The Bad Guy's Doctor

EIGHTEEN

I puff out smoke, enjoying the loneliness of my balcony as Arsenio and Jasper commuted themselves to searching for clues in the photos. The night was accented with lights, pretty enough for me to zone out.

I had completely forgotten about a near death experience. Kinda ironic. A hospital brought me back to life.

I punch in a number in my phone, committed to memory before the incident happened. It rings for two beats, before a groggy voice picks up. "Hello?"

"You slept early tonight." Another inhale from the cigarette.

"Who's this?"

"Althea." The silence stretches before I hear rustling on the other end, like he sat up suddenly.

"Holy shit." He breathes, before repeating it again. "Where've you been? How've you been?" A smile graces my lips, reminiscing of our times rooming together in medical school. Mateo Elias, a night owl who was always there in the morning, but never at night. He would creep into the dorm and complain about me sleeping, but would pass out in the early morning hours.

"Around. I'm... fine, as of now." I trace around his questions, deflecting as I hear him shift on the other end. "I have a question,"

"It's been, what, three or four years since I last saw you and you have a question?" Mateo puffs out a laugh. "Shoot."

"When we roomed together, do you remember the time I disappeared for... days?" If what Jasper told me was true, my absence would've been tracked in my attendance in class and living quarters. There was no way I could check my records, but Mateo was always attentive. That was what I remember about him, the fact that he caught onto everything.

"You did. It was fucking weird too." I put out the cigarette, moving inside as the cold seeped into my fingers. I hear Arsenio and Jasper speak as I approached, but they cut off as I praise my phone screen at them. I click the speaker icon, resting it on the table as the sound of flipping pages came from his end.

"Weird?" I echoed, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Hold on, I know have a calendar  for that year. Our graduating year, I wrote everything down." Arsenio's eyes spark questions at me, but I mouthed that I would explain later. Jasper pressed his lips together. "Here, okay, it was in September. 'A didn't come back to the dorm today, missed her last class. I guess she didn't want to deal with Mr. P and left the face of the earth to get away from him.' Pretty good summary, eh?" I huff, a smile tugging at my lips. Mr. P was one of the more bothersome of the other teachers, it wasn't uncommon for students to skip his class.

"And the next day?" Mateo hums in response.

"Nothing about you. You didn't come back. Third day says, 'Called A thirteen times on her phone. She's either dead, missing, or ignoring me. Told campus security.' It goes on for about a week until you came back." A loud thud on the other end sounds and Mateo grabbing the phone violently. "Shit, I remember that you were completely different."

Jasper's eyes flashed, raising to my own as I understood. "How so? Did I say anything about what happened to you?"

"It was creepy as fuck, sometimes you would zone out and—wow, how do I know all this?—it says right here, you weren't the same." He meant the calendar, he had written it down. A change in me from the incident. "Is it important? I can probably remember more in the afternoon when I'm not about to fall asleep."

"We can meet up. Send me a location and I'll be there, Mateo." He sighs, humming an agreement.

"It was nice hearing from you again. Pulling a vanishing act like that on me, low blow."