"You Can Still Be Free" ((Climax Log Part 5))
Characters: Sync zaleho_tempest and Derek asclepiustouch with an NPC guest appearance and an appearance by Karol and Prior
Setting: Utopia Hospital
Time: Friday afternoon/evening
Description: Sync finally wakes up, but his behavior causes Derek some concern.
Style: AIM
Warnings: Derek drops the F-bomb
A soft breeze reached Sync's face and he opened his eyes in response. He was lying on his side in a field of white flowers with his hands outstretched in front of him. Eyes half opened, he wondered where he was. The last thing he remembered was rising to the red sky on a sea of darkness. Maybe... maybe this was what the afterlife was like?
He sat up, rubbing his head and looking around a little. Everything seemed at peace and the flowers happily waved back and forth in the breeze. They seemed larger and healthier than before and Sync reached down to touch one that was near him. At his touch, it didn't wither away or turn to dust and just stayed the same. He looked around further and the sky was completely clear, colored a milky white.
It was an oddly peaceful place and Sync lay himself back down in the flowers on his back, just staring at the sky and feeling the air and flowers around him. There was a warmth about this place, even though there didn't seem to be a sun at all. Sync didn't really notice, though, or care.
Something off to his side caught his attention and he tipped his head over to see what the movement was, but he didn't see anything there at all. He squinted a little, wondering what it could have been, so he sat himself back up and looked out above the flowers. Still... he couldn't see anything unusual in his field of vision. It was nothing...
Sync lay back down on his back again and inhaled deeply, starting to feel a little more alive. He closed his eyes peacefully, never wanting this little fantasy world to stop existing, even though it was so small, made of just the sky and the flowers.
I don't want to wake up... he thought, subconsciously seeming to know that it was all just a dream.
"Feeaji zeekwam kappu kappu zaiut!!" a high-pitched, somewhat squeaky voice caught Sync's attention right away and he sat up quickly, looking in the direction from the sound, then looked down to see the sound had come from a tiny, strange-looking dog.
Sync narrowed his eyes at the noisy creature, wanting him to stop disturbing the peace of his dream.
"Pau ikkapau chavatii!! You aren't allowed to sleep forever!!" the little dog leapt up at Sync's face, forcing him to open his eyes in the real world.
Sync opened his eyes, then narrowed them at the stupid trick the little creature had played on him. Stupid... argh. Sync winced when he started to come-to, feeling the pain especially strong in the area of his left shoulder. He lifted his other arm to place it on his injured one before looking around the room, blinking several times to clear his vision, and seeing that everything had a pinkish glow to it from the evening outside. Then he glanced over to his side to see someone was resting their head there, fast asleep.
Reaching his uninjured arm over, Sync gently poked at the top of his visitor's head.
Sleeping dreamlessly due to his own exhaustion, Derek stirred a little with the poking on his head. When it continued, he groaned a little and tried to scared away whatever annoyance it was, then sat up immediately, his spine popping loudly from the sudden moment, and looked down to the cause of it. "Sync?"
Sync looked up at Derek with fairly clear eyes, "Doctor...?"
Relieved by the immediate recognition, Derek smiled and put his hand over Sync's - although his other arm folded backwards to rest on his lumbar vertebrae. That really hurt... - "Sync... hey there. How are you feeling?"
He glanced over to a display for a quick scan of Sync's vitals and to see how late he had been sleeping... he forgot what time it had been, but it was about seven at night now and Derek knew he had been there, knocked out, for quite some time.
Sync placed his uninjured arm onto his shoulder again and glanced at it with softened eyes. "Where's Karol...?"
"Karol is in the room next door," Derek told him point-blank, surprised how well-oriented Sync was after all that. "He's stable."
"Okay..." Sync muttered lightly before closing his eyes again.
"What about you, Sync?" Derek said quickly, hoping he'd get to Sync before he fell asleep. Piece of mind is always nice to have.
Sync opened his eyes, more distant again. "What do you mean...?" he said tiredly.
"I'm asking how you're feeling...," Derek repeated, although regretting it with Sync looking as tired as he did.
"I don't know how I feel..." Sync looked at the hand that held onto his shoulder. "Did I do the right thing...? What happens now?"
