Linda lead me in as we walked to the entrance. Unlike your big city hospitals, small town ones are rather small and news travels all the faster over what new incident had happened. As we made our way in, doctors, nurses, and orderlies alike stare at us. Well mostly me. Who wouldn't? I'm wearing torn and ragged shirt and pants. All of which is soaked in dirt, Senegal and blood. My face must be covered with all this as well cause it doesn't appear anyone really recognizes me like Linda did.

She stops at the front desk and informs them of me. The somewhat kind secretary asks us to take a seat and wait. I'm not surprised seeing I have but a head wound that appears to have stopped bleeding. Before I can go sit Linda attempts to haggle with the secretary. It appears to help that she points out how badly I need a shower and fresh clean clothes. With a bit of resistance that soon gives, the secretary tells us I can use their showers and barrow a pair of scrubs and hospital booties after I'm finished.

Linda gives a kind thank you and smile with a tip of her head before taking my arm and leading me gently towards where the secretary directed her. As we move down the halls I can't help but over hear things sound of a group of children talking if not almost shouting to be heard by the doctors. It appears they are trying to visit someone, a few ones perhaps, but they look almost if not worse then myself in some cases.

I pause staring and wonder if these are the group of kids Linda spoke of reporting about the sewers. I don't get long to ponder on this before Linda a bit roughly tugs me along.

"Come on, you need a good cleaning before you can start getting into mischief."

"I wasn't going to... those are the kids you mentioned, aren't they?"

She almost seemed reluctant to tell me before she shifted and give a small nod.

"Yeah. The other officers thought they were just seeking attention until I found you. Thought a bunch of kids just went playing in the sewers and got hurt. Tried to cover it up by telling some lies. Well they'll be shitting a brick when they find out these kids where telling the truth."

Linda found the showers and had me stripe. Thankfully allowing me privacy behind the low wall of the men's showers.

"Normally we take pictures first for evidence, but I think we can get by with bagging these." She placed my ruined clothing into some bags.

"I'm goin to call in. You scrub as best as you can and repeat." She ordered before leaving me alone.

The water took a bit of adjusting, but once right I stepped under. All kinds of muck and debris ran down my legs to swirl away down the drain. I took my time, soaking in the warmth and loosening to dried caked mix from my being. Once the lose material was done falling off me like a sludge gore feast, I happily added soap. Wincing as cuts I knew and others I had no idea I had filled with the cleansing liquid. A hiss left me as I began to was my hair. Turning from mud blood caked mess to messy brown as the shampoo did its job.

Around the third or fourth round of scrubbing, I could no longer smell sewage and found the water clear as can be. Feeling a million times better, I turned the water off and made my way to a towel. Wrapped up, I went to find Linda. She stood outside the shower room holding clothes and booties. I must have been in there longer then I thought for her to be done reporting in already.

She must of heard me cause she turned to face me with a warm smile.

"Looking much better there Bobby. Feel like it too?"

I nodded quickly with a small grin.

"Good. Here are some temporary clothes until we can get you back to your place. The doctor is able to see you after you finish getting dressed. "

I thanked her as I took the fresh clean set. Heading back inside to the locker portion of the shower room to dress. I could tell right away my long body wasn't going to fit well in these short scrubs. My legs making the pants appear more like shorts on me. They left part of my shines and ankles exposed while the shirt appeared to be a bit too large. It was like I was wearing a circus tent as it slipped over my head. It was made for a larger set person then myself, most evident by the way it hung low past my hips. I was most thankful though that the booties fit my large feet. With a sigh and some tucking, I finally made my way out to meet Linda.

She lead me to a room, telling me to sit on the exam table as she stood near by in a most officer ready fashion. It felt like ages before the doctor entered with a smile. It always felt awkward to see someone smile at me when the only reason they are doing it is to try and win my trust. I frown, but don't say anything as he speaks to Linda. I'm not really focused on their words, only hearing them as if at a distance.

I tend to zone out when others speak, or I don't find I am needed at that time. It takes me a moment to register that the doctor is now speaking to me.
"Robert? There we are. Spaced off there didn't we?" The unnerving smile again.
"Let's see if you have anything more then those cuts." He shone a light in to my eyes as I focused on and did as I was asked. He seemed fairly worried for a moment as he told me to follow the light.

