“Well, if that’s the cornerstone of your evidence, I’m afraid you have called me here for nothing. Nathan is a sick man, and his testimony is not something that will stand up. He’s an unreliable witness.”
“Only if you make him so. But I have something else. I have this,” Elizabeth said. She removed a photocopy of the blood test results. She handed the copies over to Dr Malberg.
“Third party lab testing has confirmed the cocktail of things you are injecting into him. This coupled with his testimony is enough to send you all away for a long time,” Elizabeth said. She saw Dr Malberg’s eyebrow twitch as he read the report, and his lips pursed. He was clearly annoyed at the report.
“So what do you think this proves?” he said very quietly. He was looking at Elizabeth with an intense gaze, trying to pry the answer out of her. This was her moment, this was her time to reveal the answer.
“I know you’re keeping him as a guinea pig to test out your new Cancer treatment. I don’t know why him, but that will come out. You and your career are finished Dr Malberg,” Elizabeth said, emphasising the last few words. She watched his reaction with interest. His face went from showing concern, and then puzzlement and finally he started laughing.
“You really don’t get it, do you? Oh wow, I can’t believe this. You went to all this trouble, and called me here, and you still don’t know!” Dr Malberg said.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh I’m not giving you anything. Whatever you think you have here, we can deal with that. You have failed,” Dr Malberg said, reaching for his phone. Elizabeth ran over and knocked it out of his hand. Dr Malberg stepped back in surprise. Then he regained his composure.
“Call or no call, they will come eventually. And this whole episode will be over,” Dr Malberg said. Elizabeth looked at her phone, no messages or calls.
“Maybe it’s all over. Did I lose?” Elizabeth thought to herself.
27
Going Rogue
Frank removed his police badge and gun, and put them in the drawer of his bedside table.
“It’s been a while since you acted so rashly. Why now?” he asked himself. The story about Nathan was quite compelling, but he thought it was something else. Years of dealing with procedure had been weighing on him, and he saw an opportunity to act. To do the right thing.
Frank changed into plain clothes and packed a few tools into his pockets. Tools he shouldn’t really have, but would prove useful. He had scoped out the hospital earlier in the day, and knew what he had to do. But if he was caught it had to be as a private citizen, not as a policeman. Even though he was still a policeman. The distinction would not matter to most if he did get caught, but it mattered to him.
He left the house, locked the door behind him and stepped into his car. It was an older style wagon, with many years of reliable service behind it.
“Just like me,” he thought with a laugh. He drove with care, taking his time. He parked in a quiet area a few blocks from the hospital. It was nice and secluded, but the distance could be a problem. But he would deal with that as the situation required. He removed his backpack from the car and started walking.
He expected to be nervous, but he wasn’t. It was more excitement than anything else. He hadn’t seen a lot of field activity lately, and he hadn’t realised how much he missed it. Making a difference used to be a hands on activity, but not so much anymore. Lots of paperwork and phone calls and meetings. An old dog operating in a new landscape.
“But I’ve got a few old tricks up my sleeve,” he thought. He entered the hospital grounds and went down a level, walking with confidence. He headed straight for the janitorial rooms. The door wasn’t locked, which he had confirmed earlier. Inside were cleaning supplies, a few trollies already loaded and some spare uniforms.
“Everything I need,” Frank whispered. He removed his backpack and shoved it under the trolley. Then he threw over the coveralls and interchanged a few of the cleaning products. Once he was happy, he pushed the trolley out of the room.
“First things first,” he thought. He headed down the corridor and kept an eye out for other hospital staff. He spotted the woman delivering dinner and made a beeline for her. As he closed in he looked at how full her trolley was where she was heading. Based on the information he had received from Elizabeth, his timing was perfect. He tried to push past her with his trolley, the two knocking into each other.
“I’m so sorry,” Frank said. He used the disruption to slip a folded piece of paper under the plate on the uppermost dinner tray.
“You should be more careful!” the woman said.
“I know, rushing too much. Too much to do,” Frank said. The woman’s face softened.
“Isn’t that always the case? Just take more care next time.”
“Sure thing, I don’t want to make your night harder as well,” Frank said, before smiling and taking off. She returned his smile. Once he reached the end of the hallway he turned back to look at her progress. She had unlocked the door to Nathan’s area and was heading inside.
“Job done, time to move on,” Frank thought. He quickly turned around and headed back the way he had come. He had to get to his next destination as quickly as possible. He followed the network of passages until he had reached the Research Department. He pushed his trolley in, pretending to ignore the people inside. A woman in the reception booth called out to him.
“Hey, hold up there,” she said. Frank waited a second before stopping, then turned to look at her with a puzzled expression.
“Look, we’re still working. Can you come back a bit later?” the woman said.
“Sure, but I want to finish up soon. When will you be done?”
“The last doctor inside will be leaving at seven thirty. Please don’t return before then.”
“Alright, that’s going to be tough. I’ll shift my order around and come back then.”
“Sorry, but he can’t be disturbed.”