Derek leaned forward on the bed, "For now, don't worry about what happens. I'll take care of it... but what do you mean, 'did you do the right thing?'"
Sync closed his eyes, "I gave up my life to not kill Karol..."
"And you don't think you did the right thing? You're still alive, Sync. You're still going to be alive..." Derek softened his eyes, unable to force a smile through this time.
"I betrayed Giovanni... he wants me dead... it's only a matter of time, Doctor, before he finds me and finishes the job," he opened his eyes, which were full of emotion. "Where's that pillow?"
"You're on my turf right now, Sync. Right now, he's not going to bother you. This is Ms. Mayuzumi's property and so, for now, you're safe..." Derek tried to be reassuring. He didn't know how well Reina and Giovanni worked together, but he was confident that the hospital would buy them some time. "You have pillows, do you need more? ... Your pillow is at home."
"I just want the one pillow..." Sync shut his eyes tightly, ignoring Derek's unrealistic and optimistic point of view.
Derek sighed, watching Sync, "I'll get Angie to bring it, or I'll get it next time I go home. Whichever comes first. I promise."
"Okay..." Sync tried to relax, but his left arm felt so weird. The injury... "Karol... he fought me pretty hard."
The doctor leaned back in his chair, "It seems that way... you fought him pretty hard, too. He ended up a lot worse than you did. And what about that one big guy at the scene? Giovanni's, I'm guessing? Did he hurt you two?"
Sync glanced over at Derek, hating everything about how is body was feeling. "That big guy..." Sync tried to remember, "All he did was point a gun at Karol, so I killed him. Everything else... was from our fight..."
"... I see," Derek brought a hand up to scratch the side of his head right above the sideburn region. "So the guy's twin brother didn't do anything to you either?"
"His twin brother...?" Sync didn't even remember coming across him after the fight with Karol. "What happened to him? Is he dead, too?"
"That would be my guess from what Ion told me, but there is no body to confirm anything."
"...Ion?" Sync closed his eyes again. "Ion..." he grumbled. "Don't tell me you brought him out there with you."
Derek looked to Sync, trying to be sympathetic, but he had a scolding tone instead, "Ion was the first person to find you while I helped the emergency people find Karol."
"You let Ion find me...?? Ugh... that was stupid. You didn't know what state I was in. I could have turned on him once he found me for all you knew," Sync looked away.
"I mean no offense by this, but my medical opinion after seeing you and Karol's fight scene pretty much guaranteed you weren't going to be able to do much if you were still conscious when he had showed up," the doctor sighed. "And you know I won't knowingly put anyone in danger. I think it was probably for the best since that other brother was after you anyways. Ion had done something when I walked out to get you."
Sync focused his eyes on the window and the sky outside, not sure what to say. His mind and body were tired and he felt stressed and irritable. "Now everyone who tried to help me with my wounds are in danger from Giovanni..." he closed his eyes before trying to reach his hand of his injured arm out to Derek. Then when it didn't move far, Sync glared over at it with frustration. "Dammit... I won't even be able to do anything about it...!"
Derek reached out after watching Sync struggle, and take his hand. He looked into Sync's eyes, replying confidently, "You worry about getting better. I told you, I can handle it from here."
"But... argh," Sync looked down and away angrily, not wanting to fight Derek over anything. It's not like it would do any good to do so. "Fine..."
Prepared to repeat himself, Sync had surprised Derek with his lack of an argument. For a moment, the doctor stayed quiet, watching Sync carefully and wondering how he had such a clear mind to him after the insanity from earlier. Was he in his mind earlier? Why now? .. and if he was.. why did he kill Karol's family? I thought he wanted to stop this... "The doctor who was over your emergency operation said you would be well within a few days. Until then, I'll see about getting your pillow. Your blanket, too. Anything else you'd like?"
"The journal, too," Sync didn't look back at Derek. It was true that Sync was fighting a lot less than usual. After accepting death by leaving Karol alive, Sync had thought there would be nothing more at all, so now he was too tired of it all to make the decisions about what would happen next. Obviously, his own life wasn't within his control, so he had silently handed it over to Derek to do with what he wished. Sync closed his eyes, wishing for Derek to succeed at a task Sync had deemed impossible.
