The Blue Tube
Chapter 03 - The Blue Tube
By noon, Room 412 had become the center of a storm. Hospital lawyers arrived. Police officers photographed the order. Daniel answered the same questions again and again while refusing to leave Laura’s bedside. Ethan sat near the window with the disconnected cap from the blue line resting in his palm. Nurse Maya had given it to him after replacing the equipment.
“You kept your mother breathing,” she told him. “But next time, call an adult first.”
“I did,” Ethan said. “They didn’t believe me.”
Maya had no answer.
The police found that Daniel’s electronic signature had been accepted through the hospital’s family portal. The login came from an address associated with Cole Family Holdings, the company Laura’s parents had built before their deaths. Victor now ran the business, while Laura served as its financial controller.
Daniel explained that Victor had access to old contracts bearing his signature. He also knew Laura’s date of birth, insurance details, and security questions. But motive was harder to explain.
“Victor and Laura argued,” Daniel admitted. “She found something in the company accounts. She wouldn’t tell me everything until she had proof.”
Three weeks before the crash, Laura had started locking her laptop in a desk drawer. She took calls outside and deleted messages after reading them. Daniel believed she was protecting a client. Now he wondered whether she had been protecting them.
Victor finally arrived at the hospital that afternoon carrying white lilies and wearing a dark blue suit. He hugged Ethan, placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, and acted shocked when police asked about the order.
“I witnessed nothing,” he said. “Someone used my name.”
Daniel studied him. “Why didn’t you come sooner?”
Victor lowered his eyes. “I couldn’t bear to see my sister like this.”
Ethan noticed something the adults missed. Victor never looked at Laura. He looked at the monitors, the police, and the sealed evidence bag. When his gaze fell on the blue connector cap in Ethan’s hand, his jaw tightened.
That evening, Dr. Morris reported unexpected improvement. Laura had responded to pain and briefly moved two fingers. The news should have brought relief, but Victor stepped into the hallway and made an urgent phone call.
Ethan followed at a distance.
“She was supposed to be gone before Daniel got back,” Victor whispered.
Ethan’s breath caught.
A cleaning cart rolled between them, and Victor turned. For one frightening second, their eyes met.
May you like
Then Victor smiled.
“Ethan,” he said softly, “were you listening?”
