[Quentin]
Scene Started: Wed, 16 August
2000
Dateline: 7.35am, Friday, December 25th, 1998
[ PC ]
Out in the hall Hudson led Quentin down the hall to the elevator. There were newspapers on the floor outside the rooms they passed that hadn't been there when they came in.
[ CC ]
Quentin glanced at the front page as he passed by, hoping to get some idea of where they were, geographically.
[ PC ]
The papers appeared to be a mixture. There were a couple of NY Times, a The Times and with everything a copy of one called 'Al Amarja Today'. It didn't look anywhere as weighty as the other titles, but the paper stock looked to be of good quality at least. A small, yet high quality paper?
The headlines on the two Times' seemed like they were covering old news. They sounded about a day or two old. The 'Today' read 'THOUSANDS PARTIED IN STREETS AS XMAS ARRIVED' and 'PEACE FORCE REPORT MINIMAL ARRESTS'.
'Al Amarja', that was where Morelli had supposedly come from, he had had a return ticket; and Tanberg had said that this was where they had travelled to, and that it was in the Med.
[ CC ]
"Hey, Hudson," Quentin asked. "Is there any way we could get a copy of this here 'Al Amarja Today'? I'd like to have something to occupy my mind, should Andrea's case stretch longer than expected." Left unspoken was his consuming curiosity to find out more about this strange city his family had found itself in.
[ PC ]
Hudson paused for a second and glanced at Quentin. "Sure," he shrugged. He bent and picked up a copy from the next door the passed and tucked it under his arm, Quentin's hands were full.
A young man dressed in a smart suit and carrying a briefcase stood patiently by the elevator waiting for a car to arrive.
He glanced round as the three approached and smiled. He had a deep tan and glistening bright teeth, hair slicked back and to the side with brylcreme.
"Morning," he said before turning back to watch the dial over the elvator turn down the dial towards 5. Marcus' voice could be heard down the hall. He wasn't any happier.
Hudson glanced nervously back up the corridor they had just come down before turning to keep an eye on the man in the suit.
[ CC ]
Quentin continued to hold on to Andrea, reassuring her with his presence and touch, and earnestly hoped that everything would Be OK.
[ PC ]
They entered the elevator and rode down to the Foyer. It was still deserted. The man in the suit walked over towards the reception. He had a rapid gait, with short steps, walking from his knees nearly.
Hudson led them outside to the Minivan which pulled up in front as they approached. The driver had been parked in the alcove and must have been watching for them.
Opening the door Hudson let Quentin and Andrea in first. "The Hospital, quickly," he told the driver.
"How is she?" Husdon inquired.
Andrea was still awake but seemed very drowsy. Quentin had to gently shake her to keep her awake.
[ CC ]
"Not yet, honey," he told her. "You've got to be strong for me and help me stay awake for when your other uncles join us, OK?" He began a small game of pattycake with her, to keep her moving and active.
"She'll be doing just fine," he told Hudson, as he continued the game.
[ PC ]
Hudson nodded, satisfied. He unfolded the paper he had pilfered for Quentin and began reading the front page. Quentin could only see what looked like classifieds or small ads on the back page.
The minivan drove out onto the plaza which had a few more people on it as the morning had progressed. Mostly people who seemed to be heading to work, although it was still early. Quentin's watch claimed it was 9pm on the 24th.
Driving round the plaza Quentin could see some of the businesses that operated here, a bar, some sort of clinic, a cinema, clothes shops, a cafe, a gym, a pet shop. Eventually the minivan seemed to be approaching the Hotel again but turned of the plaza just before it and headed away from it.
The drive was short, but there they did pass another plaza like area. This one had what looked like a large metal gallows in the centre. Art?
[ CC ]
Quentin was starting to get inured to the strangeness of this new place. He wondered what information he might find buried in the pages of the local newspaper. He started to keep an eye out for billboards and posters, to see what local residents were interested in and to continue to get a feel for the place.
[ PC ]
As the van entered another district Quentin could make out some grafiti in prominent places along the road, "Mutant's Out!", "Get the Freak Out!" and others just as bigoted.
The van approached a large steel and glass building that looked more like a new New York office block. The signs out front however proclaimed it as "D'Aubainne Hospital and Trauma Center". Hudson climbed out the van and held the door open when it stopped outside the main door.
[ CC ]
Quentin stepped out, reached in, and helped Andrea out. He made sure to let/make her do her own walking -- even more activity to help keep her awake.
[ PC ]
Andrea seemed grumpy when Quentin refused to carry her from the van and scuffed her feet in protest as they approached the entrance.
[ CC ]
His mind began to think back on what had been said about this weird possessing parasite. Apparently it operates by contact, and he'd be willing to guess that Dino somehow brought it with him. What he couldn't imagine was how Andrea or Panda could have contacted him, for this parasite to have transmitted itself. He strained to remember if either of the two had ever left the kitchen or dining room while Dino had been talking with Dad.
