Chapter 160

Chapter 160

"If a guy has a kid on the side while he's hitched, even if he's six feet under and DNA tests are out of the question, there are still ways to prove the family ties through other methods. So, that love child might still get a slice of the inheritance," Sophia's voice remained cool and collected.

"What?" Emily and another nurse blurted out almost at the same time, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief. "Is that even possible?"

"Caught you off guard, huh?" Sophia's lips curved slightly, teasing, "Got someone in mind you're worried about?"

The two nurses felt sheepish and looked down at her words. Sophia didn't say more, staring out the window.

After a moment of silence, Sophia furrowed her brow, pondering, "But didn't Ben and his side chick kick the bucket together in the car crash? Who's stepping up now with the kid for the inheritance?"

"His side chick's folks, and Ben's parents," the two nurses answered together, their faces showing a mix of resignation and complexity.

Sophia's eyes showed a hint of surprise, but she quickly composed herself. She let out a soft sigh, leaning against the nurse's station, murmuring, "This world is like a messed-up soap opera."

Just as the tension was easing, Sophia suddenly remembered someone else.

Turning to the nurses, she asked, "Oh, by the way, how's that trucker, Gary, holding up?"

Emily furrowed her brow, saying, "We gave him something to knock him out earlier, so he's out cold now. But when he was awake, he was either sobbing for compensation or talking about his daughter, pretty heartbreaking to see."

"Heartbreaking? But isn't he blowing through the compensation he got at the expense of his daughter's life? Does a guy like that really deserve pity?" Sophia muttered.

An alarm blared from the monitor at the nurse's station, jolting everyone. Emily swiftly checked the screen, only to discover Gary's bed was empty.

"He's gone!" Emily cried out, panic lacing her voice.

Sophia's expression turned grim in an instant.

"He didn't even leave a note?" one nurse huffed in frustration. "And he didn't settle his bill. What does he think this place is?"

Sophia waved her hand, her tone steady. "Don't fret, his truck is still locked up at the police station. He won't get far."

As they discussed Gary's vanishing act, a young man barged in, looking disheveled in a crumpled shirt. His face was pale, sweat glistening on his forehead, clearly in a rush.

"Hey, I'm Layla's husband," the man's voice tinged with worry. "Can you tell me where she's at?"

Layla? Sophia was momentarily surprised, recalling the woman who was involved in the car crash. Her body had been taken by the morgue ages ago, not brought to the hospital.

Sophia's gaze sharpened, pushing aside her doubts, and asked calmly, "Who tipped you off that she's here?"

The man hesitated briefly but then responded, "Someone phoned me, said Layla was here, and asked me to come."

"A call? Was it from our place? Can you share the number? I'll check it out," Sophia said, mentally planning her next move.

After a moment's pause, the man provided a number, and Sophia directed him to the mortuary where Layla's body was taken.

As she watched him leave, Sophia's expression turned intricate. She swiftly sent the video she had captured of the man and the number he gave to Ryan.

Shortly after, Alton sauntered in, humming a tune. His steps were light, as if the calm in the emergency center that night was all thanks to his hard work.

"Pretty chill tonight, huh?" he remarked casually, a rare easy smile gracing his face.

Unable to suppress a grin, Sophia replied, "Don't jinx it. If you say that, we might get slammed."

He waved his hand. "Don't worry, I won't actually say it. That would definitely stir up trouble."

Taking advantage of the unusual quiet, Sophia decided to sort through the medical records.

Alton mentioned casually, "Oh, by the way, Ben's records are also set for filing. His file needs archiving."

Sophia nodded and headed to the nurse's station, only to discover Ben's lab report was missing.

"I never got this," the puzzled nurse on duty remarked.

They searched high and low, but the report seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

"Could Alton have taken it for filing?" the nurse asked.

"Maybe he was too swamped and forgot," Sophia replied, though she had her doubts.

After finishing up the other medical records, she returned to the office and asked Alton, "Did you file Ben's records already? They're nowhere to be found at the nurse's station or in the medical records cabinet."

Alton paused, then chuckled, "That's not possible."

They conducted a thorough search, even scouring the medical records room, but the file remained elusive.

"The records are gone," Sophia's brow furrowed, a tinge of unease creeping in.

She suddenly recalled Gary's mysterious disappearance. Could there be a link between the two?

Sitting back at her desk, she powered up her computer and brought up Ben's test report. Several key data points caught her eye on the screen, with the most striking being a blood potassium level as high as 9.34 nmol/L.

That value was off the charts.

Ben had passed away from severe crush injuries, often linked to hyperkalemia and metabolic imbalances caused by high potassium levels. However, it was odd that his urine pH was only 5.3, going against the usual alkaline urine seen with hyperkalemia.

"Sophia, what's got your attention?" Alton's voice snapped her back to reality. "I called you a bunch of times, but you were zoned out."

Pointing at the screen, Sophia said gravely, "His urine pH is off. I think he might have taken some acidic meds before he died."

Alton pondered for a moment, "But his death was clearly due to crush syndrome. How does that tie in with medication?"

Sophia fell silent, gently shaking her head. "Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but why did his medical records vanish?"

Raising an eyebrow, Alton asked keenly, "Do you think Gary swiped the records? But why would he take them? Could it impact the accident liability determination?"

Sophia mulled over the question without responding. Her gut told her there was more to this than met the eye.

Why would Gary risk stealing Ben's medical records from the hospital?

They seemed unrelated, total strangers. Such actions were puzzling.

Ben was an everyday car owner, while Gary emerged unharmed from the accident as the truck driver. If there were hidden truths behind this accident, did it hint at a secret link between them? Or could the accident itself be more than just a random event?