David was still shocked that his debt was cleared by an anonymous person, but a wave of relief hit him as he would be a free man as from now.
"Who could the person be, I can't think of anyone who would do that, except him," David thought to himself, his mind racing with possibilities.
He slumped back onto his worn out couch, with his eyes staring blankly into space; his mind trying to make sense of the mysterious gesture.
"If it was him, then why would he hide his identity?" David continued.
He pondered over the possibility of the person being his supposed father, but why would he want to hide his identity.
"It's pointless just sitting here, racking my brain. I should go and get the note," David said, before heading to take a short shower and change clothes, preparing to leave his tiny apartment to the hospital.
With no cash for a cab, David was forced to walk, his financial situation further complicated by the fact that his money and phone were missing, lost in the unknown location of his bag.
After a twenty four minute walk, David arrived at the hospital. He walked towards the receptionist.
"Hello, I'm here to pick up a note that was left for me," David said to the lady on the other side of the counter.
"Good evening sir, may I have your name please," the lady asked courteously.
"David Palmer," David replied.
"Alright, give me a second,"her eyes scanning the cluttered surface beneath her desk as she rummaged through a messy stack of papers and files, her fingers rustling through the sheets with a soft scratching sound.
It was clear that she wasn't the nurse that called him earlier. The name tag on her uniform was Sandra Williams.
As she searched, her brow furrowed in concentration, her gaze darting back and forth with an intensity that suggested she was determined to find the letter.
Two minutes ticked by, and then Sandra's hand emerged from the depths of her desk drawer, holding two envelopes.
One was sealed with a golden stamp; a bold 'R' initial on it, while the other bore the hospital's logo in bold letters.
With a soft rustle, she handed them over to David, "here they are."
"Thank you very much," David said, his lips curling into a faint smile as he accepted the envelopes.
He carefully folded them, the paper creasing with a soft crackle, and tucked them into his back pocket, the edges disappearing from view.
"My pleasure," Sandra said as David turned to leave.
David's footsteps faltered as he pushed through the front doors, his mind suddenly torn between his next move.
He paused, the automatic doors swooshing shut behind him, and stood motionless for a few seconds, contemplating whether or not to check on his mother.
Then, with a subtle nod to himself, he spun around and strode back into the hospital, the elevator doors sliding open with a soft whoosh as he stepped inside and pressed the button for the fourth floor.
David arrived at Laura's ward and reached for the door handle, but it refused to budge, the door was locked.
He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on the glass panel, and he peeked through the transparent rectangle.
The room beyond was shrouded in darkness, the lights extinguished, and the bed empty, its sheets neatly tucked in. The eerie silence was palpable, even through the door.
David's heart began to race as he thought the worst, his mind racing with ominous scenarios.
But just as fear was starting to grip him, a nurse in scrubs walked past him, her soft sneakers making a gentle squeaking sound on the polished floor.
"Hey, please wait!" David called out, his hand reaching out as if to grab her arm, but he stopped short.
The nurse spun around, her expression a mix of curiosity and caution, her eyebrow arching upwards as she took in David's anxious face.
"How can I help you?" she asked, her voice firm and professional, but with a hint of impatience.
"The woman, the patient who was in this ward, Laura Palmer, do you know where she is, she doesn't seem to be in this ward," David asked nervously as he pointed to Laura's ward.
"I'm sorry sir, but I cannot disclose that information unless you're listed as an authorized person," the nurse answered curtly.
The nurse's expression turned scornful, her voice dripping with disdain.
"But you do not seem to look like anyone who would be given permission to see her," the nurse scoffed, her eyes raking over David's disheveled appearance.
David saw that the nurse was mocking him and clenched his fists in annoyance.
"What does that mean?" David asked slightly politely, annoyance was evident in his voice, his eyes narrowing as he tried to understand why the nurse was being so condescending.
"It means that we have received specific orders from someone listed as authorized to keep their information confidential. I'm sorry, but i cannot tell you where miss Laura is!," the nurse replied, her voice firm but with a hint of smugness.
"Do you know if there's anything I could do?" David asked, his voice laced with frustration and worry.
"You can inquire at the front desk for assistance or probably ask for information about her location. Or contact the hospital's administration for an appointment.
They will provide you with the necessary details. They can also aid you in setting up a visitation as an authorized individual." The nurse replied before turning around to leave.
"Thank you, so much," David said, then remembered doctor James and quickly ran to his office but it was locked indicating that doctor James was either not in the hospital premises or busy with a patient.
David rushed down the stairs to the first floor, his eyes fixed on the reception desk ahead. In his haste, he collided with a lady, apologizing profusely as he quickly moved away, not recognizing her.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, already focused on his next move.
"Uhm..," Before the lady could even react, David had reached the reception counter.
She picked up her phone, which had fallen to the ground, and walked towards David, her eyes locked onto his anxious face.
"Hey, sorry for disturbing you but, I'm looking for Laura Palmer's new ward," David said hurriedly to Sandra.
"Okay, give me a minute, let me check," she murmured, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Sandra's fingers flew across the keyboard, her eyes scanning the screen as she searched for Laura's information.
Meanwhile, the lady, Betty approached David, her expression softening with concern.
"David, is something wrong?" she asked, her voice gentle.
David's frustration boiled over, his words spilling out in a rush.
"They moved my mom to a different room without my consent and now I don't have access to see her," he complained, his tone laced with annoyance and worry.
Betty's eyes widened in surprise, her voice filled with empathy. "Why would they even do that?" she asked, her tone conveying her shared confusion and concern.
"I don't know! That's why I'm here in the first place," David replied in irritation.
"I'm sorry," Betty apologized in a sincere voice.
Just then, Sandra's voice broke the silence, "she has been moved to a private ward, only authorized people are permitted to visit her."
David's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed in confusion, "I'm her son, am I not permitted to see her?" David asked, his tone laced with disbelief and concern.
Sandra's gaze flicked back to the screen, her eyes scanning the information before returning to David's anxious face and asked, her tone neutral, "you are David Palmer right?"
David nodded curtly, his eyes fixed on hers, "well, you're permitted to see her," Sandra confirmed, a small smile playing on her lips.
David's face lit up with relief, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Oh great!" he exclaimed, his tension disappearing.
He then noticed Betty and asked Sandra, "is anyone named Elizabeth on the list too?"
"Wait let me confirm," Sandra said as she turned to the computer and then looked up at David then Sandra shook her head, as she said, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing like that on the list."
"What? Can you add her name to the list or something?" David inquired.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that. This list was from the director, I can not modify it without her knowledge." Sandra said in a solemn voice.
"Can you give us directions to my mom's ward?" David asked.
"To reach her ward, follow the main corridor until you see the grand staircase on your left. Take the staircase up to the sixth floor. Once you reach the top, turn right and walk straight until you see the lavish gold-plated double doors.
Those doors lead to our exclusive VIP wing. Inside, you'll find spacious rooms, adorned with elegant artwork and comfortable furnishings, after the first few wards, you'll find your mom's ward." Sandra explained.
"Thank you very much," David said with a smile and grabbed Betty's hand to leave before Sandra stopped them.
"I'm sorry but you can't take her along."
Betty slowly removed her hand from David's and said, "you go, I'll wait here."
"I won't take long," David said before walking hurriedly towards the corridor, while Betty went to sit at the waiting chair.