Chapter 2 - The Doctor's Signature

"Just a minute," Lena called.

She slid the forged certificate beneath a stack of blank forms. Maya was shaking so badly the steel table rattled.

"Listen to me," Lena whispered. "I need you to stay quiet. Can you do that?"

Maya stared at the syringe. "Don't give me anything."

"I wasn't going to. It's for a blood sample. I need to know what's in your system."

"They put something in my arm. I heard a man say it would look like I died."

A hard knock cut her off. Lena unlocked the door.

Vale came in wearing an expensive charcoal coat over his scrubs. Behind him stood Marcus Shaw, the hospital's head of security, square-jawed and wide as the doorway. Shaw's hand rested near the radio on his belt.

"The funeral transport is early," Vale said. "Why are we delayed?"

"There are problems with the certificate."

Vale's smile held. "Such as?"

"My name is on it. I didn't sign it."

For the first time, his eyes stopped smiling. Then he glanced toward the table. Maya lay still beneath the sheet, her eyes shut.

"Administrative error," he said. "I'll fix it."

"She has injuries. I want toxicology before anyone moves her."

"You can file your concerns tomorrow."

"There won't be a tomorrow for her if you cremate her tonight."

Shaw shifted his weight. Vale's gaze sharpened. The room seemed to shrink around the three of them.

"You are exhausted, Lena," Vale said softly. "You're new here. Don't turn a clerical mistake into an accusation."

Lena picked up the syringe, then placed it in a sealed specimen bag. "Then it won't hurt to document it."

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Nurse Ivy Chen had replied to her one-word text: HELP.

Vale's own phone rang. He glanced at the screen and cursed under his breath.

"Keep the room secure," he told Shaw. "I need to deal with our driver."

When the men stepped into the hallway, Lena relocked the door. Maya opened her eyes.

"He knows," Maya said.

"We don't have time to panic. Tell me where Nora is."

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A black phone on the instrument trolley lit up. The lock screen showed a photograph of Maya hugging a grinning little girl with braces. A new message appeared beneath it.

IF YOU WANT NORA BACK, MAKE SURE THE DOCTOR STAYS QUIET.