Jay had just finished her morning rounds at Mariano Hospital when she noticed her phone buzzing relentlessly. Multiple missed calls. Dozens of unread messages.
Her heart skipped. "Keifer…?" she whispered, panic creeping in.
She dialed him again. Ring. Ring. Ring. Straight to voicemail.
"Keifer! Pick up! Please!" she muttered, pacing the corridor, trying to keep her voice steady—but it trembled anyway.
Nothing.
Her mind raced with questions. Why isn't he answering? Did I… do something wrong last night? She clutched the phone tighter, heart pounding, imagining every possible scenario.
Desperate, she called his assistant.
"Hello, this is Keifer's assistant," came the calm voice on the other end.
"Where is he? Is he okay?" Jay asked, her tone sharper now, frustration and worry blending. "I've called him over and over—he isn't picking up!"
"Jay… sir is not in the office today," the assistant replied cautiously.
"Not in the office? Where is he, then?" Jay's fingers gripped the phone tighter. "Why wouldn't he answer me? He—he always answers!"
The assistant hesitated. "I… I don't know. I'm sure he'll return soon."
"Sure?" Jay pressed, feeling her chest tighten painfully. "Because if something happened—" She cut herself off, trying to breathe, to think clearly. But it was impossible. Her worry gnawed at her, twisting into frustration.
She sank onto a bench outside the hospital, gripping her phone like it was a lifeline. Her thoughts spun out of control.
Did he go away on business?
Did I say something last night that upset him?
Why would he just… disappear without a word?
Every minute that passed without a reply felt like an eternity. Her pulse raced, her stomach knotted, and a low, frustrated groan escaped her lips.
"Keifer…" she whispered, almost pleading, "where are you?"
She tried calling again, leaving more voice messages, pacing, checking the phone every few seconds. Each unanswered call tightened the knot in her chest, a mix of worry, longing, and the tiniest hint of fear.
She couldn't focus on her work, couldn't concentrate on her notes. Her thoughts were consumed by him—the mysterious absence, the unanswered messages, the silence that made her feel so powerless.
Her frustration turned to determination. I'm going to find him. I have to know he's okay.
But even as she made that decision, her heart hammered painfully in her chest, every beat screaming his name: Keifer… come back.