Chapter 6 "Partners"
So far this afternoon, I had spoken to my foster father, a priest, a shrink and one very handsome Detective, named Jack Ivy. All of them were very nice. All of them also thought I was nuts. None of them believed me about the children.
Gorman, while chalking up my ‘outburst’, to the new medication, was insisting that I get another night nurse. When I disagreed, he refused to release me from Berkley. Currently, we were a standoff. I sat in my hospital bed, arms angrily folded across my chest with heart of a rebellious teenager and plotting my revenge!
Just when I had exhausted every option I could think of, opportunity knocked in the form of a skinny kid with dimples.
“Hello, Ms Blue?” Said the kid nervously. “Who are you?” I snapped. “Hi, um, my name is Kyle Kincaid. I’m with the Evening Sun Post…” I could feel my eyebrows shoot up, in a look of, “oh really?" It was a look that I had annoyingly adopted from Gorman.
The kid cleared his throat. “I know that you spoke to Detective Ivy and that he… well… He…”
“”Thought I was nuts?” I finished for him. He laughed then, quick and nervous, showing off the gap between his teeth. “Yeah, nuts… I mean… sorry… no disrespect.” “None taken.” I shrugged, unclenching folded arms and waving the words away.
The kid relaxed a little and inched closer to my bed. I noticed he held a clipboard, but no pen. “What’s the clipboard for?” He looked down as if he forgot it was there and laughed. “Oh, I saw this movie once, where the guy always used a clipboard to get into places. He said it made you look important and no one questioned why you were there.” “How’s that working for you?” I asked. “Actually, pretty well.” He laughed. “Not a bad idea, kid.” I smiled. “So, why are you here?”
Kyle scooted in closer and sat in the chair next to my bed. “Listen, Ms, Blue. I heard some of what you told Detective Ivy.” “Were you eavesdropping, Kyle?” I teased. I was rewarded with another quick flash of dimples. “A little…” He said, embarrassed. “And now, I suppose, you want to get a ‘Kook Quote’ for your paper, right?”
Kyle surprised me, shaking a head full of red hair and turning big brown serious eyes on me. “Ma’am… My Grandmother used to say, ‘There are strange facts in this world. The things we know about, wouldn’t even fit on the top of Mother Nature’s hat pin.” I laughed out loud. Something that I hadn’t done in a long time.
Kyle smiled. “Ms. Blue. I want to hear your story. I promise if you tell me, I will keep everything off the record till you give me the go ahead… I also promise to keep an open mind. Something, I think, not too people have done for you lately.”
I studied the young man. “How long have you been in the newspaper business?” “Three… almost four months…” “Months, huh? I see… Do you have a car?” “A what?” “A car… Do you have a car or aren't you old enough to drive... “ “Hey, I’m not a kid! Yes, of course I have a car!” “Awesome. Do me a favor… Go in that closet and give me the bag that's in there.”
Kyle went to my small hospital room closet, pulling out the paperbag where the nurse had put my clothes. “Thanks. Now, go stand by the door and give me a sign if you see a nurse heading this way.” “Wh-what?” Stammered Kyle. “Come on, Kyle, hurry up. I haven’t seen a nurse in awhile, so one may be about due to check on me.” “I… I don’t understand…” said Kyle.
“Listen, you want a story, I want to get out of here. You help me and I help you. Deal?”
Kyle mulled my proposition over for a minute and then a shrewd little sparkle of light flashed in his eyes. “Let’s say I help you get out of here. If your story leads to something, do I get the exclusive?” I held up three fingers, “Scouts honor... If there is a story, you are my guy!”
Kyle flashed another grin and ran to the door. “Hurry.” He said. The nursing staff was about to switch over when I came in. They got to be almost done.” I couldn’t believe my luck! Not only was the kid willing to listen to me, but he was also willing to help me get out of there! Gorman was going to be pissed... I loved it!
I ripped open the bag with my belongings. Margita hadn’t brought in street clothes yet, (probably a mandate from Gorman), but I wouldn’t be the first person to go outside in pajamas. After I finished wriggling into my clothes, I looked for my wheelchair. It was in the corner, just out of reach, naturally!
“Kyle…” I hissed. “Kyle, where are you?” Kyle came back wearing a lab coat. “Hey, where did you find that?” “I figured if I was going to break you out of here, I better dress the part.” He grinned. I was liking this kid, more and more.
I pointed to my wheelchair. Without a word Kyle grabbed it from the corner and locked it in place so I could slide in.
“Ok, kid, how are we going to get by the nurse’s station?” “Trust the clipboard.” He smiled. Tucking the clipboard under one arm, he buttoned up his lab coat and carefully layed his press pass backwards on his chest so that his newspaper logo wasn't visible. I started to wheel myself and he shook his head. “Nope, just put your hands in your lap and look helpless.” He instructed. “Right.” I agreed. Image was everything.
