Helen Goes for Mr. Sunday

The Evening That Changed Everything: Part 10

Helen reached close to the main gate of Zephyr, holding the left side of her head with her left hand, her face twisting with pain. She stopped for a while, putting her hands on her hips, looking downward. Then, inhaling sharply, she approached the gate. A mustached watchman with a round face was stationed at the gate, and a couple others strolled around in the campus.

"Yes?" said the mustached watchman, peering at Helen from above the rim of his glasses.

"Let me in. I work here," said Helen in a monotone.

The watchman studied Helen.

"Really? What do you work as?" he said, sniffing twice and twitching his nose. "And what are you smelling of?"

"Formalin," said Helen, frowning. "I'm one of the dead bodies in the Anatomy dissection hall. I had gone out for a walk."

"Huh?!"

"Don't I look dead to you?" said Helen, making intense eye contact with him.

The watchman stepped back, looking irritated.

Helen starting walking through the gate.

The watchman blew his whistle loudly. "Wait. Show me your card."

The rest of the watchmen around looked in their direction, and one of them started walking in their direction. Helen floundered around for a few moments.

"Look, I'm a medical intern here. I forgot to carry my card. It is in my luggage, which is currently in the Zephyr guest house," she said, continuing to walk through the gate.

"In that case, I'll have to accompany you to the guest house to ensure you are telling the truth."

"Whatever," said Helen, trudging onto the campus.

The watchman had a word with the other watchman on duty and scuttled after Helen, catching up with her.

"You shouldn't be out this late," said the guard.

"I'll hand you the ID the moment we reach the guest house," said Helen.

The watchman pressed his lips flat and continued walking alongside Helen.

The duo crossed the main hospital building and proceeded toward the guest house. Helen continued to hold the left side of her head, occasionally pressing her eyes shut for several moments at a time. The campus was reasonably quiet, with the footfalls of the duo and the sound of crickets gradually drowning out the sound of the waves of the sea and some sort of faint clatter coming from the casualty ward. The duo reached the hospital guesthouse.

Helen rang the doorbell. An attendant opened the door. Helen took her backpack off her shoulders and placed it on the veranda.

"Why on earth did you ring the doorbell?!" said the attendant, in a hushed voice.

"What now?" said Helen rolling her eyes, sighing. "Should I have broken the door open instead?"

"It's close to midnight, and the guests inside are sleeping," the attendant almost whispered, staring back incredulously.

"I didn't know there were guests inside. There weren't any in the afternoon," said Helen in a low voice.

"They arrived in the evening. They are external examiners for the exams in progress," continued the attendant, in a hushed voice. "What do you want?"

"I had left my luggage in one of the rooms-it's two large-black colored bags."

"I wasn't told anything about this by the attendant in the day shift. Come back tomorrow," said the attendant, getting ready to close the door.