The man stared at the screen. The image was fuzzy, but he could see. That was his daughter. The police were coming by again today and he was hoping for some answers. He wanted to know why his daughter was on the free way when she should have been at home.
A knock on the door caught his attention. It was about time. He had been pacing as he intently watched the screen.
He pulled open the door and frowned at the person there.
The man on his porch wasn't an officer. He wore a button up orange shirt tucked into a pair of khaki pants. His hair was combed back and his eyes were green.
"Hello. Are you lost?" The house didn't have anything but homes around it. the nearest gas station was a 10 minute drive away.
The man nodded, "Are you Gregor Thomps?"
Gregor arched a brow at the man. "I am. And you are?"
The man sighed with relief. "I've driven to 4 wrong houses looking for you. I'm Doctor Brain Bonner." He held out his hand to him. "It's very nice to finally meet you."
Gregor took the hand and returned a firm shake. "To what do I owe a doctor's visit?"
"I've been one of the doctors caring for your daughter Maureen," he stated slowly.
Gregor felt himself pale. This couldn't be happening. His little girl couldn't be dead. He hadn't even been allowed to see her at the hospital yet.
"She's still alive sir," Dr. Bonner assured.
Gregor sighed in relief. "What is her condition?"
"She's doing a lot better then when she first came to the hospital." Dr. Bonner stated. He turned to his car. It was a black car with dark windows. He waved at the car and the passenger door opened. A wheel chair was pulled out and unfolded by slender pale hands.
"Who is that?" Gregor asked.
Dr. Bonner smiled. "No worries. She's too stubborn to allow us to help."
Gregor could make out the top of the wig as a small form exited the car. She rolled the chair with some difficulty before closing the door. Her legs were in tact, but they didn't move. Gregor didn't recognize the young woman at first until she reached the first step of the porch. She glared at it as she could not get on the porch on her own. She looked up at him and smile.
It was her face. It was just like her face. Something seemed slightly off about her blue eyes. But it was her. It couldn't have been anyone else.
"Maureen," his voice trembled.
It sounded different. Scared and weak. It was not something Maureen had ever heard from her father. He had always been as hard as stone. The toughest of tough. She felt guilty for causing this type of voice to ever be heard from him.
She nodded with a sad smile. Her eyes glanced over the house. She remembered drawing with chalk on the porch. Practicing ballad in the soft grass. She climbed out the top of the window in her room to watch a neighbor's firework. So many memories happened here.
"They said you were in critical condition." Gregor stated as he walked down the stairs.
"Who is they?" Maureen inquired.
"The police," he was confused. How had his daughter not known the police were involved.
"Are they investigating the kidnapping?" Maureen looked passed her father and at Dr. Bonner.
"Kidnapping?" Gregor yelled before coughing and looking at the doctor for answers.
"Her memory isn't all there yet. But she did not run away. She had been bound," Dr. Bonner looked at Maureen's small wrists. He could still see the tape there even if the scars no longer existed. "When she had arrived at the hospital. Due to the damage of the car, she has had to undergo several surgeries. She has more to undergo. But the trauma has created memory lost as any trauma would."
"How come the police haven't told me any of this?" Gregor demanded.
Dr. Bonner shifted his weight. "I'm afraid they might suspect you or others around here. We don't want them getting rid of any evidence."
"Why am I a suspect?" Gregor growled.
"Because my last memory before the hospital is of hearing you come home. You were on the phone." Maureen stated. "You're the last person I remember hearing or seeing."
"What day was this?" Gregor asked. He hadn't been home the night she went missing. He had been drinking with friends.
Maureen tilted her head as her brows crunched up. Her memory was still blurry and she had been half awake when she had heard them. "It might have been Friday night, maybe Saturday morning?" She mumbled.
"Take your time," Dr. Bonner spoke softly.
Maureen looked around the front of the home. She was looking for something.
"Let me get you inside," Gregor grabbed the handles of her wheel chair. "I bet you've been homesick."
Maureen's eyes widened as she looked from her father to Dr. Bonner.
When Brian did nothing, she frantically turned to her father, "I'm not staying."
