Hi there, dearest readers! I am back, and I do apologize for any inconvenience my change of name has caused you, I just didn't want to have the same one I've had from when I was, like, fifteen or however old I was when I started this... It needed to be done. In any case, this is the next chapter of this, so please read and enjoy! Sorry for the shortness, though... Ta!
ch.11
Bob came back from the radio in such a hurried manner that it made him stumble a few steps forward. "Harry?" he called, noticing that he was no longer on the couch.
"In here, Bob, check this out!"
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he went to the lab, trying to voice some sort of beginning to the conversation he knew he would have to have. "Harry, listen to me, we have a — What are you doing?"
Harry apparently had failed to hear the change in tone when he said that, and continued to not notice anything else, as he eagerly said, hopping up with an open book in his hands, "Look at this, Bob! Did you know Gandalf was actually real? Isn't that awesome?" He was ridiculously happy about this. Bob had forgotten they were among his favorite books...
"Yes, I met him once or twice, rather nice man, in fact, but listen to me —"
"No way, did you really?"
He sighed. "Yes, Harry, really. Now would you kindly tell me just what it is that you think you are doing?"
Harry stopped being cheerful in an instant, confusion replacing his features. Bob sounded angry, but not in the sense that he was yelling, just in the sense that he might be yelling soon. "Uh... I... I was just looking at some stuff about..."
"Merlin?" This response was snapped out, given when Bob went over to the tables to look at the books.
"Yeah..."
"Don't bother, Harry. Do not even bother."
"...Bob?" Why was he angry all of a sudden?
"Don't you think you should be looking into the case? The actual case, not simply a childish notion that I may have put into your head entirely unnecessarily?"
"What the hell is your problem all of a sudden?"
Bob blinked. Damn. He hadn't meant to be angry... "I... Don't know. I'm sorry, Harry, I simply... Look, this notebook? This one right here? Please... Don't ever read it."
"Why not?" It was his turn to be angry now. "Why can't I read it, huh? What is it, your personal diary, or something?"
Bob went quiet, thought this out, and said, in complete honesty, "Yes."
Harry had no idea what to say to this, and blinked in surprise. He lowered his arms, which had come up slightly when he spoke, and just looked at him.
"Please, Harry. There are things in this book that I... do not wish you to know. I understand that I haven't even taught you the language written in it, but that doesn't mean you won't find a means of translating it, so... Please. Don't read it."
"What could possibly be in there that I don't already know you did? And how come I still have it?"
"Perhaps, for whatever reason, it was not destroyed with the remainder of my things when I was punished. And there are many things in it that neither you, nor anyone else has ever heard of me doing."
They stood in silence for some time, Bob looking worried and apologetic, Harry just continuing to be confused, albeit in a quieter way. "Okay." he said at length, quietly.
"Thank you, Harry. And I'm sorry I shouted."
He tried to snort, but his heart wasn't in it. "You hardly shouted, Bob."
Bob smiled, and when asked what he had found out, after a few moments of awkward silence, he opened his mouth to say that it would take some explaining, and that he should probably listen very carefully... But was interrupted by the sound of Harrys' cat, Mister, asking to be let in from the front door. Harry sighed, announced that he was coming, and went to let him in, replacing the book he had been holding on a table.
It was then that something occurred to him, as Harry promptly obeyed the face that his pet gave him, and went to pour the cat some food. He didn't want Harry to know what he would no doubt have to explain to him if he told him only what the man was after. He would have to explain how he knew what the object in question was, he would have to then backtrack farther and farther to continue everything... And he had just told Harry he didn't want him reading what was in his journal. Which was true. Which meant that... Oh, Gods... He groaned inwardly. So, Hrothbert of Bainbridge, he asked himself, what will it be? Divulge all your secrets to him, which would undoubtedly make his opinion of you change drastically, which you do not want in the least, or tell him nothing, which would make him suspicious? What could you tell him without it leading to other things?
"So... Find anything out on the wavelengths?" Harry came back in, a sandwich in hand. It wasn't much, just bologna and cheese. He would have to go shopping soon.
There was a pause before Bob answered. "I found Chris." He couldn't be told. Not yet. It was much too soon for any of that to come to light.
Harry nearly dropped his sandwich. "What?"
"Chris, Harry. I found him. He was being... spoken to, or rather, spoken at by... Someone. I couldn't see his face." He could have slapped himself for this. Childish, Bob, he thought, simply childish.
Harry was instantly demanding answers. "You did? He's alive? Where is he, where did they take him?"
Bob was about to answer that he had no idea,but that, yes, he was still alive, and could he please stop firing off so many questions at once, it was making him very nervous, thank you very much, but he was cut off by Kirmani, Murphys' partner, coming in the door. Harry whirled around, and Bob resigned himself to backing off and going silent.
"Kirmani?" he called, going to the living room and giving him a concerned look. "Don't you ever knock?"
"Funny," was the response, and he looked at him in annoyance. "Murphy says she's sorry for calling you back so soon and on such short notice, but she just got a call. Another kid."
"Another one?"
"Yeah. Just found." He looked uneasy about something, though, like he wanted to say more, but was unsure if he should.
In the other room, Bob stiffened. He was getting desperate if there were more...
"What else?"
Kirmani pursed his lips, struggling. "It's... It happened in a hospital."
"What?"
"A hospital. There were other kids in the room, they were having naps."
Harry felt sick to his stomach. "Oh, God... Did they see it happen?"
"Yeah..."
"Jesus... Alright, gimme a second." Kirmani nodded, and waited for Harry to get his things together. As Harry went to get his new wand, a newer drumstick, from the lab, Bob said something unexpected.
"Take me with you, Harry."
"What?"
"Take me with you. I can look into it, see where whatever did this came from. You said that at the last ones' house, the wall in the closet caused your crystal to act strangely, didn't you?"
"Bob, there are gonna be other people there, I can't just show up and let you out!"
"I understand that, but it will be a crime scene, which means that they will have moved other patients and the nurses and such somewhere else, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, but, Bob..."
"Harry, I have been next to useless during this entire investigation, and I wish to make myself useful! As I said, they may evacuate the room, as is expected, but you will most likely not be permitted to return to it after they've cleaned up, which is where I would be able to come in normally, as such..."
"Bob!"
"Harry, please! Take. Me. With you. Please."
This entire conversation had been carried out in hushed whispers, but it seemed it all got even quieter during the long stare that was shared between them, Bob pleading with his eyes, and Harry being completely confused and concerned about the consequences.
At length, Harry said, "Fine. But how do you expect me to bring you in, huh? Under my shirt?"
"You don't have one on..."
Oh, yeah... "But, still, Bob, how?"
"The usual way will suffice. And I think we both know how you can get round security footage, there will no doubt be cameras inside..."
Another stare, silent, but full of questions and comments.
"Alright. But you better be quick about going back in your skull if someone comes back in."
And, about five minutes later, they were being driven to the hospital in question by Kirmani, Harry trying to look as innocent as possible while holding a gym bag, which he had never brought to a crime scene before, and Bob, fearfully contemplating the situation in his skull.
Kirmani had wisely chosen not to ask what was in the bag.