After parting ways with Zhao Anmen, Zhong Yan's real body used Kamui to teleport to a quiet, unoccupied alley near the hospital.
Once he confirmed no one had noticed his arrival, he casually stepped out and made his way to the front desk. After a brief inquiry with a nurse, he learned the room numbers for both Anby and Ellen.
As the finest hospital in New Eridu, all patient rooms here were private. Though the medical fees were notoriously steep, the facility adhered to a humanitarian policy—offering some support for emergency patients, such as fee reductions or delayed payments.
Leaving someone on the operating table to wait for money was virtually unheard of. After all, New Eridu's most precious resource was manpower. That's why coexistence between humans and the Thiren even became possible.
Between the two patients, Zhong Yan chose to visit Anby first. Her injuries were likely less severe than Ellen's, but since he'd personally rescued Ellen from the Hollow, he already had a good sense of her condition.
Anby, on the other hand, had been rescued by the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team. Even though Zhu Yuan had assured him she was out of immediate danger, Zhong Yan needed to see it with his own eyes.
Anby's room was on the sixth floor of the inpatient building. After taking the elevator and locating the correct room, Zhong Yan knocked lightly before pushing the door open.
The room had two beds—one medical, the other for visiting family.
Anby lay on the hospital bed with an IV drip hooked to her arm. On the adjacent rest bed sat Qing Yi.
Zhu Yuan had left earlier due to work responsibilities—as a squad captain, her schedule left little room for downtime. But she didn't want to leave Anby unattended, so she had arranged for Qing Yi to stay.
Not that Qing Yi minded. She loved slacking off during work anyway, so getting to do it openly was a dream come true.
Zhong Yan's arrival immediately caught the attention of both women.
Qing Yi glanced at Anby, who was now staring at him intently, and tactfully stood up. "I'll go take a walk. You two chat," she said as she stepped out of the room, closing the door gently behind her.
Zhong Yan moved quietly to Anby's bedside and crouched down.
"Zhong Yan..." At the sight of him, Anby dropped her guard. Her wounded body trembled as she leaned toward him, sadness clouding her gaze. "Nicole and Billy were taken..."
It was clear she was deeply worried about Nicole and Billy's current state. Zhong Yan wanted nothing more than to rescue them immediately, but the lack of intel and solid leads made that impossible.
All he could do now was comfort her—ease her pain however he could.
In truth, Nicole and Billy weren't the only ones missing—Nekomata had been captured too. But Anby clearly didn't know.
And since she didn't know... there was no reason to tell her now. The truth would only deepen her distress.
"I've looked into those people—they're not easy to deal with. But it's okay. Uchiha is on the case now. He'll take care of it." Zhong Yan reached out and gently embraced Anby's head.
Realizing this might aggravate her injuries, he instinctively softened his hold.
Anby had met Uchiha earlier than most and still trusted him. She believed in his strength.
The memory of him crushing a giant Ethereal remained vivid in her mind, unforgettable.
So, hearing that Uchiha was involved gave her a little peace of mind.
"I hope they can be rescued soon..." Anby murmured, resting her head against Zhong Yan's chest.
It was only in moments like these that she felt truly safe.
And with that sense of safety came an overwhelming drowsiness.
Soon, she fell asleep in Zhong Yan's arms, her gentle breathing proof of how relaxed she was.
Watching her sleep, Zhong Yan felt a little dazed. Despite the immense crisis they were facing, Anby's peaceful expression made it seem like none of it was real.
If only things could stay like this forever, he thought silently.
He slowly loosened his embrace, gently laying her back on the bed. After confirming she wouldn't wake anytime soon, he quietly left the room.
Outside, Qing Yi hadn't gone far. She was seated on a nearby bench, sipping some complimentary hot water from the hospital.
"Leaving already?" she asked, setting down her cup as she saw him exit. "She seemed pretty attached to you. Aren't you going to stay a little longer?"
Even without prying, Qing Yi could guess the nature of their relationship. From the looks of it, Anby was clearly the more emotionally invested of the two.
Zhong Yan, by comparison, seemed distant.
Hearing Qing Yi's words, he gave a faint, apologetic smile and shook his head. "There's something important I have to do. Hopefully I won't draw the Bureau's attention, or things could get complicated... Officer Qing Yi, I'll be counting on you to look after her."
Qing Yi raised a suspicious brow but didn't press the issue. She simply nodded, picked up her water, and reentered the room.
Zhu Yuan had assigned her this task, and until that order was rescinded, she had no reason to return to the station.
As long as word didn't reach the higher-ups, no one would ask questions.
With that, Zhong Yan's next destination was Ellen's hospital room—also within the same facility.
Thankfully, Ellen's room was on the seventh floor, separate from Anby's. It was a small relief; he didn't have the energy to manage their dynamics if they had run into each other.
In Ellen's room, her caretaker was Lycaon.
Unlike Anby, Ellen hadn't yet regained consciousness, likely due to the severity of her injuries.
If not for the medical equipment indicating her vitals were stable, it might have looked like she'd never wake again.
"You are...?" Lycaon looked up, startled by Zhong Yan's appearance, and began examining the boy standing before him.
It didn't take him long to realize—this was probably someone from Ellen's school.
But one thing puzzled him: how did Zhong Yan know Ellen was hospitalized?
After all, he hadn't informed his master about what happened yet. Only three people in all of New Eridu knew Ellen was here:
Ellen herself.
Lycaon.
And... Uchiha.