The screen illuminated my face in the dim corner of the room.

The search results loaded slowly.

The definition of the drug appeared on the screen.

It was a powerful anesthetic used to induce deep, prolonged states of unconsciousness.

The side effects included permanent neurological damage if administered daily.

I stared at the screen, realization washing over me.

They weren’t trying to help him recover.

They were actively keeping him under.

Suddenly, the light in the hallway cast a long shadow under the bedroom door.

I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock.

Someone was unlocking the door from the outside.

I shoved the medical binder back into the drawer.

The heavy paper scraped against the metal track, sounding like a gunshot in the quiet room.

I slid my phone into my pocket just as the brass doorknob turned.

The door swung inward, letting in the cold draft from the hallway.

Nurse Benson stood in the threshold.

She carried a small silver tray with a plastic cup and a pre-filled syringe.

Her eyes immediately locked onto mine, narrowing behind her wire-rimmed glasses.