Case 02: Truth is Obscured

"In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same." -Albert Einstein

Everyone sat in absolute silence for nobody could formulate their thoughts, concerns, or emotions into proper words. The only sound were the soft ticks from the clock which hung over Doctor Tia Tooth's appointed seat. She simply sat in her large black seat with her eyes shut while her friends Doctor Eric Bunnymund and Doctor Nicholas North sat on the old, shabby grey couch which was placed against the ocean blue coloured walls. According to psychological studies, the colour blue was supposed to promote the sense of tranquility and relieve mental and physical stress.

Evidently, it was failing miserably as Nick kept sighing and rubbing his head while Eric kept his arms crossed with a deep scowl smeared across his exhausted face. Meanwhile the two female detectives sat in front of her brown office table which was littered with administrative papers and forums that needed to be signed within the next five days.

Tia finally opened her eyes and stared at the detectives who looked equally tired by the long day. She put on her professional smile and said, "So...um... Detective..."

The blond officer said, "Head Detective Elsa."

The other detective quickly added, "Anna...uh. Detective Anna."

All the doctors in the room, except Doctor Tooth, sullenly stared at the detectives. Doctor Eric Bunnymund demanded, "Why are you here? It was a car accident."

Detective Elsa understood the man's reasonable irritation and explained, "Yes, it was an accident as far as we know of now and we are currently assuming that the cause was due to the weather and the road condition. However, we need to make sure what caused the accident. The only survivors of this unfortunate event are Mr. Overland and Mrs. Overland. We require their statement about the accident. We are also checking the truck driver's body to check the cause of death... and we will also need to do the same for Riley Overland."

Tia and Nick shut their eyes at the mention of the boy's death. Angrily, Eric abruptly stood up and huffed as he said, "You make it sound so easily and simple. We knew their family. They were our friends... no, they are our family! And you people want to write it off as a big, tragic accident... and now you want to violate a four year old boy!"

Detective Anna intervened and gently said, "Sir, we know how you feel-"

Eric barked, "No, you don't! You don't know how it feels. We lost our godson and we might be losing our closest friends right now. So don't tell me that you know how it feels because we can't even go help them right now. We can't treat Jack or Rebecca because we can be biased or haste with our judgements because they are our friends. You honestly don't know what that feels like."

North placed his large hand over Bunnymund's trembling shoulders and Eric collapsed back onto the shoulder and covered his teary eyes. He confessed, "I checked Riley's body earlier. He ribcage was crushed by the impact and that caused his organs to be also crushed. He had internal bleeding. It would have only been a minute or two before he would have died. It was unpreventable... please write that down in your reports, but don't touch the boy's body. Please."

Detective Elsa and Anna casted their eyes away from the two grieving men. Tia added, "You are free to stay and wait, but they are both under coma. Jack's trauma to the head forced him to go into coma while Rebecca mainly suffered from second degree burns."

It seemed as if Detective Elsa could slightly comprehend the medical situation, however Detective Anna seemed to have difficulty understanding what Tia had said. Therefore Tia calmly explained, "Jack's burns were third degree so most of his nerve systems has been damaged so he doesn't feel the pain, but the head trauma caused pressure to his brain. This is what caused his coma. Meanwhile second degree burns doesn't damage the nerve endings so she would feel every pain in her body: the burns, the broken bones, everything. The pain would have been unbearable so we had to put her into a medical coma. We can't wake her up until the pain would be tolerable. Anyhow they have both been put into surgery... so it's not possible for you to talk to them."

Then a surgeon rushed to Tia's office and knocked on the door. Tia said, "Come in!"

It was a young blond doctor and he quickly reported, "Doctor Tooth and Doctor Bunnymund, we may need you right now."

The doctors didn't question the surgeon as they quickly left the Head Hospital Administrator's office. Surprised, the detectives tailed after the four doctors out of the room. They passed several different doctors and nurses who were taking care of their own patients. They climbed a flight of stairs and entered the operating theater, where they had a clear view of the ongoing surgeries.

The detectives observed Jack Overland and Rebecca Overland who were in two separate operating rooms. Jack's body was getting washed and scrubbed carefully by the doctors and nurses. Then they brought out bowls full of worm-like creatures.

Disgusted, Anna asked, "What are those?"

