SCRATCH

Part 3 - Act 1

Sporting neon green crocs, which squeaked against the shiny, gray linoleum, accompanied by the slightly off-key humming of some improvised melody, Chester rounded the corner of the hallway, artificial lights glowing softly above him as he made his way to the cafeteria. Ahead of him, he spotted a trio of nurses chatting animatedly at the Gynecology and Obstetrics desk. He smirked and shook his head, knowing full well he was encountering the perfect opportunity for gossip. How could I resist? He thought. Striding up to the desk with a toothy smile, exuding confidence, he approached the desk, giving a little twirl before resting his elbows on the desk.

"Hello, ladies," he crooned, drumming his fingers on his protruding cheekbones. "What, pray-tell, is all the excited chatter about?" He flashed another smile and winked when he noticed the younger nurse sitting at the desk blushed in response, her cheeks now matching her hair.

"Some drama down at Fell's Point," she replied breathlessly with a hint of a southern drawl. The elder nurse standing behind her swatted her with the papers she was holding.

"Don't encourage him, Elsbeth," she chided, folding her arms. "Residents should gossip amongst themselves." Chester stepped back, feigning offense. He grasped at his chest and let his jaw drop.

"Now, Larissa," he said, "I thought we were friends. And you know your chit-chat is much better quality than that of the residents. Bless them." He batted his eyelids and pouted. "Please? Indulge me?" Nurse Larissa rolled her eyes, immune to his charms, and turned back to the filing cabinet behind her, returning the paperwork she was holding to a slot within.

"There was an incident at the Pratt Power Plant," a voice sounded next to him and he turned to face the nurse who had been standing in front of the desk before he arrived. Chester recognized her, having seen her around the campus before, but wasn't acquainted. So, he quickly glanced down at her name tag as subtly as he could, and made of note of it - Annabelle.

"What kind of incident?" He asked.

"One involving 'enhanced or gifted individuals' the cops said," Annabelle leaned on the desk, taking a sip of coffee. "Meaning it is some kind of super-powered freak making a lot of mess on the waterfront." She pulled out her phone and unlocked it. A moment of scrolling later, she handed Chester the phone, a live news broadcast displaying a chaotic scene with damaged buildings and excited bystanders. The chyron read "Power Plant Live in disarray - police suspect enhanced human involvement."

"Woah!" Chester exclaimed. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Surprisingly, not many. ICU had a small handful of in-patients, mostly minor stuff."

"Except one!" Elsbeth piped up, wriggling in her chair slightly. Chester raised an eyebrow. "The word is they crossed paths with who or whatever was tearing up the plant and were sent flying from the building out into the bay."

"Holy hell!" Chester leaned in closer towards her. "Any idea who it is?" He whispered almost deviously. The young lady raised a finger to her computer screen and was about to speak when, this time, Larissa whacked Chester on the head with a new set of paperwork.

"Young man, that is none of your business," she scolded him, glaring from behind a pair of half-moon glasses. "Besides, the hospital is being tight-lipped about it. The press were sticking their noses in it earlier and we had to move her to another ward." Chester flinched, raising his arms to cover his head.

"So it's a her? Hmm," Chester smirked, lowering his guard. The older woman glowered at him, unimpressed, and took another swipe, clipping him on the head again. "Oh come now," he whined, rubbing his head exaggeratedly. He stepped around the desk, side-eying the veteran nurse before leaning over the younger nurse's shoulder. "It's not like it's going to be anyone I'd know. What are the chances of that?" He scoffed and set his sights on the monitor. His swagger dissolved and his eyes widened once he spotted the name of the mystery patient glowing on the computer screen.