When Frank arrived home the next morning, he found his parents were having breakfast. "Sit down," instructed Laura, getting to her feet. "I'll have you something ready in a jiffy."
"Thanks," said Frank, kissing her cheek before sitting down.
"Did you see Joe?" inquired Fenton, looking his eldest son in the eyes.
"Yes," acknowledged Frank in a voice filled with unhappiness. "Dad, we have got to get him out of there. I think they are making him worse on purpose."
"What?" gasped Laura, spinning from her task and staring at Frank with wide blue eyes.
Frank told them about Joe's depression and the chat between the two doctors. "He was feeling a little better by the time I left him in his room but he has to see Turner again today."
"You think Turner is getting Joe depressed on purpose?" demanded Laura as she set a plate in front of Frank. "But why?"
Frank told his parents about his theory. "There were some male patients," acknowledged Fenton. "When I return today, I will find out who they were and when they were released. Hopefully, their addresses will still be current."
************************************************************************
Joe woke up shivering. He had no idea what time it was so he didn't know how long it would be before Frank or Rimes arrived to escort him to the restroom. He threw off his covers and stood up; the chill as the air hit him from the waist down almost causing his teeth to knock.
He made his way to the door and reached out, caressing the wall until his hand made contact with the light switch. Turning it on, he squinched his eyes to block out the brilliant blindness. Seconds later he hit the button on the intercom and asked the answering nurse if he could go to the bathroom.
While he waited, he crawled back under the cover. He was definitely going to ask Frank if there was a way to get some more heat, or at least another quilt, when he came. Ten minutes later, Joe's door opened and Dr. Holden entered the room.
"Don't you sleep?" asked Joe in surprise.
"I do," acknowledged Holden with a smile. "I just come in early."
"What time is it?" asked Joe curiously.
"A little past five," Holden answered. "I understand you needed to go to the bathroom."
Joe nodded as he pushed his cover aside and sat up, visibly shivering again. "I thought only orderlies did the grunge work."
"Normally," concurred Holden. "But we have a limited staff until seven and at the present, they are all busy with other duties."
Joe preceded the doctor from the room and down the hall toward the bathroom. "Wait a minute," Holden ordered. Joe stopped and turned to look at him. "Let's check your weight, temperature, and blood pressure first."
"Don't you think this is overkill?" Joe demanded with a sigh as he entered the room the doctor indicated.
"One never knows for sure what information will prove to be the piece needed to achieve one's goal," Dr. Holden stated as Joe stepped onto the scales.
After performing the required checks, Joe moved to go out the door but was again halted by Holden. "What now?" growled Joe. "I've really got to go."
"Just one more minute," Holden promised, unlocking a cabinet and removing a bottle. He opened the bottle, dropped a pill into his open hand, then shut the bottle and replaced it in the cabinet. He set the pill on a lined tray and relocked the cabinet before taking a small plastic cup and filling it with water. He then lifted pill and handed both it and the cup of water to Joe.
"I want you to take this," Holden told Joe.
"What is it?" asked Joe suspiciously, although he took the proffered items. It didn't really matter what it was, he knew if he didn't take it willingly he would be taking it by force later.
"A vitamin," Dr. Holden said.
"I'm given my vitamins before my meals," Joe said, detecting something in the doctor's voice that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
"Do I really have to use force to give this to you?" Holden inquired, cocking an arrogant eyebrow.
Joe paled. Scowled. Then popped the pill into his mouth and downed the water. Holden checked to make sure Joe really had swallowed the pill then escorted him to the bathroom. After Joe had finished, there was a repeat of the checks.
"Why are you taking my temperature every time now?" Joe asked
"It has been hypothesized that there may be something specific about your chemical make-up that allowed you to develop this disease. If we could somehow isolate it and see if each of the female patients have it as well, then we would be well on our way to finding a cure," Holden answered.
"So, I am like a guinea pig?" Joe demanded in distaste.
"No, no, of course not," Holden denied but Joe could tell the man was lying. "We just need to keep a closer eye on you is all."
"Like extra vitamins?" asked Joe skeptically.
"Like monitoring all of your vitals," Holden replied. "I also took your pulse while I checked your temperature, remember?" Joe nodded. "Plus, instead of one check-up daily, I think I will give you a complete physical each morning and another at night."
"Starting?" asked Joe warily.
"Starting at eight this morning," Holden answered. "After that, you will have breakfast and see Dr. Turner. Your final physical will be at eight in the evening."
"Great," grumbled Joe.
"Come along," Dr. Holden said. "You can get a little more sleep before your wake-up call."
"Um, could you do me a favor?" Joe asked as they made their way back to his room.
"And that would be?" inquired Holden, making no promises.
"Could you turn up the heat in my room or get me another blanket? I'm freezing," Joe asserted.
"I can arrange that," Holden assured him with a smile. He locked Joe back in his room and made a notation on Joe's file before going to the nurse's desk and requesting the temperature in Joe's room be increased two more degrees.
*****************************************************************
Fenton arrived at the foundation and was met by Stan Lyman in the main lobby. "And where would you like to begin today?" Lyman asked after the greetings were completed.
"Your file room," Fenton answered. "I want to compare the records you used to keep with the ones you have on your current patients."
"Of course," Lyman agreed with a smile. "If you will follow me?"
Fenton followed Lyman down the hall, glancing through the open doors as they passed. He slowed his gait considerably as he neared Joe's room, surprised to see the door standing open. He looked inside and saw Dr. Holden listening to Joe's chest and then glanced at Joe's face. Instead of boredom or the scowl he had expected, Joe's face seemed devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
"Thanks," said Frank, kissing her cheek before sitting down.
