Prey, predator and the den

"Long time Shark. It's good to see you around." Dr Carson acknowledged Shark's presence in her office.

"I had to come as soon as possible." Shark drew enough air into his lungs.

"Is she okay? Glad to hear that she woke up last night."

"She still holds a grudge against me. I don't know if she'll ever forgive me." Shark said.

"Women are so fickle when it comes to loyalties or affections." Dr. Carson uttered.

"My mother was a match and I hid that from her. I could have asked my mother to agree to be her donor but there was a lot going on that I didn't want her to be involved. She thinks that I'm pitying her and so does everyone. More than that, I still have to solve certain mysteries about the Serhunt Facility."

"There's a lot you need to know about Dr. Arizona. We went to the same medical school back in the days and he had always been obsessed with reconstruction surgery, correcting defects people are born with. He suddenly disappeared and we all forgot about him. If he's working with Dr. Shaw, he's definitely up to something." Dr. Carson pointed out.

Shark was beginning to connect the dots, Flower had a reconstruction surgery on her face which was obviously conducted by Dr. Arizona.

"What do you think they do with the frozen bodies. I recently found out that most of their patients are accident victims."

"Accident victims can be either dead or alive. If dead, there's hope of resurrection and if alive, there's something I can't connect because we can't yet cryopreserve even a very simple organ. Even the liver which has one type of cell can't be preserved." Dr. Carson explained.

"So meaning the victims who survive are taken somewhere else?" Shark wondered.

"It could be possible. They can be put in a coma for such a long time or their minds can be controlled for an experiment. Over the past few years, some people have gone missing without being traced. So I won't be surprised if Dr. Shaw has been keeping them in his facility." Dr. Carson shrugged her shoulders.

"What about the young girls?"

"Dr. Shaw not only harvested organs but also had the surrogacy thing. The girls have been compensated in exchange for their wombs." Dr. Carson revealed.

"So they offer themselves be surrogates for his potential clients."

"Correct. There's nothing Shaw Fernandez can't do. During the annual medical conference last year, we were able to confirm that most doctors have invented their own ways to deal with patients, that includes having ownership of illegal facilities. Dr. Shaw is quite hideous but you have to be careful when dealing with him." She cautioned him.

"Don't worry I got it all covered. The predator can't hunt down the prey when it's too clever, when it fully knows what's burning in the predator's den." Shark said. Abruptly, his cell phone rang and he excused himself to pick it up.

"Dad? What's happening?" Shark asked Almond on the receiving end.

"It's yours mother...." His voice trailed off and the call was disconnected.

"What's happening?" Dr. Carson approached the latter.

"It seems my mother is on rampage again. I have to go."

"I hope she gets better soon." Dr. Carson said.

"Hope so." Shark pursed his lips and left Dr. Carson's clinic.

"To Aston mental asylum." He summoned his chaffauer who stepped on the gas.

Meanwhile, Amber fed Matt who was recuperating after surviving the bullet that almost damaged his liver.

"I think I'm gonna be discharged today." Dr. Matt said while struggling to sit up.

"Honey, don't you think it's too early...."

"I want to go home with you. I want to spend some time with my son and wife, is that too much to ask?"

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Amber found it hard to believe her hardheaded husband.

"I survived death and I don't wanna risk anything that will put you in more danger. We're leaving Aston for good." He sighed deeply.

"Finally, what took you so long to decide?" Amber was puzzled.

"Let me have the noodles...I'm starving." Matt dismissed her question.

"I'll feed you." She made an attempt to feed him. As much as he was worried about Yara, he knew who was behind the hospital scandal that fateful night. So the sooner he left Aston, the better for him. He had to choose his family for the very first time in his career. The career he dedicated his entire life to. Even though he was feeling guilty for having to leave Yara once again, he had no regrets whatsoever. What mattered the most was taking his family to the safest place, that was out of Aston.

****

"What's he doing here?" Shark lost his temper upon seeing Blake close to his mother's lifeless body.

"Son, please step out for a while." Michelle urged Blake who left without making a scene.

"We're so sorry for your loss." Cheyenne and Charmaine, Blake's twin sisters said simultaneously.

Shark balled his hands into fists as he drew air to his lungs. His mother's sudden demise made his blood boil as Arnold patted his shoulders gently. Almond sat at the lobby, lost on his own thoughts.

Vanessa's body was covered and wheeled to the morgue. Her case was a suicidal one, she had poisoned herself to get out of the mental facility but convulsed to death before the doctors could come to her rescue. Shark closed his eyes briefly before walking to the Manager's office.

"I'm closing down the mental facility. Do you have anything to say about that!" Shark thundered.

"No-nothing Sir." The manager spoke with a stutter. He knew who he was talking to, a billionaire who would render him bankrupt in seconds. It was Shark's word against his. Shark banged the table so hard before walking out to his Rolls-Royce. Almond watched his son's drive pulling away from the mental facility before he headed inside to his brother Arnold. They have always had each other's back and nothing could ever drift them apart. As for Blake, he knew his presence was unwanted after putting his father's life in danger, so he kept his composure and returned to his condo to have his usual drink.