Chapter 3: Trust
The hallway felt endless. Bright lights hummed above as Sarah ran, her hospital gown swinging, her feet slapping the cold floor. People stopped to stare. Nurses whispered. Patients frowned. She didn't care. She only cared about one thing.
The desk.
She reached it and slammed her hands down.
"Where's Robert?!" she shouted, almost out of breath.
The receptionist jumped. "Mr. Robert? He's in the staff room… but it's his break—"
"Call him. Now."
The man shrank back. "I… I can't. It's his resting time."
Sarah's voice dropped. Calm. Too calm. "Fine. Then I'll go myself."
"Wait, Dr. Wilfer!" the receptionist called, but Sarah was already walking fast down the hall.
She reached the staff room and kicked the door open.
Inside was a small room with weak lights. Two couches faced each other. A table sat between them with half-empty glasses. Robert leaned back with a drink in his hand. Two other staff sat with him, surprised at the sudden noise.
Robert's eyes narrowed.
"Robert. We need to talk," Sarah said, her voice steady.
"…Now?" he asked, confused.
"Yes. Please."
Robert sighed and stood. "Sorry, guys. Duty calls." He grabbed his drink and walked to her.
They left together.
The receptionist saw them passing. "Mr. Robert, I—I tried to stop her—"
Robert's voice was cold. "It's fine. Go back to work."
The man froze, silent.
Robert and Sarah walked in step. After a while, Robert spoke. "Is this about what we talked about before?"
Sarah gave a weak smile. "You got me."
"I didn't expect you to make such a scene," Robert muttered, though he looked more curious than angry.
"It's complicated. But something's wrong. Even I can't believe it myself—"
"I trust you," he said, cutting her off.
Sarah stopped for a second. "…Thank you. I guess."
They reached Room 7. Sarah unlocked the door with shaky hands. Inside, they sat across from each other. Silence filled the room until Robert finally spoke.
"So. Tell me what happened."
Sarah took a deep breath. "After I left Room 1, I came here. Then you called, told me a patient was on the way. Soon, they knocked. I opened the door. A boy walked in. Maybe nine years old. He said his stomach hurt. His father came with him. At first, it was normal. But then the father said the boy kept saying he felt like he was going to die. That's when it started. My stomach twisted. The pain was too much. I fainted. But it didn't feel normal. My head tilted back, but my body didn't fall. It was like… like something else had control. When I woke, fifteen minutes were gone. The boy and his father—gone. The chairs were back in place. Like nothing ever happened. Nobody remembers it. But I know it happened."
Robert stared. "…So you blacked out."
"Maybe. But it didn't feel like losing control. It felt… strange."
"And nobody remembers?"
"Yes!" Sarah's voice rose louder than she meant.
Outside the door, in the shadows, a man stood. Black hair covered part of his face. His phone buzzed.
He answered.
"Patient 17. Report." A woman's voice. Calm. Cold.
"She had her first episode," the man whispered. "And there's someone who trusts her. Things are getting interesting."
"Stay with the plan. Don't interfere," the woman said, then cut the call.
The man sighed. "Jeez…" He slipped away into the dark.
Inside, Robert leaned forward. "I have an idea. Let's check the security footage."
Five minutes later, Sarah's laptop showed the video.
The screen showed Sarah walking into her room. She hung her cloak. She lay on the bed for thirty minutes. Then she sat at her desk, looking lost. She picked up her phone, made a call, then threw it on the bed. A moment later, she rushed out of the room.
No boy. No father. No patient.
The hallway camera showed the same thing—Sarah running like she was scared. Alone.
Sarah's face went pale. "That's… impossible…"
Robert leaned back in his chair. "Strange. But very interesting."
Sarah turned her back to him. "If I were you, I wouldn't believe me either."
Robert gave a small laugh. "Believe you or not, it doesn't matter. I was bored. This? This is the most interesting thing I've seen all week."
Despite herself, Sarah smiled faintly. "I'll take that as a compliment."
His smartwatch beeped. Break time over.
Robert stood. "Sorry, Dr. Wilfer. But if something strange happens again, call me."
"I will," Sarah said softly.
He looked at her one more time, then left, closing the door.
At the front desk, Robert walked past the receptionist. His eyes lifted—Dr. Sanchel stood at the end of the hall. In front of Room 1. Watching.
Their eyes met.
Dr. Sanchel smirked.
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