"The journal, too," Derek repeated after Sync instead. "Angie'll be going home tonight. I'll get her to bring them back tomorrow when she gets here, unless you want them sooner? I probably should run home real quick and get a few things, then I'll come back and you can have them tonight."
Many things ran through Derek's head as he watched Sync. He was worried. Was it the depression? Derek couldn't understand the young boy at all at the moment, and it bothered him. Trying to get a rouse from him, Derek softly pet the boy's head, ruffling his bangs, "You want any ice cream? I told you I'd get you some the last time I saw you, didn't I? I can go get some from home, too."
Sync's body relaxed a little from the touch, but he didn't open his eyes to look at Derek. "Yeah... ice cream would be good..." he said softly.
Sighing softly, Derek had to hesitate and force his hand to move, but he continued to stare down to Sync, "Ok. I'm going to head home and go get those things for you. I'll be back in about an hour. Is that all right?"
"That's all right," Sync didn't move a muscle.
"Page a nurse if you need anything, and try not to move around much. I'll be back as soon as I can," Derek started to walk away, going as far as the now-opened doorway before turning around and looking to Sync, "You're safe here, and you're going to be ok."
Sync still didn't move. He heard Derek's words but he didn't know how to respond to them, so he stayed quiet.
Derek shut the door behind him, saddened by Sync's behavior. What is going on? Shaking his head, unable to figure it out, he started his walk out of the hospital and back home. He was thinking still, but focusing directly on Sync was hard. What am I going to do about Sync... and Karol... and Giovanni? It was a dangerous situation, and a heavy burden on his shoulders. Karol should be dead... and, hoping he doesn't end up that way, what will happen to him? The poor kid was alone on the island, had no home or safe point of refuge, and was wanted by the largest and most aggressive force on this island.
Then, of course, Sync was an even bigger dilemma. Derek had it set in his mind - Sync was NOT going to go back to that place. Giovanni wanted him dead by now anyways, right? So, Sync wasn't going to be welcome back and allowed to live any longer... Sync said that himself, didn't he?
Outside of the hospital and halfway to the ferry, Derek finally started to understand Sync's attitude a little more. He had no where to go either. His life would be in danger as soon as he walked out of the hospital... The doctor started looking around at the people around him before he got on the ferry, a tickle in the back of his mind reminding him that he might be at risk again, too. ... So, what could be done?
Derek was confident that Sync would be safe as long as he was at the hospital and under doctor care. He trusted the Doctors and Nurses at the hospital, and surely one of Giovanni's assassins wouldn't show up and make a huge scene in front of everyone there. They had no where to hide on the island and secrecy was their protection... Sync would be safe for now. But after then? He couldn't stay in the hospital forever.
His thoughts had Derek walk on automatic back to his apartment. Secrecy was Giovanni's forte. They didn't want the island residents to know of any danger. Everyone is supposed to be happy and get healthy. They're supposed to trust security... That was probably why the day cop got hired. Derek had seen him once around town - a clean-cut blonde with a friendly air about him. He doubted that Sync and the other assassins were ever formally introduced to the officer... So, that was their weakness. Derek had a firm grasp there. Now, what to do about it?
He fumbled with his keys from his pocket once he reached the door, having to squat down and pick them up twice before managing to get the door unlocked.
"I know that my life doesn't mean anything to you. Don't think you're the only one with aces in the hole though... I will be a hard person to wipe off this island now," he talked to no one as he stood staring at the cracked door to his apartment, but he had Giovanni firmly in his mind. "And you don't want to expose yourself, right? ... it's time for you to be on your toes."
The doctor slinked into his apartment, locking the door behind him, and gathered up the things to bring back to the hospital with him.
Inside, Derek remembered that he needed to get everything he needed. Momentarily forgetting his determination, the grocery list played through his head. Pillow... blanket... journal... ice cream... Pillow... blanket... Derek picked up Sync's first three things, putting them in an empty backpack before walking to the computer to get a few books and notes from the desk. As he managed to get them all snuggly inside, the cell phone rang from one of his pockets.
Derek pulled it out, seeing it was the hospital, and answered it quickly, "Dr. Stiles."
