Chasing Impossibilities
Part Two: The Doctor's Office
Odin waited in the cold sterility of Dr. J's waiting room. Everything was white, clinically so, and the whole ambience managed to put Odin on edge. Truth be told, he was unnerved about Cat's phone call. It was just too much considering his memory loss, and the paranoia was close to consuming him.
"Odin Lowe, Dr. J will see you now."
Odin got up, walking past the nurse and down a white hallway, coming to a stop in front of the only door. On gold letters in the front ran the words: J. D.D.S. Heero turned the knob and crept inside, sitting on the paper covered cot that was typical in all doctor's rooms. Soon a man in a white coat came scuttling in through another door, his back towards Odin. Longish gray hair hung in thin strings down his neck, and Odin could see that one of his arms was mechanical. Then he turned around, and Odin found himself staring into deep black lenses set in mechanical goggles, which were in turn grafted onto J's skin.
"Odin, I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence. What seems to be the problem?"
The doctor smiled even as Odin inwardly frowned. The man spooked him a little, and he couldn't help but think that there was something off about the doctor. "I've been having problems with my memory."
An eyebrow raised over the machinery that covered the doctor's face. "Could you expound?"
"I don't have it." Odin realized he had subconsciously been backing up from the doctor, so now his back was pressed flush against the wall. "What I mean is, when I woke up this morning I couldn't remember anything. It comes back to me, though, but something has to trigger it."
"I see. Well, it sounds like temporary amnesia, nothing to be worried about. It was probably triggered by the stress in your life and your unstable medical history." J scribbled something on a piece of paper, handing the prescription to Odin. "Something for your stress. In the meantime, don't worry about it. Your memory will come back."
Odin nodded, snatching the piece of paper and scrambling off the table, watching the doctor as the doctor watched him. He would be glad to get out of there. There was something about the way the doctor was staring at him, so intent, black eyes swirling inside those goggles, that gave him the creeps.
"Is there something wrong, Mr. Lowe?"
Odin realized he was breathing harder than usual, and calmed his lungs before he answered. "No. Nothing at all."
The hand behind him fumbled for the door knob, eventually grasping it, and he tugged sharply on the door. He all but ran out of that room, and soon found himself panting in the driver's seat. What the hell had that been about... something tugged at the back of Odin's mind, something important, but he couldn't place it. Something that told him J was more than just his physician, that he was a far more menacing figure. And then something snuck into his head, something he had heard as he was escaping the clinic. J, whispering to himself or maybe some one else. He's remembering. The oblique statement hung in the recesses in his mind, swirling with undertones and hidden truths, and he wondered what it all meant.
Calming his heart rate and coming to a decision, Heero started up his car and pulled out of the parking lot. He wasn't going to get the prescription filled. He sure as hell didn't trust J to give him medication. He was going to get Max, find Cat, and figure out what was wrong in his life. That was his final thought before another car rammed into his, knocking his head against and through the side window, and his world went black.
* * *
Water. It permeated his mind, the solid drip dropping of water onto metal. It was the sound of a leaky faucet, and at this point it was the focus of his world. Soon his mind started to come out of its stupor, the singular sound fading somewhat as his other senses fought for control, and he became aware of the throbbing in his head. Odin blinked his eyes open, seeing nothing but a blurry mesh of grays and blues, each blink focusing the world around him a little more. Eventually he found himself in the dreary surroundings of what must have been a run down motel bathroom. The paint was pealing off the walls, grout stained black, and dirt tracked all over the floor. Odin wondered how he got there. The last thing he remembered was the crash, and now this. He mentally checked himself, deciding he was fine, when he became aware of it. He had something in his hand.
He had a gun in his hand.
He dropped it instantly, listening as it clanged to the floor tiles, falling in sync with his rapidly beating heart. He pushed himself up, stumbling a little as the world spun around him, and grappled his way to the bathroom door. The clock he saw in the adjoining room flashed the time, and he realized he had just lost three hours of his life, and he had no recollection of what happened during that time span. His thoughts stopped when he saw what was in the middle of the room.
Odin moved towards the bloody lump, feeling sickened even before he got there. He knew what it was going to be, and the realization made his head spin and his stomach lurch. He stood above the body, looking at the blood crusted blond hair and blue limbs. Oh god. He wondered if he had done this, if he had killed the boy, then... he saw the face. It was Cat.
He scurried backed up against the wall, his breath coming in heavy pants. Cat was dead. There was a slim chance he might have been the one that killed him. Nevertheless, the police would think he was the one who killed him... he wasn't stupid, he knew the evidence would all point to him. Footsteps sounded outside the door, urgent and loud, and Odin estimated there must have been more than a few people out there. They stopped in front of the room, and Odin knew. It was the police. He ran to the window, doing the only thing he could think of to do in this situation. He ran.