Berkley Medical was huge. This played in our favor as Kyle wheeled me down the halls. He just looked like “The new kid”, taking me down to radiology or some other department. We only got lost once before we found the parking lot.
Kyle’s vehicle turned out to be a old beat up white van, which was perfect for my chair. There was a little bit of a catch when he realised I couldn’t walk at all, but all he said was, “Well, I guess ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’...” “Your Grandmother?” I asked. “Yeah, she was full of corn ball quotes.”
I managed to get in and seat belted, while Kyle packed my chair into the back of the van. Then he climbed in the driver’s seat, put the key in the ignition and hesitated... “Umm”, he said giving me a confused look. “I was so busy getting us out of here, I never stopped to ask… Where are we going?”
“There’s the rub…” I said softly... “I don’t know.” Kyle’s brow beetled. “Just tell me what you, remember.” I looked up. He said, ‘remember’. It was so good to be treated normal and not like I had lost my mind, but all I could do was shrug.
“Let’s try something.” Said Kyle. “Close your eyes.” “Is this another something you learned from watching movies?” I smiled. “Yah… wanna give it a try?” He asked, his charming,*little boy* grin showing. “Sure…” I said, obediently closing my eyes. “I know it’s a red brick apartment building. House number, 186, but I don’t know where or what street or…” “Stop…” Said Kyle, quickly, which had me looking at him again. “Just close your eyes and listen to my voice…” “Like that’s not creepy…” I laughed. “Come on, are you going to try this or not?” “Ok, ok!” I said, closing my eyes for the second time. “Now listen to my voice… Relax and let your other senses take over. Can you tell me what you smell…?”
Over the next few minutes Kyle asked questions and we walked back through my memories. What was the temperature? What was I wearing?… I became lulled by the sound of his voice, answering questions when I could. It felt like I was falling asleep… and then his voice stopped...
I opened my eyes. Kyle was about three sheets lighter than his already pale skin. “What’s wrong?” “You’re… voice…” He stammered. “What?” “I… it…Ms Blue, your voice changed…” I would have responded with a smart assed remark if it weren’t for scared look on his face. I remembered a voice, hollow and echoed and talking with... the moon?
I shook my head. “Ok, nothing in the last couple of days has made any sense, so I’m just going to shelf that for now… Asides from sounding like a weirdo , did I say anything, helpful?” “Um yeah… I think I know where we need to go…” “Then what are we waiting for, Partner? Let's go!” “Right…” he said, still a little freaked out. Turning the key, the old beat up van roared to life. “From what you described, I think we need to go to the old part of town. They call it the bowery.” He looked at me sideways... “It’s not a good place.” he whispered. “I didn’t think it would be.” I answered.
Gorman, while chalking up my ‘outburst’, to the new medication, was insisting that I get another night nurse. When I disagreed, he refused to release me from Berkley. Currently, we were a standoff. I sat in my hospital bed, arms angrily folded across my chest with heart of a rebellious teenager and plotting my revenge!
Just when I had exhausted every option I could think of, opportunity knocked in the form of a skinny kid with dimples.
“Hello, Ms Blue?” Said the kid nervously. “Who are you?” I snapped. “Hi, um, my name is Kyle Kincaid. I’m with the Evening Sun Post…” I could feel my eyebrows shoot up, in a look of, “oh really?" It was a look that I had annoyingly adopted from Gorman.
The kid cleared his throat. “I know that you spoke to Detective Ivy and that he… well… He…”
“”Thought I was nuts?” I finished for him. He laughed then, quick and nervous, showing off the gap between his teeth. “Yeah, nuts… I mean… sorry… no disrespect.” “None taken.” I shrugged, unclenching folded arms and waving the words away.
The kid relaxed a little and inched closer to my bed. I noticed he held a clipboard, but no pen. “What’s the clipboard for?” He looked down as if he forgot it was there and laughed. “Oh, I saw this movie once, where the guy always used a clipboard to get into places. He said it made you look important and no one questioned why you were there.” “How’s that working for you?” I asked. “Actually, pretty well.” He laughed. “Not a bad idea, kid.” I smiled. “So, why are you here?”
Kyle scooted in closer and sat in the chair next to my bed. “Listen, Ms, Blue. I heard some of what you told Detective Ivy.” “Were you eavesdropping, Kyle?” I teased. I was rewarded with another quick flash of dimples. “A little…” He said, embarrassed. “And now, I suppose, you want to get a ‘Kook Quote’ for your paper, right?”
Kyle surprised me, shaking a head full of red hair and turning big brown serious eyes on me. “Ma’am… My Grandmother used to say, ‘There are strange facts in this world. The things we know about, wouldn’t even fit on the top of Mother Nature’s hat pin.” I laughed out loud. Something that I hadn’t done in a long time.
Kyle smiled. “Ms. Blue. I want to hear your story. I promise if you tell me, I will keep everything off the record till you give me the go ahead… I also promise to keep an open mind. Something, I think, not too people have done for you lately.”