Doctor Bunnymund said, "Maggots."

Anna said, "And they are going to put maggots on his body..."

Elsa watched the doctors layer maggots over his burn wounds. She'd seen them countless times in murder scenes, but she didn't expect to see them in a hospital room. Then she realized what the maggots were for as she whispered, "They are for eating away the dead flesh..."

Doctor Bunnymund seemed a bit impressed as he raised his brow and said, "Yes, they are. They only eat dead skin and they can also disinfect the open wounds. The sterilized maggots are commonly used for burn patients."

Then he talked to the young surgeon and said, "Tell the doctor in charge to put him into the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, it should help the process for disinfection and it will help his body to heal faster."

The surgeon eagerly nodded his head, then he said, "Doctor Overland's treatment is going well, but as for his wife, we aren't too certain about his wife."

Tia whipped her head around and demanded, "What do you mean?"

The surgeon cautiously said, "It's about her fetus."

Tia argued, "Baby."

The surgeon looked meek and continued, "We are quite certain that the baby died... It would be best to have it removed as soon as possible...but with her condition, we don't know what do to."

North sighed and asked, "Can you guys guess how old the baby was?"

Tia shook her head in sadness and choked, "Rebecca told me last week that she was 12 weeks pregnant.. so she should be 13 weeks pregnant."

Everyone watched Tia beginning to break down as she bit back a sob and she started to breathe in and out loudly in order not to cry in front of everyone. She whimpered, "I'm sorry."

North and Bunnymund equally felt the misery continuing to loom over them as they all tried to keep their emotions controlled. They hugged Tia until she finally began to calm down. Then they released her while she wiped her tears away. Tia asked, "Eric, what do you think?"

He replied, "It's too dangerous right now. Jack and Rebecca are far too vulnerable right, they can easily get infected so it's best to have them recover first. Studies show that it doesn't directly harm the mother when the baby dies in the womb. It should be safe to let Rebecca rest for a week. Then the baby can be removed by giving Rebecca oxytocin which will cause contraction..."

Tia nodded in agreement and said, "Please tell that to the head surgeon."

The surgeon left the group and went downstairs. Meanwhile Elsa watched the surgeons prepare the bandages and monitor their heart rate. The doctors said that Mr. Overland wouldn't feel any pain, but what would happen after he woke up?

He would learn of the loss of his son and his future child. Then he would see the state of his wife. It sounded like a nightmare, yet it was reality. How would she talk to a broken man? She understood why his friends were protective, but she needed the truth as a detective. He and his wife were the only ones to know of the event, yet they were both containing the truth in their minds. Truth was obscured and it was her duty to patiently wait for them to wake up.

It may have been insensitive of her, but she had to ask, "How long will it take for Mr. Overland and Mrs. Overland to wake up?"

The doctors looked upset by her question, but they seemed to understand her stance too. Doctor North and Bunnymund represented their fields and Bunnymund explained, "Jack is going to definite require skin grafting- a surgery where we use healthy skin from other parts of his body to help heal the body, and his broken bones needs to get healed as well. His third degree burns will take several weeks to heal because his muscles were affected as well..."

Doctor North scratched his head and said, "Even after he wakes up, we will need to check his mental state and he may need therapeutic help. We can only hope that he will wake up at the earliest of a week, and at the worst case, four weeks."

Doctor Tooth said, "The same will go for Rebecca, but she will need the additional procedure to recover the dead baby out of her uterus."

Detective Anna concluded, "So they will need much to time to recover, but we technically don't know when they will wake up..."

Tia said, "Yes."

Anna eyed her boss and asked, "Should we possibly have one agent to stay here everyday just in case one of them wakes up?"

Elsa continued to observe Jack Overland and Rebecca Overland... they were their sole survivors and they needed the truth. A few weeks didn't sound to difficult since her office had five detectives, including herself. There was Detective Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Hans. They could possibly rotate each week, but if any of the agents had a problem with her choice, she could fill in their position. She could easily work via the phone.

Detective Elsa said, "Yes. I will start this week. Please go back to the office and tell the others."

Anna replied, "Of course."

Anna left the group and only Elsa, Tia, Eric, and Nick watched over Jack and Rebecca's surgeries. Elsa silently mused, why was finding truth so difficult?

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