A Surprise Guest III

Early the next day, Carolyn dressed casually by wearing a blouse and a pair of pants, both of which she didn't mind getting dirty. She planned to check in at work, but based on her talk with Rome the previous day, she didn't think she would have to spend long there, so she chose her attire mainly to head to the slums afterwards. She would still stand out from the ordinary slums residents, but not more than someone else from the city. Hoping that the outfit would help her attract less attention, Carolyn opened the door and found a surprise waiting for her.

"Hi. It's been a while, Carol."

"Ah, Ms. Lavender. Indeed, it has. I'm glad to see you doing well."

"Thank you. You can be less formal with me. I just want to know if you have time for a quick chat."

"Um, I guess so."

"Good. Let's talk inside."

While Carolyn was still unclear about her motives, Lavender slipped past her and entered her room. Carolyn remembered the advice Mila gave her, so she wasn't sure about having Lavender inside, but she didn't have a strong reason to make her leave, so she let it go.

After looking curiously at the plain room, Lavender sat down on Carolyn's bed. Unlike last time, Lavender was wearing a short skirt with heels and a plain blouse with an open collar. If she was walking down a street, her sensual appearance could easily attract attention, so getting a close look as she sat down with her legs crossed was enough to make a fellow woman like Carolyn feel somewhat flustered.

"It seems you haven't added your touch to this room yet. Are you planning on leaving soon?"

"I haven't really thought about decorating yet, that's all."

"I see. I would love to catch up with you, but time is too precious to waste right now. You see Carol, something very~ dangerous has made it into the city, and I need your help in stopping it before Vernum City turns into ruin."

It was so unexpected that Carolyn couldn't tell if Lavender was serious or not, but when she looked into her eyes, she almost lost herself within them. Those eyes were like alluring maelstroms that would pull her in and strip Carolyn of her reason, making her into an obedient doll. When she shook her head and checked again, the ominous feeling she had was gone, but she could tell that Lavender was resolute.

'I don't know what that was, but she's definitely serious about this.'

"Before I answer you, there's something I need to know. Why are you trying so hard to protect the city?"

"Oh? Well, if I had to say, I don't really care much about the city itself, but there are people here who are precious to me."

"I see. In that case, I'm willing to do all that I can."

"Really? Just like that? You won't even ask for more details?"

"I don't know what you're wary of, but if you can protect your loved ones by stopping it, then I want to help you too. Also, I might be new here, but isn't it the duty of a citizen to do their best for the city?"

"Hehe, I don't think you qualify as an official citizen, but very well. My, you really are such a good girl, Carol."

Lavender had considered many responses that Carolyn might have to her request, but she never imagined that she would agree so readily without threats or treats. Even though she didn't plan on getting Carolyn involved in any violence, she had clearly hinted at the danger involved, yet Carolyn only asked about her intentions. She found it suspicious to be honest. Maybe calling her a flowerhead was too much, but she certainly seemed like a greenhouse girl.

"I'm just doing my part."

"Well then, as a reward for your enthusiasm, I'll share more of the details with you. Do you remember that drunk that bothered you and Lil' Mimi two nights ago?"

"I do. Does he have something to do with this?"

"That's right. You see, the reason that drunk was so aggressive was because he was taking a certain drug. That drug is mostly harmless when used as a painkiller, but if you drink alcohol while taking it, then you end up with a range of side-effects including sudden mood shifts. That alone, honestly wouldn't be much of an issue, but this drug has a particular effect on people who become addicted to it. Do you want to guess what that is?"

As someone who studied medicine, Carolyn knew that there were many drugs that could be useful but produced unwanted side effects if taken incorrectly. Based on the effects that Lavender told her, she could come up with a list of prescriptions that might fit, but it was hard to pinpoint which one, or if any of them were correct. Still, based on where the conversation was headed, she could guess what troublesome effect this drug had.

"Either suicidal thoughts caused by depression, or death."

"Wow! You got it right. There shouldn't be many of them, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few deaths have occurred by now."

"But isn't a doctor's prescription required for a drug like that?"

"Normally you'd be right, but drugs like this always have a way of making it into the hands of people with enough money. Besides, is it strange for a doctor to have the drugs he prescribes?"

Lavender's last line was sourced from a rumour, so she didn't know how credible it was, but it caused a reaction in Carolyn.

"A doctor, prescribing painkiller drugs?"

From how quickly her face went pale, Lavender knew that Carolyn had realized something related to their conversation, so she didn't stop her when she bolted out of the room.

Once the hints that Lavender gave came together like puzzle pieces in Carolyn's mind, she immediately suspected Dr. Henry. He had seemed like a kind doctor, but there seemed to be something off about him as a person. Even Teri, who Carolyn admired, didn't look at his patients with so much compassion and was more like an unbiased parent who praised them for following his instructions and scolded them otherwise. However, Dr. Henry gave her the feeling that he would spoil his patients as much as he could. Additionally, when she looked at his face, she got the feeling that something was off about it. As if it was unnatural in a way.

She hadn't thought much of these suspicions and had she met him anywhere else, then it wouldn't have mattered at all. But his clinic was in the slums district, and as biased as it sounded, that was enough reason for Carolyn to suspect that the 'medicine' he gave them wasn't safe.

"Carol?"

Carolyn ran past Kanna, who had come in for work without a single look back. She promised in her mind to apologize when she returned, but she didn't want to stop for even a moment. Ignoring the people who exclaimed while watching her slip through the crowd and used buildings and other structures as platforms, Carolyn soon arrived at the slums. Usually she had to be vigilant while travelling through here, but this time she went on the offensive.

Carolyn's charge naturally caught the attention of the slums' residents, and some of them tried to obstruct her path, but their efforts were futile. As disorganized and chaotic as the slums were, one thing Carolyn felt very grateful for at this time for was the large selection of alleys and paths that she could use to get to the church. By kicking off the walls of the alleys, she could jump over any obstacles or simply run on the roofs of buildings. If she kept going at that pace, she believed she could reach the church without trouble, but she didn't want to bring the commotion with her, so she shook her pursuers off her tail before reaching there. She was annoyed that she had to waste so much time on a detour, but she knew she couldn't cause trouble for the children and Benedict.

Once Carolyn had sight of the church, she speed-walked her way past the children and entered it. Most of the children inside were still asleep, so she tried her best to be quiet to avoid waking them, but still quickly found Derrick and Lety. Gently enough not to rouse them from slumber, Carolyn checked their pulses and temperatures. Derrick was mostly fine while Lety was still warm, but Carolyn couldn't feel relief just yet. Based on her knowledge, if the medicine Henry gave her was really the drug Lavender spoke about, then she wouldn't be able to find early signs of its use easily.

"Good morning, Ms. Carol. I see you came here first thing in the morning."

"!"

She didn't know when he had stepped into the room, but Carolyn suddenly heard Benedict speak softly behind her. It was unnerving, however, she was glad for his presence.