RED INK
EP 20: Subtle anomaly 2
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Aurora stood up abruptly. "Sir, do I wait for you or...?" She asked as he got up.
He looked at her, "Do you want to go home?"
Aurora knew that most times, Doctor Hither answered a question with a question—a trait that made her slightly annoyed. It was psychological and it often worked. "I have..." She trailed off. After thinking about it for some seconds, she shook her head and smiled. "I will wait."
Doctor Hither nodded. "Good then." He turned to Josiah, "Let's go."
As they exited, Aurora sat back down in her chair and looked around the office again, she would be bored if she stayed here. She stood up, picked up her backpack and also exited the office, closing the door behind her.
She began strolling in the hospital, looking around, especially the view from where she stood. She saw the backs of Hither and Josiah as they walked away. They were far from her. They disappeared at a corner, the one that led to the elevator.
She took her time surveying the floor. There were different faces of people around. She decided to go back to the nurses' counter to pass time. As she took a walk, she saw a group of men in black suits, about eight of them; three with walkie-talkies and all with radio earpieces in their left ears walk into the floor from the elevator corner.
They drew attention from the senior nurses and doctors walking around. As if their dressing in black suits and shoes all through wasn't enough, with their protruding headphones, they each had guns in their back pockets. They stood before the counter, the nurses standing to their feet in perfect harmony.
"I am sorry. This is a restricted place and you are not allowed up here." Patricia said, fearlessly.
The one in front who seemed to be their leader, tall, dark with a hardened face around his late thirties spoke up. "This is a civilized society, isn't it? Let us talk like civilized people. You could have jist started by asking me what you can help me with."
Patricia didn't respond. She had on a relaxed facial expression. But the other nurses behind her seemed to be in fear.
"We are here for miss Sairham Dedutch on order of Mr Shaft." The man said, his subordinates standing behind him, all with serious expressions.
Patricia knew who they were talking about but it was out of protocol to allow just anyone visit. "Your IDs...please."
"We don't have one."
"You don't have one?!" Patricia was perplexed. "I am sorry sir, but things are done in order here. I need your ID and the guardian's permission before I let you in."
"What is the problem?" Aurora interrupted them.
They all stared at her in unison.
Patricia stared them down. "They are here to see miss Sairham. I didn't receive any instruction from anybody about the visit."
Aurora looked at the man who was the supposed the leader. She stretched her hand to him. "I am Doctor Aurora." She said.
The man took her hand and shook it briefly. "Griggs." He said.
"Nice to meet you Mr Griggs. The nurses here can't go beyond protocol. Is there anybody you can reach within the floor to come lead you to miss Sairham's room?" Aurora asked. "That will help your case."
"Hold on." The man said and brought out his phone. He dialed a number, removing the radio earphone from his ear and putting his phone to it.
Aurora turned to one of the other nurses standing beside Patricia. "Call doctor Hither and inform him."
She nodded and picked up the telephone on the counter, dialing his number.
"Hello boss..." Griggs walked far away from them, the subordinates didn't move.
"Hello, Doctor Hither," The nurse said. "We have a little bit of situation here. You will need to come up sir.... There are people here for miss Sairham without IDs...Okay." She dropped the receiver and said to Aurora, "He said he will be here in a minute."
Aurora nodded. This was the easiest way to de-escalate the situation arising. Something about VIP people was that they always speak with power and money, which the nurses didn't have. It would be best not to trigger a conflict.
Mr Griggs came back to her, tucking the phone in trouser front pocket and putting the radio earphone back to his ear. "We will wait. Someone is coming for us."
They all stood at ease, their faces giving gang members vibes.
After waiting for over a minute, the telephone on the counter rang, the nurse picked it up. "Hello...y-yes sir?" She looked over at Griggs and scanned the faces of the other men from one to the other. "Okay sir." She dropped the receiver and turned to Patricia. "Nurse Patricia?"
Patricia looked at her. "Anything?"
