He mulled over it for a few minutes, the memory of his predecessor flashing in his mind.
That guy hadn't reported the girl entering into that man's room on the day she woke up, brushing it off as unimportant. Three days later, the General had transferred him without so much as a warning.
The thought made him stiffen in his chair. No way was he risking his position over something that might seem trivial now. He glanced at his clueless partner, who was snoring softly at the desk, oblivious to the girl's antics on the screen.
Shaking his head, he muttered under his breath, "Looks like someone's about to get transferred again."
Slap!
The sharp sound of a palm landing on the back of someone's head jolted the second man awake.
"What the—?!" he cursed, rubbing the sore spot as he glared at his partner. "What's wrong with you, man?! Why did you hit me?!"
The first man didn't even glance at him, his eyes firmly glued to the monitor. "Do I need a reason to hit you? I'm going out. I'll be back."
"Excuse me?!" The second man shot to his feet, his anger rising. "I'm asking you something here! Couldn't you just tap me like a normal person?"
But the first man did not care one bit about his partner's anger. "If you don't want the General to rain fire and brimstone on us, then I'm going out," he said, his voice firm as he reached the door.
Without waiting for a response, he stepped out, the final word punctuated by the sound of the door closing behind him.
The second man's fiery temper cooled instantly, as if someone had poured ice water over him. The mention of the General was enough to send a chill down his spine.
He slumped back into his chair, mumbling, "Why does it always have to be the General?" and silently prayed his partner wasn't about to do something that would land them both in trouble.
He glanced at the multiple screens in front of him, his eyes locking onto one in particular. A young girl was running across the parking lot with a wide smile plastered on her face. He squinted at the screen, leaning closer as realization dawned.
"Wait a minute... isn't that the girl we're supposed to be watching? What's she doing outside?" he muttered, his confusion growing. He considered reporting it but hesitated.
His partner had already stepped out, and the last thing he wanted was to overstep or misreport something trivial. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, deciding to wait for his partner to return.
Meanwhile, outside, the first man moved quickly, his pace brisk but not hurried enough to draw suspicion. As he walked farther from the main hospital building, his eyes darted around, scanning the area for anything unusual.
Satisfied that there were no prying eyes or listening ears, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black phone.
The device looked foreign, and his fingers hesitated for a moment before dialing a number. He swallowed hard, feeling the sweat forming on his brow.
"Come on, pick up," he whispered nervously, his gaze still flickering around the perimeter.
Within two rings, the call connected, and a slightly cold voice responded, "Report."
The man didn't waste any time. "Sir, she visited him again. Now, she's in the parking lot… playing." He kept his voice neutral, knowing the man on the other end valued concise updates.
There was a brief pause before the voice on the other end replied with a simple, "Okay."
The line went dead immediately after.
The man sighed, slipping the phone back into his pocket. Despite the brevity of the call, a subtle unease settled over him. Whatever the general intended to do with the information was far beyond his understanding, or pay grade.
He heaved a sigh of relief after a moment and made his way back to his post. Sliding into his seat, he didn't even glance at his negligent partner, who was now eyeing him with curiosity.
The other man waited a few seconds, clearly expecting a debrief, but the silent treatment was all he got. Finally, unable to hold back, he blurted out, "Dude, that girl is outside. Shouldn't we report it?"
The first man didn't even flinch. He crossed his arms, leaned back, and stared at the screens, offering nothing but a cold shoulder.
"Hey, I'm talking to you," the second man pressed, his voice tinged with concern now. "What if something happens? We'll be the ones getting burned!"
Still, the first man stayed silent, his gaze steady on the monitors. If his partner wanted answers, he'd have to figure them out himself, or suffer in ignorance.
The first man silently switched to the parking lot footage, his eyes narrowing as he zoomed in on the scene.