Chapter Ten
"No, you don't understand. I don't want to leave him a message, I want to talk to him now," he angrily said. Pausing for a moment he added, "Yes it's important. Could you please just tell him that Dr. Lewis wants to talk with him?" This time there was a different quality to his tone. His question sounded more like a plea, a plea that finally got him somewhere in the conversation. "Yeah, I'll hold." As the voice was replaced with some dulled music, Dr. Lewis just sat there with his ear pressed to the receiver in wait.
When he had seen Dana's blood coating her room's sheets, something had clicked inside of his mind, and he had been reminded of the misspelled note's blood type difference that he had discovered earlier. There were too many unexplainable things surrounding him, and Lewis knew that if he could solve at least one of them then that would be the start he needed to pull him back from the awaiting abyss.
Resolved to shed more light on the difference, and hopefully more on the note itself through that difference, Dr. Lewis could only think of one person to call. It hadn't been an easy decision to make, as he was sure the person had their fill of Cassie and everything else. Still, Lewis knew he needed help on this, and he had no where else to turn.
Waiting for the music to end, Lewis' gaze couldn't help but to wander out his office's window. With summer dwindling into autumn the leaves were already beginning to change. From where he sat he could see oranges and reds overtaking the greens of the trees rooted just behind Brookhaven. This changing of colors had always excited him as a child, as the new shades made everything more vibrant around him. The trees just seemed more alive, despite the fact that they were wilting in preparation for winter. Nature's choice in colors gave them this appearance. Variations of red and orange made each tree seem as though it were being consumed in fire.
"Dr. Lewis?" suddenly came a female's voice, jarring the Brookhaven doctor from his thoughts about the trees and days gone past.
"Yes, I'm still here," he muttered into the phone's receiver.
"I'm afraid he's very busy right now, and can't take your call, Dr. Lewis." There was nothing apologetic about the woman's tone. "If you would like to leave a message then I can…."
"I told you I didn't want to leave any damn message!" Lewis angrily broke into the woman's words with. "It's urgent that I speak with him."
"Sir, you can either leave a message, or try back later," she replied as she tried to maintain her composure. "Either way, you don't have to take it out on me."
Breathing in and letting the fresh oxygen calm his anger, Lewis thought about the offer for a moment. He hadn't meant to be so rude towards the receptionist, but she just didn't seem to grasp how important this phone call was. Letting his frustration subside, he simply said, "Just have him call Dr. Lewis at Brookhaven Hospital the first free moment he gets."
"I'll pass the message along," the receptionist on the other end said before hanging up the phone.
Blinking for a moment as he took the phone call in, Lewis carefully placed the receiver back on the phone. The phone call had not gone at all like he had hoped, though recently so little had. Over the past few weeks nothing seemed to bring him anything other than more misery, and more frustration. Every time he tried to put something behind him, it merely threatened to grow stronger until given another chance to strike. Facing such things, how was anyone expected to remain sane?
Leaning back in his leather desk chair, Lewis closed his eyes and focused on his heartbeat. There were so many things in the world that were unpredictable, that continued on without making any sort of sense. It was partly due to those things as to why he had chosen to study psychology those many years ago. He had believed that through those studies, he might be able to get a better understanding about the world, and those inhabiting it. With so many things left unresolved, Lewis could find some comfort in his own beating heart. There at least was something that continued on, unaffected by anything else that life threw at him.
In not having the phone conversation he was planning on, Lewis suddenly found himself in a moment with nothing to do. That wasn't entirely true. There were things that needed his attention. There always was. Just because he needed to do them, however, made him feel no less inclined to.
Turning away from the window, Lewis stared at his desk. Covering it were several neat stacks of files and other paperwork all laid out. This was another thing that he could find a small piece of comfort in. Even in the worst of times Lewis was able to hold onto his rigorous organization skills, seeing this as his only chance to put something of his life in order.
