Chapter Ten: Creating Waves

Author's Note: Character death warning. Also this chapter is complete fiction with no scientific or fantasy plausibility to it, but it was fun writing it. Thanks again for reading and viewing. I hope you guys are enjoying it.

Dale Edson Pov- Lucy's reality

I stare around the ER in complete disgust. It's been two months since Lucy and Noah vanished. The doctors here at County searched the immediate Chicago area to no avail. They only stopped when the police called off the search. According to them there is no evidence of a crime. No evidence of a crime...a pregnant woman and her five year old son don't simply disappear off the face of the planet.

"Dale, what's with the sour face?"

"I'm worried about Lucy, Morris. She could be hurt or dying."

"I know. We're all worried, but what more can we do? With her contractions there was no way she could have gotten very far."

"Not on foot."

"You think someone kidnapped her?"

"It would explain why we can't find her."

"I would have seen it happen."

"You had your back to her room, Morris."

"What are you saying, Dale?"

"You know exactly what I'm saying, Morris. Or should I say Moron," I say under my breath. "I'm going to find her."

"Knock yourself out," Morris said waving his hand at me.

I walk out through the ambulance bay grumbling under my breath. The walk to my car is a short one. Once I'm inside, I stare out the windshield thinking. I never trusted the police to do an adequate job, so I began asking my own questions. I was surprised to learn the same night Lucy disappeared there had been a massive energy spike that no one could explain.

The spike never effected any equipment, but it did register on the main switchboard. The surge was centrally located to trauma room three. Yet when I looked around the room nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Something caused that spike in energy, and whatever that something was took Lucy away. There was no other explanation to her disappearance.

I start my car to drive home when my phone rings. "Dale Edson... Why are you calling me? I don't care what you thought! Our agreement was if I helped you get out of that place you would owe me a favor. I don't care if you're ready to pay up...I'm not ready to collect. Fine, I'll call you tomorrow with a time to meet me at the hospital."

I hang up on the man before putting my car into drive. My mind continued to play the situation over and over again. Lucy came into the ER in full labor. Morris placed her in trauma room three then walked out to call OB. The energy spike happened between the time Morris left her and when he and I re-entered the room finding it empty. That spike wasn't a fluke I realize...it happened at exactly the moment it was meant to happen.

"Carter," I growl gripping the steering wheel with my hands until my knuckles turned white. "Somehow that pompous goodie goodie whisked Lucy away after he died. If he wasn't all ready a corpse I'd kill him!"

I reach my house a short time later. Shutting off my car, I climb out and walk inside turning on my computer as I walk to my bedroom. I re-emerge a short time later to begin my research. There had to be an answer to this paranormal occurrence. And if there was I would find it, and find a way to recreate it. I wasn't going to lose Lucy a second time...

"Yes, I said meet me in the ER tonight. Consider your debt paid in full afterwards. No, I'm not telling you over the phone why the hospital. I have my reasons. Just do what you're told! I don't care how you get into the ER, but once you do meet me in curtain three."

Hours later, I'm standing in curtain three. He should be here any minute. I glance at my watch again. The timing had to be exact, and he would be a perfect catalyst. I hear the door open behind me and I smile as I slowly turn around to face Paul Sobriki.

"All right, I'm here Edson! What was so important that I had to meet you here?"

"You are important, Paul. It's because of you I'll finally have the life I always deserved."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why did you want my help, Paul?"

"To get my revenge, but you know that."

"Humor me, Paul. Who do you want revenge on?"

"Dr. John Carter...him and that other doctor got me locked up in that loony bin for nine years."

"What do you want to do to him, Paul?"

"What do you think? I want to finish what I started. He should have died that night. If he had I could have gotten off in maybe two years. He took away my life...now I take his. But why do you care?"

"I care because I need your anger and rage to make this work."

"Make what work... What are you up to, Edson?"

"It's just a little experiment I'm conducting. This hospital is full of paranormal activity. You need that energy to rip a hole into another reality."

"You're crazy, Edson."

"I'm no more crazy than you were when Carter got you sent to the Psyc ward for nine years."

"And he's going to pay for that."

"Not here he's not."

"What are you talking about?"

"John Carter is dead in this reality. Haven't you heard, Paul? Oh, you haven't heard. Well, let me be the first to tell you. You've lost your chance at revenge. Carter died over two months ago on the operating table."

"He's dead?"

"He is here. But if I'm right and these alternate realities do exist then there are other John Carter's out there just waiting for you to take your revenge."

"How do we get there?"

"That's the tricky part. Without actual proof no one knows how to get there."

"Are you playing a game with me, Edson?"

Paul grabs me taking me by surprise and shoves me across the room. I suddenly feel the hairs on my arm stand on end. There was a strong static charge in the room that flowed around and through me. It was strong enough to make me dizzy. I shut my eyes to keep the nausea at bay. When I open them again I see in the middle of the room a slight wavy shimmer.

"It's working, Paul."

I smile watching our tear grow. It wouldn't be long before it would be big enough to step through to the other side. What would we find there? I knew I would find Lucy, and Paul would find a John Carter to kill. That would be one less for me to deal with or stand in my way. I turn around and feel something sharp slice into my stomach.

"I can see it's working, Edson. But I'm afraid you won't be making this trip."

I open my mouth to yell, but Paul shoves his knife in deeper causing me to groan in pain. He pulls it out only to stab me again. I raise my arms trying to defend myself, but I'm weak from the blood loss. It wouldn't be much longer before I lost consciousness or I simply would bled out on the cold floor. Paul lets go of me and my knees buckle sending me to the floor.

"Thanks for the help, Doc."

I watch helplessly as Paul walks around the large tear. I'm starting to see black spots dance in my vision, and I shake my head to clear them. My blood covers the floor, but I slowly start to slide myself toward the door. All I had to do was get the door open then maybe I could get some help. I never make it that far before Paul drags me back into the middle of the room. He props me up against the side of the bed and kneels down in front of me holding his bloody knife.

"You started this Edson, but I'm finishing it."

He slams the knife to the hilt into my body. I can hear and feel my heartbeat slowing down as what blood I have left rushes through my veins. Paul smiles at me as he climbs to his feet. I was a fool. I underestimated just how homicidal he really is. As my eyes begin to glass over the last thing I see is Paul stepping through the tear, and it close quietly behind him.