Chapter Four

Chloe's POV

I couldn't help but scoff as I stared at the picture, my eyes narrowing at the imposing name and titles beneath it—Nathan Blackwood. Comparing the image before me to my memories of last night, a notable difference in his demeanor struck me. The softness I had encountered then contrasted starkly with the current image on my tablet. His hazel eyes, once deep and mysterious, now framed his face with an altered expression. The transformation was evident, the demeanor gazing back at me from the tablet screen. Yet, beneath the surface, a newfound intensity lurked in his gaze, leaving me intrigued and somewhat uneasy about the change. As my eyes traced the lines of his face, a realization dawned upon me—though his appearance might have undergone a change, the captivating intensity in his eyes remained a constant. The contours of his face held a mysterious allure, inviting curiosity and fascination. His jawline, reminiscent of a finely crafted chainsaw, contributed to a sharp masculinity that couldn't be ignored. Additionally, his nose, elegantly pointed yet bearing a slight and intriguing crook at the side, added a unique charm to his already handsome features. The dark hazel eyes, deep and expressive, continued to complement his face, creating a captivating ensemble that left an indelible impression.

"Doctor Chloe?" The call of my name snapped me out of my reverie, and I greeted the nurse with an awkward chuckle, attempting to conceal the internal conflict that brewed within me.

"Doctor Chloe?" The nurse repeated, a small smile on her face, holding the key to the information I sought. "You wanted Matthew Williams' file?"

My nod conveyed both affirmation and the hesitation that lingered beneath the surface. "Yes, thank you," I added, my voice barely above a whisper.

The nurse dropped the file on my table, leaving my office with a polite exit. As the door closed, I found myself alone with the tangible weight of the file before me.

"Thank you," I murmured, my words hanging in the air as a silent acknowledgment. The file sat on my desk, representing a crossroads, a choice between loyalty to a colleague and the pursuit of the truth. I hesitated, fingers slightly hovering over the file, torn between professional ethics and an instinctive curiosity. The internal conflict intensified, a silent battle waged within the confines of my thoughts. It felt like I was betraying Doctor Paige by entertaining the notion of delving into Matthew Williams' file. The dilemma echoed in my mind: choosing between the words of a man who had held a gun to my head and the loyalty to a good friend and colleague, Doctor Paige.

The weight of the decision hung heavily in the air, and a sigh escaped my lips as I contemplated the implications. The closed file on my desk seemed to taunt me with the uncertainty it contained. If I refrained from opening it, I might preserve the trust within my professional circle, but it would leave my innocence unproven. A gnawing realization settled in – perhaps proving innocence held little significance in the face of the potential damage to my reputation.

I reached for the file, fingers tracing the edge, a symbolic gesture marking the moment of an inevitable breach of professional boundaries. The idea of running away and starting fresh whispered promises of freedom, tempting me with the allure of escape. I'd done it before, carving out a new life from the remnants of my past. But now, the decision weighed heavily on me: was I truly ready to shatter the stable facade I'd built over the last seven years? What if Nathan's suspicions were right? What if Matt's death wasn't natural, and I unknowingly played a role? Uncertainty gnawed at my conscience, casting shadows on the seemingly unshakeable foundation of my life.

I swallowed and opened the file without giving it a second thought, my eyes swept the charts, looking for any irregularities. Everything looked normal, and I could feel my relief washing through me until my finger stopped on a line. I passed it and doubled back, I stared at it intensely, willing for whatever I was seeing to be my brain messing with me. The words blurred together as my mind raced, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

I took a deep breath, my heart racing, as I tried to process the information before me.

My stomach plummeted as I realized my brain was playing a trick on me. I grasped the phone on my desk and dialed the first number. "Doctor Chloe?" the nurse asked.

"Yes, please. I need Nurse Victoria's attention," I replied.

"Okay," she said and hung up.

