Chapter 4 - The Patient in 418
The halls of the maternity wing felt longer, the air thinner, as Rachel returned to Room 418. She had to pass the nurse’s station where Cole’s loyalists watched her every move. She kept her head down, clutching a stack of routine observation charts as her cover.
When she stepped into the room, the silence was suffocating. Claire Mercer was awake, propped up by thin hospital pillows. She looked ghostly, her skin translucent, her eyes wide and unfocused. A monitor rhythmically beeped, tracking a steady but weak heartbeat.
"Claire?" Rachel whispered, closing the door firmly.
The new mother’s eyes flickered. "The bell," she murmured, her voice a dry rasp. "I heard it. It was deep... low. I was counting the seconds until he came. Then the lights went bright, and Dr. Cole was there, but he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at the clock."
Rachel pulled a chair close, blocking the view from the hallway. "Claire, listen to me. They gave you something to make you doubt what you heard. Do you remember who gave you that injection? Was it the nurse, or was it Dr. Cole?"
Claire struggled to focus. "Cole. He said... he said it was for the pain. But it didn't take the pain away. It just took the time away. It made the world feel like it was melting."
Rachel felt a surge of professional fury. Sedating a patient to manipulate their perception of reality was a felony, a gross violation of the Hippocratic Oath. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the 12:07 bracelet. She placed it into Claire’s palm, closing the woman’s fingers over the plastic.
"This was on him first," Rachel said softly. "You aren't losing your mind. You were a witness to a crime."
Claire began to weep, quiet, racking sobs that shook her fragile frame. "Daniel... he promised he’d love him. But he doesn't look at Noah. He looks at his watch. He looks at the money."
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"You need to stay strong," Rachel commanded, her tone transitioning from nurse to protector. "I’m going to protect you and your children. But I need you to act tired. Don't let them know you remember the bell. They think you're broken. Use that."
As if on cue, the door handle turned. Rachel shoved the empty chart into her lap just as a floor nurse entered to check the IV drip. Rachel kept her face expressionless, hiding the fire burning in her chest.
