Online Mystery

Lost Boy

Lost Boy

December 31, 2003

It has been a quiet night on the Academy side of the hospital.  All of the teams, but one, have the night off.  Harvey Simons insisted that his team was on the brink of discovery and therefore needed to remain on task.  None of the Academy heads told the teams how to do their jobs.  And they all knew that Detective Simons was one of the best at sniffing out the real criminals.  That's why the Simons Team was put on this particular assignment.

"Haaa-ppy News Year, Dr. Rob"... She Hiccuped... "Berts!"  Nurse Harriet was already tipsy from the champagne that was brought in to our hospital party.

"I think you have had quite enough, Harriet."  Phil looked around for one of the other nurses to help him.  "Lisa, can you please help Harriet into an unoccupied room, so she can lay down."  Lisa smiled sadly at the obviously distraught and plastered, Harriet.  It was her first year in seven years that she was alone on New Years Eve.  Her husband had divorced her this summer and Lisa worried about her friend and colleague. By the way she had been drinking and the dress she was wearing, it was obvious she was trying to drown out her sorrows and memories by being free tonight.  Lisa wasn't sure who Harriet was hoping to seduce but she knew Dr. Roberts would never have taken Harriet up on an offer, had she been able to make one.

"Come with me, Harriet.  We will find a nice warm bed for you."  Lisa spoke gently as she half carried half dragged the 32 year old woman away to a private room.

"Any word from the Simons Team?"  Melvin asked Phil, bringing his attention around in a 180 degree turn.

Phil shook his head in reply.  "They have gone radio silent until their mission is completed.  But they went over every detail with a fine toothed comb, leaving nothing out.  When they are successful, the heart of Charleston will be changed forever."

"Lord knows this city needs a good scouring."  Melvin grunted with a crooked smile.  "Fine work you are doing here, Phil.  I couldn't have left this hospital in better hands."

Phil nodded but had a sad look in his eyes.

"What has you down in the dumps?  It is New Years Eve.  A time for new beginnings.  To start fresh, with new goals, new attitudes, and renewed purpose.  Isn't that the point of this party?  To remind us all of what has been achieved and what a difference we all have brought into our small corner of the world?"

"I just worry that I am helping to take away a childhood."

"Explain."  Melvin said with command but the look in his eyes was gentle and concerned.

"The Green's bring their son here to the hospital almost daily.  And they have since he was a baby.  Tadashi wants him to one day be a doctor and has been pushing on him medical books instead of children's fiction books.  But when I found out they were making him study medical journals for eight hours a day, I stepped in and intervened.  For the last year I have had little Sean shadow me in the hospital as if he were a medical student.  He is so brilliant and understands everything I throw at him.  He is like a sponge, soaking up every bit of knowledge we give him."  Phil sighed, his shoulders drooping.  "Is it wrong of me that I am encouraging him to be my protege?  He is only seven years old after all."

Melvin laughed a hearty chuckle, slapping Phil on the back.  "This is what has you so upset?"  He was shaking his head no, repeatedly.  "I know the Green's well, remember?  You are probably doing little Sean a favor by taking under your wing.  He is getting human contact while learning rather than being stuck in a room by himself for eight hours a day.  But I can see how you might be worried about his childhood.  Are there any teams of young boys you might be able to pair him with, you know, to give him the social interaction of people his own age?"

"There are a few teenage groups right now, but none of them seem to be fitting very well.  I will continue to try and team him up.  There has to be at least one person out there he would fit well with."

"Knowing you Phil, you will find that someone for Sean.  Now, let's stop talking shop and enjoy the rest of the festivities."  Melvin made an arm motion in a wide arc.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!"  Everyone cheered, blowing horns, throwing handfuls of confetti, and toasting with flutes of champagne.  Phil wished his wife were here to ring in the new year with him.  She was the only woman he would ever have eyes for.

A half hour later, as Phil tried to wrap up the festivities, an ambulance pulled up into the emergency bay.  Phil, always the doctor, began his commands.  "Triage staff to the ER bay!  Nurse Lisa, be ready to set up an operating room.  Those that are not working here, go home.  If you are working, get back to work.  And you better NOT have drank any alcohol."

A woman was wheeled in, the EMS team were barking out stats.  One was pumping the respiratory bag on her face while another straddled her hips, pumping her chest.  The triage team pulled in a crash cart, doing everything they can to save her life.  As Phil got closer, he could see her face was a swollen, mangled mess.  He wondered if she had been in a car accident. 

From the corner of his eye, Phil saw Harvey standing at the ER door with his hand on the back of a young boy.  What worried Phil the most was the emotionless face that was on this boy.  Was he in shock?  Had he been in the accident, too?  Phil needed information from Harvey but he didn't want to disturb any trust he was establishing with the boy.

Phil looked back to the triage team.  After five zaps with the paddles and no response, He stepped up to pronounce the time of death.  Glancing back toward Harvey and the stoic boy, Phil saw what would haunt him from now until the end of time.  The only emotion to grace the boy's face was a single tear.  Phil realized this woman had to be important to the boy.  A family member or caregiver.  But how could a boy, of maybe eight, be so utterly broken that he could only shed one tear for someone that clearly meant something to him?

Harvey led the boy away from the scene and Phil went to his office to write up the paperwork on the DOA.  He never liked losing patients, but when they are dead on arrival, there isn't much more they can do.  They are only human after all.

Phil pulled up his computer to type up the proper forms.  When he was done, he logged into the Internet.  Only a handful of times has he been graced with seeing that Facebook site, but every time he does, it brings a smile to his face.  He has known that this was a glimpse into his future and Sean was always in the pictures, too.

The dial up made it's tell tale noise, "beeeeeeee oooooooo eeeeeeee".  Phil had heard about the new broadband for Internet access and he was eager to have that over this archaic dial up.  The noise alone gives him a headache.

His attention was grabbed as he saw another picture of Sean.  The caption read, "Opposites make perfect pairs."  This was a picture of Sean at maybe 10 years old.  He was smiling his mischievous smile, like he had just pulled the best prank ever.  He had his arm slung around the shoulders of a boy his same age.  This other boy had his arms crossed over his chest, he was turned to the profile of the person that took the picture.  He was definitely Sean's opposite.  Sean had blonde wild hair, a band t-shirt and ripped jeans.  This other boy had brown immaculately groomed hair, black rimmed glasses, a button down shirt and dress slacks on.

All too soon, the Facebook site faded away.  Phil sighed, "At least I know Sean will eventually have companionship with someone his own age.  But that is at least three year from now.  And who was that other boy?"  Phil shook his head.  Now was not the time to worry about this.  He would just continue to place Sean with other young teams until we found this other boy.  He cannot deprive Sean his childhood while he waits to meet this friend in three years.