Chapter Text
The rain had just eased, leaving a quiet dampness in the air. Water droplets still fell steadily from the eaves, rhythmically tapping against the roof of the black sedan parked right outside the facility marked with a white cross. Behind the glass of the windshield, a black cat stared quietly at the structure towering before him.
Animal Hospital.
He slowly lowered the brown folder resting on his lap. On its upper right corner sat a bright red label, its bold letters spelling out a single warning: CONFIDENTIAL.
"Target location confirmed," a flat, mechanical voice crackled through his earpiece. "As of today, your assignment as temporary staff begins."
"Your priority remains singular. Observe. Do not take action until instructed."
Silence followed. Secret Agent didn't bother to answer, he simply cut the transmission, letting the cold quiet take over. He stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance. With a soft, mechanical ding, the automatic doors slid open, immediately welcoming him with the sharp, overwhelming stench of antiseptic.
The hospital was... strangely normal. Patients shuffled through the halls. Nurses bustled past, pushing gurneys in practiced haste. In the distance, the faint, rhythmic beeping of heart monitors echoed softly against the floorboards.
If it weren't for the weight of the file in his hands, he might have actually believed this was just a place of healing, no different from any other.
"GOOD MORNING!" The loud, cheerful shout nearly made Secret Agent's ears ring.
Behind the reception desk, a blue-furred dog was waving energetically, beaming at him as if they were old friends. "You must be Secret Agent, right?"
"..."
"Aha! I knew it! I'm Secretary!" He instantly leaned over the counter, extending a hand toward him with an eagerness that felt almost exhausting. "I'll be the one showing you around today and introducing you to everyone!"
Secret Agent stared at her outstretched hand for a long moment, calculating, before offering a brief, courteous shake. "Pleasure to meet you."
Secretary blinked, his smile freezing for a split second. "Huh? Wow, okay... keeping it real short, aren't we?" He let out a light laugh, waving a hand dismissively. "Ah, don't worry about it! You'll warm up to us in no time!"
Without waiting for his response, he spun around and started leading the way. Secret Agent could only follow half a step behind, watching his buoyant stride.
Is he always this noisy? he thought to himself, a subtle sigh lost in his chest.
"To your left is the Emergency Wing," Secretary gestured animatedly as they walked. "And to the right is the Medical Wing. Oh! Look, there's Security!" A bat stood guard by the corridor, merely offering a quiet, polite nod as they passed.
Secretary waved back with both hands, bright as ever. "Morning, Security!"
The guard gave one more solemn nod before returning to his post. Secret Agent watched the brief exchange, his expression unreadable. At least there's one person here who knows how to keep quiet.
The tour went on, a blurring cycle of faces and polite introductions. Doctor. Head Nurse. Therapist. Psychologist. Paramedic. Surgeon. Each one greeted the new temporary staff member with warm smiles and soft words. Secret Agent offered little in return, just small, polite nods in place of actual conversation, keeping a careful distance from everyone he met. Until they finally stopped outside a storage room near the back of the hallway.
Secretary stepped up and gave the wooden door a gentle knock. "Intern? You in there?"
"Ah—wait a sec!" a panicked voice scrambled from inside, followed immediately by the sound of something heavy shifting, slipping, and then—
CRASH!
"Ouch!"
Secretary let out a long, fond sigh, rubbing his temples. "Yep. Classic Intern."
Slowly, the door creaked open. A yellow rabbit stepped into the hallway, practically buried behind three massive cardboard boxes stacked well past his head. He tried to take a single step forward, but the top-heavy tower tilted dangerously to the side.
"W-WOAH—!"
Before the boxes could hit the floor, Secret Agent moved on instinct, reaching out to catch and steady the top crate with effortless ease.
Intern froze on the spot, his wide eyes meeting Secret Agent's over the edge of the cardboard.
"..."
"Oh. Wow, thank you so much," Intern murmured softly, a wide, breathtaking smile breaking across his face. It was a smile so bright, so strangely pure, that it felt entirely out of place in a world built on secrets. "Hi there! I'm Intern!"
