Distract and Sedate | Hemlock Grove |

Chapter 28 | Shameless |

Roman is on his way back to the nurse's station when Pryce finally emerges from the depths of the basement hallways. His white lab coat has a considerable amount of blood on it. Whatever he had been working on was clearly much more than 'machinery issue. He gets off the elevator looking terrified and paranoid.

"Where have you been?" Roman barks at him, scaring the few that are nearby.

"Roman, a word. In private," he says with a motion the nurses. Roman follows his direction with a scowl. Once they're in the semi-privacy of the hallway he explodes.

"What the fuck is going on? Where have you been?"

"I've been here, Roman. And a bit busy, mind you."

"A bit busy?" Roman scoffs. "A bit busy? Well, I'm so sorry to bother you with my tiny problem. The thing is: my friend is coughing blood and having trouble breathing. So maybe you might try and find the time-"

"Roman," Pryce says seriously. "This is no time for sarcasm. That is the least of your worries."

"Oh! Is it?" Roman continues with his sarcasm.

"She is stable and her oxygen levels are rising," Pryce explains. "What you should be worried about is your mother."

"My mother? Where is she?" Roman asks.

"I am not sure," Pryce admits. "She's killed Prycilla."

"Killed?"

"Yes," he confirms solemnly.

"Where's Shelley?"

"She's safe. She doesn't even know yet." Pryce's face shows genuine sadness for the young woman's loss. He had promised her, had worked her whole life to give her this new body. "I thought you should be the one to tell her."

"Olivia should have to," he says venomously. "Why did she... Why would she... Were you not going to tell me?"

"It's been incredibly difficult to keep this under wraps. It's a mess downstairs," Pryce tries to explain. "I believe she thought the stem cells would heal her cancer." Roman doesn't fully catch what he's saying. He's far down the hallway by the time Pryce is done speaking. He races through the hallways until a locked corridor stops him. Pryce tries to keep up with him.

"Unlock it!"

"I am," Pryce replies calmly. He scans his badge and the doors click open. Roman pushes past him and towards the elevator. Down several floors is Shelley's room. Once they're close it becomes evidently clear that they're too late. The sound of Shelley's wails echo through the empty hallways. Roman's speed slows down, his stomach drops.

The follow the sounds until they find a trail of blood. It's coming from the room Pryce had taken him to a few weeks earlier- the room where he stores Prycilla. The trail seems so out of place on the clean, white floors. It leads them to his sister. She sits on a pool of blood and cradles Prycilla in her hands. The body looks so small and fragile in comparison to his sister.

Roman slowly approaches, crouching lower and lower to Shelley's level. She only cries harder at the sight of him. He doesn't dare to move closer. Prycilla is practically ripped to pieces. Her ribs are exposed, and all of her intestines spill out. "Is the building locked down?" He asks Pryce. He speaks slowly and quietly, trying to no upset Shelley more. Pryce gives him a barely noticeable nod.

Roman stands and meets Pryce face to face. "The lower levels are locked down," Pryce explains. "We have been searching for her. We couldn't lock down the upstairs without causing a panic."

"I'm going to go find her. You need to make this right."

.....

When Roman had left her room to find Pryce she thought he'd be back soon. When 30 minutes passes Emma gets worried. Her phone calls go unanswered. Another 30 minutes pass when she realizes she can't wait anymore. He wouldn't leave her this long unless something serious was happening.