"That was Doctor Hither. He said we should let through. He just got the confirmation from her guardian."
Patricia looked at them wondering who exactly they were.
Clara walked into the reception ground, her scarf around her neck, dressed in a simple jean trouser and a dark blue polo shirt, on a dark blue boot. "Mr Griggs?"
Griggs turned to face her.
"Mr Shaft said you all were stranded in the reception." She looked around and sighed. There were too many. About three of them was enough, Sir Dillion overdid himself.
Clara faced the nurses. "I am sorry for any hard misunderstanding. They are the new bodyguards Mr Shaft has hired for Miss Sairham's safety. They usually speak with their fists than words." She joined her palms together in a prayer manner. "Very sorry."
The faces of the other nurses relaxed.
"Please, they should come with an ID next time." Patricia said to Clara.
"We won't be needing it anytime soon." Griggs told her.
They were both in a silent scuffle with their eyes.
"This way." Clara said to them, leading them to Sai's room direction.
When they were gone, the nurses started to talk among themselves.
"They looked like they were going to war!." The fair nurse who stood beside Patricia said.
"Was that not guns I saw in their pockets? Is that legal?" The other nurse asked. "They look like thugs."
"Well, we see these types of people once a month." Patricia said. "You will get used to it."
The fair nurse rested her arms on the counter. "Are they warlords or something?"
"Didn't you hear them?" The other nurse asked. "They are bodyguards. I am sure they are professionally trained."
"But who has that much bodyguards? Even people working in government offices walk around with police and military. Only someone in a gang walks around with such security. They are always getting in trouble and fights."
"Shhhh!"Patricia warned them. "We may be free to have subtle conversations but don't overdo it. It's best to avoid these kind of people."
"Hm-hm?" The fair nurse asked the darker one. "Why are you talking like you've dealt with them before? Hm?"
She shuddered. "Shit! Nora! I grew up in the hood. It wasn't a good experience. Just glad I was taken out on time."
"Who is Sairham?" Aurora asked, caught in her own confused world.
"Sairham? Are you for real?" Patricia asked
"I don't know who she is!"
"She is the girl I told you about earlier on. The patient who was rushed in four days ago?"
"Ahhh...you didn't tell me her name though..." Aurora trailed. "The one whose boyfriend is handsome?"
Patricia nodded. "But I didn't know that he moved around with bodyguards. There were none the last time in his house. The whole place was as good as empty. The house even looked too big for three people to live in."
"Three people?"
"Yes. The woman who came out just now seems to be the caretaker or housekeeper...either one of those two—together with the girl and the guy, they are only three."
"Looks can be deceiving." Aurora said. "What does this man do?"
"Who?"
"The handsome VIP guy? I mean, what does he do that he has to carry this many guards to protect his woman?"
Patricia shrugged. "I don't know. Business man? Whatever he does is none of our business." She checked her time. "My routine is up. Gotta go give a shot." She turned to the fair Nora, the fair nurse. "Get me two milligrams of exenatide injection for Madam Hilder."
"Okay." She walked out of the counter.
"Stay here Nora, incase anyone needs assistance."
Nora nodded.
She turned to Aurora. "I have things to do. Most of my patient's medications are by this time."
"No problem."
"Catch you later." She walked away also, leaving Aurora and Nora. Nora sat down back in her seat while Aurora turned and watched around.
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~~ Sai's point of view~~
She sat in her fully electric bed, her back arc about one hundred and forty degree angle, giving her edge. She had the drip still in her arm and was now watching a movie series from the television opposite her bed.
Clara was here some minutes ago, until she went out to receive a call. She knew she was not far away.
She had not seen Dillion since their little incident. It got her thinking if he was avoiding her or was just busy.
The door to her room opened, Clara walked in with five men following behind.
Clara smiled at her. "Sai, this is Griggs, Mr Shafts' PA."
