Silvertroll

Heather

A chorus of words echoes along the corridor as Alicia approaches the room. Visitors are visiting. Nurses and ward assistants are busy attending the patients. They seem to be avoiding the room near the end of the corridor, the one with the private bodyguard. The uniform breaks from his slouch when he sees Alicia approach, gets the shoulders up and blocks her path, hands open, respectfully, obviously aware that she is a cop, but doing his job. She sneaks a peek into the room and sees Heather, alone, drinking her orange juice.

Heather looks up at her with anxious but curious eyes, and calls out to the minder, "It's okay."

The bodyguard relents, his relief visible in his posture. Alicia enters the room and sits next to the bed. "I'm Alicia. Julian's mum."

Heather seems confused.

Alicia adds, "We have met. A few times. In fact, I've made you breakfast on occasion."

This gets an another blank stare. Alicia's mind, trapped between keenness and desperation, scavenges the past for any evidence of the relationship. She pulls out her phone and peruses through her messages. She finds it, buried deep in recent history, trivial correspondence between her and her son.

~JULES: 11tb thundercloud and 1tb xusb.9

Wrong one. Alicia scrolls up and up until she gets to the right date.

~JULES: Hey, I heading past the grocery.

~HOME: 2 loaves of bread please.

~JULES: Waht for dinner???

~HOME: A green curry.

~JULES: Is Heather there yet???

~HOME: No. How far away are you?

~JULES: Don't feel awkward with Heather, mum. She's a great girl. Home in 10.

Alicia turns the phone to show Heather, whose apprehension wages a battle across her face. Heather's head drops, facing down, reddening as if about to cry. "I remember the accident. Everything was happening fast. I don't know why. We were..."

Alicia waits, but the girl's distress stings her, opening up fresh wounds.

"...we were running away... from..."

"Let's not talk about it.," says Alicia.

Heather looks up at her, tired eyes searching for the answers.

Alicia continues, "How about we focus on something else?"

The girl's eyes become lost, "There's nothing else.".

"Then let's just sit here. We don't have to talk."

This relaxes the girl, the anxiety in her face melting away just as the mother enters. Beth Saltash seems surprised to see them together at first but lets it go. She stands at the foot of the bed, smiles at Alicia, then steps over and kisses her daughter. "How is my darling?" she says.

Heather's distress returns. "Why did you leave?"

"I just went to the bathroom, sweetie."

"The whole day?"

"It wasn't..." Beth looks at Alicia and sits down, clearly battling to keep her wits together, placing a folder on the bed, crammed with paperwork. Alicia can make out the legal nature of the print. This also catches Heather's attention.

"What's this?" asks Heather.

"It's just the insurance, dear."

Heather grows more anxious. "That," she points to the letterhead.

Alicia leans forward and sees the butterfly logo of the Mnemnon corporation.

"It's your father's company," explains Beth, her eyes on Alicia, as if the explanation were meant for her benefit.

Alicia takes the opportunity. "Is he in insurance?"

"No, computer engineering, actually. The family is covered under the company plan."

Alicia looks over at an anxious Heather, who's hugging the pillow as if her life depended on it. On the side table opposite her, the white evidence satchel is open, a phone encased in a pink cover adorned with crystals, rests on top of it.