Chapter III: Doctor Knows Best

Marcos slowly opens his eyes and finds himself laying on an examining table. Looking down and shining a light into his pupils is Dr. Deidre Lundy, an attractive brunette in her early thirties. After seeing Marcos come to, she smiles.

"Well, glad to see you've rejoined the living Colonel Morales." she says.

Marcos squints and slightly sits up "Colonel, I never thought I'd ever hear anyone call me that again." he says groggily as he intakes another deep breath "What happened?"

"You were jumped by some Netas in the yard. You sustained some shallow stab wounds, but I think your gonna be ok."

"The only thing I remember is seeing Ramos puking up something black. Than I dunno, I lost it."

"Oscar Ramos is dead. I understand it was probably self-defense, but the other Netas are probably gonna want revenge. I can request for you to be moved to protective lock up if you want."

Marcos smirks "I don't know that slitting someone's throat from behind would be considered self-defense, but sure. Oh and you can bag the whole protective lock up shtick. If the fuckers are gonna come for me, than it is what it is. I learn to accept the things I couldn't change a very long time ago doctor…"

"Deidre Lundy, one of the heads here in the Infirmary."

"Right, Dr. Lundy." Marcos says as he slowly closes his eyes and rubs his temples.

"Still, killing another inmate doesn't exactly help your cause with the parole board. I mean, ya know, considering your already lengthy sentence." says Lundy.

The man looks back at the doctor with an annoyed stare "Is that supposed to be a fucking joke doctor? I'd call three consecutive life terms a bit more than just a lengthy sentence, wouldn't you?"

Lundy widens her eyes "Well you're a serial bomber and homicidal arsonist with a body count of over two hundred dead. So I'd say you got off light with just three life terms."

"Thank you so much for re-iterating that for me." says Marcos, the anger rising in his voice.

Lundy looks down sheepishly "Yor right, I'm sorry. But if it wasn't for self-defense, why did you kill Ramos the way that you did?"

"To send a message, plus I figured, what the hell…what's one more?" he says with a disturbing grin.

"You said something earlier. Something about Ramos vomiting up something? What was that all about?"

Marcos' mood immediately changes at hearing the question. He glances away with a worried look on his face "Never mind."

"You know it's funny, we didn't find anything like that around. The guards who broke up the fight reported that Ramos never got up after you slit his throat." says Lundy trying to be more probing.

"I said, Never mind!" Marcos forcefully exclaims before he again looks away "Besides, you wouldn't believe it anyway." he says in a much quieter tone.

"Have it your way." says the doctor as she begins to walk away before stopping and turning around to face her patient once again "Ya know, working in my profession, I've seen my fair share of some fucked up shit. So if you did see something out there…"

Marcos remains silent as he continues to stare in the opposite direction. Lundy nods her head and turns around, satisfied that Marcos wasn't going to open up. She gets a few more feet away before he finally speaks up.

"Did you ever have a recurring nightmare doctor?...and I do mean recurring, as in every goddamn night for the past four months." says Marcos, a look of dread seriousness on his face.

"Well, I've certainly heard of recurring dreams, even had a few myself. But never anything that frequent." says Lundy as she walks back towards her charge.

"Well, I certainly have."

"I see. So tell me, what happens in these nightmares that has you so spooked?"

Marcos looks straight into the doctor's eyes with his response "Ryleh."

"I'm sorry?" says Lundy with a look of confusion.

"As soon as I close my eyes at night, I'm right back on that fucking boat out in the middle of the ocean. Two divers communicate with me through the radio, tell me that the sea floor is littered with fish carcasses as far as the eye can see. A storm kicks up from out of nowhere and they scramble to get back to the surface. The sky becomes inky black with thunder and lightning. There are four people with black hoods and robes who start chanting Ryleh over and over. Myself and the two divers are terrified, we have no idea what's going on…when we see it." says Marcos, with a blank expressionless look as he describes his nightmare.

Lundy reaches over and brushes her hand across his "What do you see Colonel?"

Marcos again looks her dead in the eyes "The corpses. But not the bodies of the fish or anything like that, they're human bodies, decayed and rotting. Instead of an ocean of water, it's become an ocean of decomposing human bodies, but they're alive at the same time, all reaching out, screaming and thrashing. The giant tentacles come up, grab my two companions and pull them under. That's when I wake up in a cold clammy sweat. Then there are the visions, like the one I had outside with Ramos."

"You may be experiencing some kind of schizophrenic break, I'm sure there's an explanation for all this Colonel."

"No amount of schizophrenia could produce the things that I've seen, and felt. Visions so powerful, I can smell the shit that's around me. You know your dealing with something pretty potent, if it can strike fear even in the heart of a psychopath."

"What does any of this have to do with the fight you had?" asks Lundy.

"Anything this goddamned prison can throw at me is a walk in the park compared to whatever has crawled inside my subconscious as of late. When I sliced that cocksucker's throat, let's just say it provided a little bit of relief." says Marcos as he produces yet another off putting smile.

"Look I can set something up with the prison psychiatrist if you would like…"

"Save it doctor!" says Marcos as he cuts off Lundy.

"Of course, I didn't mean anything by it. If you would like to sit and just talk to me more about it, I'd be more than happy."

Marcos narrows his eyes in suspicion "We're through here. The next time I decide to get stabbed up, I'll be sure to come and see you. Guard, I'm ready to go back to my cell!" he says as two guards walk over.

One of the guards looks to Lundy for reassurance "Doctor is he clear to return to his cell?"

Looking defeated, Lundy reluctantly nods her head "I suppose. Sargent Reynolds, would you escort the Colonel back, I have something I wanna ask Officer Cobb."

"Good day doctor, I'll be sure to give the rest of the Netas your regards." says Marcos as he and Reynolds exit the Infirmary as Lundy pulls Cobb aside.

"I heard what he was saying, you think he could be the one?" asks Cobb.

"Possibly, but your sure Ramos never got back up?"

"That's an affirmative doctor. Ramos was probably dead the second he hit the ground."

"Than his visions might be legit. The nightmares about Ryleh, coinciding with all the dead sea life. We may have our Prophet."

"Did you get a blood sample?" asks Cobb.

"Of course, it was one of the first things I did. We have to be sure, run a scan to see if he possesses the Hyksos Uranum. I'll arrange a meeting with Father Emmett, in the meantime keep a tight watch on him." says Lundy.

"Yes ma'am." says Cobb as he exits the Infirmary.

Lundy than commences to make a phone call "Father, this is Dr. Lundy. I think I may have a found a candidate."