Across his desk and across the stacks of files, Lewis' eyes caught several forms that needed his attention. When someone thinks about being a psychologist, they always think about dealing with patients, and helping them on the road to recovery. That was the driving force behind Lewis' own ambitions. No one ever takes into consideration how much paperwork is involved in dealing with the insane. Undoubtedly, it was the most tedious part of the job. Yet for some reason, those in charge made it seem like the most important.
Since he could think of nothing else to do, Lewis gave a defeated exhale as he decided he shouldn't put off his work any longer. Reaching for the nearest stack, he began wondering where he should begin. Suddenly his arm stopped, and he couldn't help but to recoil as he took in the name on the form in front of him.
Patient Name: Stenson, Dana
Dana was one of the last people he wanted to think about. In the past she had been one of his favorite patients. Though she rightfully belonged in Brookhaven, her calm and cheerful manner always seemed to put Lewis at ease. Ease, and something else that he couldn't quite put a finger on. Having to deal with so many violent and unstable patients at Brookhaven made him treasure the peaceful sessions that Dana and he had enjoyed.
Now though, that was all different. When Lewis had first taken in the scene of Dana and her attempted suicide, he didn't know how to react. There was something chilling about it, and familiar. Seeing Dana there laying and bleeding, he couldn't help but to think back to finding Cassie. That was a moment he didn't want to relive for the rest of his days, especially not with a patient such as Dana.
Dr. Lewis just couldn't figure it out. During her whole stay at Brookhaven, not once had Dana shown any symptoms of violence or a self destructive nature. She had always appeared to be child-like in her ways, and children are far too naïve of the world to want to kill themselves. In the end, he supposed it didn't matter as to the why. It had happened, and for now Dana was recovering at Alchemilla, and out of his reach.
Bringing his hand back towards his face, he collapsed into it. Rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger, he lost himself in thought. He was tired. There was no other way to put it. He was tired of what was becoming of his life, and of what was becoming of his career at Brookhaven. He needed something to help ease the ill feelings that coursed through his veins and plagued his mind. Letting his hand slide down over his eyes and across the bridge of his nose, Lewis just decided that in this short term moment work of any sort would not be the best call.
Raising himself out of his comfortable chair, Lewis decided that a fresh cup of coffee would do him some good. With the recent changes to the hospital's menu he was certain that a steaming cup was left waiting for him in the day room. Grabbing a mug from off of his desk, he made his way out of his office, making sure to close the door behind him.
Brookhaven's halls seemed eerily vacant. Being well into the afternoon, most of the hospital's doctors were either attending to their patients, or had left early for the day. Dr. Lewis did not envy those who were busy playing the role of psychologist, although with a stack of his own work to do then he could hardly count himself as being so different. Still, he couldn't help but to find the stillness surrounding him to be a calming change from the usual bustle of the hospital.
When Lewis reached the day room, he entered the room not entirely sure what to expect. While the halls might have been void of life, he knew that as one of the more popular spots within the hospital's walls, then the same void might not be found behind the door in front of him. To his relief, there were only a pair of doctors and the janitor, who was busy cleaning up the mess left by the earlier lunch crowd.
Making his way to the black coffee maker plugged into the wall opposite of him, Lewis ignored the few individuals that he passed. Although it wasn't his intent, he appeared very focused on his way to fill his mug. This appearance wasn't due to any desire to keep himself distant from those around him, but it was an unconscious defense mechanism that had kicked in shortly after dealing with Cassie. If no one could get close to him, then maybe they would stay oblivious as to what was really going on in his mind.
Filling his mug with the steaming liquid, Lewis began to wonder what he would do with his time as he waited for a return phone call. Obviously, work was out of the question. Despite the fact that he had plenty to do, he knew that any such work would have to begin with what had happened to Dana, and that was a matter he just couldn't deal with. Still, he just couldn't return to his office and count the dots on his plaster ceiling. It was in those moments of solitude where his demons really came out, and threatened to overtake his sanity.
Fate decided to step in however, as though it was reading the doctor's mind. Behind him and across the room the pair of doctors parted ways as one of them left to return to whatever work she had been avoiding. This left her companion alone in the room with Lewis and the janitor. For a moment, this doctor seemed content to sit at his table alone, until he saw Dr. Lewis getting coffee and decided to approach him.
