Can’t explain odd visitors in hospital after surgery [Non Fiction]

Years ago I had surgery and then while recovering in the hospital, some odd visitors appeared. After I woke up from anesthesia in a room, two people approached, a middle-aged man and woman. Both dressed professionally, and they asked whether I needed anything or whether they could do anything for me. Their questions were broad and general, but they seemed to steer me towards an answer that I wouldn’t give them. For example:

“Is everything going well with you?” 

“Is there something we can get for you?”

“Is there anything we can do for you?”

“Do you need anything?” 

“Would you like us to do anything for you?”

I replied “no” or “I’m fine” to all of their questions but then finally requested a newspaper, since they wouldn’t leave and the hospital was boring. This answer clearly disappointed them. They exchanged knowing glances and paused awkwardly, then the man agreed to my request and slowly mumbled something like “hmm, ok, we can get you a newspaper” before they both left. 

To their credit, they did actually bring me a newspaper for free, and never returned afterwards. They never explained where they were from or what they really wanted. Nobody else confronted me with weird leading questions either. They did not appear to be part of the hospital staff since none of their questions related to my condition or treatment, and they never addressed me by name. I get the impression that they were fishing for some other answer and wanted me to recognize their implied meaning without either of us explicitly saying it. 

What could this have been? I didn’t fabricate the episode since they arrived long after I had regained consciousness, and they returned shortly with a physical newspaper. Where did they come from, if they weren’t associated with the hospital? I have some vague suspicions, but first want to hear other opinions.