wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. She reached the large sliding doors, beneath the symbol of a red heart in a curling stethoscope. She glanced off to the side, toward the roundabout near the emergency room. It didn’t feel right arriving in a different way than her mentor. They’d been through a lot together.
That lump in her throat only seemed to worsen, and she swallowed, clearing it, stepping into the hospital. She moved quickly to the counter and addressed the nurse. “I’m here to see Agent Henry. I’m DGSI.” She flashed her credentials, moving through the motions in robotic fashion.
The nurse looked at her, curious, but then glanced at the credentials, and nodded.
“Second floor,” she said.
Adele hurried over to the elevator. Her eyes flicked to the stairs, but there were so many of them. So she waited for the metal box of death to ding, indicating it had arrived. The doors parted, and a couple stepped out. Adele waited for them to pass, breathing shallowly lest she absorb germs. And then she stepped into the elevator. She covered her hand with a sleeve and touched the button to the second floor. On the side of the elevator, etched into the metal, different descriptions of the floors informed her the second floor was for cancer.
“Dammit,” she said as she stared at the word.
The doors dinged open far too soon. She found she even missed the elevator. But then, like a prisoner facing the gallows, she marched out of the elevator and moved along a desk and down a long hall.
A nurse in a green uniform, with her mouth covered, paused and glanced back. Through her mask, her voice muffled, she said, “Can I help you?”
Adele shrugged. “Here to see Agent Henry. I was told he’s on this floor.”
The nurse hesitated, glanced at her clipboard, then looked down the hall. Then her eyes brightened. “Oh, you mean Robert?”
Something about the cheerful tone gave Adele a flash of hope. “Yes, is he here?”
The nurse nodded quickly. “Of course. Yes, come, I’ll take you to him.”
Adele suppressed a rare smile. It was just like Robert to start making friends, even in a hospital. The small, mustached Frenchman had a way of charming people.
She followed after the nurse, down the hall, moving past a doctor who seemed to be relaying news to a woman outside a glass door. They reached the end of the hall and Adele was ushered into a bright room with a large window.
The nurse smiled at Adele and said, “Give me a call if you need anything.” And then, louder, “Robert, you have a guest!”
A familiar voice called out, “How delightful.”
The nurse giggled and waved, then moved back through the doors, leaving Adele.
Robert had been looking out the window and for a moment, she stared at the back of his neatly combed head. Then her old mentor turned, his eyes vibrant. When he saw who was waiting for him in the room his smile only brightened.
He looked at her, his eyes tender. His face was gaunt, his cheeks sickly pale. His chest pressed against hospital robes seemed little more than bones and skin.
“Oh dear,” Adele said, finding tears suddenly springing up and slipping down her face. “Oh dear,” she repeated. It felt like she couldn’t think of another word. “Oh,” she said, exhaling deeply, “dear.”
Robert just looked at her, his gaunt face pressed against his pillow. He was sitting upright, and he watched her as she wept. “Don’t cry, my darling,” he said, softly. “See, they gave me a room with a window. I asked, and they moved me.”
Adele took a couple of stumbling steps forward, allowing her luggage to fall from her fingertips and thump against the floor. She approached Robert and reached out, squeezing at his hand. “Robert, Robert,” she said, wheezing.
“There, there,” he said, softly, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. He smiled at her, warmth emanating from his gaze. He leaned over and kissed the back of her hand.
“Robert, what’s the matter? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Robert held her hand and pressed his other against it. His fingers were so very frail, his grip so very weak.
“Darling Adele,” he said, softly, “you always want to know everything.” He chuckled. “It’s what makes you such a great investigator.”
“Robert, you should’ve told me.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t know.”
She stared at him. “How couldn’t you know? You’ve been coughing, and I’ve seen—”
“I didn’t want to know. I could sense,” he said, nodding