Chapter 4 - Someone Wanted Him to Stay Asleep
At 2:36 the next morning, Elena found a discrepancy.
Then another.
Then twelve.
Medication had been entered under Rafael’s chart and later removed from the visible record.
But the dispensing system retained transaction logs.
Elena printed them.
Sedatives.
Repeated doses.
All approved by Dr. Bell.
A voice came behind her.
“You work late.”
Elena turned.
Bell stood in the doorway.
She covered the papers with one hand.
“I’m on night shift.”
“What are you reviewing?”
“Medication reconciliation.”
“For Room 417?”
“Yes.”
Bell entered.
“You should leave that case alone.”
Elena’s pulse quickened.
“Why?”
“Because it’s no longer your responsibility.”
“I’m still assigned to him.”
“Not after tonight.”
Elena stared.
“You’re removing me?”
“I’m protecting you.”
“From what?”
Bell closed the door.
“You have no idea who that man is.”
“I know exactly who he is.”
“No. You know the stories.”
“And you know his medication history.”
Bell’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
Enough.
Elena stepped backward.
“You sedated him.”
Bell said nothing.
“For months.”
“Elena—”
“Why?”
Bell looked toward the security camera.
Then back at her.
“You need to go home.”
“Answer me.”
“You think this is about medicine?”
“What else would it be?”
Bell laughed without humor.
“DeLuca has enemies who could buy this entire hospital before breakfast.”
“So someone paid you?”
Bell’s face hardened.
“I have a family.”
“That’s your excuse?”
“That’s reality.”
Elena stared at him.
“You kept an unconscious man sedated because somebody threatened you.”
“I kept myself alive.”
“You nearly killed him.”
“He was never supposed to wake up.”
The words settled between them.
Bell realized what he had admitted.
Elena’s hand moved toward her pocket.
Bell saw it.
“Give me your phone.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
Then the door opened.
Marco stood there.
Bell froze.
Marco’s expression was calm.
“Ms. Rios.”
Elena exhaled.
“Yes?”
“Boss wants you.”
Bell stepped aside.
Marco looked at the papers.
“I’ll take those.”
Elena handed them over.
Bell said, “You can’t remove hospital records.”
Marco looked at him.
“You seem unusually concerned about paperwork.”
Twenty minutes later, Elena sat beside Rafael.
Dominic read the documents.
Rafael watched her face.
“You confronted him.”
Elena folded her arms.
“Technically, he confronted me.”
“I told you not to.”
“I ignored you.”
“I noticed.”
Dominic put the papers down.
“These records are enough to prove someone manipulated his treatment.”
“Bell admitted it,” Elena said.
Rafael’s eyes narrowed.
“To you?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly?”
“That someone wanted you kept unconscious.”
Dominic stood.
“Where is Bell?”
“Marco stayed with him.”
Rafael shook his head.
“No confrontation.”
Dominic looked surprised.
“Rafael—”
“Police.”
Dominic stared.
Elena did too.
“You want police involved?” she asked.
Rafael looked at her.
“I want this done differently.”
“Different from what?”
“My old life.”
Dominic’s expression tightened.
“This is bigger than Bell.”
“I know.”
“He’ll lead us to whoever ordered it.”
“Then let law enforcement follow him.”
Dominic studied his boss.
“You really were listening to her.”
Rafael looked at Elena.
“For six months.”
Dominic sighed.
“Apparently that was enough to ruin you.”
Elena almost smiled.
Then Marco entered.
Alone.
Rafael immediately noticed.
“Where’s Bell?”
Marco’s jaw tightened.
“Gone.”
Everyone stood.
“What do you mean, gone?” Elena asked.
“He slipped through the service stairwell while I was speaking to administration.”
Dominic swore quietly.
Rafael swung his legs toward the edge of the bed.
Elena stepped in front of him.
“No.”
“Elena.”
“You cannot walk.”
“I need to leave.”
“You can barely stand.”
“He knows I’m awake.”
“He already knew.”
“Now whoever controls him knows we have evidence.”
Dominic’s phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
His face changed.
“Say that again.”
Rafael stared at him.
Dominic ended the call.
“The east garage cameras just went offline.”
Elena’s stomach tightened.
Rafael looked toward her.
“You’re leaving.”
“I’m not abandoning my shift.”
“This is no longer about your shift.”
“You do not get to order me around.”
Rafael lowered his voice.
“Someone tried to keep me unconscious for six months. Now the nurse who discovered the evidence is standing beside me.”
Elena said nothing.
His expression softened.
“I can’t protect you from a hospital bed.”
“You couldn’t protect yourself from one either.”
“That’s my point.”
Suddenly the lights went out.
The room dropped into darkness.
Emergency power clicked on seconds later.
Red lights filled the corridor.
An alarm began ringing downstairs.
Marco opened the door.
Men shouted near the elevator.
Dominic turned toward Rafael.
“We move now.”
Rafael looked at Elena.
“Come with me.”
She hesitated.
Then a voice echoed from the corridor.
“Room 417!”
Marco shut the door.
Rafael held out his hand.
For six months, Elena had been the one trying to bring him back.
Now the man everyone feared was asking her to trust him.
May you like
She took his hand.
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