At Least I’M Free
XXXIV

In the crowded hospital hallway, Huga walked quickly while carrying a paper tote bag next to her hand while her other hand was stuck in her pants pocket. Intentions want to leave immediately after the fluid infusion runs out, the man who was still wearing similar clothes when he collapsed in the car yesterday was even kebablasan sleep until he just woke up 10 minutes ago.

With wide steps, at the end of the corridor Huga turned when suddenly a hand pulled him to the edge of the corridor.

"Where are you going?"

The monotone whispered. Standing leaning against the wall, Lita looked at Huga coldly.

Huga was stunned, she almost forgot the stubbornness of the woman who was still gripping her left wrist. From the school days, Lita really likes to help people to the point where the person she helps is exhausted by the excess persistence she gives.

"Well, ma'am doctor, how long have you been waiting for me here?" Suga smiled casually.

Ignoring the question, Lita raised Huga's hand stuck in her pocket and looked at the back of the hand that was plaster-pastered with patches of blood seeping from inside. "Udaharajin do not unplug the infusion yourself... why the hell?"

Suga subtly let go of the woman's grasp and smiled. "Udah said I have a job, why even given a sedative? You can I sue you for giving the drug without the patient's consent."

Lita fell silent, staring at Huga flatly. Indeed he had mixed the medicine into the infusion liquid without the knowledge of Huga, even so still, "you can collapse again. If it's in the hospital, the treatment will be more effective."

"You still want to help me, Lita?"

"Yes is the pas-"

"Then the problem is solved." Suga smiled meaningfully. "You collapse any number of times doesn't matter, after all you'll always be there for me, right?"

Lita confirmed the position of her glasses while glancing at Huga whose hair was still half wet from the face wash. "I should have locked your room last night."

Huga chuckled and was about to chim in when the corner of her eye caught the silhouette of someone she knew very well walking over.

"Ahh yes.." muttered Huga while watching the person.

Although it was aged, the tiny body and the gentle face of the person gave a natural fresh impression. In full nurse attire, the middle-aged woman walked up carrying new infusion bags on both hands.

"Mom Sarah??" Sapa Huga as they cross paths.

"E-uh? Mr. Huga...?" Surprise was clearly visible on the woman's face. "Ah, doctor Lita too.... What's up, huh?"

"Good day sister Sarah." Lita gave a greeting then looked at Huga in wonder. "Do you know sister sarah? She's a senior nurse here."

"I know," replied Huga as she looked at Sarah and smiled. You could say the woman was among the early people who Huga came to the first day of the investigation to gather information about the victims.

"Since when?" Lita looked at them in turns.

Despite being uncomfortable, Sarah still put on a polite smile. He did not know what to answer, so just looking at Huga was like asking for help.

"Yes, that's how it is..." Suga replied without even wanting to explain. Of course Lita and most people don't know about Sarah's relationship with the victim. After they have been divorced for 8 years, why did Sarah talk about it to her coworkers?

"Do you have time? There are important things that I want to talk about" said Huga politely.

Sarah stared at the silver watch coiled around her wrist."Ah that... My break is still about half 20 minutes away...."

"Ok, let me know if it's free." Huga brandished her HP giving a mark.

With a heavy heart Sarah nodded. "Then, Mr. Huga, Dr. Lita, I'm sorry to continue to work." While showing the infusion bag in her hand, Sarah passed.

"What are you really doing?" Lita asked half-demanding answers.

"Here you go, what kind of doctor talks about his patient's personal problems, hm?" Said Huga with her smile.

...* * *...

In this country, criminal proceedings are treated differently according to their respective delusions. For example, a complaint offense such as defamation, a person has the right to file or withdraw it within 3 months from the time of filing a complaint. Meanwhile, ordinary delusions such as murder cannot be contested and will continue to be processed even if the victim refuses.

"Mom Sarah, I hear lately more work, huh? Even to take a lot of shifts to help fellow colleagues voluntarily... Is a senior like you given the freedom to do things that are not his jobe desk? Must be exhausting, huh? What else to take care of the house and the child."

