by Nelly Asher
Chapter 5
Handle this
They passed “Welcome to Texven!” sign. For a few minutes now, taxi was going down the highway. Some of the smaller roads branching from it had signs: “T. Criedman Respiratory Disease Clinic”, “Sanatorium Emerald”. But the road they soon took didn't have any sign – just a half-meter pole painted in variuous shades of blue. Curvy road took them through the forest to the tall metal fence with a closed gate.
“Don't wait for us,” Kevin turned to the driver. He came up to the transmitter near the gate, pushed the button and said: “I'm visiting Henry Evanford.”
The side door opened, and the pair entered the clinic grounds. The first thing that caught their eye was an absence of sharp corners. Serpentine roads, well-kept flowerbeds of indefinite shapes, benches with curved backs... Around the park, there were people in hospital gowns. Most of them were the staff, wearing white. Others had clothes of different colors, but of the same design – obviously a uniform sewn for each patient personally. Everyone was wearing name tags. Most of the people were strolling or resting on the benches, but there were exceptions. One man was standing still, his palms pressed to his ears, staring into the sky. Another one was squatting near the flowerbed, lazily picking the ground. He was watched by a male nurse that was sitting on a bench nearby with an elderly patient.
“What are they treating here?” Selena was looking around in surprise.
“I have not idea. Maybe everything. As far as I know, in the last few years uncle was turning to this institution with every malady he had,” Evanford's heirs entered a three-story clinic building. A nurse approached them at the entrance.
“Are you visiting Henry Evanford?” she asked. “I'll walk you to his ward.”
“What's his condition?” professor's nephew inquired.
“Nothing has changed. Our equipment registers slight brain activity, but the chances of waking up from coma didn't increase.”
...The girl was dreading what she might see, but the scariest part of professor's image was a huge abrasion on his cheek. Henry looked like he was peacefully sleeping; his hands stretched along his body, right one encased in a plaster cast. There were small screens near his bed that were showing his heartbeat rate and some other numbers and lines that Selena didn't understand. The girl took a chair at the head of his bed and peered at professor's face. If only he would open his eyes... Though no, she'd rather wish him to open his mouth and explain them what the hell was going on.
“Why did you get us into all this...” Silver spoke sadly. “Well, maybe it's our own fault. You've warned us about the hazards of “The Door”, and we opened it anyway...” suddenly, an idea popped up in her head. “And what if we'll read the book to him? Maybe fighting fire with fire will work, and we'll manage to shake him up somehow?”
“Are you out of your mind?” Kevin frowned. “It'll drive you insane for certain, and even if it influences him, the impact will most certainly be negative. One must not read the book, I thought you knew it better than me.”
“Don't tell me what to do and what not to do!” Selena snarled. “He's no better than dead either way. We might not live to see the moment he wakes up, but we need help right now!”
“Fine, whatever,” he sighed wearily. “I'll wait outside.”
Kevin left the ward and quickly paced down the corridor. He hated hospitals, no matter how tidy they were. The very fact of knowing where he is was dispiriting, making him want to get away as soon as possible. On the first floor, he saw a man in light green uniform that spoke to a nurse passing by:
“Can you stay with me for a bit? Please?..”
“I'm sorry, Mr. Sputkee, I'm busy,” she replied somewhat dryly. It was obvious that it was far from the first time this patient was making such a request. “I'll try to send someone over...”
Kevin didn't hear the rest. Scraps of conversation like that are usually forgoten in a couple of steps, but now those phrases stuck in his brain. Something was bothering him about those words. “Can you stay with me?”, “No, I'm sorry, Mr. Sputkee...” Sputkee?! Wasn't it the name on the book cover? Evanford wheeled around, but the hall was already empty. Before looking for this parient around the hospital, he has to try getting some information... Kevin approached the receptionist.
“A person named Haurot Sputkee is being treated here, isn't he?” young man's voice sounded as calm as usual. Even in a stressful situation like that, it would've taken Evanford an extra effort to talk emotionally, even if he wanted to.
“Why do you want to know?” a woman asked after a short pause.
So, 'The Door's author is here... He should proceed with a great caution.
“He was an acquaintance of my uncle,” Kevin said at random. Though this might turn out to be true – ending up in the same hospital couldn't be a mere coincidence. “After what happened, I'm left with some issues I can't find a solution to... Perhaps this man can help.”
“We have no right to disclose information about our patients,” the receptionist looked at the visitor intently. “But I understand your situation, and I won't deny something you already know. Yes, Haurot Sputkee is here, and it was Mr. Evanford that opened an account to support his being here.”
Kevin was actually at the point of losing his cool. So, he was way more than an acquaintance... How are their roles in this story correlate?
“Was my uncle visiting him often?” he tried to keep talking at ease.
“I don't know, but as far as I can tell, he never did, never even asked about him,” it did seem strange to her and many of her co-workers – the fact that a person that invested so much in this patient didn't check on him even once. Of course, noone told Mr. Evanford anything – it was none of their business. Haurot himself was quite easy to deal with, but there was something off about him, even after taking into account what kind of ward he was in.
“What's he treated for? Or is he just living here, like at a resort?” visitor asked casually.
“This is a general hospital, but hospital nonetheless – we don't take in healthy people. And, I repeat, I won't divulge the information about the patient.”
“There are no healthy people, there are only unexamined,” Kevin muttered. Henry used to like this saying... There's nothing else left to learn here. To avoid further suspicions, it's better to end the conversation, and it's better to do it by jumping to some other subject. “By the way, I was curious since I got here – why are patients' uniforms in different colors? Does it mean anything?”
“No. We just suggest a few colors for every patient to choose from, and they pick what they like.”
“I see... I must say your hospital is quite nice – I'll surely seek treatment here... if... anything happens,” he squeezed out an awkward smile and stepped away. Where to now? Will he have to check every single ward, looking for that man? Evanford entered the right wing of the first floor and decided to ask some patients.
“Excuse me... Do you know where I can find Haurot Sputkee?” he spoke to a pale girl in lilac uniform.
“I don't know... He passed by not long ago,” she replied faintly, staring blankly into the wall. Kevin figured he moves in the right direction, and went down the corridor. Turning the corner, he noticed someone in green uniform walking up the stairs. Evanford quickened his steps, trying not to run. Upon getting to the stairs, he practically flew up to the second floor and look around – Haurot was nowhere in sight. On the third floor, Kevin saw the door of one of the wards closing.
Kevin headed to it, but suddenly felt his head spinning. He staggered and leaned against the wall, watching it turn darker, becoming dirty green. The ceiling was slowly moving up – corridor was getting wider. Light floor tiles cracked, turning into white and brown mosaics of smaller tiles. Evanford looked around, dumbfounded, barely keeping himself on his feet. Kevin pressed himself into the wall and closed his eyes tight. Mentally counted to thirty and opened them. Corridor looked completely normal.
