I looked at the blank green screen of the monitor, its steady beep the only sound in the room.

“Yes, sweetie,” I said, though my voice shook. “He’s coming back.”

I turned to Paul, my hand reaching for the small black flash drive in his palm.

“What do we do?” I asked.

Paul didn’t answer. He just stared at the closed door of the room.

Down the hall, the heavy double doors of the intensive care unit creaked open.

A slow, heavy footstep sounded on the linoleum outside.

We stood in the dim green light, waiting.

The footsteps stopped directly outside the door of Room 314.

The brass handle began to turn, very slowly.

I held my breath, my hand closing tight around the plastic coffee cup.

The door began to slide open, a shadow falling across the floor.

And then, the light in the hallway flickered and went out completely.

In the sudden darkness, the sound of a struggle echoed from the corridor.

A heavy object hit the wall with a dull thud.

“Run, Evelyn!” a voice shouted from the dark.