Missing Zodiac

Chapter 5

"Seriously, he has to be dead this time," said a familiar girlish voice. 

"Millie, for the hundredth time, he's not dead," 

Victor's heart skipped a beat at the sound of Millie's voice. He could almost hear the annoyance in Camden's voice. His head was still foggy, and his body felt weak, but his curiosity got the best of him. What's going on now?

Victor's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, all he could see was the blurred ceiling above him. The coldness beneath him made him shiver involuntarily, and he blinked, trying to clear the fog in his head. Why am I on the floor? He slowly lifted his head, glancing around. His vision was still fuzzy, but the sterile, unfamiliar environment began to come into focus. The coldness under his back wasn't the tile of a bathroom floor as he had briefly imagined—it was smooth, polished stone. He shifted his legs, trying to push himself up, but his body felt like it had turned to lead.

"He was unresponsive!" Millie yelled defensively. 

"Just because he was unresponsive, doesn't mean he's dead," 

Victor groaned softly, feeling the weight of his body pressing against the cold stone floor. His muscles screamed in protest as he tried to push himself up, but the effort was too much. He fell back onto the floor, his head spinning.

Slowly, cautiously, Victor lifted his head again, forcing his eyelids to stay open. His surroundings started to come into view—cold, smooth stone walls, dim lighting, and books? Was I in a library? He thought to himself. 

As he tried to lift himself again, his body groaned in protest, the aches and pains making every movement feel like a monumental task. His limbs were stiff, his muscles sore from the venom that had taken him out of commission. But despite the exhaustion that clung to him like a heavyweight, his curiosity pushed him forward.

"Millie?" he called out weakly, his voice hoarse. His eyes scanned the room, but it wasn't until he heard the sound of footsteps approaching that he realized they had been watching him, waiting for him to wake up.

Millie appeared in his line of sight, her figure emerging from the shadows near one of the bookshelves, relief written across her face. 

"Victor!" Millie exclaimed, dropping to her knees beside him. Her expression was a mixture of relief and worry, her usual playful demeanor replaced by genuine concern. 

"You're awake. You scared the hell out of us!"

"Her," Camden muttered from somewhere behind her, his tone dry. 

"You scared the hell out of her," 

Millie shot him a glare over her shoulder before turning her attention back to Victor. "Ignore him," she said quickly. 

"How are you feeling? Can you move? Does anything hurt?"

Victor groaned, his voice raspy as he tried to speak. 

"I feel like... I got hit by an eighteen-wheeler," he muttered, his words sluggish.

"That's a good sign," Camden quipped, stepping closer with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Shows that the medicine is working," 

"Why did you leave the infirmary? You know you're not strong enough to leave!" Millie scolded. 

Victor winced at her tone, rubbing his temple as he tried to shake off the lingering fog in his head. 

"I didn't mean to... leave," he managed, his voice barely above a whisper.