"Not staying?" Gregor repeated with a confused look.
"I'm..." Maureen took a deep breath. "I'm not coming home." Her eyes became watery. "I only wanted to see how you were and take Calli with me."
"Where are you going?" Gregor questioned harshly.
"The hospital," Maureen answered as she shrunk back in her chair.
"Maureen, I can't afford all these hospital bills as it is. It would be best for you to come home. I can take care of you here." Gregor snapped.
"Sir," Dr. Bonner placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What do you want?" Gregor hissed.
"You will not be held accountable for Maureen's medical care," Dr. Bonner stated firmly.
"Oh! So you're going to put my daughter in debt?" Gregor yelled.
Maureen rolled her eyes. Her father was a hot head.
"No," Dr. Bonner shook his head. "A new medical technique was used to save Maureen's life. She needs to stay at the hospital to be observed for any side effects of the procedure."
"For how long?" Gregor glared at the doctor. He wasn't too fond of this man.
"A year at most of hospital stay. At least five years of monitoring afterwards." Dr. Bonner answered honestly.
"You're going to keep her in a hospital for a year?" Gregor shouted. "Who is paying for this?"
"The medical community," Dr. Bonner answered. "You nor your daughter will need to pay for anything."
"Why did you use something experimental on her without my permission?" Gregor crossed his arms.
Maureen rolled herself to the porch swing since she was on the porch.
"Sir, when your daughter came to the emergency room, she was a jane doe. It was obvious that anything we would normally do, wouldn't work. So we did a new experimental procedure. She is the first person to undergo it. And she's survived. Your daughter right now is a medical breakthrough. But she needs to be monitored until we're sure she won't suffer any ill effects. Her health and safety is our number one concern."
Gregor took a deep breath to calm down. "How long will she be able to visit?"
"A little while won't hurt. I think being here might help with her memory." Dr. Bonner stated. He looked at Maureen. She had managed to crawl onto the porch swing. She was laying on the arm of the swing. "Maureen, would you like to go inside and see if anything helps your memory?"
Maureen sat up and looked at Gregor. "Where is Calli?"
A knock on the door caught his attention. It was about time. He had been pacing as he intently watched the screen.
He pulled open the door and frowned at the person there.
The man on his porch wasn't an officer. He wore a button up orange shirt tucked into a pair of khaki pants. His hair was combed back and his eyes were green.
"Hello. Are you lost?" The house didn't have anything but homes around it. the nearest gas station was a 10 minute drive away.
The man nodded, "Are you Gregor Thomps?"
Gregor arched a brow at the man. "I am. And you are?"
The man sighed with relief. "I've driven to 4 wrong houses looking for you. I'm Doctor Brain Bonner." He held out his hand to him. "It's very nice to finally meet you."
Gregor took the hand and returned a firm shake. "To what do I owe a doctor's visit?"
"I've been one of the doctors caring for your daughter Maureen," he stated slowly.
Gregor felt himself pale. This couldn't be happening. His little girl couldn't be dead. He hadn't even been allowed to see her at the hospital yet.
"She's still alive sir," Dr. Bonner assured.
Gregor sighed in relief. "What is her condition?"
"She's doing a lot better then when she first came to the hospital." Dr. Bonner stated. He turned to his car. It was a black car with dark windows. He waved at the car and the passenger door opened. A wheel chair was pulled out and unfolded by slender pale hands.
"Who is that?" Gregor asked.
Dr. Bonner smiled. "No worries. She's too stubborn to allow us to help."
Gregor could make out the top of the wig as a small form exited the car. She rolled the chair with some difficulty before closing the door. Her legs were in tact, but they didn't move. Gregor didn't recognize the young woman at first until she reached the first step of the porch. She glared at it as she could not get on the porch on her own. She looked up at him and smile.
It was her face. It was just like her face. Something seemed slightly off about her blue eyes. But it was her. It couldn't have been anyone else.
"Maureen," his voice trembled.
It sounded different. Scared and weak. It was not something Maureen had ever heard from her father. He had always been as hard as stone. The toughest of tough. She felt guilty for causing this type of voice to ever be heard from him.
