Chapter 3 - The Last Night
Dr. Patel stepped inside but refused the chair Maya offered him.
“I won’t stay long.”
Evan stood near the memorial table as though he no longer had the right to come any closer.
Dr. Patel handed Maya the sealed envelope.
“This is a copy of Lily’s final chart and the personal effects form. I wanted you to have it directly.”
Maya held it against her chest.
Evan whispered, “What happened?”
The doctor studied him.
“You’re Lily’s father?”
“Yes.”
Dr. Patel’s expression shifted. Not cruel. Not kind.
Professional.
“Lily had acute viral myocarditis. It can move quickly. She came in struggling to breathe, and her heart function deteriorated over several hours.”
Evan looked toward Maya. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Maya’s face hardened.
Dr. Patel answered instead.
“Your wife gave us your number. Staff called. She called. A nurse called from the unit phone. We documented every attempt.”
Evan flinched.
Dr. Patel continued. “At 2:14 a.m., Lily became frightened and asked whether her father was coming.”
Maya closed her eyes.
“I told her you were trying,” she said.
Evan’s face collapsed.
“You told her that?”
“I lied for you.”
He pressed a fist to his mouth.
Dr. Patel looked down. “At 3:06, she asked if she could leave another voice message.”
The pink phone suddenly seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
“At 4:20, we prepared for emergency mechanical support. Your wife had to consent alone.”
Evan shook his head. “Stop.”
Maya stared at him. “No. You wanted to know.”
“At 5:02,” Dr. Patel said, “Lily lost consciousness.”
Evan stumbled backward.
Maya’s tears finally spilled.
“She never woke up.”
Silence filled the hallway except for the soft burning of candles.
Ava quietly set her clutch on a console table.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Maya looked at her. “Don’t say that to me.”
Ava nodded, tears forming.
Then Dr. Patel added, “There is one other detail.”
Maya looked up.
“Lily asked a nurse to put something in her backpack. We found the backpack after the room was cleared, but one envelope was missing.”
Maya frowned. “Missing?”
“It was addressed to Evan.”
Evan stared at him.
“I never got anything.”
Dr. Patel’s brow tightened. “Then someone took it before the belongings were returned.”
Ava’s eyes moved toward Evan’s suitcase.
Maya noticed.
So did Evan.
May you like
“What?” he asked.
Ava whispered, “There’s something I need to tell you about your hotel room.”
