Chapter 11: Visit
Nick stood still for a few moments after returning to the car, wondering what he could do next in this situation. Everything he could find out, he already knew, there wasn't much he could do, and he hoped that the meeting tomorrow between James and Dominic would lead him to Jack, who was nowhere to be found, not even in the papers. If he had some proof, some clue about him it would be so much better, he could get to more concrete things quicker than just searching and investigating. His thoughts kept coming, on the subject of time running out, mercilessly running out, and he worried faintly that it might not actually be enough. Not counting this day, he still had about 2, 3 days at most until Judy could be kept artificially alive. Fox hoped that the hospital would be able to do something about it, hoped that the doctor would manage to do something about it, but he expected that his hands would be tied on the subject. For the time being he could only count on himself. When he had nothing more to do in Rain Forest, he decided that as long as he had nothing to do and free time, it would be a good idea to visit his partner, although he would not even know about it.
After the hour-long journey he had managed to sink into his thoughts a few times about Judy and her condition and currently everything he was doing. He felt like a policeman, but it wasn't the same without the rabbit. With the rabbit everything seemed easier, simpler, but most of all safe and happy. Now that he thought about it, sitting in the police car with Judy, talking, laughing at all sorts of jokes (even the not-all-successful ones), or petty taunts made the fox really remember it fondly, even though sometimes Nick complained that he didn't want to sit in the car. Now with everything resting on his shoulders, his confidence momentarily disappeared, he wasn't a hundred percent sure of his steps, he based his actions on guesses as to what Judy would do. Although he wanted things to be simple, he expected that things could only get more complicated.
When he arrived outside the hospital he got out of the car putting away his gun and police badge before doing so, so as not to raise any suspicion or unnecessary controversy around him. He still didn't want anyone to see him wearing a police badge, which draws attention to itself more strongly than one would expect. Stepping inside, he wasn't surprised when the waiting room had about a dozen people queuing up to see the doctor about their health problems. He turned directly to the receptionist asking her to tell him where he could meet the doctor.
"He is sitting in his office, do you know which door?"
"Yes, I do, thank you for the information" replied Nick. He made his way towards the lift, which fortunately for him was going down. When he was under it the doors opened and three figures, dressed all in black, emerged from the lift. Their black clothes indicated that they were in mourning, their outlined faces and glass eyes, from which tears were stealthily streaming down, also showed that it was most probably time for someone to die. Fox, seeing them, guessed what it might be about, though he said nothing, offered them his condolences in thought. Nick then waited patiently until the group of people had passed and then went to the machine himself, choosing floor 4.
When the lift doors opened, he again had a warm and cozy corridor in front of his eyes, which caused the illusion that this was not a hotel, but rather some kind of office, or more precisely the floor of an office that houses the personal rooms of the heads of companies or corporations. The big contrast was between this floor and floor 5, where everything was cool and cold. The floor with the seriously ill was a morgue of sorts, it prepared them for their eternal rest, which unfortunately he had to meet. Nick stopped at the doctor's door and knocked a little uncertainly, as if he was afraid no one would be there. However, to his assumption, he heard from inside a cordial: "Please come in".
Fox stepped inside and closed the door carefully behind him. His attention was caught by the doctor, sitting at his desk. He was heavily occupied. He was writing documents so fast, his hand waving so fast that it resembled a typewriter. Because of the quick waving of his hand, his handwriting resembled some incomprehensible scribbles rather than letters, but knowing doctors, they would be able to decipher it.
Fox sat down in front of the desk and watched the Doctor, who must have been really absorbed in his work, because he did not even notice who came inside. While the Doctor was writing down his papers Nick looked at the big white board hanging to the left of the desk. On it were all sorts of entries that were as 'originally' written as the text in the document.
"Some people go away so quickly don't they?" Asked the doctor as he wrote his documents.
"In a sense?"
"When we delude ourselves that everything is going to be alright, suddenly everything turns to disaster and tragedy...you must have seen people in the lift" replied the doctor.
"Ah...yes, I have" replied the fox uncertainly. He wasn't quite sure what the doctor was talking about, but in the back of his mind he guessed what topic he was addressing: death.
"So what brings you here, Nick?" The doctor asked when he had finished writing down. He tucked his notes into a red folder, put his pen back in the pen cup, then gave the fox a calm look.
"I'd like to find out about Judy and see her," replied Nick.
"Follow me then" the doctor communicated. He rose calmly from his brown leather chair, adjusted his doctor's gown, then walked out of the room and Nick followed. They both got into the lift to go up to floor 5, which was Nick's main destination.
Once there, the fox's attention was drawn to the room with number 26, where there was a figure hidden under a foil, with flowers on a shelf beside it, and a single candle unlit. Nick swallowed his saliva hard when he saw this sad and depereysing sight. The thought that Judy might share the fate of this poor creature did not fill him with much hope or joy or any kind of positive emotion. When they were outside Judy's room, nothing too much had changed. She still lay on the brink of life and death, her dead eyelids signifying nothing good, Although hope that all would be well was still with Nick and he believed in it strongly. However, when he saw her so sad, dead he couldn't show anything but worry and sadness on his face.
"From the good news we can say only that her condition is stable, but you know what the situation is" the moment of silence was broken by the doctor informing the fox about the patient's condition.
"What about the transplant?"
"We are still waiting. As a hospital we are looking for a suitable organ for transplantation, but so far we are not very successful...let's be positive" the doctor communicated. He sent a short smile to the fox to reassure him, but it had no effect on him. He continued to stand with a serious expression on his face, mixed with sadness and despair.
"If we can't find what then...?" The fox asked. The doctor did not answer. He took a few moments to consider what to answer so that his words were not too blunt. All he did was point with his eyes to room 26.
"Nothing is ruled out. For now Judy's condition is stable, she's fine," the doctor said. All Nick did was nod with a movement of his head. He continued to stare at Judy who lay still, motionless and without any glimmer of life.
"Are you recommending the caveats I was saying?" Asked the doctor in the meantime.
"Damn, I forgot," thought Nick, remembering the water he was supposed to drink. He had a slight headache and dizziness, but through the flurry of thoughts he now had he recognised that this was a major factor.
"Of course," lied the fox.
"That's a good thing. You must remember yourself to be able to take care of others. I must be going, as if anything I will be in my study"
"You know doctor, I'd rather go too...seeing Judy like this kills me" replied the fox.
"I see, I'd be heartbroken too if I saw my wife in such a state"
"She is not..."
"I used a comparison" the doctor communicated. Fox nodded his head in a sign that he understood. They boarded the lift that took them to floor 4.
"If there's anything important to report, I'll call you...see you then" informed the doctor. Fox nodded with a movement of his head, the doctor got out and the lift continued down to the very bottom, the ground floor.
By the time he left the hospital the sun had already begun to set slowly. Even though it was 6 p.m., it was already getting slowly dark, the sun had turned partly red, the sun was half hiding behind the horizon, while the temperature outside had also dropped downwards. Nick's short shirt, was causing the fox on his skin to already have goosebumps.
"Brr! Chilly enough..." Thought Nick as he felt a gust of cool and pinching wind.
There were a few cars in the car park, probably most belonged to hospital staff because when he left Nick didn't see many patients or visitors, the hospital was virtually empty on the ground floor. He assumed they were all on other floors. He got into his car and then drove off towards home.