Eastwood General Hospital
10:13 a.m.

---

"NICO?!"

The moment Detective Briannova Carlos bursted through the hospital room's door (despite several nurses' attempts to stop her), inaasahan na niya ang worst case scenario. In fact, buong biyahe niyang ini-imagine ang kanyang partner na nakaratay sa hospital bed at may kung anu-anong aparatong nakakabit sa kanya.

Hindi ito ang unang beses na makakatagpo siya ng ganoong eksena, but this is the almighty Detective Nicodemus Yukishito we're talking about.

'At alam kong hindi matutuwang makipaglaro ng bato-bato-pik si Nico kay Kamatayan. That airheaded emo would rather chase down killers than waste his time dying,' she thought in bitter amusement.

That didn't make her any less worried, though.

"Nico, subukan mo lang talagang mamatay, I'm going to shove your sorry ass up---"

Napahinto sa kanyang kinatatayuan ang dalaga nang tuluyan nang makita ang kanyang partner. Nico's neutral expression rivaled the warmth in his deep brown orbs when he saw her distressed look. Noon lang napansin ni Nova ang pamilyar na nurse na nasa tabi nito. Min smiled at her in acknowledgement.

'Mukhang okay naman na pala.'

Nova sighed in relief, knowing the worst is already over.

"You were saying, Miss Carlos?"

"Wala. Just glad to know I don't need to buy you flowers for your funeral. Sayang pera."

"Mukha kang stressed. Dahil ba sa trabaho o sa pag-aalala mo sa'kin?"

Napasimangot si Nova at inis na inayos ang kanyang nagulong buhok. 'Damn, halata kayang nagmadali akong magpunta rito?' Not minding his questioning gaze, she waltz up to his side and stared down at him. Sa unang tingin, aakalain mong walang mali sa kanya at prenteng nakahiga lang sa kama.

Pero sa sandaling panahong magkasama sila sa mga kaso, Nova could easily pick out the pale face and irregular breathing. Hindi nakaligtas sa mga mata niya ang ventilator sa gilid at ang mahihinang tunog ng heart monitor.

A stable rhythm.

'Thank Sherlock,' she thought.

"Tumaas ang amount ng carbon monoxide sa katawan niya," Min said. "Thankfully, his body eventually stabilized after treatment. Detective Yukishito may act tough, but he's still weak from its effect. Dumagdag pa na nalipasan siya ng gutom. I don't know if he was aware of it, but the wine he drunk helped his survival. Nakapagbibigay kasi ng neuroprotective effect ang ethanol sa acute carbon monoxide poisoning."

Nova nodded, too tired to even register what she said. Ang mahalaga ligtas na ang mayabang na detective.

Still, one question crossed her mind.

"Paano mo nga pala siya nahanap?"

Nabanggit na rin kanina ni Min sa kanya sa tawag kung saan niya nakita si Nico. Sa pagkakaalala niya, naghanap na rin sa port sina Inspector Ortega. Heck, even Nova scanned that place in hopes of finding him there! Bago pa man sumagot si Min, as if on cue, a bark interrupted them.

"Arf! Arf!"

Kasabay ng pagsigaw ng mga gwardiya at nurse sa labas, biglang tumakbo papunta sa kanyang amo ang golden retriever. Goldilocks jumped on the bed and started licking Nico's face, her tail wagged in excitement.

Mahinang natawa si Min at napamaywang.

"Bawal ka dito, Goldi. Baka ma-highblood ang mga tao sa ospital sa'yo."

"Arf! Arf!"

'Well, it's too late for that,' Nova thought, trying to hide a smile. Pero habang ikinukwento ni Minnesota ang nangyari, biglang nawala ang ngiti ni Nova nang mapansing nakatitig sa nurse ang kanyang partner. Somehow, the way Nico's eyes lit up while Min talked and patted Goldilocks brought a hint of jealously in her chest.

Nova quickly threw that silly emotion out of the window, reminding herself that Min saved Nico. That's that.

'Wala namang mali roon.'

Nang in-excuse ni Min ang kanyang sarili (bringing a whining Goldilocks with her) para bigyan sila ng privacy, pagod na naupo sa gilid ng kama si Nova at pinanood magsara ang pinto.

"You smell like wine," she commented, scrunching her nose in disapproval.

Sa mga oras na ito, alam na rin nina Inspector Ortega ang pagkakaligtas kay Nico. In fact, parang nakita niya pa ito kaninang may kausap sa telepono sa lobby ng ospital. Mabuti na lang at pinili ni Lelouch magpaiwan para mabigyan sila ng pagkakataong mag-usap.