Secret Agent carefully shifted the weight of the box back into the rabbit's arms. "Agent."
Intern blinked, tilting his head. "Huh? Wait, is that really your name?"
"..."
Seeing the awkward silence blooming, Secretary burst out laughing and nudged Intern's shoulder. "Oh, don't overthink it! He's just mister mysterious over here!"
Intern chuckled softly, the sound light and comforting. "Alright then, mister mysterious. Well, if you ever get lost around here, just come find me. I've got every room in this hospital memorized by heart."
Secret Agent gave a single, quiet nod. "Understood."
Intern's smile softened, his gaze warm as he looked at the newcomer. "I hope you like it here. Welcome to the team."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Secretary glanced up at the wall clock hanging directly above the reception desk, its heavy tick-tock marking the steady march of time.
"Perfect timing," he said, offering a light, energetic grin. "The afternoon shift is just starting."
He tapped his knuckles lightly against the wooden counter before turning his head to look at Secret Agent, who remained rooted in place, quietly studying the hospital map pinned to the wall behind them.
"Starting today, you'll be posted here with us first," Secretary added, leaning casually against the desk.
"At the front desk?" Secret Agent asked, his tone flat and unreadable.
Secretary nodded eagerly. "Yup! I handle patient check-ins, Security handles the patrols, and," He pointed a friendly finger straight at Secret Agent. "You're on Security duty with him."
Before Secret Agent could probe any further, Security who had been silently leaning against the wall near the entrance finally shifted, his deep voice cutting through the quiet.
"Watch every single patient who comes through those doors."
Secret Agent slowly turned his gaze toward the bat.
"Among them." Security continued, his eyes darkening slightly under the dim fluorescent lights, "there are those who do not belong."
Secret Agent narrowed his eyes, a slight frown tugging at the corner of his lips. "Meaning?"
"Anomalies."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop in an instant. The heavy silence hung thick between them, yet Security kept his tone entirely detached, as though he were merely explaining standard operating procedure.
"They disguise themselves," Security said quietly. "They look, walk, and sound identical to a normal patient. They can carry conversation, they even bear forged identities."
Secret Agent crossed his arms over his chest, unimpressed. "If you know what they are, why let them pass the front desk at all?"
Security didn't answer right away. Instead, his gaze shifted slowly, pointedly landing on Secretary.
Secretary, suddenly feeling the intense weight of their stares, immediately feigned extreme interest in organizing the stack of patient intake forms on his desk. "Hey, I try my best to filter them out, okay?" Secretary muttered under his breath, his eyes glued to the papers as he shuffled them awkwardly. "Sometimes, they're just impossible to tell apart from the real ones."
Security let out a low, tired sigh, shaking his head. "Which is precisely why you're here."
Secret Agent gave a single, subtle nod. Yet, beneath his calm facade, skepticism lingered. It sounded more like hospital superstition than a legitimate threat.
For the next few minutes, the floor remained completely ordinary. Patients trickled in one by one. Secretary greeted them with fluent, practiced warmth, carefully checking their paperwork while taking brief inquiries about room numbers. A few offered polite words of gratitude before shuffling down the hall.
Nothing was out of place. Nothing raised suspicion. Until—
CRASH!
A loud, echoing thud shattered the quiet, reverberating sharply from the hospital's right wing.
Secretary snapped straight up, cheecking the cam, his head whipping toward the corridor. "Room 5."
Security was already moving, his heavy footsteps pacing ahead without hesitation. "Let's go."
The three of them rushed down the hallway, the air growing colder with every step. Unconsciously, Secret Agent's hand drifted downward, his fingers brushing the cool steel of the sidearm concealed beneath his coat.
The moment Security shoved the door to Room 5 open. A small yellow rabbit stood completely frozen in the middle of the room.
The floor was coated in a thick, sticky brown puddle, an overturned bottle of maple syrup resting harmlessly by his feet.
Intern let out an awkwardly nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as his ears drooped.
"Hehe..." Intern offered a guilty, sheepish smile. "Sorry... I was just trying to bring the patient some syrup... and, um... I dropped it."
