Chapter 26: THE STRANGER CAME FOR ME!

Chapter 26: THE STRANGER CAME FOR ME!
Morning sunlight filtered weakly through the dusty hospital blinds, streaking the floor with pale gold. The sterile smell of antiseptic clung to my skin, mixed with the faint scent of sweat and fear. I had spent the morning whispering soft words to Darius, brushing his hair back from his forehead, doing everything I could to keep his spirits up.

But beneath my smiles and gentle touches, my heart thudded like a drum. He didn’t yet know the truth about last night's shadows, the messages, the woman.

I had to get him out. I had to get us both out. This hospital was no longer safe, not for another night.

Darius sat propped up on the hospital bed, his face lit with a calm happiness I hadn’t seen in a while. Maybe it was because of the night we’d just had the intimacy we’d shared, the rawness of reconnecting after so long apart. It had felt strange but familiar, a reminder of what we once were. For a brief moment, it had even been fun. But the morning light didn’t erase the danger lurking just beyond these walls.

“The morning promises light,” I murmured, almost to myself, my eyes fixed on the window, “but I don’t know what the night will promise.”

Darius blinked, startled. His mouth opened slightly, his dark eyes glinting with confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice sharp with worry.

I turned to him, swallowing the lump rising in my throat. “Darius, calm down,” I said softly, though my hands were trembling. “We have to leave this hospital this morning or this afternoon at the latest. This place isn’t safe for us anymore.” A hot tear rolled down my cheek before I could stop it.

He stared at me, searching my face for answers, and I knew he could sense the truth that something had happened, something I hadn’t yet said aloud. My shirt clung damply to my back, my palms slick with sweat. I couldn’t tell him everything here, not with walls that could listen and doors that anyone could open. First, we had to leave. Then, I would tell him everything.

A sudden knock startled me from my thoughts. My heart leapt into my throat. I darted to the small window beside the door and peered out. It was just the doctor. Relief washed through me, but it was thin and fleeting.

I unlocked the door quickly. “Oh my God,” I blurted out when she stepped inside. She looked like she’d stepped out of a magazine white coat fitted perfectly, dark hair falling over one shoulder, a subtle perfume drifting behind her. She didn’t look like someone who spent her days among sickness and blood. She looked too beautiful for this place, too beautiful to trust.

She had come to treat Darius, but part of me bristled anyway. I stayed near the door, heart hammering, afraid to leave them alone too long. Darius could be impulsive, and this woman radiated something I didn’t like something I couldn’t name.

Still, this was my chance. If we were going to leave, I had to speak to her. I waited, hands clasped tight, while she checked Darius’s vitals and murmured instructions.

It’s my man she’s treating, I told myself, forcing a smile even as unease crawled over my skin.

The clock ticked past nine. The doctor was still in the room. I shifted from one foot to the other, waiting for my moment.

Finally, she gathered her things. “All done,” she said cheerfully.

I exhaled slowly and stepped forward. “Let me walk you to your office,” I offered. “There’s something I need to discuss.”

We moved down the corridor together, our footsteps echoing off the linoleum floor. The hallway smelled faintly of bleach and coffee, and the flickering fluorescent lights above made everything feel harsher, more unreal.

“Good day, ma’am,” I began, my voice low. “Once again, thank you for everything. But the family needs my husband back. We have to leave today.”

“You’re free to leave, dear,” she replied lightly.

But her quick answer didn’t reassure me. It felt like she hadn’t really heard me. I tightened my grip on the folder in my hands and tried again.

“I mean… we’re leaving the hospital entirely. He can’t stay here any longer not for treatment, not for observation. We’re done.”

The doctor tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Oh, I see. Is this about the incident this morning?”

My stomach clenched. She knows something.

“No, no,” I lied quickly, forcing my lips into a polite smile. “The family needs us urgently.” My voice came out sharper than I intended.

“Alright,” she said slowly. “I’ll arrange the discharge papers and payment details.”

I nodded, keeping my gaze fixed on the floor. The less she knew, the safer we’d be.

She handed me the forms a few minutes later, along with a phone number to call if we needed anything. I made the payment right there on my phone, my fingers shaking as I typed. When she confirmed it, I didn’t wait a second longer. I rushed back down the hallway toward Darius’s room.

This would no longer be his hospital room. We were leaving, and soon.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed when I came in, his bandaged leg stretched out in front of him. “Honey,” I said, my voice rising with nervous energy, “I’ve made the payments. We’re officially discharged from this hospital, the hospital that wants to kill me.”

His head snapped up. “P-please… repeat that?” His voice was quiet but sharp, like a blade.

I hesitated. “I’ll explain when we get home,” I said quickly. “Right now we have to move.” I pulled out my phone and called his driver, my fingers flying. Then I sent the location. The hospital Wi-Fi was so fast it felt surreal. For a split second, I thought about updating my iOS. But no. We were leaving.

Darius watched me, confusion clouding his face.

I began packing the small bag we’d brought with us clothes, toiletries, and his medications. My hands moved fast, almost frantic. It was already ten. The road home was long, and daylight was our only ally.

“You need to eat something,” I said, glancing at his pale face. Before he could argue, I hurried out to the hospital café, grabbed snacks and bottled water, and rushed back.

The sight of his injured leg made my heart squeeze painfully. The gunshot wound was still raw, angry-looking. I blamed myself. All day and night I’d been apologizing, trying to cheer him up, trying to erase the guilt I carried like a weight.

He took the snacks from me with a faint smile and ate slowly, each bite careful, deliberate. I handed him water, my fingers brushing his.

The room fell silent except for the sound of chewing and distant footsteps in the hallway. Waiting was the worst part waiting for the driver, waiting for the danger to catch up. My thoughts raced. Finally, I broke the silence.

“Honey,” I began, my voice trembling, “I thank God for my life. We were attacked last night.”

His hand froze halfway to his mouth.

“A lady came for me. But I was awake already. I saw her coming, so I hid and watched. She stared into the room and saw only you. She couldn’t find me. I stayed silent, barely breathing. Then she left but she dropped a message on my phone.” I held it out for him to see.

Darius’s eyes went wide. “Where do you know this lady from?”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “Yesterday, when I was coming to the hospital, I used the elevator. There were other people in there, but she stood beside me dressed all in black. When we reached your floor, she walked straight toward your room. I followed her from a distance, and as soon as she passed, I rushed into your room. That’s why I came in so fast yesterday.

“When I turned back, she was still there in the hallway. She must have seen me. When I saw her clothes again last night, I knew it was the same woman. I think she’s still in this hospital. She was the one who killed those men this morning.

“I don’t want us to spend another night here. That’s why I said we need to leave.”

Darius didn’t speak. He didn’t even blink. Then he grabbed his phone and called the driver again, his voice hard.
“Be fast. We have to leave.”

I nodded. “This is the only way we’ll be safe,” I whispered.