Alan's Biggest Case

Chapter 6

"Mr. Shore? What's going on?"

"You are in the hospital. You had a... rough night last night, and I needed to bring you here. You're gonna be okay."

Sam looks down and sees brown gauze tightly wrapped around his wrists. "Oh God, I fucked up. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I lost control last night, I didn't think I would actually do it." Alan stands up and takes a couple steps forward and sits down on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on top of Sam's.

"It's fine. We are here now, you're getting help. The doctors are keeping you overnight for observation and I would like to stay with you if you don't mind."

"Please stay with me. I don't want to be left alone."

"I'll be by your side whenever you need me." Alan smiles at Sam but breaks eye contact to look up at the bag of fluid hanging on a metal rod. It's almost empty. "But right now I am really hungry."

"Sammmmmeeeeee." Alan breaks out into laughter over Sam's response and stands up to get some food. He looks at Sam and asks what he wants to eat. Sam thinks for a while and Alan stands there patiently, with his hand resting on his stomach. "Pizza," Sam says. Alan chuckles again, and says, "Good idea..."

Alan walks out of the small room and heads for the cafeteria. He reaches down to grab his wallet but realized he never grabbed it when he left the night before. He feels angry with himself knowing he has no way to get food unless he drives home, but even then, he doesn't have his license on him. He figures out he has literally nothing. He doesn't even have shoes on. He goes up to the front desk and asks to use the phone to call a co-worker. The nurse hands the phone under the glass and he tells her the numbers to dial.

"Shirley Schmidt of Crane, Poole, and Schmidt, how can I help you?"

"Shirley it's me."

"Alan? Where are you? You missed a meeting with one of your clients!"

"Shirley, it's Sam. I'm at the hospital with him and I need you to get some things for me. I don't know how long I will be here, but he needs someone with him."

"Of course, what do you need?"

"I need you to go to my room at the hotel, there's an extra key in the vase on my bookshelf in my office. I need you to get my wallet and phone, they should both be on my nightstand."

"Okay, I'm leaving the office now. Anything else?"

"If you don't mind, can you bring me some clothes and my shoes?"

"You forgot your shoes?" Alan hears Shirley laugh on the other side of the phone.

"Shirley, I was rushing. There is nothing to laugh about."

Alan stopped the conversation and left Shirley to go get his things. He went back to Sam's room and a nurse was in there checking his vitals. The woman was writing things down on a clipboard and typing things on her laptop. "Dr. Morrison said your room is ready. We can transport both of you whenever you are ready." She closed the laptop and walked out.

"Where's the food?" Sam says. He looks slightly upset that Alan didn't bring back pizza, or anything for that matter.

"I forgot my wallet at home, I'm having a coworker bring my things up here so that we can eat. She should be here in a couple minutes. We can go to your new room and settle in until she gets here." Alan says. Sam sighs and says okay, and clicks the button for the nurse. She comes in immediately and asks what he needs. He doesn't reply due to his shyness.

"We're ready to go to the room," Alan says giving a smile. The nurse nodded her head and walked out of the room. She immediately came back with a wheelchair for Sam and got him in. She wheeled Sam out of the room and Alan followed closely behind. They all got in a large elevator and the nurse clicked the button marked "14".

"Wow," Sam whispered.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"No no. It's just really high up."

Alan laughed at him, "My office is higher up."

"Really?"

"Yes," Alan said between chuckles.

The door opens and the nurse pushes Sam down the hall until they reach Room 207. She opens the door and Sam's jaw drops.