LOGINOne of the reasons I chose psychiatry was there is rarely any kind of emmergency that cannot wait until morning. That means I get to sleep through the night and not worry that my patients may be dying. So when my phone started to ring in the middle of the night, I took a pillow and covered my ears and went back to sleep. In the morning I get up and find that I have two messages on my voicemail. The first is from an unfamiliar number and the calller does not identify himself. "Hello, sorry to disturb your sleep but I was wondering if you think a life should be repaid by a life? If not what do you think is an equivalent of someone's life? Do you think gender,age or the income of someone should be used to calculate the value of their life? And what about the dignity of someones death. As someone who's been experimenting with death yourself how do you measure someones' worth before deciding to send them off to their deaths?"
I look back at my phone. I feel like someone is watching me. Who is that? What does he mean as someone who has been experimenting on death myself? I walk back to my bed where my phone is. I replay the message. The voice is not familiar but it is obviously foreign with a unique accent I cannot place. I feel all the blood rush from my head and I start feeling dizzy. I have not said anything to anyone about the police's accusation. Did that fool detective go around running his mouth. The second message is from Jade telling me all about her date. Honestly I barely hear anything she says. I take a quick shower. I rush out after a quick cup of coffee. I have a feeling today is going to be one of those days.
The police station smells like what you would expect. It does not seem to bother the people there. I walk to the officer who's closest and looks the least terrifying. "Hello sir," he looks up just for a second and goes back to looking at his computer. "How can I help you on this fine day miss?" I do not appreciate the sarcasm but figure I have bigger problems. "Can you please tell me where I can find detective Swindler?" he looks up at me again before pointing to a door with 'SWINDLER' written across it very clearly. I feel a bit embarassed and whisper a small thankyou, which I doubt he heard or has any much use for.
I knock at the door twice before a booming voice from the other side of the door replies. I open to see three guys that is including detective Swindler. They excuse themselves and I am left stading across detective Swindler in what is actually a very neat office. "I did not think you'd come see me voluntarily," he points to the seat that is next to me. I sit and remove my phone from my bag ready to play him the recording. "So, come to surrender yourself already?" he looks at me with a little twinkle in his eye. If he wasn't so damn annoying I might have found him attractive. I cannot help it but roll my eyes, to which he lets out a laugh. "No, I have a complain. Actually I should be talking to your superior but I decided to come to you first," he does not look concerned by the mention of his superior. "Well doc what did I do?" I play him the recording. As the recording plays out his face gets more serious. I notice the way he plays with his earlobe when he concentrates.
"Listen I don't know whether you'll believe me but I have noting to do with it," he looks genuinely surprised. "You mean to tell me you do not recognize that voice?" he looks at my phone and then back at me. "No, I have never heard that voice in my life. " How about this, you go to work and i'll dig deeper. If I find something I will come tell you right way or even call," I stand looking at my wrist watch. I had not realized how late it was. "Fine but what about the recording?" "Send it to me, and i'd advice you to delete the one you have. It will only drive you crazy." I send him the recording and leave.
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kerrick's pov.
I have been at this freaking place for a week now. I suck at remembering people's name so when two detectives show up in my office to invite me to drinks after work I try my best to keep the conversation short. In my head I refer to them as detective leather jacket and the other as detective shortstuff. That way i'll remember them but I cannot say that to their faces. After rejecting their offer as politely as I can they still have other follow up questions and my answers are not so polite. So when I hear the first knock I cannot believe that I can be so lucky. It is until the second knock that I am sure it is not a hallucination.
I look at her as she starts to play the recording and all I can see is fear written all over her face. I have not told anyone about the case. Questioning her was actually a matter of protocol. I do not believe that she has anything to do with murders. After she left I started thinking. Either someone out there believes she has something to do with the murders or someone wants me to believe it.
I hear another knock in the middle of replaying the recording. It is detective leather jacket and detective short stuff. I really have to learn their names. "Hey we thought he left the country after his last arrest,"detective shortstuff says before taking a seat across from me. "Who? the guy from the recording?" "Yeah we arrested him a lot mostly for drinking and driving," said his partner who was standing behind him. "You know him? Where can I find him? I think he might be connected to a case I am working on." The look at each other for a brief moment, "impossible, the last time we arrested him was almost two years ago on assault. It was so serious, the victim refused to settle and insisted on going to court. The morning before court the captain told us to let him go. " detective leather jacket looks so mad as he tells me. His partner laughs, "it always bothered him because we had a solid case and the captain refused to tell us the reason why we had to let him go. After a while we went to look for the alleged victim and he had disappeared." I look at both of them, "he died?" they shake their heads in unison."No one seemed to know where he had gone and the ones who were close to him looked scared to talk."
Detective leather jacket hit replay after the recording had stopped. "You know what always nagged me about the case, the guy did not have enough resources to make all of that happen. Including getting the captain on his side, something was not right." "Why did you stop following up on him?" I asked them. "Because captain made a sort of deal with the person who was backing him that he would never come back to the country," "And you believed him?" detective shortstuff continued "Of course not but the captain said the person who had made the deal had so much to loose to allow him back to this country."