"H-hello Doctor! This... this is... umm... RODNEY. Yes, one of the evening-shift nurses," his voice was stuttery and nervous, obviously one of the rookies. "I-I'm sorry but that green-haired boy..." the sound of flipping through papers comes through the phone, followed by the sound of a clipboard falling followed by a quick explanation of "Shit!" from the young man's mouth. "Umm... sorry, I don't have the name, but I was told to call you if anything came up, but... we... er... I lost him..."
Derek dropped the phone.
"What do you mean, you LOST him?!" Derek roared after he picked up the phone. "What happened?!"
"Uhh... umm..." Rodney was obviously very nervous. "I... I went out of the room for a moment and when I came back, he wasn't in his room... and he's just... I don't know. I'm sorry, I'll keep looking!!"
Fuck.. Sync, what are you thinking? "Yes, please do so. I'm on my way back now. Call me back if you find anything else." Derek stuffed a few more things in the backpack and started to walk out of the apartment, "Wait, was the window closed or open? What about the monitor equipment?" He locked the door.
"Uh... umm... let me check the window!!" The sound of Rodney's rushed footsteps came over the phone. "Uhh... the window appears locked and secure," then more footsteps over to the monitoring equipment. "He must have taken them off somehow... but the IV seems to be missing, too...?"
"All right. Get looking for any clues. Check the room next door, too. Check it FIRST. I'm almost to the ferry now," Derek had started orders with a barking, demanding tone but calmed down more as he thought more and more about what might have happened. They couldn't have gotten him... not with that many people around... So he got up on his own? "Call me back if you find anything," and he hung up the phone.
About forty-five seconds later, Derek's phone rang again.
Derek had to grip the rails so he wouldn't run up to the captain of the ferry and tell him to pick up the pace. The ferry can't go any faster... Calm down... And then the phone rang.
"Yes? Did you find him?!"
"Oh... oh my God, Doctor, you were right!! He was in the next room!" Rodney seemed excited, but then he got nervous again. "But... he isn't moving, sir."
"He isn't moving? What is he doing? How about the other patient? Let me talk to him," Derek rushed all of his words, wanting badly for the nurse to tell him what was going on, but he was worried about Karol, too. And Sync.. Sync...
Setting: Utopia Hospital
Time: Friday afternoon/evening
Description: Sync finally wakes up, but his behavior causes Derek some concern.
Style: AIM
Warnings: Derek drops the F-bomb
A soft breeze reached Sync's face and he opened his eyes in response. He was lying on his side in a field of white flowers with his hands outstretched in front of him. Eyes half opened, he wondered where he was. The last thing he remembered was rising to the red sky on a sea of darkness. Maybe... maybe this was what the afterlife was like?
He sat up, rubbing his head and looking around a little. Everything seemed at peace and the flowers happily waved back and forth in the breeze. They seemed larger and healthier than before and Sync reached down to touch one that was near him. At his touch, it didn't wither away or turn to dust and just stayed the same. He looked around further and the sky was completely clear, colored a milky white.
It was an oddly peaceful place and Sync lay himself back down in the flowers on his back, just staring at the sky and feeling the air and flowers around him. There was a warmth about this place, even though there didn't seem to be a sun at all. Sync didn't really notice, though, or care.
Something off to his side caught his attention and he tipped his head over to see what the movement was, but he didn't see anything there at all. He squinted a little, wondering what it could have been, so he sat himself back up and looked out above the flowers. Still... he couldn't see anything unusual in his field of vision. It was nothing...
Sync lay back down on his back again and inhaled deeply, starting to feel a little more alive. He closed his eyes peacefully, never wanting this little fantasy world to stop existing, even though it was so small, made of just the sky and the flowers.
I don't want to wake up... he thought, subconsciously seeming to know that it was all just a dream.
"Feeaji zeekwam kappu kappu zaiut!!" a high-pitched, somewhat squeaky voice caught Sync's attention right away and he sat up quickly, looking in the direction from the sound, then looked down to see the sound had come from a tiny, strange-looking dog.
Sync narrowed his eyes at the noisy creature, wanting him to stop disturbing the peace of his dream.
"Pau ikkapau chavatii!! You aren't allowed to sleep forever!!" the little dog leapt up at Sync's face, forcing him to open his eyes in the real world.
