She picked up her cell phone and dialed Shane’s number on her speed dial, but hung up as soon as the first ring got thru. ‘No! I’m not going to be that kind of girlfriend.’ Carmen thought, reminding herself of how insecurities and fear could be damaging to a relationship. As she looked around the depressing hospital room, she decided that a breath of fresh air would clear her head a bit. She glanced back at her phone for a few moments. ‘Fuck it!’ Carmen threw the phone onto her bed and proceeded to put on her slippers. She walked briskly away from the room, not realizing that her cell phone was vibrating with an incoming call…

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Shane came through the door running, she received a call from Carmen but when she called back, Carmen didn’t answer. She came up to the empty bed and saw that the cell phone she had been ringing was left there. Checking the phone, she noticed ‘8 missed calls’ and all from one number, hers.

Shane willed herself to calm down and went out to the nurse’s station, asking the familiar nurses if they had any idea where Carmen was. Not one of them was aware that Carmen had snuck out. And by then, there was already buzz rising around. Not wanting to make it a big deal until she was sure that Carmen was really missing, Shane decided to check out the possible places that Carmen might have gone to. She first checked the restrooms, then the TV room, and when she confirmed Carmen wasn’t there, she headed towards the elevators, drafting a plan in her head. ‘First the cafeteria on the 7th floor, then the garden on the 6th, followed by the ward lobby on the same level. After that there was the 3rd floor to check out the recreation room and then the first floor lobby.’ If all that fails, then she would start to panic.

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The dying rays of the sun filled the garden with an orange glow. It was deserted save for the crickets and the birds that made it their home. The lamps situated at the corners of the garden were litted just, and a little more light came from the hospital windows overlooking the garden on the sixth floor.