Chapter 6 - The DeviceI ran.
Not walked.
Ran.
When I reached the ICU, Nate's room was empty.
The bed was made.
The machines were disconnected.
The nurse looked confused.
"Where is my husband?"
"He was transferred."
"Transferred where?"
She checked the chart.
"Critical imaging."
"Who ordered it?"
She looked at the screen.
"Dr. Michael Avery."
My blood turned cold.
"Where?"
"Tower B, basement imaging."
No.
That didn't make sense.
Nate was too unstable for transport.
I called Dr. Harris.
No answer.
I called Detective Bennett.
Voicemail.
I took the stairs.
The basement corridor was empty.
Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.
At the end of the hallway, I saw a transport bed.
Nathaniel.
Two orderlies.
And Dr. Avery.
"Stop!"
Everyone turned.
Avery stared at me.
"Hannah."
"Why was my husband transferred?"
"His condition changed."
"You should have told me."
"I didn't have time."
"Then you shouldn't have moved him."
Avery looked at the orderlies.
"Leave us."
They rolled away.
I stood between him and the hallway.
"Patient 417."
His face didn't change.
That frightened me more than anger would have.
"Where did you hear that name?"
"I found the file."
"There is no file."
"You're lying."
"You should be careful."
I laughed once.
"You've been telling me that all night."
He stepped closer.
"Your husband isn't who you think he is."
"I know."
"You have no idea."
"What did he do?"
Avery lowered his voice.
"He didn't kill Eleanor."
"Then who did?"
"He didn't know the device was defective."
"Who did?"
Avery's eyes shifted.
And that's when I knew.
He did.
"You knew."
"I knew there were risks."
"You buried the report."
"Because the trial was worth billions."
My stomach turned.
"Eleanor wasn't a patient to you."
"No."
His voice was flat.
"She was data."
I wanted to hit him.
Instead I asked,
"Why did Nate keep investigating?"
"He changed."
"When?"
"After Eleanor died."
"So he was trying to expose you."
Avery smiled.
"You still don't understand."
"Then explain."
He leaned closer.
"Nathaniel wasn't investigating me."
"Then who?"
Avery looked over my shoulder.
At the far end of the corridor, Khloe stood watching.
Then Avery said,
"He was investigating you."
I turned.
Khloe's face was pale.
"What does that mean?"
Avery didn't answer.
He walked away.
I ran after him.
"Dr. Avery!"
He stopped at the elevator.
"Ask yourself why Nathaniel hid your medical career from his parents."
The elevator doors closed.
I stood there.
Then I looked at Khloe.
"What is he talking about?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"No."
She pulled out her phone.
"I found this in Nate's apartment."
A video file.
Timestamped eight years ago.
The year we married.
I pressed play.
The screen showed Nate.
Younger.
Nervous.
Sitting across from someone off camera.
I couldn't see the other person's face.
Nate said,
"If I marry Hannah, we can move forward with the plan."
My heart stopped.
He continued.
"She trusts me."
The unseen person asked,
"And her family?"
Nate replied,
"They don't know what she is."
The video ended.
I stared at the screen.
Khloe whispered,
"Hannah..."
I couldn't answer.
Because I wasn't thinking about Nate anymore.
May you like
I was thinking about myself.
What exactly did he mean when he said they didn't know what I was?
