Room 303

Chapter 11

                                   Patrick

    His eyelids were tired. After a rough day, all he wanted was to relax and free his mind, but he couldn't. He could not sleep or relax. Not before he finds the medicine he misplaced. He walked slowly back to his room carefully not wanting to wake anyone. It was late and everyone was asleep. He walked past the patients' rooms making one last routine check. All the patients were asleep. He checked on Andrew and found him asleep. He had been through a lot earlier, so it was only natural that he calmed down and slept peacefully.
 
   Patrick used the stairs to move down into the basement. It was dusted and had many unused stuff. It wasn't a pleasant place to be in, so everyone avoided it unless they had a good reason to be there. He looked to his left and right making sure he wasn't followed. This was a route he took every night when everyone was asleep. He entered the dusty basement careful enough not to steer suspicion. He avoided creaking steps and made his way through old shelves, heavy rusted machineries, old boxes full of unwanted materials, boxes of expired drugs. Mice and tiny creatures had made the basement their habitat. He knew his way blindly through the storage room. He crossed around and over the objects cautiously, not wanting to drop the plastic bag he was holding.
   
    He slowly pushed aside a shelf hiding a door that led to a secret room.
  "I am sorry I was late, but I couldn't make it earlier. I lost the drug and I searched for it everywhere, I couldn't find it." He bent down and kissed the forehead of a woman lying down on a hospital bed. He checked the life support machines and noted their readings.

  "I am here now. Don't you worry." He brushed the hair off her face and gently planted another kiss on her forehead. "I found another medicine that will keep you going until I find the other. I can no longer gain access to the pharmacy because the security system had been rebooted denying me access. I think they might have suspected that some drugs are missing." He pulled a chair and sat next to the woman holding her right hand between his palms.

  "Your hand is cold. Do you want me to turn off the fan?" He walked around the bed to the other side. He pushed the fan away from her. "This is much better I suppose," he said.
  He went back and sat on the chair, but this time leaning forward resting his head on the woman's stomach and holding her right hand.

  "I miss you so much. I know you are in there. I can feel it. I will get you back. I will save you I promise. I am here for you. I will get you out of here, but I need you to wake up first."
  He put the medicine into the serum and cross-checked all the machines before leaving the room. He pressed his back against the door. Wiped his teary eyes with the back of his hand, and took a deep breath. His blood pressure and breathing rate dropped back to normal. He was good to go. He replaced the shelf and secured it in position. He made his way carefully out of the basement and up to the third floor without being noticed.

  "Where have you been?" Asked Stella as he walked into the staff room.
  "You startled me," he said surprised to see her around. "Why are you still up?"
  "I came to see you."
  "Me? Why?"
  "To give you this." She reached out to her pocket and brought out the medicine he was looking for all day.
  "Where did you find it?" I mean who told you that was mine?"
  "Cut the crap Patrick. We both know this is yours. Now listen, I don't know what you are planning or what you're doing with this, but you better be putting it to good use. If Maria finds out or doctor Steven, you will be in trouble."
  "I know. Please don't say anything to them."
  "Would you care to explain what are you doing with it?"
  "Please, not now. I promise I will tell you soon. You just have to trust me. I am putting it to good use I promise."
  "Fine. I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but make sure you don't mention me at all if you ever get caught. If you do, I will never forgive you."
  "Where did you find it?"
  "On the table over there," she pointed towards the small coffee table at the end of the room.
  "Did anyone else see it?"
  "If anyone else did, do you think I would be here giving it to you right now?"
  "How did you know it was mine?"
  "At first I didn't. I thought someone misplaced it. I was surprised to see it here, but it didn't matter. I was about to take it back to the pharmacy when you showed up all confused and anxious. I saw you scoping the room searching for something. From your body language I suspected that you might be looking for it."
  "Did Maria suspect anything?"
  "I don't think so. Though she didn't seem convinced with the key chain story. I think she let it go. It wasn't worth her time I suppose. You better pay more attention next time."

  She left the room leaving a sweaty Patrick behind. He was relieved that Stella was the one who found it. He wouldn't have imagined what Maria would have done if he had been exposed.