“I understand. I’ll be back,” Frank said and waved at her. Then he turned the trolley around and left the room. Things were proceeding as expected. It would have to be Dr Malberg staying back, and his leaving at seven-thirty would give him just enough time to reach Elizabeth’s meeting on time. It was only a short window for Frank, but he could make it work. But it also meant he had to lie low for about an hour without getting spotted by the other cleaning staff. They would definitely have questions, and suspicions.
He did a lap of the hospital, making a shot at rearranging his supplies or trying to restock dispensers of paper towels. Whenever he saw anyone remotely resembling a hospital worker he changed course and tried to avoid them without attracting attention. He regularly checked his watch, to make sure he was on track to return on time.
When it was seven twenty he decided to head back. It wouldn’t hurt to get back a bit early, and he could loiter nearby to observe Dr Malberg leaving. Seeing things with his own eyes was always the best action. It helped diffuse that voice of doubt or worry which could pop up at the worst times. He sat around the corner from the research department, looking through his supplies. He noticed a man leaving the room in a hurry, which matched Dr Malberg’s appearance.
The doctor stopped in front of Frank and waited to get his attention.
“Can I help you doctor?” Frank said.
“Yes actually. My carpet is filthy, can you make sure you clean it properly for once?”
“Of course, for you I will take extra care.”
“Good, if it’s not better tomorrow I will be making a formal complaint.”
“Don’t worry doctor, you will be pleasantly surprised,” Frank said. Dr Malberg gave him a look of disbelief and annoyance and then walked off.
“Oh you’ll be surprised alright,” Frank said. He waited for Dr Malberg to turn the corner and then pushed his trolley back into the Research Department.
The foyers was now empty, which was a good sign. He pushed the trolley through and checked each of the doctor’s offices. Eac
h one was empty. He decided to start in Dr Malberg’s office. He pushed his trolley inside and closed the door behind him. The warning from Dr Malberg actually gave Frank a good idea for his cover. He left the room and walked back to a nearby janitorial supply cabinet. He removed a vacuum cleaner and returned to Dr Malberg’s office. He turned it on and left it running. The noise would signal he was there, and also mask what he was doing.
Frank walked straight over to the metal filing cabinet and dropped to his knees. He pulled out one of his trusty tools, a lock pick.
“Let’s see if I’ve still got it,” he whispered, having some fun. He inserted the lock pick into the lock and started trying to open it. At first he had no luck, not getting any traction. But he slowed down and focused, making his movements more precise and defined. He started to open the tumblers, fuelling his confidence. Within a few minutes he had the lock open, and he paused for a moment to drink in his success. Then he pocketed his tools and yanked open the filing cabinet.
There was a lot of paperwork in there. He started leafing through it. He noticed what looked like payment advices, financial statements as well as medical reports.
“Can’t judge this now, gotta grab the lot,” he thought. So he reached in and pulled out all the documents into a neat stack. Just before he closed the drawer he noticed a USB stick at the bottom.
“Jackpot,” he said and retrieved the USB. He shoved the drawer back in close and made sure it was locked. He stuffed the documents into his backpack below the trolley and turned to face the door. He saw an Asian man in a janitor’s uniform standing in the doorway, looking annoyed.
Frank walked over to the vacuum cleaner and turned it off.
“Hey what’s up?” he asked the man.
“I should be asking you. What are you doing here?”
“Oh hey, the doctor pulled me aside and said that he wasn’t happy with the floor. I was searching the trolley to see if I had any, you know powders or stuff to help with the vacuuming,” Frank said casually. He watched the man carefully, to see his reaction.
“You don’t normally use this vacuum do you?”
“Honestly, no.”
“Look I better do it. He’s complained before, don’t want it to happen again. Just get out of here.”
“Sure thing boss. Thanks for helping me out.”
“Alright. Just get moving,” the man said. Frank didn’t waste any time, and pushed the trolley out of the room as quickly as possible. He walked out of the Research Department quickly, without running. He needed to get out of the area, but also look like he was meant to be there. Once he had rounded a few corners he slowed down and allowed himself to relax.
“Wow that was close. Almost caught with my hand in the cookie jar,” he thought. But he had gotten away with it. His janitor disguise was no longer useful, so he had to return all his kit and change back. He looked at his watch and noticed that fifteen minutes had passed since Dr Malberg left. That meant he would be arriving at the meeting point soon.
“Better keep moving,” Frank said to himself. He made his way to the janitor’s room and took off his coveralls, throwing them in the corner. Then he retrieved his backpack and slung it over his back. It was time for the next phase. He walked back into the hallway, and continued along. The corridor leading to Nathan’s room was empty, which was a good sign. He walked up to the restricted door, and tried his key. As Elizabeth had said, it was a bit stiff, so he used a bit of force and it opened first try. He stepped down the ensuing hallway carefully, listening out for any sounds. He didn’t hear anything. He continued his walk, looking at each door. Once he reached the door marked ‘CM’ he stopped and adjusted the backpack.
“Here we go. Hopefully he’s alone,” Frank thought. He pushed the door open slowly and then stepped inside.
