Hushed voices spoke over the newsreel. No one looked like they knew what was going on. One of the attendees started to rant while another had to sit down. Nurses came in to check on us, though they too eyed the footage with keen interest.
Maybe this was what David wanted to talk to me about? I imagined that this was likely on his mind during our conversation. No wonder he was so exhausted. The anchors continued their segment, finding talking points to circle around while the real questions hovered over their heads like rainclouds. What was going to happen next?
I thought about speaking to Dr. Crowe. He may have suspected something initially. Afterall, he was a very perceptive person. And he appeared to know more than he let on. Maybe he thought I had some kind of connection to the phenomena? Or maybe I imagined a connection where there really wasn't one.
In the back of the room, one patient shouted, "Oh, great. Now people are just blowing up out of nowhere! What has this world come to?"
I related to the feeling. Things did seem bleak. I left to return to my room, but before I exited the space I stopped to watch the last bit of footage. Images of the lightshows from yesterday flashed onscreen in an assortment of segmented talking points, connecting their similarities to those of the recorded AAD sightings. I did not feel like I needed to watch any longer to paint a clearer image of what was going on.
It was just like three years ago.
I needed to talk to someone, anyone about it. I didn't know who else I could go to with this kind of information besides…No, she probably doesn't want anything to do with me…Or would she?
I ran back to my hospital room. There wasn't a single other nurse around. They must have thought that I was still speaking to Dr. Crowe. Maybe they wouldn't mind if I just made a quick visit home?
I picked up my wallet and checked inside for any cash. Thirty bucks should be enough. Those hours of chores around the apartment really paid off. I pocketed the wallet and went to the door. I glanced down the hall, checking to see if anyone was keeping watch.
All clear.
Oh jeez. I was starting to sound like her now. I began to sneak down the hall towards the elevator, making sure not to draw any unwanted attention. An orderly exited the elevator as it dinged open. As he walked away, he muttered under his breath, "Damn, another double? I hope I get AAD'd." I slipped into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.
"This is going smoothly."
The elevator dinged open again and outside the entrance to the hallway David stood over a front desk chatting with the receptionist.
"Do you think they're done yet?"
"Mr. Herring, we'll inform you when Monty is ready to be seen."
He frowned at her but remained cordial. He seemed frustrated.
"Not even a phone call? He has his cell…"
"Monty is in a meeting with Dr. Crowe. I can't just let someone interrupt them. He is entitled to his privacy."
"I know that. I just feel stuck. I don't know what to do or how I can help."
"If you'd like I can put in a word to Dr. Crowe."
"Please do. I want to help in whatever way I can."
I dashed behind a corner and listened intently. David was pacing in the hall. He waited for Dr. Crowe to answer his pager. I had to sneak by him and the front desk if I wanted to leave the hospital without accruing any unwanted attention. I told myself it was just going to be a quick trip. There was a wall of cabs outside. All I had to do was pay for one to bring me back to the apartment and wait for me while I grabbed a few things to bring back to the hospital. A backpack of stuff at most.
Maybe I could talk to Cindi too. No, I wouldn't have enough time. They'd figure it out before I got back. I had a mission and I had to stick to it.
Across from me a door opened up to reveal a nurse rolling out a gurney.
I got an idea. As soon as she stopped, she left to speak to another receptionist. I slipped behind the door she came out of and realized I found myself in a supply closet. Inside a pair of nurses' scrubs waited patiently on a clothesline next to a laundry machine. I snatched them and quickly threw them on. A mask too.
As soon as the coast was clear I grabbed hold of the gurney and raced it down the hall towards the exit, right past David and the receptionist.
"Wait!" someone yelled over the general ruckus. I stopped in my tracks. I sweated through my newly acquired disguise profusely.
Please don't ask me what I'm doing. Please don't ask. Please don't ask…
"That gurney's looking a little defective. Why don't you leave it and I'll have an orderly grab a new one."
