Beatrice sat in the passenger’s seat of Jay’s vehicle as they cruised through an urban area. After concluding their investigation of the crime scene, they reported their findings to the AutoDroid operator in charge of the investigation. Since they had a bit of free time afterwards, the woman insisted on tracking her amnesiac guest to see what he was up to. The tracker she had placed on the key he carried on his person was showing him stationary somewhere nearby.
“You must be really worried about him,” Jay questioned with a bit of amusement in his voice as Beatrice stared down at her phone.
“He’s been stationary for the past twenty minutes. Besides, is it not my job to keep an eye on him for anything suspicious,” she answered back to him coolly not taking notice of the implications of his earlier question.
“Of course,” Jay responded as they rounded a corner.
What they saw once they moved down the street took them by a bit of surprise. There were about 4 SCPD vehicles along with two ambulances parked in front of an Asian restaurant. A small crowd a couple of paces away from the vehicles. Beatrice quickly looked down at her phone to see the blue dot signifying the location of her guest was within the alleyway on the side of the building.
“What the hell,” Jay began before Beatrice cut in.
“Stop the car,” she said a bit loudly as Jay pulled into the parking lot of the Asian restaurant.
The two got out of the car and Beatrice immediately walked up to the first officer she saw flashing her badge as the tall brunette man looked about ready to shoo her off before she could get a word in.
“What can I do for you Detective,” the man asked the woman.
“What happened here officer,” she asked him as Jay walked up behind her.
“One of the restaurant workers came outback and spotted two men lying on the ground in the alleyway,” he began.
“At first glance he thought it was some hobos squatting behind the restaurant but upon further inspection the man found blood surrounding the two. One of the victims, who we are having trouble physically identifying, was ripped to pieces and his face was smashed like a watermelon. The other seemed to have sustained less severe injuries. We think he may have suffered a gunshot wound to his sternum. Medical is loading them both up right now.”
The man concluded his info drop to the detectives before asking if there was anything else they needed.
“May we see the victims,” Beatrice asked a bit forcefully garnering an eyebrow raise from Jay.
“Uh, sure if you don’t value your lunch,” the man pointed in the direction of the alleyway before walking off to talk to another officer.
Beatrice began walking at a fast pace towards the alleyway just as the medics came out. The first four wear carrying someone in a body bag. The body’s bloodied hand slid out sending a shiver down Beatrice’s spine as they passed. She stared at them loading the body up into the back of one of the vehicles before quickly turning her head back to the ally at the sound of more medic’s coming.
“This one is still breathing,” one of the medics shouted as they rushed by.
“Make way we need to get him out of here and to emergency care ASAP,” a female medic shouted at the crowed that was forming at the alleyway.
Beatrice’s eyes opened wide as she saw the person being carried out. The stranger who had been staying in her home these past two days was lying on a gurney unconscious. She couldn’t make out his injuries at the speed he was being rushed to one of the medics' vehicles, but she saw quite a bit of blood on his person.
“Damn, what the hell happened,” Jay questioned as he watched the guy get loaded up into the back of one of the ambulances. He felt a bit worried for the man’s wellbeing. He glanced over at Beatrice who was staring blankly at the ambulance he was just loaded into with an unreadable expression. He opened his mouth to ask her if she wanted to follow them, but she moved forward stopping one of the medical personnel.
“Which emergency center are you taking him to,” she asked a blonde female who looked no older than her.
“Jefferson Memorial ER,” the woman responded before raising an eyebrow. “Are you family of his,” she asked Beatrice.
She furrowed her brows before shaking her head.
“A f-friend,” she responded a bit awkwardly.
The blonde quickly pulled out a card that had the number and address for the hospital on it and moved to get in the vehicle. She stopped looking over at Beatrice who stared down at the card in her hand.
“He is going to be alright ma’am his in excellent hands,” the woman stated with a small sympathetic smile.
Beatrice looked back at the woman with a serious expression and nodded once before turning from the vehicle and walking away. She walked up to Jay who was sitting in the driver's seat facing the outside of the vehicle. He took his cigar out of his mouth as Beatrice approach the vehicle and looked up at her.
“So, we’re going or what,” he questioned.
Beatrice handed him the card with the address on it before moving to get into the passenger side. She leaned back in her seat letting out an annoyed sigh.
“Well, isn’t this just great,” she muttered. “Idiot had to go and get himself shot as busy as we already are with this other case while also still trying to figure out his connection to the bridge explosion. Bastard better hopes he doesn’t make it,” she uttered facing the window as they pulled off heading towards the hospital.