[ PC ]
Quentin could remember Andrea going to the toilet, but that had been after Morelli and his father had ensconced themselves in the study.
The doors opened automatically, sliding silenty out of their way as they approached. The inside was a crisp and clean as the outside of the building. A few patients were seated in a waiting area on soft chairs to the right hand side as they entered.
Ahead of them was the main reception. Computer monitors peaked over the counter the receptionists working quitely away.
Hudon walked up to the desk, "Hi, I'm looking for a Doctor Boothby. I believe he is expecting me. Yes, my name is Hudson. Thanks." The receptionist picked up a phone and dialed a number.
"Doctor Boothby? We have a Mr Hudson at reception to see you...I'll send him up." The young woman looked up, she seemed in need of some sleep, must be coming to the end of her shift. "Take the corridor by the lifts to the end and turn right then second left. There is a lift there, if you take that to the seventh floor, Doctor Boothy be will meet you there." She smiled as Hudson as she turned back to her workstation.
[ CC ]
"Doctor Boothby, 7th floor," Quentin repeated to himself. He wished he'd had a notebook, so he could remember these details. He had the sneaking suspicion they'd be more important than he'd ever realize.
[ PC ]
The hospital looked very clean and modern, even better than some of the hospitals Quentin had visited in New York. It almost seemed like a private hospital but the patients he could see in the corridors weren't wealthy people by any streach of the imagination. They weren't all poor, there was a fair proportion who were dressed with money.
Passing one group of chairs in the hall Quentin recognized the tribal clothing of a city street gang, about five of them. Leathers and chains and bruises.
Not what you would expect a gang to go to hospital for. There was a scream from the room opposite, a woman. Quentin saw some of them look up and the others look away, hiding there faces.
Behind him Quentin heard the door open and a woman enter the corridor. "You bastards! How could you let him do that! Bastards!" she screamed the last as she ran of down the corridor, sobbing, away from him. Quentin could see that none of the gang was looking into the room, or even at anything or anyone.
[ CC ]
Quentin held Andrea close, feeling protective. This wasn't a psychiatric ward, but if no one was reacting strongly to this type of display, he felt that one had to be careful.
[ PC ]
The elevator was where the receptionis had indicated. It didn't look like a public elevator. It was too far back, out of the way. The car was large enough to hold maybe two gurneys.
"Where are we?" asked Andrea. "I'm tired. Please carry me Uncle Quentin."
[ CC ]
Quentin stopped, squatted down, and looked earnestly into Andrea's eyes. "I know you're tired, sweetie, but we can't take a rest just yet. I know you don't understand -- I don't quite understand myself, to tell you the truth -- but it's important that you stay on your feet right now." He gave her a bright smile, while hoping what that normally did to his face wouldn't inadvertently scare her. "Tell you what," he said. "We'll make it a game -- let's be little bunnies scampering to our warren. Do you want to hop with me?" With that, he stood and began making little hops, his ankles flexing strongly as he bobbed on the balls of his feet.
[ PC ]
As the doors opened on the seventh floor, a pakistani man dressed in a doctor's white coat was waiting. His namebadge had a photo of him and the name 'Boothby'.
"Hello. This must be Andrea. Hello there. And how are you feeling?" He had crouched down to be level with Andrea. "Would you like a sweet?" he offered a paper bag to her. "I'm afraid I've only a couple left."
Andrea looked warily at the doctor, then up at Quentin.
[ CC ]
Quentin smiled down at her. "It's OK, sweetie," he said. "He knows what's he's doing." "I hope," he thought to himself.
[ PC ]
Andrea reached out to the bag and taking a sweet and poping it in her mouth.
"Good girl. Their coffee flavoured," he said winking up at Hudson and Quentin.
"Come on I'll get you settled and we can get started, the sooner you can get some sleep." Boothby led the way down a couple of narrow corridors, over flowing with boxes of medical supplies, to his office. "Excuse the mess, a storage room was being refurbished and the didn't get finished before the contractors broke of for christmas." Boothby was practically laughing at the situation.
His office was a small room with barely space for his desk and a few chairs. It was overflowing with periodicals and piles of folders containing patient notes. "Here, Andrea, have a seat and lets have a look at you."
Quentin and Hudson had to crowd at the doorway, there wasn't really enough room for them all to fit in the room. Looking around the room, Quentin noticed various anatomical charts that he found quite amusing with ligaments strained on bent joints. A desk behind the door had some chemistry set type equipment set up on it. Colors fluids bubbled along twisting pipes and faint whisps of yellow gas rose from a beaker that seemed to be collecting the product of the reactions.
Boothby picked a small torch from his pocket and switched it on, "Andrea, if you could look into the light for me just now. Right, and look up. Great."
He reached over his desk knocking a small pile of books over in the progress. Pulling open a drawer on the far side of his desk he pulled out a small jar and turned back to Andrea removing the lid. The jar appeared empty.
