The Plague Doctor [RATED R] ✓

(11) Much Needed Reward [m]

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IT TOOK A WHILE for me to fully calm down after realizing something so cruel. I am not a saint, nor am I close to even being called a good man, but I know if something crosses the line.

     "You feel especially affected by this, Bishop. Is there a reason?" master Claudio suddenly asks, immediately making me look at him.

     I don't know why, but after hearing his assumption, I unconsciously hide my arms from their view and feel something heavy weigh in on my shoulder.

     "Should there be a reason?" I ask back instead. "Anyone who'd hear something horrendous would feel sick to the stomach. The fact that you have a child with your own father, and that same child experienced getting assaulted by the same man, it's fucking disgusting. No one should be allowed to live after doing something so cruel. No one should—" I immediately paused and stopped myself when I felt Claudio's curious eyes piercing through me. I didn't even notice that I was clenching my fist so hard.

     "Forget it," I say as I take a deep breath and massage my temple. "All I'm concerned about now is little Adie. Now I understand why the poor child doesn't even speak."

     "Adeline has psychogenic mutism, or more specifically, elective mutism where she chooses not to speak because of psychological issues," Claudio suddenly explains as he looks out of the car window.

     "Marcelino and I found her hiding at a dark alley on our way to the manor. She was almost skin and bones, and she was only wearing a thin nightdress that barely covered the bruises in her skin. I took her, treated her, bathed her, fed her, and then diagnosed her. That same day I discovered three things. One is that she has been sexually abused, two is that she was not properly fed and is underweight, and three is that she's mute," Claudio explains further, making me clench on my fist again.

     "That's when I started asking around to find more information about her. At times when I ask her some questions she'd write them down, and those small interactions eventually made me realize who she really was."

     "Then that file? Why did you know that the mayor would have something like that?" I ask him, staring at the file that I stole for him just moments ago.

     "If you don't know yet, I'm also a doctor in one of the largest hospitals in the city. A month ago a doctor friend of mine received a special request from the mayor of this town. Apparently, there have been speculations that the mayor had a child with some maid and is trying to confirm if it's really his. I took that as an opportunity to switch the alleged child with Adeline's DNA sample. The results came out today, that's why I came back here. I needed to attend the party to get the results," master Claudio answers, surprising me.

     For someone with Claudio's personality, I shouldn't be surprised by how resourceful he really is, but at the same time, I'm still surprised that he was able to pull this off. 

     It's too clean...

     Too precise...

     "And now that you know of Adeline's real identity, what will you do?" I ask, making Claudio look back at me with a small smile.

     "This piece of information can greatly help me in the future. That is why I am really thankful that you were able to get it for me, Bishop," he answers, suddenly grabbing my hand to squeeze it. The action made me flinch, but I didn't pull my hand away from him even though both of our hands were stained by blood from an unknown person.

     I thought he was going to let go of me eventually, but he looks back at Lino and says, "Bring us to the mansion, and then you can head to the manor afterward. I'm sure that Mateo will come to find me tomorrow so it's safer if I'm there."