The hospital ward was overflowing with patients.

So many, in fact, that a number of them had no choice but to make their beds in the hallway.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Their conditions were generally severe, and their stays lengthy.

Many were already here when I was admitted and remained when I was discharged.

As I walked through, I bumped into familiar faces almost immediately.

An elderly gentleman I'd come to know asked, "Weren't you discharged? What brings you back here?"

"I had a bit of an accident the other day. I took a tumble down the stairs," I confessed, hoping maybe they had seen something or even caught it on camera. But I couldn't spill all the beans. "The stairs were slick. It's almost as if someone had tampered with them. I was hoping to check if there were any cameras around that might have caught who was behind it. Or, if someone might have accidentally recorded it."

The old man was eager to help. "Oh, there are cameras all over the hallways. You should be able to find what you're looking for in the security office."

"Great." With surveillance, things seemed hopeful.

I couldn't hide my excitement. "Thank you. I'll check it out right away!"

The hospital's stairwell was deserted, tranquil.

The spot where I'd fallen was cleaned up; no trace of the incident was left.

I looked up, and right above me was a camera.

Continuing down, I found another camera right where I had landed.

The hospital's surveillance coverage was reassuringly thorough, even in this rarely trafficked stairwell.

Feeling relieved, I headed straight for the security office, explained what happened, and asked them to retrieve the footage from the stairwell, hoping it would reveal who had caused my accident.

But when they brought up the footage, the cameras had been obstructed.

I stood there in disbelief.

Which meant...even though I was certain Luna was behind it all, I had no evidence to prove it.

The security staff was clearly embarrassed. "We noticed something was off and were about to check it out, but then we heard someone had fallen."

Nigel was just a kid and wouldn't have thought about the cameras.

So...the only person who knew everything and was cunning enough to destroy the evidence was Luna.

It took me a while to regain my composure. "Thank you for trying."

...

Back home, I switched to house slippers in the foyer.

Reuben was working in the living room. Hearing me enter, he didn't look up but called, "Amara, come here for a second."

I sat across from him.

Without waiting, Reuben got up and headed to the fridge. "What would you like to drink?"

I'm not much for beverages but replied politely out of respect, "Just water is fine."

He grabbed an iced coffee for himself and poured me a glass of water.

After the day's events, I was quite thirsty and gratefully took a few sips.

"Today's your first day over," Reuben started politely. "I've been asking you to help get Joyce to eat and take her to school. I haven't had the chance to ask if you need anything. If you need to buy anything, just let me know. Our shopper can pick it up for you." I thought he might want to discuss something about Joyce, but I was touched by his concern for me.

Caught off guard, I replied, "Thank you. But I've brought everything I need with me. There's nothing I need now."

Reuben, usually so reserved, seemed to soften, a hint of warmth in his voice. "You don't have to be so formal with me. Joyce genuinely sees you as a mother. You can consider this place your home, too."

I was taken aback.

If this was truly my home...