Daisy Finch, a teacher, burst in and grabbed my arm. Her face was chalk-white.
"Dr. Fox! It's the cafeteria. The students—they're vomiting, having seizures. You need to come now!"
I let her pull me along.
The cafeteria was a scene from a nightmare.
Teachers had cleared the unaffected students, but a dozen children lay scattered across the floor. They clutched their stomachs. Groaned. Retched. One boy's legs twitched uncontrollably, his eyes rolling back.
Caroline stood frozen in the corner, her face drained of color, wringing her hands.
I assessed the room in seconds. Food poisoning. Severe.
"Call 911," I ordered Daisy. "We need ambulances. Now."
"No!" Caroline shrieked.
She jumped in front of Daisy, blocking her path.
"Don't call! They just... they just ate too fast! It's just an upset stomach. Sister-in-law, just give them some medicine, right?"
I looked at her as if she were a cockroach.
"Caroline, are you brain-dead? Look at them. Over a dozen students are in critical condition. Even a miracle worker couldn't fix this with a pill."
"Why are you making it sound so serious?" Her voice pitched higher, trembling. "It's a stomachache! If you can't treat a simple stomachache, Katherine, maybe you bought your medical license!"
A bitter laugh nearly escaped me.
You'd have to be clinically insane to suggest something so moronic while children foamed at the mouth three feet away.
Ignoring her, I signaled Daisy. "Make the call."
Heavy footsteps thundered down the hall.
The double doors flew open. Dominic Henson stormed in, chest heaving.
He swept the room with a predator's gaze—and his eyes skipped right over the writhing children.
They locked onto Caroline.
"Caroline!"
He strode past the sick students without a second glance and pulled her into a tight embrace.
The teachers froze. Confused looks passed between them. Why was the CEO hugging the assistant instead of checking on the victims?
"Brother..." Caroline sobbed into his chest. "What's wrong?"
He held her for a long moment before reluctantly pulling back. His hand stayed wrapped around hers, possessive, unwilling to let go.
My left eyelid twitched.
Dominic finally seemed to register the chaos around him. His body stiffened. Then his glare swung toward me.
"Katherine! What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you stop them from drinking the soup?!"
The accusation hit me like a slap.
*He knows.*