Sa kanyang tabi, hindi na nagpatumpik-tumpik pa si Nico.

"Any updates on the Unknown Disease?"

"Aside from the fact that he has new victims? Nothing much."

"Damn Sherlock," mahinang napamura si Nico at umupo nang maayos. Sasawayin pa sana siya ni Nova kung hindi lang niya alam na hindi rin naman ito makikinig sa kanya. "Tell me everything. I want every detail."

Napabuntong-hininga si Nova. "We don't have time."

Nico raised an eyebrow as if challenging her. "Kung hindi mo pa napapansin, nakaratay ako ngayon sa ospital. I think we have plenty of time, Nova."

She rolled her eyes.

"Fine."

*

Nang mabalitaan ni Scorpio kina Inspector Ortega ang tungkol sa pagkakahanap kay Nico, he finally released the tension he didn't know he had all morning. Sumandal siya sa kanyang upuan at ibinaba ang cellphone, adjusting the eyeglasses on his hawk-like nose.

As much as the old man wanted to rush to the hospital and visit the detective he treated like his own son...

"May sarili naman akong imbestigasyong gagawin mamaya."

Muling dumako ang mga mata ni Scorpio sa mga kahong maayos nang nakasalansan sa isang tabi. The few memorabilia he collected over the years now cramped inside small boxes. Masakit isiping, tulad niya, mukhang napag-iwanan na rin ng panahon ang laboratoryong ito.

'Kung mahuhuli ko si UD, makikita nilang may silbi pa ako. Retirement will never be an issue again.'

Muling sinulyapan ni Scorpio ang wall clock.

Knowing what time the pet store closes, he waited.

*

"It makes sense if he's specifically targeting families," Nico contemplated after listening to Nova's findings. "Maybe UD has some kind of twisted Christmas theme? A Santa bringing a virus instead of presents," dagdag pa nito.

Pero anuman ang rason ng killer. hindi pa rin mawala ang kutob ni Nova sa mga numerong iniiwan nito.

"I tried mapping the crime scenes, pero wala pa rin akong makuhang pattern. Umaasa lang akong baka clue ang numbers para malaman natin kung saan mamamatay ang susunod niyang biktima," the pink-haired detective said and pulled out a printed map of Eastwood from her coat. Tahimik itong kinuha ni Nico at pinagmasdan ang kulay pulang bilog sa mga lugar kung saan naganap ang mga krimen.

135

225

270

While Nico was busy making sense out of it, Nova's eyes flickered to his wrist. Agad niyang napansin ang marka sa balat nito Maya-maya pa, nagsalita ang pinakamagaling na detective ng Eastwood nang hindi nag-aangat ng tingin. "It's an artifact left from the laser wristwatch. Hindi naman malala."

Knowing exactly how it feels like to have scars from past cases, tumango si Nova at hindi na muling umimik. Normal na sa propesyon nila ang humarap sa iba't ibang klase ng panganib.

"It's just ironic how you were found at the port. Halos libutin na kanina nina Inspector Ortega ang Eastwood para hanapin ka. Kung may ideya lang sana kaming nakulong ka sa isang container, then we wouldn't be running around in circles."

Just then, Nico snapped his attention to her. Nagtaka si Nova sa biglang pagbabago ng ekspresyon nito.

"Circles...?"

"Umm, yeah. Why?"

"Miss Carlos, mukhang natuklasan mo na ang misteryo ng mga numerong ito." Nico grinned, his eyes twinkling as he flattened the map on the bed.

'Ano bang pinagsasasabi nito? Baka naman lasing pa siya.'

Lalong naguluhan ang dalaga nang hiningi ni Nico ang imahe ng Mayan calendar sa kanya. Hesitantly, Nova showed the picture she saved in her gallery and watched as Nico obsessed over it. Mahina itong natawa at ipinaliwanag.

"Bilog ang Mayan calendar."

Obviously.

"Yukishito, kailangan mo lang yata ng kape."

"You know what else is a circle? Tama ang sinabi mo na hindi nga naman tumutugma ang numbers in terms of latitude and longitude---pero madalas nakakalimutan nating may isa pang coordinate system na ginagamit sa pagtukoy ng lokasyon." Walang paalam na sinimulan ni Nico gamitin ang phone ni Nova. Bago pa man siya makapagreklamo, ipinakita niya ang isang imahe mula sa Google.

She realized what he was trying to say...

"Polar coordinates."

---