"His eye just does that." Linda spoke up from behind him.
"Aww, a lazy eye then." he nodded, "I was a bit worried there. Good to know it's pre existing. It appears, Robert, that you are a okay. Only the scraps, bruises and that nasty head cut. No sign of concussion or any other issues that I can see. I suggest though that you have someone keep on eye on you just in cause for a time and report back here if something appears off."
"I'll keep an eye on him." Linda spoke up. She was always keeping an eye on me it seemed, even when I didn't feel I needed the help.

She was always too kind to me. Popping in to visit, most times bringing me something to eat when I spaced out in whatever it was I had my mind set on. I'd probably starved a few times if she wasn't there.
"Is that alright with you Robert?" I nodded my agreement to her suggestion. "Alright then, I'll get these larger cuts taken care of and that head wound stitched. I'll prescribe a antibiotic in cause you might get an infect. From what Linda here tells me, you where found in the sewers. Can't let any of those nasties get the best of you." He scribbled out on his script pad and handed it to me before giving another smile and leaving us alone.

I never really liked having to deal with this sort of stuff, being handed something and people assuming I know what to do with it. I don't even think I have ever had to use a prescription before in my life. I can't help but look at it perplexed before Linda takes it gently from my hands.
"I'll see that this gets filled out before we leave."

A nurse comes in shortly and cleans my forehead, causing me to wince and let out a hissing noise as the alcohol goes to work killing anything nasty left there. I'm not looking forward to the next part as she uses a needle to numb the area. It pinches and I rest the urge to swat at her. Linda is kind enough to take my hand and squeeze it gently without a word. Instead of pulling away, I actually find some comfort in this as the nurse then begins to stitch the wound closed.

As soon as the nurse is done though, I pull my hand from Linda's carefully. She isn't offended, and just smiles at me as I get a large gazes tapped to cover the stitching. Finished the nurse makes her way out. I don't mind she hasn't tried to make any small talk. I never really know what to say to someone when they try to. I merely nod mostly in silence and most likely a look of misery on my face. That usually gets the to stop and then wander off with a goodbye.

As soon as the nurse is gone, Linda takes my hands and places some change in them. "Why don't you go see if you can find something in the vending machine to your liking. It may take a while for me to get this filled out." She waves the script from earlier in her hand. "I don't want you passing out from lack of food. Once this is filled I'll take you out for something good, what do you say about that Bobby?"

I can't help giving her a genuine smile, "I'd like that. Thanks Linda. I… I'm sorry to be putting you through all this mess with me." I feel a pinch of guilt as I admit this to her.
"Nonsense. It's part of the job and even if wasn't, I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't help you out, now would I?"
Friend…I sometimes forget I even have such a thing in this world. It seems like years since we first met. Come to think about it, when did we first met?

I want to say it was childhood. I remember the first time I met her, a young girl with a bright smile, missing some teeth. But that didn't make her smile any less pretty. Her hair like the sunshine that shown so brightly upon it. She kept it pulled back in the ever popular pink tails. She was never rude, nor put off by me quiet nature. She just smiled and introduce herself. Offering a hand in friendship, she began to babble about all the things she enjoyed.
Some how in the end she promised to look after me and I believed every word.

She's kept her word ever since.
I wander out into the halls as I watch her go in a different direction. Looking for any signs that may help me in my adventure, I make my way down the hall. Trying hard to not get too curious about the doors either closed or more so the ones open as I pass them.
When I turn at the end of the hall I spot the machine I've been looking for, only to find the kids I saw earlier are in a group in front of it.

I can't catch a break today. Nervously, I begin my way that way, letting my nearly dry hair cover my face as as keep my head low. As I get closer I can hear the children talking.
"Stupid adults, they never listen." A boy with thick glasses practically shouted.
"Richie, st..stop that. Y.. you k.. know IT ma…makes ss…sure they don't." This boy seemed oddly familiar.
"Bill's right. The only things they believed were my dad and the bodies." A tall red haired girl spoke softer then the other two had.
"Did you hear they found Henry's dad… His neck was cut. Bleed out all over. Do you know how many diseases those people could catch from him?" A boy with a cast fidgeted as he spoke.
"They found the rest of Bowser's gang as well. Throats slashed as well. He left them in his car!" The boy I now knew to be called Richie chirped. "You know they're going to blame all this on Henry. That's if they ever find him. How deep do you think that well was?" He looked to the rest as the looked unsure.

