[At The Hospital Morgue]
Damian closed his laptop in his office, muttering to himself, "Clock says it's time for me to get out of here. Too many freaky things have happened - I probably need a beer to destress." He began packing items into his bag, his mind racing with the events of the day.
"I've already informed the committee about what happened, and honestly, those bastards are always looking for a scapegoat," he thought, shaking his head. "If it weren't for the evidence, they would have blamed me for everything that happened here."
With a sigh, Damian zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "All that's left is for me to take this to the cops," he said aloud, feeling the weight of the responsibility pressing down on him.
He took one last look around his office, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything important, and then headed out the door.
As Damian walked by the reception, he saw Andy still at his workspace. "Yo bro - I'm calling it a day," Damian said.
"You look exhausted, man. You should take it easy," replied Andy, stopping his typing briefly.
"I wish I could. Unfortunately, the expenses won't pay themselves. I'll see you tomorrow," said Damian, giving a tired smile.
"Alright, see you later," replied Andy, returning to his work.
Damian walked out of the hospital morgue, the air hitting him as he headed straight for his car. The thought of a cold beer and some quiet time was the only thing keeping him going as he unlocked his car and slid into the driver's seat.
"As much as I'd like to go home and get a nice hot shower, I still gotta pass by the police station," Damian muttered to himself, starting the car. "This is important too - I have to understand what really happened in my operation room."
The engine roared to life, and he drove off. Damian navigated through the city's streets.
"I think there was another police station near the hospital last time I drove around the city," he said to himself. "I'm usually held up with my work, so I don't really have time to familiarize myself with the area."
He glanced at the city's signs, trying to recall the exact location. After a few turns and a bit of backtracking, he finally spotted the familiar building. "There it is," he sighed in relief, pulling into the parking lot. He turned off the engine, grabbed his bag, and made his way inside.
"Honestly, if I didn't have any evidence of my story, I wouldn't even try to come here," Damian muttered to himself as he opened the door to the police station and entered.
"I'm sure they'd think I'm a joke or some kind of madman looking for attention. Still, I'm not entirely sure I'll be taken seriously at all." thought Damian.
As he walked up to the front desk, he took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. The officer behind the desk looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I need to report something unusual," Damian said.
"I'm Dr. Damian Johnson from the hospital morgue. It's about an incident that happened inside operation room."
The officer's expression shifted from curiosity to cautious interest. "Alright, Dr. Johnson, why don't you tell me what happened?"
As Damian stood at the front desk, he couldn't help but notice the flurry of activity around him. Police officers were moving around, each engaged in their tasks. One officer was on the phone, speaking in a low, urgent tone about a suspect's whereabouts, while another nearby was typing furiously on a computer, likely inputting data from a recent case.
In the corner, a group of officers huddled together, discussing case files spread out on a table, their voices a blend of seriousness and companionship. A few feet away, a pair of officers were escorting a handcuffed individual toward the holding cells, their expressions stern and authoritative.
The air was thick with the sounds of ringing phones, the hum of conversation, and the occasional clinking of keys and handcuffs. It was a scene of organized chaos, the heartbeat of a police station in full swing.
Despite the overwhelming atmosphere, Damian focused on the officer in front of him, ready to explain the strange and unsettling events he had witnessed.
Damian stood at the front desk, explaining the bizarre incident in his operating room to the officer. He recounted how he had left a body on his operating table, only to return and find it gone. The officer quickly assumed the body had been stolen.
"No, you don't understand," Damian interrupted. "The CCTV footage shows that the body actually came back to life."
The officer raised an eyebrow, struggling to believe Damian's story. "I figured you wouldn't believe me, so I brought the footage." Damian handed the officer a USB stick.
The officer accepted it and inserted it into his computer. As the video played, his expression shifted from skepticism to shock. The footage clearly showed the body moving on its own.
"Are you certain this man was dead?" the officer asked, still in disbelief.
"Yes," Damian replied firmly. "I've spent ten years in this job, sir. I'd know when a person isn't dead after examining them, and I can assure you, this man was dead."
The officer remained hesitant but nodded. "Alright, we'll open an official investigation into this matter. However, given the nature of the case, it may take some time to get to the bottom of it."
"I understand, sir. I just thought it was important to bring this to your attention," Damian said.
"You did well, Doctor," the officer acknowledged. "A detective will be assigned to your case, and an investigation will be opened."
"We're going to need to keep this memory stick so we can properly analyze the video," the officer said, holding up the USB drive. "We'll also need you to leave your contact details and the name of the hospital you work at so we can reach you easily if something comes up."
"No problem," Damian replied, handing the officer his business card.
"Thank you, Dr Johnson . We'll be in touch," the officer said, tucking the card into a folder.
Damian nodded and left the building, feeling a sense of relief. As he walked to his car, he couldn't help but wonder what the investigation would uncover and how it would affect him and his career.
"I've done all that a good citizen should do. It's out of my hands now," said Damian as he drove off, leaving the police station behind.
"What in the world did I just watch?" said the officer as he leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. Initially, he thought Damian might be crazy or had edited the footage, but this seemed legitimate.
The officer took a deep breath, still processing the bizarre video. "I should probably tell the chief about this," he muttered to himself. He stood up, holding the memory stick and the statement he'd written while Damian explained the incident. He walked through the busy precinct, making his way to the chief's office. As he approached the door, he knocked and waited for a response.
"Larson, you can't just go breaking protocol like that! We have rules for a reason," said Chief Harris.
Detective Larson replied, "Chief, with all due respect, the rules were holding us back! We had a solid lead on that suspect, and if I hadn't acted, he would have slipped through our fingers."
"Acting without authorization puts the entire case at risk! Do you even realize the consequences if this goes wrong?" said Chief Harris.
"I made a judgment call, Chief. One that I stand by. We needed to catch him red-handed, and we did." said Detective Larson with emphasis.
"You put yourself and the department in jeopardy. You're lucky it paid off this time." exclaimed Chief Harris.
She quickly rebuked, "I did what I had to do to get results. Isn't that what matters in the end?"
With a hint of anger Chief Harris replied, "Dammit, Larson, it's not just about the end result! It's about following the procedures that keep us and our cases secure."
"And sometimes, Chief, those procedures slow us down. We can't always play by the book when lives are on the line!" said Detective Larson.
"Hold on, someone is knocking at the door," Chief Harris said, glancing up from his desk. "Come in."
The officer entered. "Should I come back at another time, sir?"
Chief Harris shook his head. "No, carry on."
The officer proceeded to explain the case that Damian had brought earlier and showed the chief the video evidence.
"Good job for bringing this to my attention," Chief Harris acknowledged, nodding in approval as he signaled for the officer to leave.
Turning to Detective Larson, Chief Harris' tone hardened. "Since you can't follow procedure during critical operations, maybe it's time you focused on some real detective work, Larson. This is your case now."
"Chief, you can't be serious, You can't do this." protested Detective Larson.
"As a matter of fact, Larson, I can and I have," Chief Harris replied firmly. "Either take the case and solve it, or leave your badge here before you walk out of here."
"With all due respect, sir, this isn't fair," Larson retorted, grabbing the documented statement and the USB stick before storming out.
"Life never is," Chief Harris muttered to himself as he watched her go.