She noticed a feet by the door. A handsome young man was standing there with his arms folded across his chest. His facial expression wasn’t pleasant at all. She had been caught!
“Emm, hi!” she greeted awkwardly but the young man didn’t reply, making her more uncomfortable. When he deemed it fit to talk, he said,
“Who are you and how did you get in here?”
She observed him carefully but tactfully and a wave of recognition swept through her eyes, making it lit. The young man before her was Neuer. She recognised him from the picture shown to her by Amon shortly before she entered the hospital. Having worked under Easton for so many years, she knew her way around certain situations. She decided to apply some of the rules of the game.
“Hello Dr. Neuer!”
The first rule was to act familiar with the person, get him to wonder how you got to know him and boom, you have recorded a first level progress before you move to the second step. But her game didn’t work on Neuer.
“I said who are you and what are you doing here? Speak or I’ll call the security. Have you come to poison some patients dressed like a nurse? Who sent you? Speak up you lousy fellow! Speak!”
“Ahh! Don’t say that doctor. It’s nothing of that sort. How can I poison a patient? Besides, I know that the security here is high and everyone’s every move in the wards will likely be monitored. In fact, it was you whom I came to see.”
“Humph! Interesting. Now, I have suddenly become who you want to see,” Neuer sneered. Aria gritted her teeth inwardly. That slimy bastard deserved to die for daring to doubt her words.
“Yes, it was you. I’m here in respect of my friend, Nelly. She said she was going to come and see me but she didn’t.”
A confused look appeared on the man’s face, he was probably wondering where this was driving at.
“I know she’s your very good friend. I’ve tried calling but her number isn’t going through. I was worried so, I decided to come and ask after her. This is a big hospital and I’m sure no one walks in and out of the gates just like that. I’m really concerned about Nelly and the only way to reach you was to disguise as a nurse. I figured that will grant me a quick solution. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do anything creepy.”
Neuer didn’t believe a word of what she said. He knew Nelly had only a few friends. He would have to call the security to search her to be sure she had nothing up her sleeves. Who sneaks into a hospital and disguises as a nurse if not someone with evil intentions?
Aria seemed to read his mind.
“Here you go! You can search me, I’m here with nothing, here is my bag, let me empty it.”
She opened her little purse and poured out the contents before Neuer’s eyes. The only thing inside the purse was her lip gloss and her phone, then hair pin. Neuer didn’t want her to think he believed her.
“I didn’t ask you to empty your purse,” he said coldly.
“I still do not believe you. Nelly does not have lots of friends…”
“… yes. I know and I know she’s a private person. We only met a few times and she introduced you as her very close friend. She promised to come see me two days ago but she never did. I was worried because she told me she wouldn’t forget. I tried calling her number but it’s not going. I had to come here to ask about my friend only to be mistaken for a criminal,” she said and hung her head sadly. This trick failed again, the tough man before her had no ounce of pity or sympathy.
“That’s because you behaved like one. I’ll spare you the security trouble. Now, leave this premises while I’m being nice. I don’t ever want to see you anywhere near here.”
Aria knew this man was a difficult person to handle, she didn’t press further. She made to remove the nurses’uniform but the doctor halted her.
“You can go with it,” he said concealing the disgust that threatened to appear on his face. Aria took of the uniform, held it in her hands and left. Neuer watched her and made sure she left the hospital premises. Then, he instructed the security never to let her in.
It was the close of work and Neuer who was done tidying his desk, sat down pondering on what happened earlier that day. How did that woman think she’ll return a uniform after she had put it on? Who does she think she was?
He couldn’t imagine his nurses putting on a uniform that has been worn by a total stranger whom he didn’t trust her personal hygiene.
“Eewwww!” he squeezed his face in disgust. A knock came and a nurse entered upon permission.
“Doctor, someone is here to see you.”
“See me? It’s past working hours. The patient should meet the other doctors on duty, or are you not aware that I’m done for today?”
“I’m aware doctor. She insisted on seeing you. I think it’s not a patient.”
“Please, let the patient go and see the other doctors, wait, it’s not a patient? Then who is it?
He had barely finished speaking when the door was opened and the ‘patient’ barged in.
“It’s me!” she announced in a sing song voice.
“Miss, please…you need to wait outside…” the nurse pleaded with her. She didn’t want to have any issues with the doctor. But the young lady wouldn’t hear of that. She kept walking in and Neuer wasn’t saying anything. This further increased the nurse’s discomfort.
‘He should say something! He should speak up and ask this intruder to leave. Why is he making things difficult for me?’
The lady finally stopped and looked at her.
“Excuse me, can you stop all these?” Then she turned to the doctor and called him by his name, something that no one ever did except very few close people.
“Neuer? Are you going to sit there and watch this happen?”