"Wait, you don't have to leave yet," Avan says as i pack my things. "There's no way i'm going to let you carry that suitcase by yourself." My tolerance for him is so low right now that everything he says since the hospital just sits wrong with me. "Let me? As who?" I close and lift the suitcase from the bed and wheel it out of the room. "What's up with you?" he asks and i fasten my pace to distance myself from him. The elevator ride down stairs is awkward and silent. "Let me at least help put the suitcase in the car," he says trying to get the suitcase from me. "I called Jade to come get me. She's here already." I pull my suitcase from him and walk out. After Jade is done admiring the architecture we drive off. "So how was it staying there?" she asks and continues humming to the song playing in the radio. "It was fine," i reply hoping she'll drop the subject. "What's going on with you and that patient Starr?" I don't know how to answer that. "What do you mean?" I look out the window
One...two....three, i hear a knock at my door. I like how predictable Claudia is. At exactly eight in the morning she knocks and comes in to help me freshen up and go downstairs for breakfast. "Good morning Vienna, hope you slept well," after three days she finally got used to calling me by my name. "I did. Hope you slept well too," i try to get myself out of bed but she rushes to my side. I can't wait for tomorrow to get out of this damn cast. Avan has been trying hard to entertain me, which mostly is me playing cards with his guards and watching his chef cook. He has been busy still, either there is a work emergency at the worst possible time or he's avoiding me. Claudia and I have breakfast in silence. After breakfast i decide to get a book and read it outside for a change. "Let me get it for you," Claudia is already on her feet immediately the thought is out of my mouth. "Don't, i can do it myself," i say it with a finality that indicates it's not up for discusssion. I use my cru
I wake up in a strange environment and it takes me a minute to remember where i am. There's a knock and I cover myself up properly before answering. It's not Avan, it's a lady i have not met before. "Hello, i am Claudia and i have been assigned to take care of you." I instantly feel a knot tighten in my chest. "It's nice to meet you , i just thought Avan would...never mind." She looks at me like she wants to say something but doesn't. She moves to the bed and helps me up and into the shower. "If it gets too uncomfortable for you tell me or if you need anything," she smiles reassuringly and I nod. After the shower she helps me put on comfortable clothes. I sit on the leather chair at the corner of the room near the window as she makes the bed. I can't see anything but trees from where i am sitting. It's cloudy and looks like it's about to rain. "I'm done miss, how about i take you downstairs for breakfast," her soothing voice interrupts my thoughts. "You know i can do some of this thin
I've been five days in the hospital and I was starting to get antsy. Jade and her whole family had come to visit me the next day. Since then only Jade has been coming every single day which I really appreciate. Kerrick had asked me about the accident. I had told him I was the one who had crossed the road before looking out for cars. I had told him about the guys stalking me. He had taken the description of each of them and the car. We had talked for a while which wasn't easy with Avan staring daggers at us. I wanted to ask him about his mother but given how he had reacted with me telling Jade, I figured he wouldn't be comfortable with talking about it infront of Avan. He had given me a forehead kiss before leaving which nearly drove Avan crazy. I enjoyed watching him acting jelous especially after how cool he had acted after our make out session in his car. He hadn't move from my side for more than an hour a day. He acted like a body guard and screened everyone who wanted to see me, a
I have been standing by my office window watching the car parked outside. It has been there for almost thirty minutes. No one has gotten out or entered the car since it was parked. I have seen the car parked outside my house at night before. I really thought it was Avan but after strangers started appearing before me i'm not so sure anymore. I want to go down there and knock on that car but a patient walks in. She is shaking like he's been rained on. I rush to her side. "Claire, what's wrong my dear?" She looks up at me but her gaze is empty like she doesn't recognize me. "Hey, Christine get me a blanket and some hot tea please," I shout at the open door and lead her to the couch. She sits but continues shivering even after i've covered her with a blanket. She has been my patient for six months now. I have never had to worry about her, not before this. I check her temperature, she has a fever. I lay her on the couch after giving her some antipyretics. Christine comes back with her te
Neither of us has said anything since we got back into the car. A lot of things are replaying in my mind. As much as I am grateful that he came to get me, there's still something about him that scares me. I catch him looking at me and look out the window. It's late and there's no one around. I close my eyes so he'll think I am asleep. What is going on with Jade? She's been my constant since my family died. Suddenly I feel so alone. Can it be that even after all this while I can't really count on her? How is it at the end of the day the person i'm with is a possible murderer patient? How is it that he is the one who seems to understand me? I can feel tears welling in my eyes. They fall and I turn away and wipe them. I don't know if he notices but he doesn't say anything.The car stops and I open my eyes. We are outside my apartment. "Thank you and good night," I quickly turn to open the door but he beats me to it. He locks my door from his side. "What?" I ask looking out the window afr







