Chapter Forty-Four

“Is everything O.K.?” Billy asks Dr. Trask on the phone from the front nurse’s station.
“Yes, Dr. Ramsey,” Deb answers, “Everything is O.K. with Violet. She just got a little spooked that’s all.”
Everyone about Violet’s room lets out a silent sigh of relief to realize that it is Dr. Ramsey on the phone this time and not that of a supposed dead man.
Dr. Trask hangs up the phone. “Just Dr. Ramsey checking out you, Violet,” the doctor says with a smile and then a wink toward Stephanie.
“See mom,” Stephanie brushes a couple strands of blonde hair out from in front of her eyes, “I told you that the people here would take care of you.”
Violet is sitting on the bed with her knees up in a fetal position as if to help protect her from whatever is out there.
“I will take another walk around and see if I can find anything,” Ryan says. The guard then walks out the door and down the hallway back toward the nurse’s station.
“Just get back in bed mom,” Stephanie urges, “Everything is gonna be fine. Just get some rest.”
Dr. Trask motions for Stephanie to step outside of the room for a moment while her mother is slipping herself back into bed.
“I will be right back, mom,” Stephanie says as she takes a few steps toward the door. “Dr. Trask and I have to go over my schedule.”
“O.K. hun,” Violet half mumbles while keeping an eye on the outside through the window. The woman is still half expecting her dead husband to pop up into view at any moment.

Ryan approaches Billy still at the nurse’s station. “So looks like you are the new receptionist.” Ryan says while cracking a smile at the doctor.
“Afraid so,” Billy says. “At least until I can get Marilyn to come in and take over. Her day off though, so not sure she will answer.”
“Good luck,” Ryan says as he heads for the front entrance.
“Where you going?” Billy asks.
“I’m gonna go take another look around and see if I can find anything. I know I looked before, but you never know.”
“Alright, let me know if you find anything,” Billy starts looking through some of the files on the desk that need to be put away. “Oh, hey, when you get back will you check in on Bob’s room? I’m sure he’ll be fine now without Claire around, but I’d still like to know he is O.K..”
“I sure will,” Ryan says as he walks out the front door.

Bob is returning to his room and walks in. Bob was recently moved to a lower security room where he can come and go as he pleases, however, he must be placed in his room and locked in for each night. The room is set for three people to occupy, but so far, Bob has been able to have the room on his own.
The man has a full size bed placed up against the wall in the corner and a small nightstand next to it with a flat-screen television placed on it. Bob loves watching cartoons and spends most of his days alone in his room watching them.
The bald patient steps into his room and turns back around to close the door behind him.
A hand reaches around Bob and covers his mouth as someone grabs him from behind.