* * *
Triton Bloom walked through the club, sighing as his assistant followed. God, this was turning out to be a bad night. He had hardly been on duty five minutes when the case came in and he was rushed to the crime scene. It had been awful. Some young kid, about his age, not even twenty, shot in the head. And all signs pointed to one of the guy's closest friends.
"Mr. Lowe."
The violet eyed singer turned at his name, looking Triton in the eye before smirking and moving on. Triton ran up to catch up to him before falling in step beside the other boy.
"Mr. Max Lowe, I'm Triton Bloom from the police department. If it's okay I'd like a moment of your time."
Max shrugged as he stepped into his dressing room. "You've got it. What can I help you with?"
"It's about your husband."
That got Max's attention. The singer snapped around, fixing wide cobalt eyes on Triton's green ones. "What? What happened? Is he all right?"
Triton had to take a step back from Max's tangible concern, running a hand absently through his long brown bangs as he looked away. He hadn't really thought about what he expected, questioning the young man, but so much honest anxiety surprised even him. "Well... I think you might want to sit down for this."
Max stumbled into his chair, gripping the side arms tightly in his hand. He chuckled a little, in a desperate kind of way. "He's okay, right?"
Triton took a breath before he approached the topic. He wasn't sure how to bring it up without upsetting Max, but then he realized there would be no way he could do that. "Mr. Lowe..."
"Please." He let out another scared chuckle. "Call me Max."
"Max. We believe your husband is connected to a murder case we are investigating."
Triton watched Max as the implications of his statement sunk in, watched as the concern quickly turned into anger. Every muscle in Max's body tensed up, his face set into an incredulous kind of glare. He ground out his response, word by word. "Mr. Bloom. My husband is not a murderer."
"His fingerprints were found all over the crime scene. They were found on the gun. What we think were his footprints were found around the body. He was the last person the victim contacted before he was killed. And what's more, your husband has disappeared. An innocent person wouldn't have run. I'm sorry."
Max's body sagged into itself with every sentence, his fingers fumbling for his cigarettes. "Who was the victim?"
"Cat Winner."
"Cat?" Max shuddered in a breath , turning his head away and closing his eyes as he processed the information. Cat was his best friend. Cat was maybe the nicest person he had ever met. Cat was dead. And Odin was the prime suspect. Max dropped the small box he had been gripping in his palm, repeating his earlier proclamation so Triton would understand. "My husband is not a killer. He would never have killed any one, let alone one of our friends."
"That's for the courts to decide, Mr. Lowe." Triton stepped forward, putting a sympathetic hand on Max's shoulder. "If you're right, your husband has nothing to worry about. Either way, we need your help to get to him, and then we can prove his guilt or innocence."
"Okay." Max drew himself up, still shuddering. "I understand. But what am I supposed to do?"
"If he contacts you, if you get any news as to where he is, please contact us." Trowa pulled out a business card, pushing it into Max's long fingers. "Any time."
Max nodded in confirmation.
"Are you off work now?"
"Yes. That was my last shift."
"I think it would be best if we escorted you home."
"Yeah, okay." Max nodded again as he forced himself out of his chair. "Just give me a moment to change."
Triton stepped out of the room and closed the door, leaning against the wall as he waited. His assistant, a girl with auburn curls named Caitlin, came up to him.
"Anything?"
"He doesn't know anything. I'm taking him home, you guys can go back to base."
"Your call, boss." Caitlin started walking away, and Triton could tell that she was displeased with how everything was going. She had been completely sickened by the crime scene, but then she was new to the job, and doubtless she just wanted everything done with and the killer in jail. She probably suspected Max of withholding information.
Triton listened to the scuffle behind the wall. He didn't rule out the option that Max was lying to him, that maybe Max was helping his husband, but he doubted it. His instincts told him that Max really did believe in Odin's innocence, dubious as it may be at that point. In a moment Max came out of the room, still looking a little shaken up. He had changed out of that, in Triton's opinion at any rate, ridiculous dress, and was now dressed in a simple outfit of black jeans and a snug indigo t-shirt. Still, to Triton's amusement, he managed to look more put together than any of the sharply dressed patrons of the club.
"Hungry?"
"Why, Mr. Bloom, are you asking me out on a date?" Although Odin's situation was foremost in Max's mind, he couldn't help but sink back into his light, flirtatious banter. It was familiar territory, comforting almost. "I'm a married man, after all."
After a short drive they ended up at a small Chinese place in between the club and Max's house. It wasn't that much of a restaurant, just a Spartan place to get some cheap food. The decorations were minimal, and bright light pervaded the small, empty space. They ordered their food at the counter, beef chow fun for Max and ginger shrimp and rice for Triton, and ate in silence while picking at their dishes with plastic chopsticks. The food, unlike the surroundings, was actually very nice.
