Chapter 1: The Bottle in His Hand
For one long second, no one moved.
The assistant stood near the door with the real pill bottle resting in his open palm, his face drained of every color. The nurse stared at it. The intern stared at it. Richard stared at it like he was looking at a weapon.
His father’s heart monitor kept beeping.
Fast.
Sharp.
Terrifying.
Richard’s voice dropped low.
“David… why do you have my father’s real medication?”
David swallowed hard.
“I was going to explain.”
The nurse stepped forward, her eyes cold now.
“Explain quickly.”
Richard grabbed the bottle from David’s hand and read the label. His fingers tightened around it.
The name was correct.
The dosage was correct.
The prescribing doctor was correct.
Then he looked at the bottle inside the medicine bag.
Same label.
Same shape.
Same pharmacy sticker.
But the pills were different.
The nurse turned to the intern.
“Call security. And page Dr. Keller now.”
The intern finally moved.
David stepped backward.
Richard saw it.
“Don’t you dare leave.”
David froze.
The old man gasped from the bed.
“Richard…”
Richard rushed to his father’s side.
“I’m here, Dad. I’m here.”
The old man’s cloudy eyes shifted toward David.
“He… brought them…”
The room went silent again.
Richard slowly turned.
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And for the first time since entering the hospital room, his anger was no longer aimed at the nurse.
It was aimed at the man he trusted most.
