Secrets, Warnings, and the Captain's Wife
The hospital quieted in the late afternoon, but Jack Dawkins never slowed.
His coat hung loosely off his shoulders, his mind sharpening as the glow of Transparent World faded.
Belle was completing her rounds, full of new confidence after assisting Jack.
Doctors whispered about her—
"Fox is improving."
"Training under Dawkins did that?"
But the peace didn't last.
Because trouble always walked through the door.
And today, trouble had a name:
Peggy Gaines.
Peggy Arrives
She entered the hospital with an exaggerated sway to her hips, a flattering dress that did nothing to hide her bruised wrist, and a false smile pasted across her face.
Belle's eyes narrowed immediately.
Hetty muttered beside Jack,
"Oh no. Not her."
Jack didn't even bother pretending surprise.
Captain Gaines's wife was infamous—
For seduction, scandal, and secrets with more men than anyone could count.
Darius among them.
She fluttered toward Jack like a moth to fire.
"Doctor Dawkins," she purred, "I require your… delicate touch."
Belle nearly gagged.
Hetty rolled her eyes.
Jack didn't flinch.
"What happened to the wrist?" he asked flatly.
Peggy gasped theatrically.
"Oh, I slipped. So clumsy of me."
Belle's eyes shot toward Jack—
It was the exact same excuse multiple women gave when their husbands beat them.
But Jack saw something else:
The bruising pattern.
The force.
The direction.
It wasn't Captain Gaines.
It was Darius.
And that gave Jack a perfect advantage.
He nodded for Peggy to follow him into a side room.
Belle and Hetty exchanged looks.
And then Belle noticed something—
Peggy kept glancing at a necklace.
The exact necklace she'd lost during the boy's surgery.
The one that Belle found on Jack's table before he hid it away.
Belle stiffened.
She didn't say anything, but her suspicion of Jack sharpened.
Inside the Treatment Room — The Trap Springs
Jack examined Peggy's wrist with cold, efficient hands.
She winced—
whether from pain or wanting his attention, he didn't care.
"You want it treated quietly," Jack said.
Not a question.
Peggy nodded.
"Yes. My husband… he cannot find out. You understand."
Belle and Hetty waited outside, trying (and failing) to hear through the door.
Jack wrapped the wrist carefully, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
He had a mission coming involving Captain Gaines.
And Peggy was the key.
So he spoke quietly:
"Your injury was caused by Darius."
Peggy froze.
"…How do you know that?"
"Because your husband strikes with the left hand. This bruise is right-handed. And Darius's ring leaves this shape."
Her breath hitched.
"And I imagine," Jack continued, "you don't want the Captain learning about your… extracurricular activities."
Peggy's eyes widened.
Jack finally looked up, golden eyes gleaming.
"Relax. I don't plan to expose you.
In fact, I want you to owe me a favor."
Peggy swallowed nervously.
"What kind of favor?"
"A simple one," Jack said.
"I need information about the Captain. His movements. His household. His secrets."
Peggy hesitated only a moment.
Then she nodded.
"I… can do that."
Jack smirked behind his mask.
Peggy had just become his pawn.
Outside — Belle Confronts Hetty
Belle paced the hallway, restless.
"Why does everyone look terrified of that woman?"
Hetty leaned against a wall, dropping her voice low.
"Peggy Gaines is poison. For men, women, marriages, reputations—you name it. And she's dangerous because she's connected."
Belle frowned.
"But Jack spoke to her so calmly. Like… he knew exactly what she was."
Hetty gave Belle a sharp look.
"Belle… you need to be careful with him."
Belle froze.
"What do you mean?"
Hetty's face softened but stayed serious.
"You think Jack is just reckless brilliance and fast hands. But he lives in a world you're not ready for. A world of criminals, secrets, revenge, and things worse than all that."
Belle swallowed.
Hetty continued:
"He keeps that world away from this hospital. Away from you. But you're getting close to him… too close. And if you get tangled in his shadows, you won't come out clean."
Belle looked at the treatment room door where Jack was speaking with Peggy.
"…He taught me more in one week than anyone ever has."
"Yes," Hetty said quietly.
"And that scares me too."
Belle hugged her arms tightly.
"But he's doing good. Saving people."
"That's the part that makes him dangerous," Hetty answered.
"That man will save anyone… and destroy anyone."
Belle felt something twist in her chest.
Was she getting too close?
Or not close enough?
Jack Exits — And Belle Knows
The door opened.
Peggy sauntered out, her expression smug, her wrist wrapped neatly.
She blew Belle a mocking kiss and flounced down the hall.
Jack stepped out behind her, pulling off his gloves.
Belle approached immediately.
"Did she pay you?"
Jack shook his head.
"No. But someday soon, she will."
Belle stared at him.
Something in his calm, almost amused expression clicked in her mind.
Peggy's missing necklace.
Her false innocence.
Jack's cool tone.
His uncanny intuition.
His skill.
His secrets.