13
May had been through an awful lot of agony during her marriage with her husband. She’d fallen victim to her own despair. “Why did they send him to the United States for medical experiments, it’s unbelievable. Where am I going to get the money to pay for a solicitor”? May thought.
Were they going to get a repeat of last year’s court case? Anthony had been appointed a state solicitor after he’d been arrested for launching a computer virus His case was lost from the start. Even the best solicitor in the country couldn’t prevent him from being sent to prison. Following assessment by two psychiatrists, Anthony was eventually sent to the St. Joseph’s Psychiatric Hospital in Dublin.
In the institution, the members of staff deprived him of everything that was important to him. Only his dignity was left. In the end, they even took this away from him
Although, the situation was completely different now, May felt completely alone in her stride. The same psychiatrists who diagnosed her husband proved to be relentless once again.
She wondered if more men from other institutions or penitentiaries were involved in the experiment. If only she’d been a day earlier, she might have prevented Anthony from being escorted to America”?
*
At sun set Narette parked her car at the Delphi Clinic. She’d driven non-stop. She looked around the lobby and noticed the reception area was empty the computer was turned off for the evening. The place seemed deserted, but she knew a security guard watched her. Cameras were placed all over the building. She found him in the control room on the top floor.
“Hello doc, did you forget something?” His broad smile made Narette lose some of her tension. The guard was a big man with short blond hair, brown eyes, and an everlasting smile.
“Are you going to be here when they start the experiments doc?” The guard asked curiously. He rolled away from the TV screens.
“Well of course I am. That is why I am here tonight. I need to get some stuff for the very purpose, to prepare myself,” Narette smiled back at the man. She watched him, waiting for his respond.
Downstairs in the drugs room, Narette worked as fast as she could. She signed for the medication and took one last glimpse around the room. What if I enter Ellis on the patients list under another name?
*
Anthony was disappointed when the bird didn’t return in the evening.
The next morning, Anthony listened to the music on the radio during breakfast in Martin’s kitchen. He made scrambled eggs for both of them. When a set of commercials spoiled the music, Martin switched off the radio.
“We better get ourselves to the clinic. As you know, the doctors are going to run a few tests on you today. They wish to see how you are getting on, now you’re reducing your medication. Do you have everything you need for the day?”
“My bags are upstairs,” Anthony confirmed.
He descended the stairs a few minutes later and found the bird hovering in the hall. In his solace, the bird spoke to him again.
“Go my child.”
“Are you ready?” Martin curiously gazed at Anthony. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes,” Anthony smiled. “Let’s go.” His heart was filled with joy.
*
A loud knock woke Anika. The darkness she’d taken to be night was still around her. “What’s happening? Someone put the light on. I can’t see, I can’t see. Help me please David,” she cried.
He struggled to console her, “Perhaps it’s only temporary.”
“I’ve been told once I become blind, it will be permanent,” inconsolably crying, Anika buried her head in her hands.
“Do you want me to cancel the experiments?” David asked, not knowing what else to say.
“No, now I have nothing else to lose anymore,” Anika managed to mutter after a period of silence. David waited patiently, to give her a chance to catch her breath. The cancer must have progressed faster than the doctors predicted, David thought.
Most things you’ll eventually get used to, but you’ll never get used to being blind, Anika thought. The doctor in the Delphi Clinic shone his penlight in one of her eyes.
“When did your sight begin to diminish?”
“Last night,” Anika replied with a little too much tension. Tired of the darkness around her, she wished she could somehow pull a string to bring her vision back. “I don’t want to be dependent on some one for each and every move.”
“Is she going to be all right for the experiments?” Martin asked the doctor. He was leaning against a wall; his arms were crossed in front of his stomach.
“I don’t see why she shouldn’t. Her blood samples results turned out positive. I’ll say she is as ready as she can be,” the doctor answered while he turned over a page in Anika’s file. Addressing only Martin, the doctor proceeded, “We had to cancel the experiments for today, but the minute we get hold of Doctor Phillips, we’ll let you know.”
*
An hour after Adams had left Garnham, quick footsteps entered the room. A blond haired man came to a halt at the side of the bed. Not being aware that somebody watched him, Garnham appeared to be asleep. The man moved closer still, he was able to touch the patient. He stretched his arm.
“Excuse me sir,” a female voice sounded through the open door. “Visiting time is over for today. Come back tomorrow.”
“All right.” The man replied and turned around to confront the voice. His blue eyes peered straight into the nurse’s. Her blush betrayed she was taken aback by the man’s stare. Then as sudden as she appeared she moved onto the next room.
“Sir?” carefully the man shook the detective.
There was no reply.
“Sir, wake up. It’s me.”
“How dare you come here?” Garnham barked. He had been awake all along. “Didn’t I tell you not to visit me here?”
“Sir if you don’t mind, I wish to have a word with you.” The man moved away from the bed. His arms were behind his back.
“Come back later, I’m too tired,” Garnham exclaimed.
“But Sir it is important,” the visitor uttered.
“Shut up and leave me alone Burnett.”