Chapter Seven :
Chaper Title : A perpetrator's doom
The younger nurse frowned "Then what happened?" The older nurse looked away, as if remembering something he wished he could forget. "It started with Doctor Henry."
Five Years Earlier...
Doctor Henry was one of the hospital's finest psychiatrists. He was calm, patient and respected.
At least, that was what everyone believed and unlike the others, he insisted on treating Annalisa personally.
"I understand her," he would always say.
"No one else can reach her." The hospital admired his dedication, no one questioned him.
Until the cameras caught something strange, every time Doctor Henry entered Room Seventeen...
Annalisa would retreat to the furthest corner.
She wouldn't scream, she wouldn't cry, she would simply watch him silently.
Like an animal sensing danger before anyone else.
The nurses assumed it was another symptom of her illness and Doctor Henry always laughed it off.
"She's afraid of men."
"That's all."Everyone believed him.
Everyone...
Except Annalisa. Days turned into weeks.
Weeks became months and Doctor Henry's visits became longer, longer than necessary.
He would always dismissed the nurses, locked the door during "private therapy."
Whenever he came out bis smile seemed a little wider.
While Annalisa, became quieter.
Then one afternoon, a young nurse entered Annalisa's room to deliver lunch. As she placed the tray on the table, she noticed something unusual.
Annalisa was staring at the floor without saying a word...
She slowly picked up a spoon then used its polished surface like a mirror...
To look behind herself, not at the nurse at the door. Just watching, waiting.
The nurse frowned.
"Anna?"
But she got no answer, only silence jt lasted just a second.
Then Annalisa smiled brightly.
"Thank you for the food!"
The moment passed but the nurse couldn't shake the feeling that Annalisa had just been checking whether someone was coming.
Back to the Present
"...We thought it was another one of her episodes," the older nurse said quietly.
"But we were wrong." Immediately the younger nurse swallowed.
"What happened next?" The older nurse closed the file in his hands.
"A night everything changed..."
"...Doctor Henry entered her room."
"He never came out the same man."
Two Years Earlier...
The rain battered against the hospital windows. Night duty had always been the quietest shift. Most of the staff had gone home, only a handful of nurses remained.
Room Seventeen was unusually silent.
Doctor Henry stood outside the steel door, glancing down the empty corridor, satisfied that no one was watching, he swiped his access card.
Beep.
The lock disengaged, he stepped inside.
The heavy door clicked shut behind him.
Annalisa sat on the edge of her bed.
Her long black hair hid most of her face, she didn't even look up.
Doctor Henry smiled.
"Still awake, Anna?" But he got no answer.
He placed a small paper cup on the bedside table.
"You don't have to be afraid."
His footsteps echoed softly as he walked closer.
"I only want to help you." Still the same answer, silence. He stopped beside her.
Then slowly, he reached out. His fingers brushed against a strand of her hair.
Immediately she flinched almost imperceptibly.
His smile widened.
"There..."
"That's better."
For nearly a minute...
Neither of them spoke, thhen Annalisa finally asked,
"...Why do you always come at night?"
Doctor Henry chuckled.
"Because it's quieter."
"No interruptions."
His hand slowly moved toward her shoulder.
"You trust me..."
"...don't you?"
She remained silent. Then very slowly she raised her head and their eyes met, only for a brief second but enough for Doctor Henry to feel something he couldn't explain.
He felt that those eyes. They weren't frightened but terrifying. They were watching him and studying him as though she had been waiting.
He forced the thought away because after all he was predator while she was the prey.
So stupid.
"You're imagining things," he muttered to himself. Then he smiled again.
"No one is watching us tonight."
A long silence followed.
Then.. to his surprise Annalisa smiled a tiny smile gentle and beautiful making Doctor Henry's heart skipped a beat.
He mistook it for surrender but he had no idea that he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.
.....
The older nurse closed the file and said nothing more. The younger nurse stared at Room Seventeen for a long moment before swallowing hard.
"...Creepy," he whispered under his breath.
To be continued..