Chapter 3.

Dr. Devon Pravesh looked up from the sink and studied his face in the mirror.
The continuing night shifts of the past weeks were written all over his face, as was the canceled wedding with Priya. Dark circles rimmed his eyes.

He had just washed his hands and splashed some ice-cold water in his face to wake up again. Only three more hours, then he could go home and collapse in his lone bed. A quick espresso in the cafeteria, then he would be back to 100 percent.

His cell phone rang and he expected to see Conrad´s number on the display, his mentor driving him crazy after the miserable meeting in the executive suite, to finally pick up Mr. Schwenkensteiners bloodcount or removing the feeding tube from Mrs. Prutesi. But it was Nic´s number flashing on the display.

"Devon, did you see Conrad?" Nic dashed forward without waiting for a greet from Pravesh.
It took him a second to recapitulate the question.

"Conrad? He´s on this super-important meeting with Bell and Winthrop, isn´t he?"
Devon glanced at his wristwatch. 3:34. Actually, the meeting should have ended quite a while ago.

"The meeting has long been over, but Conrad has not reappeared here," Nic confirmed his thoughts, her voice sounding unnaturally tense.
"Devon, I have a bad feeling. Something´s really wrong." He heard her swallowing before she continued.
"Elaine from the board office said Conrad had been sick and Bell made him go home. But Conrad is never sick."
Her voice died. Pravesh knitted his eyebrows.
"How can I help?"

On the other end of the line it sounded like Nic was walking quickly down a hallway, then he heard her voice echoing in one of the washrooms: "Conrad, are you here?"

"Nic!" Devon had to raise his voice to regain her attention.
"Nic, where are you right now?"

"I´m in the east wing, right next to the emergency room."
"Okay, then I go to the north wing next to the board room and see if I can find him there."

A brief silence followed, then a soft snivel that almost tore Praveshs heart. Nic did never sob. She was always composed, always in control. Sure, some things concerned her, and he had seen her cry before. But always away from public eyes, in a locked nurses room or an empty pantry. That was not Nic. She did not show nerves.

"Nic," Pravesh´s voice was gentle. "I´m sure he´s fine. We´ll find him. Do not worry."
He heard Nic taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Devon."


But another 15 minutes later, there was still no trace of Conrad, and Nic´s mood swayed between growing concern and rising anger. How dare did Conrad, this arrogant snob? This loner, this egomaniac with no insight that others might worry about him. That others might care if he did not spoke nor eat for days, constantly paddling his own canoe and doing sports like a madman.

Conrad had not been well the last few days. She kept asking him if he had eaten. If he had a fever. But he had kept her at distance, going his ways with one of his little arrogantly and maybe even apologetic smiles.

If this hermit just sat somewhere outside on a park bench while she was running her feet off and racking her brain with worry, he would take a pasting from her he would´nt forget for a while.

For the umpteemth time Nic pulled out her phone and looked at the display. No message, no call. None of her whatsapp-messages were answered, not even read. She dialed Devon´s number again.

"I´m so mad, Devon. What if he really only did go home?" she spat into the phone.

Devon, on the other side of the building on his way to one of the men´s room he had not checked yet, smiled to himself.
"Maybe he´s mad at himself, too, Nic, and that´s why he does not answer the phone."

"And why would he be mad at himself?"

„Because of the whole story with his dad. You know how Conrad can be. He feels vulnerable, and you are the last person he wants to seem weak at."

Nic snorted. "Then you give him a call, let´s see if you can get in touch with him."

Pravesh smiled, hung up, entered one of the fifth-floor washrooms, and dialed Conrad´s number with the other hand. He paused in the doorway as the phone dialed, glancing through the lavatory. No one there. He turned and was about to leave again as a cell phone rang in one of the dark booths.