Secretary let out a long, dramatic sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course, it's always Intern."
Security stared at the sticky mess for a long moment before letting his shoulders drop. "False alarm."
They made their way back to the reception area in silence. Secret Agent couldn't help but feel that Security's earlier warning had been wildly exaggerated. If every falling object is treated like a threat, wouldn't this place be in a constant state of panic?
Before the thought could even fully form in his mind—
CLANG!
The sharp, metallic ringing of heavy metal slamming against tile rang out from the center of the building, right near the gift shop.
Secretary closed his eyes for a brief second, muttering under his breath, "Again?"
Once more, they broke into a sharp sprint. Upon arriving, they found Nurse standing awkwardly beside a rolled-away fire extinguisher, a flustered expression on her face.
"Oops..." she offered a weak, apologetic smile, holding up her gloved hands. "Sorry, my hands slipped."
Security slowly rubbed his temples, a deep crease forming between his brows. "Another false alarm."
Secret Agent let out a soft breath, watching the staff go about their clumsy routines. They're just paranoid, he concluded silently.
Back at the front desk, Security paused near a small side corridor. "I'm stepping away to use the restroom."
Secretary gave him a casual wave. "Take your time. We've got everything under control here."
As Security disappeared down the hall, only Secret Agent and Secretary remained at the desk. Tranquility returned to the lobby, settled by the faint tapping of keys and the occasional ring of an unanswered phone.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
A blood-curdling, piercing shriek tore through the hospital, echoing off the walls with terrifying clarity.
Room 5.
Secret Agent and Secretary locked eyes in an instant, all levity instantly drained from the air. Without exchanging a single word, both of them sprinted straight toward the scream.
The closer they drew to Room 5, the more suffocating the silence became. There were no cries of pain from the patients. No cold, rhythmic hums of medical equipment. Nothing save for the ragged, heavy sound of their own breath echoing off the sterile walls.
BANG!
Secret Agent slammed the door open, his hand dropping to his hip in an instant. The scene inside froze the blood in his veins. Intern was cowering in the far corner of the room, curled tightly into a ball. His long yellow ears drooped uselessly over his face, his whole frame trembling uncontrollably as he pointed a shaking finger toward the center of the floor.
"H-He..." Intern's voice choked in his throat, breathless with sheer panic. "It... it changed..."
Secret Agent followed the direction of his trembling hand. Standing dead center in the room was a single patient. Quiet. Back turned to the door. Standing unnaturally still.
Secret Agent's eyes narrowed, suspicion tinting his voice. "Him?"
Intern nodded frantically, tears welling in his wide, terrified eyes. "J-Just now... his head... it... it split open..."
Secretary, arriving a second later behind the agent, suddenly froze. The usual lively spark in his eyes vanished, replaced by an unsettling, icy calm.
"Agent," Secretary said. His voice was lower than usual, stripped of all warmth, stripped of all humor. "Don't go near it."
Secret Agent glanced back over his shoulder. "What?"
Secretary swallowed hard, his hands clenching into tight fists at his sides. "Just... just shoot it."
Secret Agent's brow furrowed even deeper. "Are you serious? That's just a patie—
"No," Secretary shook his head rapidly, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the figure's back. "It's not a patient. That's an Anomaly."
Secret Agent turned his attention back to the figure. It remained utterly unchanged. Just a regular patient in standard hospital garments. There are no split heads or fangs, not even monstrous deformity whatsoever.
Are they hallucinating? the thought crossed his mind. Is the stress in this place getting to them both?
Intern gripped the edge of his hoodie so hard his knuckles turned white, his eyes locked onto the back of the figure in sheer horror. "A-Agent... please... it's... it's looking at me..."
Secretary was practically screaming now, his voice cracking with desperation. "AGENT! SHOOT IT!"
Yet, Secret Agent's finger remained still against the guard. His grip on his sidearm was firm, ready, but he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger on someone who, in his eyes, was nothing more than a defenseless civilian. The room fell into an agonizing silence once more. And then the patient spoke.
