Your friend

The doctor closes the door to Iris's room, a frown on his face. He takes out his phone and dials a number, calling Mr. De-Martin.

"Hello," he says, his tone serious. "It's Doctor Jameson. I need to speak with you about something important."

Mr. De-Martin picks up the phone, his voice sharp and urgent.

"What is it, Doctor? What's going on?"

The doctor takes a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before speaking.

"I've just had a conversation with, miss Amber," he says. "She's been asking to be discharged today. She says she wants to go home."

There's a pause on the other end of the line, followed by a sharp intake of breath.

"What do you mean, she wants to go home?" Mr. De-Martin asks, his voice tight with anxiety. "Is something wrong?"

The doctor shakes his head even though Mr. De-Martin can't see him.

"No, nothing's wrong," he says. "At least, nothing that I can see. I did my checks, and physically she's fine. But she seems...on edge. Like she's agitated or anxious about something."

(*There's another pause, and the doctor can hear Mr. De-Martin taking a deep breath on the other end of the line.

"Agitated?" he asks. "What do you mean, agitated? Is she in any danger?"

The doctor shakes his head again, his voice calm and steady.

"No, she's not in any immediate danger," he says. "But she's definitely not in a good state of mind. She's been crying, and she's visibly tense. She's also asking to be discharged, which is unusual. Normally, I'd let her stay overnight for observation."

The doctor hears Mr. De-Martin take another deep breath, and can almost hear the wheels turning in his mind as he processes the information.

"I see," he says, his voice quiet but intense. "And you're sure there's nothing physically wrong with her?"

The doctor nods, his voice steady and confident.

"Yes, I'm sure," he says. "I did a full physical exam and all her vitals are normal. She's not in any pain, and there are no physical signs of distress. But her emotional state is another matter."

Mr. De-Martin listens silently to the doctor's report on Iris's condition and his concerns about her emotional state. He thinks for a moment, and comes to a decision. He'll let Iris go, and won't intervene further.

"Alright," he says, his voice firm. "If that's what she wants, then let her go."

The doctor nods, a little surprised by Mr. De-Martin's sudden change in attitude. Usually, he's much more involved and protective of Amber. But he doesn't question it, simply accepting Mr. De-Martin's decision.

"Okay," he says. "I'll have the nurse bring her discharge papers."

The doctor hangs up the phone, a frown still on his face. He wonders what's going on with Iris and why Mr. De-Martin is so quick to let her go. He can't shake the feeling that there's something more going on here, something he's not privy to.

_____________________

Amber is still laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face. Her mind feels foggy, like her thoughts and emotions are all just out of reach, just barely beyond her grasp. Suddenly, the door opens and the nurse walks in, holding a clipboard in her hands.

The nurse smiles at Amber, her cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere in the room.

"Hi there," she says. "How are you feeling today?"

Amber just looks at her, her expression emotionless. The nurse's smile falters slightly, but she recovers quickly, putting on a cheerful facade.

"I have your discharge papers here," she says, holding up the clipboard in her hands. "Are you feeling up to signing them?"

mber speaks up, her voice low and rough from disuse.

"What about the hospital bills?"

The nurse looks at her, her smile faltering again for a moment before recovering.

"Oh, don't worry about that," she says. "Your friend has already taken care of everything."

Amber feels a pang of surprise and confusion at the nurse's words. She struggles to recall who her friend is, but her mind is a fog and the memory eludes her.

"My friend...?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

The nurse nods, continuing to collect the various machines and equipment Amber has been connected to.

"Yes, your friend," she says. "He came in earlier and took care of everything. He was very adamant about it, actually. Said he didn't want you to worry about the bills at all."

Amber struggles to process this information, her mind still in a fog. She wonders who this friend could be, and why they would go to such lengths to ensure she didn't have to worry about the bills. But she's too tired and disoriented to ask any more questions, so she just nods silently in response.

The nurse continues to prepare Amber for discharge, disconnecting the various machines and packing everything up. She can see that Amber is tired and disoriented, and tries to be as gentle and patient as possible.

"You should probably go home and rest," she says. "Can you stand up on your own, or do you need some help?"

Amber nods, and struggles to push herself upright. She's weak and disoriented, and it takes her a few tries to get herself standing. The nurse watches her carefully, ready to catch her if she stumbles or falls.

Amber manages to get to her feet, but she's unsteady and has to lean on the nurse for support. The nurse puts an arm around her, helping her to walk toward the door. Amber's footsteps are slow and clumsy, her legs feeling like jelly.

The nurse leads Amber slowly out of the room, supporting her as she walks. They pass by other patients and staff in the hallway, and Amber can feel their curious gazes on her. She's self-conscious and embarrassed at her weak, fragile state, but she tries to ignore it and focus on just putting one foot in front of the other.