“I have a feeling he’ll be alright Beatrice no need to worry about him,” he said to the woman. She snorted in response.
“Oh, trust me I’m not worried about him. But I’ll be damned if we lose a vital link to the bridge investigation,” she stated dryly.
They arrived at the hospital not too long after the medical team carrying the amnesiac. Jay and Beatrice entered the large white building through the front double glass doors. A young man at a semi-large desk in the lobby center greeted them.
“Welcome to Jefferson Memorial, may I get your names and reason for visit,” asked the pair upon their approach.
Jay approached him. “Yes, there was a patient that was just rushed in here by your emergency response team due to a possible gunshot wound.”
The front desk clerk cut in. “Say no more. Can I have the name of the patient please?”
Jay rubbed the back of his head before responding. “He’s uh. Amnesiac,” he stated. “We weren’t able to get a name from him.”
“Oh boy, I see,” the clerk responded feeling a bit sorry for their friend. “Hmmm, maybe a description then.”
“Of course,” Jay said as he began to describe the amnesiac man to the clerk. The young man nodded after receiving the description and remained motionless for a minute as he transmitted the description over to someone.
‘An AutoDroid huh,’ Jay thought before the android snapped out of its motionless state.
“It’s going to be room 45 down the hall on your left,” the young-looking AutoDroid clerk responded. Jay nodded his head motioned for Beatrice to follow him. Once they reached the room a man with messy brown hair and some slight stubble on his face was waiting outside. He turned to look at the pair as they approached and smiled. Jay had a moment of recognition before moving forward and shaking the man’s hand.
“Long time no see Joshua,” Jay greeted the doctor. “Still looking like a drunken bum I see, you knuckleheaded bastard.”
Joshua chuckled. “And I see your sense of humor is still shit,” he responded slyly. He looked over to the woman behind him and flashed her a nervous smile. “Hey, Beatrice. It’s been a while.”
“It has,” she said plainly. He stared at her for a moment noting the irritated glare she was giving him.
“Soooo,” he began. “You’re here about that man, correct?”
Jay nodded. “How’s he holding up,” he asked.
“Actually, he’s doing surprisingly well. We found no sign of injuries despite the blood and hole on his shirt and not too long after the team loaded him up, he woke up and seemed just fine. Of course, we’re running some test just to make sure but apart from seeming a bit out of it he’s A-ok,” Joshua told the pair.
Beatrice raised a brow as Jay responded.
“Sounds like he has the luck of the devil on his side. May we see him,” he asked but Beatrice cut in.
“That won’t be necessary. Let’s go Jay we have to follow up with Chief on that AutoDroid case.” She turned on her heel. “Call us when he’s ready to be released,” she said before walking away. Jay sighed as both men watched her go. He turned towards his old friend who was starring off at the fleeting form of the woman before closing his eyes and sighing.
“She still doesn’t forgive me for not being able to save him,” he spoke absent-mindedly. Jay walked up to the doctor and patted him on the shoulder before speaking.
“You did all you could Joshua, stop beating yourself up over it,” he said to the man trying to steer him away from a guilt trip over the incident with Beatrice and her father all those years ago.
“Yeah, right,” he spoke turning his head slightly to stare at the man. “Your number is still the same right? I’ll call you when he’s ready to be discharged.”
Jay nodded in response. “We should get together sometime brother. Catch up proper over a drink,” he said to Joshua. The doctor cracked a small smile in response.
“Definitely my friend,” he said as he and Jay shook hands before Jay departed. The doctor stared off down the hall lost in thought after Jay left before turning around scratching his head and walking down the opposite end of the hallway towards the break room. Beatrice and Jay showing up was a bit of a surprise for him. Seeing Beatrice especially had opened the floodgates of a past failure he couldn’t fully move on from.
‘I definitely need a drink,’ he thought to himself as he sat down in the break room pulling out a holopad whilst sipping on coffee and looking at the medical file he began setting up for the stranger that Beatrice and Jay had come to visit. They had little to nothing on this guy which was already odd and a bit troublesome enough. But if these x-rays they performed on him when they couldn’t find a round physically on him were anything to go by. The man bit down slightly on the tip of his thumb looking at the holopad. There were still some tests that he’d be sure to perform to make sure his theory about this man is correct.
‘I wonder if they know,’ he thought.