I closed my eyes, and a flurry of thoughts swirled in my head. When I opened them, I focused on the file. A soft knock at the door broke the silence. "Come in," I called out.

Victoria entered, her expression a mix of urgency and calmness. "You called for me?"

I nodded, and she sat down, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Is everything okay?"

I hesitated, unsure how to broach the subject without raising suspicions. "Yes, I just need to ask you a few things."

Victoria nodded, her confusion growing. I took a deep breath and began, "You were on duty yesterday, even before I took over Doctor Paige's patient."

"Yes," she replied.

"Good," I said, pushing the file towards her. "You administered some injections for that patient."

She glanced at the file and then at me. "Yes, before Doctor Paige left, she gave me a list of the medications the patient needed."

"I know," I said, nodding. "But I noticed something else that wasn't inputted in the file."

Victoria's scowl deepened. "What?"

I opened the file to the last page, revealing the death certificate tucked between the autopsy paperwork. "A medication was found in the bloodstream, and it wasn't in his chart."

Her eyebrows shot up, and she parted her lips, struggling to speak.

"It might just be a mistake," I suggested. "You probably forgot to input it in his file."

Victoria blinked rapidly and leaned forward. "I don't think so, Doctor Chloe. I double-checked everything. This isn't a mistake I'd ever make."

I pursed my lips and passed the file to her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and began scanning the paperwork. Her eyes widened, and she gasped. "I didn't administer this medication!"

"Maybe Doctor Paige did before she left," I suggested.

Victoria shook her head. "I doubt that. If the autopsy could still detect this after death, it means the medication was administered just minutes before..."

Her voice trailed off as the realization hit us both. Victoria quickly dropped the file, her eyes never leaving it. "I-I promise you, Doctor Chloe, I know nothing about this medication."

"I know," I reassured her. "I'm not accusing you. If anything, I'm trying to get to the bottom of this."

Victoria's eyes lingered on the file before she finally stood up and walked to the door. "Victoria..." I called out.

She turned around, and I continued, "I want this to stay between us. I promise to investigate further."

"Yes," she replied curtly and left the room.

I sighed and stared at the file, feeling like I had just opened a can of worms. If this was a mistake, it was a grave one, but deep down, I knew it wasn't. I opened my laptop and checked my schedule – it was clear. I stood up, took the file, and decided to dig deeper.

***

The hospital morgue felt like a different world, a stark contrast to the cheerful atmosphere of the rest of the hospital. I walked quickly through the halls, avoiding eye contact with the staff, who were curious about my purpose there. I didn't have time for small talk; I had a job to do.

My knuckles rapped on the door, and I heard a muffled "come in" from within. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, stepping into Doctor Sam's office.

"Doctor Sam," I said, feeling a bit nervous under his scrutinizing gaze. He nodded in response, gesturing for me to take a seat.

"You're here for the autopsy, I presume?" he said, his tone matter-of-fact. "I was expecting you."

I nodded, feeling uneasy. "Yes, that's right. I guess the medication wasn't a mistake, after all."

Doctor Sam pushed his glasses further down his nose. "No, it wasn't a mistake."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why didn't you tell anyone about it or even alert me?"

He shrugged. "Why should I?"

I was taken aback. "Well... I think the medication killed the patient."

Doctor Sam leaned forward. "I can assure you that it didn't. The patient died of sepsis, and you know that already. Didn't you know that?"

His gaze stared deep into mine, challenging me. I scoffed. "I looked through the chart. The patient didn't need that medication, and I think it triggered—"

Doctor Sam cut me off. "No."

I stood up, feeling a sense of unease. "Have you seen or spoken with Doctor Paige today?"

He replied quickly, almost too quickly. "No."

I muttered, "Thank you for your time," and walked out of the office, feeling a sense of dread growing stronger. I rushed to the elevator, my heart pounding in my chest, and wondered if Nathan was right. Could Matthew Williams really have been murdered? And if so, who could have done it?