Sync opened his eyes, then narrowed them at the stupid trick the little creature had played on him. Stupid... argh. Sync winced when he started to come-to, feeling the pain especially strong in the area of his left shoulder. He lifted his other arm to place it on his injured one before looking around the room, blinking several times to clear his vision, and seeing that everything had a pinkish glow to it from the evening outside. Then he glanced over to his side to see someone was resting their head there, fast asleep.
Reaching his uninjured arm over, Sync gently poked at the top of his visitor's head.
Sleeping dreamlessly due to his own exhaustion, Derek stirred a little with the poking on his head. When it continued, he groaned a little and tried to scared away whatever annoyance it was, then sat up immediately, his spine popping loudly from the sudden moment, and looked down to the cause of it. "Sync?"
Sync looked up at Derek with fairly clear eyes, "Doctor...?"
Relieved by the immediate recognition, Derek smiled and put his hand over Sync's - although his other arm folded backwards to rest on his lumbar vertebrae. That really hurt... - "Sync... hey there. How are you feeling?"
He glanced over to a display for a quick scan of Sync's vitals and to see how late he had been sleeping... he forgot what time it had been, but it was about seven at night now and Derek knew he had been there, knocked out, for quite some time.
Sync placed his uninjured arm onto his shoulder again and glanced at it with softened eyes. "Where's Karol...?"
"Karol is in the room next door," Derek told him point-blank, surprised how well-oriented Sync was after all that. "He's stable."
"Okay..." Sync muttered lightly before closing his eyes again.
"What about you, Sync?" Derek said quickly, hoping he'd get to Sync before he fell asleep. Piece of mind is always nice to have.
Sync opened his eyes, more distant again. "What do you mean...?" he said tiredly.
"I'm asking how you're feeling...," Derek repeated, although regretting it with Sync looking as tired as he did.
"I don't know how I feel..." Sync looked at the hand that held onto his shoulder. "Did I do the right thing...? What happens now?"
Derek leaned forward on the bed, "For now, don't worry about what happens. I'll take care of it... but what do you mean, 'did you do the right thing?'"
Sync closed his eyes, "I gave up my life to not kill Karol..."
"And you don't think you did the right thing? You're still alive, Sync. You're still going to be alive..." Derek softened his eyes, unable to force a smile through this time.
"I betrayed Giovanni... he wants me dead... it's only a matter of time, Doctor, before he finds me and finishes the job," he opened his eyes, which were full of emotion. "Where's that pillow?"
"You're on my turf right now, Sync. Right now, he's not going to bother you. This is Ms. Mayuzumi's property and so, for now, you're safe..." Derek tried to be reassuring. He didn't know how well Reina and Giovanni worked together, but he was confident that the hospital would buy them some time. "You have pillows, do you need more? ... Your pillow is at home."
"I just want the one pillow..." Sync shut his eyes tightly, ignoring Derek's unrealistic and optimistic point of view.
Derek sighed, watching Sync, "I'll get Angie to bring it, or I'll get it next time I go home. Whichever comes first. I promise."
"Okay..." Sync tried to relax, but his left arm felt so weird. The injury... "Karol... he fought me pretty hard."
The doctor leaned back in his chair, "It seems that way... you fought him pretty hard, too. He ended up a lot worse than you did. And what about that one big guy at the scene? Giovanni's, I'm guessing? Did he hurt you two?"
Sync glanced over at Derek, hating everything about how is body was feeling. "That big guy..." Sync tried to remember, "All he did was point a gun at Karol, so I killed him. Everything else... was from our fight..."
"... I see," Derek brought a hand up to scratch the side of his head right above the sideburn region. "So the guy's twin brother didn't do anything to you either?"
"His twin brother...?" Sync didn't even remember coming across him after the fight with Karol. "What happened to him? Is he dead, too?"
"That would be my guess from what Ion told me, but there is no body to confirm anything."
"...Ion?" Sync closed his eyes again. "Ion..." he grumbled. "Don't tell me you brought him out there with you."
Derek looked to Sync, trying to be sympathetic, but he had a scolding tone instead, "Ion was the first person to find you while I helped the emergency people find Karol."
