Leo had been sprinting towards the hospital for a while now.
The unease and anxiousness within him made his Somnia unstable and hard to control, so he didn't bother with Channeling.
Even if he could, it would be a waste since he was already several times faster than the Cryptid's slow walking speed.
Eventually, he had caught sight of Caspian.
Caspian caught sight of him moments after and ran towards him.
"Leo! Are you okay? Where is Desmond?"
Leo turned back. His eyes widened as he failed to spot the doll.
"What… I thought it…"
Just then, his chest sunk into the ground.
The boy was successful in averting the Cryptid's path.
"He… He distracted it so I could evacuate the patients from the hospital!"
Caspian stood there in horrified silence for a few moments.
"Leo, we're already moving them. They're actively being transferred to the hospital in Section Two."
His expression contorted.
"You didn't leave him there, did you…?"
Leo grew quiet.
An unreadable expression on his face.
Caspian spoke again.
"You were at least searching for survivors in the rubble on your way here, right?!"
Leo couldn't speak. He just shook his head subtly.
"No… I… I was focused on the…"
Caspian barked over him,
"No! You weren't focused on the damn hospital! You were focused on Maria, weren't you?! You let people die!"
Leo's uneven breaths had begun to hasten. His expression darkened.
Suddenly, he gripped Caspian by the neck. His eyes widened as his arms shot to Leo's forearm, trying to pry him off with great struggle.
"And what's wrong with that? Why am I prosecuted for having a priority?! She's my daughter and I'm not choosing some strangers over her!"
Caspian had been lifted from the ground by a few inches.
His eyes turned from frustration to solemn understanding.
"Let go of me, you idiot…!"
With a shaky breath, Leo let him go. Caspian stumbled back a few steps as he felt his neck with a hand.
"Caspian, I didn't…"
He put his hand up.
"No, it's… It's okay. I'm glad you're sure of your answer for once. We'll search for Desmond when this is all over, alright?"
Leo thought for a moment. He didn't personally see Desmond die, so for all he knew he could still be out there.
Perhaps crawling down one of the allies after redirecting the Cryptid.
"Come on, we have to help with the evacuation," Leo spoke as he passed Caspian and began running again.
A moment later, Caspian caught up to join him.
Upon arriving at the hospital, they saw countless Reveurs and able-bodied men helping with the transfer of patients.
Leo quickly dove into the crowd, forcing his way through.
He dodged patients in wheelchairs to get to Maria's room.
Entering, he saw two nurses wrapping up wires and tubes, readying for her sudden transfer.
Maria whipped her head to see Leo.
"Dad? What's going on?" She spoke in a fearful voice.
Without her usual guard up, her natural voice sounded much more childlike.
He rushed over to her side, taking her hand in a tight grip.
"Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm here. We're just going to move you somewhere else, okay?"
Between ragged breaths and fearful trembles, she nodded with hesitance.
He turned to the nurses.
"Am I okay to take her now?"
One looked back to him and quickly nodded.
"Just be careful with her!"
He returned the nod and lifted her from the bed.
She was still wearing the shirt he left with her. It had clearly been recently cleaned.
From the looks of the wrinkles, she probably tried to keep it on as much as possible.
Lifting her from the bed, he carried her out of the room and past the crowds.
She had her arms wrapped around his neck with her head down, long hair shielding her view from the surrounding chaos.
He leaned his head slightly, speaking straight into her ear.
"We're going to the hospital in Section Two. The Cryptid's trajectory isn't leading there."
Her eyes widened as she looked up, her face emerging from the unruly hair.
"Cryptid?! There's a Cryptid attacking?!"
Her breaths grew ragged and inconsistent as she began to cry.
Trying to maintain composure in front of his terrified daughter, Leo swallowed and straightened himself.
"Yes, but it's okay now. It can't get you."
After some running, they reached the Southern wall.
She looked up to see the enormous gate separating the two sections.
Caspian was already there, trying to maintain the crowd of panicked people.
Leo basically bulldozed through this crowd with Maria.
"Caspian! Are the tunnels available?"
He noticed him and nodded.
Quickly, Leo entered the small Reveur office and went downstairs.
Maria was silent while he carried her through the underground tunnels.
"What about all those people…?"
Leo didn't respond to this. The answer was clear.
She came before them in his eyes. Little to no doubt or hesitation in this choice.
Finally, they emerged from the other side.
The streets here were desolate compared to the chaos behind them.
Most were likely hiding inside.
All that remained outside was the occasional group of men talking about the disaster in Section Three.
Valentino had caught a glimpse of Leo and ran up to him.
"Leo! Did you get Maria?"
As he got closer, he realized the figure in his arms was her.
Leo gave a simple nod and continued on.
Valentino tagged along, trying to ask questions as he moved.
"What happened?! You were the closest to the point of contact. What do you recall? Where's Desmond?"
Leo clenched his jaw in frustration and annoyance.
Without turning, he yelled at him,
"Fuck off! I'll answer everything later!"
Valentino stopped following and gave a simple nod, realizing how frantic Leo was at that moment.
He continued jogging with Maria in her arms. He leaned down into her ear.
"I'm sorry you heard that. Don't listen to your dad."
She was too busy silently crying to respond.
Finally, the two had arrived at the secondary hospital. It was clearly underfunded, but it's all they had.
Abusing the authority of his position, he barked orders to the nurses rushing around.
"Find a vacant room and get my daughter settled!"
The hospital staff obeyed his demands and cleared a way to the most recently prepared room.
They had gotten word of the incident and the transfer of people, so they were forced to move hundreds of pre-existing patients out.
They took out their most expensive equipment and tried their best to prepare for the countless victims.
Laying Maria on the bed, Leo described her condition to the nurses and doctors in the room.
Soon enough, the proper equipment and vital surveillance were set up.
It was a similar, albeit rushed, setup to what she had at the previous hospital in Section Three.
The staff quickly left the room upon completion to tend to the new patients.
Leo sat down beside her with a deep exhale.
Maria was sitting up with a blank expression.
He turned to her, lending out his hand, which she took almost immediately.
A thumb brushed the top of her hand.
Thoughts of Desmond intruded his mind.
If he knew the hospital was being evacuated, he could have stayed and supported him.
Now, all Leo could do is hope that he made it out.
` I'm so sorry, Dessy... `