Unable to endure his wife’s funeral, the man hurried away early from the cemetery…
Main not disrupt vital body functions. They with max caution disconnected monitoring sensors, carefully removed IVs, gently extracted breathing tube and straps. Olivia weakly moaned and tried to move, but didn’t wake.
Her breathing became independent, though shallow and irregular. «Stretcher,» Brian commanded quietly. Together they very carefully transferred Olivia from hospital bed.
She was very light, almost weightless after long lying and artificial feeding. «All, need to leave here urgently,» Brian whispered, thoroughly covering Olivia warm blanket. But at this critical moment footsteps approached far hall end.
Not one person, at least three by sound. And they talked seriously. «Someone coming straight to us,» Anna whispered scared, peeking hall.
Alex carefully looked from room and in hall dim saw three dark silhouettes. Men in civilian clothes clearly not medical staff and heading exactly to ICU. «They’re here and coming to us,» he whispered Brian.
«Who exactly?» «Don’t know, but sure not doctors.» Too late for scheduled medical round. Footsteps approached inexorably.
In night hospital quiet they sounded especially threatening and ominous. «Room seven empty.» Came alarmed male voice.
«Search everywhere!» Ordered another firmly. «Check all rooms, all utility spaces. They couldn’t go far.
Check service stairs and emergency exits.» Added third. Brian instantly assessed critical situation.
«Anna, any other way out this department?» «Yes, through hospital basement. But real maze corridors there, easy get lost in dark. No matter, no other way.»
«Lead us there immediately.» They carefully carried stretcher from room and headed service stairs opposite end long hall. Behind backs pre suitors’ voices sounded louder and insistent.
«Check every room. They’re somewhere here, couldn’t go far with bedridden patient.» Anna led them narrow stairs to hospital basement premises.
Smelled damp and disinfectants. Long corridors branched directions, lit only rare bulbs under low ceiling. «Which way?» Alex whispered, carefully carrying stretcher with wife.
«Follow me,» Anna replied. Only very quiet, sound carries excellent all directions here. They wound complex basement corridors maze, passed storerooms medical equipment, archives docs, old boiler room and laundry.
Olivia lay still, breathing weak but even. Alex periodically checked her pulse, so far all relatively stable. «Here finally exit,» Anna whispered, pointing heavy metal door end another corridor.
Behind door waited paramedic Igor with ambulance, white reanimobile red crosses. «Where were you so long?» He asked worried. «Started thinking something serious happened.»
«Almost did,» Brian replied. «Almost caught us. Quick load patient and go immediately.»
They carefully transferred Olivia to specially equipped vehicle, connected portable ventilator and vital monitoring system. Igor professionally checked her status. «So far stable.
Pulse irregular but not critical. With proper transport we’ll deliver no problem.» Reanimobile carefully moved off.
Alex held wife’s cold hand and mentally prayed all saints for safe end. Olivia alive, with him. But what next? How prove her true identity? And how protect from those who tried kill her twice? Meanwhile at hospital real chaos started.
Discovered patient missing from room seven, disabled alarm, clear signs unauthorized entry ICU. On-duty doctor panicked called police, chief doctor, and of course Doctor Ortiz. «How could this happen?» Ortiz yelled hysterically into phone.
«Where was security? Where were nurses? How strangers penetrate ICU?» «Paul, maybe immediately notify patient relatives of incident?» Chief doctor suggested cautiously. «No relatives.» Ortiz snapped.
«This real abduction. Need urgently search criminals and establish identities.» But he knew perfectly who could organize this bold abduction.
And knew their carefully planned multimillion scam starting catastrophically collapse. Private clinic, Doctor Kozlov’s medical center on Quiet Street city center. Small but superbly equipped latest European medical tech.
Olivia placed comfortable private room, connected monitoring and life support machines. «Patient status stable but requires constant observation,» Doctor Kozlov reported thoroughly after full careful medical exam. «Traumatic brain injury medium severity, but luckily no signs critical damage vital brain centers.
Coma relatively shallow, basic reflexes preserved. With proper intensive treatment real chances full recovery.» «When might she regain consciousness?» Alex asked hopefully.
«Hard say exactly, brain very complex unpredictable organ. Maybe few days, maybe couple weeks. Depends individual body features and therapy correctness.
Continue actively talk to her, tell pleasant events, play favorite music. This stimulates brain helps faster recovery.» «Brian,» Alex said when alone in clinic hall, «now urgently appeal law enforcement. We have live witnesses, irrefutable proof doc forgery, the victim herself.» «Fully agree.
And how explain abduction to investigators?» «Say acted solely in victim’s interest, illegally held hospital fake docs. Serious grounds believe her life mortal danger.» First two days private clinic passed relatively calm no incidents.
Olivia’s condition slowly but steadily improved, doctors noted positive dynamics neurological status. Alex practically didn’t leave her bedside, held hand, quietly talked, read aloud her favorite poems and novels, hoping she hears and feels his presence. «Olivia, it’s me, your Alex,» he whispered, gently stroking her thin fingers…
«You’re completely safe, my dear. I know you hear and understand me. We’ll definitely deal with all these scoundrels, they’ll get deserved punishment.
Main thing, you’re alive, with me, home.» On third day first small but very important miracle happened. When Alex told wife how brave girl Katie helped find her hospital, he felt Olivia’s fingers barely but definitely squeeze in response to his touch.
Very weak movement, but he couldn’t mistake, fully conscious reaction to words. «Doctor Kozlov!» He called excited.
«She reacted to my story. Squeezed fingers.» Doctor quickly approached bed and ran series simple neurological tests, checked pupil reaction bright light, tendon reflexes, response pain stimuli.
«Indeed noticeable positive dynamics,» he confirmed satisfied. «Muscle tone gradually rising, response external stimuli more pronounced meaningful.» «Very good sign meaning coma exit process started.
Continue talk actively.» Statement to district police department filed first half next day. Investigator Natalie Serena Ivanov, experienced middle-aged woman smart attentive eyes impeccable reputation, patiently heard their incredible story, carefully studied all submitted docs.
«Story indeed detective novel grade,» she said closing thick folder materials. «But evidence very serious convincing scientifically based. Based submitted materials initiating criminal case articles ‘Fraud large scale’, ‘Forgery official documents’ and ‘Attempted murder aggravating circumstances’.»..