"So. How long have you been married?" Triton decided to start the conversation, something he rarely ever did. Still, he reasoned, he could stumble onto some information.
"A year now, since we turned eighteen. Young, I know, but we didn't feel it then. It might have been stupid, but I don't regret it."
"No?"
Max grinned. "Well, not most of the time. That Odin can be a hassle to live with."
"I see." Triton popped another shrimp into his mouth, teeth crunching down on the shell and legs of the thing. "Have you noticed anything unusual about him over the last few days or weeks?"
"Oh, I get it now. You're interrogating me." Max smiled again, a little sadly this time. Then some kind of recognition flashed briefly in his eyes before it faded again. Triton jumped on it.
"So there was something. Something he did? Something about the way he acted?"
"Yes... well, no-" Max's nose scrunched up as he thought, irritated. "It doesn't have anything to do with your case."
"It could. Please?"
"It's just that he woke up today without any... well, memories. It's really odd, now, that I think about it."
"Like what, amnesia?"
"I don't really know. I sent him to his doctor."
Triton sat up in his chair, recognizing a lead when he saw one and feeling extremely grateful at that point. "Could you tell me your doctor's information?"
"Oh, not my doctor." Max shook his head in distaste. "The guy freaks me out. He's exclusively Odin's doctor. I don't remember much about him. He goes by the name J, just a letter, and his office is in the Riverside complex."
Triton nodded. He could go on that information, could find J and maybe even Odin. "Thank you, Max, for that information."
"No problem." Max folded his chopsticks in between fingers, not able to keep them still. "But that didn't mean anything."
"Maybe, maybe not. If Odin was at the doctors then maybe he'll have an alibi. Of course, there may be a chance your husband isn't psychologically stable at the moment."
Max lifted an eyebrow, his mouth turning downwards into a frown. "He didn't seem crazy when I saw him this morning.
"You do understand, Max." Triton shrugged off the other man's indignation, not willing to address it again. He could understand why Max was offended, but he was just doing his job, and right now he wasn't sure if Max would cooperate with the investigation if Odin came to him. "If Odin contacts you, it's in his best interest if you tell me."
"I know." Max frowned some more before looking up, forcing his good humor to come back. "So, you ready to go?"
They got back in the car and headed out. Max watched out the window as the cityscape rushed past them, thinking about the last few hours of his life. Everything had changed in such a short amount of time. He had lost a friend and maybe a husband, and he could only hope Odin was okay, wherever he was. Triton just drove, his thoughts centered on solving the case. They were maybe ten minutes away from the house when Max broke the silence.
"Hey, let's take a detour."
Triton was curious at the change in mood but didn't say anything, following Max's directions instead. He parked the car in an empty lot in the edges of the city, following Max out. They walked past a bus stop and crossed a street, squeezing between two apartment buildings that were set at an angle to each other. Triton found himself in a small open space, a respite from the city.
Max sat down on the bench there as Triton looked around. The ground was a mixture of grass, granite, and litter, and the stone bench set to the side of the space was very plain, rusted even. The view, though, was absolutely gorgeous. The space sat right at the edge of the water, overlooking the bay and city bridge. They could see the ships moving on the water and the cars moving on the bridge, in constant motion and life. Lights glistened on the bridge, and in the cityscape across the water, glistening off of the water.
"This is where we met."
Triton sat down on the bench, looking over at Max after his statement. The man looked so distraught Tritan thought he should be crying, but he wasn't. He hadn't shed a tear yet, despite his obvious emotional state.
"When I was still in school I used to take the bus home. Sometimes I'd get to the stop early, so I would sit here and just look. One day, when I came, Odin was sitting here. I told him he was sitting in my spot." Max laughed a little, remembering. "We started talking, and I missed my bus. I missed every bus, actually. We were so caught up just talking that when I finally realized how late it was, the bus system had stopped working. I wondered, out loud, how we could have lost all that time. He said it must have been magic. I had smiled, and agreed. I said, yeah, voodoo."
Triton didn't really know what to say, so he just waited for Max to continue.
"And look." Max gasped a small, loud sound as his breathing sped up a little. "Now I have the hiccups."
Triton smiled, maybe for the first time that day. "Duo, if I can help it, nothing will happen to Odin."
Max's eyebrows furrowed together as he looked at Triton, a strange expression on his face. "My name is Max."
Triton blinked, confused. He had known the other boy's name... and he had never met any one name Duo before. Still, the word was familiar, and it nagged at something in his mind even as he pushed it away. Max had resumed staring out into the artificial bay, curling his legs up and hugging them against his chest.
"I just hope, you know." Max wasn't even looking at him now, and his voice came out so small. "I just hope that he's okay."
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