As I stepped into the elevator, I pressed the button for the lobby and tried to take deep breaths to calm myself down. But my mind was racing with questions. I felt my hands trembling as I put them in my coat pocket, and my eyes darted to the CCTV camera above. A sudden thought struck me, and I knew what I had to do. I hit the close button on the elevator door and frantically pressed the button for the fourth floor. Just as the door was about to close, I saw Doctor Paige sprinting toward me, her eyes wide with panic. We locked eyes, and then the door closed with a definitive click.

I wasn't sure if he knew what I was about to do, but I had to follow through. I had to get to the bottom of this. As the elevator reached the fourth floor, I took a deep breath and stepped out, determined to find the truth.

I walked down the hallway, my steps quick and determined, and clutched the handle of the door to the technical unit. With a deep breath, I opened the door, half-expecting to see Doctor Paige standing there. But the room was empty, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I stepped inside and made my way to the computer screens , my hands shaking as I sat down in the chair. I knew what I had to do – review the footage from the night of Matthew Williams' death. I had to find out what really happened.

As I turned to start the computer, I was startled by a man's voice. "Doctor...?" he trailed off, looking confused holding a cup of coffee.

I quickly gathered my composure and responded, "Please, call me Chloe."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Chloe... what are you doing here?"

"I need to see the footage from one of the rooms."

He firmely replied, "I'm afraid I can't do that. You don't have the authority."

I knew he was right, but I had to try. "Please, it's very important. I need to see what happened."

The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't do that. It's against hospital policy."

I bit my lip, trying to think of a way to convince him. "Please, it's a matter of life and death. I need to see the footage."

He looked at me, his expression unreadable. "I can't risk my job for this. I'm sorry."

My heart sank, but I had to think of something, anything, to convince him. Desperation began to set in. I took a deep breath and tried a different approach.

"I understand your concern," I said, trying to sound calm and rational. "But I can assure you that this is not a violation of policy. I have the authority to review footage as part of my job duties."

I watched the security guard's face closely, hoping to see a sign of softening. After a moment, he seemed to consider what I had said and reluctantly agreed to cooperate. "Fine," he said, finally giving in. "What time and date are you looking for?"

"The date was yesterday, and the time was between noon and three PM," I replied, my voice steady.

"And the floor?" he asked, reaching for his keyboard.

"Ground floor, Hall B," I said.

I watched as he typed in the information and pulled up the footage. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for the screen to load. Finally, the image appeared on the screen. "Here," the security guard said, pointing to the screen.

I leaned in, eager to see what the footage would reveal. "Can I sit?" I asked, not wanting to miss anything.

"Sure," he replied, shifting to the seat beside me.

I watched the video as it played at high speed, my eyes darting across the screen, trying to take in every detail. "What are you looking for?" the guard asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I'll know it when I see it," I replied, my focus still on the screen.

My heart began to race as I saw the figure of Doctor Paige on the screen. I leaned in closer, studying the time stamp on the video. "Here it is"I said, my voice sounding urgent and a little shrill.

I could feel my pulse quicken as I saw the exact time the doctor entered Matt's room - 1:56 PM. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my pager. I knew I had been paged by the nurse just after Matt began convulsing. I checked the time on my pager, and my stomach sank - 2:12 PM.

How could this be? The time on my pager was nearly 20 minutes after the doctor entered Matt's room. I quickly replayed the footage, watching the minutes tick by, and the doctor still in the room. I began to feel dizzy and lightheaded as I tried to make sense of the time discrepancy.

I racked my brain, trying to figure out what could have happened. Could the pager be malfunctioning? Could the time on the video feed be wrong? I felt like I was going crazy as I tried to piece it all together.

The guard noticed my disoriented face and asked, "Do you need some water?"

I shook my head, trying to understand what was going on. Doctor Paige had gone into the room minutes before the patient died, yet she had told me she had a family emergency hours earlier. I was at a loss to explain the discrepancy in the time stamps.

