Early in the morning, a veteran nurse, Mrs Emily, meticulously filled in the last entry on her clipboard despite her eyes crinkling at the corners due to a sleepless night. "Blood pressure stable, vitals good."
"Scar tissue healing nicely, though still sensitive to the touch," she then murmured, her pen flying across the page. Beside her, another nurse, Aviani, was busy putting away the equipment used during the routine check-ups earlier.
"He's quite a fighter, alright," Avani suddenly yet quietly remarked, which caused Mrs. Emily to look up and see that she was glancing at the young man, Edwin, who was fiddling with a worn silver pendant dangling from a leather cord around his neck on the bed for a while now. "Never seen anyone bounce back that well after going through such a catastrophe as he has."
"Yeah, he really is something," Mrs Emily replied, lightly nodding with a soft smile appearing on her lips. "With those kinds of injuries, it was nothing short of a miraculous recovery."
Buzz~
Avani's pocket suddenly buzzed, startling her. She quickly pulled the phone out, and her eyes widened when she saw the caller ID. "Oh no…"
"What's wrong? Who's calling?" Mrs Emily asked curiously after noticing Avani glancing at her. This caused Avani to hesitate momentarily, then she said, "It's my little brother."
"He must have caused some trouble again if he calls me right now." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I really should take this. Can you finish up here? I'll be back in a jiffy."
"Sure thing," Mrs Emily said, waving her hand dismissively. "Go ahead. I can deal with the remaining stuff."
"Thank you," she said with gratitude before hurriedly leaving the room with her phone pressed to her ear. After Avani left the room, Mrs. Emily clicked her pen shut and placed it and the clipboard onto the medical cart.
"Alright, Edwin," Mrs Emily said, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she approached his bedside. "From what I can see, you're recovering very steadily."
Hearing her words, Edwin looked up, his gaze meeting hers directly, while the silver pendant he had been fiddling with slipped from his grasp and swung gently. With a mischievous look in his eyes, he replied, "That's such a relief."
"I was starting to worry I'd turn into a zombie or something with all this bland hospital food lately." He added, looking at his stomach, which caused Mrs. Emily to chuckle and utter, "A zombie, huh?"
"Well, I guess that's one way to look at it. But don't worry, we'll keep you healthy and human, no matter what." Mrs Emily said, her smile widening before a small frown creased her brow as Mrs Emily's gaze drifted towards the empty IV bag beside Edwin's bed on the IV drip stand.
"Just a moment, please," she said, quickly moving toward the medical cart they had brought earlier and immediately rummaging through the supplies, pulling out a new IV bag and saline solution. "I need to replace this IV bag."
After heading toward the IV drip stand, Mrs Emily efficiently replaced the empty IV bag with a fresh one and carefully checked the flow rate, adjusting the drip to a steady trickle. "There we go."
"Mrs. Emily, can you help me?" Edwin called out just as she turned from the IV drip stand, looking satisfied. Stopping in her tracks, Mrs. Emily looked at him with a questioning stare. "Sure, dear. What do you need?"
"Can you help me find the TV remote? I swear I had it near me earlier," He said, looking around the bed, his gaze sweeping over the small bedside cabinet. Mrs. Emily walked back to his bedside. "Sure, no problem at all."
"Let's see… where could it be?" She murmured, quickly scanned the immediate area, checking the sheets and the top of the cabinet. "Did it fall off the bed, maybe?"
It didn't take long before her eyes noticed the TV remote lying on the floor beside the small cabinet, and she immediately bent down and picked it up. After getting up and turning toward him, Mrs Emily handed the TV remote. "Here you go."
"Thank you," he replied politely, taking the TV remote from her and placing it to his side while Mrs. Emily heads to the medical cart. As she tidied up the remaining equipment and placed it back in each of its compartments, Mrs. Emily glanced at the books on the small cabinet and sighed quietly.
"Honestly, I'm still amazed. He really did keep his word," Mrs. Emily murmured, her gaze continued to linger on the various books neatly stacked on the small cabinet beside Edwin's bed. "Changing these books every few days, even with his busy schedule... that's dedication, I must say."
