The Pursuit

Thirty

I took slow steps to see him as I always did. No matter how eager and in a hurry I was to get to the hospital, once I was there, I took my time in getting to his room. It had always hurt seeing him helpless on the hospital bed, attached to life support. There was not one visit where I had dry eyes. 

I looked out into the waiting room, trying to catch any sign of his family being here. Usually it would be Larry or Selene out here, doing their business. As far as I knew, Sophia never left Caleb's side. I admired her for that. Even though she was a terrible person, her love for her son was something I was glad for. Caleb was loved by everyone.

I gripped the strap of my bag harder as I got closer to his room. Larry nor Selene weren't in the waiting room, so they either had to be in the room with Sophia or they didn't get here yet. I spotted the door, and my hand on it hesitated in swinging it open.

My eyes must have betrayed me at the sight. It was empty, completely empty of everything except the usual bed and chairs. I walked out of the room and checked the number. Room 304. I had the right room. This was where Caleb was taken after Sophia adamantly requested a better room. 

I walked back in. Still empty. Curiosity crept in slowly through me. I was confused, and somewhere deep inside me, I couldn't help but feel alarmed. 

All possibilities of where he could be swarmed in my head. Maybe he was taken somewhere else for a check up because he woke up? Was he discharged from the hospital within a day? Hope flared up in me at the thought of him back in his loft.

What if he's gone? 

I stopped in my tracks in the hallway. Gone? Gone as in what sense? There were so many ways a person could be 'gone.' I went to the desk where a cluster of nurses were taking their mid-morning break. Thank goodness one of the nurses that attended to Caleb was on duty today.

"Where's Caleb?" I asked her once she broke away from the group after asking if I could talk to her. There must be a look of panic in my eyes as the middle-aged nurse looked at me with speculative eyes. "Caleb Wilkes? Room 304?"

Realization dawned on her face as it changed from confusion to understanding. "His family took him out of the hospital. I thought you would be informed of this by the family?"

Took him out? To where? I shook my head. "No I didn't know about this. What do you mean they took him out?"

She put on a sad smile on her face. "I'm sorry, but I can't disclose any information on the patient." I closed my eyes, willing myself to not scratch this woman's eyes out.

"Are you out of your mind? You know I'm not just some stranger asking about a patient's whereabouts. He means something to me. He means everything to me, and I just want to know where he is!" My voice gradually became louder. 

A conflicted expression passed through the nurse's face. "Ma'am, please calm down or I'll have you removed."

I took in a few deep breaths and released them slowly. I opened my eys to look her firmly in the eyes. "Please. I just want to know where his family took him. Is he being brought to another hospital? Where? Tell me, I beg of you."

She sighed, lowering her voice. "The family was insistent on removing him from the hospital. They insisted on transferring him to a different hospital where they have a doctor that specializes in comatose patients."

My heart teetered on the edge. "Where's this hospital? Where's he being taken to?"

"He's currently being transferred to England by air, of course."

My heart fell. "What?" Hysteria exploded in me. "Is that even safe?" I nearly shouted at the poor nurse's face who was on the receiving end of my emotions. "The patient's in coma, for goodness sake! Certainly, the doctors wouldn't allow it?"