Chapter 5 - Fired
At the end of the long, dim hallway, inside Room Seven, the so-called Room of Mysteries.
Robert and Sarah sat surrounded by glowing screens and scattered papers. The only light came from their laptops.
Both were searching for something.
Neither knew what.
“Hey, Robert,” Sarah said, sliding into the chair beside him.
“What?” he replied without looking away from the screen.
“Do you really think you’ll find something like that on a secure network?”
“I don’t know, Doctor Wilfer,” he muttered. “But anything would do right now.”
She leaned closer. “Where are you even searching?”
“A news archive. Old web restoration records. The first public uploads after the blackout years.” He scrolled again. “If something like this happened before… someone must’ve mentioned it.”
“I see,” Sarah said thoughtfully.
Silence returned. Only the clicking of keys echoed softly through the room.
Minutes passed.
Nothing.
Then suddenly,
Sarah’s hand moved to her stomach.
“Robert…” her voice dropped.
He looked up instantly. “Doctor Wilfer?”
“It’s starting.”
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Her breathing grew uneven. A sharp pain twisted inside her. Her fingers tightened against the desk.
“
Should I leave?” he asked carefully.
She nodded once.
He closed his laptop immediately. “Call me.”
He stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Alone.
The pain intensified. Her vision blurred slightly. She braced herself against the desk.
She waited for the darkness.
Waited for the world to vanish.
Her heart pounded.
Three seconds.
Five.
Ten.
Nothing.
The pain slowly faded.
Her breathing steadied.
The clock on the wall ticked normally.
She was still there.
No blackout.
No missing time.
No emptiness.
Her hands trembled, not from pain, but confusion.
“What just happened…” she whispered.
Twenty minutes later.
Beep.
Beep.
Click.
“Hello?”
“Robert.”
“Doctor Wilfer — should I come now?”
“I don’t know…”
He straightened. “What happened?”
“It didn’t happen.”
Silence.
“
What do you mean?”
“The pain started. I thought I was going to black out.” Her voice was weak. “But it stopped.”
Robert’s voice sharpened. “I’m coming.”
The call ended.
Robert ran down the hallway.
The corridor felt longer than usual. The lights hummed overhead. His footsteps echoed louder than they should have.
Room Seven was just ahead.
Then...
Knock. Knock.
He froze.
The sound came from inside the room.
Knock. Knock.
His chest tightened.
Inside Room Seven, Sarah turned toward the door.
“Robert?” she called.
Another knock.
She walked forward slowly and opened it.
Her breath caught.
“Doctor Wilfer.”
Dr. Sanchel stood there. His expression unreadable.
“Dr. Sanchel?” she whispered.
He stepped inside without waiting.
“You’ve been distracted,” he said calmly.
Her stomach tightened again — this time from something else.
“I...”
“It’s been a week,” he continued. “No progress. No results.”
“That isn’t fair,” she said. “You know this situation wasn’t assigned to me.”
He gave a faint smile.
“That’s not the issue.”
Her pulse quickened. “Then what is?”
He looked at her for a long moment.
“You’re not needed here anymore.”
The words landed heavily.
“What…?”
“You’re fired, Doctor Wilfer.”
Silence filled the room.
Her throat tightened. “You can’t just...”
“I can,” he interrupted smoothly. “Pack your things.”
He moved toward the door.
Before leaving, he paused.
“There are matters in this hospital that require discipline.” His eyes met hers briefly. “And patience.”
Then he walked out.
No explanation.
No anger.
Just certainty.
The door shut.
Sarah stood frozen.
Her hands slowly curled into fists.
The job she fought for. The research she cared about.
Gone.
But beneath the shock, something else burned quietly inside her.
This wasn’t over.
Moments later, Robert burst into the hallway.
“Doctor Wilfer! Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer immediately.
She removed her hat, dropped it to the floor, and closed the door behind her.
Robert stared at her.
“What happened?”
She finally looked at him.
“I’ve been fired.”
Meanwhile In an Unknown Room
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Click.
“Hello, Milady.”
“Patient Seventeen, Report.”
“She’s been dismissed.”
Good.”
“Should we move?”
“No. Not yet.” The woman’s voice remained calm. “She needs to understand what she is.”
“What about the #####?” His voice Blurred.
A slight pause.
“It will step forward on her own.”
“Understood.”
The call ended.
In the Darkness of the empty room, Patient Fifteen leaned back in her chair.
“Almost time,” she whispered.
