Chapter 3: The Stranger in Room 317
672 Words
The morning haze had barely lifted when the tension in the hospital became palpable. Something had shifted.
Nina knew it wasn’t just her imagination.
Room 317 was now under restricted access.
A freshly printed sign hung crooked on the door: AUTHORIZED MEDICAL STAFF ONLY. No explanation. No warning.
Nina had only been a nurse for a few months, but even she knew that meant trouble. Serious trouble.
She scanned her badge and stepped inside.
The man—John Doe—was still unconscious, but his vitals were steady. The bruising on his face had turned from angry purple to a deep, blooming yellow. There was still no name. No visitors. No police follow-up.
The symbol behind his ear still haunted her. It wasn’t from any gang or organization she recognized, and she had grown up in neighborhoods where those things mattered.
She gently wiped his forehead with a cloth and checked the IV tubing. As she reached for the oxygen monitor, his hand twitched. Then again.
Suddenly, he gripped her wrist.
Hard.
His eyes snapped open.
Wild. Dilated.
“Don’t trust—” he rasped, his voice hoarse.
“Who?” Nina gasped, frozen.
But before he could answer, the door burst open.
Dr. Cole.
“Step away from him!” he barked.
Nina stumbled back as Cole rushed to the bedside and gently pried the man’s fingers off her wrist.
“You’re okay,” Cole said softly to the patient, who was already slipping back into unconsciousness. “You’re safe.”
But nothing about this felt safe.
⸻
Back at the nurses’ station, Amanda called Nina over with a concerned look.
“Cole wants you off 317 for now,” she said gently.
Nina frowned. “Why? I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Amanda lowered her voice. “It’s not a punishment. It’s a precaution.”
“From what?”
Amanda hesitated. “The guy’s bloodwork showed synthetic drugs in his system. Stuff that isn’t even on the standard toxicology panel. Cole thinks you’re too new to deal with this kind of case.”
Nina’s heart pounded. “That man grabbed me and warned me not to trust someone. He’s not just some overdose.”
“I know.” Amanda sighed. “But hospital politics are messy. Stay out of it.”
But Nina couldn’t.
Not when her gut told her something was off.
⸻
That evening, she lingered by the staff lockers when Sam arrived, fresh from her off-day. Her friend immediately noticed the tension.
“What happened?”
Nina recounted everything. The man’s warning. The tattoo. The restricted access. Cole’s cold command.
Sam leaned against the locker. “Let me guess. You’re planning to investigate.”
“No,” Nina said automatically. Then added, “Maybe.”
“Nina, we’re nurses, not detectives.”
“Tell that to the guy in 317.”
Sam exhaled. “Look, I get it. You hate being shut out. But you don’t even know what you’re getting into.”
“I know something’s wrong.”
Sam gave her a look, then glanced around and lowered her voice.
“Okay, but if you’re going to snoop—take this.”
She handed Nina a keycard. “It’s mine. Temporary staff override. For emergencies. Use it once, and only if you’re sure.”
Nina stared at it. “You’re seriously giving me this?”
Sam grinned. “I’ve learned not to stop you when your eyes go full detective mode.”
⸻
That night, when the hospital quieted down, Nina slipped back toward the wing.
She waited until the hallway was clear and scanned the override card.
Click.
The door to Room 317 creaked open.
She stepped inside.
And stopped.
The bed was empty.
No patient. No chart. No sign of any medical staff.
Just silence.
And on the pillow… a folded piece of paper.
With her name written in ink:
NINA.
Her blood ran cold.
She opened it.
One sentence was scrawled across the page in shaky handwriting:
“They’re watching you too.”
- Writer
