CODIE: Revenant Protocol

BEFORE THE PROTOCOL

CODIE: REVENANT PROTOCOL

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Year 2046 — Four years before the breakdown.

Inside the bright halls of Manila Biotech Hospital, Codie Delara sat stiffly at the vacant chair in the nursing station, fingers frozen over the keyboard. Her first week hospital duty as a medical student should have been routine, but even typing her very first pre-op notes felt impossible.

"The keyboard won't type for you, Delara." She nearly jumped after hearing that soft commanding voice. Tinignan niya ito na nanlalaki ang mata.

It is Doc. Cleo Austin who was standing nearby, a first-year resident who's giving her a faint smirk. Dahil sa reaksyon niya ay napatingin sa kanya ang head nurse na nakaupo lang sa hindi kalayuan at natawa ng mahina,

As a Medical student that post-op note draft was usually made by interns or residents but since she is the daughter of the President of the hospital they are training her 3x than the regular medical student together with her best friend Baron.

"Doc! First time kong gumawa ng ganito... natatakot akong magkamali," Codie admitted.

Cleo's expression softened. "Relax. Draft lang 'yan." He looked into her eyes. "Pero gawin mo 'yan kapag free time mo, we have lots of work to do." He slid a chart across the counter. "Encode this later. And before surgery, visit Mrs. Falcon and get her consent."

"Noted, Doc!" she called after him as his phone rang and he walked away.

Codie calmed her nerves, and when she was finally ready to move; The head nurse's phone blared breaking news loud enough for the whole ward to hear.

"This just in: The President has declared a one-year lockdown of Zone 9. The cause is still unknown. The reports say residents are panicking and want to force their way out to the border–" The news got cut off because one patient called the nurse and the reason for it was to turn off her phone.

But it is already enough to make Codie freeze to her place.

Zone 9, Her sister Connie

"Hindi ba't doon naka-duty ang kapatid mo? Kasama ang mommy ninyo?" a voice said behind her.

She turns around after hearing the voice. It is Baron, her best friend and fellow med student who is standing while holding a chart.

Her stomach dropped. She fumbled for her phone, firing off a message to Connie.

Call me.

Last month, Zone 9 had already been closed, then reopened two weeks ago just enough for her sister to join their mother inside. Codie had convinced herself it was safe. But now? A full year of lockdown only meant one thing.

She forced her voice steady. "As long as she calls, it's fine."

"It's not, Madali magtago ng totoo pag malayo ka sa tao."