THE PATIENT IN ROOM 17

Chapter Three

THE PATIENT IN ROOM 17

CHAPTER THREE: THE WOMAN WHO CAME TOO LATE

The rain began shortly after nine that morning.

It tapped gently against the windows of St. Augustine Medical Center, turning the streets outside into a blur of grey. Inside the hospital, nurses hurried between rooms, doctors discussed patient reports, and the familiar sound of medical monitors filled the corridors.

But Natalia Williams could barely concentrate.

Her thoughts kept returning to Room 17.

Daniel.

There was something about him that she couldn't explain. Perhaps it was the way he looked at her whenever she entered his room, as though he had been waiting for her all morning. Or perhaps it was the quiet sadness that sometimes appeared in his eyes whenever she asked about his family.

Whatever it was, she knew she needed to be careful.

She was his nurse, not his friend. And certainly not someone who should be allowing herself to become emotionally attached to a patient.

Yet every time she reminded herself of that fact, she remembered his smile.

And the way he had looked at her yesterday when he said, "You make this place feel less lonely."

Natalia sighed and arranged the patient files on her desk.

"You're doing it again."

She turned to find Grace, her colleague and closest friend at the hospital, standing behind her with a knowing smile.

"Doing what?" Natalia asked.

"Thinking about Room 17."

Natalia nearly dropped the file in her hand.

"Grace!"

"What?" Grace laughed. "I didn't mention any name."

"You don't have to. Your face says everything."

"My face?" Grace placed a hand over her chest dramatically. "My dear, your face has been announcing this man's name since Monday."

Natalia shook her head, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"He's my patient. I'm concerned about his recovery. That's all."

"Of course," Grace replied, drawing out the words. "And I'm the president of Nigeria."

Despite herself, Natalia laughed.

Then Grace's expression softened.

"Seriously, though. Be careful, Nat. You're a wonderful nurse, but sometimes you care so much that you forget to protect your own heart."

Natalia looked down at the files.

"I'm not doing anything wrong."

"I know. Just don't let your feelings get ahead of you."

Before Natalia could respond, a voice called from the corridor.

"Nurse Williams? The doctor needs you in Room 17."

She immediately stood.

"Coming!"

Grace watched her hurry away and shook her head.

"That girl is in trouble," she murmured.

---

Daniel was sitting upright when Natalia entered his room.

His breakfast tray remained untouched beside him, and he was staring through the window with an expression she hadn't seen before.

He looked troubled.

"Good morning, Daniel," she greeted gently. "You haven't eaten."

He turned toward her.

"Good morning, Natalia."

She checked the monitor beside his bed before examining his chart.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Better."

"Any dizziness? Headache? Difficulty breathing?"

"No."

"That's good. Your progress has been encouraging."

He offered a faint smile.

"Does that mean I'll be leaving soon?"

Natalia paused.

"That's for your doctor to determine. Your condition has improved, but we still need to make sure you're ready to go home."

He looked away.

"Home."

There was something unusual about the way he said the word.

Natalia pulled a chair closer to his bed, maintaining the professional distance she had been reminding herself to keep.

"Is something bothering you?"

Daniel hesitated.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Have you ever met someone and felt as though you could tell them things you couldn't tell anyone else?"

Natalia's fingers tightened around her clipboard.

"Sometimes, people find it easier to speak to someone who listens without judging them."

"Is that what you do? Listen without judging?"

"I try to."

He studied her face for a moment.

"Then why does everyone expect me to be someone I'm not?"

The question caught her off guard.

"Who expects that of you?"

Daniel opened his mouth, but before he could answer, the door swung open.

A woman entered the room.

She was tall and elegantly dressed, wearing a cream coloured coat over a fitted dress. Her dark hair fell neatly over her shoulders, and a designer handbag hung from her arm.

She carried a bouquet of white roses.

"Daniel!"

Her voice was sharp with relief.

She hurried to his bedside, dropped the flowers onto the table, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh, my goodness! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

Daniel stiffened.

It was a small movement, almost unnoticeable, but Natalia saw it.

The woman pulled away and held his face between her hands.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls? I've been trying to reach you for days!"

Daniel looked uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Victoria."

Victoria.

Natalia recognized the name immediately from a conversation she'd overheard between two doctors the previous afternoon.

Daniel's fiancée.

Victoria turned toward Natalia.

"And you are ?"

"Nurse Natalia Williams. I'm one of the nurses assigned to his care."

Victoria gave her a quick, assessing look.

"Oh. Thank you for looking after him."

"You're welcome."

Victoria turned back to Daniel, her expression softening into something that looked almost like affection.

"I brought you your favorite flowers. Remember? White roses. You always said they were the only flowers worth buying."

Daniel glanced at the bouquet.

"They're beautiful. Thank you."

But his voice lacked warmth.

Natalia noticed.

Victoria noticed it too.

Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she recovered.

"Well, the important thing is that you're getting better. The wedding is only a few weeks away, and you have no idea how much we need to discuss."

Natalia's hand froze over the clipboard.

The wedding?

Daniel had never mentioned a wedding.

Victoria continued talking, explaining how their families had been making arrangements and how everyone was waiting for him to recover so they could finalize the remaining details.

Daniel listened without interrupting.

Then Victoria reached for his hand.

