The heart monitor displayed a straight line.
Ding—
George looked at the image on the heart monitor, seemingly recalling something, and instinctively placed a hand on his chest.
His heart had stopped beating.
Yet he was still alive.
Clearly.
From this moment, George was no longer the sheriff of the Twenty-First District, but the vampire sheriff of the Twenty-First District.
Gwen instinctively looked at Hawk.
Meeting Gwen's gaze, Hawk gave a slight nod.
Gwen gasped, then looked at George, who was sitting on the bed, clutching his chest, his expression somewhat dazed.
"Dad—"
"Bang!"
The night doctor burst through the hospital room door, gasping for breath.
Then…
The night doctor looked at Hawk and Gwen standing there, then at George, who was sitting on the bed with a hollow look in his eyes, and finally, his gaze landed on the constantly alarming monitor. He twitched his lips.
The next second.
He didn't speak but walked straight to the monitor, canceled the alarm directly, then turned off the machine, and finally turned towards the door. When he reached the door, he turned back, looking somewhat speechless, and said, "Is holding your breath fun? We are very busy."
With that said.
The night doctor turned and walked out, looking a bit grim, ignoring the two arriving officers.
The two arriving officers looked at the untroubled George, sighed in relief, and then one of them looked at Hawk.
"Mr. Phoenix."
"I am."
"There's a lady named Catherine Pierce downstairs. She said you called her over."
"Yes."
Hawk's eyes lit up, nodding, "Has she arrived?"
The officer nodded, then held his radio, turning to leave the room with his companion, contacting his colleagues who had completely secured the area.
The officer downstairs, after receiving the message, walked over to Catherine Pierce, who was standing just outside the security line not far away.
"You can go up now."
"Thank you."
Catherine smiled, thanked him, and then entered the hospital building under the officer's watchful eye.
Soon.
The elevator arrived.
Ding!
After Catherine stepped out of the elevator, she almost instantly found George Stacy's room, following the lingering scent of vampires here, and the scent of a just transformed vampire.
The two officers at the door exchanged a glance and opened the door.
Catherine thanked them again and, upon entering, immediately saw the newborn vampire George sitting on the hospital bed with a somewhat lifeless expression.
Then she immediately shifted her gaze to Hawk, standing not far away.
"Mr. Phoenix."
"Hawk."
Hawk smiled and said, "You and Gwen are friends, so you are my friend too. Did you find the Sunlight Ring?"
He didn't know if Catherine's encounter with Gwen was accidental or intentional.
Hawk didn't need to know either.
The phrase goes.
Judge by actions, not by intentions. Regardless of Catherine's reasons for approaching Gwen, at least so far, Gwen didn't dislike her and had even invited her into her small shopping group.
So…
Gwen's friends were his friends too.
Catherine nodded, taking a Sunlight Ring from her pocket.
Just as she was about to speak, Gwen, beside her, hugged Catherine and said, "Thank you."
Gwen was curious about how Hawk got Catherine here, but after hearing about the Sunlight Ring, she understood. After a quick embrace with Catherine, she took the Sunlight Ring and ran to the bedside.
Just as Gwen thought the Sunlight Ring was a bit small, it expanded automatically upon touching George's finger, fitting perfectly onto his finger.
The next moment.
George, who was sitting still as if petrified, suddenly had his pupils rapidly constrict, returning to his senses, and looked down at his hand on his chest once again.
It's simple.
Because he felt his heart, which had just stopped beating, begin to beat again.
The 'Sunlight Ring,' forged by witchcraft, not only allowed vampires to walk under daylight but also enabled them to restore their heartbeat and body temperature no different from ordinary people.
After all, in the days of the Holy Inquisition.
Witches would be burned to death.
Vampires too would be burned to death, which is why witches and vampires banded together.
George looked at the Sunlight Ring on his left finger, which brought his heartbeat back again.
"This is…"
"This is the Sunlight Ring."
Gwen explained: "Dad, after you wear this ring, you won't fear sunlight, and Mom and others won't notice you've turned into a vampire."
George looked up at Gwen.
Gwen, looking nervous and with a hint of pleading in her eyes, met George's gaze.
Their eyes met.
Hawk, watching this scene, looked at Catherine and quietly said, "Blood Red Apocalypse seems to be an organization that worships vampires, have you heard of it?"
Catherine was slightly taken aback.
"Blood Red Apocalypse?"
"Yes."
"No."
Catherine shook her head, "But finding them isn't hard."
She had been to New York City and was quite familiar with it, but that was in the last century.