She nodded with a sad smile. Her eyes glanced over the house. She remembered drawing with chalk on the porch. Practicing ballad in the soft grass. She climbed out the top of the window in her room to watch a neighbor's firework. So many memories happened here.
"They said you were in critical condition." Gregor stated as he walked down the stairs.
"Who is they?" Maureen inquired.
"The police," he was confused. How had his daughter not known the police were involved.
"Are they investigating the kidnapping?" Maureen looked passed her father and at Dr. Bonner.
"Kidnapping?" Gregor yelled before coughing and looking at the doctor for answers.
"Her memory isn't all there yet. But she did not run away. She had been bound," Dr. Bonner looked at Maureen's small wrists. He could still see the tape there even if the scars no longer existed. "When she had arrived at the hospital. Due to the damage of the car, she has had to undergo several surgeries. She has more to undergo. But the trauma has created memory lost as any trauma would."
"How come the police haven't told me any of this?" Gregor demanded.
Dr. Bonner shifted his weight. "I'm afraid they might suspect you or others around here. We don't want them getting rid of any evidence."
"Why am I a suspect?" Gregor growled.
"Because my last memory before the hospital is of hearing you come home. You were on the phone." Maureen stated. "You're the last person I remember hearing or seeing."
"What day was this?" Gregor asked. He hadn't been home the night she went missing. He had been drinking with friends.
Maureen tilted her head as her brows crunched up. Her memory was still blurry and she had been half awake when she had heard them. "It might have been Friday night, maybe Saturday morning?" She mumbled.
"Take your time," Dr. Bonner spoke softly.
Maureen looked around the front of the home. She was looking for something.
"Let me get you inside," Gregor grabbed the handles of her wheel chair. "I bet you've been homesick."
Maureen's eyes widened as she looked from her father to Dr. Bonner.
When Brian did nothing, she frantically turned to her father, "I'm not staying."
"Not staying?" Gregor repeated with a confused look.
"I'm..." Maureen took a deep breath. "I'm not coming home." Her eyes became watery. "I only wanted to see how you were and take Calli with me."
"Where are you going?" Gregor questioned harshly.
"The hospital," Maureen answered as she shrunk back in her chair.
"Maureen, I can't afford all these hospital bills as it is. It would be best for you to come home. I can take care of you here." Gregor snapped.
"Sir," Dr. Bonner placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What do you want?" Gregor hissed.
"You will not be held accountable for Maureen's medical care," Dr. Bonner stated firmly.
"Oh! So you're going to put my daughter in debt?" Gregor yelled.
Maureen rolled her eyes. Her father was a hot head.
"No," Dr. Bonner shook his head. "A new medical technique was used to save Maureen's life. She needs to stay at the hospital to be observed for any side effects of the procedure."
"For how long?" Gregor glared at the doctor. He wasn't too fond of this man.
"A year at most of hospital stay. At least five years of monitoring afterwards." Dr. Bonner answered honestly.
"You're going to keep her in a hospital for a year?" Gregor shouted. "Who is paying for this?"
"The medical community," Dr. Bonner answered. "You nor your daughter will need to pay for anything."
"Why did you use something experimental on her without my permission?" Gregor crossed his arms.
Maureen rolled herself to the porch swing since she was on the porch.
"Sir, when your daughter came to the emergency room, she was a jane doe. It was obvious that anything we would normally do, wouldn't work. So we did a new experimental procedure. She is the first person to undergo it. And she's survived. Your daughter right now is a medical breakthrough. But she needs to be monitored until we're sure she won't suffer any ill effects. Her health and safety is our number one concern."
Gregor took a deep breath to calm down. "How long will she be able to visit?"
"A little while won't hurt. I think being here might help with her memory." Dr. Bonner stated. He looked at Maureen. She had managed to crawl onto the porch swing. She was laying on the arm of the swing. "Maureen, would you like to go inside and see if anything helps your memory?"
Maureen sat up and looked at Gregor. "Where is Calli?"
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