"You're still going to marry me, aren't you?"

The question hung in the air.

For a moment, Natalia thought Daniel might answer immediately.

Instead, he stared at their joined hands.

"Victoria, we need to talk."

Her smile disappeared.

"Talk about what?"

"About us."

Victoria released his hand.

"Daniel, not now. You're still recovering, and I'm exhausted. I've spent days worrying about you. The last thing I need is for you to start another argument."

"I'm not trying to argue."

"Then don't."

The silence that followed was uncomfortable.

Natalia looked down at her clipboard, suddenly aware that she was witnessing something deeply personal.

She needed to leave.

"Mr. Carter, I'll return later to check your vital signs."

Daniel lifted his head.

"Natalia—"

She stopped.

"Yes?"

He seemed about to say something, but Victoria turned sharply toward him.

"Who is Mr. Carter?"

Natalia blinked.

"That's his surname."

Victoria stared at her.

"His surname is Williams."

For a moment, Natalia couldn't understand what she'd heard.

She looked at Daniel.

He had gone completely still.

Victoria laughed nervously.

"Sorry. I thought you were familiar with his records. His full name is Daniel Williams. He's my fiancé."

Natalia felt the room tilt beneath her feet.

Daniel Williams.

Not Daniel Carter.

She looked down at the patient file in her hands.

The name printed on the cover was unmistakable.

DANIEL CARTER.

She had checked that file countless times since he was admitted.

"Perhaps there's been a mistake with the records," Natalia said carefully. "I'll inform the admissions department so we can verify everything."

Victoria's face changed.

"That isn't possible. I've known Daniel for four years."

Daniel closed his eyes.

"Natalia, please."

His voice was quiet, almost pleading.

She looked at him.

"What is going on?"

He opened his eyes, and for the first time since she'd met him, she saw genuine fear in them.

"I can explain."

Victoria stepped between them.

"Explain what, Daniel?"

He said nothing.

Victoria's eyes filled with tears, but there was anger beneath them.

"Do you know what your silence is doing to me? I've been here every day trying to find out what happened to you, and now you're acting like I'm a stranger!"

"Victoria, please."

"No! You don't get to tell me to be quiet."

She turned toward Natalia.

"Could you give us a moment?"

Natalia nodded, grateful for the excuse to escape the tension.

But as she reached the door, Daniel spoke again.

"Natalia, wait."

She turned.

His expression was desperate.

"Please don't trust everything you hear about me."

Before she could respond, Victoria grabbed her handbag from the table.

"That's enough, Daniel."

Natalia left the room with her heart pounding.

---

She walked straight to the nurses' station.

Her mind raced through everything that had just happened.

The patient file identified him as Daniel Carter.

The woman in his room insisted his name was Daniel Williams.

And Daniel himself appeared terrified of explaining why.

"Natalia?"

Grace's voice brought her back to the present.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Natalia placed the file on the desk.

"I think there's something wrong with Daniel's records."

Grace frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"His fiancée says his surname is Williams, but the file says Carter."

Grace's expression changed immediately.

"That's serious. Have you checked his admission documents?"

"Not yet. I'm going to speak with the admissions department."

"Good. And Natalia?"

She turned.

"Don't investigate this alone. If there's a problem with his identity, the doctors and hospital administration need to know."

Natalia nodded.

She knew Grace was right.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than an administrative mistake.

Daniel's reaction had been too intense.

He hadn't looked confused when Victoria mentioned his surname.

He had looked afraid.

---

An hour later, Natalia stood outside the medical records office.

The administrator, Mrs. Collins, had examined the file twice.

"That's strange," she said, adjusting her glasses.

"What is it?" Natalia asked.

Mrs. Collins turned the computer screen slightly.

"The identification details attached to this admission don't match the information on the emergency intake form."

Natalia's stomach tightened.

"Does that mean the patient was admitted under a false name?"

"I can't conclude that yet. We need to verify his identity properly."

"Could someone have entered the wrong information?"

"Certainly. But we shouldn't assume that's what happened."

Mrs. Collins closed the file.

"I'll notify the appropriate department and ask the attending doctor to review the discrepancy. Until then, please continue providing his care as normal."

Natalia nodded.

"Of course."

She thanked Mrs. Collins and stepped into the corridor.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

A message had arrived from an unknown number.

She frowned and opened it.

The message contained only one sentence.

STAY AWAY FROM DANIEL CARTER IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR JOB.

Natalia read it once.

Then again.

A chill traveled down her spine.

She looked around the corridor, but nobody appeared to be watching her.

Another message arrived.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHO HE REALLY IS.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she stared at the screen.

Then her phone rang.

The caller's number was hidden.

She hesitated before answering.

"Hello?"

For several seconds, there was only silence.

Then a woman's voice whispered through the phone.

"Listen carefully, Nurse Williams. The man in Room 17 is not the person you think he is."

Natalia swallowed.

"Who is this?"

The woman ignored her question.

"If you care about your safety, stop asking questions about his identity."

"Wait! How do you know—"

The call ended.

Natalia lowered the phone slowly.

For the first time since Daniel had been admitted, she wished she had never been assigned to Room 17.

But it was already too late.

Because whatever secret Daniel was hiding, someone outside that hospital was determined to keep it buried.

And somehow, Natalia had become part of it.