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Brian waited impatiently as the elevator began its slow journey to the 5th floor. He was caught in a traffic jam and he had to wait for 20 minutes before the cars in front of him began to move in a snail-like pace.
He looked at his watch in haste as he waited for some people to exit the elevator. The elevator was nearly empty, considering it was 9:45pm, a time when visitors wouldn’t usually come.
“But this is different.” Brian convinced himself as the elevator began ascending.
Brian sighed in relief as the elevator door finally opened on the 5th floor. His apprehension increased as he ran down the hall to Nick’s room. He surged through a crowd of night shift nurses as he went his way to room 572.
Finally, in a state of desperation, he saw his room.
He would have burst through the door if a young male nurse didn’t open it for him.
“What can I do for you?’ he asked patiently, surprised to see a visitor come at this almost unmanly hour.
“Is Nick inside?” Brian asked anxiously, though he knew all too well that this was his room.
He was surprised that he heard no coughing and no physical struggling of some sort inside.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t know who you’re looking for.” the male nurse replied, a trace of sympathy in his voice.
“Nick Carter, he is… or he used to be in this room.” Brian grew more desperate; he would have kicked the door open but decided against it.
The nurse’s eyes lighted up at the mention of Nick Carter. Apparently, he knew who he was, but the response he gave did not do much to locate his whereabouts.
“I just came in 9:30 and there was no Nick Carter registered in this room at that time. I’m sorry.” he told him guiltily before closing the door on his face.
He realized his mistake as he read the name posted on the door. Karl Stevenson. This was not Nick’s room anymore…

Brian strode determinedly to a nurse who was sitting in the reception. He walked to the booth and stared at her silently, unsure of what to say.
“What can I do for you?” the nurse finally noticed that Brian was staring at her.
“Erm…” Brian fidgeted uncomfortably, “Do you know where Nick… Nick Carter’s room is located?”.
“Nick Carter…” her voice trailed off as she looked for his name in her notebook.
“There,” she sighed in satisfaction when she saw his name, “He was transferred a few hours ago from room 572 to the ICU.” she finished, looking at him once more.
“What floor is it?” Brian wanted to shake her in panic.
“3rd floor.” she answered as Brian muttered a ‘thank you’ to her and walked briskly to the elevator.
“Wait a minute,” she protested loudly, “the ICU’s not open to visitors at this…”. but Brian cut her off as the elevator door closed.
He barely heard what she said because of the growing panic inside him…

Brian almost shouted at the blond nurse as he repeated the same question he had been asking her for almost five minutes now.
“Can I see Nick Carter?” he didn’t matter if people were staring at him from afar, he just wanted to see Nick.
“I told you already, sir. Visitor hours are only from 9am to 11am and from 2pm to …” she was interrupted by Brian’s hysterical shouting.
“Fuck you, I need to see him now.” Brian rarely sweared, but he could barely think in his panicky state.
The nurse looked incredously at him, visibly offended by his swearing, “It’s part of our policy, sir…”.
“Fuck you!” Brian answered back, his face distorted in rage.
“Dave, take care of this guy.” she finally turned to a male nurse who was beside her.
Brian thought that he fit the title of ‘heavy weight champion’ than a nurse.
Before he knew it, Brian found himself being pushed roughly out of the ICU to the waiting area.
“I’ll take care of him.” he heard a familiar voice tell the male nurse.
“Yeah, alright.” Dave replied huskily as he shoved Brian one last time and opened the doors of the ICU which Brian struggled to enter.
“Oh, by the way, bitch.” Dave turned to Brian with a menacing glance, “You’re a visitor, right? So come only when the visitors do, and please, don’t swear to nurses, or they’ll swear back to you.” he laughed at his own comment as he went inside.
Brian turned to look at the person behind him.
“Hi, Kevin.” Brian was surprised to see him there.
Brian suddenly felt guilty. He regretted swearing to the nurse and all the foolish things he’d done in the past hour.
“What the heck were you doing there, Brian?” Kevin grasped his shoulders with his hands and looked at him with determined eyes.
Brian avoided his gaze though. He felt like a child who didn’t know the difference between right and wrong.
“Let’s go, Brian. You’ve had a rough day.” Kevin put an arm around him and led him to the elevator.
“Have you seen Nick?” Brian looked at him pleadingly.
“What about Nick?” Kevin gave him a puzzled look, “Isn’t he supposed to be downstairs?”.
Brian realized that Dr. Scott hadn’t relayed the information to him yet.
“Nick was diagnosed with tuberculosis. They transferred him to the ICU a few hours ago.” Brian told him somberly.
Kevin stared at him for awhile. Obviously, this was information too hard to digest in 30 seconds.
Finally, Kevin spoke in a barely audible voice, “Who told you?”.
“Dr. Scott, his doctor.” Brian answered as he felt tears build up in his eyes.
They stood there for a few minutes, each thinking about their own thoughts for awhile.
“Let’s go.” Kevin almost literally chocked out the words as they both approached the elevator.

“So what brings you here in this unmanly hour?” Brian asked Kevin trying to regain his happy nature.
“Oh…” Kevin was suddenly awakened from his thoughts, “My mother-in-law was hospitalized yesterday.” he gave him a wan smile.
“I was on my way to follow Kristin to her mother’s room when I spotted you talking to the nurse in the reception. I saw you walk hurriedly to the elevator so I wasn’t able to catch up to you. I talked to the nurse and she told me you were going to the ICU. She also told me that it is closed to visitors now so I decided to follow you.” Kevin explained his story.
“Where is Kristin now?” Brian asked him questioningly.
“She must be still in my mother-in-law’s room since she didn’t call my yet.” Kevin laughed, finally regaining his good humor.
They stood quietly beside each other as the elevator descended.
Finally, Brian looked at him, his eyes glistening with tears.
“I’ve just had a rough week.” he finally confessed as he sobbed.
“Nick’s going to be okay.” Kevin assured him as he held Brian tightly.
The elevator door finally opened on the parking lot floor.
“Thanks Kevin.” Brian managed to tell him as he exited the doors and approached his car.
“Bye.” Kevin shouted at him before the elevator doors closed.