A Eternal Tale: Howling Winds

Chapter 2

Mark rushed into the Chicago hospital doors, looking around as one of the nurses walked up to him, "Can I help you..." observing his uniform, "I'm here for my father!" Mark responded as the nurse saw his name tag, "Mayflower, yes, Sir, your father is getting care for now.

What's going on with him!?

Sir, we are on it right now; I'll take you to the waiting room till then." The nurse said as Mark didn't say another word, heading to the waiting room.

An hour later, a Pakistani woman in her mid-40s, wearing glasses, long black hair pulled back into one braid, a beauty mark on her left cheek, wearing a lab coat, walked up to Mark.

"Yes, Doc." Mark replied, "Your father needs your prayers, my son...you can see him; he's on the 3rd floor, room 111. As he got up from where he was sitting, "Mr. Mayflower, your father is suffering from internal bleeding; we give him something to ease his pain. But his is going to need plenty of rest."

Yes, Ma'am, thank you, Doc." Mark made his way toward the elevators.

In the elevator, Mark had many things going off in his head; as he was standing there, he turned, seeing his reflection off the steel polish panel wall of the elevator. Mark went into his pocket & pulled out his phone, checking his call log where he was about to call James & stopped. He shook his hand & pulled his phone back up as the doors opened. Mark stepped out & was on the 3rd floor as he looked up at the sign to know where to go, "...Lord God, I'm tired...this is too much." Walking down the hallway to his father's room.

Mark saw the room number as the door was closed; he took a deep breath & opened the door, walking in slowly as his father was lying in bed, eyes closed. The monitors were beeping slowly, and the TV volume was low, playing a western.

"Aww, pops, you with your John Wayne movies." He smiles while standing on the foot of the bed. Mark stood silently for a minute, then grabbed his father's foot, "....I'm sorry, pops, this shouldn't have happened." Trying to fight his tears. He walked up towards the chair beside his father's bed & sat down, "...Oh God.." sitting back, looking at his father, then closed his eyes.

An hour passed as Mark jumped up from his cell phone ringing. He first looked around & saw that his father was still asleep; he then answered his phone, "Mayflower!" He said as one of the other officers was on the other end, "Sir, sorry to bother you. I know you're with your father. How is he anyway, Sir?

He's resting for now, but what's going on, Joe?

Sir, you must come to check this out; we have a problem.

What kind of a problem, Joe?

A problem we're not trained for, Sir; I'm texting you the location now." Mark's phone beeped from a text as he pulled the phone from his ear to look at his text, "...Hmm, I'm on my way. Give me about 30 minutes.

Yes, Sir." Ending the call, "I have to go, pops." Mark kissed him on the forehead, "Love you." He said, leaving out.

Minutes later, Mark pulled to a nearby crime scene in an alleyway, "What now?!" He said, parking the car & exiting. The location was in an old ally behind several apartments; two squad cars were on the scene as taped off, with three officers standing by. One of the three was Joe, "Okay, what's up?" Mark asked, "

Sir, happy you're here, come this way." they both went under the tape.

"Caucasian male homeless seem to be in his mid-50s found dead back here." Joe gave Mark the rundown as he was observing the area walking beside Joe. They came up on the homeless man's body, "...Hmm." Mark took a step forward. The homeless man was missing both arms with his throat ripped out, "Joe, who called this in?