"Ah Terry, getting a fresh dose of energy I see," the doctor said from just behind Dr. Lewis.
Focusing on the coffee and lost to his own thoughts, Lewis was completely oblivious to the man's approach. Hearing his name mentioned and the doctor's voice directly behind him caused Lewis to nearly jump out of his own uniform. Not to mention he had nearly spilled his freshly poured drink all over himself. Working in a mental hospital like Brookhaven tended to leave people on edge. Lewis was even more so after all of the recent events he had gone through.
Calming his heart down and letting his emotions take on a more subdued sense, Lewis turned to face whomever it was that had called out his name. Taking in Dr. Brennerd's face, he just stood there in silence as he stirred some sugar into his mug.
Instead of waiting for Dr. Lewis to answer his question, Brennerd decided to ask another question that had been burning in his mind ever since he had last seen his fellow colleague. "How's Dana doing?" he gently asked.
"Fine," Lewis said with a stumble in his voice. "She's doing fine according to the last report I heard. If you want to know about her condition, then I'm really not the person to ask." Although Lewis didn't want to be rude to his fellow doctor, he couldn't help but to try and be as curt about the situation as possible. He could understand the man's concern for Dana, and the curiosity about her well being. Being involved with the whole incident surrounding her, then that certainly gave Brennerd cause for his question. Still, it was something that Lewis wanted to have as little to do with as possible.
Letting the matter of Dana fade, Brennerd stood there anxiously as another question rested on the tip of his tongue. Looking over Dr. Lewis, he just took in a breath before breaking the silence between them.
"I'm glad to hear that," he said with a slight smile. "I was wondering though, if you were busy at the moment."
Lewis didn't quite know how to take his colleague's statement. Glancing at him, then back at his mug, he simply said "I'm just getting some coffee, Keith."
Exhaling some air, Brennerd overlooked this obvious fact so as to try and get to the real matter at hand. "Of course," he said with a hint of frustration. "I meant, what you are going to do once you had your coffee."
Continuing to stir his mug, Lewis looked back at his fellow doctor, not quite sure where he was going with the conversation. "Well," he started in a reserved tone, "there's plenty of work for me waiting back in my office. Nothing I'm excited about jumping into right now, though."
Hearing this, Brennerd shuffled a file folder from his right hand into his left as he asked, "Then you wouldn't mind discussing a matter with me?"
Sipping his coffee to test it for the proper flavor, Lewis just glanced over the rim of his mug. "What matter?" he asked absentmindedly.
"Gary Bertram." flatly replied Brennerd.
Hearing the man's name, Lewis nearly spit out his freshly sipped coffee all over the doctor before him. In coming to the day room and ignoring the matter of Dana, Lewis had hoped to avoid harboring any ill thoughts. The mention of Gary's name, however, forced that hope to quickly fade away. "Why?" he found himself blurting out as he tried to pull his mind away from such a frightening topic.
"Don't you remember?" Looking back at Lewis, there was no sign of recollection about their earlier discussion, forcing Dr. Brennerd to mention it again. "We were going to compare notes in regards to his case."
Slowly a vague memory began to seep its way into Lewis' mind. He recalled bumping into Brennerd earlier, and the brief discussion they had in regards to Gary. While he had agreed to his colleague's offer of help, it hadn't been something that Lewis believed would actually occur. Having so much on his mind had caused a prompt agreement, giving him the chance to quickly leave the doctor's company and return to his duties. Between the discovery of the history book, and everything involving Dana, Lewis had pushed the offer to the back of his mind and very nearly forgotten it.
"If nothing else, then it will give you something to keep you busy with for the afternoon," added Dr. Brennerd as he noticed his colleague to be thinking the matter over.
Taking this sentiment in, Lewis weighed the matter. Going over Gary's case, or any case, wasn't something that he wanted to spend his time on. Waiting for a return phone call, he couldn't help feeling like he should just sit in his office and relax for the time being. So much was going on around him that it was hard not to get overwhelmed in the emotions of it all. Some time to himself would probably do him some good, even though he feared at the possibilities of what might seize his mind in the solitude.
