Chapter 454
Two bodyguards blocked Benjamin's path, but they caught a whiff of something seriously nasty.
"Sorry, no one's leaving this hospital right now," one of them said, all serious.
Benjamin, decked out in protective gear, looked super stressed. "Move it, I've got something really important to do."
"Doesn't matter how important it is, you can't leave," the other bodyguard said, ice-cold.
"Where the hell are you guys from? This is a hospital! The person I'm pushing is a walking biohazard! I need to get this body to the incinerator, like, now," Benjamin said, trying to push the stretcher forward.
The bodyguards blocked him again.
"Get out of my way, don't stop me," Benjamin shouted, getting pissed and trying to shove past them.
The bodyguards, eyeing Benjamin's protective gear, seemed to catch on just as the blanket on the stretcher slipped off.
There were some onlookers-patients and their families-around. But when they saw the body on the stretcher, they freaked out and started screaming.
"What kind of disease is that? It smells awful."
"Damn, that face is terrifying. Is it some serious virus?"
"Oh my god, I can smell it. Am I infected too? Will I turn into a zombie?"
"Mom, I'm scared!"
Michael, lying on the stretcher, was unrecognizable. His skin was a creepy grayish-white with nasty red patches, dots, and bruises.
The stench coming off Michael was so bad, even the bodyguards looked like they wanted to bolt.
"What the hell have you guys done?" Benjamin grabbed the blanket from the ground, covering Michael's body again.
"This guy caught HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and a bunch of other nasty diseases from sleeping with 50 prostitutes. He's a walking infection. Do you want to catch this stuff? And lose your junk?" Benjamin yelled, furious.
The men around backed off, covering their groins with both hands.
Under the blanket, Michael felt like jumping up and strangling Benjamin.
The bodyguards instinctively tightened their legs and pinched their noses.
"Damn, we've already smelled it. Are we infected?" one bodyguard asked, worried, looking at Benjamin.
Benjamin waved his hand. "Just from smelling it, you need some fresh air. But if you touch him, you're screwed!"
Benjamin checked the time and shouted, "Get out of the way! This virus has a high mortality rate. Do you want everyone in this hospital to die because of this guy?"
The patients' families around them screamed.
"Which department are you two idiots from? I'm going to report you."
"What right do you have to stop a doctor? Do you know more than him?"
"Get out of here, idiots, we don't want to die." The bystanders yelled angrily at the bodyguards.
The two bodyguards were freaked out, not just about catching this deadly bug, but also worried Mason might get infected.
"Enough, get out of here. Get this guy to the incinerator, now. I don't want to see him another second," one of the guards finally said, waving Benjamin off with a look of disgust.
Not wasting any time, Benjamin hurriedly pushed the stretcher towards a nearby ambulance.
In no time, Benjamin and a few of his men lifted the stretcher into the ambulance and hopped in.
The siren blared as the ambulance sped away from the hospital.
After it left, the two bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances.
"Should we tell Mr. Williams about this?" one of them asked.
The other nodded. "Yeah, but should we wash our hands first? I feel like we might infect him with something."
After a moment of hesitation, they decided to make the call, figuring electronic signals couldn't spread germs.
Guided by Isabella, Mason finally reached Michael's ward.
But Michael wasn't in the bed.
"Weird, where'd he go?" Isabella looked puzzled at the empty bed and pulled out her phone to call Michael.
Mason touched the bed, feeling its warmth. "He must've just left. Didn't you say he was too hurt to get up?"
Isabella started to worry. Michael's acting was so good, she even wondered if he might've been kidnapped.
Meanwhile, Michael was playing dead and didn't answer Isabella's calls.
After several tries, Isabella decided to call Benjamin, but his phone was also unreachable. She began to panic.
"Is there trouble? If you need help, I'll send someone to find him," Mason said seriously, looking at Isabella.
Just as Isabella was about to ask for Mason's help, her phone rang. It was Michael.
She answered immediately.
"Darling, where are you? Why aren't you in the ward?" Isabella asked, anxious.
In the ambulance, Michael held his nose while making the call. His clothes reeked, and holding his nose also changed his voice.
"Sorry, babe, I had some urgent stuff at the office. Plus, I'm almost better. I can walk now. I pretended to be weak so you'd take care of me a bit longer. I'm sorry for being selfish," Michael admitted.
Isabella sighed in relief. At least he wasn't kidnapped.
"Why does your voice sound weird?" Isabella asked, confused.
Michael, still holding his nose, replied, "I took a cab. The driver must've just eaten canned sardines; his breath is awful. I'm holding my nose while talking to you."