((Private))
Dr. Gregorio Vicente Osorio de Moscoso hurried down the street, heading off for a local supplier. Prince Pelayo was due for a check-up later today and the doctor had discovered he was all out of the usual medication he prescribed the young man. If he was fast enough, he could get the medicine and be back before the man arrived for his check-up.
As Gregorio rounded a corner, he nearly tripped over himself as he came face to face with the mysterious stranger who had so ruined his life. Every time he met this man, something terrible happened.
"My good doctor, how pleasant to see you."
Gregorio was in no mood for such pleasantries. "What do you want? I already voted the way you wanted in the election."
The stranger, who despite several encounters Gregorio had never learned his name, rubbed his hands together and grinned. "I'm afraid that I must ask more of you."
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Gregorio went to walk past the man, but he held out an arm to block his way.
"Don't be so hasty, Doctor. Our business is not yet complete."
Knowing that the man would not let him go unless he humoured him, Gregorio said, "So what is it that you want then?"
"As the royal physician, you must see the royal family quite a bit. How often are you in their presence and how accessible are they?"
Gregorio immediately scowled at that, for every time he spoke of the king or his family with this man, it made him feel like he was committing treason. "His Majesty is quite healthy and has not had much need of me, as well as most of his family. Only his half-brother Pelayo sees me regularly. Why are you so interested in them anyway?"
"Let's just say that ever since our party leader was removed, some of the more left-leaning members of the MpL have taken a strong interest in the royal family. Would you happen to have any appointments planned for them soon?"
Gregorio nearly blurted out about Pelayo's visit today, but held back. He wasn't going to share such things with this man. "Not any time soon."
The mysterious stranger tsked and wagged his finger at the doctor. "Doctor, you are such a terrible liar. My sources have already told me that the prince is due at your office shortly. Perhaps you will introduce us."
"I am not in the habit of letting people like you anywhere near the royal family." With nothing more to say, Gregorio shoved past the man.
There was a brief moment of hope that that would be that, but then Gregorio felt the barrel of a gun pressed against his back. He thought to shout out, to draw the attention of a nearby bystander, but his assailant pushed the gun up harder against him and said, "I'm afraid that was not a request. Let's take a walk to the palace."
The two made their way slowly towards the palace. Each time Gregorio felt ready to shout out or bolt, the gun was pressed harder into his back. Getting passed the palace security was tricky, but when you had a gun to your back you tended to be creative. Soon they were in his office, and judging by the sounds coming from the other room, Pelayo had already arrived and was waiting for him. The stranger heard him as well and whispered, "I would so enjoy if you introduced me and my little friend to the prince."
This could not be happening. He had fallen so far over the years, hooked on morphine and opium, barely able to keep up professional appearances, all while being blackmailed into aiding this radical liberal. So many times he had failed to escape his own sins and vices, but they had only harmed him up until now. Knowing that his actions were about to harm another, especially dear Pelayo, was too much for him. He had to do something, and that was when he noticed the syringe of morphine laying on the nearby table. Of course such drugs should not be out in the open, but Gregorio had been sloppy as of lately. Now that might prove beneficial at last. Faking a stumble, Gregorio moved closer to the table. The stranger was quick to keep the gun pointed his way, but didn't notice the doctor take up the syringe in his hand. Knowing he needed a distraction, Gregorio subtly pushed a beaker onto the floor. The shattering glass made the stranger jump. "You fool. You'll alert the prince."
Distracted briefly by the dropped beaker, the mysterious stranger didn't notice Gregorio's arm lash out. The syringe sank right into his neck, injecting him with a full dose of morphine. Enraged by the sudden attack and with a needle lodged in his neck, the stranger pulled the trigger of his revolver, firing off a shot. It shattered a nearby window, and the doctor felt a sharp pain in his side, possibly from broken glass. Gregorio tried to get at the gun, but was instead pistol whipped in the face, sending him sprawling backwards.
Alerted by the gunshot, Prince Pelayo opened the door to the office, spotting the armed assailant with a gun in his hand and the royal physician trying to regain his balance. A grin spread across the assassin's face at the sight of the prince, aiming his revolver up at him. That made Gregorio regain his balance quickly enough. No one was assassinating the prince on his watch. With agility unusual for a man his age, Gregorio lunged at the assassin, colliding with him just as the gun went off. The shot went wide, the bullet lodging in the door frame. That was surely better than hitting the prince, although the shot had been close enough to send the man reeling backwards.
Before the assailant could recover, Gregorio tried to pry the gun from his hand, but his grip was like iron. Instead he went for the needle still lodged in the man's neck, prying it loose and stabbing straight for the jugular over and over. The advantage of being a doctor was knowing the best place to stab someone to cause the most injury. Blood spurted from the man's neck, covering the doctor in arterial spray. Gregorio was finally able to pry the revolver loose, but by then the assassin was starting to lose consciousness from blood loss. He watched the man's life slip away, and with that the last threat hanging over his life. He was finally free.
As Prince Pelayo walked back in the room, still somewhat startled from the shot that nearly hit him, Gregorio started to cry, and then to sob. "He's dead. He's finally dead." Having enough mental capacity left to realize Pelayo probably had no idea what he was talking about and shouldn't know about his connections with the radical side of the MpL, he added, "The assassin is dead. Thank God you're safe."
Gregorio went to move towards the prince, but his legs gave out beneath him. They were numb, and most of his body felt so cold. In fact, he was feeling a bit light-headed as well. As he looked down towards his legs, he noticed a large red stain spreading from his torso. Apparently the sharp pain from earlier had not been broken class embedding in his skin but a bullet passing through his side. Well that was just perfect. As Gregorio lost consciousness, his last thought was of hoping he had trained his assistants well enough to save him.