"Doc..."
The voice was raspy, hollow, wet as if his throat were filled with thick, stagnant liquid.
"I'm..." He paused, a sickening gurgle rising from his chest.
"still..."
Secret Agent froze.
"alive."
CRACK.
The sound of snapping bone echoed sharply through the room. The patient's neck began to twist, turning slowly, unnaturally. Ninety degrees. No. One hundred and eighty degrees. His entire body began to vibrate violently.
Secret Agent's eyes widened in horror. "What the—"
KREAAAKK!!
The patient's head split straight down the middle with a wet, nauseating tear. His jaw unhinged far past human limits, exposing dozens of razor-sharp fangs sprouting from raw, bleeding flesh. Thick, black saliva dripped onto the linoleum tiles below. His arms lengthened, snapping at the joints as his fingers contorted into vicious, jagged talons.
For a terrifying second, the creature stared straight into Secret Agent's soul. Then a grotesque, horrifying grin spread across both sides of its severed face.
Intern shrieked, burying his face in his hands. "T-THAT'S IT!!"
Without a single word of warning, the Anomaly slammed all four elongated limbs onto the floor. It scrambled forward. Fast. Terrifyingly fast. lunging straight for Intern.
"INTERN!"
The spell broke. Secret Agent's training took over in a heartbeat. He drew his sidearm in a fluid, blinding motion, raising the barrel and locking his sights on the approaching nightmare.
He held his breath. Don't hesitate. His finger squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The thunderous roar of the gunshot shook the room. The round tore through the empty air, striking dead center right between the creature's split halves. The force of the impact lifted the beast off its feet, slamming it heavily against the far wall before it collapsed into a heap.
Silence returned. Nothing moved.
Then slowly and painfully. The split halves of the head began to stitch back together. The razor fangs retreated into raw gums. The claws shrank back into ordinary fingers. Within a matter of seconds, all that remained on the floor was the limp body of a regular patient, lying completely still.
With a single, smoking bullet hole right in the center of his forehead. Secret Agent stared at the body, unblinking. The gun in his hand slowly lowered, his knuckles trembling slightly.
"This is," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "a patient."
Secretary lowered his head, staring at the floor, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. Because that's how it works."
Heavy, hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor outside. Security appeared in the doorway, still wiping his wet hands on a towel after washing up. His gaze fell instantly onto the corpse on the floor, and he let out a long, heavy sigh.
"So you finally saw it."
Secret Agent turned his head toward him, his throat tight. "What do you mean?"
Security walked over slowly, standing right beside the quiet body on the floor. "In their true form." Security murmured, looking down at the dead face, "Anomalies are monsters. Nightmares incarnate."
He paused, a dark, bitter weight hanging over his next words. "But the moment they die, they always turn back into the victim."
Secret Agent still couldn't tear his eyes away from the patient lying motionlessly on the floor. It felt almost surreal that the horrific, ravenous creature which had nearly torn Intern apart just seconds ago now looked like nothing more than an ordinary, harmless patient again. Questions whirled endlessly through his mind, heavy and unanswered.
Security knelt beside the body. With practiced, almost routine movements, he checked for a pulse, touched the eyelids, and gently closed the patient's eyes with two fingers.
"Report this to Doctor," Security said flatly to Secretary.
Secretary gave a muted nod, his face still drained of color. "On it." He pulled a small two-way radio from his pocket. "Doctor, this is Reception. We need medical assistance in Room 5. One casualty, and one Anomaly successfully neutralized."
A few static-filled seconds passed before Doctor's voice crackled through the speaker. "Understood. We're on our way." Secretary clicked the radio off, and suffocating silence reclaimed the room once more.
Security stood up, dusting off his pants. "Agent."
Secret Agent turned his head.
"You hesitated back there." The Security guard sighed. "It's not a crime. Everyone does the first time."
Secret Agent tightened his fists at his sides, his breath hitching slightly. "I... I didn't see what you guys saw."
Security showed no surprise. "That's normal."
"Normal?"
