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It was
frustrating that all they had were base facts and otherwise obscure ideas on
what ‘could be’ the cause for what happened to those children. There were many theories taped around the
small medical examination office that sat just through a door from their
equally small morgue.
A sociopathic pedophile, disorganized, chaotic, perhaps a first time killing? Maybe an occult ordeal? A sociopath’s first kill would have given some sort of evidence. For a group affair… that was the theory of cause that Michael was most fond of, and it suggested the possibility of experienced members coaching on how to avoid leaving evidence. It was a small town, and Michael was under no delusions regarding the type of people who could be living secondary lives behind closed doors. He grew up there, and even had a few names he recommended to the Sheriff. John Thomas came from a neighboring town, a bit smaller than Garretsville and on the state border, called simply Lincoln. Actually a county, most the residents there just called it the town of Lincoln because they thought it sounded better. Fortunately, it had a strong Masonic presence there, so John listened to Michael’s recommendations for starting points. He just knew small towns were no exception to ‘secret socities’.
Garretsville also connected up to even smaller towns, nestled into the mountains they sat at the foot of. Perhaps someone travelled from there? What about the much larger Millets Peak?
Monica finally asked Michael if she could head off to get some sleep. A thirty-one hour shift was making the woman weary. He easily forgot how hard long days could be when one was just starting out. Even long night hauls in college didn’t prepare someone for the extended work hours the real world provided in their area of expertise. He agreed she should, dismissing her suggestion for him to do the same. Just as well, really. The minute Monica left the basement-based morgue was the minute the Sheriff was calling for him to get to the hospital down the road.
The children were talking.
***
Not only
were they talking, but they looked… well, very good, considering. They were heavily drugged, yes. Their insides were being worked through
machines recently developed to help with internal organ substitution, but they
were cheerful and moving, and the surgeons were perplexed and already arranging
for their peers in more advanced facilities to come in, to investigate what was
happening with their bodies. Michael
overheard a nurse mention someone from Desai was interested in seeing
them. That was beyond interesting to
Michael. A lot of technology for medical
advancements came from that place as part of the agreements made with leaders
around the world. They were above and
beyond anything doctors had access to in Michael’s home. And with all that place had seen, were those
two really that unique?
Regardless of all of it, however, the police needed to know how they even got to the side of Second Street in the first place. Insisting that their uniforms were scaring the children, the parents wanted someone gentler. That was where Michael came in.
He had the presence of a big brother when he wanted to. His jacket was a military jacket given to him by his grandfather, who served in World War 2, and underneath was a simple button up and jeans. He was casual, his reading glasses pushed up on top of his red-brown hair, short, styled and soft.
“Hey there,” he greeted politely to the children as he went to sit between them.
“Hello,” Bobby said with a polite smile. His eyes looked so vacant, in direct contradiction to his smile. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Doctor Michael Hays. You can call me Mike though,” Michael said gently. He looked to Sandy. “Is that okay?”
The girl nodded. Bobby spoke again. “Sandy’s a little shy.”
“That’s okay,” Michael said sympathetically. “You two have been through an awful lot. You’re allowed to be shy.” He offered Sandy an encouraging little smile and wink. The corner of her mouth twitched, but that was the only reaction he got. So, he looked back to Bobby. “Bobby, I have some questions to ask you. I need help and you’re the only people who can give it to me. Is that okay?”
Bobby thought about it for a moment, a very brief moment, before nodding and smiling again. “Sure. I dunno if I can answer a lot, though.”
“Thank you. That’s okay. Just do your best for me.” He held up a notebook and a pen. “I’ll just write what you say here so I don’t forget.” Bobby smiled and nodded his permission. Michael smiled back and prepared to write. “So… how do you two know each other?”
“We’re neighbors. We walk home from school together every day.”
“Do you remember what happened at all yesterday?” Michael didn’t want to waste time, for as gentle and slow he was taking it at the same time. There was still that fear that whatever was keeping them alive just then would suddenly crash in on him and they’d turn into corpses as he thought they were before. “Anything at all?”
Bobby was quick to answer, which was usually a good sign in a child. “No. I mean. I remember going to school with Sandy. But then we left for home and that’s all I can remember.”
Michael looked at Sandy. Sandy stared at him as she watched him from over the head of her stuffed bear, which she had pushed into her nose and mouth. “You too, Sandy?” he asked softly.
Sandy nodded and made a little noise into the fur of her bear.
“Okay. That’s alright.” He looked between them as he spoke, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “I don’t know what all your moms and dads told you, or the doctors, but there were some big things that happened yesterday. Some really big things. But we’re having trouble putting all the pieces together, you know?”
“How come?” Bobby asked, his unoccupied eyes wide.
“Well, because we weren’t there and you two were. Whatever happened, it’s why you’re here right now.” Michael offered the boy a small smile. “It’s okay that you don’t remember anything.” It was for the better when it came to their mental health. “But if either of you get to remembering anything, even if it feels like a dream or something, what I want you to do is let your parents know so they can write it all down and then call me. I’m the person in charge of figuring out all that time you lost. And it doesn’t matter when it happens, day or night. I just need you to make sure we know. Can you do that for me?”
Sandy nodded against her bear once more, and Bobby did so with a soft ‘yes, sir’. His eyes were huge, but Michael’s calm behavior kept him from really panicking. Spending his summers in his aunt’s pediatric office as a youth was suddenly coming in really handy. Most his family consisted of medical professionals in one way or another; if it wasn’t professional, it was military.
Saying gentle goodbyes, Michael headed out to give his information to their parents. He implored them to call him with anything if Bobby or Sandy came up with anything. Their parents were all too eager to agree with him, though it was times like those that made Michael wish Garretsville was big enough for detectives and not just uniformed officers.
It was just a shame that Michael wouldn’t hear from them until almost a year later.
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