Episode 2

"What do you mean, Miss Lacson?" Mr. Don, the Plant incharge asked.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Look at your mode and median. The shift is on the right. My right. Is that a good sign?"

The stranger stared at her, waiting for her point. It was obvious the people in the room were scared at her. Majority of the people avoided eye contact with her.

"I suggest, you figure out if you’re satisfied with this kind of graph, because I'm not," she said and glanced at Drew, who was frantic to capture her attention.

"What?" She mouthed to him. He held up his phone as if saying 'check your phone'.

She discreetly glanced at her phone and saw five missed calls from her In-charge and a single message. “CODE RED!”

She quickly jumped up her seat, causing everyone to stare at her. She simply glared at Drew for not informing her earlier.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but there is a problem in the laboratory and my presence is needed," she left without a second glance.

"What was it?" She asked Drew as they stepped into the elevator.

"Don't know. I can't contact Jubileen or anyone working in the lab right now."

She cursed out loud. As the elevator stopped in their laboratory, she immediately grabbed a face mask and gloves before gesturing Drew to stay put.

"What is going on?" She asked.

"There was a minor damage, and it was controlled right away," Jubileen, her friend and right hand, said.

She nodded, "Good then--"

"Miss Lacson, there is a leakage on the gas pipe." A worker told her.

"Which pipe?"

"Carbon dioxide, ma'am."

"Shit. Since when?"

"We found it not a minute long," the worker rambled.

"Was it already leaking when you found it?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Shut down the plant according to protocol," She turned to Jubileen. "Follow him to the pipe and find a way to secure it. Make sure to wear your PPE and control the situation according to manual."

She headed out. "Drew, get everyone to evacuate the building and not to enter unless I said so."

"What should I tell them?"

"Only the heads must know about the situation, let them handle the rest." Drew nodded and followed her boss's order.

The moment that spiteful petite woman had left the room, the tension in the room had lessened.

"Mr. Sarmento?" He looked up when his name was called.

"Give me the revised report of your presentation and repeat the survey," Hayden Sarmento said with a stoic face. "I don't like your report."

The presenter nodded in understanding. Hayden stood up and fixed his coat, moving to leave.

"Code red," a panting man occupied the door.

"What?" One of the chiefs exclaimed.

"There..." he panted, "There is a leakage in the carbon dioxide pipe. Ms. Lacson advised that everyone in the building should be evacuated."

The CEO nodded at him and turned to the rest of the people in the room, "Advise everyone in your department to evacuate according to protocol and tell them not to panic," they nodded. He turned to the man standing by the door. "Where's the laboratory?"

"Sir?"

"Where is the laboratory?" He gritted his teeth.

"You can't go there, sir," the man explained. "The laboratory is being shut down right now. No one can come and go."

He sighed. Why did he want to go to the lab? Right, that woman went there.

He left without a word, ushered by the panting man. "Who's the laboratory in-charge?"

"Miss Jubileen?" The man answered him, unsure.

"The one who attended the meeting."

"Oh. Miss Lacson, our Chief Chemist," the man said proudly.

He quietly stared at man, hating the way he said her name. The fuck? He thought. Where did that thought come from?

As they stepped onto the main floor, Drew's phone rang. "Drew speaking."

"Drew, call 911, now," his frantic boss said.

"Miss Lacson?" He said, not understanding. The guy beside him unconsciously leaned in to eavesdrop.

"Drew, I said fucking CALL 911," His boss yelled.

"Yes, ma'am," he dialed the emergency number.

911? He thought. What for?

"Mr. Sarmiento, please follow this way," a security ushered him to a door but before he could enter he heard sirens in front of his building. He shook them away, and saw the spiteful woman kneeling on the stretcher, doing CPR. Her lab coat and clothing were smeared with blood.

She continued pumping the body in front of her.

"29. 30," she counted. "Checking for pulse." She placed her forefinger and middle finger at the base of the neck of the collapsed man and checked for a faint pulse, but there was none.

"Continuing CPR," she said while the paramedics wheeled the stretcher towards the lobby.

The sweat and the stares of the people around her didn't bother her at all. Just a faint pulse, she pleaded. Please.

"The AED," She gasped to the paramedic, who quickly set up the portable device.

"You two," she referred to the two paramedics. "I'm responsible on whatever happens today."

The moment she got their answer, she started to unbutton the man's shirt. Quickly, she placed the electrode as said on the instruction.

"Clear," she said as she pressed the button. She watched as the paramedic placed an oxygen mask on the man. "Pulse?"

"None," the paramedic replied.

"Again, clear."

"None."

She groaned. "Continuing CPR."

He watched as she tried to revive the man. It was the second time she amazed him in one day. He immediately took off his coat and loosened his tie.

"Sir?" The security asked as the coat was passed to him.

"Check on the other personnel," he said before heading straight to her.

"Pulse?" She asked.

"None still."

"Clear." She felt someone kneel beside her. "Pulse?"

"None, ma'am."

She positioned herself, "Continuing CPR."

"Let me," she glanced at the stranger who kneeled beside her.

"What?"

"You're tired," he explained, pushing her gently towards a paramedic. "Let them check on you."

"But-"

"One collapsed man is enough for the day," she heard him say before he started pumping. She watched his back, confused.

"Miss?" She turned to the paramedic, who gestured for her to sit on the vacant stretcher. She suddenly felt her energy drain out and the room starting to spin as she walked towards the stretcher.

"Positive!" She heard the paramedic say before she completely collapsed on the stretcher.

-

PHO - Plant Head Officer

CPR - CardioPulmonary Resuscitation

AED - Automated External Defibrillator

CEO - Chief Executive Officer

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