Griggs bowed. She looked at him, she may have been dormant for her stay through the two years in the Shafts mansion, but she was not clueless. She had never met Griggs or heard of him, but she had heard and seen a PA named Fred from a distance. But if Clara knew him, then she must be correct. "Is anything the problem?" She asked.
"Miss Sairham," Griggs said. "these people from today henceforth have been positioned to be your bodyguards." Four of them moved forward. "Introduce yourselves." He said.
The tallest among them spoke up first. "I am Drogo."
The shortest among them introduced himself second. "I am Crux."
Then the other two, Haden and Storm respectively.
Sai nodded and forced a smile. "Griggs seems to be the only normal name around here."
They didn't smile, but Clara did.
"It's a coded name." Griggs said unmoved. He bowed. "Till when next we meet again, miss Sairham."
"So quick?" Clara asked.
He didn't reply.
"Where is your boss?" Sai asked him.
He raised his head. "I can't give you information on his whereabouts miss. You will see him when he is ready to be seen."
"He is not coming anytime soon, is he?"
Griggs forced a smile. " Even I do not know what he thinks and neither can I predict what he wants to do." He stood at attention. "When you leave the hospital, there will be added security to the mansion."
"Is anything the problem?" Clara asked him.
"When the time comes, you will know why." He said and turned to go. "There are two more guards outside, miss Sairham. Be rest assured that you are in good hands." And with that, Griggs walked out of the room, taking the extra one bodyguard with him.
Haden and Drogo positioned themselves at the door of the room; Storm and Crux walking to stand by the window, staring down at the hospital's compound.
Sairham used to have a bodyguard about six years ago. He disappeared one day, not heard from, body not found. She hoped though that he was okay. She wasn't uncomfortable with the bodyguards presence in her room, if anything, she appreciated the presence of extra people in the room who were not the nurses and doctors.
She felt tired and rested her back on the bed.
Clara came to her, taking the seat by her bed. "I am sure Mr Shaft has a lot of things to do. He will come when he is ready."
Sai looked at Clara, wanting to reply but not gaining strength to do so.
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Patricia walked to the room of miss Sairham. She saw two men at the entrance. She wasn't surprised because she had seen them, they were with the rude guy that came before. She wondered if he was inside. As she walked to the door, they stopped her.
"I am her nurse." She said. "I am here to administer her steroids."
They looked at the trolley she was rolling, there were different trays in it. The top one had a tablet and a syringe. The stare she got from them gave her the whole impression that they were marking her face. They let her through. As she walked in, she saw another set of guards, she was exasperated. "You won't let us do our jobs!" She swore under her breath.
Their eyes watched her as she walked by.
When she entered in full view, there were two more guards by the window watching her. She ignored them and came to Sairham and Clara, smiling at them. "Good afternoon Miss Sairham. How are you feeling?"
Sairham smiled. "A bit weak."
"You will need to take a walk sometimes. I will inform doctor Hither, he will tell you what's best for you." She picked up the tablet in her tray. "I am here to make sure you take your steroids. Your palm please."
Sairham stretched her hand to her.
Patricia popped a tablet from the sachet and dropped it in her hand. She looked at Clara, "A bottled water please."
"Oh yes! I forgot." Clara stood up and walked around the bed to the small fridge by the wall. She picked a lukewarm bottled water from the top and opened it for Sai. Sai dropped the tablet in her mouth and collected the water, using it to push down the medication.
She handed the bottle to Clara. "Thanks."
Patricia adjusted her bed for her. "Is this comfortable?"
"Very." She smiled.
"This medication will make you sleepy. I will come back in the evening to administer the second. But before then, Doctor Hither will come here by himself to check on you. If you feel anything at all, just let him know." She also stared at Clara, subtly telling her the information was for her ears too.
Sai nodded.
"Alright, miss Sairham, let me go check on my other patients."
Patricia rolled her trolley away out of the room.
Sai closed her eyes, feeling dizzy from the medicine.