His first thought was a routine checkup. He scanned for the chart, for a blanket, anything. Nothing. Heart pounding, he stepped into the hallway, bouquet crumpling in his grip. The nurse came so swiftly that he was startled. “Excuse me—my wife, Lina—she’s not in her room.”
The nurse’s gaze shifted toward the open doorway, then back to him, anxiety etched in every line of her face. “We can’t find the patient. We were just about to call you,” she said carefully. For a moment, Ethan just stared, the words struggling to take shape in his mind, refusing to assemble into something that could be true.