A Beloved Member

At the hospital, both Tiel and Celeste walked with urgency to the VIP area.

This section was quieter and more secluded, hidden behind metal double doors.

Beside it, a separate reception window was open, attended by a single nurse who was busily reading a magazine.

Tiel knocked. "Excuse me, I'm here for my mother, Mrs. Brightwell, Nirmala."

"And I'm his fiancée," Celeste added as soon as the nurse looked her way, clearly about to ask. A sign behind her, written in bold capital letters, stated: ONLY FAMILY MEMBERS ALLOWED.

"She's in urgent care at the moment, so you won't be able to see her. But you can wait until five. Then all visitors must leave," the nurse, whose name tag read Kimmy, explained.