### Chapter 2
The streets outside The Abyss felt different now, alive with the pulse of urgency. They moved swiftly in the direction of the hospital, the rhythmic pounding of Alex's heart syncing with the city's frenetic energy. Each step was a mantra in their mind: Get Leo to safety. Get Leo to safety.
Maya walked beside them, her eyes shimmering with a flurry of emotions—hope mixed with trembling fear, a cocktail of anxiety. "What if they can't save him?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if—"
"Stop." Alex cut her off gently, feeling the tension in her words. "They will help him. We just need to get there."
As they turned onto Route 35, a stark contrast to the narrow alleyways of their previous location, the hospital's fluorescent lights flickered in the distance—a beacon in the dark. Alex's thoughts raced ahead, plotting an escape from the chain of obligation now binding them to the Collector. Their own life hung precariously over a ticking clock, and every second counted.
"When we get there, be strong," Alex urged Maya, sensing the emotional strain bubbling within her. "Stay focused on Leo. Anything else can wait." Maya nodded, but her lips tightened, the reality of the situation weighing down on her.
As they rounded the corner toward the bustling hospital entrance, a sense of dread pooled in the pit of Alex's stomach. Would they be allowed to see Leo? Would his condition hold steady until they arrived? The questions clawed at the edges of their mind, but the stark reality of the hospital doors loomed closer—a fortress of hope mingled with despair.
Rushing inside, the antiseptic scent enveloped them, a stark contrast to the smoky bar they'd just escaped. Bright lights flooded every corner, and the sterile environment juxtaposed against the raw emotions humming through Alex.
Maya hurried to the nurse's station, her voice wavering as she relayed Leo's situation. "My son, Leo Lopez. He's only six—he needs immediate help. He was going to be taken—"
"Calm down, ma'am," the nurse said, her demeanor professional yet laced with concern. "We need you to fill out some paperwork, and then we'll take him into triage."
Alex stayed close to Maya, anxiety vibrating through their core. The nurse gathered forms and handed them to Maya, whose fingers trembled as she scribbled down details with fervor. "Please, just hurry!"
Finally, a doctor emerged from a nearby doorway, her blue scrubs crisply ironed, eerily reminiscent of the loss of professionalism that haunted this place. "I'm Dr. Ellis," she said, glancing between Maya and Alex. "What's the situation?"
Maya began to explain, her words tumbling out in a rapid stream. "Leo has been weak for weeks—he has this infection. I thought we had more time, but his condition worsened. I was told there was a… a Collector coming for him."
Dr. Ellis frowned, confusion creasing her brow. "A Collector? Like… for debts? I'm not sure how to interpret that."
Alex stepped in, their voice steady despite the chaos swirling around them. "What matters is that he needs immediate medical attention. We're here to stop him from being taken."
Dr. Ellis's eyes widened, a glimmer of understanding crossing her features. "Let's focus on getting Leo stabilized first, and we'll deal with whatever else later. Where is he currently?"
As Maya and Alex exchanged a brief, worried glance, memories of what had transpired rushed back. They'd just made a deal with Death—one that placed everyone at risk, yet desperately, they clung to the hope to save a life.
"I'll show you," Maya said, her voice shaky but resolute. "He's in the pediatrics unit."
Moving swiftly down the corridor, their footsteps echoed against the tile floor, and in that moment, they were suspended in limbo between two worlds—the world of light and healing and the ominous one they now belonged to after their pact with the Collector.
As they reached the door to the pediatrics wing, they found it swarming with medical staff, eyes intent and focused, the rhythmic beeping of machines surrounding them like a heartbeat. They followed the sounds to the back of the unit, where Leo lay pale and frail on a hospital bed, wires snaking from machines to his small body. The sight struck Alex like a wave crashing against the shore, uprooting the ground beneath them.
"Leo!" Maya gasped, rushing to her son's side, tears streaking her cheeks. "Oh, my baby."
Alex stood back, heart aching at the sight of the little boy. He was so small against the hospital sheets, oblivious to the chaos around him. They couldn't think about the Collector now; they had to focus on this moment—saving Leo's life before anything else.
Dr. Ellis joined them, glancing at the monitors surrounding Leo. "We have to assess his condition immediately. You stay with him, and I'll get a team."
Maya nodded, her fingers clutching Leo's hand, eyes glued to the pale figure beneath the sheets as if her grip alone could anchor him back to reality.