Thinking over Dr. Brennerd's offer, and taking his own fears into consideration, he ultimately had to accept his fellow doctor's offer. Despite the fact that Gary's condition was hardly something he felt comfortable about discussing, he knew that there were other things that were far more disconcerting. Plus, this was something that he felt needed done, and what better way was there for him to use his time until more pressing matters arose?
"Alright Keith," the older doctor said, followed by another sip of his coffee.
"Good," came a simple reply. "I just need to get a few files from my office, and then we can discuss the matter." There seemed to be a cheerful tone to his words as Brennerd told this to Lewis. Gary's case was one that had been bothering him since he had been asked to fill in for Dr. Lewis. Given the chance to finally discuss the matter with someone else that was familiar with the mental patient, left him feeling very encouraged.
"Fine." Reaching back and grabbing a napkin to place on his coffee mug, there was a hollow sense to Lewis' words. It was as if he was barely present in the room, leaving his body to stand there while his mind wandered off somewhere else.
Giving a hint of a smile, Brennerd ended the conversation with "I'll meet you in your office then," before turning around and exiting the room.
Left in the nearly vacant day room, Dr. Lewis couldn't help but to blink. He had never expected that the young doctor would actually bring up the matter of Gary again. Very few people at Brookhaven still valued Lewis' opinion, and in honest he had only believed Brennerd's earlier request to be nothing more than a friendly gesture. Letting his surprise over the matter subside, he decided to follow suit and head back to his office.
Moving through Brookhaven's hallways, nothing appeared to have changed since he had entered the day room. If it wasn't for the flickering of a faulty light, then Lewis would have believed time itself had frozen. He couldn't help but to think of the prospect as he turned the corner.
Time seemed to be something that was against him. A widely held belief was that time had the power to ease one's mind, healing the wounds that one's actions had caused. This was something that Dr. Lewis had heard over and over again during the course of his life. First off, when Felecia had abandoned him, and then again more recently in the wake of Cassie's death. Deep down he couldn't help but to curse at those that had repeated such foolishness. Time was certainly not a friend; at least not a friend of his.
With this on his mind, he nearly missed the approach of another of Brookhaven's doctors. Looking at a paper that she held in her hand, she was as ignorant of Lewis' approach as he was of hers. When the two passed each other, the female doctor brushed up against Lewis. This brief touch was enough to pull each of them out of their respective worlds, causing the woman to turn to see whom it was that she had nearly ran into.
"Hey, Terry," she called out gently as she recognized the psychologist.
Having heard his name called out by a second person in such a short expanse of time caused Lewis to stop in his tracks. Part of him was nervous in regard to facing yet another colleague of his. Those nerves were caused by the uncertainty of what this woman might want. Curiosity ultimately won out, however, as he turned around to see a friendly face staring back at him.
"Sorry for nearly running you down," the woman said sheepishly with a slight smile.
"Don't worry about it, Joyce," Lewis casually replied. "It's an easy thing to do around here."
"I suppose your right," Dr. Hunt furthered as she tried to shrug the matter off.
Despite the fact that Joyce was a good friend of his, Lewis didn't feel the need to stay in her presence any longer. There were other things that required his attention, and after giving the woman a reassuring smile, he turned and prepared to continue his way to his office.
Before Lewis could move any further, Dr. Hunt decided to see how her friend was doing. "How has everything been going for you, Lewis? I haven't seen much of you lately."
Reluctantly, Lewis turned back around to face his friend. "You know how it goes, Joyce. There's always plenty of paperwork to steal away all of my time."
"Yeah," she quietly replied back. At the mention of paperwork, Hunt was suddenly reminded of the memo in her hands that she had been scrutinizing when she had nearly run into her friend. "Have you taken a look at this yet?" she asked as she held up the memo for Lewis to see.
Narrowing his eyes, Lewis tried to get an idea of what the slip of paper said, hoping that it indeed was something he had seen before and he would be allowed to continue on his walk to his office. Unfortunately, this didn't satisfy the woman's question, forcing him to step closer and take it in his hands.