A soft smile touched her lips as her mind drifted back to a few days after Edwin had woken up, recalling a specific conversation with David.
"Mrs. Emily, can I ask you something?" David had approached her, looking a little nervous. Sensing his hesitation, Mrs. Emily put her phone down and looked directly toward him. "Of course, David. What's on your mind?"
"It's about Edwin," he began, glancing towards Edwin's room. "I was wondering if… if it would be possible for me to visit him more often? Just to bring him some books or talk, you know?"
"You know the level of protection Edwin is under, David. It's quite strict. Only a few designated staff members, like myself, are officially cleared to have regular access." Mrs. Emily said, raising an eyebrow. Seeing that Mrs. Emily was on the defensive, David sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, I know. And I wouldn't even ask if it wasn't…well, important to me, but he's my nephew, and I want to give him something to pass the time."
"Your nephew? Why didn't you say anything to me before?" Mrs. Emily asked, looking surprised at the news. Turning a bit sheepish, David said, "It's a long story, Mrs. Emily."
"It is a bit complicated if I'm going to explain right now," David had mumbled, looking a bit uncomfortable. "But anyway, would it be possible? I can just drop them off and go. I won't disturb him."
At that moment, Mrs. Emily quietly pondered the idea in her mind.
'While the government order is important, Edwin's rehabilitation and mental health were equally important as well. Seeing a familiar face and having comforting routines might help him recuperate faster. Plus, David was also a trustworthy coworker.'
"Hmm," she had mused, "it's a bit tricky with the security protocols around Edwin. As you know, not just anyone can come and go from his room."
"I understand," David had quickly interjected, looking a little disheartened. "I just thought… maybe it would help him."
"Hold on, I didn't say no," Mrs. Emily had reassured him with a gentle smile. "Let me see what I can do. We want what's best for Edwin, and if a few books from his uncle can help, then we should try to make it happen."
Afterwards, she went through the proper channels, explaining the situation to the head nurse and even speaking with one of the government agents assigned to Edwin's case. After a few discussions and reassurances from Mrs. Emily about David's reliability and the therapeutic benefits, David was granted limited access and permission to meet with Edwin, as well as bring some books for him, but under the condition that he was under close supervision by the government agent.
"And he's really made the most of it," Mrs. Emily secretly chuckled, recalling how the strict supervision had eventually become more relaxed as the days passed before glancing her sight toward Edwin, who appeared to have started reading a book with the cover seemed to be a worn paperback depicting a bustling city skyline at night. "Huh? A detective book?"
"Do you enjoy reading that book?" She suddenly asked, leaning against the medical cart. Edwin turned his gaze from the book and toward her while nodding a few times with his eyes slightly widened. "Yeah, I really do actually."
"I know that a detective story has some twists and turns, but reading this one for a while," Edwin replied, glancing at the pages. " I honestly didn't expect the plot to be very interesting."
"Ah, a mystery fan, I see," Mrs Emily said, nodding understandingly. "You know, I used to devour those kinds of books myself as well when I was younger."
"But you wouldn't believe some of the things this detective does in this book," Edwin said, shaking his head in disbelief. Feeling intrigued, Mrs. Emily pushed off the cart and walked closer to the bed while replying, "Oh really? Do tell."
"Well, for starters, he's always in these super dangerous situations, but he acts like it's just a normal Tuesday," Edwin explained, gesturing with his free hand. "And he's got this weird way of solving cases. It's like he sees things nobody else does, but then he'll do something totally reckless, and you're left wondering if he's brilliant or just plain crazy."
Mrs. Emily chuckled. "Sounds like quite the character. Is he one of those 'lone wolf' types, or does he have a partner?"
"Total lone wolf," Edwin confirmed, turning a few pages. "He works with the police sometimes, but he mostly does his own thing. And he's got this apartment that's supposedly a mess, but he can find anything in it. It's bizarre."
"I've read a few like that," Mrs. Emily mused. "Sometimes those messy detectives are the best at finding order in chaos. Is there a big mystery he's trying to solve right now?"
