Elsa
I am uneasy the whole time after Marcello leaves the hospital. Papà fell asleep a few minutes ago and now I have nothing to do with myself. I feel so afraid for Marcello. I can’t calm down after him leaving like that. What has happened?
Why did Marcello have to leave that that? What is it that he doesn’t want me to know?
A nurse comes in later. I haven’t seen this nurse before for the few times I have have been here at least. She tells me that her name is Gia and she is going to do some vital checkups so I should excuse myself and leave the room.
I tell her that I will stay and she shouldn’t mind me since all the other nurses have been doing the checkups when I am around. She seems agitated by my response, but says that this is a crucial check up and I shouldn’t be around. In any case, I am not supposed to leave the room as per Marcello’s orders.
“Okay, I will stand aside. But I can’t leave this room. I am sorry if this is going to inconvenience you,” I tell her.
If it is such a a crucial operation, then the doctor should be the one doing it. Not the nurse.
“If you insist, ma’am. But please keep you distance. It is very inconveniencing if you stay close,” she says without looking into my eyes She busies herself with the life support machines.
The hairs at the back of my throat rise at attention. I look at her tray of equipment and medicine for anything suspicious but I don’t know anything about medicines so I wouldn’t even be able to tell if anything is wrong anyway.
I get up to walk away but my heart is not settled.
“Can I have a look at your hospital staff ID?” I ask her. There is a moment of tight silence.
“I didn’t carry it with me here. Why would you ask?” she doesn’t look up at me which makes her even more suspicious.
“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t ask for it? You are supposed to have your staff ID all the time when in the hospital, am I right?”
“Ma’am, you are making my work so complicated. I have to do this check up and administer these medicines on time. I will go bring my ID after this if you insist on seeing it,” she says.
“I insist that you go bring your ID before you work on my patient, Gia. He will be fine. A few minutes of waiting won’t kill him. I don’t think you could have left it home because that is the worst that could happen,” I tell her.
Standing upright, she looks straight into my eyes. It is obvious that she doesn’t like my guts but she has to deal with it.
“Okay, I will be right back,” she says, through clenched teeth, clearly agitated. As she walks out of the room. I call up the head of the security guards that are guarding outside the door.
“Catch her. The nurse,” I say when he picks up.
“Yes, ma’am” he responds before hanging up.
The nurse is dragged back in a few a few minutes.
“I don’t think this nurse works at this hospital. Call the management to confirm that. I need a doctor to evaluate these medicines she brought,” I tell the soldiers.
“Yes, ma’am,” they all respond it unison.
The woman gives me a hateful look but doesn’t fight or bother crying about her innocence, which only confirms my suspicions.
I dial up Marcello’s number thereafter but it doesn’t go through. I try calling three more times but it still doesn’t go through.
My blood pressure shoots to the sky.
“If my phone doesn’t go through, call Gabrielle.”
I quickly dial up Gabrielle. Luckily he picks up almost immediately.
“Hello? Gabrielle?” my voice breaks and my hands are trembling.
“Elsa, are you alright?” he inquires, his voice a sudden comfort to my fear.
“Yes,” I sniff. “But I don’t think Marcello is.”
I am already crying.
I go ahead and tell him about Marcello’s leaving and about the nurse whom I believe has been sent to kill my father.
“Calm down, Elsa. I know you are probably going through a lot right now but I am already on my way. I will be there in roughly thirty minutes. Have many soldiers do you have with you?”
“Three,” I respond, ” Marcello went with the others.”
“Okay. First of all you have to calm down. The soldiers are going to deal with the situation of the nurse. The good thing is that you were there to stop her. I am going to look into Marcello’s situation. Stay composed, Elsa. You have to stay strong and protect your father,” he adds.
“Do you know where Marcello went? Whom did he have to meet all of a sudden?” I can’t help but ask.
“I don’t think I am in position to tell you if Marcello didn’t. He probably didn’t tell you for a reason, and I am not going to defy his wish, ” he replies.
“Fuck it, Gabrielle. I am tired of this suspense! I want to know what is going on here. You can’t keep hiding this shit from me like that. I am worried sick for Marcello’s safety and I feel like something back could have happened to him,” I tell him furiously.
I can hear him sighing from the other side of the line.
“Elsa,” he breathes.
“Tell me!” I ask him.
“He went to find Frederico,” he responds.
At that moment, the name Federico seems to echo through the room. My starts racing.
I knew my instincts were right. Marcello was going on a dangerous mission, that’s why he acted like that.
“Why? Has he left Bologna?”
“No, Federico followed him to Bologna. Marcello found out about that and went to hunt for him,” he replies.
Oh no!
Tears start swelling in my eyes. That is when a doctor storms into the room. He is shown the tray the nurse was carrying. He carefully scrutinizes the contents.
“This is not the patient’s prescription,” he says. “All of this medicine is nof on his prescription. These medicines don’t work together and if they meet in the body, they can kill the patient in a few minutes.”
There is silence in the room as the soldiers look at me with stunned faces.
“Elsa, are you still there?” Gabrielle’s voice shakes me out of shock.
“Yes. ”
” What has happened?”
“The woman wanted to kill Papà. The doctor has confirmed that the medicine she brought is not on his prescription and it would have killed him if he had taken it,” I say, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Oh God!” he exclaims. “I think she has been sent. Whether by Federico or anyone else, it is obvious that she was sent to kill your father. Give the phone to Ray so that I can tell him how to handle her.”
I quickly give the phone to the head of the security guards only says “yes, sir” before ending the call.