Chapter 5 - An Empty Bay
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At 2:45 AM, Julian Cross strolled back into the Emergency Department of City General.
He was holding a cup of gourmet coffee, his coat damp from the rain. Chloe had not taken an overdose. She had merely suffered a minor panic attack after an argument with her designer, but Julian had spent two hours comforting her in her suite, enjoying the feeling of being her hero.
Now, he felt a mild twinge of guilt. He figured Evelyn had probably cried herself to sleep or had a minor procedure. He would offer a half-hearted apology, blame his busy schedule, and take her home tomorrow.
He pushed open the doors to Bay Nine.
"Alright, Evelyn, I'm back—"
Julian stopped dead in his tracks.
The bay was completely empty. The hospital bed had been stripped bare. The IV poles were bare, and the fetal monitor screens were pitch black. The floor was spotless, wiped clean of any trace of blood.
"What is this?" Julian muttered, looking around in confusion. "Evelyn?"
Nurse Tessa walked past the bay carrying a clipboard. Julian darted out and blocked her path.
"Where is my wife?" Julian demanded, his voice rising. "Evelyn Cross! She was in Bay Nine. Did you move her to a recovery room?"
Nurse Tessa stopped and gave him a look of absolute disgust. "There is no patient here by the name of Evelyn Cross."
"That’s impossible! I left her here two hours ago! I'm her husband!"
"A real husband doesn't leave his bleeding wife to chase a mistress," Tessa said coldly. She pulled a sealed plastic bag from her pocket and slapped it against Julian’s chest.
Inside was his platinum wedding ring.
Attached to the bag was an official medical transfer document stamped with a red confidentiality seal. Julian snatched it and scanned the text until his eyes landed on the patient's signature at the bottom:
Evelyn Rose Vance.
Julian’s breath hitched. "Vance? Why did she sign with her maiden name? Who transferred her?"
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"The legal representatives of Vance Global," Dr. Bennett added, stepping out from an office. "She explicitly revoked your access to her medical records. You are legally barred from knowing her location, her condition, or the status of the child."
Julian’s coffee cup slipped from his hand, crashing onto the tile floor.