I looked back at the receptionist and nodded. David still had his back to me.
Whew!
I let go of the gurney and left it behind for whatever poor orderly they forced to pick up after me. And I was home free. No one stopped me from leaving the hospital in nurses scrubs, and frankly I think they had other things to worry about. Outside an ambulance turned into the emergency lot, sirens blazing. Blinking and bright red.
The first taxi I saw took up my offer and drove me down to Octoberfaire, which only took about fifteen minutes from the hospital. The roads were a little cleared today. I didn't think many people wanted to go out at a time like this. So the trip went quicker than I expected.
After I paid for the first trip I ran inside the apartment to grab my things. The driver waited patiently for me to return. In and out, quickly. I ran to the elevator, creaky metallic death machine that it was, and tapped my floor number repeatedly until the doors fully closed shut.
Back in my apartment I rifled through every drawer in my room, collecting up materials and depositing everything I needed in my backpack. Folders of newspaper clippings. Binders of documented anomalies. Everything I needed to read up on while recovering at the hospital. I even had my phone with me in case I needed it to search for things on the internet. It all fitted neatly in my little school bag. Everything I've dedicated the last three years of my life to collecting was in here.
Outside my apartment door, the hallway was empty. I bolted down towards the elevator, hoping that no one had taken it yet. When I rounded the corner, I was greeted by the hum of the thing as it revved to life.
Shit! Someone's using it. The numbers on it slowly moved up. I'm running out of time…
I looked back toward a door to the stairwell. It'd have to do. I remembered back when we were evacuated from the complex. I had run down those steps like my life was on the line. Looking back now, that probably wasn't the case. But at the time, I jumped steps, swung around the railing, did everything I could to get the hell out of dodge. So, I summoned up that energy from the day before and raced to the bottom like my life really did depend on it.
Floor to floor. I was moving like a glider over air. My feet seemed attuned with my mind, as if my body just knew exactly what to do. It was almost like I was sliding over ice. The gravity took over for me, bringing me closer to my goal.
I had gotten down to the bottom in record time.
That was easier than I thought.
There was no time to reminisce. And unfortunately, no time to figure out which apartment was Cindi's. I'd have to wait until another day to tell her what happened. Though, I hoped she was doing alright. I felt a pang of regret. I was so close to seeing her again that I felt guilty just not being able to even try searching.
I owed her a debrief. That was the least I could do.
I slammed open the door into the lobby to find it empty all but for one person. A tall lanky teenager waited patiently near the entrance. He had a mean look in his eye, like he was looking to pick a fight. Then I realized, it was probably the last person I wanted to see about now.
"Monty Court, was it?" Lynn said. "I got a bone to pick with you twerp."
Oh shit. Not him. Anyone but him.
Lynn stepped forward.
I said, "Look TD--I mean Lynn. I'm kinda in a hurry. Can't this wait?"
He threw up his hands sarcastically. "Oh so you're too busy to talk to a guy like me? Is that what you're trying to say?"
Okay, he was really pissing me off.
"What's your deal?"
"What's my deal? I came for answers. What the hell happened on the wharf that night?"
"Did you think I had something to do with it?"
"Of course you did!" He said. He looked at me like he expected me to confess to some prank. Wow, I thought. He really believed I did something. That I concocted some elaborate spectacle to mess with him and his buddies.
"Look," I said, trying to make my voice seem deeper than it was. I puffed out my chest for good measure. I don't think he seemed any more intimidated. "I don't know what the hell you think I did, but I had nothing to do with…with that!" My voice cracked. Oh hell, I hoped he didn't notice.
Lynn looked back and brought a hand up to hide his mouth. He was snickering!
"Y--You didn't hear that!"
"Hear what?" he said with a vulpine grin.
I balled up my fist.
"Stop laughing!" I shouted. "If you didn't hear anything then what are you laughing at!"
He waved his hand out in front.
