Over The Fence

twenty two

Travis

"Sir."

"What?" I snapped, lifting my head to see Nicholas barging in as I stood talking to Henry. "I'm busy."

"It's your wife." He said, sounding breathless. "She's collapsed. I think she's been poisoned."

"What?" My eyes widened.

"I injected her with the basic antidote and called our doctors."

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"In the hospital."

Pushing past him, I ran down the hallway to the elevator and smashed my finger against the down button. My heart sped into overdrive as I waited, and then I rushed inside and hit the button for the hospital floor as soon as I could. It seemed to take an age to descend, but eventually I moved out onto the floor and looked around. 

"Mr Gray?" A doctor looked up.

"Where is my wife?" I demanded. The doctor glanced over her shoulder to a section of the room that was curtained off, and I immediately moved in that direction. Yanking the curtain aside, my breath clogged up my throat at the sight waiting for me.

Ali was strewn out on the bed, her white shirt covered in blood. Blood stained her lips, dribbling down her chin each time she coughed. Her eyes were reeling, not focusing as two doctors worked over her. She looked awful, and I felt a stabbing pain in my heart as I looked at her.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We think she's been injected with concentrated nitric acid." One doctor told me, not looking up. "But we got to her within two minutes of symptoms, so she has a chance."

"If she dies consider yourselves dead men walking." I threatened, gazing hopelessly down at my wife as she thrashed, blood bubbling over her lips. 

"Yes Mr Gray."

I knew nitric acid poisoning, especially if concentrated, was most likely fatal. Ali was throwing up blood, incoherent, whimpering in god-awful pain. She didn't look good. I knew the doctors could only do so much if she was too far gone, but I'd burn the fucking world if my wife died on this table. I didn't know who had poisoned her, but they wouldn't live to see the next sunrise once I got my hands on them.

Ali screamed and my heart shattered as her eyes fluttered closed and she fell still. No. The doctor's slapped a defib against her chest, calling out the marks as they powered up the device. My heart was in my throat as they hit her with a shock, and her chest heaved in response to the electricity, but she didn't move. They sent another shock through her. Nothing.

"Again." I demanded.

"Mr Gray, the risks..."

"I said again!" I yelled, so the doctor nodded and hit the button. Ali's body jolted, and then she coughed, more blood spilling over her lips as she started to breathe.

I let out a sigh of relief, feeling faint as the doctors rushed over her again. Her eyes didn't open, but she was alive.

I was urged out of the room so they could look over her, and I didn't push it. I felt like something would happen if I couldn't see her, but I took a step back and let the professionals do their job. Slumping down into a nearby chair, I took out my phone and texted Henry.

Me: Cancel everything on my schedule and my wife's schedule for today and tomorrow with the possibility of extending it further

Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I leaned forwards and put my head in my hands. Someone had poisoned Ali, but who? As I thought about it, I remembered the fleeting moment Clarissa had touched her. That was the only contact Ali had received. It had to be her. Taking out my phone again, I sent a group text to all of my staff that worked in the field