Lily

Coffee at 3AM

---

*LILY*

*Chapter 4: Coffee at 3AM*

Lily didn’t go home after her shift.

She sat in her car in the hospital parking lot for 22 minutes. Engine off. Phone in her hand.

That text was still in her deleted folder: *STOP DIGGING OR YOU’RE NEXT.*

She deleted it permanently.

Then she went back inside.

It was 7:20 PM. She wasn’t scheduled until 8. But she needed to see if Box 49 was really gone.

The basement was locked.

She turned to leave and almost ran into Lawrence.

He was in sweatpants and a hoodie. IV pole in one hand, phone in the other.

“What are you doing down here?” Lily asked before she could stop herself.

“Same thing you are,” he said. “Not sleeping.”

He nodded at her scrubs. “You’re early.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” she lied.

He studied her. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

Lily forced her face neutral. “Vitals in 40 minutes, Mr. Richard.”

“Lawrence,” he said. “And come on. Let’s get coffee before your shift. The real stuff. Not that hospital sludge.”

“I don’t—”

“Please,” he cut in. “I’m going crazy in that room. 5 minutes. Then I’ll let you go be super nurse.”

She should’ve said no.

She said, “5 minutes.”

---

*The hospital cafeteria. 7:35 PM.*

It was empty except for one security guard and a janitor. Fluorescent lights hummed.

Lawrence bought two coffees. Black. No sugar. He didn’t ask.

They sat at a corner table.

For a minute, neither of them talked.

“You’re shaking,” Lawrence said finally.

“I’m cold.”

“It’s 28 degrees.”

Lily wrapped her hands around the cup. “What do you want, Lawrence?”

“The truth,” he said. “Or at least part of it. You’ve been weird since last night. Ever since I mentioned Richard Corp.”

Lily’s heart stopped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Okay,” he said. “Then let me talk. My dad is an asshole. My mom is worse. They built Richard Corp on... let’s just say aggressive tactics. I’ve spent 10 years trying to run the company differently. Cleaner.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you’re carrying something,” he said. “And I think it has to do with us. With my name.”

Lily looked down at her coffee. “You don’t know anything.”

“Then tell me.”

She almost did. The words were right there. _Your family killed my parents._

But 17 years of silence was hard to break.

“I can’t,” she whispered.

Lawrence reached across the table. Didn’t touch her. Just rested his hand near hers.

“You don’t have to do this alone, Lily.”

She pulled back. “I’m fine alone.”

“Are you?” He gestured to her. “Night shifts for 5 years. No friends in the break room. Scar on your wrist. You look like you haven’t slept in a week. That’s not fine.”

Lily stood. “I have patients.”

She walked out. He didn’t follow.

---

*11:47 PM. Room 402.*

Lily was doing his 12 AM vitals early because she couldn’t focus.

Lawrence was awake, reading on his tablet.

“You came back,” he said.

“I’m your nurse.”

“You came back early.”

She didn’t answer. Took his BP. 118/74.

“You need something,” he said. “Access. To records. Don’t you?”

Lily froze. “What?”

“You’re investigating something. And you need sealed records. Hospital, police, I don’t care.” He set the tablet down. “I can help. Legally.”

“How?”

“My family owns 20% of this hospital,” he said simply. “I can get you into the admin system. No questions asked.”

Lily stared at him. “Why would you do that?”

“Because you asked me to, even though you didn’t use words.” He shrugged. “And because I’m tired of watching you drown by yourself.”

This was dangerous. This was everything she wasn’t supposed to do.

“Fine,” she said. “I need access to archived patient and donor records. 2008-2010.”

Lawrence pulled out his phone. Typed something. 30 seconds later, her hospital tablet pinged.

“You’ve got admin access for 48 hours,” he said. “Password is your birthday. Don’t tell anyone.”

Lily looked at the screen. Full access.

“Why?” she asked again.

“Because I trust you,” Lawrence said. “Even though you don’t trust me.”

She had no response to that.

---

*3:03 AM. Nurses’ station.*

Lily was deep in the system. Names. Donations. Board meetings.

Lawrence appeared with two more coffees.

“You’re still here,” he said, setting one down.

“You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I am. In between checking on you.” He pulled up a chair. “Find anything?”

Lily hesitated. Then showed him. “This. St. Mercy Gala, March 2009. My parents were there.”

She didn’t say they died 3 days later.

Lawrence leaned in. Scrolled. “There’s my dad. And... is that me?”

An 8-year-old Lawrence, standing next to Victor Richard. Same event.

Lily’s chest tightened. “Yeah.”

He looked at her. Really looked. “Lily. What happened to your parents?”

She closed the tablet. “Nothing. Just... old memories.”

Lawrence didn’t push. He just sat there with her.

At 3:30 AM, the hospital was quiet. Just the beep of monitors and the hum of the fridge.

“You’re good at this,” Lawrence said. “The whole caring thing. Even when you pretend you’re not.”

“I’m just doing my job.”

“No,” he said. “You’re good at people. You just don’t let them be good to you back.”

Lily took a sip of coffee. It was perfect.

“Thank you,” she said. So quiet he almost missed it.

“For what?”

“For the coffee. For... not asking more.”

Lawrence smiled. Tired, but real. “Anytime, Nurse Roland.”

He stood to go back to his room.

“Lily,” he said at the door.

“Yeah?”

“If you ever need to talk. About anything. I’m in 402.”

She nodded.

After he left, she opened the tablet again.

But this time, she wasn’t just looking for answers about her parents.

She was looking up Lawrence Richard.

And she hated that she wanted to.

---

*6:45 AM. End of shift.*

Another coffee on the counter.

*For 3AM shifts. You don’t have to do this alone. - L*

Lily picked it up.

Her phone buzzed. Detective Bello: _We found something. Come in tomorrow._

She looked at the coffee. Then at Room 402.

For the first time in 17 years, she felt like maybe... maybe she wasn’t alone.

----