CHAPTER 19
In the clinic, he was taken to a familiar office in the right wing of the building where the lean and tall physician greeted him with a tired look. The bags under her eyes became all the more visible, as William approached and her cheeks were drained of any color, giving her a pained expression. Theresa Fly, who stayed inside the office, didn't look any better.
The conversation didn't get off to a good start. William shouldn't open with the test results, as both women interrupted as soon as he tried to speak. Their manner was rather formal. William soon grew tired of this, bit his tongue, and spoke in a softer tone.
'Sorry to interrupt, and don't think I'm blaming for you for anything. It's just the matter of my daughter. I haven't ever told anyone about this, but it feels right to tell you. For all this time, she only lived in the memory of my wife and I. We couldn't cope with the loss of her. Sure, it was our fault, and when my wife died, I realized it was all my fault due to my mistakes. Do you get what I'm saying here? I've made all these mistakes in life and it's only now I see I've been deceived and that someone helped me do it. I've got no idea who did it, but I know that someone convinced me that my daughter died in that car and I couldn't save her. I feel like someone's mocking me for this, you know, and it's as if someone's done it on purpose to make me suffer even more. I couldn't find any common ground with my wife either, and now she's dead. I feel even more tormented by the fact that there's been malicious intent in their actions. I want to get their truth and I really don't need any other evidence or accusations from you.'
'Do you want us to suffer as well? Mr. Lindstone, if anything, we sympathize with you. Although we've got a psychiatric clinic, there's no reception to provide you with any help or guidance,' the head doctor spoke coldly. It was a hard hit for William to take; he hadn't expected such a harsh answer. Even the department head Theresa Fly had to purse her lips. William had to admit that the doctors were right in their own way. 'You've got to understand how tense it is here as well. We're in a difficult situation due to red tape and you've no idea the impact that this virus will have on us, even though we don't have any details of its threat as yet. We're also overworked with work piling up in every corner and to make matters even worse, budgets are having to be stretched further on new products such as ventilators and oxygen canisters, since the government aren't giving us a penny. This will have a knock-on effect in the future and could mean some streamlining will have to take place. We've got to follow a structured plan to avoid any potential chaos. I'm pretty sure you're in the same boat as us. Moving on, if you don't mind, I understand you told Dr. Fly that you've got clearance for a discussion with Laura Median?'
'Yes, I have', William said in a hoarse voice, looking around for a water cooler. He needed to take some medication again. He was raging inside and from past experience knew that it could come out uncontrollably. 'Can I have some water please?'
The department head brought him a glass of water whilst the head doctor familiarized herself with the documents. She glanced at the packaging of William's medication, as he squeezed a pill from their foil, and remained quiet.
'Mr Lindstone, you'll be taken to the patient's room now, and Dr. Fly will remain present in the room while you talk.'
When they got to the room, another medical professional stood outside. After talking to him, Theresa invited William in. The conversation with Laura didn't go well once again. She tucked her legs up and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him and answering in short bursts. She couldn't tell him anything new, and it was only at the conversation's end that she suddenly sat up, raised her head and looked meaningfully at William and Theresa.
'He's gone,' said Laura Median.
'Who's gone?' William began to look around in search of someone moving around. 'Is she talking about the nurse?' he asked Dr. Fly softly. She shrugged. Laura suddenly turned her attention to the head of the department with constant questioning.
'Yes, that's it. He's gone, he was killed; now I'm here. He was also killed for this, right? How long will I be here?'
'Erm, sorry, but it appears we were talking with your husband about stabilizing your condition.'
'When?'
'When you were admitted to us.'
'How much did he pay, and how long for?' Laura looked at the doctor carefully, with a slight sparkle in her eyes, as if she were about to cry, but it become more a look of fear than sadness.
'A month,' Theresa sounded surprised at her own answer.
'That means a month, which is until the thirtieth, then it's over. So, something's going to happen on the first or second of May. They'll come, I'm certain,' following these words, Laura curled up into a ball and fell silent. William took out his phone and a message flashed up on the screen. It was Tom and William needed to call back.
'Sorry, I've got to go and call someone,' he turned to the doctor and gestured to his phone. Theresa allowed him to go outside. William went outside and called Tom.
'Wrap that questioning up and make your way back to the office. That woman's husband has been found – name's Patrick Median, and he was killed in a tent city in the suburbs. It's not in our department, but Jimmy was informed, so it's right for us to discuss it.'
'Wait, why? Does she know?' asked William, but Tom didn't hear and had already hung up.
A nurse came out of the nurses' station and looked at William.
'Are you finished?' she asked. Behind her, flowers were on a windowsill, and it became apparent that someone was watering them, as a hand with a watering can emerged from behind the nurse.
'Not quite, but maybe you can help me. Have you been working here long?'
'Quite a while, fifteen years,' the nurse spoke with pride. 'I remember you and your wife, and what happened with you daughter. It was terrible.'
'Indeed so,' William replied, nodding. 'Do you remember who the clinic's pathologist was at the time? Did they work here, or were they from an outside agency?'
'We had our own staff back then, different times now. It's not necessary to have so many staff these days. Back then, they were all working as we had to deal with so many homeless people – our foundation was involved directly with city hall.'
'Excuse me, Miss, err?'
'Mrs. Lawton. Claudia Lawton.'
'Thank you, Mrs. Lawton. Can you remember any of your colleague's names?'
'Course I can! These staff were real professionals. There was George McCall the elderly pathologist, he worked here for a long time and just retired. Martin Schulz was with him – he's working now. Then there was Fred Brown, a young and talented specialist. Everyone often praised him for his expertise. He too left a few years back for the Central City Hospital. Daniel was a friend of his. Danny, do you remember Fred?' the nurse turned to someone else at the station, whilst William quickly typed those names into his phone. As soon as he'd finished, Dr. Fly left the ward.
'Mr. Lindstone, are you finished yet?' she asked. The nurse soon left and returned to the station.
'Sorry, what? Oh, I have, yes,' William answered. He was caught between the head of department's gaze, his unfinished conversation with the nurse and his phone. 'My boss called and so I've asked the nurse a couple of questions,' he realized it fell on deaf ears as the nurse had gone.
'I'm only asking you these questions since the patient requires care and because I'm busy. For everyone here, the most important thing is the patients' state of mind. Sometimes it works better than any medication ever can. It's like justice for you, even though that can sometimes hurt, right?'
'Yes, justice hurts,' William declared, a little puzzled, before looking at his phone and remembering that he needed to go back to the office. 'I've got to go,' he added. 'Can you sign these papers so I can leave you in peace?' he spoke in an assertive tone, leaving Dr. Fly a little struck, but she took a pen and silently signed the papers. After a few minutes, William had already begun his drive back and was calling Tom but the inspector didn't pick up.