The Hollowed / Season 1, Episode 5
Sterile Secrets Unveiled
Jake Sutter’s boots scuffed against the polished floor of New Eden’s Wellness Hub, the echo swallowed by the hum of overhead vents pumping out air so sterile it stung his nostrils. He sat on the edge of a padded exam table, shirt off, skin prickling from the chill of the room. The paper liner crinkled under him, louder than it should’ve been, like every sound in this place was dialed up to scrape at his nerves. Across from him, Dr. Wren Calloway stood with a tablet cradled in one arm, stylus tapping a rhythm that didn’t match the steady beep of the vitals monitor clipped to Jake’s finger. Her white coat hung sharp on her frame, creased only at the elbows, like she’d pressed it ten minutes ago. Her eyes, though—gray and unblinking behind thin glasses—kept darting to the screen, then back to him, then away again. Something was chewing at her, and Jake could feel it in the way the air seemed to tighten between them. “Pulse is up again,” she said, voice clipped, like she was reading a grocery list. “Hundred and ten. Resting. That’s not normal for you, Mr. Sutter.” “Tell me somethin’ I don’t know,” Jake muttered, scratching at the stubble on his jaw. His fingers rasped against it, rough as sandpaper, and he caught a...