Page 23 of Sebastian

Terrified of what I’d find, I lifted the sheet. More cuts and bruises marred his left leg, but it was his right one that caught my attention. The paramedics had done what they could to stabilize the limb, but I could still see deep gashes in his flesh, some all the way down to the bone. The leg also sat at an odd angle, meaning it was broken in at least one place.

Overall, it was an ugly wound that was going to take a long time to heal. Even then, scars would still be left behind.

Administrator Constella grabbed my wrist and pulled me away. “What are you doing? You know better.”

“I know him,” I replied. “He’s my... we’re dating.”

“Yes, I heard you the first time. That’s exactly why you can’t be here.”

I stared at her blankly as she dragged me out of the room.

“Huh?”

She sighed, but her usual stern expression lacked its typical edge.

“Conflict of interest. Nurses and doctors cannot work with patients that they know. You need to step away and let others take care of this.”

I hated that idea.

How could I just leave Bastian lying there in the hands of strangers?

However, I wasn’t feeling very confident at the moment. My hands trembled even after Administrator Constella let them go. It was probably for the best that I didn’t get involved with Bastian’s care. In my current state, I’d probably just mess up and hurt him more.

Administrator Constella dropped me back off at the front desk, where I focused on picking up the papers I dropped. Hunting down each and every one turned out to be an arduous task, as many had used the opportunity to take flight and ended up several rooms away. One page had even somehow managed to slip under the door of the women’s restroom. That one took me nearly ten minutes to find.

Half an hour after Bastian’s arrival, I was once again sitting behind the front desk, filing paperwork, just as I had been doing earlier. I didn’t feel any calmer, but I was at least able to think straight again.

No one had shown up for Bastian. That didn’t strike me as odd, at first. Normal citizens couldn’t drive as fast as an ambulance, so it took them time to get to the hospital. But surely half an hour should have been long enough for someone to show up. Bastian hadn’t mentioned many family members, but I knew he had a brother.

What was the man’s name?

It was short and started with a ‘D’.

Dan?

No, too ordinary.

Dell?

No, definitely not. I’d remember if Bastian’s brother was named after a computer.

Daz?

Yes, that was it. I remembered asking Bastian if Daz was actually a name, or if it was short for something. Apparently, it was a name. The brothers must have had interesting parents to choose such an unusual name for their first son, but the one time I asked about Bastian’s parents, he got so quiet that I never dared ask again.

Bastian claimed he and his brother were close. Surely at least Daz should be here to support Bastian through his injuries.

Unless Daz didn’t know.

Quickly turning toward the computer, I looked up Bastian’s file. He was listed as unnamed. Whatever had happened to Bastian, no one knew who he was, which meant no one had contacted anyone for him.

I didn’t have Daz’s number, but I did have the number for Alias Investigations, the PI firm that Bastian ran with his brother. Hopefully, Daz would pick up, because I didn’t know how else to get a hold of him, and it would be hours before I could leave work to visit in person.

The phone hadn’t even finished ringing once before it was picked up.

“Bastian? What the hell? Where are you?”

“Um, Daz Roth?”

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