I studied the young man. “How long have you been in the newspaper business?” “Three… almost four months…” “Months, huh? I see… Do you have a car?” “A what?” “A car… Do you have a car or aren't you old enough to drive... “ “Hey, I’m not a kid! Yes, of course I have a car!” “Awesome. Do me a favor… Go in that closet and give me the bag that's in there.”
Kyle went to my small hospital room closet, pulling out the paperbag where the nurse had put my clothes. “Thanks. Now, go stand by the door and give me a sign if you see a nurse heading this way.” “Wh-what?” Stammered Kyle. “Come on, Kyle, hurry up. I haven’t seen a nurse in awhile, so one may be about due to check on me.” “I… I don’t understand…” said Kyle.
“Listen, you want a story, I want to get out of here. You help me and I help you. Deal?”
Kyle mulled my proposition over for a minute and then a shrewd little sparkle of light flashed in his eyes. “Let’s say I help you get out of here. If your story leads to something, do I get the exclusive?” I held up three fingers, “Scouts honor... If there is a story, you are my guy!”
Kyle flashed another grin and ran to the door. “Hurry.” He said. The nursing staff was about to switch over when I came in. They got to be almost done.” I couldn’t believe my luck! Not only was the kid willing to listen to me, but he was also willing to help me get out of there! Gorman was going to be pissed... I loved it!
I ripped open the bag with my belongings. Margita hadn’t brought in street clothes yet, (probably a mandate from Gorman), but I wouldn’t be the first person to go outside in pajamas. After I finished wriggling into my clothes, I looked for my wheelchair. It was in the corner, just out of reach, naturally!
“Kyle…” I hissed. “Kyle, where are you?” Kyle came back wearing a lab coat. “Hey, where did you find that?” “I figured if I was going to break you out of here, I better dress the part.” He grinned. I was liking this kid, more and more.
I pointed to my wheelchair. Without a word Kyle grabbed it from the corner and locked it in place so I could slide in.
“Ok, kid, how are we going to get by the nurse’s station?” “Trust the clipboard.” He smiled. Tucking the clipboard under one arm, he buttoned up his lab coat and carefully layed his press pass backwards on his chest so that his newspaper logo wasn't visible. I started to wheel myself and he shook his head. “Nope, just put your hands in your lap and look helpless.” He instructed. “Right.” I agreed. Image was everything.
Berkley Medical was huge. This played in our favor as Kyle wheeled me down the halls. He just looked like “The new kid”, taking me down to radiology or some other department. We only got lost once before we found the parking lot.
Kyle’s vehicle turned out to be a old beat up white van, which was perfect for my chair. There was a little bit of a catch when he realised I couldn’t walk at all, but all he said was, “Well, I guess ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’...” “Your Grandmother?” I asked. “Yeah, she was full of corn ball quotes.”
I managed to get in and seat belted, while Kyle packed my chair into the back of the van. Then he climbed in the driver’s seat, put the key in the ignition and hesitated... “Umm”, he said giving me a confused look. “I was so busy getting us out of here, I never stopped to ask… Where are we going?”
“There’s the rub…” I said softly... “I don’t know.” Kyle’s brow beetled. “Just tell me what you, remember.” I looked up. He said, ‘remember’. It was so good to be treated normal and not like I had lost my mind, but all I could do was shrug.
“Let’s try something.” Said Kyle. “Close your eyes.” “Is this another something you learned from watching movies?” I smiled. “Yah… wanna give it a try?” He asked, his charming,*little boy* grin showing. “Sure…” I said, obediently closing my eyes. “I know it’s a red brick apartment building. House number, 186, but I don’t know where or what street or…” “Stop…” Said Kyle, quickly, which had me looking at him again. “Just close your eyes and listen to my voice…” “Like that’s not creepy…” I laughed. “Come on, are you going to try this or not?” “Ok, ok!” I said, closing my eyes for the second time. “Now listen to my voice… Relax and let your other senses take over. Can you tell me what you smell…?”
Over the next few minutes Kyle asked questions and we walked back through my memories. What was the temperature? What was I wearing?… I became lulled by the sound of his voice, answering questions when I could. It felt like I was falling asleep… and then his voice stopped...
I opened my eyes. Kyle was about three sheets lighter than his already pale skin. “What’s wrong?” “You’re… voice…” He stammered. “What?” “I… it…Ms Blue, your voice changed…” I would have responded with a smart assed remark if it weren’t for scared look on his face. I remembered a voice, hollow and echoed and talking with... the moon?
I shook my head. “Ok, nothing in the last couple of days has made any sense, so I’m just going to shelf that for now… Asides from sounding like a weirdo , did I say anything, helpful?” “Um yeah… I think I know where we need to go…” “Then what are we waiting for, Partner? Let's go!” “Right…” he said, still a little freaked out. Turning the key, the old beat up van roared to life. “From what you described, I think we need to go to the old part of town. They call it the bowery.” He looked at me sideways... “It’s not a good place.” he whispered. “I didn’t think it would be.” I answered.