"You're not used to it yet."
The answer only tangled the agent's thoughts further. "Not used to it? Are you saying seeing monsters is something you just learn?"
In the far corner of the room Intern was still curled up on the floor. He held his knees tightly against his chest, his breathing ragged and uneven.
Secret Agent let out a soft, low sigh. He stepped away from the corpse and quietly walked over to the small rabbit. "Hey."
No response. Intern kept staring blankly at the blood-stained tiles beneath him.
Secret Agent crouched down to his eye level. "Are you good, bud?"
Intern blinked a few times, tears still glistening at the edges of his little eyes. "I-I..." His voice trembled violently, barely a whisper. "I thought... I was going to die."
Secret Agent went quiet. It was the first time he had seen someone so utterly shattered by fear from this close. He wasn't a man built for comfort, his life was forged in shadows, codes, and cold efficiency. But leaving Intern like this felt wrong.
Slowly, carefully, he raised a hand and patted the rabbit's trembling shoulder. "It's okay." His voice remained flat, yet the edge had vanished, replaced by an unfamiliar softness. "We're here. The Anomaly has been taken care of."
Intern bit his lower lip, trying his best to nod, though his small frame continued to shake uncontrollably.
A few quiet seconds ticked by. And then without any warning. Intern lunged forward, burying himself into Secret Agent's chest, wrapping his arms around him in a desperate, suffocating hug.
Secret Agent froze completely. His instincts screamed, his hands hovering awkwardly in mid-air. "Whoa—hold on, bud."
The grip only tightened. He could feel every shiver running through Intern's small body, hiding his tear-streaked face right into the fabric of the dark vest.
"I'm... I'm so scared..." Intern whispered, his voice muffled against the cloth.
Secret Agent instinctively shot a desperate glance over toward Security for help. Security merely turned his face away, clearing his throat awkwardly. He looked up at the ceiling. "Don't look at me."
Secret Agent then glared at Secretary.
Secretary, however, was pressing both hands over his mouth, desperately trying, and failing to hold back a grin. His shoulders were already shaking with muffled amusement.
Are you serious right now? Secret Agent thought, his eyes narrowing in silent annoyance.
He let out a slow, heavy breath. With movements that felt stiff and utterly unpracticed, he finally reached out and patted Intern's back. Once. Then again.
"You're safe," he murmured softly. "Nothing is going to hurt you anymore."
They were simple, fragile words. Yet somehow, Intern's frantic grip began to loosen. His ragged breathing slowly found a steady rhythm.
"Ahem." A soft cough rang out from the doorway, breaking the fragile quiet. Everyone turned.
Doctor, flanked by Head Nurse and Paramedic, had arrived pushing a metal gurney. Doctor surveyed the state of the room, letting out a long, weary sigh.
"First shift?"
Security nodded solemnly. "Yeah."
Doctor's gaze drifted toward Secret Agent. "Welcome to the job. Usually, it gets a lot messier than this."
Secret Agent remained silent, his heart sinking slightly. "A lot messier?"
Doctor merely offered a thin, tired smile before turning to inspect the patient's body alongside his medical team. Nearby, Secretary stepped up to Intern with a gentle, reassuring smile. "Alright, alright... go take a breather, okay?"
Intern nodded quietly, slowly pushing himself up from the floor. But before taking a step, his eyes lingered on Secret Agent one last time.
Seeing the lingering hesitation in those wide eyes, Secret Agent reached out. Almost on instinct now, and gently patted the top of the rabbit's head, his hand brushing softly over his long yellow ears.
"You did good," Secret Agent murmured quietly. "Go rest."
A tiny, fragile smile bloomed across Intern's face, his cheeks flushing with a faint warmth. "Thanks..."
Secret Agent gave a brief, quiet nod. "Anytime, buddy."
The moment the word left his lips, he surprised even himself. Why did I say that? He had only known this rabbit for a few hours. Yet, looking at that small, genuine smile finally returning to Intern's face. For the very first time since stepping foot into this cursed hospital, this mission felt entirely different from anything he had ever prepared for.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───