An Entangled Life
Chapter 5: Startling Revelations
Martin lay on a dirty cot as he was treated. The people here were very kind. With few supplies they were doing a lot. A man with a broken leg had given up the bed and was sitting with his leg propped on a wooden chair. Martin decided he had to thank him. As soon as he could talk. His injuries were worse than he originally thought. He had been stabbed twice in his side and slashed across his belly. Yet there wasn't much blood loss. This was considered miraculous by the medical staff present. Two females and one elderly male. Martin pitied them.
Martin stared at the ceiling.
What was my life like? Was I always on the streets? Did I even have a family? Why did those guys give me back the I.D. Dr. Vangoose had given me? – Martin
Martin closed his eyes as he felt the urge to cry.
He was a grown up. It was time to act like it.
----
(Two Weeks Later)
Martin gave a little girl an apple. It was noon and he had decided to give away food in place of the usual three who did it.
The clinic had only twenty staff members. That included the janitor, three cooks, a receptionist, two security guards (one outside the other inside), and those who where either qualified medical staff or volunteers. Only six were qualified, and only four worked at the hospital regularly. They were two nurses and two surgeons. One of the two surgeons was an elderly man who shook from old age. Few cared enough to punish the clinic for having someone so old as a surgeon. But no one was going to replace him anyway. So him being there only helped the clinic his deceased wife had created. It was called 'Becky's Help Clinic'. It survived mainly on donations and all services at the small clinic was free. Some workers had to take on extra jobs while working there since there've been times when they couldn't be given any pay.
Martin had decided to help out since most of his injuries had healed in a week. It was called a miracle by staff and patients. While Martin was outwardly was outwardly grateful for his recovery, he was beginning to fear what he was.
He had tried to contacted Dr. Vangoose but was told that no further assistance could be given to him. Then there was silence.
Martin decided to move on without anyone's help. He'd seek assistance when needed but would do things on his own otherwise. People weren't truly reliable. Dr. Vangoose taught him that. So did the gang that beat him up.
"Are you okay mister?" the little girl asked.
"I'm fine," Martin lied, "I have a boo-boo on my side that still hurts," he told her.
"Kisses help," the little girl told him.
"I'll try that," Martin responded and the girl skipped away happily.
"I wonder what it's like being a kid now?" Martin asked himself.
Just then Martin noticed a boy staring at him.
The boy wore a pink hat, pink shirt, blue pants and held a pink balloon with…
Did those eyes just blink? – Martin
The brown haired boy suddenly walked away.
"Wai…" Martin started.
"Excuse me," a lady said suddenly and Martin looked to see a lady walking up to him from another direction, "are you Martin by any chance?" she asked.
Martin's eyes became slits. He had been wearing caps to hide his green hair and the fact that he was the one who had pissed off the Animal Copper gang. The gang still thought he was some secret agent, especially because of his 'papers' and the fact that he was supposed to go to Brightsburg and meet someone to get a job and get settled.
Martin could only wish that was really the case.
But strangely they never revealed his name.
Despite obviously getting it with what they stole. And even stranger their one-week 'reprisal' for an outsider entering their territory and suspiciously surviving their assault, turned out to only last three days. They just stopped without a word. Not even responding to questions from their news correspondent Chet Ubetcha.
"Mister," the lady said waving a hand near his face.
Martin came out of his reverie.
"This section is for those coming for nutritional and edible assistance," Martin said firmly, "if you need medical assistance or here to volunteer, please go inside," he told her.
The lady just stood there and smiled.
Martin was getting annoyed.
"Martin," the lady said in a singsong voice, "I know why Dr. Vangoose can no longer help you," she said with a smile.
Martin slightly moved back. His face filled with surprise.
"Want to know more?" the lady asked, "do you dare," she continued, "hear the truth?" she asked him.
"Who are you?" Martin asked suspiciously.
"Janice Pixel," Janice responded proudly, "I work as a paediatrician at the same hospital Dr. Vangoose works at," she told him.
"Why would you help me?" Martin asked.
"Because what these people did to you was horrible," Janice said, "well you did a bad thing too," she added.
"Bad?" Martin asked.
"People got hurt," Janice said, "you really thought it was a coincidence you've woken without memories?" she asked him, "that a doctor can get you social security, an identity you never had in hours?" she pressed.
"But my name is Martin Johnson," Martin insisted.
Janice laughed.
