Chapter 5 - The Midnight Visitor
By 10:00 PM, the third floor of Saint Jude’s Hospital had descended into an uneasy, artificial quiet.
The police officers had sealed off the nursing station near Nursery B, placing yellow evidence tape across the digital file storage room. Detective Thomas Cole—a tall man in a dark trench coat with tired, cynical eyes—had spent three hours interviewing the hospital staff, including Charge Nurse Vance, the IT Director, and Richard Sterling.
Sarah and David Jenkins had been moved to a private room at the far end of the floor for their safety, protected by a police officer stationed outside their door.
Mark was sitting in the visitor’s armchair beside my bed, fast asleep, his mouth slightly open, holding Chloe’s hand as she slept curled up on the small fold-out sofa.
In my arms, my baby boy—now officially named Leo Thomas Miller—was sleeping peacefully, his tiny fist tucked under his chin.
I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the white plastic wristband ending in 4029. I saw the smiling face of the fake nurse handing me a child that didn't belong to me. My body was wired on pure adrenaline, my motherly instincts operating at a fever pitch.
The room was dim, illuminated only by the soft blue glow of the heart rate monitor and the streetlight peeking through the window blinds.
A soft click echoed through the quiet room.
I snapped my head toward the door.
The heavy wooden door slowly swung open, inch by inch.
A figure stepped inside.
It wasn't a nurse. The person was wearing a dark blue scrub top, but no nametag. She had dark hair pulled beneath a surgical cap, a blue medical mask covering the lower half of her face, and latex gloves on her hands.
She didn't look at Mark. She didn't look at Chloe.
She walked straight toward the side of my bed, her eyes fixed entirely on Leo sleeping in my arms.
"Can I help you?" I asked, my voice low, sharp, and instantly waking Mark from his light sleep.
Mark sat up in his chair, his eyes snapping open. "Who are you?"
The woman froze. She didn't answer. She reached into the pocket of her scrub top and pulled out a small, clear plastic bottle and a syringe.
"I need to administer his routine Hepatitis B vaccine," she said. Her voice was muffled through the mask, raspy and unnatural.
"No," I said, pulling Leo closer to my chest. "He already received his vaccinations this morning. I signed the consent forms at 9:00 AM."
"This is a booster requirement," the woman said, taking a step closer to the bed, her hand raising the syringe. "Hospital policy."
"Stop right there," Mark barked, standing up to his full height, his body blocking her path. "Show me your ID badge."
The woman hesitated for a split second. Her eyes darted toward the open door.
She turned on her heel and sprinted out of the room.
"HEY!" Mark roared.
He bolted out the door after her, his sneakers slapping hard against the linoleum corridor.
"Police! Stop her!" Mark's voice echoed down the hall.
I held Leo tight against my chest, my heart pounding like a jackhammer. Chloe scrambled off the sofa, her eyes wide with terror as she ran to the side of my bed.
"Mom! What was that?!" Chloe cried.
"Stay here!" I shouted, pulling the call button cord and hammering the red button continuously.
Down the hallway, shouting voices broke the midnight quiet. I heard the sound of heavy boots running, a loud crash as a plastic cart was knocked over, and a woman's sharp scream.
Thirty seconds later, Detective Cole stepped into my room, his gun drawn and lowered at his side, followed by Sergeant Miller.
Behind them, two officers were dragging the woman in the blue scrubs. Her surgical mask had been pulled down, revealing a woman in her late thirties with pale skin, sharp cheekbones, and terrified green eyes.
"Is this her?" Sergeant Miller asked, holding up a small plastic syringe that had been dropped on the carpet outside my door.
"Yes," I gasped, my chest heaving. "She tried to give my baby an injection!"
Detective Cole stepped close to the woman, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her toward the light.
"Who are you?" Cole demanded. "You're not on the hospital roster for tonight's shift."
The woman didn't answer. She kept her lips pressed tightly together, staring at the floor.
Sergeant Miller reached into her pocket, pulling out a leather wallet. He flipped it open, illuminated by the dim light of my room.
May you like
He read the driver's license inside.
"Her name is Karen Gable," Sergeant Miller announced softly. "She's the float nurse who did the baby swap this afternoon."
