Chapter 2
Upon arriving at the Brown's Children's Hospital, Max took Charlie to the front desk. He told Mrs. Harisson, the secretary there, about Charlie's situation and to tell Charlie's mother upon arrival that her son was fine and would be free to go momentarily. Then Max took Charlie into a long room with white cots lined up against the wall. "Wait here, Charlie. I'll send someone in to check that your cut will not get infected." Max motioned for Charlie to sit on one of the cots and then he closed the white curtain around the boy.
Max strode down the hallway and down to his office. He picked up his doctor's jacket, gloves, and more supplies that would be needed later on in the day. He then walked back down the hall to check if Charlie's mother was there. "Mrs. Harrisson, is the mother of Charlie here?"
Mrs. Harrisson looked over her square glasses and pointed with her finger to a tense woman sitting with a magazine in her lap by the waiting room. Max walked up to her and introduced himself. "I'm Charlie's mother, Mrs. Parker. You're the man that collided with him at the park?" Max felt a momentary sense of deejay vu. Parker…the name sounded familiar but he wasn't sure where he's heard it before. Parker was a perfectly common name; it was probably the name of another patient.
"Yes. That was me. I'm afraid that we both ran into each other while I was out running for exercise. Since he was bleeding slightly and I was due in the ER in thirty minutes I thought it best that we check if he needed stitches or anything. I hope I didn't worry you. Charlie is perfectly fine," Max reassured Mrs. Parker.
"Yes, thank you. Will he be out soon? I mean, does he need stitches, does he?"
"We haven't determined that yet, ma'am. But someone's on his way right now to see. I can let you know right after you fill out these forms about Charlie." Max handed her some papers from his bag and then nodded and left for his office. He didn't want to think about the other patients right now. He only wanted to search his mind for when he's heard the name Parker before. Damn, Max knew this would bother him all day.
*
Elizabeth Parker slowly picked up the phone on her bedside table, "Hello?"
"Elizabeth?" The voice on the other line sounded strained, as if the speaker hadn't slept in days.
"Mom?" Liz sat up in bed sharply. Something was wrong, really wrong. "What is it? What's going on? You're not sick, are you? The boys- they're okay, right?" Liz's breathing picked up so she took her mother's moment of silence as a chance for a sip of water from the glass by the bed.
"It's Josh. He's been missing for the past twenty-four hours! No one's seen him since he left home for school. Liz, I called the school and he never got there. I'm worried, so worried!" Liz climbed out of bed and splashed some water on her face while sill keeping the phone between her ear and shoulder. Apparently it had all started when Liz's mom had gotten a visit from two tall men in gray suits when the children were at school. The men had refused to give out their names; their only words were to insist in searching Josh's room. When Mrs. Parker had asked why, they had grabbed her by the arms and pinned her to the door. They told her that Joshua was holding secrets, secrets that could put people's lives in danger and that it was their duty to search for information in Josh's room. When Liz's mom had refused however, they had left, leaving a terribly frightened mother slumped against the inside of the front door. The next day Josh had never shown up at school. Mrs. Parker knew it was those two men who had kidnapped Josh. She had wanted to go to the police, but was afraid of putting Josh's life and reputation in danger. So, Nancy Parker had sent her younger son Charlie into town to look for Joshua.
"Did Charlie find anything?" Liz asked, aghast at how something so intricate and terrible could happen to her little brother. It was like jumping into a movie or fiction novel.
"No," Nancy sighed. "Instead he bumped into a doctor in Lovington and cut his forehead. I had to pick him up at the hospital," she sighed. "Lizzy…I don't know what to do. You're a scientist, tell me, please! How do I get my Joshua back to me?"
"Oh, I don't know Mom, but I'll try to figure something out. From now on though, don't send the boys into town looking for Josh. It will only lead to more trouble. Oh- and keep an eye on the doctor who helped Charlie. I can feel it, he's in on this somehow."
