn’t aware of her name. We are wasting time how long before you can be at the hospital?”

“The doctor in charge wouldn’t let Qiao Rui examine her, I doubt they will let you without some form of documentation. I need to forge some documents for you. I can meet you there in an hour and a half. Send me your picture.”

Dr. Lumbert’s home and lab is actually only a short distance away from Blessed Spirit Hospital; he changes his plan after hearing the undisguised worry and affection in Kuang Bo’s voice. He goes into his study and opens a safe removing the vial of blue liquid, the Phoenix Breath Serum from inside. He also takes out a case that contains a face mask to disguise his identity. The mask will give him a nondescript appearance, the look of a man who would blend into a crowd unnoticed. If Kuang Bo should arrive before I can transfer 456 he won’t recognize me. He has a moment of guilt thinking about his partner in the project, Xinghi you are forcing me to do this to save our project. I told you at the time 456 was never my first choice. She was too innocent and young, involved in a complicated relationship with the Kuang brothers. The gentic enhancement procedure should have been performed on a woman with more sinister qualities . Someone who would become the ultimate assassin.

I can tell by Kuang Bo’s affectionate tone when talking about the girl he won’t let me take 456 if he thinks it might endanger her life. He always doted on the girl never letting her take a kill shot. Most likely he would alert Xinghi also. I should have enough time before he arrives to take her from the hospital. It is for the good of the project and 456 won’t suffer any harm,Xinghi will understand.. I can’t waste five years of research if 456 dies. He has ignored my concerns when I told him we should isolate her at the compound until 458 and 459  genetic enhancement results were confirmed.

When they arrive at Blessed Spirit Hospital he instructs his driver, “Wait for me at the end of the turnaround in front of the Emergency Room. When you see me exit with a woman in a wheelchair drive to the entrance.”

He steps out of the van that is equipped like an ambulance dressed as a nurse. When he notices a male nurse leaving he bumps up against him removing his badge from his jacket. The male nurse pushes him, “Watch where the hell you are going!”

Dr. Lumbert replies with his head lowered, “Sorry..sorry I am late.”

“Shit!” The male nurse smirks at his timid behavior as he walks away, “What a p***y.”

Once inside Dr. Lumbert sees a wheelchair in the corner by a bed not in use. He walks over then wheels it to the elevator. Looking at his watch, I have enough time.

In LiMei’s hospital room LiMei slowly opens her eyes halfway, her mind is foggy and there is a sharp pain above her right ear. She can’t move her right arm from her shoulder injury and groans as she reaches her left hand up. Lightly touching the gauze wrapped around her head she can’t remember what happened, the more she tries to concentrate the excrutiating pain worsens. Her green eyes have a layer of haze over them but she can see a nurse who appears to be sleeping in a chair by the door, and the blur of a tall thin man as he approaches the bed. LiMei can’t keep her eyes open, and her whole body hurts. After she closes her eyes she feels the sting of a needle as Dr. Lumbert injects her with the Phoenix Breath Serum. As soon as he finishes and before he can put her in the wheelchair he brought to the room Dr. Silva and Rui enter. Dr Silva sees him by the bed, “Who are you?”

“I was sent to change the patient’s IV bag. Nurse Barro wasn’t feeling well.” He noticed her name tag when he knocked her out. 

“Leave, take Nurse Barro with you,have Dr. Knight examine her. I will monitor the patient.”

Dr. Lumbert has no choice but to put Nurse Rossi on the wheelchair then leave the room. Cursing at the timing of the intrusion he mutters, ” Fucking hell! A few more minutes and would have been gone with 456.” He shoves the wheelchair with Nurse Rossi into the empty elevator then takes the stairs. Before he reaches the bottom of the stairwell he calls Kuang Bo, “Where are you?” The Phoenix Breath Serum will begin to work in two hours that still gives me time to take 456 out of this hospital before anyone can detect the unusual changes in her condition.