Page 58 of Lost Room Lawyer
“Didn’t sound like he survived.”
“No. Unfortunately not.” Maya paused, her eyes meeting mine across the bed. “That doesn’t mean the same will happen to Rina.”
I appreciated Maya’s hopeful and caring demeanor. While visitors came and went, she came by at least once a day to check on my mother and me.
“Should I call someone for you?” she asked helpfully. “Your father? Or your boss?”
I sat on the chair with my legs crossed, poking at my food. I had pushed Hector out of my mind. The thought of him seeing me like this troubled me too much. Completely exhausted and disoriented. I was a different person now. He had fun with the cheerful Nico, who enjoyed life. That person was far away, and I didn’t want to imagine how Hector would react to my current self.
He had texted me on Thursday, asking how my mother was doing. I hadn’t been able to bring myself to reply and was glad it was Good Friday so I didn’t have to check in with him. Since Viktoria worked on a different ward and had been visiting since Thursday, I figured Hector was well-informed.
Maya gently asked, “I’m assuming you don’t plan to go to work on Tuesday, correct?”
Shaking my head, I said, “No.”
“Okay, then … I’ll take care of it,” Maya said and left the room.
She also knew that the doctor, Viktoria Lando, was my boss’s wife. By Wednesday evening, the fact that I was involved with her husband had lost all significance. An affair might have once seemed glamorous, but that was far from how I felt now.
My muscles ached from being barely used over the past few days. My head throbbed from dehydration, and I had grown accustomed to the stomach cramps. I felt as if I was under a glass dome. The world outside kept spinning, but I moved in this microcosm. When I wasn’t at the hospital, I was at home, attempting to distract myself with writing and catching some sleep—though it was only minimally effective. With what little strength I had left, I tried to hold on to hope.
On Wednesday evening, a clattering noise and distant voices startled me awake. It took me a moment to reorient myself, but before I even opened my eyes, I realized I had fallen asleep in the chair. The darkness outside surprised me. The staff was usually very strict about visiting hours and didn’t hesitate to enforce them.
The scene before me was etched into my memory. The doctors were working frantically, performing chest compressions and administering medications to revive my mother. After several attempts, they stepped back, and Dr. Berger announced the time of death.
Struggling to my feet, I stumbled over to my mother’s side. While kneeling beside the bed, a nurse brought a chair for me. I took my mother’s cold hand and rested it against my cheek, and then the tears began to flow.
I was a wreck. It wasn’t just the endless sleepless nights that had drained me; I was also overwhelmed with shock.
17
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Hector
“Where is your intern?” Juri asked, darting his eyes around the meeting room. “I only agreed to come here one more time to take a closer look at the boy.”
“Yeah, he had a family emergency,” I replied stiffly, reaching for my espresso.
“Sounds serious.”
“I guess it is.”
Since Nico had rushed out of the restaurant last week, my thoughts had been spinning in circles. Of course, I understood perfectly well that family came first and that as his employer, I was at the bottom of his priority list. But Nico and I had a connection that went beyond a work relationship. There was something special between us, and not hearing from him had nearly pushed me to the edge over the past few days.
Just the realization that I cared about him was driving me insane. I wanted to run to the hospital and support him during this difficult time, but I knew that would be absurd.
Viktoria provided me with half-hearted updates, and I had to restrain myself from squeezing her for more information. Knowing how Rina Simeon was doing was one thing, but I also wanted to know how Nico was holding up. Who was taking care of him? Was he getting enough support? Viktoria mentioned that Leo had come by once or twice to take care of a few things that Nico apparently couldn’t handle. She didn’t specify what those things were.
“You look worried,” Juri noted as he moved the papers closer to him on the table. “Could it be that you’re thinking about him right now?”
“You’re exactly right.” I sighed, rubbing my face with both hands.
“You’re easy to read.”
Juri mentioned this casually as he began reviewing the documents, but his words ignited a fear I had been trying to ignore.
Did Viktoria suspect something?
