People chuckled whenever she tended to the millionaire’s hygiene needs. But then came a moment when she discovered something in that spot that chilled her to the bone……

The strong smell of antiseptic, mixed with the heavy silence of the clinic, was part of Emily’s daily routine. She had started working there just a few weeks ago, but she already felt the weight of the environment. The coma ward was unlike anything else.

The corridors were impeccably clean, machines beeped at regular intervals, but what caught her attention most was the emptiness, as if life had stopped there. Among all the patients, one drew her attention more than the others – Michael Reynolds. He wasn’t just another ordinary patient.

He was a famous millionaire, owner of one of the largest tech companies in the country. His name had been in all the news a few months ago, when the car accident that left him in a coma was deemed a mysterious tragedy. The car had veered off the road on a rainy night, and although there was no clear evidence of sabotage, rumors circulated constantly.

Emily’s contract stated that she had to monitor Michael’s vital signs, measure his blood pressure, adjust the equipment, and ensure his stability. Nothing beyond that, but from the first day, something about Michael touched her differently. Perhaps it was the contrast between the powerful man in the headlines and the fragile, motionless body trapped in tubes and machines.

Perhaps it was that even unconscious, he seemed to carry an untold story. While other nurses did the necessary minimum, Emily couldn’t treat him with such indifference. She cleaned his face, changed his diapers, massaged his hands, as if he somehow felt the care.

Some colleagues began to notice, and with the attention came the jokes. «Hey, Emily, are you in love with your millionaire patient?» teased one of the nurses in the break room. «Maybe she thinks he’ll wake up and leave her his inheritance?» said another, laughing loudly.

She pretended not to hear, but each remark was like a knife. She knew she was doing it without expecting anything in return. It was just the right thing.

It didn’t matter if Michael was conscious or not; he was a human being and deserved dignity, but there was something more. Something Emily couldn’t explain. Every time she was in Michael’s room, she felt a strange connection, as if he was trying to communicate something, even though he was stuck in that vegetative state.

It was an intuition she couldn’t ignore. Days turned into weeks, and the behavior of Michael’s family only heightened her suspicions. They rarely visited him…