"I just got it myself," remarked Hunt.
Skimming over the text, one could tell that it was something from those behind the curtain of Brookhaven. Both the length and the official looking format were dead giveaways of its source. "No, I haven't," came an absentminded tone reply. Trying to get the gist of the memo, Lewis focused his attention on it until he decided to hand it back to its previous owner.
"No, go ahead," was Hunt's reply as she held up her hands. "Feel free to take it and read it all you want."
"Thanks." While his reply hinted at gratitude, the tone behind this single word was far too sarcastic to appear genuine. Looking up from the paper, he took in the sight of the woman doctor before gesturing down the hall with his coffee mug. "I really should get going," Lewis said, trying not to sound too rude.
"Oh of course." When she had stopped her friend, Hunt hadn't given any thoughts toward what the man might be doing. Feeling slightly guilty all of a sudden, a slight hue came to her face as she tried to avoid letting her feelings float to the surface. "Take care, Terry," she added with a smile.
"You too," muttered Lewis, before he turned away from the woman doctor, and headed back down the hallway.
Leaving Dr. Hunt behind him, Lewis glanced over the memo as he continued on. Having worked in Brookhaven for many years had allowed the doctor to memorize the hospital's layout. From anywhere in the building he could walk to his office blindfolded and still not get lost. Despite some near run-ins that had occurred, there never seemed to be any problems in reaching his office, as he only had the vaguest sense of the world around him.
Focusing most of his attention on the memo, he tried to understand its purpose. The slip of paper didn't seem to say anything important, at least not important to him. Here was just another way for those in charge to announce their authority, as a new networking program was to be introduce on all of the hospital's computers. It was more or less garbage to Lewis. There were too many things for him to think about. How Brookhaven's computers were to be updated was of little consequence to Lewis. He kept this thought on his mind as he stepped through the open doorway of his office.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw something, but he didn't take full notice of the situation until he heard the crunch of paper from underfoot. Pulling his gaze off of the paper in his hands, Lewis took in the scene around him. For a moment he couldn't understand what had happened, instead just letting his eyes widen in shock.
The stacks of papers that had once been neatly on his desk were now all over the room. Covering the floor, his chair, there was even a few pieces of paper strewn across a plastic office plant. Lewis couldn't wrap his mind around what might have happened in those few minutes while he was away.
Taking a step forward, he looked for any other clue as to why his papers had been knocked off his desk. That was the only way he could think to describe what he saw. From where he stood, it was obvious that someone had come in and pushed all of the files off his desk, letting them fall wherever they may. There could be no other explanation.
Kneeling down, Lewis began to pick up some papers off the floor as his mind raced with reasons for what had happened. Was someone searching for something? Had this been done as some sort of a twisted practical joke? He just couldn't understand it, though part of him was afraid of what the answer might be. After so much had happened to him recently, there was a voice inside his mind that urged him to merely clean up the mess in peace.
"What are you doing?" suddenly came a voice from behind Lewis, causing his heart to stop and his mind to freeze in panic.
Despite the urgings from his inner voice, another part of him knew that he couldn't ignore the question for long. Glancing over his shoulder, Lewis relaxed as he saw his fellow doctor standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing?" Brennerd repeated, this time having a more friendly quality in his tone.
"Someone came in and trashed my office while I was getting coffee," Lewis replied with his attention still on Brennerd. "I don't know why they would have…." As he turned his gaze back in front of him, there came a falter in Lewis' voice as his words trailed off.
The office he now saw was not the one he had stepped into, but rather the one that he had left. Each stack of files was still neatly placed on the desk. Beneath his feet the carpet was as clean as it had ever been. Even his chair looked to be in the exact same condition as he had left it. Finally, in his hands were not the files that he picked up from the floor. Instead, the only piece of paper that he held was the memo that had just been given to him.
