Raj pushed aside a pile of papers to make room on the small table for a plate of snack cakes he’d brought. The hospital room was so small it was hard to keep it from getting cluttered.
He was a little more formally dressed today, wearing a full evening suit, complete with fancy pointed shoes. He hoped it’d help in the event his in-laws showed up unannounced again. For some, respect began with apparel.
“Good morning. Sorry I’m a little late.” He tidied up the rest of the table.
“Emret?” He turned towards the unusually quiet hospital bed.
Empty!
That’s odd, he thought. He didn’t remember any scheduled appointments this morning. He peeked under the bed. Nothing. Was he really that distracted that he’d forget a doctor’s appointment? Emret wouldn’t take it well if he had.
He pushed open the bathroom door. Again nothing. Maybe they pulled him out to clean the room or change the bed sheets?
He stopped at the nurses’ desk down the hall where a plump middle aged Zo women sat behind several stacks of papers, chatting with another nurse in the hallway. The nurse at the desk was covered in deep golden brown fur. She had long fluffy tufts on her cheeks and a shorter than typical Zoen nose that added to her overall roundness.
“Excuse me,” Raj interrupted.
She broke from her conversation and looked over at him, obviously annoyed. “Yes?”
“My son Emret isn’t in his room. Could you tell me where he might be?”
“Emret? Let me check.” She sorted through a stack of folders on the desk, stopped at one and pulled it out. After a quick glance at the pages she added, “his only appointment for today is later this evening. He should be there.”
She put the folder back and smiled.
“Well, he isn’t in there.” He stared back and waited.
She folded her arms. “I’m sorry, I don’t know where else he’d be.”
“OK, which nurse is assigned to him right now?”
She looked up at a large chalk board on the wall with columns of names. “That would be Moslin, but…” She paused.
“But?” Raj said, raising his brow.
“She hasn’t shown up for her shift yet.”
The nurse in the hallway stepped forward. “Oh, I was supposed to tell you that she was gonna come in late today. She had a church meeting.”
“So who’s covering her shift?” The nurse at the desk asked.
“I told her I would.”
“When was the last time you checked on Emret?” Raj asked her.
She turned toward the board on the wall with the names and giggled. “Oh. I guess I didn’t see him on her list.”
The nurse in front of Raj suddenly looked confused, then concerned. She turned back to Raj.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Handers. Let me find out who saw him last and at what time.”
“Did Moslin come in at all today?” Raj asked the other.
“She did. She came in for a few minutes, just to grab a few things.” She answered.
Raj took the card out of his wallet that Moslin had given him earlier. On the back was a schedule of church services. Sure enough there was one mentioned this morning. Maybe she took him with her.
“Thank you ladies. I’ll be back later.”
“But Mr. Handers…” the nurse in front of him called after him.
-
He wound through the streets quickly, following the directions on the back of the card. He turned the last corner to find the ancient stone church rising above him. Then his stomach sank as the realization hit. Starting on each side of the church, a high stone wall stretched to the end of the block in both direction. It was the same high stone wall that he came to after the beach just a few nights before. The school grounds! This church sat on the back side of it. A sudden wave of anger flashed over him. What possible connection could the church and this school have with his son? With Moslin?
He wandered past the large stone columns of the Church's foyer and stopped beside the oversized double doors that led into the chapel.
The interior revealed a more traditional botan style construction. A tight network of twisting roots and branches rose in wide curls to form the walls, ceiling, and structural archways. Thick vines grew from the floor in swirling decorative patterns that swept across the width of the room to form the pews. A sea of green Botan heads rustled in unison to the words of an elderly Cleric who stood at the far end of the chapel delivering his sermon.
Raj scanned the back of the crowd for Moslin. It was impossible to tell from behind. Botans, he thought in contempt, had too much natural camouflage. A fan of leafy green tendrils sprang out of the backs and heads of everyone there.
He moved quietly to the rear of the congregation and took a seat. His eyes moved over the crowd again. Nothing. Where was she? She had to be here. Nowhere else made sense.
After the services concluded, the congregation filtered past, allowing him to get a clear view of each face. The crowd started to thin, yet he still hadn’t seen her. After the last of them passed, save a few who were still standing by the pews talking, it was clear that she wasn’t there. Where in the world had she taken him? He relaxed his clenched fist in an effort to temper his anger.
He made his way through the last lingering groups to the front where the Botan Cleric was still gathering his papers. He looked up as Raj approached.
“What can I do for you, my friend?” the Cleric asked.
“I'm sorry, this may seem a little out of place but... did you see a young Botan woman with a thirteen year old Zo boy in this morning service?”
“See? No. But we do keep records of our congregation. Why do you ask?”
Raj fidgeted with his shirt nervously. “My son is missing. I think that this woman...”
“I see.” The Cleric put down his papers. “Do you know her name?”
“Moslin Verdu and my son's name is Emret.”
The Cleric stared at him, his brow furrowed. “Moslin Verdu? You're sure?”
“She's my son's nurse, you see. She invited me here earlier and I thought she might've brought my son.”
“Might I suggest we continue this conversation somewhere a little more private?” The Cleric gestured towards a door in a nearby corner of the chapel.