The Emergency Room Secret Chapter 3

Six in the morning. I was making my final rounds before shift change. In the corridor, a young man with bleached yellow hair was furtively peering toward the ICU. When he saw me approaching, he immediately lowered his head and quickly walked away.

I frowned and pushed open the ward door, only to find the bed empty. The sheets were neatly arranged, the IV bottle still hung on the rack, but the needle had been roughly pulled out, leaving a dark red bloodstain on the white sheets.

"Nurses' station!" I rushed into the corridor and shouted. "Where's Lily Martinez?"

The night shift nurse looked bewildered. "She was just here during rounds!"

I hurried to the security office and pulled up the hallway surveillance footage. On the screen, at 5:20 AM, a tall man wearing a mask entered the room. Ten minutes later, Lily, wearing a hospital gown, quickly left with the man.

"Call the police immediately!" I was about to take out my phone but suddenly stopped. If I really called the police, it might alert the perpetrators. Besides, there was no evidence that Lily had been forced to leave.

I dialed Nathan's number.

"Claire?" His voice was hoarse from just waking up. "So early..."

"Your student is missing." I said directly. "Do you know where she might have gone?"

Silence on the other end for a few seconds. "What? I'll be right there!"

Half an hour later, Nathan appeared at the hospital. He wore a dark trench coat that looked hastily grabbed, the collar still disheveled.

"Surveillance shows she left with a man." I observed his expression. "Do you know who he might be?"

Nathan's brow furrowed deeply. "Probably her boyfriend. That little punk might be the one who hurt her." He said through gritted teeth. "I have to find him!"

I'd never seen Nathan this angry before. He always presented himself as refined and gentle, even with difficult students, always smiling and patient. But at this moment, there was a harshness in his eyes that I found unfamiliar.

"Should we call the police?" I asked tentatively.

"No need." He quickly rejected the idea. "I know where that punk hangs out. You go home and rest. I'll handle this."

Watching Nathan's rapidly retreating figure, a sense of discord suddenly rose in my heart.

I pretended to walk toward home but actually followed Nathan from a distance. He drove through several streets and finally stopped at a dilapidated residential area on the city's outskirts. The area was riddled with small alleys, one of the most chaotic districts in the city.

After getting out of the car, Nathan walked straight into a narrow alley. I hid around a corner and watched him knock on an iron door. Through the crack, I saw the yellow-haired youth's face. The two seemed to be arguing heatedly.

Suddenly, Nathan pushed the door open and grabbed the youth by his collar. I heard him say in a low voice, "Tell me where she is! Or else..."

I couldn't make out the rest, but I clearly saw the youth's face turn deathly pale, shaking his head continuously. Nathan released him and pulled something from his pocket. The youth's expression became even more terrified.

My heart pounded. This unfamiliar Nathan frightened me. I'd never seen this side of him. Hadn't he always despised violence? Hadn't he always said education required love and patience?

Just as I was hesitating whether to approach, Nathan had already turned and left. The youth slumped by the doorway, his hands trembling slightly as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

I quietly noted the address and left.

On the way home, the scene kept replaying in my mind.

Nathan was a university professor—how could he be so familiar with a street punk? And what had he shown the youth that terrified him so?