I slowly pocketed my pager and stood up from the chair, trying to compose myself. "Is that all?" the guard asked, his voice gentle.

I couldn't muster the words to respond, so I simply nodded and forced a smile. I turned and headed for the door, eager to leave the room and gather my thoughts.

My head was spinning with questions as I stepped into the elevator. How could Doctor Paige have lied about an emergency? What reason could she have for doing so? I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

I punched the button for the ground floor and leaned against the wall of the elevator, my mind racing. I needed to find out what was going on, and fast. But where would I even begin?

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out into the lobby, lost in thought. I felt a surge of anger as I realized that Nathan had been right - Doctor Paige had killed a patient and used me as part of her game. I was filled with rage and a sense of betrayal as I walked the halls of the hospital.

I wanted to confront her directly, but I knew that doing so would be rash. I had to think carefully about my next steps and make sure that I didn't do anything to jeopardize my career or my safety.

I entered my office and let out a deep breath, leaning against the door as it closed behind me. I needed to collect myself and figure out what to do next.

I took a few moments to calm myself, breathing deeply and trying to clear my mind. I paced the length of my office, trying to think through my options. I could report Dr. Paige to the hospital administration, but what if they didn't believe me? I could go to the police, but what if I didn't have enough evidence to convince them? I could confront Dr. Paige directly, but what if she was dangerous? What if she retaliated against me for accusing her of murder?

My head was spinning, and I felt like I was caught in a maelstrom of possibilities.

I knew I had to tell Nathan about what I'd discovered, but I wasn't sure how he would react. Who was I kidding? He would probably kill the doctor.

That was our deal. I tell him the real culprit and he would let me go.

I wasn't still sure if what to think. Maybe there was a major mixup.

I sighed. I couldn't keep this away from Nathan.

I had to do something. As I sat there, wrestling with my thoughts, I felt a headache beginning to form. I massaged my temples, trying to calm myself. But I knew I had to act. Telling the director should be my first move. That way, Nathan would be protected from harming Dr. Paige if she was safely in custody. It was ironic.

I let out a sigh and picked up the file from my table. The thought of facing Director Wallace made my stomach churn. I knew that I might be opening Pandora's box, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for the consequences. But I also knew that I had to do something. If I didn't speak up, who knew what might happen? I had to take the risk.

As I walked to the director's office, I felt my anxiety building. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was doing the right thing. I had to stand up for what I believed in, even if it was scary. I knocked on the door and waited.

Director Sarah Wallace.

I stared at the name and felt anxiety doubling. I knew that walking into the office meant taking a step that would open a can of worms. I could already picture the rumors, headline news, and even the death glare from Dr. Paige.

"Come in." I took a deep breath and entered the office, plastering a small smile on my face. But as I took in the scene before me, the smile faltered. Seated across from Director Wallace was none other than Dr. Paige himself. She gave me a smug smile, and I felt my blood boil. I tried to remain calm, but it was hard to contain my anger.

"Oh, Doctor Chloe, I was about to call for you," the Director said. I nodded slowly and looked at the person seated opposite her, and all the anxiety I had earlier evaporated into anger. I smiled. "Of course."

"Sit," Director Sarah pointed to the chair beside my colleague. "Please."

"Of course, Director," I said, forcing my voice to sound calm and collected. I sat down in the chair next to Dr. Paige, trying not to let my anger show. I could feel my heart racing, and I took a deep breath, trying to remain focused.

"Please, both of you," the director said, her voice firm but not unkind. "I'd like to discuss an issue that has come up."

I steeled myself, not sure what to expect. I glanced at Dr. Paige, who was watching me with a smug look on her face. I forced myself to look away.

The director sighed and relaxed in her chair. "Doctor Paige here came to me with a situation... and I think that's what you came for also."

I looked at Dr. Paige. "It depends. What did she tell you?"