"Andrea could you spit your sweet out on to this lid for me?" He was smiling he best winning smile, but Andrea still hesitated before leaning forward and depositing the sweet on the upturned lid. He glanced at Quentin as he passed him to get to the chemistry set, "Need to check the chemical balances come up with a restorative, and we should be all okay." His smile looked nearly goofy, and he insanely cheery.
[ CC ]
Quentin allowed himself a wry smile. "Curious bedside manner," he thought.
[ PC ]
He picked up a pair of tweezers from the table and dropped the remains of the boiled sweet into a hopper of liquid at the top of the apparatus, and turned a few knobs and swapped the receptical beaker with the empty one in his hand.
"There, we should have a restorative in a few hours. I'd say about lunch time. I can take Andrea to the children's ward while this is cooking if you'd like. You look like you could do with some sleep yourself, I can arrange for a couple of nurses to ensure Andrea doesn't drop of."
[ CC ]
"No, that's OK," Quentin said quickly. "I'm doing fine. I'd like to know if I can get Andrea something to eat. It's been a long evening, er, um, day" -- Quentin floundered a bit, remembering how they'd managed to shift a number of time zones -- "and she never got to have her dinner. Are you feeling hungry, sweetie?"
[ PC ]
"A little," answered Andrea.
"Come with me, I'll take you to a room where you can wait. I'll have an orderly bring you some breakfast before they start on the main wards."
[ CC ]
"That would be great," Quentin replied, relieved. Turning to Andrea, he asked, "What are you in the mood for, sweetie? Some cereal? Eggs? Waffles?"
[ PC ]
"CocoPuffs!" Andrea seemed to brighten at the prospect of something to eat.
[ CC ]
Quentin looked at Boothby, hoping that, wherever they were, they had Cocoa Puffs.
[ PC ]
"Sure," he laughed.
Boothby led the way to the elevator and went down a couple of floors. All the while he was talking inanaties to Andrea, keeping her talking. Asking her about her day, where she had been and who she had met. Andrea seemed to warm to him but she still kept a firm grip of Quentin's hand.
Hudson stood quietly to the side reading the folded newspaper stolen from the hotel. His eyes kept flicking around every few seconds. He squinted a grin out the side of his mouth whe he noticed Quentin glance up.
[ CC ]
"Hey," Quentin asked. "Could you call and find out how my brothers are doing? If the tests went OK? I'd really like to know, and I'm sure Andrea misses her brother right now."
[ PC ]
"Sure. I gotta get the number," replied Hudson.
[ PC ]
The elevator opened onto a ward like any other in hospital's the world over. Organized chaos. Stretchers and trollies lined the corridors, orderlies and nurses bustled about. The hospital day starts early. Mute voices could be heard around corners of people talking softly. The smell suddenly struck Quentin and Hudson. The starched and bleached clean smell that you only got in a hospital. The other areas they had passed through hadn't had this smell, and it's absence earlier suddenly struck them now. They were in the hospital proper now.
Hudson stayed at the desk flipping through a phone book. "I'll be right there."
Boothby led the way down a few corridors and stopped at a nurse station where he asked the attendant nurse for a room and for breakfast to be delivered immediatly. "Cereal, lots of strong coffee and some games."
The room they arrived in was a spartan one-bed room. A TV sat on a pedestal near the ceiling opposite the bed. Dinosaurs cavorted across a brightly colored landscape on the sheets and three plain plastic chairs sat in attendance.
"I'll be back in an hour or so to see how your getting on. If you need me call for a nurse and they will contact me," Boothby indicated a button next to the head of the bed.
[ CC ]
"Thank you, doctor," Quentin replied, and gave him a firm handshake. As Boothby left, Quentin squatted down with Andrea and asked her, "Have you ever ridden a helicopter? Here, come over here and put your belly on my feet," kicking off his shoes in the process, rolling on his back, and bringing his feet up in an upside-down crouch. He hoped this would keep her excited and awake. It also helped get his mind off his concerns for his brothers.
[ PC ]
"I don't know. Promise you won't drop me?" Andrea climbed up on the bed beside Quentin and leaned against the soles of his feet.
[ CC ]
"I promise," Quentin said. "Now stick your hands straight out like Superman, and we're *off*!" Quentin quickly brought his feet back and up, balancing Andrea carefully in the air. "OK, so it's an airplane instead of a helicopter. Unless you want me to spin you?" Quentin asked mischievously. He began to wiggle his feet a little -- "Uh oh....turbulence!" He laughed, just in case he was scaring her more than amusing her.
[ PC ]
Hudson opened the door, "I've got the number for the hotel now." He had taken a mobile from his jacket pocket and had begun dialing.
"Hi, I was looking for Mr Tanberg...yes...How about anyone else who was with him...great...yes, please." Hudson reached over to Quentin and offered him the phone, "Your brothers were just passing reception."
[ CC ]
Quentin took the phone with one hand while he kept the other near Andrea, just in case she decided to wriggle herself out of balance. He spoke: "Yes, this is Quentin. Alex? Jack? Marcus? Who have I got here?"
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This Page Last Modified: Sun, 19 Nov 2000
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