"Wait wait wait, I didn't hear anything kid. Honest."
"Kid? You're not much older!"
"Haven't hit your growth spurt huh? Looks like puberty's still setting in," He joked.
That's it. I was going to kill him.
"You're really pissing me off," I said aloud. He just laughed again.
"Oh I bet I am." He started to calm down. "Damn, I really needed that." His eyes hardened, grew sharper.
"You saw something, didn't you?" I said. He didn't respond. But something seemed to click for him. "I did too."
"What do you know?" He asked.
What could I say? It's not like I knew exactly what happened. But there's no denying that what happened the other day was connected to the recent spike in AADs. I doubt he'd be satisfied with that answer. I just shrugged and hoped that'd be enough for him.
"What? You don't know?" he said, annoyed. "I call bullshit."
"Well that's the truth. What else do you want from me?"
Lynn's hands turned into fists as his temper started to broil. He looked like he was just on the verge of biting my head off. Maybe he will.
Part of me wanted to push it. Get him riled up. Make him throw the first punch. That's what Cindi would do. Right?
"Hell, you're stubborn. You know that?" I said.
He ignored the comment.
"What are you gonna do? Punch a kid? Again?" I pushed.
"Go to hell," he said. Lynn frowned. Then, as if He turned and left through the front door.
I sat in the taxi, unsure of what just happened. Perhaps one of the oddest exchanges I've had in as long as I could remember. Second maybe to anything involving Cindi. Though, that was a high bar to beat.
Serves him right.
I recalled the look on his face. The one he wore as I taunted him. Exhaustion. It reminded me of David a little. What was I feeling just now? Pity?
He'll be fine. After all, I've gone through worse.
What was his problem anyway? He looked like he wanted to pummel me. So, why didn't he? I was alone. Cindi wasn't around to stand up for me. So what gives?
Maybe he was afraid of me.
Ha, okay buddy. You need to get over yourself. That was obviously not the case. I barely stood a chance when it was the two of us against him. The last thing I needed was an inflated ego getting in the way of my plans. But what exactly were my plans? Plan, singular?
You saw something, didn't you?
My words came back to me like a boomerang.
I did see something, didn't I? Didn't you Lynn? Cindi?
We all saw something that night. I'm sure of it. Was I forgetting something? A feeling's been bugging me, I realized. Then, the thought hit me like a pop-up on the noggin. The box…whatever happened to it?
Maybe Cindi had it. Maybe Lynn did.
I know it was connected to the AADs though. I was sure of it. As I rolled the thought around my head, searching every corner and crevasse of it for a clue, the taxi pulled into the hospital entrance. The driver leaned back, his arm over the passenger's seat.
"Here's your stop kiddo." He was an older man. Well groomed mustache and uniform to boot. Five-o-clock shadow made him look a little disheveled underneath it all.
Kiddo.
I grumbled as I pulled out the last bit of cash I needed to pay the fair.
"Keep the change," I mumbled.
Back inside the hospital, I passed the receptionist, which to no one's surprise David was no longer hovering around. I suspected as much. I was just hoping he hadn't gone back up to check on me yet. The whole trip took less than an hour. So maybe a nurse or too came to check on me and couldn't find a single breadcrumb. I could play the bathroom card. "Getting business done" as Mr. Chelsea would say.
With the coast clear, I popped my floor into the elevator and waited patiently. My feet tapped absently on the shiny and reflective floor.
This was way too easy. Maybe I actually pulled it off…
A ding and the elevator opens to reveal a group of adults. Nurses with their white and blue scrubs. An orderly perhaps, anxious and fidgety. Most prominent of the bunch, however, a woman with combed and curly hair. Her posture was as straight as a needle and her heels as sharp as knives.
"Monty!" Casey said. The expression on her face was something akin to a mixture of shock and fury. A fire roared in her eyes. Her crows feet were just a tad longer.
Oh shit, why did it have to be her?