Chapter 2: Strange
Inside Room 7.
Sarah Wilfer lay on the bed, still recovering after fainting.
Suddenly—
Her eyes snapped open.
"W-what…" she whispered weakly.
"Where am I? My hands feel warm…"
She looked around.
The room was large for a hospital chamber. A desk with scattered papers sat near the wall. Two hospital beds stood in a row, each with a small wardrobe beside it. A rack of medical equipment blinked faintly in the corner. Behind a half-opened curtain was a bigger bed, neatly made, waiting for its next patient. And right by her side—a small fridge humming quietly.
She glanced at the plate on the wall.
"Room 7? Oh right… the hospital."
Something caught her eye on the wardrobe next to her bed.
"A paper?"
She picked it up.
---
Hello Dr. Wilfer,
If you are reading this, then I presume you are in a stable state.
There is an apple juice inside the small fridge near the bed—you were low on sugar, so I figured you would need it.
When you feel ready to begin working, please reach out to Dr. Sanchel, who is also the Supervisor of the second floor.
—The Nurse from Room 1, Emily Vas
---
Sarah sighed.
"Oh right… I remember what happened now."
"I fainted next to that black haired Man."
She rubbed her stomach.
"But it's still strange. Low sugar can make me faint, sure… but why the stabbing pain in my stomach?"
Her brows furrowed.
"Something isn't right. Even so… I still have work to do."
She rose, grabbed the juice, and stepped into the hallway.
The corridor stretched long and quiet, floor lights glowing faintly. White walls lined with numbered doors gave it a sterile feel. From a distance, the reception desk could be seen near Room 1, papers stacked neatly and a faint tapping of a keyboard breaking the silence.
On the way, she met a brown-haired girl with glasses in a nurse's uniform.
"Oh! Doctor, I'm surprised you woke up so early," the girl said cheerfully.
"You must be Emily, right? Thank you for taking care of me," Sarah replied.
Emily smiled. "Are you here to meet Dr. Sanchel?"
"Yeah. I need to start working."
"Doctor Sanchel is with a patient right now. Please take a seat until he's finished."
"Fine," Sarah nodded.
She sat at the reception desk. But just as she did, the stomach pain returned—sharper than before.
…
Emily led her into Room 1.
The office felt warmer, lived-in. A wide oak desk with orderly files stood at the center. Bookshelves filled with thick medical journals lined one wall. A lamp cast soft light over papers, while a patient bed rested against the far side, sheets smooth and untouched. The faint smell of ink and antiseptic lingered in the air.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Wilfer. Do you feel any better?" asked Dr. Sanchel.
"Yeah, definitely!" she answered quickly, hiding the pain with a tight smile.
"Please, have a seat," he gestured.
Sarah slid into the chair. "Thank you."
"I heard you're eager to start working."
"Well, yes... I'm hoping you'll forgive me for missing the last three hours."
Sanchel chuckled. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault."
He shuffled through some documents.
"Just give me five to ten minutes while I review your CV."
Sarah nodded. "Take your time."
Three minutes passed. The pain worsened. Her vision blurred at the edges.
I can't hold this for more than two minutes... she thought desperately.
"Excuse me, Dr. Sanchel," she asked shakily. "How much longer?"
"Why? Do you have something urgent to attend to?" he asked, puzzled.
"N-no, nothing... I'm just excited for my first day."
"Hahaha! Don't worry, I'm almost done," he laughed.
Sarah bit her lip, saying nothing. The pain grew unbearable. Her body trembled, head tilting back, eyes sliding shut—
Then—
"Done!" Sanchel exclaimed.
The sudden voice jolted Sarah awake. In a burst of desperation, she grabbed a pen and stabbed her leg.
"Ouch!" she gasped. But it grounded her back into reality.
Sanchel frowned. "Doctor Wilfer?"
Sarah quickly smiled awkwardly. "Oh—sorry."
He handed her the documents. "Here are your working papers. Welcome to the hospital, Doctor."
Sarah bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll make sure to meet your expectations."
She excused herself and left the room. Emily was waiting outside.
"Did it go well?" Emily asked eagerly.
"You bet," Sarah replied with a smile.
As she walked back to her room, the stomach pain finally eased. She thought things had settled down—until her phone began to ring.
"What now... I just got back," she muttered.
She picked up the call. "Hello?"
"Hello, Dr. Wilfer. This is Robert, the receptionist."
"Oh, Robert. What's going on?" she asked.
"A patient is on their way to you right now."
"W-what? Already?!"
"I tried to redirect them, but the patient seemed to be in pai—"
Knock, knock, knock.
Sarah sighed. "They're already here, aren't they..."
"Yes. Good luck, Doctor," Robert replied before hanging up.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Enter!" Sarah called.
The door opened. A mother, father, and a pale child stepped inside.
"Welcome, welcome. How can I help you?" Sarah asked gently.
The father stepped forward. "This is my son, Andy. Yesterday was his birthday. He was fine... but today he woke up with severe stomach pain."
Sarah's heart skipped.
So... I'm not the only one...
"Don't worry, sir. It's likely a simple diagnosis. I'll treat him right away."
"No—wait!" the father said quickly.
Sarah blinked, confused.
"He also kept saying... he feels like his death is coming," the father added, voice trembling.
"...What?" Sarah froze.
Before she could think further, the pain in her own stomach exploded, sharper than ever before.
"N-no... not again..."
Her vision dimmed. Her body gave out. Voices echoed around her.
"Doctor!"
"Doctor Wilfer!"
Her eyes closed. Everything went black.
---
When she opened them again—
The room was empty.
"What? Did I just faint again? Where are the patients?"
She staggered up and grabbed her phone.
Her eyes widened.
"Fifteen minutes passed?!"
She quickly dialed Robert.
"Hello?" the receptionist answered.
"Robert—it's Sarah. The patients in my room—did they leave?"
There was a pause.
"Doctor Wilfer... I just checked. There were no patients in your room today."
"...What?"