Chapter 7

Clara's POV

After staying home for a day, I felt restless.

I decided that no matter what, I needed to go back before leaving to personally organize and hand over some personal items and unfinished medical records, at least to have proper closure.

More importantly, I wanted to test whether I could still freely enter and exit the hospital during my "leave." This was crucial to my final escape plan.

So the next afternoon, I went to the hospital.

The ER corridor still occasionally sent strange looks my way, but I no longer cared.

However, fate never seemed willing to let me off easy.

I'd barely sat down in the on call room when my phone rang. An unknown number.

I hesitated, then answered. An anxious traffic officer's voice came through.

"Is this Clara? There was a multi vehicle collision at the downtown intersection. Among the injured is a woman named Rebecca Hayes. We found your number in her emergency contacts. The patient's condition is critical and she's been rushed to City Center Hospital for emergency treatment. Please come immediately..."

My mind went blank. The pen in my hand clattered to the floor.

"I'm coming right now! Please, you have to save her!" I grabbed my coat and stumbled toward the door.

But just as my hand touched the doorknob, the on-call room door was pushed open from outside.

Dr. Lee stood there with two male nurses blocking the doorway, locking the door behind them.

"Dr. Hayes, where are you going?" Dr. Lee's eyes were evasive.

"Dr. Lee, my mother was in a car accident at City Center Hospital! I have to go now!" Tears streamed down my face in desperation. Before I could finish, two male nurses grabbed my shoulders firmly.

"Dr. Lee? What are you doing? Let me go!" I struggled in terror.

Dr. Lee, thinking I was trying to escape, waved for the nurses to inject me with sedatives while saying, "I'm sorry, Clara. Frederic gave orders. You can't leave the hospital today. Lydia's condition suddenly deteriorated. The surgery has to be moved up to today."

"No... you can't!" I cried out desperately. "My mom is waiting for me! Don't you have any conscience? Let me out!"

I struggled desperately like a caged beast protecting her young, but the disparity in strength made it impossible to break free.

"Quick, sedate her. Frederic's private medical team is already waiting in the premium operating room on basement level one." Dr. Lee gritted his teeth and gave the order.

Ice-cold medication rapidly entered my bloodstream, bringing suffocating dizziness that swept through my entire body.

My pupils gradually dilated. I reached futilely toward the door, tears mixed with cold sweat splashing heavily onto the floor, my mouth forming weak, desperate murmurs. "Mom... wait for me..."

Darkness completely swallowed me.

In that moment, I hated Frederic with every fiber of my being.