Night had already settled over the small riverside town. Only a few streetlights illuminated the empty road that led to the small hospital.
Only a handful of people were in the hospital when they arrived, allowing the nurses to rush the stranger into the emergency room immediately.
The smell of antiseptic and faint medicine filled the air alongside a distant beeping sound that made it certain that other patients were present.
Malik paced through the waiting area, glancing toward the reception desk every few seconds. Lia, on the other hand, sat with her hands tightly clasped together, trying to hide her fear.
Their original plan had been simple—drop the stranger off, leave him in the doctors' hands, and disappear before anyone asked questions. That way they had done their best as good and loyal citizens, and would leave the rest to the doctor's ability and fate.
However, unfortunately for them, at the moment of their arrival, a police officer happened to be present in the reception. Luckily, he seemed to be about to leave the hospital, but after witnessing the bloody figure the couple had brought in, the policeman seemed to have decided to wait behind. The situation piqued his attention.
At that point, leaving was no longer an option. They had to be present to clear up any misunderstanding that may or may not come to light.
Finally, it was their turn to speak with the nurse at the reception who gestured at them.
The two stood and neared each other, Malik initiating the conversation, "I-I told you we should have taken him home first."
Lia shot back with a look, "And then what? Let him bleed to death on our couch?"
The man sighed.
Before he could respond to her, they had arrived before the nurse. After a brief greeting, she asked, "In what way are you related to the patient?"
"W-We are not related to him." Lia stammered an answer.
The nurse glanced up, slightly tilting her head. "So, friend, schoolmates, neighbor…" She also listed off possible relationships they could have with the patient, but the couple shook their heads.
"Then what happened? Please tell me?" She asked curiously. With the way these two paced around, she expected a connection with the patient.
Unless it was...
She made brief eye contact with the police officer who drew closer.
As she thought, Lia and Malik also glanced at each other. How could they explain in a way that wouldn't sound strange? How could they explain that they were fishing for fish and accidentally pulled out a human?
"We pulled him out of the river," Malik uttered.
The nurse raised an eyebrow.
"The river?"
Lia chimed in, "We were fishing and then..."
"…You hooked a man?" The nurse finished their story with a questioning look.
Then another voice cut in, "Hello there!"
Lia and Malik stiffened in place instinctively. Without a doubt, they instantly knew it was the police officer present in the reception who had approached them. They slowly turned to meet a tall middle-aged police officer.
"I couldn't help but overhear your testimony. I am Officer Nathan." He pulled out a badge to identify himself. "Are you certain about what you saw?"
Surprisingly, it was Malik who stepped up to respond.
"As crazy as it seems, we caught him from the Platen River just off the road." He thought for a moment and added, "Since he didn't float, we assumed he wasn't dead and brought him straight to the hospital."
"Hmm…" The officer mused and asked further questions like what they were doing off the road at the time, their identities, and who else they saw around the area.
Thankfully, the couple was able to provide the answers.
After hearing their testimonies, Officer Nathan gestured for them to wait and approached the nurse. "Have you identified the patient?"
It was then that the nurse frowned.
Instantly, Officer Nathan knew something was wrong.
"What is it?" He asked, reaching to his waist, ready to take action if the situation required.
"No, it can't be." She shook her head and focused her gaze deeply on the screen.
Officer Nathan waited a full minute before the nurse looked up and said, "I can't find his data."
"What does that mean?"
"There are no medical records linked to his biometrics."
Officer Nathan responded unconvinced. 'How is that possible?'
He reached out for his waist and pulled out something. It was a device.
"Give me his sample." Seeing it didn't work on the hospital records, Nathan switched to a national citizen database. Perhaps it could work on the record on every person registered as a citizen.
She sent over the details, and the officer scanned through. After a long moment, it was his turn to frown.
"Hmm…If he isn't in the medical registry..."
He paused.
"...then there are only a few possibilities. He could be an illegal immigrant. He could be using a false identity. Or..."
"...he's wanted."
Hearing those words from the police officer, two heavy gasps echoed through the hospital reception. Even the few patients present with them in the reception turned in their direction, interested in the progression.
The world around Lia and Malik suddenly spun, and their chests sank.
"Oh no!" Malik grabbed his head. His legs weakened and buckled. Lia bit her lip, tears forming around her eyes.
Their thoughts began to spiral out of control, their minds already finalizing their fate.
It was then that the nurse spoke up again, cutting through their thoughts,
"…Or I could search his blood sample with those across the country, whether a match can be found. Perhaps we can invite the family here."
Officer Nathan's eyes shone, "Yes! Do that." He then stepped back and pulled out his communication device. He seemed to be calling back-up.
The couple was at their ends. They had already begun regretting everything that they had done.
Why did they have to fish? Why couldn't they just eat fruits? Why did they decide to save the person?
Now, their future seemed bleak.
"We're finished. What if they think we attacked him?" Malik kept muttering, "What if they think we're lying?"
If eventually the man didn't have an origin, they would be taken in for interrogation, and whether or not they wanted to, they could be charged with abetting a criminal.
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes into an hour, with each second feeling like a year for the couple.
At some point, two other police officers had entered the hospital, and they had begun asking the couple questions.
Finally, the nurse spoke up,
"It's out."
Nathan and the new officers approached the counter,
"Then he has a trace. Who is it?"
She read out, "The Mercer—" Her words got stuck in her mouth, slurring in the process as if she was reading a wrong word.
A second into realization, her eyes widened,
"My goodness!" She yelped and jumped back, afraid of saying more.
"Who is it?" The officer asked, shifting the computer to face their position, and the result showed clearly and loudly.
[Blood match found: Reagan Mercer]
Officer Nathan momentarily paused. He read the name again. And then a third time, unable to believe his eyes.
"...How?"
Behind him, Malik and Lia leaned over the counter.
Their mouths slowly fell open.