Infamous Shifter's Genesis

Chapter 32

As she approached the clinic, the usual buzz of the makeshift hospital filled the air—cries of pain, hurried footsteps, and the hum of their limited medical equipment. She pushed open the door and stepped inside, immediately greeted by one of the nurse volunteers.

"Everything okay, Dr. Dailey?" the nurse asked, her eyes showing signs of exhaustion.

"Yes," Trish replied, putting on a reassuring smile. "Just handling a few personal matters. How's Cole doing?"

"Resting, as usual, though I don't know how long we'll be able to keep him still," the nurse said with a soft chuckle.

Trish chuckled before asking, "What about the young man I brought? Is he awake yet?"

"No, he's still asleep. Although he's perfectly fine he still hasn't woken up." answered the nurse

Trish nodded, "Okay, I'll head up to check on Cole. Can you get ready a bed we'll have a new patient soon."

Trish made her way down the narrow hallway, her thoughts heavy as she passed by the makeshift curtains sectioning off each patient. Elio's situation was puzzling. Even though the mind control and drugs should have cleared from his system, he remained in a deep, unnatural sleep. She had considered pushing his body into a state of heightened stress or danger to force him awake, but that was risky. There were limits to what she could do without endangering him further.

As she entered Elio's room, the young man lay still on the bed, his face calm, almost too peaceful given what he'd been through. She stood by his bedside for a moment, observing the steady rise and fall of his chest. What are you waiting for, Elio? she wondered silently.

But for now, Elio would have to wait. There were other urgent matters demanding her attention. She left his room quietly and headed toward the section where Cole was being kept.

Cole was lying on the bed, fidgeting restlessly, his hands twitching every now and then with sparks of electricity. The machines around him flickered erratically, struggling to stay functional due to the surges of power his body was releasing.

"Hey, Cole," Trish greeted softly, leaning against the doorway.

He turned his head toward her, a lopsided grin spreading across his face. "I'm starting to feel like a human battery, Trish. Can't stay still, and I keep frying everything I touch."

Trish gave him a sympathetic smile as she approached the bed. "You're going to figure this out, Cole. You're already close."

Cole shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Yeah, but what if I can't control it? What if I end up burning down or even blowing up this whole clinic? There's just too much energy in my body."

As Trish approached Cole's bedside, she glanced around the room, noticing the frayed cord on one of the machines Cole had previously fried. It seemed the nurse had forgotten to unplug it. A plan began to form in her mind, one that would force Cole to tap into his abilities without even realizing it. She needed to be subtle, though.

Trish moved closer, her eyes glinting with a hint of mischief. "Really, I think I might have a few ways to help you release all that energy," she said, slipping a hand behind her back. She had adopted this flirty demeanor around him over the past few days. It was a method to ease his tension, even if only a little.

While Cole was distracted by her flirty act, she subtly shifted her thumb into a thin, black blade—one of the many new tricks she had picked up from Damian. With a flick of her wrist, she quickly and discreetly nicked the exposed cord connected to the nearby machine. The moment the blade made contact, a small spark of electricity jolted through her, and she let out a slight, exaggerated yelp, jerking her hand.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, shaking her hand as if in pain.

Cole's eyes immediately widened with concern. "Trish, are you okay?"

Without hesitation, Cole reached for the cord to keep it from sparking. The moment his fingers wrapped around it, a stream of blue electricity surged through him. His body stiffened for a second, then relaxed as the energy flowed into him, visibly healing his bruises and burns. The rapid transformation was undeniable—his skin cleared, the marks fading as though they had never been there.

Trish watched with satisfaction as Cole unknowingly absorbed the power. His eyes widened in realization, his body humming with energy.

"I—I feel... better," Cole stammered, looking down at his now unblemished skin. "What just happened?"

Trish faked a look of shock, her tone seemingly full of worry. "Looks like you've got more control than you thought. That was pure instinct, Cole. You healed yourself without even realizing it."

Cole blinked, still processing the surge of energy that had flowed into him. "I didn't even think about it... my body... it just reacted."

"Looks like it," Trish said, "It seems like your body already knows what it can do. We just need to spend some time figuring out what those things are, Cole."

Cole's brows furrowed as he tried to wrap his mind around everything. "But what if it doesn't work next time? What if I can't control it, Trish? What if I end up hurting someone?"

Trish gave him a reassuring look. "That's why we're taking this step by step. You're not going to hurt anyone, Cole that's not who you are. You've already shown that your body knows how to protect itself, even when your mind doesn't. We'll figure it out together."

Cole finally nodded, though his anxiety was still clear in the lines of his face. "Okay," he said quietly. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too," Trish replied with a smile. "Now, lie back and rest for a bit. I'll come back in a little while to run a few tests, just to make sure everything's fine. I need to know you're really okay."

She gave him a wink before stepping out of the room, leaving Cole to process what had just happened. As she closed the door behind her, Trish let out a small sigh of relief. Cole was progressing, but she knew it was nowhere near enough—she'd have to get Zeke to push him after the test and tomorrow. He had to be ready to face Sasha, her Reapers, and more importantly Kessler.