Standing up from off of the floor, a disconcerting wave crashed over Lewis as he struggled with what had just happened. There had been papers everywhere. He knew that his office had appeared ransacked a heartbeat earlier. Or had it? Putting a hand to his temple, he couldn't help but to wonder if everything was starting to get the better of him.
"Are you okay, Terry?" asked Brennerd, full of concern.
"Yeah," came a shaky reply. "I just….. don't know."
"Why don't you sit down?" the younger doctor suggested as he led his colleague around the desk and into his leather chair.
Easing into his chair, Lewis began to relax. While he still felt concerned over what had just happened, he couldn't help but to feel that concern slip away as the leather comforts of his chair eased his body.
For a moment the world faded away around him, and Lewis forgot about everything else outside of that moment. Closing his eyes, he nearly drifted off into sleep, until a shuffle across from him pulled his mind back into awareness. Seeing his colleague take a seat, Lewis merely said, "Now, what were we going to talk about again?"
"Gary Bertram." Dr. Brennerd flatly replied as he produced a manilla file folder and placed it on top of Lewis' desk.
Taking the folder into his hands, Lewis carefully opened it and started to look through the files it contained. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on the papers before him, and he began to wonder why exactly Dr. Brennerd had asked to meet with him in regards to the patient.
Waiting for the doctor in front of him to finish skimming over his work, several questions rushed into Brennerd's mind. Typically, his work consisted of dealing with patients in the M and C wings. When he had been asked to fill in for Dr. Lewis on a case involving the S level patient, he had jumped at the chance. Now, however, he had to wonder just how great of a decision that had been.
Closing the folder, Dr. Lewis just held it for a moment before returning it to the doctor across from him. Even after reading through all of Brennerd's notes, there still didn't seem to be an apparent cause for this meeting. The young doctor had kept thorough notes, but nothing seemed as though it would be of use to Lewis, or his own work in regards to Gary.
Having his work back in his own hands, there was a still moment as Brennerd waited for a response. By giving the file folder to Dr. Lewis, he had hoped there would be something to catch the older doctor's attention, thus giving them a place to start their discussion. For a few more moments the two sat staring at each other, before Brennerd's patience fell away.
"Well?" the younger doctor asked, hoping this word would spark some response from Lewis.
When Lewis heard this word, he didn't feel anything but more confusion. Easing back into his chair, he merely furrowed his brow before replying with a shrug and a simple, "Well, what?"
"Did anything stand out to you?" came a second question from Brennerd as he moved to the edge of his chair in angst.
Bringing his left hand to rest on his temple, Lewis sifted through the information within Brennerd's file. In his mind he looked for something, anything, that might stand in as what the young doctor wanted him to notice. Nothing came to mind, however. Clearly Brennerd had something in mind. Letting his mind fall to this fact, Lewis merely gestured with his hand for the younger doctor to continue.
He wasn't expecting to have to start off the conversation, but as Lewis gestured for him to do so, Brennerd decided to lead them both to the most logical starting point. "Gary has been here for….," his voiced trailed off for a second as he flipped through his notes until he found the exact number, "nearly seven years, correct?"
There was no verbal response to this question. Instead Lewis merely gave a nod of his head before allowing Brennerd to continue.
"He and his wife were on their way home." Flipping through a few more notes, a softer tone came from Brennerd's voice. "Their car was hit by a drunk driver. Over on Sanders street, according to the police report."
Again, Dr. Lewis gave a slight nod, confirming his colleague's words. This time he added "By Neely's Bar," quietly, almost as if he were only saying it to himself.
Above him there was a faint glow. Like a moth to a flame he was attracted to it, yet part of him also feared at the result from being here for too long.
Thinking to himself, Brennerd's mind traveled back in time seven years. "I remember that," he muttered as the event came back to the forefront of his thoughts. "Reading about it in the paper, I mean. It was a terrible tragedy."
"Yes, yes it was," was the only comment Lewis decided to make as he sipped from his mug, slightly disappointed that it didn't hold something other than coffee.
Searching further through Gary's file, more about what had happened to the man was reminded to Dr. Brennerd. "Both the drunk driver as well as Gary's wife were pronounced dead at the scene. Gary himself suffered a concussion and a collapsed lung that had been punctured by his own fractured ribs."