"Yeah, then there's this serial killer who leaves behind these really strange clues," Edwin said, his voice lowering a bit as if sharing a secret. "And the detective keeps getting these weird visions, almost like he's connected to the killer's mind. It's intense."
"Visions, huh? That's a new twist," Mrs. Emily commented, leaning against the bedside table. "So, is he close to catching the killer?"
Just then, as he was about to explain, a gentle but insistent buzzing sound came from Mrs Emily's pocket out of nowhere. She immediately reached inside and pulled out her phone, glancing at the screen. Her expression soon shifted slightly.
"Oh, excuse me for just a moment, Edwin," she said apologetically, her thumb hovering over the answer button. "I think this might be a call I need to take."
Edwin nodded understandingly. "No worries at all, Mrs Emily. Go ahead."
Mrs Emily answered the phone, holding it to her ear. "Hello? ... Yes, speaking... Oh, I see... Right away."
She hung up the phone and turned back to Edwin, a slightly more serious expression appearing on her face. "Edwin, I am so sorry, but it seems I need to head off now. There's something that requires my immediate attention."
"Everything alright?" Edwin asked, noticing the change in her demeanour. "You're making a pretty scary expression."
"Yes, yes, everything's fine," Mrs Emily said, reassuring him quickly with her expression, trying to look nonchalant as much as she could, despite a hint of urgency remaining in her voice. "It's just something I need to sort out. But I'll be back to check on you later, alright?"
"Okay, Mrs Emily," Edwin said, smiling. "Thanks a lot."
"You take care, Edwin," Mrs Emily said, returning his smile while swiftly and efficiently gathering her things from the medical cart. And remember, if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to press the nurse call button."
"Bye, Edwin," Mrs Emily said, giving him a final warm smile before turning and quickly pushing the medical cart out of the room. After hearing the gentle click, Edwin sighed softly, his gaze lingering on the closed door for a few silent seconds. "There she goes…"
"Back to reading, I guess," he murmured, looking down at the pages he was enjoying earlier with a faint smile. While he was adjusting himself slightly against the pillows to get more comfortable, outside in the hallway, Mrs Emily's friendly smile vanished as she wheeled the medical cart with surprising speed towards room 307. Her brow was furrowed with concern, and she muttered, "Please, please let him not have made things worse."
Reaching room 307, she pushed the door open without knocking, her eyes immediately scanning the scene. A young woman lay still in the bed, her face pale and her breathing shallow. Beside her stood a man, his back to the door, fiddling nervously with some equipment attached to a monitor.
"What's the situation?" Mrs Emily asked sharply, her voice losing its earlier gentle tone. The man whirled around, his eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and panic. "Mrs Emily!"
"Thank goodness you're here. Her heart rate… it just plummeted." He gestured frantically at the monitor, where the numbers were indeed dropping rapidly. Mrs.Emily didn't waste any time. She moved swiftly to the bedside, her experienced eyes assessing the patient's condition.
"What did you do, you idiot?!?" she asked, her voice firm but controlled. "I told you just to monitor her vitals, and nothing else!"
"I… I just wanted to make sure everything was working properly. I adjusted the oxygen flow a little, and then… then this happened." The man replied, wrung his hands, and Mrs Emily's lips tightened. "Adjusted the oxygen flow? WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT?!"
"She's on a very precise setting for a reason! Her lungs are incredibly fragile." She quickly began checking the equipment, her fingers moving with practised efficiency. "Get me the emergency resuscitation kit, now!"
"I'm so sorry, Mrs Emily. I didn't mean to…" The man said, scrambling to obey. His face was etched with guilt and fear, but he was immediately silent when he noticed Mrs.Emily glaring at him. "Just shut up…"
"And hurry up!" Mrs Emily snapped, her focus entirely on the young woman in the bed. She gently took the patient's wrist to check her pulse. "Come on, come one, stay with us."
"If anything happened to you," she murmured, her voice softening slightly. "Your father would never forgive me."
To Be Continued