Chapter 8. While You were Sleeping

Adam tapped his fingers against the hard surface of the chair. He thought about how he would have to fill out the patient's data form on behalf of the woman who was stuck with him in the elevator. 'Nah, never mind. If she does not return, perhaps her family will contact her,' he thought.

Then he put the reproduced items back into the small bag. After that he walked toward the administration place just as the nurse pointed out. There was only an officer that Adam met. "Excuse me. I was asked to fill out a new entry," Adam said.

"Ah, do you mean the woman who fainted just now, Sir?" the officer said affirmatively.

"Yes, that's right." The officer took a piece of paper and a pen immediately and was handed over to Adam to be filled out. After a brief look at the data that was asked, Adam decided not to fill it out because he did not know any of the answers. "Well, sorry." Adam's call caused the officer to look up at him.

"Yes? Is there anything you don't understand?" the officer asked politely.

"Nah. But can I fill out the patient files later? After she is sober, maybe? Because I don't know anything about patients," Adam explained to the officer.

"What? You don't know her? I thought you were her husband," the officer replied.

Adam immediately shook his head against the officer's judgment. "No. I'm not her husband. We both got stuck in the elevator earlier. I don't know her," Adam said.

"Ah, I see," the officer mumbled.

At this moment a male doctor approached them. "You came with the patient who had been trapped in the elevator, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I am, Doctor," Adam replied.

"What was the patient complaining about in the elevator?"

"She's like out of air. Unable to breathe," Adam explained with the gestural slip that she had just done. The doctor also asked Adam to relate the chronology of the event before the woman fell unconscious. Adam also informed the doctor that he did not know patients and found no identification in the woman's purse.

"So the patient is likely to have a respiratory attack caused by an inability to control emotions or panic in view of the precarious situation. After receiving first aid, her condition is now out of critical condition. Still weak, but he still regained consciousness," the doctor explained to Adam.

Adam nodded, recalling what had happened in the lift.

"And as for the identity of the patient, you can wait until a family contacts the patient's cell phone. Will you please stay here until someone comes or calls?" the doctor asked.

Adam nodded in astonishment at the request of the man in the white coat. Shortly after the conversation came the decision to transfer the woman to the observation room. Adam came along to bring the patient to a room with two empty beds where she would fill one of them.

"The patient regained consciousness for a while, but since she was still very weak, she fell asleep again," the nurse accompanying the move explained.

It was a local government general hospital. The booth was far from the luxuries of the facility that Adam could have obtained as a wealthy man. One wall of white paint has a fan attached to it, and for the patient's guard only a plastic bench to sit. The silence of the room hung Adam still. He just stood in front of the bed with an unknown woman.

Looking at the patient's small bag, Adam scrambled to check the cell phone inside. The man wished someone had lost her and had tried to find her. However, it turned out that no messages or calls came in. Adam went back to putting the bag down.

In silence, the man observed a slumbering face in her sleep. She had the face of a heart shape and her shoulder hair was turned indiscriminately. Adam's reflex extended his right hand, planning to tidy it up, but canceled. 'Hey, what was I thinking, anyway? I don't know her either!' his voice inside. Then he took a step back.

For a moment after, he remembered that tomorrow he had to fly to Samarinda to review the land that was to be built on a hotel project. Without wasting more time, Adam hurried to the nurse's quarters and hoped to be permitted to borrow a telephone.

[Hello, who is this?]Hassan asked, Adam's personal assistant.

"Hassan, it's Adam," the man answered in a low voice.

[Oh my goodness, Boss. What time is it?] Hassan grunted with a lazy voice from being forcibly roused by the boss's phone.

"I'm in the hospital now," Adam said, which made the assistant open his eyes wide open this time.

[Hospital? Who's sick, Boss? ] Hassan asked unbelievably and it invited his wife–Trias Pritasari–who was also Adam's secretary to wake up [What happened to Boss, Honey?] That woman's voice sounded faint.

"Cut it off. I'll tell you later. Now listen to me!" Adam commands.

[I'm listening, Boss] Hassan said as he turned the light on his bedside and then activated the speaker on his phone so that Trias would hear their boss's instructions. The woman was cautious.

"I want you to go to Tanah Abang Hospital. Take Trias with you and drop her to my apartment and have her set up everything I have to do for Samarinda. I'm leaving from here. You come here straight after the drop of Trias, let her take Aoi to go after us. Got it?" Adam demanded.

[Okay. I'm on my way] Hassan shot back with a look at Trias. The woman nodded in understanding.

"Hassan, one more thing. You pick up my phones I left at the office. I hung up," Adam replied and the call was about to end, but Hassan called him.

[Boss! Boss!] Hassan called before the connection was completely over.

"What else?" Adam asked.

[Position?] Hassan asked.

"ER, observation room," Adam answered. The man hung up the phone to where he had come from and thanked the officer who was there. After that he went back to the room where the unknown woman was still lying. Adam thought he had to give himself a break. Tomorrow will not be a short trip so he should be in good condition.

Adam walked toward the empty bed. 'Should I sleep here?' he thought. However, that was not done because the next second he took a bench that was provided, placed it at the foot of the empty bed and sat comfortably with his right foot across the knee of his left foot. His hands were folded across his chest and his back leaned against the rail of the bed.

The man's black eyes slowly became entangled. But in just five seconds, the irises were back open. He was just making sure she was still there and did not need anything from him. Then look at the half-open door, nobody comes through. 'It will take time for Hassan to come,' he thought.

Unexpectedly, the drowsiness attacks began. Adam vaporized and then closed his mouth with one hand. This time Adam really wanted to sleep.

"Open, please! Open up! Open!"

About a couple minutes, Adam heard a murmur vaguely. The man suddenly opened his eyes and gathered his consciousness. He saw that woman close his eyes tightly with her fists clenched, while her body lay agitated. He saw her lips echoing the same word over and over. Immediately Adam approached and took the hand, gentle strokes with a soothing intention.

Suddenly, the woman held Adam's hand firmly. Adam gave a glimpse of the pain he received so unexpectedly. "Hey … hey, Miss …!" Adam called. Adam thought of calling the nurse to check her condition. But gradually, however, her venom began to subside. So Adam chose to let his hand be in her control.

Adam's legs were spread out long enough to hook a bench to sit on. The woman's grasp was still strong enough to make the man decide to sit at the bedside. 'What is this woman going through? 'Adam thought. 'She concocted something that seemed like a frightful thing,' his next thought.