The director removed her glasses and placed them carefully on the desk. "Well, she ca—"

"I'll take it from here, Sarah," Doctor Paige cut in.

"Go ahead."

He cleared his throat. "I made a mistake with a patient's dose yesterday. The late Matthew Williams. If you remember, I told you to help him—"

"I remember you telling me to take your shift because you had a family emergency," I interrupted.

"Yes," she replied. "But I didn't go. It was sorted, so I wasn't needed again, and I didn't tell you because it was too much hassle, and I might have needed the rest."

"But you went behind my back to give the patient a medication," I said, my gaze never leaving her face.

"I forgot to add it to the chart."

I scoffed and looked at the Director. "She is talking about the same dose she must have told you that he gave to the patient mistakenly."

The director parted her lips to talk, but Doctor Paige quickly spoke up. "Yes, the dose wasn't for him. I was so stressed yesterday, and I gave it to the wrong patient."

I raised my eyebrows, incredulous. "So, let me get this straight - you went behind my back to give my patient a medication, forgot to include it in his files, and now you're claiming that the medication was for another patient?" My voice rose with each word.

"Yes, and—" Dr. Paige began, but I cut her off.

"Good, so that means you know that the medication killed the patient!" I exclaimed.

The director intervened, her voice firm but calm. "I'll have to stop you there, Chloe. I've seen the patient's files, and he died of sepsis. The medication had no connection to his death."

"How would we know that?" I asked, skeptical.

"It's in the autopsy report, which I believe you have," the director replied. "Are you suggesting that the autopsy is incorrect?"

I sighed in disbelief. "Are you ignoring the fact that he gave a patient the wrong medication, and by fate, the patient dies a few minutes later?"

"It was a placebo, Doctor Chloe," the director said, her expression unyielding "And I think it's more disappointing that you think I would kill a patient. I consider you as one of my close friends here but here you are indirectly accusing me of…." she trailed "…Murder?"

I scoffed "I'm bringing out facts here"

She spelled out, rage in her eyes "It was a placebo"

"Then it shouldn't be in his bloodstream"

She scoffed "This is unbelievable"

I started "I think what's unbelievably is y-"

Sarah cut my off "Enough! Doctor Sam already explained it to me that there is no way a placebo would kill someone" She glared "These accusations you're throwing about are heavy" she narrowed her eyes "Why are you so sure and adamant that this patient was killed"

I exhaled and leaned forward "I examined the chart. He couldn't have died of a sepsis shock"

Dr. Paige scoffed "We certainly can't predict death Doctor Chloe"

I shook my head in disbelief "Do you believe what she's saying?"

"Yes, and I trust her because she has been with this hospital for years," she added, her tone firm. "Even before you."

I was taken aback by her words. "Do you understand how bizarre this story sounds?" I asked, looking from Dr. Paige to the director.

Dr. Paige spoke up, her voice smooth. "It's not a story, Chloe. If I had anything to hide, I wouldn't have asked you to take my patient. I trusted you as a friend, and I guess that was why I didn't come to you after I stayed at the hospital. I didn't think you would mind, and I'm so sorry about that."

I scoffed, dumbfounded, and looked from Dr. Paige to the director. "This is ridiculous," I thought, but couldn't say it out loud.

The director leaned forward, her eyes stern. "We are looking at the charts here, and the medication didn't kill the patient. The autopsy already stated that. Are you suggesting that the autopsy is wrong?"

I shook my head, feeling trapped. "No."

"Good," the director said, her voice firm. "Now that we've cleared the air, I would like this to stay between us." She sighed, her expression serious. "Doctor Chloe, have you mentioned this to someone else?"

I hesitated, thinking of Nathan, but couldn't reveal that. "I only questioned Nurse Victoria, she was on duty."

The director's expression turned stern. "You should have come to me first. I don't want rumors spreading around. This hospital is held in high esteem, and a rumor like that going around is going to put a dent in our name."

Of course, the hospital's name was all that mattered.