The hospital’s inventory listed the loaned instrument as missing. Mei found it in the room next door.
“It never left the hospital,” she said, leading Tessa and Eli through a corridor lined with equipment carts. The instrument stood beside a different analyzer, its service label intact. A technician was running a calibration check.
“Why did the inventory say missing?” Eli asked.
“It was transferred from the laboratory to the clinical chemistry department. The physical move was authorized. The inventory system recorded it under a different department code, so the audit report couldn’t match it to the original loan.”
The technician showed them the transfer form. The date and serial number matched the instrument. Dr. Moss signed the correction and asked the inventory office to preserve the original entry alongside it.
Eli felt a flush of embarrassment. He had seen the Aegis name in the message and imagined another diversion before he knew what was missing. The machine was in front of him, doing legitimate work.
“I’m glad it was found,” he said.
Mei smiled. “So am I. I didn’t want to explain to Dr. Moss how an instrument the size of a refrigerator walked out.”
