Frank slumped into a chair outside Liza's room, his shoulders heavy with guilt. He replayed the scene in his mind, questioning every decision.
[Saving a life is much harder than taking one,] the system's voice broke the silence in his mind.
'System, I'm really not in the mood for a lecture right now,' Frank snapped. 'If you'd given me more information, maybe she'd still be alive!'
[Sigh… I understand your frustration,] the system said calmly. [But believe me, I gave you all the information I could. Maybe if you'd taken this mission more seriously, the outcome would've been different.]
'So now it's my fault?' Frank retorted bitterly.
[Listen to me, Frank. I'm not one of those fictional systems you've read about. When I assign a mission, someone's life is at stake. You need to stop taking them lightly,] the system replied.
'What's the point of this now? She's already brain-dead. They're going to take her off life support soon,' Frank said, his voice laced with despair.
[And that's exactly why I'm here,] the system said firmly. [You have a chance to fix this. Stop them from removing her from life support.]
Frank frowned. 'Why? What difference does it make now?'
[There's something they missed. Tell the doctor to do a full body checkup on her. They focused too much on the gunshot wound and overlooked something important.]
Frank stood abruptly, his mind racing. Without a word, he headed straight for Liza's room.
"Frank! What are you doing?" Zoey called, hurrying after him. "Stop! You need to calm down. This isn't your fault."
Frank ignored her and entered the room. "Stop!" he called out to the hospital staff preparing to disconnect Liza from life support.
The team froze, startled by his tone. One nurse stepped forward hesitantly. "Sir, she's brain-dead. There's no point in continuing life support."
Before Frank could reply, Doctor Bryce entered, having heard the commotion. "Officer, I know this is hard for you," she said gently. "But you need to let her go."
Frank looked her in the eye. "I know, doctor. But I have one last request."
Doctor Bryce sighed. "What is it? If it's reasonable, I'll do my best to help."
"Please," Frank said earnestly, "do a full body checkup on her before taking her off life support."
The doctor raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Alright. If it gives you peace of mind, we'll do it."
Frank stepped out of the room, running a hand through his hair.
Zoey caught up with him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Frank, you need to let this go. It wasn't all on you. I was here too, and I failed just as much."
Frank shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. This isn't what you think."
Zoey sighed and walked to a quiet corner, pulling out her phone. She called Chief Layla and explained everything, including Frank's unusual behavior. "He's not in the right state of mind," Zoey added. "Maybe we should give him some time off."
When she returned to Frank, Doctor Bryce was stepping out of Liza's room. The doctor's expression was serious, but there was a hint of relief in her eyes.
"Officer," Bryce said, addressing Frank, "how did you know?"
"Know what?" Frank asked, confused.
The doctor studied his face, then sighed. "Huh, so you didn't know."
"What are you talking about, doctor?" Zoey asked.
Doctor Bryce glanced between them and said, "She's eighteen weeks pregnant. The baby is healthy. By law, we cannot take her off life support until the child is born."
Zoey's eyes widened in shock. "She's… pregnant?"
Bryce continued, "Thanks to your insistence, you stopped us from making a terrible mistake. On behalf of the hospital staff, I want to thank you." She placed a hand on Frank's arm, her gratitude sincere.
Zoey placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did the right thing, Frank."
Frank exhaled slowly. "Let's make sure this doesn't happen again," he said quietly.
The weight of guilt remained, but for the first time, there was also a sliver of relief.
'Thank you, system,' Frank said in his mind.
[There's no need to thank me. You're the one who made it happen. Thank yourself,] the system replied.
'Still, without you, it wouldn't have been possible,' Frank admitted.
[Glad you recognize my value. Now stand up and bring those criminals to justice,] the system urged.
'You don't have to worry about that. I was already planning on it,' Frank said.
[Good. But remember, don't try to do this alone again. We can't afford the same mistake twice,] the system warned.
'You're right. I'll need backup this time. But where do I start? We don't have any leads. Our only clue is… well, brain-dead now,' Frank said, his frustration evident.
[Don't worry. Since the target is no longer alive, the mission is considered complete even though it failed. That means I can now assist you without any restrictions,] the system explained.
'You should've done this from the beginning,' Frank said, a trace of annoyance in his tone.
[I wish it were that simple. Even I have limitations. Looking into the future is already bending the rules, and if I revealed too much, it would disrupt the natural balance. That's why I can only provide hints through system missions,] the system clarified.
'When you put it that way, I guess it makes sense,' Frank replied, resigned.
[Exactly. But don't worry. While I can't hand you every answer, I'll give you enough to connect the dots—if you use your brain properly and rely on your colleagues instead of trying to be a lone wolf,] the system said firmly.
'Noted. No more solo acts,' Frank agreed. 'Now, let's figure out where to go from here.'
Zoey walked up to Frank, her voice gentle. "So what's the next move?"
Frank sighed, his expression heavy. "First, we need to inform her only relatives, her parents. Seven years ago, they were told their daughter was dead. They need to know that she's alive, even if it's just her body that's left. She's brain dead now, but they deserve to know."
Zoey placed a hand on his back, offering some comfort. "Don't focus on the negative, Frank. You saved her baby. That's something good. Look ahead." She pointed to the room across from them, where a man was lying in bed, bandaged but awake. A woman and a small boy were sitting beside him, chatting and smiling. "See them? That's the family you saved. The man there, that's the cop you saved today."
Frank's gaze softened. Zoey's words had a point. "You're right."
Before Frank could respond further, another voice interrupted. "She's right, Frank. You saved lives today."
Both Frank and Zoey turned toward the voice. It was Layla Carter, the chief of the Daeton Police Department.
"Chief, what brings you here?" Frank asked, standing up.
Layla nodded, her expression stern. "I heard from Zoey that you weren't doing too well, so I came to check on you."
"It's not like that, Chief," Frank replied quickly.
Layla raised an eyebrow. "Better not be. The perpetrator is still out there, and we can't let him go. Right?"
"Of course not, Chief," Frank responded, determination returning to his voice.
"Good," Layla said. "Now, let's head back to the precinct. I want a full briefing on everything, starting from the very beginning. I'm forming a team to solve this case, and I'll be leading it."
"But what about here?" Zoey asked.
"Don't worry," Layla assured her. "There will be two officers stationed here to protect the scene until we have everything wrapped up."
"Alright, then let's go," Frank said, a renewed sense of purpose in his voice.