C27 First Wilder, Now Phildee?

The blare of a siren jolted Annabelle awake, pulling her from the disturbed sleep she'd fallen into.

Bile rose in her throat as she jerked upward, but she swallowed hard to keep the queasiness down. The waiting room was bustling with new arrivals, voices chattering, and the hurried footsteps of medical staff.

"Alright, Annabelle, get moving," she muttered to herself, blinking away the grogginess. She slipped out of her seat, trying not to look suspicious as she headed for the door.

She soon saw the reason for the hurried footsteps as she went out of the door.

She had to quickly plaster herself against the wall to avoid being bowled over by the doctors, nurses and paramedics wheeling in multiple gurneys of groaning and still people.

The sight of blood made Annabelle's stomach churn. A feeling she couldn't remember having before.

The scene was chaotic with the doctors barking orders, nurses frantically taking vitals and the paramedics doing what they could.

“... surname’s Phildee. He’s fading fast. The bleeding isn’t stopping.”

Phildee. Annabelle’s heart stopped for a second.

“Mr Phildee, can you hear me? I need you to stay with me, okay?”

Despite the noise and chaos around, Annabelle focused on that reassuring voice and turned around to see the gurney being wheeled out of her sight.

She acted immediately and followed the gurney while trying to stay out of the way.

Before she could think of the danger of discovery, her feet were already moving, trailing behind the nurse who had mentioned Jose's surname.

She kept a few paces back, pretending she was just another visitor, glancing around with wide-eyed curiosity.

The gurney was pushed through a set of double doors marked “Emergency” before she had the chance to get a closer look. Her heart sank.

“Excuse me,” she approached the nurse as the latter came out of the door and closed it behind her. “I… I think one of the patients who just came in… I think he might be a friend of mine.”

The nurse shot her a sceptical look, her tired eyes narrowing. “You think?”

“Yes,” Annabelle insisted, pushing down her nerves. “His name...his name might be Jose Phildee. Please, just let me see if it’s him.”

The nurse didn’t even look slightly convinced. “We don’t allow non-family members to visit patients during emergency intake. You’ll need to leave, miss.”

“Please,” Annabelle’s voice was urgent, quiet desperation colouring each word. “I just need to know if he’s okay. If it’s him. I…I’m all he has.”

“And we must keep him alive. You are stopping that duty right now.” The nurse said tersely before walking away.

Anabelle desperately grabbed her hand and the woman turned towards her with a furious look. Then, almost instantly, her face softened. But then, she shook her head. “I’m sorry, that’s not possible.”

Before Annabelle could argue, the nurse hurried away, leaving her stranded in the hallway. Frustration boiled up in her. She wasn’t about to give up, not after getting this close.

Jose might be dying in there. Though she did not wish that on him, the first thought that came to her anxious mind was, “If he died, he would die with information about Cathy.”

She hurried over to the nurse’s station, her eyes scanning for someone who might be sympathetic, or, at least, less strict about the rules. She spotted a male nurse shuffling through paperwork, his expression focused but not unkind.

“Excuse me,” she said, leaning against the counter to grab his attention. “I think my friend might have been brought in. His name’s Jose Phildee, and he had been in an accident. Please, I just need to know if it’s him.”

The nurse looked up, eyebrows lifting. “Are you immediate family?”

Annabelle bit her lip, shaking her head. “No, I am…his friend. But please, I just need to know. He doesn’t have anyone else around. He’d want someone here for him.”

The nurse hesitated, clearly weighing the situation. Annabelle knew she looked a mess and probably sounded crazy, but she was so close to getting the answer. And that was all that mattered.

A thought came to her mind and she let her eyes well up, adding a tremor to her voice.

“Please, he’s… he’s all I have,” she whispered, casting her gaze downward for added effect. When she looked back up, her eyes met the nurse’s, filled with a quiet plea.

He sighed, looking left and right to make sure no one was watching. “Alright, I’ll see what I can find.”

Relief flooded her, a hint of hope rekindling. She exhaled, ready to thank him a thousand times. But just as he was about to type something into the computer, another voice sliced through the air, cold and accusing.

“Oh, it’s you again.”

Annabelle’s stomach dropped as she turned to see the night-shift nurse from before, glaring at her like she’d just caught her stealing. “What do you want this time? In case you are wondering; I checked. We don’t have any Wilder here. Why exactly are you here?” she asked in a raised tone.

The male nurse glanced at Annabelle in confusion, his fleeting sympathy fading fast. Annabelle felt herself shrink under the woman’s withering stare, realizing she’d just lost her one shot.

“I… I wasn’t…” she stammered, her cheeks burning.

“Oh, don’t play innocent with me,” the nurse continued, louder now so that a few other staff members looked over. Then she ignored Annabelle and turned to the nurse. “What did she want, Trent?”

“She was asking about one of the victims. She called his name Jose Phildee.”

The woman rolled her eyes as she said, “First, Wilder. Now, Phidee? Do you have a fetish for patients, or do you just want to rob them?”

Before Annabelle could say anything to defend herself, the nurse’s voice went up a notch again, attracting those close by.

The rush had died down now and Annabelle almost wished it was still ongoing. Anything to help her prevent the embarrassment, as the woman said, “This girl spent the whole night here even though she didn’t have anyone here. She was just lying to Trent now about another patient, just as she did to me last night.”

Annabelle’s hands trembled, feeling the weight of the accusing stares from the other nurses, the patients, everyone. Her heart pounded as the male nurse stepped back, his face now blank and guarded.

“Please,” she whispered to the night-shift nurse, her voice barely a whisper. “I wasn’t trying to cause trouble. I just thought…”

“Enough. We’ve had enough of your games.” The nurse’s expression was resolute, and she waved to the security guard stationed near the entrance. “Thank your stars that we are not free enough to handle petty thieves like you. I should strip you for a check.” she threatened, and Annabelle almost lost the content of her stomach at the thought.

But then the woman seemed to have changed her mind as she said, “If you’re seen around here again, we’re calling the police.”

The guard stepped forward, his large frame blocking her path as he gestured toward the door. Annabelle’s stomach twisted, her last hope slipping away as they ushered her out.

The guard gave her a push outside the door. She stumbled outside, her eyes blurred with unshed tears.

The weight of her failure crashed down on her. Suffocating and heavy. All she could think of was that Jose could be in there, hurt and alone with information about his sister and hers, and she’d just been thrown out like a stray.

As more tears blurred her vision, she tried to think as she took shaky steps forward without looking up.

She collided with a solid figure and a strong hand quickly held her before she could fall.

Annabelle’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up.