Every night when an unidentified male paid the elderly patient a visit, the orderly heard screams coming from Room No. 7. One day, she could take it no more and hid beneath the bed to see what was actually happening there.
She was truly horrified by what she witnessed.
The orderly had been hearing odd noises from Room No. 7 for a few days. They were yells. Instead of being loud, they were muffled and restrained, as though they were terrified of being heard. Every time, they showed up at about the same time—as the evening wore on and the hallways became deserted and the lights dimmed.
With her bucket in hand, she would pause in the middle of the hallway and listen. This crying seemed to cling to her nerves, which were already unnerving at the hospital. It was not a typical moan of agony.
For a long period, the orderly had been employed there. She put up with the difficult and low-paying job. She was accustomed to the night shifts, the odors, and the pain of others. However, Room 7 started to bother her more and more.
There lay an old patient, quiet, tidy, and always appreciative of assistance. restricted to bed due to a shattered hip. She didn’t often complain, but she was staring at the floor more and more and flinching at unexpected sounds.
Then an odd guest showed up.
In the evenings, the man would come. Never alone. well-groomed, self-assured, and speaking calmly and courteously. He identified himself as a family member.
The elderly patient altered after his visits: her hands went cold, her lips trembled, and her eyes turned red. The orderly even saw a bruise on her wrist once.
When she attempted to inquire, the patient instantly averted her gaze and muttered that everything was alright.
Her coworkers told her not to get involved.
It isn’t your concern. They informed her that since he is a relative, he is entitled.
But the sobbing kept coming back.
The orderly heard footsteps outside the chamber one evening. The voices became muffled. He was using nasty language. The old patient muttered something, as though offering justifications. The sound was dull. And a little shriek.
The orderly were unable to sleep that night.
And she devised a scheme to discover the truth. She would be the one no one wanted to see.
She came into the room early the next time. The patient was asleep, and the light was low. With difficulty, the orderly crawled under the bed after lowering herself to the floor. Above her head were rusted springs, cold linoleum, and dust. She was scared.
There were footsteps in the hallway. The door gave a creak. He came in.
Only his sneakers and the edge of the bed were visible to the orderly. First, there was stillness. His voice came next. Slowly and insistently, he spoke to the elderly patient. She started crying.
He spoke quietly at first. quite gently. He told the elderly woman that she had to sign the documents, that the house would “be lost anyway,” and that she didn’t need it on her own. He threatened to “help” her if she didn’t do it voluntarily.
The old patient sobbed. She pleaded with him to stop bothering her. She declared that she would not sign any documents.
Then he spoke in a different tone.
He started threatening her as he leaned over the bed. She has to take certain pills, he explained. He was able to ensure that the physicians wouldn’t notice anything. that her illness would worsen if she persisted in being difficult. Much worse.
The orderly refrained from breathing.
She watched as he pulled out a syringe. Not one from the hospital. One more type. Unmarked and dark. Despite her protests, he started administering the injection. The old patient’s hand dropped limply onto the sheet as she screamed.
The fear swept through the orderly.
With a yell, she leaped from beneath the bed and threw open the door. The on-duty doctor and nurses hurried in as a commotion broke out. The individual was immediately taken into custody. The syringe was seized. They discovered the documents—prepared ahead of time, with a slot for a signature—in his suitcase.
The injections were later found to be nothing more than medicine. The old patient’s condition has declined so drastically because of them.