"You let Ion find me...?? Ugh... that was stupid. You didn't know what state I was in. I could have turned on him once he found me for all you knew," Sync looked away.
"I mean no offense by this, but my medical opinion after seeing you and Karol's fight scene pretty much guaranteed you weren't going to be able to do much if you were still conscious when he had showed up," the doctor sighed. "And you know I won't knowingly put anyone in danger. I think it was probably for the best since that other brother was after you anyways. Ion had done something when I walked out to get you."
Sync focused his eyes on the window and the sky outside, not sure what to say. His mind and body were tired and he felt stressed and irritable. "Now everyone who tried to help me with my wounds are in danger from Giovanni..." he closed his eyes before trying to reach his hand of his injured arm out to Derek. Then when it didn't move far, Sync glared over at it with frustration. "Dammit... I won't even be able to do anything about it...!"
Derek reached out after watching Sync struggle, and take his hand. He looked into Sync's eyes, replying confidently, "You worry about getting better. I told you, I can handle it from here."
"But... argh," Sync looked down and away angrily, not wanting to fight Derek over anything. It's not like it would do any good to do so. "Fine..."
Prepared to repeat himself, Sync had surprised Derek with his lack of an argument. For a moment, the doctor stayed quiet, watching Sync carefully and wondering how he had such a clear mind to him after the insanity from earlier. Was he in his mind earlier? Why now? .. and if he was.. why did he kill Karol's family? I thought he wanted to stop this... "The doctor who was over your emergency operation said you would be well within a few days. Until then, I'll see about getting your pillow. Your blanket, too. Anything else you'd like?"
"The journal, too," Sync didn't look back at Derek. It was true that Sync was fighting a lot less than usual. After accepting death by leaving Karol alive, Sync had thought there would be nothing more at all, so now he was too tired of it all to make the decisions about what would happen next. Obviously, his own life wasn't within his control, so he had silently handed it over to Derek to do with what he wished. Sync closed his eyes, wishing for Derek to succeed at a task Sync had deemed impossible.
"The journal, too," Derek repeated after Sync instead. "Angie'll be going home tonight. I'll get her to bring them back tomorrow when she gets here, unless you want them sooner? I probably should run home real quick and get a few things, then I'll come back and you can have them tonight."
Many things ran through Derek's head as he watched Sync. He was worried. Was it the depression? Derek couldn't understand the young boy at all at the moment, and it bothered him. Trying to get a rouse from him, Derek softly pet the boy's head, ruffling his bangs, "You want any ice cream? I told you I'd get you some the last time I saw you, didn't I? I can go get some from home, too."
Sync's body relaxed a little from the touch, but he didn't open his eyes to look at Derek. "Yeah... ice cream would be good..." he said softly.
Sighing softly, Derek had to hesitate and force his hand to move, but he continued to stare down to Sync, "Ok. I'm going to head home and go get those things for you. I'll be back in about an hour. Is that all right?"
"That's all right," Sync didn't move a muscle.
"Page a nurse if you need anything, and try not to move around much. I'll be back as soon as I can," Derek started to walk away, going as far as the now-opened doorway before turning around and looking to Sync, "You're safe here, and you're going to be ok."
Sync still didn't move. He heard Derek's words but he didn't know how to respond to them, so he stayed quiet.
Derek shut the door behind him, saddened by Sync's behavior. What is going on? Shaking his head, unable to figure it out, he started his walk out of the hospital and back home. He was thinking still, but focusing directly on Sync was hard. What am I going to do about Sync... and Karol... and Giovanni? It was a dangerous situation, and a heavy burden on his shoulders. Karol should be dead... and, hoping he doesn't end up that way, what will happen to him? The poor kid was alone on the island, had no home or safe point of refuge, and was wanted by the largest and most aggressive force on this island.
Then, of course, Sync was an even bigger dilemma. Derek had it set in his mind - Sync was NOT going to go back to that place. Giovanni wanted him dead by now anyways, right? So, Sync wasn't going to be welcome back and allowed to live any longer... Sync said that himself, didn't he?
