Ch 561 - The Nine Circles of Hell

Hell World was located within an extensive park, which contained many tourist attractions and several businesses. The amusement park was the largest and most popular part of the complex, and it comprised several areas, each with its own theme.

Alex arrived at the gates of Hell World during the afternoon, when there were still plenty of people wandering around in the bright sunshine.

He wasn't particularly interested in seeing the attraction, but he bought a ticket and a map, and then headed straight for the building which housed Dante's nine circles of Hell.

The building was located at the back of the park, quite some distance from the gate, and the structure was large and imposing.

He walked slowly, passing several rides and food stalls, and eventually, he reached his destination.

Careful not to draw attention to himself, he examined the building before slipping inside and checking the floor plan. Every floor corresponded to one of the circles of Hell, and it had an assortment of rides and dioramas.

Alex made his way through the building, checking each floor and frowning when he saw so many people at each level. He knew Debbie wouldn't be kept anywhere so crowded.

The tourists were enjoying themselves, although some appeared a little frightened. The lights were dim, and the music and sound effects were loud, enhancing everyone's experience. Several people were looking around, their eyes wide as they took it all in.

Perhaps the lower levels were more popular than the others, because the higher in the building Alex went, the fewer tourists there seemed to be.

When he reached the eighth level, he noticed the door to the stairway was closed and tape was strung across it. A notice stated the ninth floor was not currently available to tourists.

As he stared at it, he became aware of a commotion coming from the corner of the room.

"Miss? Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"She needs a doctor! Someone call for help!"

"I think she's going to faint."

Alex turned and saw a group of people gathered around a bench, all looking very anxious.

He frowned. Whatever was going on was not his problem, and he didn't have time to get involved. He had to focus on finding Debbie as quickly as possible.

Turning away, he stared at the closed door, planning his next move. If Debbie was in there, he couldn't afford to just barge in. If he did, he might startle her abductors, and that could get her hurt.

After giving it some thought, Alex decided it was better to wait. He refused to risk Debbie's safety by rushing inside. Besides, the abductors were not aware of his arrival yet, so he had time to form a plan. So, as much as he wanted to act now, he forced himself to remain calm and wait for a better opportunity.

He looked back at the crowd and spotted a young woman sitting on a bench. Her clothes looked expensive, but her face was pale, and her hands were clutched to her chest as she struggled to breathe. She was clearly scared and beginning to panic.

An older man stood beside her, looking worried as he called out, hoping someone knew first aid. Two bodyguards flanked them, making it obvious the woman must be from an important family.

Many people lingered, watching the woman and wondering if she had been too scared by her surroundings and was now having some kind of panic attack.

Several members of staff ran over to help. "Call an ambulance!" one of them ordered.

Alex took a closer look at the woman's symptoms and recognized the signs of acute myocardial ischemia.

He was about to open his mouth and offer his help when he heard a wheezing sound as the woman fought to breathe.

Within moments, paramedics rushed in, accompanied by a man in a suit, and they swarmed around the young woman.

"Pain and tightness in the chest?" the man asked. "Shortness of breath?"

The woman nodded.

"I believe this is acute myocardial ischemia," the man said. "We can give you something to help with that."

"Who are you?" one of the woman's bodyguards asked.

"This is Dr. Troy Wilkinson," one of the paramedics said. "He's one of the top doctors in the country. Fortunately, he just happened to be at the hospital next to the park, giving a lecture, so he was kind enough to come and help."

Another paramedic nodded. "Now that Dr. Wilkinson is here, the young lady will be fine."

The older man next to the woman heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," he said. "I'm Melvin Strang, and I work for the young lady's family. Please help her. I'm sure the Robinson family will be extremely grateful for your assistance."

The crowd began to mutter among themselves, shocked to hear the woman was part of the Robinson family, and they realized she must be Maryann Robinson.

Troy was overjoyed to learn the identity of his patient. This was a wonderful opportunity to help Maryann and improve his reputation, and hopefully, he would even receive a reward.

Alex was also stunned by the revelation. He had met members of the Robinson family at meetings of the Baltimore Martial Arts Association, and he had even shared a drink with some of them.

"Don't worry, Mr. Strang," Troy said, projecting an air of confidence. "Miss Robinson will be okay."

He opened his medicine bag and took out a bottle of pills.

Alex realized they were aspirin, and he rushed forward. "Stop!" he yelled.

After becoming a master martial artist, he had developed a strong understanding of medicine, and he was aware of the properties of aspirin.

"Listen to her breathing," he said to the doctor. "She's wheezing. That means she has asthma in addition to acute myocardial ischemia. Taking aspirin may alleviate her current symptoms, but if she's sensitive to it, then it could set off an even more severe asthma attack! The aspirin could kill her."

He hadn't wanted to get involved, but he couldn't just stand by and watch the doctor make a mistake that might kill the young woman.

Everyone was quiet, and all eyes were on Alex as they realized how serious the matter was.

"And you can tell that just by looking at her?" Troy asked, sneering at Alex. "You can diagnose her with asthma without even examining her? Stop wasting my time."

He looked Alex over, noticing his youth and shabby appearance, and he didn't believe for one minute that Alex could be a doctor. He was also furious about being corrected in public.

"If you don't believe me, then examine her yourself," Alex said, his tone flat.

"There's no need," Troy said dismissively. "Miss Robinson is clearly suffering from acute myocardial ischemia. The aspirin will help her, so stop delaying her treatment. I don't have time to deal with a pretend doctor like you." He scowled at Alex. "I know what you're up to. Now that you know who this woman is, you just want to impress her to make a name for yourself. Well, I won't let you use Miss Robinson like that."

Alex opened his mouth, but Troy wasn't finished. "If you don't get out of my way right now, I'll have you arrested."