"Your real name is Cosmo," Janice revealed.
"Cosmo?" Martin demanded angrily, "what kind of dumb name is that?"
Janice grinned.
"I can let you hear a part of it, the trail," Janice said slyly.
"Trial?" Martin asked.
"Yes," Janice responded, "you can only hear certain parts, but I recorded the entire thing," she said excitedly.
"Why can I only hear parts," Martin asked suspiciously.
"Because I'll be in the same trouble as Dr. Vangoose if I let you hear the entire thing silly," Janice said giggling.
"I like Dr. Vangoose," Martin said darkly.
"So does everyone else back at the hospital," Janice countered, "too bad," she said and stopped.
"Too bad what?" Martin demanded.
"Nothing," Janice said, "I'm boring you so I'll just…" she said readying to go.
"I want to hear the trial, all of it," Martin said his hand gripping the table tightly.
"But…," Janice started.
"No protests!" Martin shouted, "I want to know the truth, now."
"You have to sign a contract," Janice told me, "and don't shout at me a second time," she said harshly, "I'm not a friend of your kind," she added.
Martin saw her expensive clothes and assumed something totally different.
"Trust me," Janice said, "riches wouldn't make you attractive to me," she told him.
Okay. – Martin
"Can you just give me the contract then let me see the trail?" Martin demanded.
"Hear, not see," Janice told him, "since I'm the nemesis of your…type, I can break certain rules without repercussions," she said, "but I will not cross the line, not for you," she added.
Martin groaned.
"Here," Janice said and dropped a huge stack of papers in front of him.
Martin looked at the stack incredulously.
Janice with a big grin on her face pulled out a pen.
"Get signing," Janice said brightly as she handed it to him.
Martin took it and started reading and signing.
After fifty pages he just signed without caring what was written.
----
(Five Hours Later)
Martin sat on the curb with his head in his hands. If what Janice made him listen to was the truth then he had cost the lives of ten people. Also he was stupid and not really human. Janice had told him that the little boy he saw was the Timmy he had heard on the cassette. That of course meant that he couldn't even talk to the boy with the rules that judge had implemented.
Hard ass. – Martin
So much was clearer now. His quick healing. Dr. Vangoose getting him social security so fast and even giving him the first name Martin like he had chosen. He definitely should've noticed something up with that.
Probably why I'm stupid. – Martin
But the lives. Martin couldn't get over the lives he had cost. Ten people. Fairies. It didn't matter. He had done something to cause destruction, war, and ten innocent lives.
Now here he was human and powerless for a year.
Maybe I deserve it. Maybe I deserve to suffer. – Martin
Janice was half pixie. She also told Martin that Dr. Vangoose was half fairy and in trouble for helping him beyond what he got permission to do.
Martin sighed.
I'm married, have a godchild, locked powers,… God I must be crazy. – Martin
Janice pretty much wanted to make his life miserable. She hated fairies, she admitted it. As being of pixie heritage greatly warranted according to her. She had even left with an extra pep in her step.
Bitch. – Martin
He wondered if his original fairy self, really cursed. Calling the judge a 'doo-doo head' didn't exactly show Cosmo having an extensive cursing vocabulary. But Martin admitted that the fairy side of him had guts. Dumb guts but guts all the same.
I wonder if I can be brave like that? – Martin
"I'll just have to live my life 'til the year was up," Martin decided, "then I'll be able to return to my normal life," he continued, "whatever that is," he added.
----
(Meanwhile at the Turner Residence)
"I knew that guy had to be him," Timmy proclaimed, "he's well already!" he cried.
"So what," Wanda said dismissively.
"So what!" Timmy shouted.
"We can't talk to him!" Wanda exploded, "we can't communicate, we can't touch, we can't…" she said on the verge of crying.
"Wanda?" Timmy asked in a small voice.
"He's gone Timmy," Wanda said in defeat, "he might be nearer to us than we thought, but," she said, "he's gone."
"You can't say that!" Timmy cried.
"Well what the hell should I say!" Wanda roared and the house shook, "my husband's gone, you just lost a god parent!"
Timmy's eyes widened at her statement.
Oh no. – Wanda
"Timmy I didn't mean…" Wanda started.
"I lost the better god parent," Timmy snarled and stormed out.
Wanda tried to follow but Timmy wished for her to stay in her fishbowl.
Wanda had to obey.
Chapter 5