Mike had the stairwell door open, and when Heather peeked out of the room to see if it was safe for her to leave, he gestured for Heather to wait with his palm up. Then, a few moments later, he gestured frantically for her to run. She concluded that the nurse couldn’t see her, as she had to go through the doorway to get into the hallway for the rooms. She had only a few seconds. Heather scooted back across the hall and went quickly back through the stairwell door.
With the door cracked open just a bit, they watched and waited as the nurse went down the hallway in response to the call button that had sounded.
When the nurse went inside the room to check on her patient, Heather was afraid her sandals might be noisy and give them away, so she took them off, holding them in her hands by the straps, as they sprinted for the other end of the corridor, heading to the room where they hoped to find Michelle.
On the way, they paused momentarily to check each room they passed. There were viewing windows set in the walls beside each of the doors so the hospital personnel could quickly look in on each patient.
Glancing behind her first to make sure the nurse was still in the patient room, and hadn’t caught on that strangers were on her floor, Heather peeked into the window beside the last door in the hallway. She felt like cheering. She gave Mike a wide smile as they opened the door quietly and slipped inside.
Heather went over to Michelle and tapped her shoulder, whispering, “Michelle, wake up. We’re taking you home.”
There was no response. Michelle was so still she didn’t even seem to be breathing.
Heather looked at Mike with alarm and tried again to awaken Michelle, talking a little louder. Again, there was no response. Heather kept talking to Michelle, taking her hand and squeezing it, begging her to open her eyes. Then she lifted Michelle’s arm and dropped it. It fell like dead weight, flaccid on the bed. Michelle didn’t even twitch.
“I don’t think this is a natural sleep. I think she’s unconscious,” Heather said, worried.
There was a beeping machine, which indicated that Michelle still had heart beats, but it was the only sound in the room, until there was a loud ‘meow.’
Lucifer came out from under the bed and jumped up on it.
“Hi sweetie,” Heather said to the cat. “You found her.”
She turned to Mike. “This is abnormal. She should wake up. Rod’s had medical training; his father is a doctor. I’m going to call him.”
As she took out her phone, Heather could clearly hear muted sounds in the hallway because it was late and so quiet on the floor. Mike hurried over to the viewing window and peeked out. He whispered, “Omar’s here. He’s talking to the nurse.”
“Oh hell. He’s probably come to check on Michelle,” Heather said. “We have to hide!”
Chapter 23
Heather gazed around the hospital room, panicked. It had a bathroom and a closet, but each place was too dangerous. Omar would surely find them. She looked under the bed. Nope, it was too open and visible since hospital beds are high off the floor. He’d probably see them huddled under there.
“Closet is the only option,” Mike said.
“Yeah, but we could be stuck in there all night if Omar decides to stay with her.”
Mike took Heather’s hand, “We’ll have to hide in another room. Quick,” he said, peeking out the window, “Omar’s still talking to the nurse. His back is to us, but we have to be fast.”
He pulled her out the door and they dashed across the hall into another patient room.
Inside, it was totally dark. Someone was asleep on the bed, and luckily she seemed totally out and was facing away from the door. Heather could make out an IV stand, like the one in Michelle’s room.
In a few moments, there was the squeaking sound of the nurse’s rubber soled shoes, coming down the corridor. They knew Omar was with her, but he didn’t make any noise.
They both knelt down in front of the viewing window, which was exactly across from the one in Michelle’s room, lifting their heads up just enough to peek out.
“Your wife is asleep. She probably won’t wake up until morning,” they heard the nurse say.
Heather turned to Mike and mouthed, “Wife?” He shrugged, shook his head, and raised his eyebrows back at her.
“I just want to sit with her for a little while,” Omar said to the nurse, and they watched him enter the room.
“Certainly, Mr. Satinov, take as much time as you’d like,” the nurse answered from the doorway. She turned and walked away.
The viewing window showed the inside of Michelle’s room quite clearly, as it was directly across from the one in this room. Even more so when Omar turned on the light. It was like seeing inside a lighted goldfish bowl.
Omar just stood for a minute, looking down at Michelle. Then he hurried over to a chair, picked up her purse, and pawed around inside. He lifted the purse, shook it, and upended the contents on the bed.
He was frowning as he replaced all the items. Then he went to the closet and opened it. It was empty. They saw him go into the bathroom. He came out quickly, and kneeling by the side of the bed, he bent over, looking under the bed. They heard Lucifer’s growl.
“Shit,” Heather whispered. “What’s he looking for?”
Omar opened each of the drawers in a cabinet beside the bed and they saw him scrabbling around inside. He slammed them shut. He seemed to be cursing under his breath angrily.
“Good thing we left the room. He’s searching for something, and he seems desperate,” Mike said.
They watched as Omar pulled back a top sheet and a blanket that was keeping