Following along with Brennerd's retelling of the event, Lewis couldn't help but to remember the incident himself. It had happened not that long after he and Felecia had moved to Silent Hill. Gary had been Dr. Lewis' first S level patient, and it had been his most challenging case at the time.
"For the next several weeks he was in a coma," the young doctor continued. "When he finally woke up and learned that his wife had died…." At this point Brennerd paused, as if he were absorbing the next few words into his own being before speaking them aloud. "He wasn't able to handle it. He just snapped."
"And that's why he's here," came a flat reply from Dr. Lewis.
In the next moment silence once again entered Lewis' small office. Neither doctor chose to speak. Continuing on down the page Brennerd read Gary's file, until he stopped at something. There wasn't anything remarkable about what he gazed upon, yet for some reason he felt like mentioning it anyway. "Gary's recovery was at Alchemilla."
At the mention of the medical hospital, something in Lewis' mind seized up. He didn't understand why, but suddenly his gaze, and his attention, was drawn to Dana's file that still lay on top of his desk. Though it was nothing more than a few stapled sheets of paper, he couldn't help but to feel like there was more to those stacked slips. It almost felt as though there was a soul trapped in the grains of the paper, a soul that was staring back at him.
Noticing that his colleague made no response to his last statement caused Brennerd to shift his gaze off of the file. Staring at Lewis, he wondered for a moment what was going on in the older man's mind. "Terry?" he called out. "Are you okay?"
Ripping his attention away from Dana's file, Lewis' suddenly found the young man across from him to be staring. He didn't know why Brennerd had suddenly fixated on him so, but he did know that suddenly his desire for this meeting had been lost.
Leaning forward in his chair some, he looked at the younger doctor before speaking. "Keith, I don't think I can be much of help to you here."
Hearing this didn't convince Brennerd that Lewis' was indeed alright. He could understand anyone's aversion to discussing such dark matters, especially someone like Dr. Lewis. Having one of the longest tenures at Brookhaven certainly gave him the right to enjoy such work that much less. When you took into consideration some of the recent events that had occurred to him while working at Brookhaven, it was amazing that he had managed any sanity at all.
Wondering why Lewis had suddenly said this to him caused Brennerd to turn and look at what had captivated the older doctor moments ago. There was a patient file that lay on top of a stack of papers, and from what he could tell it was no different than a thousand others. Then Brennerd caught the name of which patient the file belonged to, and he suddenly understood his colleague's abrupt change in attitude.
"I'm sure Dana is doing fine," was all he could think of to say to try and reassure Dr. Lewis.
"Keith," Lewis started, though he wasn't quite sure where he would finish. "I just don't know about things anymore. There was no indication that Dana would do anything of the kind, yet she did. I don't know anymore," he went on as the mood in his voice became more downtrodden. "Maybe I'm beginning to lose it."
"No," came another reassurance by Brennerd. "You just need some time to decompress. You've been working here nonstop for so long. I think you just need to leave the work to the rest of us for a little while," he added with a friendly smile.
"Maybe," came Lewis' quiet reply. "Maybe I should…." But he was unable to finish his thought.
Suddenly the phone on Lewis' desk began to ring, breaking into the two men's conversation. Despite the fact that he had been expecting a return call, when the phone actually did ring Lewis nearly jumped out of his chair. Shakily, he reached for the receiver and cleared his throat before muttering a hello.
"Hey there, doc. Susie tells me there's something you're just dying to talk to me about," came a familiar voice from the other end.
Placing his hand over the mouthpiece, Lewis looked across his desk. "Sorry Keith, but I have to take this." The younger doctor simply nodded an understanding before he gathered his things. Flashing a caring smile, Brennerd turned and exited the room.
With his colleague now gone Lewis felt able to talk over the matter that had suddenly become so important. "Yes there is something, John." He said flatly.
"Whoa now doc, didn't know we were on a first name basis here," the police office wryly replied.
