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 murmured, her pen flying across the page. Beside her, another nurse, Aviani, was busily putting away the equipment that was used during routine check-ups earlier.
"He's 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 on the bed who fiddling with a worn silver pendant dangling from a leather cord around his neck. "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."
The young man, Edwin, looked up, his gaze meeting hers directly, with the silver pendant he had been fiddling with slipped from his grasp and swinging gently on its chain.
"Steady recovery, huh? Well, that's a relief," he replied, a hint of a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I was starting to worry I'd turn into a zombie or something with all this bland hospital food lately."
"A zombie, huh?" Mrs.Emily chuckled, her smile widening. "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."
A small frown creased her brow as Mrs.Emily's gaze soon drifted towards the empty IV bag beside Edwin's bed on the IV drip stand. "Hmmm…?"
"Just a moment, Edwin," 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."
"Yikes, it looks like it's about time for me to get going," Mrs.Emily said, glancing at the clock on the wall. As she tidied up the remaining equipment and placed it back into its compartment in the medical cart, she asked, "Is there Anything else I can get you before I go, Edwin?"
"Actually, yes," Edwin said, looking around. Can you help me find the TV remote? I can't seem to find it anywhere."
"Sure, no problem," Mrs.Emily replied, quickly scanning around the room. It didn't take long before her eyes noticed the TV remote lying on the floor beside the small cabinet. "There you are."
'I guess Edwin must have knocked it down without realising,' She thought, bending down and picking it up. After getting up and turning toward him, Mrs.Emily handed the TV remote and said, "Here you go."
"Thanks, Mrs.Emily," he replied, taking the TV remote from her. "You're a lifesaver. I've been looking for the TV remote since last night."
"Oh, that explains why you're sitting quietly reading a book," Mrs.Emily chuckled, staring at the book on the small cabinet. The cover was a worn paperback depicting a bustling city skyline at night. "Did you enjoy reading that book, by the way?"
"Yeah, that detective book's actually pretty good," Edwin replied, nodding while glancing at the book. "I know that a detective story has some twists and turns, but the plot inside that book is really interesting."
"Ah, a mystery fan, I see," Mrs.Emily said, nodding understandingly. "I used to devour those kinds of books myself as well when I was younger."
"You wouldn't believe some of the things this detective does," Edwin said, shaking his head in disbelief. "He's like a human chameleon, always blending in and observing the smallest details."
"A human chameleon, huh? That sounds fascinating!" Mrs.Emily exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with interest. "It's amazing what some authors can come up with. Makes you think about the world differently, doesn't it?"
"Totally!" Edwin agreed enthusiastically, gesturing with the TV remote. "Like, you think you're seeing one thing, but then BAM! The detective notices some random, tiny details that change everything. It's wild."
Mrs.Emily leaned against the medical cart, clearly enjoying the conversation. "It really is. There's a certain satisfaction in trying to piece the puzzle together alongside the detective, isn't there? Trying to spot the clues before they're revealed."
"Exactly!" Edwin exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "And sometimes, the most innocent-looking person turns out to be the culprit. It keeps you on your toes, you know?"
Mrs.Emily chuckled. "Oh, I know the feeling all too well. Those are the books that keep you up way past your bedtime, desperately needing to know how it all ends."
"You got it!" Edwin snapped his fingers playfully. "This one's got me hooked. I keep thinking I've figured it out, but then the author throws in another curveball. It's brilliant!"
"It sounds like a real page-turner," Mrs.Emily said, her eyes twinkling. "Maybe you can lend it to me once you're done with it."
"Definitely! I'd be happy to," Edwin replied warmly. "We can even discuss all the theories and plot twists."
Just then, a gentle but insistent buzzing sound came from Mrs.Emily's pocket. She reached inside and pulled out her phone, glancing at the screen. Her expression 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, offering a small smile."Thanks a lot."
"You take care, Edwin," Mrs.Emily said, returning his smile while gathering her things from the medical cart with swift, efficient movements. "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.
"Back to reading," he murmured, looking down at the worn paperback in his hands with a faint smile returning to his lips before adjusting himself slightly against the pillows and resuming reading.
Meanwhile, 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 to just 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 practiced efficiency. "Get me the emergency resuscitation kit, now!"
"I'm so sorry, Mrs.Emily. I didn't mean to…" Daniel 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, checking 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