The words ran across his mind. He found it unparalleled how one thing might seem vague to one person and yet so deep to another. His heartbeat rhythm rose immediately, as his skin turned pink. His eyes dilated and popped up and he bit his lip to prevent himself from screaming his anger out.
"What's the problem?" Dr. May inquired.
Ethan mumbled, pausing in his sentence. His teeth involuntarily ground against themselves as he spoke. "I think I know who might be responsible."
"You do?" She asked eyebrows shot up.
"Damn. How did I not see that earlier on? How did I not?"
"Come on, share..." She inquired coherently as she stopped in her pacing movements.
"I think it might be a friend. Well, he wasn't my friend. More like family blood friend."
"Is he a science nerd?"
"That one? Yeah." He responded looking around the room uneasy. "I can't believe it! That son of a bitch!" He slammed the table hard. She quivered in response.
"Did you two have any enmity between yourselves?"
"We've never been on good terms," Ethan answered as he looked at his clenched fingers. "I hate that guy."
"Well if we are here, then it means that we have reached a point of hope Ethan. At least now you know what might have happened. It's the proof we need now."
"Hey, can I have your phone?" He asked intently.
"No? And why?"
"I sent my mom to investigate the wrong person. She's looking in the wrong direction. I need to tell her. Now."
"I'm sorry but it's against the prison policy Ethan."
"May, please... I need to tell her."
"You have your phones at the booth, Ethan, I'm pretty sure you can make your call from there."
"How long do you think it's going to take me to reach back to the yard doc? Please. It's not like I'm preparing for an escape. I cannot escape out of here, I mean look at me. I'll never make it as far outside this floor."
She laughed out softly. Shaking her head, she told him, "Ethan... you might get me and my job in trouble."
"Hey, it's your profession, your job. Your job, your rules…" Ethan said, smiling.
She raised a brow and shook her head once again as she stared at his innocent face. She walked over to the door, checked its outside, closed it, and then locked it. She went over to her purse by the end of her table, pulled out a phone from its depth, and handed it over.
"Thank you, thank you!" Ethan muttered as he went to grab it, only for her to pull it away playfully and his handheld onto the air. He looked at her suspiciously.
"In case it comes to worst, you didn't get this from me." She told him, drawing her eyebrows closer. She swayed her brown hair around. "Okay?"
"I won't snitch. If it comes to worst." He told her as he grabbed the phone finally. The doctor walked away to the medicine room and left him to make his call. After pressing some numbers on the phone, he called her, and she answered.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Mom, mom! It's me. Ethan."
"Ethan. What is it?" Layla answered from the other end.
"Hope you are fine. Are you back home?"
"Yes. Yes, I am. The journey back to Seattle was not pleasant but your father and I made it back home safe."
"Good, good. That's nice to hear. Anyway, mom... I have something to tell you. You were right, all along. It wasn't Shallon who was behind this. It was Lance. It was him."
"Are you certain? Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Dr. May here has been a good friend and she has helped me with everything. She has been a really good lifesaver mom. She explained a whole bunch and stuff about the brain and I believe her. I think Lance has something to do with this."
"Then how am I supposed to investigate him if he is miles away from me?" She asked.
"Wait. Where is he?"
"Mexico. He has some science expedition agenda he's doing."
"Is he with Elena?" He asked after a long silence.
"Yes. They both met me at Elena's aunt's home on Tuesday when I was there."
"And?"
"I talked to them both. I told him about investigating Shallon. And I told her to break up with him."
"Wait! You already told him about Shallon?"
"Yeah." She answered. "Is there a problem with that?"
"Yes, mom. He knows that we are onto something. He now knows that. We should have thought this through."
"No, no, no... it's okay. Let him chase after Shallon, while I chase after him. Before he realizes anything, I'd have already had him in my trap."
"He's a smart guy mom. If you do that he'll figure it out himself." He warned her.
"I'm not going to be doing it alone. I'm going to hire a private investigator." She paused. "That way, I'll be on Shallon, while my P. I will be on him. He's never going to suspect a thing."
"But first he has to come back from Mexico, right?"
"But first he has to come back from Mexico." She answered him. "It's all about keeping your enemies closer."
"Fine, fine... just be careful mom, please."
"Don't worry Ethan. I'm going to get you out of there."
"Thanks." He said after a pause. "By the way, what did she say? Elena. Was she okay? Was the baby fine? What did she say?"
"Hmm..." he heard Layla chuckle. "Elena's fine Ethan. The baby is fine too. There's nothing to worry about."
"Good. Did she say anything about me?" He inquired in a low-toned voice.
"Can I be honest with you, Ethan?"
"Yes."
She sighed before she spoke up. "Elena hates you, a lot. She cares yes, but she still hates you. She said that you hurt her bad Ethan. I frankly saw no hope of forgiveness in her eyes. I honestly have no clue how you're ever going to get her to reason with you but I want you to be hopeful, son. Okay?"
"It's okay," Ethan mumbled. "I know how hard it is for her. But one day, I will prove it to her, and I'll ask her for forgiveness."
"I know you will son. I just need you to be patient. And hopeful. Prayer, patience, hope... okay?"
"Yes, mom. Will do so."
"I'm gonna get you out of there, I don't care how long it takes, okay. I'm going to."
"Okay, thank you." He told her. "Mom, I have to go now. Say hi to dad for me."
"I will..." she said. "Bye Ethan, take care of yourself."
"Bye." He finished and hung up.
Ethan held the phone in his hand for a while as he looked at the medicine room. Dr. May hadn't come out since he started his call.
"Are you through now?" She asked.
"Um, uh..." he mumbled, "not yet."
"Not yet?" She shrieked. "Who else do you have to call?"
He didn't respond. Ethan dialed another number on the phone and called. He waited for a response. And waited, and waited. Just when he thought it wasn't going to be answered, it did.
"Hello?" The voice from the other end answered. The warm voice, which cut through the air like a hot knife on butter made him smile immediately. He heard her breathing and heard her voice once again. There she was, alive and well.