07-20-2019, 04:42 PM
Nina looked at her worn socks for a moment. Then she glanced up, rubbed her eyes. She looked at Soren, and saw that Soren was staring right back at her. He looked at her contemptuously. Nina held his gaze for a second, then, uncomfortable, looked away.
There were big, dark circles under his eyes, rings left behind by pain that was as clear as the marks a coffee cup left on a tabletop. She could see his pain was beyond the limits of elastic bandages and pills. She could read the buried anxiety in Soren’s features, the stress of simply staying upright. He was counting on Morven. He was counting on his miracles doctor to get him out of the shit and back to safety. And counting on Nina to find Morven.
“Fuck it,” Nina said under her breath. She straightened up and walked across to Soren.
Nina was quickly scanning files in her wallet.
“Patients list,” she said, nodding at Soren. “I shouldn’t access one of the other doctor’s files unless I’m treating the patient.“
She splayed her fingers across the touchscreen and opened out four tiers of panes with small headshots and medical data.
“Morven, right?” said Nina, indicating the picture.
“Her list isn’t complete. It doesn’t show you, for example. But you are clearly one of her patients. And this isn’t the only thing missing from the records.”
She pointed at the display with a jut of her chin. “Here, see? Sage Parker,” said Nina, tapping one of the panes. “Says here he was Morven’s last patient, but it doesn’t show pictures of him for some reason.”
“Of course, I already said this list doesn’t show everyone. Besides, the last person to see Morven might not be a patient. He might be a guest, a visitor. A brother. A boyfriend.”
Or something else, she thought.
Nina made her dismissive face. She wasn’t going to worry him. That wasn’t her style. She wasn’t going to say it out loud. But she could hope and she could will it to happen. He needed it. She could sweep the security cams next.
She handed her wallet to Soren.
“Where the fuck did she go?” asked Nina, mainly to herself. “Why is it only Sage’s picture that’s not here?”
There were big, dark circles under his eyes, rings left behind by pain that was as clear as the marks a coffee cup left on a tabletop. She could see his pain was beyond the limits of elastic bandages and pills. She could read the buried anxiety in Soren’s features, the stress of simply staying upright. He was counting on Morven. He was counting on his miracles doctor to get him out of the shit and back to safety. And counting on Nina to find Morven.
“Fuck it,” Nina said under her breath. She straightened up and walked across to Soren.
Nina was quickly scanning files in her wallet.
“Patients list,” she said, nodding at Soren. “I shouldn’t access one of the other doctor’s files unless I’m treating the patient.“
She splayed her fingers across the touchscreen and opened out four tiers of panes with small headshots and medical data.
“Morven, right?” said Nina, indicating the picture.
“Her list isn’t complete. It doesn’t show you, for example. But you are clearly one of her patients. And this isn’t the only thing missing from the records.”
She pointed at the display with a jut of her chin. “Here, see? Sage Parker,” said Nina, tapping one of the panes. “Says here he was Morven’s last patient, but it doesn’t show pictures of him for some reason.”
“Of course, I already said this list doesn’t show everyone. Besides, the last person to see Morven might not be a patient. He might be a guest, a visitor. A brother. A boyfriend.”
Or something else, she thought.
Nina made her dismissive face. She wasn’t going to worry him. That wasn’t her style. She wasn’t going to say it out loud. But she could hope and she could will it to happen. He needed it. She could sweep the security cams next.
She handed her wallet to Soren.
“Where the fuck did she go?” asked Nina, mainly to herself. “Why is it only Sage’s picture that’s not here?”
Nina