The group fell silent as I came closer, looking at me unsure and moving out of the way as I made past to the vending machine. I could feel their eyes burning into my back as I made my selection. A bag of M&M's fell, crouching to reach in to get them I could hear them whispering.
"Who's that?"
"Ben, quiet." The girl of the group mumbled.

As I turn I try not to look at them as I move to go back past them. What I didn't expect was the one named Bill to step out in front of me. I freeze in my confusion.
"You came in earlier…you looked like you came from the sewers. You saw them didn't you?"
I slowly look up at him, he's staring determined to hear my answer.
I know what he means without him explaining.

Swallowing, I nod slowly. "Y… yes."
He nodded, looking relieved but sad. "You're the reason they believed us…Thank you."
I feel shocked to hear that. Why would he thank me for telling the truth? Were the officers so unbelieving of children? I couldn't believe they would ignore this group from how they looked. They look like they had just been in battle and gone through hell itself to get here.

"It… it wa…was… n..n.. nothing." Why am I stuttering suddenly?
"How did you get there? There was no when alive down there but us." Bill looks like he's trying to but a puzzle together as he looks me over. I opened my mouth to reply when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I jump, whirling around to find Linda there.
"I see you kids ran into Bobby here." They nodded looking at me and then her. "I hope you've been nice to him. He's a kind soul. Just a big kid himself at times." She smiled brightly.

I feel a blush on my cheeks as I grow embarrassed from her praises.
"I'll be getting more of his story. Hopefully with his and your own we'll figure this all out and get this cased wrapped up." She looked to the boy named Bill with a sad look.
"I'm sorry for your lose. I hope this now brings your family closer." He simple nods, but there is something more behind it. He looks like he wants to say something but keeps it to himself.

I look to her confused was she leads me away, saying her goodbyes and well wishes to the group. It would appear one of their friends had been injured in the sewers. They weren't allowed in to see him at this time. Explaining why I had seen them all shouting earlier and now waiting the halls.

We make it to the cruiser before she turns to me from the drivers seat.
"Bill Denbrough." I look to her confused. "That boy, he lost his brother last year. Georgie Denbrough. His family hasn't been the same. Poor kid kept trying to find him. Saying he knew where his brother would be if we just looked there. The whole family is a wreck from losing him. Now… it turns out it was a serial killer." She sighed shaking her head, "None of those kids deserved any of this."

I just sit there listening quietly. The name sounds so familiar to me. Then it hits my why. I met Georgie last year, before I blacked out. He was out playing on his own when I ran into him, well he ran into me. I'd been making my way to work at the tv studio when a felt a small body collied into mine. I looked down to find a small boy with brown hair and look of worry planted on his face.

"I'm sorry mister. I wasn't looking where I was going." I offered my hand to help him up. The poor kid looked surprised by it before taking it. I haled him up to his feet with a warm smile.
"It's okay. No harm down. You just try and be more careful."
He grinned right back, "I will." He offered his hand to me, "I'm Georgie, Georgie Denbrough." I couldn't help but chuckle and take it with a nice shake, "Nice to meet you Georgie. I'm Bobby, Bobby Gray. You really shouldn't talk to strangers though Georgie. It can be dangerous."

I looked about worried, hoping to spot his mother or father.
"Where are your parents?"
"Oh, I'm with my brother. I was just trying to catch up." He pointed behind me to a taller boy who stood not too far away, watching us both carefully.
"Well you better go and catch up then." A chuckle escaped me as I stepped aside to let him by. The boy grinned and danced off with a wave, "See you later Bobby!"

I paled now knowing that small bubbly boy was long dead. My stomach churned uneasily as I looked out the window, tears prickling my eyes as they formed. My advice hadn't helped and in the end the poor kid suffered a horrible death.
Linda's hand was on my shoulder again. It seemed that today I would have to withstand more contact then I ever could remember before this day.
"I'm sorry Bobby…I know how you can be empathetic. I shouldn't have said anything."

I take a deep breath, sniffling as I whipping the tears the got free from my face, "No… no, it's alright. Just… I.. I met him once. He was a good kid…" I fall silent again as I continue to watch out the window. Feeling a squeeze of my shoulder before Linda took her hand away, I could tell she understood. The engine started, sounding distant as I dwell on what I see outside, she beings to back out of the parking spot and head out.

"We'll get you something good. No more talks about this until after. It's going to be alright Bobby. It's all over now."