It's a March!

Chapter 2: Hospital

Welt's first instinct was to call Dan Heng. He was the last person who had seen her – Someone who might be able to shed some light on the unknowns. Also, to make sure he was all right. At worst, he might have been a victim too. Which only worried him more.

The person at the other end of the line did not give him too many details – Just that she was in good hands and the current operation would take between 5 and 7 hours. Once he arrived at the hospital, the emergency team would tell him the rest.

One beep. Two beeps. On the third, Dan Heng hung up. Welt stared at the screen breathlessly, his pulse racing, and opened his chat by inertia. His hands were shaking so badly, he didn't know if he could type.

[Dan Heng is typing] ···

Dan Heng: I'm in class. Did something happen?

He felt a brief sense of relief as he read it. Nothing had happened to him. He typed awkwardly until he found the right words in the autocorrect.

Welt: Call me now. Emergency. March.

Dan Heng called immediately. Welt pressed the green button and briefly calmed his breathing, but to no avail. He listened as his son-in-law walked down a flight of stairs, possibly to get out of class.

"Has something happened to March?" He heard him mutter.

"I got a call from the Astral Hospital, March got hit by a car. They're operating her now and..."

"What?!" There was a murmur and a quickening of pace. "I'll grab the motorcycle and go. I'll tell Stelle and take her with me."

His negative thoughts turned to that idea. Dan Heng, riding that killing machine in such less-than-optimal conditions. Taking Stelle with him... No way. Welt shouldn't use the car, either.

"No. I'll call two taxis and have them pick us three up. I'll pay for them. Neither of us has our heads in the right place now. By the way, was March..."

"Not with me. I left March at class this morning and haven't seen her since. Fuck, fuck! I'll call Stelle, and we'll talk now. Let us know when the taxi is here."

Dan Heng hung up, and Welt returned to reality briefly. He looked at the wall and put his hand to his chest. Even with his glasses on, his vision was blurry as hell.

Calming himself was a challenge. Lungs clenched. Stomach even more. It was the first time anything so serious had happened to March. She had always been healthy. The visits to A&E were mostly because of her clumsiness. But hospitalized? Never.

Welt managed to call both taxis and notify his bosses. But Welt didn't feel like he was part of his body. His mind was somewhere else, twenty years ago – In that grim phone call that would be etched in his memory forever.

"We inform you Mr. Otto Apocalypse has passed away."