While the doctor and nurses shifted into action, an unsettling quiet enveloped Alex. They stepped back, paced the hall, trying to drown out their thoughts. They could hardly breathe; the weight of the deal they had made felt heavier than ever. With every tick of the clock on the wall, a sense of imminent doom loomed over them.
A moment later, the sound of footsteps broke the silence—a figure approaching from the far corner of the hallway. Alex turned and felt the blood drain from their face. It was the Collector, his presence unmistakable. He slipped through the door with an effortless grace that screamed danger.
Maya, too, noticed the shift, turning away from Leo to find the Collector standing at the doorway—a shadow amongst shadows.
"Maya Lopez," he began, voice smooth as silk, "I believe we had a contract."
In an instant, the weight of the room shifted. Medical staff froze, and the beeping machines sounded like an alarm bell in Alex's brain. Maya's fingers tightened around Leo's, tears spilling as she willed him to respond.
"What are you doing here?" Maya's voice trembled with fury and fright. "You have no right to interfere!"
"On the contrary," the Collector said, stepping further into the room. "I have every right. The boy's time is nearly up. The moment is at hand; I've come to collect."
Alex stepped forward, heart racing, fists clenched. "No! You promised—"
The Collector turned to Alex, a thin smile playing on his lips. "It seems we have a misunderstanding."
"Leo is not yours to take!" Maya shouted, panic rising in her tone. "We have a deal!"
The Collector's face hardened. "Precisely. But only the full measure of that deal has been executed. What is a brief moment in the great tapestry of existence compared to a lifetime?" He stepped closer, an almost magnetic pull in his presence. "And what makes Leo's life so much more valuable than yours?"
Alex shot Maya a look, her eyes a mirror of fear. They could feel the walls closing in, the stakes rising, and the weight of the Collector's presence pressing them down like a physical force.
"Leave him alone!" Alex shouted, pushing back against the paralysis of despair. "You've made your point—he's not yours to collect, not yet!"
Maya squeezed Leo's hand tighter, her gaze fixed on the Collecter. "You can't take him! He's just a child!"
The Collector tilted his head, studying them with the smug satisfaction of a predator observing its prey. "And yet, it seems it's time to become a mother's fearful nightmare or a servant to the grave. Every choice has a consequence, after all."
Alex's mind spun as time warped around them. Who could save Leo? They had gambled so much already.
"Dr. Ellis, do whatever you need to do!" Alex shouted, urgency lacing their voice. "We're running out of time!"
The doctor stepped closer to the bedside with renewed determination, pressing buttons on the machines as she began barking commands to her team. "Begin CPR! We need to stabilize him now!"
As the doctors rushed in, the Collector lingered, a specter on the periphery, watching with delight as chaos erupted around them. His presence loomed, a reminder that even in the light of saving a life, darkness waited with its claws ready to drag them into the depths.
Alex faltered, dread flooding their thoughts. Would Leo survive? Was their own life, now tied to this child, about to end before they had a chance to fulfill their pact?
"Maya," they said, stepping closer once more, desperate to bridge their two worlds. "Believe in him. You have to believe he can pull through. We can't let—"
A sharp beep cut through the noise, the monitors shrieked, and before Alex could finish, the lights flickered in protest, the power intensity fading. The room was plunged into darkness, demanding chaos as the machines began to falter and the air thickened with tension.
"Flush the medications! Increase the voltage!" Dr. Ellis commanded, her voice a rallying cry amid the cracks of darkness.
The Collector stood as a wraith, an ominous shadow as he tilted his head, satisfied by the ensuing panic. "Time is a fickle mistress, dear Voss. Are you willing to risk your life—the very thing you gambled to save this boy—for something that appears to be inevitable?"
In that moment, Alex felt the cold sweat trickle down their spine. They could feel it—the weight of fate, the echo of the deal sealed in darkness. The Collector was relentless, a force of nature that defied understanding.
But within the shadows of impending despair, a surge of determination ignited in Alex. "I will do anything," they declared, steadying their breath, "to keep him safe. I owe it to him. Whatever it takes."
And as the world whirled with consequence, the energy crackled through the air like static electricity, leaving them all suspended in a moment of truth—a confrontation yet to be defined, and the raging storm of fear set to collide with the unwavering will to survive.
In the desperate urgency of that hospital room, the lines between love and sacrifice, life and oblivion blurred into a singular truth: they would fight for Leo, whatever the cost.