The woman who sat awkwardly before Huga smiled weakly. "I'm just happy to do it. There's no harm, right?"

"Remain, there is no harm in busying yourself to run from disturbing thoughts." Huga nodded as if she understood.

"Interruptive thoughts...? No, no, you misunderstood." The smile that adorned Sarah's face slowly disappeared along with her declining gaze. "I just..."

That sentence just depends. Huga observed him closely, he remembered when he first met with Sarah to inform her of the death of her ex-husband and asked about the victim's personal information. The woman was devastated and was crying hysterically. For the size of the person who had long separated from the victim, it was certainly an unusual reaction. At least that's what Huga thinks.

While glancing at the situation around the canteen of this fairly crowded hospital, Huga reached for the red cover file from inside the tote bag. After opening the search page, he placed the file on the table, showing it to Sarah. "Do you know this kid?"

Sarah stared at the paper showing a photo of a girl with a full profile underneath. The first reaction the woman showed was shock, with wide eyes she covered her mouth with her hands tightly. "W-how can...?"

"Aahh, so you've known him all along..." From that reaction only Huga can draw conclusions. "I'm very grateful that when you first met, you refused to tell me the reason for the divorce with the victim. If only you had answered, even if you were lying, maybe I would never have gotten to this point."

Sarah shook her head while her breathing began to roar. "What you should be looking for is the perpetrator, not even scribbling Ian's faults!"

Suga smiled casually. "Do I need to remind you that what the victim did was not a mistake but a crime?"

"What are you talking about...?" Sarah closed her eyes and massaged her suddenly dizzy temple. "...it's all bullshit, I better get back to work."

"That's what I mean by running away from distracting thoughts." Suga looked at Sarah concerned. "You've been worried all along, right? Afraid that the victim's real face is exposed? You're reluctant to tell me why you're divorced, because it has to do with the poor girl in the photo."

Sarah was silent, she looked at her clenched hand on the table. "She died in a horrible way, god has punished her enough.Let her rest in peace."

"No," replied Huga half-laughing, "have you ever heard that a dead elephant leaves an ivory, a dead tiger leaves a strip? As the only relic for humans, I will make sure Ian's name will be remembered as it should be. Pedophilia, child predators, domestic criminals"

Brak!

"Enough!"

Sarah who had lost her calm was pounding the table while staring at the fierce Huga. "You're an officer of the law, why doesn't your behavior reflect that?!"

"Mom Sarah.we're still in the hospital area and you're still wearing official clothes."

As if just realized, Sarah glanced around and found people looking at her cynically. With his own eyes he sat back down.

"Please stop it, it's long gone." Sarah asked in a trembling voice.

"It's over for you, but not with this girl." Huga stared at the face in the file photo. "I'll publish everything after the case is resolved."

Sarah gripped Huga's wrist quickly. The woman looked straight at me as if she was risking her own life. "Don't."

Huga smiled. "I know you love the victim so much, but aren't you tired of keeping her secrets for years? Isn't this a good time to end things?"

"What is your purpose in saying all this?" Sarah asked back, "if it has been established, why not just disclose all the information to the public? Why did you come to me just to argue?"

Huga closed the file in front of him with one hand. "I wanted to ask you to be a witness to strengthen the evidence of the victim's crimes first. Surely this murder case is over. But after chatting earlier, I understand you may not want to work together. Don't you?"

"Why not just focus on catching the killer first?" Decak Sarah then took off her grunts.

"During 15 years of working in this field, I have seen various types of crime and their motivations. But, only this time there was a case that led me to another case. Opened with a school fire, the murder of a teacher, the abuse of minors, a conglomerate family scandal, a bribe." Huga grinned. "Do you know the equation of all those cases?"

Sarah shook.

"In addition to the fact that it has not been revealed to the public, all the crimes revolve and are related to your ex-husband, Ian Kurniawan."

With calm Huga continued, “didn't you think that the real culprit was him who at the beginning of the story played the victim?”