Joe Gribble - Darkest Edge

Then all hell broke loose. The patient emitted a high-pitched, undulating scream. His body jerked violently, his head pitching wildly from side to side.

The nurse saw one of the patient’s hands begin to slip loose from the restraint. She turned to tighten it. She fought with the patient’s flailing arm, but finally got it secured. She turned and glanced back…and saw Mark. Her eyes locked onto him.

Mark panicked. He turned and ran down the short hallway and out into the larger hall. He first turned right, but quickly realized there was no escape in that direction. He turned around, and ran back past the entrance to the hallway. He glanced inside as he ran past. He saw her, and she saw him. The nurse was walking quickly toward him. He reached the end of the long hallway and looked back. The nurse approached quickly, taking long, purposeful strides. Mark grabbed the door handle, but it didn’t budge…Locked.

He grabbed the other door knob and twisted violently. No luck. He didn’t understand… the door hadn’t been locked when he came in.

Mark looked back. The nurse slowed down as she got closer, her eyes surrounded by black rimmed, cat eye glasses.

Mark hunkered down, trying to escape the approaching demon. He watched as she raised her arm, bathed in the glow of a bright light behind her. She held a syringe with a long needle. A yellowish fluid dripped from the tip.

Mark closed his eyes. He tensed his whole body and opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

Mark’s body racked forward, sitting up in his hotel bed. Sweat poured from his forehead. He opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the night stand.

3:06

With a shaking hand, Mark reached for the bottle near the clock and put it to his mouth, gulping down the calming elixir.

Sitting in the hotel restaurant, Mark was almost finished with his eggs and Bloody Mary when he spotted Ellen and a young man near the entrance. He watched as they embraced, kissed. The young man departed and Mark observed as Ellen watched him walk away. Then she turned and came into the hotel restaurant. Mark kept his eye on her until she spotted him and came over.

“Wow, you look kind of rough,” she asked, looking down at him. “Late night?”

She sat without being asked.

Mark took a sip of his drink and looked over at her. “Yeah, I was down in the newspaper archives until about ten.” He downed the rest of his drink. “What’d you do last night?”

Ellen looked away from his accusing eyes. “Nothing much.” She finally looked back at him: “So, what’s the plan for today?”

Mark leaned back, smiling. He knew he had her. After a moment, he pulled his notebook from his shirt pocket. He flipped it open and turned to the last page he had written on. “I have a list of doctors who worked at the hospital in the fifties and sixties. Several of them showed up in the local paper… for various reasons. One’s name was Hans Drexel. Ring a bell?”

“Maybe a relative. Father?” Ellen said.

“Could be. I want to go back to the hospital. See if Natalie will answer a few more questions.”

Ellen looked away to hide her smile. “Okay by me” she said. Then she looked back at Mark. “I take it you never got into the locked building?”

“No. At least I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so?” Ellen asked.

“Like I told you, I must have blacked out or something.”

“Right. Xenia. Orphanage.” Ellen leaned forward. “Look, Mark. Is any of this related?”

“What?” Mark asked. Mark could tell what Ellen was implying, and he didn’t like it a bit.

“You’ve been acting pretty strange. The fainting yesterday, now this blackout thing.”

Mark stood to leave. “I’m fine. You ready?”

Mark walked away without waiting for Ellen.

Mark approached the entrance to the hospital. Ellen followed, carrying the camera.

Mark glanced back at her. They hadn’t said a word to each other on the ride over. Mark was still angry over what she had said. He wasn’t sure if he was mad that she implied there was something wrong with him, or if he was worried she might be right. “Rule number one…” Mark said over his shoulder.

“I know, I know. You do all the talking. I run the camera,” Ellen said.

Mark opened the door and held it for her to step inside first this time. He followed her in.

Mark slowed down a bit and looked around. He sure as hell didn’t want to pass out again. He glanced over at the darkened hallway on the right as he approached the receptionist. He felt some jitters, but nothing like he had experienced the day before.

“Can I help you?” the receptionist asked.

“Yes, please. Mark Wilcox, Channel Seven News. I’d like to see Dr. Drexel.”

The receptionist turned to her monitor, pecked at her keyboard. She frowned. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but I have some follow-up questions from our interview yesterday,” Mark said.

“She’s pretty booked this morning,” the receptionist said. “If you want, you can have a seat and I’ll try and get in touch with her to let her know you’re here.”

Mark and Ellen sat in the lobby, in two chairs against the wall.

Ellen’s head was leaned back against the wall, her eyes closed.

Mark checked his watch. It had been almost half an hour. He was considering checking with the receptionist again when Dr. Drexel walked up.

Mark stood up, when he saw her.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Wilcox,” Dr. Drexel said. “I have appointments all morning.”

Ellen’s head popped up, eyes open. She stood as well, popping the camera up on her shoulder, searching for the power switch.

“I just need a few minutes, Dr. Drexel,” Mark said. “I found the names of a few doctors who worked here in the past and I wondered if you could tell me anything about them?”

Dr. Drexel glanced at her watch, then crossed her arms. “I guess that all depends…”

Mark consulted his notebook. “Doctor Walls? Ernie Walls?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell. When did he work here?”

“He was here in seventy-seven,” Mark answered.

Dr. Drexel laughed. “Way before my time,” Drexel said. “I’m afraid I can’t help you, Mr. Wilcox. I have patients…”

She turned to walk away.

Mark stepped forward to follow Dr. Drexel. He wasn’t about to let Drexel avoid his questions. He signaled Ellen to come along, to keep rolling. “How about Dr. Willis Maddox?”

Dr. Drexel continued to walk away. She answered over her shoulder: “Another old timer, I suppose. I don’t know the name.”

“Maybe you know this one, then,” Mark said as they approached the receptionist. “Dr. Hans Drexel?”

Natalie Drexel slowed to a stop near the receptionist. She turned to face them. “I’m guessing you already know Hans Drexel is my father.”

“I guessed he might be. He made the paper quite a few times.”

Dr. Drexel glanced around.

The receptionist was watching all of them closely.

“My office. Please?” Dr. Drexel said. She led them down the hallway to her office.

Ellen kept the camera running as they made the brief trek down the hallway to Drexel’s office.

Drexel walked quickly, her heels making rapid tapping sounds against the tile floor. She unlocked the door, then held it open to allow Mark and Ellen enter. Drexel slowed as she stepped around Mark and toward her desk. She stopped and turned, looking at him closely. “Your eyes are very bloodshot. Baggy. You haven’t slept well.”

Mark was taken aback. Was she trying to change the subject? “I’m okay. About your father…”