Sighing, Lewis remembered just who exactly he was dealing with. "I don't have time to play around here," he curtly said.
"Well don't mind me doc. I just figured you'd give me a little more respect, seeing as how I'm the law and all."
Lewis was hardly in the mood for such games, but for the moment he bit the bullet, hoping that by doing so something might be accomplished. "I need a favor, Officer Simmons."
"Now that wasn't hard, was it?" Waiting for a reply, all that the police officer got was a grunt of disapproval from the Brookhaven psychologist. Sensing the man's fuse was a little shorter than usual, Simmons decided to move on. "What can I do ya for?" he asked, changing nothing about his tone.
"I need the medical files you have for Cassie," Lewis quickly and tonelessly stated.
This request knocked Simmons back for a moment. When he had first been given the message to call Dr. Lewis, he didn't think that the call might involve the long dead girl. It was something that he should have been aware of, though. For some reason the psychologist on the other end seemed to be obsessed with the girl. God only knew why.
"Why do you want those files, doc? That case has been closed for some time."
"Just get them to me, okay?" Lewis nearly pleaded. "I need them in regards to another case."
This admission piqued the officer's curiosity. "What other case?" he pried.
Lewis hadn't expected Simmons to show an interest in why he needed Cassie's files, so for a moment he was thrown off balance. "I can't divulge that," he quickly lied. "Doctor/patient confidentiality."
Letting his own disapproval be known, Simmons sat there for a moment until another question rose in his mind. "Why do you need our medical files on Cassie. Didn't that fiery red-head over there give the girl a once over?"
"No," was Lewis' reply as he began to lose patience in dealing with the man. "Cassie was scheduled to take her physical the next morning." There was a pause as the Brookhaven doctor recalled the events surrounding Cassie on the fateful night. "She didn't make it until then," he quietly added.
Though he didn't understand why, Simmons decided to try and accommodate Dr. Lewis. Part of him was reminded of the fact that he had already done so much for the doctor, and that to do any more in regards to the dead girl was far from the best of ideas. Still, he couldn't help but to pity the man for what he must be going through, and if he could be helped in some way, then Simmons felt obligated to do so.
Finally after thinking it over once more, Simmons simply said, "Okay, doc. You'll get your files as soon as I can locate them."
"Thank you," the doctor replied, feeling very grateful to the man and letting that gratitude be known in his tone. "Fax them to me as soon as you can."
"Sure," Simmons almost sheepishly replied.
With his request made, Lewis couldn't think of anything further to say, so silence passed between the two men as they each pressed their ear to the phone in wait for something more to be said. When a few awkward moments faded behind them, Lewis decided to speak. Opening his mouth, he was about to add to his thoughts, before a sudden noise caught his attention.
Taking the phone with him, there were a few words from Simmons that reached the doctor's ears over the phone. He didn't hear them, however. Instead his attention was fixed on his office's fax machine as it hummed. "I thought you said you were going to fax the medical files later?" the doctor asked Simmons in confusion.
"That's right, doc. As soon as I find them," Simmons replied, completely unaware as to what was going on across town from him.
"Then what are you sending me right now?" came another question from Lewis, this time with anger starting to seep into his tone.
"Nothing at all. I haven't even left my desk yet," was Simmons' reply.
Approaching the whirring machine, Lewis began to get frustrated at the police officer on the other end. He knew that Simmons was the owner of a terrible sense of humor, and Lewis was in no mood for such games right now. If whatever was coming through was indeed from the police station, then so help him he was going to do something to Simmons.
Cautiously he watched on until the machine was done performing its task. With one hand he picked up the thin slip of paper, still holding onto the phone in his other. Taking the paper in his hand he slowly turned it over to see what had been sent to him. The moment the paper revealed its nature, then Lewis dropped the phone in terror as his eyes widened and his heart threatened to stop.
Instead of being a document of words or some other medical business, there was only a picture. The picture was Dana, lying in a pool of blood in the middle of her Brookhaven room. What really pulled at his soul wasn't this picture, but what was scrawled beneath the picture in red ink:
no 1 is sayf frumm his jujment.