Reeves, having awoken from his sleep in the on-call room, rises and sits on the edge of the bed. He yawns and rubs his eyes before fumbling for his shoes under the bed. After slipping the comfortable loafers on he goes through into the main room, making a beeline straight for the coffee machine, which someone considerate must have freshly brewed. He pours himself a cup and blows lightly on the hot elixir of wakefulness before tentatively sipping the contents. Peering up at the clock he calculates he has ten minutes left before he is needed on the floor, so he pulls a chair out from under the table and picks up yesterday's newspaper.
CASE DISMISSED FOR CHILD MURDERER
Reeves lets out a deep sigh while skimming over the article's contents, feeling the weight of a heavy stone in his belly. Margie was right to say it might have been better if the man had died; though this contradicted with his morals and the code of ethics that had been instilled in him throughout medical school. His eyes follow the printed words without any of the meaning absorbing. His mind drifts away and is filled with imagined images of the family's reaction to the news that the man who killed their son has been set free on a technicality. And from what Margie insinuated, this wasn't the only boy who had been traumatised by this monster. Dr Reeves swallowed hot coffee that burnt his mouth; but he felt he deserved more punishment than that for curing the man who brutally beat and molested a child then dumped his body near an overpass. He couldn't help wonder if management allocated him this case because he was fresh from medical school – unlikely to properly diagnose the mysterious illness and hope the patient doesn't survive. Troubled with guilt, Reeves places his mug into the sink and walks out onto the floor. He finds Nicole and asks if she wants to go out tonight. He hides his lack of enthusiasm for her company, because he knows Nicole is wild and likely to distract from the internal conflict that rages within him. Nicole beams delightedly and accepts his invitation.
YOU ARE READING
Death's Captive: Will she escape eternal confinement?
OvernaturligA woman is trapped within a London hospital and can't move beyond its grounds. She doesn't know exactly how long she's been there, and she can't ask anyone because nobody can see her or touch her, except people on the verge of death whose souls she...
