Chapter 2 - The Woman in Room 814
The pharmacy investigation began before midnight.
Hospital security sealed the medication storage area.
Westbridge's legal department arrived.
So did two investigators from the state pharmacy board.
Daniel was nowhere to be found.
His employee badge had been deactivated at 10:41 p.m.
His hospital account was frozen at 10:46.
Security footage showed him leaving through the employee garage shortly before noon.
He carried a silver insulated medical transport case.
The same type used for temperature-controlled medication.
Emily sat beside Lily while the hospital fought to keep her alive.
Another facility forty miles away had one emergency dose.
A police escort was bringing it.
Dr. Bennett refused to promise Lily would survive long enough for it to arrive.
At 12:17 a.m., Lily's blood pressure fell again.
Emily held her hand.
"Stay with me, sweetheart."
Lily did not respond.
"You promised we'd finish the castle."
Months earlier, Lily had begun building a miniature wooden castle in the garage with Emily.
Daniel had called it useless clutter.
Lily had painted one tiny door bright blue.
Emily leaned close.
"We still need the tower."
The monitor beeped.
"You haven't picked the flag."
Another beep.
"You can't leave before we finish."
The sliding doors opened.
Dr. Bennett entered.
"The medication is twelve minutes away."
Emily nodded without looking up.
Bennett hesitated.
"There's something else."
Emily turned.
"What?"
"Security found where Daniel took the first dose."
Her stomach tightened.
"Where?"
Dr. Bennett placed a folded paper on the table.
"Riverside Private Clinic."
Emily recognized the name.
An expensive facility across town.
"Who received it?"
Bennett did not immediately answer.
"Michael."
"Her name is Vanessa Reed."
Emily had never heard it before.
"Who is she?"
"Thirty-one. No documented medical need matching Lily's medication."
Emily stood slowly.
"Then why would Daniel give it to her?"
"We don't know."
Emily picked up her phone.
"Where is she?"
Bennett's eyes sharpened.
"Emily, don't go anywhere tonight."
"I'm not leaving Lily."
"Good."
His tone told her there was more.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Bennett looked toward the sleeping child.
"Vanessa isn't at the clinic anymore."
"Where did she go?"
"She left approximately twenty minutes after receiving the medication."
"Then Daniel knows where she is."
"Possibly."
Emily looked at him.
"And the second dose?"
Bennett's silence answered before his words did.
"Also missing."
Emily felt something twist inside her chest.
"Daniel took both?"
"We think so."
The replacement dose arrived eleven minutes later under police escort.
It was administered immediately.
For nearly an hour, nothing changed.
Then Lily's oxygen level rose.
Seventy-eight.
Eighty-two.
Eighty-seven.
Ninety-one.
Emily cried silently into both hands.
Dr. Bennett did not smile yet.
But his shoulders loosened.
At 2:43 a.m., Lily opened her eyes for three seconds.
"Mom?"
Emily nearly collapsed.
"I'm here."
Lily closed them again.
But she had spoken.
She had come back.
At 3:10 a.m., a security officer entered.
"Mrs. Carter?"
Emily looked up.
"We found your husband."
"Where?"
The officer's expression made her heart jump.
"He's still inside Westbridge."
Emily stared at him.
"That's impossible. You said he left."
"He came back."
"When?"
"About thirty minutes ago."
"Why?"
The officer hesitated.
"We're not sure."
Then his radio crackled.
A voice came through.
"Unit three, suspect located. Eighth floor."
The officer grabbed his radio.
"What's on eight?"
Dr. Bennett answered before anyone else could.
"Administrative offices."
The radio crackled again.
"No. He's not in administration."
A pause.
"He's in room 814."
Dr. Bennett went completely still.
Emily noticed.
"What is room 814?"
Bennett looked at her.
"That's not an administrative room."
"What is it?"
He swallowed.
"It's a private isolation suite."
Emily stared.
"For who?"
Before Bennett could answer, the security officer's radio spoke again.
"We've got a woman inside."
May you like
The officer looked at Emily.
"Name on the temporary chart says Vanessa Reed."
