Chapter 4: The Person in Room 417
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Then Detective Hale grabbed my phone.
“Stay here,” he said.
I pointed through the glass.
“My daughter is in there.””
“I know.””
“Someone is accessing her file from inside this ICU.””
“I know.””
“Then don't tell me to stay here.””
Hale looked at me, and something in his expression softened.
“Then stay behind me.””
He pushed open the ICU doors.
I followed.
The nurses were still gathered around Lily's bed. Dr. Reyes stood at the head of it, issuing clipped instructions while another nurse adjusted the oxygen.
“What's happening?”” I demanded.
Dr. Reyes looked at me.
“She had a sudden cardiac response. Her oxygen saturation dropped.””
“Why?””
“We don't know yet.””
I looked at Lily.
Her eyes were closed.
Her tiny chest rose and fell beneath the wires.
“Can she hear me?””
“Possibly.””
I stepped closer.
“Lily?””
Her eyelids fluttered.
“Mommy…”
“I’m here.””
The heart monitor continued its rapid rhythm.
Dr. Reyes glanced at Hale.
“What happened?””
Hale showed him the phone.
“Someone accessed her file using Margaret Whitaker's credentials.””
Dr. Reyes frowned.
“When?””
“Less than a minute ago.””
“From where?””
Hale pointed toward the screen.
“Room 417.””
The doctor's face changed.
He looked around the room.
“We're in 417.””
Nobody spoke.
Hale slowly turned toward the equipment beside Lily's bed.
“Can you check whether anything was connected to her?””
Dr. Reyes stared at him.
“You think someone tampered with her equipment?””
“I think someone is accessing a restricted medical record from inside a locked ICU room.””
Dr. Reyes immediately turned toward the nurses.
“Everyone step back.””
A nurse named Elena froze beside the IV stand.
“I haven't touched anything except the monitor.””
“Neither have I,” another nurse said.
Hale looked at me.
“Who was in this room?””
I counted.
“Me. Dr. Reyes.
The nurses. Calvin. Margaret.””
“And?””
I thought.
“The nurse who brought the evidence bag.””
“Anyone else?””
I shook my head.
Then I remembered.
“Housekeeping.””
Hale turned.
“When?””
“Before I came back from the consultation room. A man came in with a cleaning cart.””
Dr. Reyes frowned.
“We don't normally have housekeeping in the ICU during medication rounds.””
Hale's eyes narrowed.
“What did he look like?””
“Blue uniform. Gray hair.””
Elena suddenly spoke.
“That wasn't housekeeping.””
Everyone looked at her.
She swallowed.
“He didn't have the hospital badge.””
Hale stepped toward her.
“Why didn't you stop him?””
“I thought he was with facilities.””
“Did he touch anything?””
She looked toward Lily's bedside table.
“He asked where the family belongings were kept.””
My stomach dropped.
“Why?””
“I don't know.””
Hale looked at the table.
Lily's lavender hair clip sat there.
The one the hospital had found in her clothing.
My eyes moved toward the evidence bag.
The broken piece of the watch was gone.
I stepped closer.
“Detective.””
He followed my gaze.
“Where's the evidence?””
He checked his hand.
His face hardened.
“I gave it to you.””
“No.””
He looked down.
The plastic bag was empty.
Dr. Reyes stared at it.
“That was sealed.””
Hale's jaw tightened.
“Who opened it?””
Nobody answered.
Then Lily whispered.
“Mommy.””
I rushed to her.
Her eyes were barely open.
“I'm here.””
She moved her lips.
I leaned closer.
“What is it?””
Her fingers trembled against the sheet.
“He came back.””
“Who?””
She looked past me.
Toward the door.
I turned.
A figure stood behind the glass.
Blue uniform.
Gray hair.
He was looking directly at Lily.
Then he smiled.
Not warmly.
Not nervously.
Knowingly.
Hale spun toward the door.
“Stop!””
The man turned and ran.
Hale sprinted after him.
I stayed beside Lily.
The man disappeared around the corner.
A crash echoed down the hallway.
Then silence.
Dr. Reyes came beside me.
“Lily, sweetheart, can you tell me who that was?””
She shook her head.
“He said Daddy didn't do it.””
My heart stopped.
“What did he say?””
“He said Daddy wasn't the bad one.””
I looked at Dr. Reyes.
He looked at me.
“Lily,” I whispered, “who is the bad one?””
She began to cry.
“He said you'd know.””
“Know what?””
She closed her eyes.
Then she whispered a name.
I didn't recognize it.
Not at first.
“Ethan.””
Dr. Reyes frowned.
“Who's Ethan?””
Lily's breathing became shallow.
I touched her forehead.
“Lily, honey, look at me.””
Her eyes opened.
“Ethan Whitaker.””
I froze.
That name belonged to someone I hadn't thought about in years.
Calvin's younger brother.
His twin.
Dead at twenty-four.
I looked at Dr. Reyes.
He saw the answer in my face.
“You know him?””
I nodded slowly.
“Ethan died eight years ago.””
Lily shook her head.
“No.””
Her voice was stronger now.
“He didn't.””
The door slammed open.
Hale returned, breathing hard.
“He got away.””
I looked at him.
“Who?””
Hale shook his head.
“We're pulling security footage.””
“He said his name was Ethan.””
Hale stared at me.
“Ethan who?””
“Ethan Whitaker.””
The detective's expression became unreadable.
“That's impossible.””
“That's what I thought.””
“Calvin's brother?””
“Yes.””
Hale looked toward Lily.
“Your daughter knows that name?””
“I don't know.””
“Has she ever met him?””
“No.””
He stared at me.
“Are you sure?””
I felt a chill crawl across my arms.
“I was told Ethan died eight years ago.””
Hale said nothing.
Then his radio crackled.
“Detective Hale?””
He lifted it.
“Yes?””
“We have a problem.””
“What kind?””
A pause.
“The hospital camera system just lost twelve minutes of footage.””
Hale looked at me.
“Which twelve minutes?””
May you like
The radio crackled again.
“The twelve minutes covering Room 417.””
