Chapter 40: The Medusa Necklace
The Lewis Center hospital smelled of antiseptic and desolation, a sour mix that clung to the throat. The buzzing lights in the entrance hall cast a pale glow on the beige walls, where yellowed infection prevention posters hung. Hassan and Kaiser walked through the automatic doors, their sneakers squeaking on the worn linoleum. Hassan, his glasses slightly crooked, adjusted his gray sweatshirt, his nervous gaze scanning the reception. Kaiser, true to his nonchalant demeanor, chewed gum, hands buried in the pockets of his black hoodie, his eyes still a bit too bright from the residue of his antidepressants.
The receptionist, a fifty-something woman with gray hair pulled into a bun, tapped lazily on her keyboard. Her badge read "Martha." Hassan approached, clearing his throat. "Uh, hello. Excuse me. We’re here to see a patient who’s being discharged today. Carter Hakim."
Martha looked up, her glasses sliding down her nose.
"Hold on, let me check..."
She consulted her screen, the clicks of her mouse echoing in the silence. "Room 312, third floor. The elevator is to the right." She returned to her screen without another word.
"Nice welcome," Kaiser muttered, spitting his gum into a trash can. "She looks like she sells coffins on the side."
Hassan shot him a sidelong glance. "You have to complain everywhere you go?"
"It’s not complaining, it’s observing," Kaiser retorted with a sarcastic smile. "Come on, let’s move, we’re not camping here."
They took the elevator, an old contraption that vibrated as if it were about to give up. Hassan fidgeted with his glasses, thoughtful. "Do you think Carter’s okay? After what Ben did to him..."