The Native American Patient

Nick and the Police walked into an office to talk. Nick sat down at the desk as the police sat down in the chairs opposite of him. Nick asked, "What happened?"

"We'll ask the questions here, Doc," One of the police said. "Now, you were one of the last people to see Tara Froze. Do you know where that was?"

"In the graveyard, after her mother was buried," Nick said. Still not sure what was going on.

"Well, did she tell you where she was going? Or give any hint at all?" The other police officer asked. Nick shook his head.

"No, all she said before that, that she would not go with her father. Then at the graveyard she said that her mother is with God, though she doubted that she would be."

The police officers glanced at each other. Then one said, "Is it true that you were the last doctor she saw?"

"Yes."

"M-hmm, and what was she seeing you for?"

"She had been exhausted from her mother said. So I ran a blood test on her, she has mono. I fear her spleen may be inflated, we gave her four weeks off, though the spleen may stay inflated longer than that."

"mm-hmm, and what else?"

"Nothing else, officer. Two days later I walked in, and her mother came pass me on a stretcher down in the ER so I performed surgery. Then I told Tara the news of her mother's death."

"What did she say? How did she react?"

"She took it very hard. It seemed that she and her mother were very close. She said her father was abusive. And she went home with her friend."

"Well, thank you for your help, Doctor," The police said and got ready to go. When Nick stopped them.

"What's happened to her? Is she missing? Is she dead?" Nick asked, worriedly.

"Uuh, Doctor, it doesn't really concern you. You're just the doctor.." the police man said.

"Stop it! I don't care that I'm just 'the doctor'! I'm worried about her! She has mono, and inflated spleen if it burst she could die from internal bleeding if she doesn't get professional medical care!" Nick said loudly and suddenly. The police were taken back a little, but quickly regained their composure.

"Listen, Doc, it's not really your business," the other police man said. "And you really shouldn't be involved in her personal life, some may think it wrong, and rape…"

"RAPE?! I didn't say I was having sexual relationships with her! I just want to know if she's okay! I'm her doctor! I have a right to know. This child has a medical problem and it's my responsibility to make sure it doesn't progress. If she doesn't break her spleen her mono may cause her to get too exhausted!"

"Doc, listen, we don't usually do this but we'll make an exception for you. We'll let you get the 411 when we have it. But now, all we know is that she is missing. We know it's not because she was kidnapped or something like that. But we think she has ran away."

"Well, where was she staying?"

"At a friends house. They said that she went up stairs after school and by dinnertime she hadn't come out so they went to check on her, and she was gone. We'll give you updates as soon as possible but until then you just go back to taking care of the sick people." Then the officers left. Nick walked out to his car thinking about the details he had just been given. He got in his car and drove to his apartment.

~~Later~~

Nick sat in front of the TV watching 'Without a Trace' and eating take out from Egg Roll King. The room was dark except the dull bluish light from the TV. He was nodding off into sleep when the phone rang. He leaned across his couch and reached the phone, picking up the reciever putting it to his ear he said groggily, "Mm, hello?"

**Oi, hey Doc.**

"Who is this?"

**Tara**

Nick woke up right there. Surprised he said, "Tara?! Why are you calling me?"

**No one else to call. Besides, I think you're the only one who won't tell the police I called you.**

"Oh. How've you been? Have you taken any falls?"

**No. I've been alright. I'm a survivor, guess I get it from Mum.**

"Hey, what about that whole, I'm just a doctor don't get involved in your personal life thing?"

**What you do want me to call? I'll just hang up and keep heading to the reZ if you want**

"No, no it's okay. But why are you headed to the 'reZ'?"

**Because that's where my family is.**

"But if you go in court wouldn't you go into their custody?"

**No, the court says that their living conditions aren't good enough. That they should just take care of their own children and they don't need another child to burden them.**

"Oh, so why are you going there?"

**To be where my real family is.**

"Tara, you should live with your friends though."

**I don't want to. They live on a budget, a very tight budget. I don't want to live in a foster home. I want to be with family. Uncle George makes good money, he has only one son, and I think he'll do good to live with.**

"But-"

**Oh, I have to go. The bus is here. Bye, Doc!!**

"Tara no! Wait!" Nick said no, I lie, Nick yelled but she had hung up already. Nick cursed silently then hung up. He thought a moment then picked up the phone again, then hung up. He was going to call the police, but then he remembered what Tara said. She though that he wouldn't. So he wouldn't. But luckily, he had caller Id. He checked out where the call came from then grabbed his jacket, his keys, put on some shoes and ran out the door to the parking lot.

~~~At the Bus station~~~

There was a lot of people getting off the bus, as Tara stood in the line. Then she saw where the bus went, Albuquerque, New Mexico. She didn't want to go there. So she left the line and sat down in a chair. She looked around the big building. People waiting for buses, carrying bags, wearing caps, waving themselves with paper brochures from the heat that the heater caused. She fought of sleep as she waited. After twenty minutes she fell asleep, holding her bag close to her and taking up to chairs from lying down.

~~~Ten minutes later~~~

Nick ran into the bus station, thinking he was too late as he saw many bus leave. He ran inside looking around. He spotted Tara asleep on two chairs near a window. He walked over and picked her up. She didn't wake up. Hard sleeper, he guessed. Then he picked up her bag and walked out of the station.

He put Tara in the back seat and put her bag under her head to serve as a pillow. Then he got in the car and drove back to the apartment.

Upon arriving at the apartment Nick got out and carried Tara and her bag up to his flat. He set her on the couch and put her head on a real pillow and put a blanket over her. Then he turned off the TV and went to his own room and slept.

~~~End Chapter~~~