Episode 18: Just Enough
“I’ve seen some things Doc. Mind if we have a talk?”
“Things? What do mean by ‘things’?” he said eyeing me suspiciously.
“The boy I came with. He’s dead. Is it customary here to shoot children in the head?"
"What? Where did you…? ”
He then furrowed his brow staring at something behind me, “Wait. That door is open…”
“Answer me,” I said quickly moving in front of the keypad and it’s glowing green light.
“Did you go in there?”
“Maybe, but you still haven’t answered my question. What the hell is going on here?!”
“This is terrible. Did anyone come with you? You mustn’t go in that room. You mustn’t! "You understand me? If they catch you in there…” he trailed off as footsteps echoed down the hall.
As they drew closer, he pulled out his keys fumbling with them. A woman voice boomed down the hallway causing him to jump and drop them. He was positively frightened now as he quickly reached for his keys. When the footsteps stopped he stood right up frozen like a deer in headlights staring down the hallway at her. It was apparent he knew who the woman was.
She stopped right in front of us scowling. Her face fully covered with makeup. Her hands resting on her hip of her bright pink dress. She looked at me with an annoyed expression and instantly shot a look at a trembling Pinto
“Who is this?” she said sticking her pudgy finger in my face after looking me over.
“My patient. Just a patient! Um…uh I’m treating him.” he babbled.
She narrowed his eyes at him and back at me. “Fine, but report back to me and the Sarge in the morning immediately.”
“Sit. I’ve done some redecorating since earlier. Excuse the mess.”
“So what’s that about?”
“She’s the reason why you can’t be roaming around here. That’s what it’s about,” he snapped eyeing me. He then leaned over from his chair to retrieve something and reappeared with two glasses. “You better hope to God she didn’t hear you.”
He grabbed a whiskey bottle sitting on a file cabinet nearby and pour the liquor in one of the glasses. He swirled it around before taking a sip and speaking again, “ That was Mrs. Marylin Stone. She’s the Sarge wife. The guy in charge of arm forces here. A horrid bitch. You would think she ran the place.”
“Does she?” I said leaning back in my chair.
He paused considering the question and sighed, “Technically no, but in a way she does. I guess you can say that.”
“So if she heard me…”
“Me and you will be quarantined, questioned, and dealt with in some sort of fashion I assume. Curious people don’t last long here. Haven’t you heard curiosity killed the cat?” he said coyly pouring me a drink from the bottle “You drink? I’m just saying best to fall in line with the rest if you want to survive here.”
“Those people on the gurney. Did their curiosity get them there?” I said ignoring my glass for the moment and watching him take another sip as he peered over his nervously.
“They’re different bodies on the gurneys every day. I don’t know how they get there sometimes. I just treat what I can and clean up the mess”, he said looking away. “The boy you’re talking about was an accident from what I heard.”
“Yeah, I guess. Him and his family were caught trying to flee shortly after leaving the quarantine area. The boy was shot while the father scuffled with the guards.”
“What happened to the father?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you know why they wanted to leave so soon?”
“I thought your brother would be the one to give me trouble with all these questions,” he laughed. “They were told they would have to put they ailing daughter down. They believe she was infected and was hours away from turning. She was very ill so most likely, but she wasn’t suffering from the virus from my findings.”
I smiled slightly thinking about my efforts to save her as I took a sip finally from my own glass, “So why couldn’t you just leave with her if they wanted? Are we not allowed to leave?”
“You can leave, but I doubt it would be easy with that control freak, Stone involved,” he slurred squinting at me through half-closed eyelids. “The family was certainly not allowed to leave. Not once he found them valuable.”
“Valuable? Why?”
“You’re asking a lot,” he snarled as his lids seem to grow heavier. “Research. Her, the boy, all for…no I can’t say.”
He scowled revealing a change in mood, “I can’t tell you everything. I’m risking a lot having you in my office at this time of night.”
He took a big gulp and poured more. I took a few more sips watching him. He looked unkempt compared to earlier when we met. Our little drink seemed to take a toll on him quite quickly. It was obvious the guy wasn’t a hard drinker.
“I think it’s time for you to go,” he mumbled finally after finishing his second glass. I told you enough and even that was too much.”
“Just one question. What’s behind that door in that room?” I said staying put.
“Nothing. Nothing you need to see,” he spat growing more hostile. “And don’t even think about going in there. They’ll kill us, your brother, everyone involved if you do. Besides you need a code to even get in there.”
He stood up gesturing me get up and go towards the door at that instant. I took one glance at his desk and another at the boxes cluttering his room for anything as I rose, but nothing seemed to stand out to me. Before I knew it I was outside his office heading down the hall as he took hold of my arm guiding me towards my room. My drink still firmly in my hand.
“Wait!” I shouted as reached the room. The alcohol taking effect as chuckled feeling a slight buzz. “That code. Just give me a hint for kicks. Is it military based? Is it an address? Is it a birthday?”
He tensed up at birthday and frowned. He then grabbed my glass and he shoved me in the room muttering, “Please for the love of everything stay out of trouble. The less trouble you’re in the better.”
No Polls for this or the next. Focusing on moving things along instead, but the polls will be back.
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