"Did you see Joe?" inquired Fenton, looking his eldest son in the eyes.
"Yes," acknowledged Frank in a voice filled with unhappiness. "Dad, we have got to get him out of there. I think they are making him worse on purpose."
"What?" gasped Laura, spinning from her task and staring at Frank with wide blue eyes.
Frank told them about Joe's depression and the chat between the two doctors. "He was feeling a little better by the time I left him in his room but he has to see Turner again today."
"You think Turner is getting Joe depressed on purpose?" demanded Laura as she set a plate in front of Frank. "But why?"
Frank told his parents about his theory. "There were some male patients," acknowledged Fenton. "When I return today, I will find out who they were and when they were released. Hopefully, their addresses will still be current."
************************************************************************
Joe woke up shivering. He had no idea what time it was so he didn't know how long it would be before Frank or Rimes arrived to escort him to the restroom. He threw off his covers and stood up; the chill as the air hit him from the waist down almost causing his teeth to knock.
He made his way to the door and reached out, caressing the wall until his hand made contact with the light switch. Turning it on, he squinched his eyes to block out the brilliant blindness. Seconds later he hit the button on the intercom and asked the answering nurse if he could go to the bathroom.
While he waited, he crawled back under the cover. He was definitely going to ask Frank if there was a way to get some more heat, or at least another quilt, when he came. Ten minutes later, Joe's door opened and Dr. Holden entered the room.
"Don't you sleep?" asked Joe in surprise.
"I do," acknowledged Holden with a smile. "I just come in early."
"What time is it?" asked Joe curiously.
"A little past five," Holden answered. "I understand you needed to go to the bathroom."
Joe nodded as he pushed his cover aside and sat up, visibly shivering again. "I thought only orderlies did the grunge work."
"Normally," concurred Holden. "But we have a limited staff until seven and at the present, they are all busy with other duties."
Joe preceded the doctor from the room and down the hall toward the bathroom. "Wait a minute," Holden ordered. Joe stopped and turned to look at him. "Let's check your weight, temperature, and blood pressure first."
"Don't you think this is overkill?" Joe demanded with a sigh as he entered the room the doctor indicated.
"One never knows for sure what information will prove to be the piece needed to achieve one's goal," Dr. Holden stated as Joe stepped onto the scales.
After performing the required checks, Joe moved to go out the door but was again halted by Holden. "What now?" growled Joe. "I've really got to go."
"Just one more minute," Holden promised, unlocking a cabinet and removing a bottle. He opened the bottle, dropped a pill into his open hand, then shut the bottle and replaced it in the cabinet. He set the pill on a lined tray and relocked the cabinet before taking a small plastic cup and filling it with water. He then lifted pill and handed both it and the cup of water to Joe.
"I want you to take this," Holden told Joe.
"What is it?" asked Joe suspiciously, although he took the proffered items. It didn't really matter what it was, he knew if he didn't take it willingly he would be taking it by force later.
"A vitamin," Dr. Holden said.
"I'm given my vitamins before my meals," Joe said, detecting something in the doctor's voice that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
"Do I really have to use force to give this to you?" Holden inquired, cocking an arrogant eyebrow.
Joe paled. Scowled. Then popped the pill into his mouth and downed the water. Holden checked to make sure Joe really had swallowed the pill then escorted him to the bathroom. After Joe had finished, there was a repeat of the checks.
"Why are you taking my temperature every time now?" Joe asked
"It has been hypothesized that there may be something specific about your chemical make-up that allowed you to develop this disease. If we could somehow isolate it and see if each of the female patients have it as well, then we would be well on our way to finding a cure," Holden answered.
"So, I am like a guinea pig?" Joe demanded in distaste.
"No, no, of course not," Holden denied but Joe could tell the man was lying. "We just need to keep a closer eye on you is all."
"Like extra vitamins?" asked Joe skeptically.
"Like monitoring all of your vitals," Holden replied. "I also took your pulse while I checked your temperature, remember?" Joe nodded. "Plus, instead of one check-up daily, I think I will give you a complete physical each morning and another at night."
"Starting?" asked Joe warily.
"Starting at eight this morning," Holden answered. "After that, you will have breakfast and see Dr. Turner. Your final physical will be at eight in the evening."
"Great," grumbled Joe.
"Come along," Dr. Holden said. "You can get a little more sleep before your wake-up call."
"Um, could you do me a favor?" Joe asked as they made their way back to his room.
"And that would be?" inquired Holden, making no promises.
"Could you turn up the heat in my room or get me another blanket? I'm freezing," Joe asserted.
"I can arrange that," Holden assured him with a smile. He locked Joe back in his room and made a notation on Joe's file before going to the nurse's desk and requesting the temperature in Joe's room be increased two more degrees.
*****************************************************************
Fenton arrived at the foundation and was met by Stan Lyman in the main lobby. "And where would you like to begin today?" Lyman asked after the greetings were completed.
"Your file room," Fenton answered. "I want to compare the records you used to keep with the ones you have on your current patients."
"Of course," Lyman agreed with a smile. "If you will follow me?"
Fenton followed Lyman down the hall, glancing through the open doors as they passed. He slowed his gait considerably as he neared Joe's room, surprised to see the door standing open. He looked inside and saw Dr. Holden listening to Joe's chest and then glanced at Joe's face. Instead of boredom or the scowl he had expected, Joe's face seemed devoid of any emotion whatsoever.