28
The Long Walk
Nathan looked at his dinner a bit longer. He didn’t feel like eating, but staring it at wasn’t doing anything. So he shuffled the plate around on the tray, rearranging things to see if that made the meal more appealing. As he did so he noticed something sticking out from under the plate. He reached under and tugged it out. It was a folded white piece of paper. He scrambled to unfold it quickly, curious about what it said.
Tonight. Prepare yourself and limit what they’re pumping into you.
Nathan stared at the paper, hardly believing what it said. Was it a trick? There was no signature and he didn’t know the handwriting. But the last time he saw Elizabeth she had taken away the blood sample. It was consistent, and it meant that he was getting out. Tonight.
“Is this really happening?” Nathan thought. He tried to shake himself out of the daze he was in. In the end it didn’t matter if it was real. He had to prepare himself just in case. He had to hope again.
“It has to be her. I can’t mess this up,” Nathan said to himself. The first thing he did was start eating his food. He needed his strength. He mopped up all of the food, drank all the juice and ate his dessert as well. He scrunched the note up into a little ball and stuffed it into the disposable container his juice was in. They wouldn’t look twice before disposing of it.
Then he did some light arm stretches while he waited for the lady to come back for his dinner tray. He smiled at her when she came in, and waited anxiously for her to leave. A few minutes after she had left, he considered it safe and got to work.
He looked at his machines, and isolated the ones that were pumping stuff into him. There were two different drips. The thing was though, he was always the one that had to get the nurse to change them. So it was safe to say they weren’t monitored the same way as the rest of his probes. He turned the machines off, best as he could. They still seemed to be on, but the rate of flow had dropped. He watched them with curiosity, trying to tell if they were still doing something. It would be easier to just unplug them completely, but he wanted to pass a casual inspection if a nurse did come in. With his luck, one would.
Once he was satisfied, he resumed his stretching routine. Next he worked on his legs, stretching them and making minor movements in the bed. Once he had warmed up he sat on the edge of the bed again, and swung his feet down to the floor. He resumed his previous exercise of putting some weight on each foot. Again it was hard to tell, but he felt like his legs were improving. But he couldn’t risk taking the steps that would tell him for sure.
He set about a routine that meant every five to ten minutes he would get back into the bed and rest. This was to give himself a break, and also to help mask what he was doing. If the nurse caught him half out of bed, it would raise alarm bells and suspicious questioning. Especially if Annabelle was the one to catch him.
After three sets of his routine he decided to have a longer break. But no sooner did he swing into bed, than he noticed the door opening. He looked over, unsure of who would be there.
Annabelle came through the door, looking business-like as usual. Nathan suppressed his disappointment, and tried to act normal. He remembered his feeling earlier in the day and decided to channel that. It would be super suspicious if he was all perked up and excited.
“How are we feeling today Nathaniel?”
“I’ll be honest, not great. Whatever happened yesterday hit me hard.”
“I’m sorry about that, but we had to move quickly. How’s your arm feeling?”
“It’s a bit sore, but more normal now,” he said. She walked over and inspected his arm.
“Good thing I left the drip connected,” Nathan thought to himself. She looked like she was heading over to review the machine, so Nathan quickly piped up again.
“Was that normal to take so much blood again so soon?” he said. Annabelle paused and came back to address him directly.
“No, it was not normal. But you left us no choice, with your behaviour the other day.”
“It was an accident. I’m clearly suffering because of it.”
“I know, and hopefully this won’t happen again.”
“Please let me know nex
t time, it was really disorienting having it done in the middle of the night,” Nathan said. He needed to try and get her sympathy, and reinforce that he was going to be here for a while.
“Don’t worry. You and I will get along fine, we’ll find a way to make this work well. I understand the inconvenience you must feel.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Nathan lied. There was no way she could understand, and she just took it for granted that he would be here for a while. But he suppressed his anger and gave her a smile. He had to focus on happy thoughts.
“She’s buying what I’m saying, and wants to foster a better relationship. That’s good,” Nathan said to himself. Annabelle walked over and picked up a clipboard, reviewing his stats and making a few notes. Then she turned to leave.
“Goodnight Nathaniel.”
“Goodnight Annabelle,” Nathan said. He watched her leave.
“Won’t be seeing you,” he thought with hope. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was approaching eight o’clock.
“So when is this prison break going to start?” he wondered. He had no idea, so he waited a few minutes in case Annabelle returned and then swung his legs over the side of the bed again. He watched the door open in horror, he couldn’t move. He was frozen in place, waiting to see who came through the door. It was an older man, with greying hair and a hard frame. Nathan didn’t recognise the man, and immediately panicked.
“You’re in the right position, ready to go?” Frank said. He tried to use a light tone to not scare Nathan. He was shocked at how skinny and frail Nathan looked, but managed to hide his reaction well.
“Sorry, I should introduce myself. My name is Frank and Elizabeth sent me. We gotta get moving though, or the plan will be ruined.”
“Frank, sorry I’m just a bit surprised. But happy to hear you say that. I’m not sure what condition I’m in, and if I remove these probes it’ll set some alarms off.”
The Secret Patient Page 21