Outside of the hospital and halfway to the ferry, Derek finally started to understand Sync's attitude a little more. He had no where to go either. His life would be in danger as soon as he walked out of the hospital... The doctor started looking around at the people around him before he got on the ferry, a tickle in the back of his mind reminding him that he might be at risk again, too. ... So, what could be done?
Derek was confident that Sync would be safe as long as he was at the hospital and under doctor care. He trusted the Doctors and Nurses at the hospital, and surely one of Giovanni's assassins wouldn't show up and make a huge scene in front of everyone there. They had no where to hide on the island and secrecy was their protection... Sync would be safe for now. But after then? He couldn't stay in the hospital forever.
His thoughts had Derek walk on automatic back to his apartment. Secrecy was Giovanni's forte. They didn't want the island residents to know of any danger. Everyone is supposed to be happy and get healthy. They're supposed to trust security... That was probably why the day cop got hired. Derek had seen him once around town - a clean-cut blonde with a friendly air about him. He doubted that Sync and the other assassins were ever formally introduced to the officer... So, that was their weakness. Derek had a firm grasp there. Now, what to do about it?
He fumbled with his keys from his pocket once he reached the door, having to squat down and pick them up twice before managing to get the door unlocked.
"I know that my life doesn't mean anything to you. Don't think you're the only one with aces in the hole though... I will be a hard person to wipe off this island now," he talked to no one as he stood staring at the cracked door to his apartment, but he had Giovanni firmly in his mind. "And you don't want to expose yourself, right? ... it's time for you to be on your toes."
The doctor slinked into his apartment, locking the door behind him, and gathered up the things to bring back to the hospital with him.
Inside, Derek remembered that he needed to get everything he needed. Momentarily forgetting his determination, the grocery list played through his head. Pillow... blanket... journal... ice cream... Pillow... blanket... Derek picked up Sync's first three things, putting them in an empty backpack before walking to the computer to get a few books and notes from the desk. As he managed to get them all snuggly inside, the cell phone rang from one of his pockets.
Derek pulled it out, seeing it was the hospital, and answered it quickly, "Dr. Stiles."
"H-hello Doctor! This... this is... umm... RODNEY. Yes, one of the evening-shift nurses," his voice was stuttery and nervous, obviously one of the rookies. "I-I'm sorry but that green-haired boy..." the sound of flipping through papers comes through the phone, followed by the sound of a clipboard falling followed by a quick explanation of "Shit!" from the young man's mouth. "Umm... sorry, I don't have the name, but I was told to call you if anything came up, but... we... er... I lost him..."
Derek dropped the phone.
"What do you mean, you LOST him?!" Derek roared after he picked up the phone. "What happened?!"
"Uhh... umm..." Rodney was obviously very nervous. "I... I went out of the room for a moment and when I came back, he wasn't in his room... and he's just... I don't know. I'm sorry, I'll keep looking!!"
Fuck.. Sync, what are you thinking? "Yes, please do so. I'm on my way back now. Call me back if you find anything else." Derek stuffed a few more things in the backpack and started to walk out of the apartment, "Wait, was the window closed or open? What about the monitor equipment?" He locked the door.
"Uh... umm... let me check the window!!" The sound of Rodney's rushed footsteps came over the phone. "Uhh... the window appears locked and secure," then more footsteps over to the monitoring equipment. "He must have taken them off somehow... but the IV seems to be missing, too...?"
"All right. Get looking for any clues. Check the room next door, too. Check it FIRST. I'm almost to the ferry now," Derek had started orders with a barking, demanding tone but calmed down more as he thought more and more about what might have happened. They couldn't have gotten him... not with that many people around... So he got up on his own? "Call me back if you find anything," and he hung up the phone.
About forty-five seconds later, Derek's phone rang again.
Derek had to grip the rails so he wouldn't run up to the captain of the ferry and tell him to pick up the pace. The ferry can't go any faster... Calm down... And then the phone rang.
"Yes? Did you find him?!"
"Oh... oh my God, Doctor, you were right!! He was in the next room!" Rodney seemed excited, but then he got nervous again. "But... he isn't moving, sir."
"He isn't moving? What is he doing? How about the other patient? Let me talk to him," Derek rushed all of his words, wanting badly for the nurse to tell him what was going on, but he was worried about Karol, too. And Sync.. Sync...