Upon arriving at the Brown's Children's Hospital, Max took Charlie to the front desk. He told Mrs. Harisson, the secretary there, about Charlie's situation and to tell Charlie's mother upon arrival that her son was fine and would be free to go momentarily. Then Max took Charlie into a long room with white cots lined up against the wall. "Wait here, Charlie. I'll send someone in to check that your cut will not get infected." Max motioned for Charlie to sit on one of the cots and then he closed the white curtain around the boy.
Max strode down the hallway and down to his office. He picked up his doctor's jacket, gloves, and more supplies that would be needed later on in the day. He then walked back down the hall to check if Charlie's mother was there. "Mrs. Harrisson, is the mother of Charlie here?"
Mrs. Harrisson looked over her square glasses and pointed with her finger to a tense woman sitting with a magazine in her lap by the waiting room. Max walked up to her and introduced himself. "I'm Charlie's mother, Mrs. Parker. You're the man that collided with him at the park?" Max felt a momentary sense of deejay vu. Parker…the name sounded familiar but he wasn't sure where he's heard it before. Parker was a perfectly common name; it was probably the name of another patient.
"Yes. That was me. I'm afraid that we both ran into each other while I was out running for exercise. Since he was bleeding slightly and I was due in the ER in thirty minutes I thought it best that we check if he needed stitches or anything. I hope I didn't worry you. Charlie is perfectly fine," Max reassured Mrs. Parker.
"Yes, thank you. Will he be out soon? I mean, does he need stitches, does he?"
"We haven't determined that yet, ma'am. But someone's on his way right now to see. I can let you know right after you fill out these forms about Charlie." Max handed her some papers from his bag and then nodded and left for his office. He didn't want to think about the other patients right now. He only wanted to search his mind for when he's heard the name Parker before. Damn, Max knew this would bother him all day.
*
Elizabeth Parker slowly picked up the phone on her bedside table, "Hello?"
"Elizabeth?" The voice on the other line sounded strained, as if the speaker hadn't slept in days.
"Mom?" Liz sat up in bed sharply. Something was wrong, really wrong. "What is it? What's going on? You're not sick, are you? The boys- they're okay, right?" Liz's breathing picked up so she took her mother's moment of silence as a chance for a sip of water from the glass by the bed.
"It's Josh. He's been missing for the past twenty-four hours! No one's seen him since he left home for school. Liz, I called the school and he never got there. I'm worried, so worried!" Liz climbed out of bed and splashed some water on her face while sill keeping the phone between her ear and shoulder. Apparently it had all started when Liz's mom had gotten a visit from two tall men in gray suits when the children were at school. The men had refused to give out their names; their only words were to insist in searching Josh's room. When Mrs. Parker had asked why, they had grabbed her by the arms and pinned her to the door. They told her that Joshua was holding secrets, secrets that could put people's lives in danger and that it was their duty to search for information in Josh's room. When Liz's mom had refused however, they had left, leaving a terribly frightened mother slumped against the inside of the front door. The next day Josh had never shown up at school. Mrs. Parker knew it was those two men who had kidnapped Josh. She had wanted to go to the police, but was afraid of putting Josh's life and reputation in danger. So, Nancy Parker had sent her younger son Charlie into town to look for Joshua.
"Did Charlie find anything?" Liz asked, aghast at how something so intricate and terrible could happen to her little brother. It was like jumping into a movie or fiction novel.
"No," Nancy sighed. "Instead he bumped into a doctor in Lovington and cut his forehead. I had to pick him up at the hospital," she sighed. "Lizzy…I don't know what to do. You're a scientist, tell me, please! How do I get my Joshua back to me?"
"Oh, I don't know Mom, but I'll try to figure something out. From now on though, don't send the boys into town looking for Josh. It will only lead to more trouble. Oh- and keep an eye on the doctor who helped Charlie. I can feel it, he's in on this somehow."
