Chapter 55: Chapter 55 - Waldo
They slipped inside the hospital, the warmth of the lights pressing against the cold on their coats. The corridors were quiet, only a few trainees moving about, their voices muffled behind doors. Mary led them down the hall, her pace quick, her face set in a grim line.
At the supply room she pulled out her keys, glancing both ways before unlocking the door.
"Keep it quiet," she whispered, then pushed inside.
The cabinets lined the walls, neat rows of shelves that had once given Mary peace of mind. Now she moved from one to the next, checking locks, swinging doors open, her hands moving faster with each search.
Ester hovered close, biting her lip. Iyisha stayed by the door, her chest tight, heart hammering harder with every second Mary didn’t speak.
Finally Mary stopped at the far cabinet. She yanked it open, dug into the back shelf, and froze. "No..."
Iyisha’s stomach dropped. "What is it?"
Mary pulled back, holding up the inventory sheet, her face pale. "The bag is gone. Gauze, alcohol, first aid kit. All of it."
Ester’s hand covered her mouth. "God. We’re fucked."
Mary pressed the paper against the counter, her hand trembling.
"If the count on Friday shows this missing, it won’t matter what we say. They’ll call it theft."
The silence that followed felt louder than any gunfire..
Iyisha leaned back against the door, the weight of it pressing into her spine. Her thoughts spun dark. They would point at her first. She was the new one, the outsider. It wouldn’t matter that she hadn’t touched the supplies. The council would throw them out.
"Enough." Mary’s voice was firm and steady even as her eyes darted over both of them. "Panicking won’t fix it. We’ll figure out what happened before the count. Until then, keep your mouths shut."
Ester rubbed her arms, still jittery, her eyes flicking to the door like she expected someone to walk in.
"What if it’s Waldo?" she blurted.
Mary stilled, her hand frozen on the papers. For a moment she said nothing, then let out a slow breath. "If something’s gone missing in the black market, then yes. Waldo. He’s the middleman. Nothing moves without touching his hands."
Iyisha frowned. "So someone traded it?"
Mary nodded grimly. "That’s how it works. If the bag ended up with him, someone in here gave it away. And they would have gotten something in return."
"But what could be worth that trade? In winter?"
Mary didn’t answer right away. She closed the folder and tucked it under her arm, her jaw tight. "That’s what we need to find out."
They left the hospital in silence, the three of them moving quickly through the snow.
The path wound past rows of sagging houses and broken fences until they reached a squat building near the edge of the settlement. Waldo’s place.
It looked half-abandoned, its windows fogged over, the front steps buried under drifts no one bothered to clear. A broken lantern swung on the porch, the light inside dim and uneven, like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to stay lit. The air smelled faintly of smoke and something sour, like spoiled grain.
Mary pushed the door open without knocking. The room beyond was cluttered, shelves lined with mismatched bottles and boxes, some cracked open, others sealed tight. Tools, boots, even children’s toys hung in corners, traded junk stacked like trophies. Everything felt watched, even though the place seemed empty.
Waldo finally appeared from behind a curtain, moving slow, his coat patched in a dozen places, his beard wild and stained yellow at the edges. His eyes were small and sharp, darting between them like he was weighing each one.
"Ladies," he said, his voice low and slippery. "What brings you to me?"
Mary didn’t waste time. "We’re missing a first aid bag. Gauze, alcohol, kits. If it passed through here, I need to know."
Waldo tilted his head, the grin never leaving his face. "Every item has its trade," he said smoothly. "And I don’t keep ledgers."
He let his gaze drift, landing squarely on Iyisha. "This girl. New one, right? If you’ll work for me, I might think about it."
"I’m not doing that," Iyisha said, her stomach knotting as his eyes lingered.
Waldo only shrugged, spreading his hands as if to say it was out of his control. He jerked his chin toward the door.
"Then the door’s open. Unless..." His eyes slid back to Iyisha, sharp and deliberate. "You want to earn it another way."
Ester bristled.
"What the hell are you now, a pimp?" Mary said angrily.
Waldo’s smirk widened. "I don’t deal in charity. Trade is trade. You give me something, I give you something back."
The silence that followed was suffocating, broken only by the faint whistle of wind against the walls.
"I need the items." Iyisha muttered.
Waldo sat down and looked at the 3 of them. He smirked at her hesitation, like he enjoyed dangling the worst possibilities before dropping the real one.
"Get out," Waldo then muttered, his eyes never leaving Iyisha. "I’ll talk with the pretty girl."
Mary stiffened. "No."
Ester echoed her, sharp. "We’re not leaving her with you."
But the three of them all knew how desperate the situation was—or rather, how desperate Iyisha was. The missing supplies, the weight of suspicion, the threat of being cast out in the middle of winter. It all pressed heavier on her than on either of them.
"I’ll be fine," Iyisha said, forcing her voice steady. "Go."
Mary’s jaw clenched. Ester shook her head, but Iyisha kept her eyes on them until they backed toward the door. "If you need help, we’ll be right here," Ester called, her voice tight with anger.
The door shut behind them, leaving Iyisha in the cramped, dimly lit room. Waldo leaned back against the counter, a smirk cutting across his face.
"I heard you’re a doctor."
Iyisha gave a cautious nod.
"My girlfriend’s pregnant," Waldo said.
Iyisha blinked, confusion flashing across her face. "What do you want me to do?" she asked carefully.
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "I want you to take care of it. End it."
The words hit her like a slap. Iyisha blinked, stunned, her throat tightening as the meaning sank in.
"You mean... an abortion?"
Waldo’s smirk returned, sharp and ugly.
"You’re the doctor. Call it whatever you want. She doesn’t want the kid, and I sure as hell don’t. You help us with that, I’ll find your bag."
Iyisha’s pulse pounded in her ears. The room felt smaller, darker. Outside, she could still hear Mary and Ester’s muffled voices, waiting. Inside, Waldo’s eyes pinned her in place, daring her to say no.
He leaned closer, his grin ugly.
"Or... if that offends your delicate conscience, you can always come back and do what the other girls do."
His meaning was unmistakable.
The choice hung heavy in the air — sell her body or end a life.
